I have somewhat of a love affair with bodies….of water, but especially that of the ocean. Not as much the getting into it, but rather the sight of it. Growing up we went to the beach every summer for family vacation, I spent my college summers living and working at Myrtle Beach, and I can see the Pacific Ocean from the roof of my apartment. Yet one thing I’ve never done is taken a cruise. I’ve found myself behind the wheels (or paddles) of boats, jet skis, kayaks, canoes, and surf boards, yet it’s now, at age 29, that I’m preparing to take my first cruise, an Alaskan cruise with Expedia aboard the Norwegian Jewel.

Some people wait and wait for that perfect job, home, or significant other, and when they find it, they know it. Evidently I was waiting around for the perfect cruise. While I’ve considered cruises over the years, nothing had really stood out. Having visited the Caribbean, lived for a season on the Pacific coastline of Costa Rica, and planning a trip to the Mediterranean, none of the major cruise routes were really sticking out. But then my sister went on a cruise to Alaska last year, Alaska being one of 5 U.S. states I haven’t visited. I saw an opportunity, one in which I could complete two bucket list trips at once: 1) Exploring Alaska, and 2) Taking my first cruise. Needless to say, I didn’t hesitate when Expedia recently asked me if I was interested in taking an Alaskan cruise this summer.

So with that, I’ll board the Norwegian Jewel in Seattle on July 14th to trek north to Alaska’s Inside Passage. What do I expect? I’m not exactly sure and I think that’s part of the draw of such a trip. Alaska, and the trip to the Inside Passage, represents what I consider one of a few far-flung destinations remaining in America. There’s a remoteness to Alaska that’s becoming increasingly difficult to find in the U.S. While I’ll certainly be documenting the trip, I look forward to long periods of time to unplug.

Over the course of the week, the cruise will make multiple stops in Alaska and Canada, including Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and one of my favorite cities in Canada, Victoria, British Columbia. While I’m stoked for my first cruise, I’m just as excited for the shore excursions. These will include a train ride onboard the historical White Pass and Yukon Route railroad, whale watching, exploring Mendenhall Glacier, and witnessing my first lumberjack competition. With that in mind, I better pack my best Paul Bunyan flannel and boots for these excusions:

• Mendenhall Glacier & Wildlife Quest
• Best Of Skagway
• Saxman Native Village & Lumberjack Show
• Enchanting Butchart Gardens

If you’ve visited my blog before, then you’ve probably noticed that I primarily travel solo. That won’t be the case this time, as I’m traveling with a couple thousand people aboard the Norwegian Jewel. However, there’s a little caveat. While T-Pain wasn’t available to join me, I’m inviting everyone else to join me on the cruise. This is an exclusive cruise with Expedia, with some special offerings, as well as a VIP package for the first 30 who book. The VIP package comes with a bottle of Processo and chocolate-covered strawberries upon arriving, an exclusive invitation to a VIP party, and 2-for-1 dining at the shipboard restaurant of your choice. We can sit out on the deck together eating chocolate-covered strawberries while watching glaciers float by. If you ask nicely, I may even juggle*.

In the meantime, I’ve got some shopping and packing to do. I live in California, so we don’t have attire for exploring glaciers. Tune in come early July when I’ll be posting regularly both here on my blog and on Expedia. You can also follow along on Twitter using the #ExpediaCruise hashtag.

*DISCLAIMER: Juggling demonstration must be no more than three objects with all objects being of equal weight distribution. I am also not responsible for any dents or damages to said objects, or for the loss of any objects that may find their way over board during the juggling demonstration.

What one thing would you want to see aboard an Alaskan cruise?

I have a confession: I’m afraid of the ocean. Or rather getting in the ocean, but not like that clear, blue ocean you see in places like the Caribbean, but that murky stuff. I know, crazy, when I talk so much about the beach, live within walking distance of it, and dream of building my own beach house. Yet as a little boy, I had what I consider the closest near-death experience of my life. As nice of a summer day as it was, I was one of only a couple other people that I remember seing out in the ocean as the tide started to go out. As the waves got bigger, I started to drift further out, getting caught in a rip current, and trying to swim fervently back to shore, but to no avail. I just remember thinking to myself, “Well, this is it. And at our family reunion nonetheless.”

While I have a tumultuous relationship with getting in the ocean, my relationship with swimming pools is nothing short of bliss. From as early as I can remember to present day, I’ve always enjoyed being in swimming pools, from taking my first swimming lessons and organizing cannonball contests as a kid to taking classes and swimming laps today as an adult, I’ve always enjoyed swimming in a pool more than any other cardiovascular activity. But why swimming pools and not the ocean?

It’s always funny to think back to when I was a kid, just some of the games we would come up with, often by accident. One such game involved my friends and I turning the ceiling fan on high, followed by us sitting in a circle underneath it, and gathering a pile of objects that we would throw in the direction of the rotating fan blades one by one. We would each take turns, but immediately shrink back every time an object was thrown toward the fan because we didn’t know which direction the fan would hit it back at us. Silly, right? But that’s just what we did in rural North Carolina.

