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Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

About Girl Gone Travel

Welcome to Girl Gone Travel!

I have been to 40 countries across five continents. I have stood in souks at midnight, eaten things I could not name, and gotten magnificently lost in places I could not find on a map. Travel, for most of my adult life, was the story I was always chasing.

Then I moved to the Finger Lakes.

Forty countries taught me how to see the world. The Finger Lakes taught me how to see home.

I still travel, but differently now. More slowly. More deliberately. I chase the mist over Canandaigua in November. I drive the back roads between wineries in a truck that knows the route by heart. I sit in the places most visitors drive past, and I stay long enough for something true to surface.

GirlGoneTravel_Blogger, Photographer, and Traveler of the worldThese are my people and my top priority. 

My children grew up with boarding passes, in Japanese train stations and Adirondack forests. Watching them move through adulthood now, rooted and curious and carrying the world in them, is its own kind of travel writing.

I am also a marketer, a storyteller, a coffee cart operator, and a Spanish-language interpreter for asylum seekers. My days are full of other people’s stories. This blog is where I tell my own.

You will find deep dives into the Finger Lakes. Essays on slow travel and why proximity matters. Reflections on raising children who grew up everywhere and now belong somewhere. And occasionally, dispatches from farther away, because the habit of motion never fully leaves you.

Welcome. Stay long enough for something true to surface.

Girl Gone Travel® is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.

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38 Comments
  • Mrs_Fire
    December 15, 2008

    Hey-Mama! LOVE this new blog. So great and exciting! Send me an E-mail -Love to chat sometime 🙂

    Reply
  • amiller01 (Annie)
    December 15, 2008

    Hey girl!! love the new blog! What a good idea! Maybe (once the baby comes) I will start one. lol awesome though!!! 🙂

    Reply
  • FITFreshNY (Christin
    December 16, 2008

    Love the blog Mama! You make me feel like I was there with you guys!

    Reply
  • MrsFids (Marcie)
    December 16, 2008

    Hey Mama – LOVING the blogs : )

    Keep'em coming!!!

    My hubby & I are always looking for new and interesting things to see and do in the Big Apple.

    Reply
  • Our2Boys
    January 4, 2009

    I love getting to know you guys even better through this blog! Thanks for sharing! I look forward to more entries. TTYS
    Beth

    Reply
  • Doris M Bachand
    August 13, 2009

    Was terrific to meet you Carol… I had so much I wanted to talk about… but the time was too too short.

    David was a gem looking after the boys in the pool… he deserves the credit not Ted and/or me!!

    Enjoy the trip home… it is good to get away but HOME is best I have found..

    Love doris

    Reply
  • Nanette Hartley
    October 16, 2009

    Love this blog site and I love NYC, especially during the holiday season. Great picture of the Rockefeller Christmas tree! I must pay NYC a visit sometime soon!

    Reply
  • Blog Thief Defeated By Twitter Army | NYCityMama
    January 5, 2010

    […] About NYCity Mama […]

    Reply
  • Jane
    January 29, 2010

    Hi: Just wanted to enter the $24 contest. Love the spa and gym at Affinia. Definately is the way to unwind after a wonderful day in NYC. I want to come back and do it again! Please!

    Reply
  • The Healthy Apple
    April 13, 2010

    As a fellow Manhattan gal, I love your blog…keep up the great blogging…I'm a huge fan!

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      The Healthy Apple
      April 15, 2010

      Thank you Healthy Apple! It's always great to hear from our fan readers! Thanks for your support!

      Reply
  • cassie
    May 23, 2010

    new to your blog and just wanted to say as a fellow new yorker and fellow brooklynite, i absolutely love it.. working on becoming a mom and this site will definitely be a "go to" source for me..

    Reply
  • Carol Cain
    May 23, 2010

    Hi Cassie!

    Fist of all GOOD LUCK on becoming a mom! And second, THANK YOU for your comment and for reading my site! Wish you many happy adventures!

    Reply
  • Barbara
    May 24, 2010

    Have really enjoyed getting to know you through your blog and twitter. About to read your foodspring piece and bote! Best of luck, Carol — you deserve it 🙂

    Reply
  • Tamara Walker
    June 1, 2010

    Have been following you on twitter and facebook for some time and now that I get to go to NY for the first time ever (Blogher) I am loving all the advice and insider info you give!

