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Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

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Travel

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North America, Travel
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November 2, 2015

Five things I love about New Jersey

I've lived in New Jersey now for about 4 years now. Like most hardcore New Yorkers, it's been a slow process to get me to let go of this idea that I have to venture into the city for good food, entertainment, or activities. I still get teased by friends for bec[...]

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Travel
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October 29, 2015

The Best Travel Stories

This year has been an incredible year in travel. Traveling to Thailand, my first trip to Asia, was such a great experience, visiting Istanbul as part of my role as a White House Travel Blogger was surreal, visiting Guatemala - twice - left me beyond words, and of c[...]

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Oceana, Travel
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October 15, 2015

From the People of Fiji with Love

The sunsets in Fiji are beautiful, but they aren't what will touch your heart when you visit.

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Caribbean, Travel
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October 13, 2015

Family Fun in St. Martin

St. Martin has been a romantic getaway destination for me in the past, but that's not to say that there isn't any fun on this 34 square mile island for kids to enjoy as well. There are two parts of this island to explore. The French side (St. Martin) and the Dut[...]

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Travel
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October 12, 2015

The Travel Dream, 18 Years Later

A little over 18 years ago I had saved up money working for a non-profit in New York City while also going to college for my Bachelors in Communications to travel the world once I had gotten my degree. My degree, I had decided then, was a symbol of pride for my[...]

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North America, Travel
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September 28, 2015

Fall Weekend Cruising the Hudson

Last year my family and I got up early on a Sunday morning to take a cruise up the Hudson River in celebration of Oktoberfest. Granted, I am not a huge beer drinker and tend to not consume much alcohol when I am on an outing with my kids, but visiting Bear Mountain[...]

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North America, Travel
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September 22, 2015

3 Ways to Enjoy Fall Closer to Home

Like for most people, this is the non-travel season with our family. Between school schedules and upcoming holidays, many of us sort of slow down and set into our routines. That doesn't mean, however, that we can't enjoy some travel experiences, even if just on t[...]

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North America, Travel
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September 18, 2015

Eating thru Hells Kitchen with Manhattan Walking Tour

Where did Hell's Kitchen get its name? How did the neighborhood develop? What are the best places to eat? Now, you can Google the answers to these questions but there is nothing like a history lesson, minced with some urban legends and a side of good eats to r[...]

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North America, Travel
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September 16, 2015

Winter Escapes to Steamboat, CO

When it comes to Colorado vacationing, I am more of a summertime girl. I learned this quickly when traveling to Beaver Creek one summer, and then again to Vail, and then of course, I was delighted in sharing my love for Colorado summers with my family when I travel[...]

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North America, Travel
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September 4, 2015

Highlights from Our Trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

For those of us on the East Coast a trip to Mexico for a long weekend seems like a crazy idea. But, this is exactly what my family and I did. We headed out to Puerto Vallarta, on behalf of Expedia to try the new services being offered to travelers by Expedia Local[...]

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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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