Bringing Down the White Picket Fence
A Couple's Quest to Live Globally
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This is pure happiness. Headphones, a good book, and the French countryside. This high-speed train swept me from Paris to Lyon and then to Provence. Another summer after a stressful school year (as if I knew what stress was then). This country taught me how to take deep breaths. I savored every minute of calm, and now I long to go back.
I long for this. Sitting by the water in short sleeves, reading a book by the water with a huge Ferris wheel looming over me. It’s Seattle in August. It could be a guidebook to Japan or a bartender’s manual of cocktails. Perhaps it’s his own novel. Whatever it is, this man is going places.
I’m always looking for a good bike to ride when I’m traveling. As long as I can get myself on the right path within good distance of the city streets, I am ready to ride. We rented these bicycles from the Westin Bayshore Vancouver and took a ride along the water on the bike path around the park. We pulled over to take in this incredible view of the city before heading… Read More
I could look at this photo for hours. There is so much life here; so many stories, dreams, worries, and thoughts. There are people smiling, enjoying a night out with friends, while others sit and speculate. I could pick any person from this scene and tell their tale. Of course, it would be a work of pure fiction, as I’m sure I could never truly know what that man is wondering about,… Read More
One of the best ways to see San Francisco is with the tour company Vantigo. On the San Francisco City Tour, a Volkswagen bus picks you up right from your hotel to take you on a ride around Fog City. You’ll stop several times along the way to capture great photos while checking out Twin Peaks and the Golden Gate Bridge. Your driver will give you the full rundown of the history… Read More
They say the third time is a charm, and I think Paul and I agree, this trip to California wine country was the best one yet. We did it all wrong the first time, improved upon it significantly the second time, and nailed it the third time. While I don’t regret any of our travel adventures, we often learn from our experiences. So, let’s recap: Trip #1-On our month-long cross country trip,… Read More
This is one of our favorite memories from San Francisco. We took a tour on a Volkswagen bus with the company Vantigo. The bus takes you all over the city and you get to see stellar views like this one. We highly recommend this tour when visiting San Francisco, but we can’t promise that you won’t want to go in search of buying your own bus and living the van life afterwards…. Read More
It’s Christmas time in the city, and Paul and I made sure to kick off the holiday season with a Seastreak cruise into downtown New York. We’re committed to getting our SPG stays in before January 1, and the city gives us plenty of opportunity to move between hotels and rack up our stays. We enjoyed a stellar upgrade at the W Downtown on Friday night. They gave us a luxurious corner… Read More
This is my Paris. Several years ago, Paul and I rented an apartment in the 1st Arrondissement of the beautiful city of Paris. We stayed for the entire month of July. If you travel back in time on our blog, you can find many posts about our experience and learn about how it significantly changed our lives for the better. This weekend angry protesters lit the Champs Elysees ablaze in… Read More
New York City and pizza. Two of the best things in America. So, let me tell you a little story. I know nothing about the pizzeria in this photograph, but I’m going to use this photo as my excuse to tell you about the pizzeria I LOVE in New York City. Harry’s Italian on Gold Street is just about the best thing on Earth, and unfortunately, we only recently realized it. Paul… Read More
Bringing Down the White Picket Fence 