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Tamara Walker
      June 2, 2010

      Thanks Tamara! Excited to have you visiting my hometown! Please feel free to send me a tweet with any questions you may have : ) And thanks for reading : ))

      Reply
  • Cheryl - itty bitty
    January 4, 2011

    Great resource Carol! So many things to do in my favourite city in the world. Thanks for putting this together.

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Cheryl – itty bitty
      January 4, 2011

      Thanks Cheryl!

      Reply
  • Luisa
    March 22, 2011

    I love this website….Great info for moms…Thanks

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Luisa
      March 22, 2011

      Thank you!

      Reply
  • Imani
    July 10, 2011

    Thanks for the great tips Carol! I headed straight down to 6th Avenue and Carmine Street specifically for Gelato pops after reading your blog! Next time I'll actually bring the kids with! LOL

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Imani
      July 10, 2011

      That's wonderful Imani! So glad to hear : ) And today especially called for a nice, cold gelato pop!

      Reply
  • Haidee Garcia
    June 12, 2012

    Hello… I'm new to your blog and I happen to come across it from looking up info on splash down… I just have to say that your blog is awesome and it was the kind of blog Ive been on the search hunt for… Its motivating me to start getting out more and venturing out to different adventures with my family….wish you and your family many blessings…

    Reply
  • Thaddeus
    January 10, 2013

    Nice work here Carol. I can see it's a labor of love and a lotta work! Well done!!

    Thaddeus

    Reply
  • Carol Cain
    January 10, 2013

    @Thaddeus: Thank you so much!

    Reply
  • G. Peter Jemison
    March 17, 2013

    Carol really enjoyed your visit to Ganondagan and the Iroquois White Corn Project . Really like the look and info on your blog looking forward to following your travel tips. Peter Jemison

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      G. Peter Jemison
      March 17, 2013

      @G. Peter Jemison: Thank you so much Peter! It was so wonderful meeting you and hearing about the project. I look forward to hearing more and please stay in touch! Thank you so much for your hospitality and all the information your shared : )

      Reply
  • Susan Noble
    March 19, 2013

    Loved talking with you yesterday both here at the Tech Farm and at the awards show last night. will now become a regular reader. Travel safe today.

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Susan Noble
      March 19, 2013

      @Susan Noble: Thank you Susan! What a joy it was meeting you. I love the work you are doing!

      Reply
  • movers los angeles
    July 4, 2013

    Traveling is a hobby and adventure gives a unlimited fun. Thanks for sharing the post and picture of your travel. And be safe..

    Reply
  • AmandaH
    November 18, 2013

    Love the site. Can't wait to follow more adventures. next time I'm in New York, I'll hit you up for recs. Feel free to check out my site too, if you wish.

    My recent post Seattle’s First Secret Supper, All the Juicy Details

    Reply
  • thebritishberliner
    January 27, 2014

    Hi Carol,

    I'm aware that award nominations are usually for "fresh" bloggers like myself however, I nevertheless, just wanted to give you a head’s up that I’ve nominated you for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award. I’ve also written a few words about you and your blog. Feel free to take a look. Thanks!
    thebritishberliner.wordpress.com/2014/01/2…

    My recent post Fashion or Passion, Green or Mean: Berlin Fashion Week

    Reply
  • Happytraveller
    March 21, 2014

    Very impressing resume! And your blog sais it all, I can see how much effort and pleasure is in it! You are very inspiring and I was pleased to read that half of you is from the country I love most, Puerto Rico!

    Reply
    • caincarol
      Happytraveller
      March 22, 2014

      @Happytraveller: Thank you!!

      Reply
  • Ellen Orchid Mausner
    June 17, 2014

    Love your blog and wish I could travel with you on your “team”. Are you hiring, by any chance?

    Thanks and happy travels!

    Reply
    • caincarol
      Ellen Orchid Mausner
      September 24, 2014

      Hi Ellen – my apologies that I just saw this! I often recruit contributors to for travel assignments, but I will say I\’m pretty selective. It has happened though!

      Reply
  • Debi
    December 4, 2014

    I’ve read many of your posts & obviously we’re connected via social media but this was my first time reading your about page. What an amazing adventure you’ve made your life into. You inspire me to be more fearless and try new places. My favorite thing to do is to travel the world with my family. Thanks for always reminding me how important that truly is:)

    Reply
    • caincarol
      Debi
      December 4, 2014

      Thank you so much Debi!