Nonetheless, my response to the object making contact with the fan is often my same response when getting in the ocean and confronting other fears. I shrink back, not knowing what the next step may bring. It’s for that reason that I prefer swimming pools. I know at all times how deep it is, what’s beneath me, and how far it is to the end of the pool. I have control over the circumstances. The ocean is a different body of water altogether. I can’t throw a penny into it and see where it lands or look ahead and see what the depth is. I’m not scared of the ocean; I’m scared of the unknown.

And so, this is how we approach life. We have before us miles and miles of hardly touched oceans to explore by diving, surfing, fishing, and swimming, yet we choose to swim the same strokes in the same swimming pool that everyone else does. It’s our natural instinct; it’s what we know. It’s where our friends go and where we feel comfortable. It’s unchanging. Yet we complain about why we don’t have the same wonder as our childhood, feel the same zest in our work, and feel the same thrill from sex with our partners like we once did.

As much as I huffed and puffed and tried to tearfully explain to my parents the desperation of the situation I had just been rescued from, they only tried to soothe me by encouraging me to shake it off. And so it was, I wasn’t as close to dying that day in the ocean years ago like I thought I was. It turns out I wasn’t the only one in the ocean. My athletic cousin also was and she was able to come to my aid and quickly and gracefully help guide me back to shore.

Just like I wasn’t alone in the ocean that day, we’re not as alone as we think we are on the road of life. There’s always someone that can either be strong for us when we can’t or be that person who empathizes with us because they’ve been through similar experiences. It’s often these situations and people who really allow us to not just confront, but rise above our fears. I’ve faced some scary things the last couple years. Quitting my job to become a freelance writer, going through a divorce, traveling long term, and moving 2,500 miles away. They’ve at times been hard, but the lasting joy and sense of fulfillment as a result of taking these fears on, mixed with the friendships I have made along the way is simply unrivaled.

I love my life in San Francisco. I don’t know if I’ve ever been somewhere that felt so balanced and homey. Yet it’s for this reason that I’ve got to leave. But not for good. I’ll be setting off for three months, from house sitting in Northern California wine country to taking my first cruise to Alaska to touring through Europe before coming back home to San Francisco in September. It’s scary, but like setting off to travel nearly two years ago, it just feels like the right thing to do. What’ll be different is that this time, I don’t want to leave. I’ll miss it and when I say that I’ll miss San Francisco, I really mean that I’ll miss my ties here. But I think that just like my stint of long-term travel a couple years ago refined me and made me who I am today, this trip will have the same effect.

In the meantime, I’m getting back in the ocean. No, not figuratively, but literally. I’ve got surf lessons scheduled for Saturday in Santa Cruz, California. I’ve scheduled them twice in the last few months and both times I’ve gotten sick just prior. I’m hoping that three’s a charm. I’m anxious, as I’m undertaking it solo in a city I’ve never been to. That, and it’s living a dream I’ve had since I was a kid: To learn how to surf. Maybe I’ll hate it and swear off getting in dark, murky ocean waters again, but then, maybe I’ll like it so much that I come home with a surfboard. Either way, as travel so often does, I think I’ll come back this weekend better than when I left.

How has travel helped you conquer your fears?

When generally talking about the foods and drinks of Central America, I often find that there’s a misnomer. While you’ll no doubt find tacos, margaritas, and chips and salsa, this isn’t the traditional food and drinks of Central American countries like Costa Rica. While many of the best Mexican foods can be found in other countries, the same can’t be said for Central America cuisine. Nonetheless, that’s what makes it so unique – the fact that you can get it in Central America countries, but rarely elsewhere. In my never-ending quest to eat and drink my way around the world, today I spotlight the drinks (Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) of Costa Rica.

1. Guaro. “WHAT is that?” That’s likely your response not only while reading this, but also after taking a swig of guaro. But did you know that guaro is the official liquor of Costa Rica? While the term is generally translated as “liquor”, in Costa Rica it refers to the clear sugar cane liquor that is manufactured by Cacique Guaro. But sweet as it may be, it’s more like a kick in the mouth of sweetness, as it packs a punch. A shot of guaro is typically served with a large slice of lime. However, it can also be served as a cocktail, typically as a Cacique Guaro Sour, which includes a couple ounces of lime juice with a couple shots of guaro. For me, it was often my last drink of the night, though typically unplanned, as it usually consisted of me asking for my bill and the bartender or Ticos I was talking with urging me to stay around for one last drink.

2. Ron Centenario. Most people typically think Caribbean islands when they think about rum. And while Costa Rica isn’t an island, the eastern side of the country touches the Caribbean Sea. As you may imagine then, you’ll find a lot of rum in Costa Rica. While you’ll find a wide range of rums in Costa Rica bars, many of them are manufactured elsewhere, except for Ron Centenario. An older bottle of Ron Centenario, such as 9-year and above, you may just have by itself. However, you won’t find this in most bars and can simply mix it with your favorite juice or soda.

