Apologies to those folks who are so kind to keep up with my travels and this blog. When I hit “publish” on New Year’s Eve 2012, I had no idea what a journey this blog would be and all the amazing folks traveling around the world I’d meet. I’ve tried my best to stay on top of things but as we all know life can get in the way. Despite the delay in posts, I’ve been traveling as you might have seen on my instagram page but have been lax in updating the blog. I have over 100 posts drafted and with work, family and some disappointment with the way travel content is scraped into AI search results without attribution and/or links back to the site, well, I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by it all and rethinking strategy to best serve readers and clients. I’ve been keen to make it all perfect but as my travels have shown me time and time again, nothing is perfect.
That said, I’m still keen to get caught up on the blog because there are so many new places I’ve been (Crete, Bordeaux, Norway, Iceland, etc.) and favorites I’ve revisited (Paris, Reykjavik, and of course London, always London) that I think you will enjoy. In addition to my travels, Philadelphia, my hometown, is getting ready to be on the international stage this year with so many special events – America 250, MLB All Star Game, NCAA games, golf events galore, the World Cup (can anyone get me a ticket?), Welcome America July 4th festivities, the inaugural sailing of Norwegian Cruise Lines from Philadelphia starting in April and so much more. All this plus the arrival of Michelin stars for our restaurants and the foodie spotlight on what I’ve known forever to be a great city for all cuisines (pack stretchy pants) from cheesesteaks to tasting menus and everything in between. I plan on showcasing a few of my favorite Philly places to see, things to eat and accounts to follow for all things Philly.
It wouldn’t be an adventure without a few glitches, delays, mother nature and silly things to affect my journey. There have been many adventures from canceled flights to trains stopping a few towns short of Southampton, England spilling out thousands of cruise passengers and their big bags, an erupting volcano in Sicily, a tumble at the Acropolis in Rhodes leading to an unexpected visit to the cruise ship medical center. There are also many highs such as new friends, new cities to explore, incredible scenery, revisiting first love cities such as Paris, great arts in museums, theatre and music venues and of course, a lot of wine and chocolate along the way. And last but not least, I have been quite creative with travel hacks, use of points, upgrade bids and where my loyalty lies now that the premium credit cards, American Express Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve, are making me rethink hotels and amenities.
Thank you for your patience and I hope you’ll enjoy the upcoming stories, hotel reviews and my musings on travel. In 2026, I hope to expand my travel offerings beyond the blog and my local Travel for Less class so stayed tuned for those announcements.