Bringing Travel To Life "If happiness is the goal, then adventures should be a priority"~ Sir Richard Branson Hello Fellow Travelers! I hope you had a lovely Easter and were able to spend it with those you love. This morning, on Holy Monday, the Catholic Church announced the death of Pope Francis. For those headed to Rome, the logistics over the next weeks and possibly months, will be slightly different as they hold the funeral and then head into Conclave to select the next pope. For those...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Bringing Travel To Life Hello - I'm just landing in Dallas after my week-ish in Italy/Sicily and let me just say, I LOVE Italy!! I forget how much la dolce vita is found in the Italian version of living. The pace is different, the volume louder, but there is an underlying goodness. The Italians are just so lovely. I managed to pull the worst thing ever as I walked out of the hotel this morning. Normally I do a triple check of the important stuff before stepping out the front door but...
about 2 months ago • 7 min read
Bringing Travel To Life “Hold on dear friend, for this is not the end. You have traveled so far and you have worked so hard. Carry on with courage and do not give up. And not because things will be easy but because these seeds you are sowing matter, and they will grow in time, if you do not lose heart.” —Morgan Harper Nichols Hello Fellow Traveler from Siena, Italy! I am so fortunate to be working from the road, this time in Tuscany, Sicily, and Rome. This quick note is coming from Siena, a...
2 months ago • 6 min read
Bringing Travel To Life "If happiness is the goal, then adventures should be a priority"~ Sir Richard Branson Hello Fellow Traveler! The past days have been cold here in Texas and it's got me thinking about white sand beaches, hiking in beautiful world, and exploring new cities. I'm all for laying on the beach but as it's getting towards Spring I'm feeling like I need some active adventure. A friend recently sent me a photo from a trip we took to Thailand together and it brought to mind the...
3 months ago • 6 min read
Bringing Travel to Life "Imagine a plate full of freshly made pasta in a little Italian cafe around the corner from the Duomo. Deliciouso!! Here's some Italian food thoughts to get you dreaming!" Spring is coming and I'm excited to be visiting Sicily this March with CIE Tours. As I've been reading upon the things to do and see, it's been making me hungry for some delicious pasta! Italy offers an unrivaled culinary experience for travelers and I thought you might enjoy complimentary copy of...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Hip hip hooray! it's 2025 - we've officially cast-off from the dock and are now sailing off into another year of adventure. I do hope you have some great adventures planned and already on the calendar for this coming year. Maybe next year you'll start the year with a polar plunge! 🤣 Swimmers at the traditional New Year’s Eve swimming at Lake Moossee in Moosseedorf, Switzerland, Dec. 31, 2024. (Anthony Anex/Keystone via AP) Are you a resolutions person? I try to be. Most years I buy a new...
5 months ago • 7 min read
Bringing Travel to Life Hello! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with family and those you love. I got to spend it with my family up in Washington State this year. A delight to spend time with a very lovely boisterous group in a winter wonderland. Welcome to the quiet week between Christmas and New Year. Can you believe it's arriving in just a few days? Better start practicing writing 2025 on things. With the turn of the year it means time for your annual travel document check-up! Are your...
5 months ago • 7 min read
Opal&Finch Bringing Travel to LIfe Vibrant Connections Newsletter Hello Reader Happy Winter Solstice! It's the shortest day of the year and that means as of tomorrow we are heading towards Spring!! Yay for Spring. I wanted to really quickly pop into your email to let you know of two new travel scams my travel colleagues have been reporting. It's clever and easy to be fooled. The scammers are emailing about your cruise or hotel booking saying your reservation is about to be cancelled because...
5 months ago • 3 min read
Bringing Travel to Life Happy week before Christmas! Only 7 days until the presents under the tree get unwrapped, I'm betting the race is on to get those last minute stocking stuffers and presents in place. One of the fun things for me at Christmas is pulling out all the bits and baubles I've picked up on my travels. To me it is always nice to see some small markers which reminds me of my journeys around this globe. As I write, I'm drinking my coffee from a cute creamy colored mug I bought in...
5 months ago • 8 min read
Bringing Travel to Life Hello Reader Fill your life with adventure, and have great stories to tell. When I was invited to join a Kensington Tours Ambassador trip to Slovenia and Croatia in October, I rearranged my schedule and jumped on a plane to Ljubljana. I'd been wanting to see these countries and finally here was my chance. Short version: I loved everything about both these countries. For brevity's sake, I'll chat about my visit to Slovenia and write about Croatia on a different day. (My...
6 months ago • 7 min read