The Road Liz Traveled

It’s official!! Next adventure = BOOKED and I am SO excited to be heading back to sea with @halcruises to explore Alaska! Not quite as remote as rounding Cape Horn, but equally as exciting!! Pop a comment below if you’ve been to Alaska before, I’d love any tips!

This gloomy Chicago weather has me missing the blues of the South Pacific and the feeling of being miles away from everything else! What’s on my top 5 list of things I pack, you ask? I go NOWHERE without my @humangear GoToob’s that’s for sure. Keep an eye out for my upcoming post- “What’s in my Carry-On?”

HI ALL!! Took a quick hiatus after my trip through South America and enjoyed the holidays with my family and friends, and I’ve finally landed in my next adventure for the time being- HOME. Snowy Illinois is one of my favorite places to be, and I’m so glad to be here for a while! Drop a comment below telling me where home is for you! Is it a person? A place? A memory?

Seems like it was just yesterday I was in the most beautiful hotel looking out at Lima and all its beauty

If you ask me, there will never be enough pics of #MachuPicchu... 7 days ago I set eyes on this wonder of the world and it’s feeling like a dream

The greatest gift a place can give you is the desire to go back. So absolutely grateful for the last 23 days and all of the parts of the world I never thought I would get to see. For now- homeward bound! And I have to say I’m ready for some home cooked food!

Thanksgiving 2018 is looking a little different for me this year- I spent yesterday wandering around and marveling at the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu and I am still on cloud 9,000! Waiting in the Cusco airport as we speak has me feeling extra grateful for this life of mine and for the last 21 days spent in South America. Maybe turkey day is different today, but I’m feeling like it’s a good different.

Said goodbye to the ms Zaandam and @halcruises this morning and I’m already ready to go back to sea! 5,000miles sailed, 4 countries, 1 iceberg, endless penguins, and I’m leaving with a full heart. Up next- MACHU PICCHU!! (You read that right)

Last port of call today before our @halcruises comes to an end and I think I was most excited for my brief photo shoot with some llamas! The Chilean town of Puerto Varas is so charming! Settled by Germans in 1854, PV has everything from traditional German scalloped brown houses to “kuchen” instead of cakes, with rose bushes everywhere!

Touching the toe of the statue in the main square of Punta Arenas signifies your return to Patagonia someday... so I touched it twice 😉

The locals commonly refer to Ushuaia as “fin del mundo” or “end of the world” because it is the southernmost city in the world. Surrounded by the Andes, nestled amongst the Chilean fjords, full of character and life, this little city packs a big punch. Wishing I had 10 more days just to explore it and the rest of the Tierra Del Fuego

Rounding Cape Horn- the seas down here where the Atlantic meets Pacific are treacherous and tumultuous to say the least. Battling the 80mph winds had me feeling for the unlucky sailors who went “unaccounted for” in these waters. Unlike them, we pushed on and inland and completed our rounding successfully, on our way to Ushuaia, Argentina, and then toasted to the ghosts of sailors past from the comfort of our warm, cozy staterooms.

“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live.” Left a piece of my heart in the Falklands today- can never put into words how incredible these remote islands are.

Sailing ⬇️ south to the Falkland Islands today and I can’t get enough of these blues

A humble, hardworking, vibrant city filled with smiling locals, bakeries on every corner, and Uruguayan flags hanging proudly from balconies, Montevideo is an absolute gem 🇺🇾

Home to some absolutely magnificent beaches, tiny little coastal towns, and sea lions to boot, Punta Del Este is a sleepy little Uruguayan gem (except during high season Jan-March). Colorful buildings contrast the brilliant Atlantic blue and the dune-like terrain is studded with greenery and wildflowers 🇺🇾

I can’t TELL you how exciting it is to set two feet on a NEW CONTINENT!! Even despite having our luggage lost, I am strolling into the unknown with nothing but a few shirts, pair of hiking boots, journal, and a major grin- and honestly it’s kind of fun! (Side note: I can’t stress enough how important it is to bring a few outfits in your carry on- especially with 3 flights going to or from 3 different countries! 🇺🇸➡️🇨🇴➡️🇧🇷)

SO many new faces around here this week, so I thought I’d share a bit about me- I’m Liz! I love all things fall, rainy days, key lime pie, and golf. Watch my story to find out more!

Ever wonder what it’s like to hurl yourself off of a 130ft high bridge? I did my best to sum up my experience bungee jumping (and maybe even convince you to do it?!) on the blog! Click the link in my bio to read all about it! There may even be an embarrassing video in it for you 😜

There is NO better feeling in the world than the feeling you get driving over the causeway bridges to Sanibel! Click the link in my bio to check out why I love this little island and what there is to do!