Kolmården Wildlife Park is a large zoo in Sweden that opened an incredible wooden roller coaster last year. Paradoxically, the park boasts 370 acres of property, 600 animals from all over the world, and now three roller coasters. It’s an unusual combination, but one that we enjoyed greatly. Over 50 years old, Kolmården is one […]
City Break in Vianden, Luxembourg.
Vianden is a small city in Luxembourg located only a few minutes’ drive from the German border of Rhineland-Palatinate. Despite its small size and inhabitance, Vianden is a popular tourist attraction thanks in part to the recently restored Vianden Castle. Large and beautiful, the towering castle has a checkered history but can now be toured […]
Missing Germany: 50 Things I Miss the Most.
During my year in Germany I often pined for things from the USA. Now the reverse is true; I’ve been home for three months and I’m missing Germany fiercely. To make matters worse, I have no timeline for when I might get to return – just a long list of reasons why I’d like to. […]
100 Days Back Home.
I never thought I’d be so deeply dissatisfied after returning home. I thought that transitioning from expat to repat would be difficult but overwhelmingly positive. I was wrong. Mr. Meena and I were gone from the United States for 13 continuous months. As we neared the end of our time in Germany I was rather desperate to be […]
Glamping NC: Staying at the Sky Ridge Yurts near Bryson City.
I received a complimentary stay in exchange for this post. As always, all opinions are honest and my own. The Sky Ridge Yurts are perched on a mountain top, providing an incredible experience for glamping NC (North Carolina). These yurts overlook the Nantahala River Gorge from their vantage point in the Smokey Mountains. While the […]
2016 Yearly Digest.
We had a rough start to 2016. Mr. Meena and I ushered in the New Year from our hotel in Schweinfurt, Germany while trying to understand why all the Germans were watching an obscure British skit. January 1st marked four months since we had arrived in Germany and I was still struggling to adjust to […]
Rustic Cabin Escape in the Mountains of North Carolina.
As much as we enjoy traveling to fascinating places with overflowing itineraries and a ‘see everything’ attitude, we also love to get away from it all. That’s why once a year, on our anniversary, we intentionally travel to a place where we can leave everything behind and reconnect with each other. For our third anniversary […]
The Unfortunate Realities of Life with Chronic Illness.
You know that feeling you experience when you walk into a room and you can’t even begin to remember why you went there? That’s what it feels like to suffer from brain fog due to chronic illness. On a bad day I leave behind a trail of unfinished tasks, deserting them to wander around my apartment […]
Visiting Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: A Review + Tips.
I was given complimentary tickets to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in exchange for this post. As always, all opinions are honest and my own. This was a pretty special trip for us. Mr. Meena’s grandparents live near Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and he’s visited the park several times on family vacations over the years. We’ve […]
MJ Donuts – Some of the Best Donuts I’ve Ever Had.
Maybe it’s the variety of donuts available, the fact that they use 0% trans-fat oil, or the women who always serve us so kindly (and send us on our way with more than we ordered) that have made me come to love this place so much. Whatever it is, it has led me –along with […]
