I’m On a Boat: Four Cruises You Need to Take in 2015

2015 is the year of cruise vacations! The new year is not only seeing the launch of a number of luxurious new cruise ships, but the opening of new destinations will grant access to the world’s most remote places greatly more accessible. US News & World Report evaluated 15 cruise lines in five categories, taking into account key factors, such as health evaluations, traveler approval and reputation among critics, to determine the best cruise lines of 2015. Before you solidify your travel plans for the year, let’s explore the cruise lines that came out on top.

Top Seven Cities Throwing the Best New Year’s Eve Parties

In just a few days, we’ll all gather with our friends and family to say goodbye to 2014 and cheers to do it bigger and better in 2015! While you’re planning out how you’re going to bring in the new year, check out the cities throwing the most impressive last hurrahs!

7 Travel Apps to Never Leave Home Without

Research, plan, book, prioritize, check-in, reserve–our smartphones do it all as our most trusted and most reliable companions when traveling. Check out these seven travel app must-haves for your iPhone or Android.

Flip a Penny, Pick a Dot: Top 5 Cities for Weekend Getaways

Lets be real, in a perfect world Paid Time Off would never run out. Although that’s not the case,  don’t let this awful truth suppress your desire to escape the monotony that is your life! Our great country offers many, many vacation spots with accessibility, affordability and entertainment to leave you rejuvenated and ready to return to the grind on Monday. The key is to pick cities with concentrated attractions so that you really get a lot of bang for your buck in a relatively short amount of time! Explore my top choices and let me know your favorite(s)!

5 Ways to Travel Often When You’re Ballin’ On a Budget in Your 20s

You’re a 20-something living with mom and dad or a roommate. Sallie Mae is knocking on your door every month asking for her student loan money back. All of your extra cash goes to brunch (especially if you live in Dallas) or weekend day-drinking on a patio (again, especially if you live in Dallas). So when the itch to vacay starts biting, you immediately tell yourself there’s no way you can take a trip on your own dime, right? Well, coming from someone who vacations almost as often as he takes showers (wait, what?), gather around while I tell you five ways I do it on a budget.

WKND RWND: Chicago Edition!

 

Last weekend in Chicago I…

I Saw God, Today: His Omnipresence Magnified at the Beach

I’ve always been drawn to large bodies of water. Resting my butt in the sand as I overlook the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Ocean injects my soul with an overwhelming sense of peace that I don’t feel anywhere else. The beach is my serenity, my saving grace…my happy place. There’s no doubt that I feel closest to God and His creation than when I’m walking along the white sands looking out into what looks like an endless flow of “blue planet.”

Given that I’ve never taken a cold-weather vacation (anything under 60 degrees is just uncomfortable to me, haha!), been to South Beach, Miami, FL, four times in the past four years, and went to South Padre Island for three college spring break trips, it wasn’t until last week’s four-day mini-vacation in Naples, FL, that I really stopped to take in the magnitude of God’s omnipotence; His omnipresence that’s so overtly evident and on display.