Hi friends! Once again, I reneged on my earlier promise to publish one blog post every week. Sometimes life happens. Sometimes it takes a little bit longer for me to process a situation & deliver the scoop. Here I am in Nome, Alaska-- finally! I’ve been talking about Alaska for many months &, as I mentioned in previous posts, the process for getting here took a lot longer than I anticipated. However, once I arrived, I … [Read more...] about Musings from Nome
Benefits of being a contract pharmacist
Our parent’s generation, the Baby Boomers, taught their kids to seek job security, stability, & attractive retirement packages. “These are the things that matter,” they told us. They were a product of parent’s who had survived The Great Depression. Their parents might not have “had it all” growing up, so, for the Boomers, having it all-- a big house, fancy cars, & a stable, 40 hour/week job with a comfortable retirement-- was very … [Read more...] about Benefits of being a contract pharmacist
Living The Glamorous Life Part 2: How I Overcome Fear As a Solo Traveler
In last week’s blog update, I discussed a strategy that I use for assessing & minimizing risks. As I mentioned then, there is a fine line between mitigating risk & failing to act out of fear. In this week’s post, I am going to define fear & discuss how I overcome it in order to move forward in life & in travels. It’s true that there are inherent risks with traveling solo & I have been in my share few fear-inducing … [Read more...] about Living The Glamorous Life Part 2: How I Overcome Fear As a Solo Traveler
Living The Glamorous Life Part 1: Assessing Risk As A Solo Traveler
Ending up in the Australia Emergency Room due to a potentially life threatening diving injury, decompression illness, a.k.a. “the bends,” was an extremely eye opening travel experience. Up until this event, I believed that I was safe. I was a confident diver & had just completed my 60th dive. Decompression illness only happens to divers who aren't diving safely & don't know what they're doing! So I thought. I was very lucky & I … [Read more...] about Living The Glamorous Life Part 1: Assessing Risk As A Solo Traveler
What I’ve learned after backpacking around the world (& why I travel)
I am competent & capable I can navigate myself through airports & crowded, unfamiliar cities where I don't speak the language… without access to Google Maps I can bravely eat that disgusting looking mush… & I might even enjoy it I can get out of sticky situations as easily as I can get into them I can make friends easily I must be a likeable person There are no problems that are too big … [Read more...] about What I’ve learned after backpacking around the world (& why I travel)
How To Cook Like A Minimalist During A 2-3 Day Hike
Planning meals for a multi-day trek can feel like a daunting task. Of course, packing light on the trail is important. You don’t want to end up weighed down by stuff you won’t use. So how do you pack enough food to sustain yourself for 2 - 3 days on the trail? You’ll probably want to eat a lot but how is that possible while still packing light? The focus should be on creating simple, high calorie meals, with just a few ingredients. I … [Read more...] about How To Cook Like A Minimalist During A 2-3 Day Hike
The worst bus ride EVER
The following is an account of my extremely shitty Peruvian bus experience. I don’t have a better word. It was literally shitty... & potentially dangerous. A few weeks ago I decided at the last minute to book a 20 hour, overnight bus from Cusco to Lima. The bus left promptly at 8pm with a 4pm ETA in Lima. During the night & morning, our bus broke down SIX times in the middle of nowhere in the Andes. Each time, it took at least … [Read more...] about The worst bus ride EVER
5 things you should know about hostels in South America
South America is a continent for the adventure traveler. For people who never stay in hostels, it seems to require a certain adventurous spirit to travel in this style. Hostels in Europe typically cater to the younger, “gap-year” crowd who want to party & tick countries off of their list as fast as possible. Hostels in South America cater to the adventurers & outdoor enthusiasts. Hostels, particularly South American hostels, are … [Read more...] about 5 things you should know about hostels in South America
Antarctica: “This is not a cruise, this is an expedition”
This blog post may contain affiliate marketing links. “This is not a cruise, this is an expedition.” That was the opening line of our trip, delivered by Sara, the fearless leader of the expedition team. I’m sure people are wondering what the draw towards Antarctica is. After all, isn't it just a lot of snowy white space? I exhausted glacier viewing & hiking in Patagonia & checked penguins off of my bucket list in Punta Arenas. I … [Read more...] about Antarctica: “This is not a cruise, this is an expedition”
Am I Really Going To Antarctica??
One of the many stops on the backpacker route in Patagonia is the last city of Ushuaia. Ushuaia is also known as “El Fin Del Mundo,” the end of the world-- it is considered the southernmost city in the world & the place where the road ends. Although there is not much for a budget traveler to find in Ushuaia, there are a few free hiking trails & glaciers in the area. It's also fun to say that you have stood at “El Fin Del Mundo.” The … [Read more...] about Am I Really Going To Antarctica??