      Reply

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Categories

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  • Central America4 Post(s)
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  • North America318 Post(s)
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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

Contact

  • caincarol@gmail.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

My recent post inspired many people who kindly rea My recent post inspired many people who kindly reached out to me for words of wisdom and guidance on how “they, too,” can get their lives more together. Here’s what I will say: for more than a year now, I have experienced disappointment with work I was committed to and the overall devaluation of what so many of us creatives do, and it started impacting the passion I had for my work, which, as a creative, can be a massive death sentence. I found myself soft quitting, quitting-quitting, having contracts end that I was eager to let go of, and others that I didn’t think I wanted to let go - but that in the end resulted in an incredible boost to my emotional and mental health. For so many, our prof success has so long defined us. It defines how ppl receive us, esp as Black and brown ppl, especially as women, how society values us, and, to some extent, how we view ourselves. But that was breaking me. I was working harder, longer, and more intensely without significant reward or recognition. Not just in one job, but in so much. To overcome this, I sought something completely disconnected from my current work but still requiring focus, commitment, and skill. And slowly, I started finding myself again. Being selective means fewer selections, which means less money. It is, in the end, a choice. One that comes with its struggles. I absolutely admire the people with whom I partner today. My family is figuring out the money thing; we found the loss of joy too great to ever sacrifice again. Today, I am proud to work with some real kick-ass people. It’s reinvigorated my creativity. And I absolutely LOVE owning a mobile cafe. Not because it’s a massive money maker (it’s not), but because of the people I meet every time we serve. Running two businesses is not for the faint of heart, but I am so incredibly fulfilled. I don’t do sad well. But I have experienced it all. And very much so recently. And my recent post is me on the other side of it. And I wanted all of you inspired by it to know I have been going through it. So if you are still where I was, let the glimpse behind my curtain be what keeps you going. Even the night ends at sunrise.
Sunset glow in the nooks of our little home. I lov Sunset glow in the nooks of our little home. I love it here so much. 🥰 I’m embracing new life experiences and opportunities with excitement and anticipation. I was stuck for so long, convinced it’s where I needed to be, but change, it turns out, has been exactly what I have needed…though I will admit I have been nervous about it. All this to say, sometimes we get stuck in situations that have long stopped making us happy, maybe because it’s easier to stay, or you’ve convinced yourself it’s where you should be, and it can be hard to walk away, especially if you’ve invested so much of yourself in the process. Ugh. The shit we tolerate when we stop listening to the little voice yelling at us that it’s time to MOVE ON. And sometimes, we don’t. Sometimes we have to be pushed. But, if the opportunity to break free comes, even if inconvenient, TAKE IT. RUN. Because, as a wise teenager once said, YOLO. Trust in the fact that you’re pretty f❤️cking awesome, and things have a way of working themselves out. Trust that life is more interesting with the bumps along the way and that your final destination isn’t at the bottom, even if you might find yourself there for a moment. It’s a fun ride not because it’s always easy, but because of how much cooler things are when you’ve overcome the hard bits.
My wildflower field is reminding me of an importan My wildflower field is reminding me of an important trait: patience. So much in my life right now feels out of my control. I am experiencing a massive shift and uneasiness, and things I want to happen are so slow and feel like they are not happening at all. It is very unsettling and frustrating. But this was also my garden. The blooms weren’t blooming. It felt like they were never going to come. Like it would skip us this year. And I was sad at the thought that for reasons outside of my control, regardless of everything we did to tend to this garden, we would just not get the results we’d hope for. But this morning, I woke up, and there they were. The first few flowers. Colorful and bright, with bumblebees dancing around them. And when I looked closer, I saw so many more buds waiting to burst open. It all needed time. Not the time I gave them, or expected, but what was necessary. And so things may not happen as we wish they would, when we wish they could, but they will. We just have to be patient and trust the process. Easier said than done, I know. But, at least I have a beautiful flowering garden to admire while I wait.
Today was about beautiful baby niece, family, and Today was about beautiful baby niece, family, and cute ducks all named “Ducky”. 👧🏻🐣🍨 📍The Spotted Duck, Penn Yan, NY
Life gets so busy and stressful sometimes that I f Life gets so busy and stressful sometimes that I forget I have so much to heal my soul and relax me right at my finger tips… I get what it is to be from the big city and not being able to imagine a life so beautiful anywhere else. It certainly was me. And then, I came to the Finger Lakes…and the rest is history. #fingerlakesregion #newyork
Sometimes you just gotta walk it off. Lucky me, I Sometimes you just gotta walk it off. Lucky me, I get to do so here. #fingerlakes #newyork

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