3. Flor de Caña. While Flor de Caña isn’t actually manufactured in Costa Rica, I had to mention it since it’s what turned me on to Central American rum. In reality, I’m not even a big liquor drinker. I’ll have a margarita at the local tacqueria and have developed a taste for Firefly sweet tea vodka, but by in large, have never felt a connection to liquor. That is, until I had a drink of Flor de Caña. Manufactured in Nicaragua, it became my drink of choice in Costa Rica, especially at happy hour when it was just $3 a glass. I typically alternated between a rum and orange juice and rum and coke. I’ve even found it in many bars in the San Francisco Bay Area and order it every time I see it. You could buy bottles of it for $7 at the Costa Rica/Nicaragua border when I was there last winter.

4. Pilsners. This refers to the numerous pilsner beers you’ll find in just about every bar in Costa Rica. While Imperial is the most widely recognized pilsner in Costa Rica, other notable beers that can be found in most bars include Bavaria and Pilsen. While I typically drank Imperial, I didn’t notice a stark difference between the three main beers. Toña is another recognizable beer since it’s manufactured in Nicaragua. This is a good break from Costa Rica’s bottled beers, since Toña is often found in cans. That and it’s incredibly cheap, as the first time I bought a can of Toña it was only $1.

5. Refrescos. I had to include at least one Costa Rica beverage that wasn’t alcoholic. Refrescos are just as they sound, refreshing drinks for the warm days in Costa Rica. A refresco is little more than fresh fruit mixed with water or milk. Some of the more common fruits include mangos, strawberries, pineapple, papaya, and blackberries. I would sometimes see people wheeling carts up and down the beaches selling these. It’s Costa Rica’s version of a fruit smoothie. If you’re concerned about where the water may come from, then ask for a milk refresco.

What drinks has made the most impression on you from your travels?

It’s a familiar sight to me. Dusk starts to fall on the day as rays of sunlight emit colors of orange and pink against the blue sky. I’ve made my way down to the bay, admiring the sailboats that I wish I had, all the while taking in the sunset. I find a good place like usual, that one spot that seems to be the place for capturing the best photo. I pull out my iPhone, tap on the camera app, and drag my finger across the screen to focus in on the shot. But then I pause, chuckle under my breath, and place my phone back into my pocket. I don’t take a photo. I don’t Instagram, Facebook, or tweet it. I find a place to sit down at the end of the dock by the bay as  the sun continues to set behind me and I look straight ahead across the Puget Sound to Seattle and snow-capped mountains in the distance. Twitter, Facebook, emails, and yes, even work can wait a few days. I’m on vacation.

This is my 154th blog post here. Of those 154, one of them is about a vacation I’ve taken. That’s because I don’t take many vacations. The lines of vacation have gotten blurred over the last four years since I’ve been working in the travel industry. There’s always a place to uncover, a food to try, a story to write, and a buck to be made. But not last month. After a busy work month in March, in which I took only one day off, I decided to take a vacation on the front end of a work trip to Seattle. And vacation I did. I stayed at a bed and breakfast on Bainbridge Island, walked down to the pub every night for poutine, went to a couple movies, and slept in every day. I did absolutely nothing worthy of writing more than one sentence about. And I liked it. So much so in fact that I’m already planning another vacation in August, except this one is in Europe.

Traveling versus vacationing. What’s the difference? Is one better than the other? Is there a virtue of one that isn’t found in the other? I find that asking which one of these is better is like asking if a red velvet cupcake is better than a Nutella crepe. Both of them are good and bring instant satisfaction, but I can’t bother with answering whether one is better than the other because I’m too busy enjoying one of them.

I think those frequent travelers among us (Me included) can have a certain haughtiness to how we approach travel. “No,  I will not stay in an all-inclusive resort. Do you know how many stays at a hostel I can have for the price of one night at an all-inclusive? And oh, what are we going to experience and take photos of if we’re at a resort the entire time?” Now don’t get me wrong. At my core, beneath the worn Chuck Taylors, seersucker shorts, and DSLR, there’s an Indiana Jones explorer. But even Indiana Jones needed a break.

What’s the big hurry? There are nearly 200 countries in the world and I haven’t even been to very many of them. I’ll actually step foot in more countries this summer than the total number of countries I’ve been to in my entire life. Call me a slow, grounded, inexperienced, or whatever else you want, but what does visiting 150 countries versus 15 countries actually matter at the end of the day?

Every single time I travel, the person I step off the plane as back home, isn’t the person I stepped on the plane as to depart. That’s something a statistic, journal, map, or blog will never fully show. Whether it’s sitting on a dock drinking beer and eating poutine while setting aside any and all work and communication for a week or exploring the cloud forests of Costa Rica or talking with an adjembe drum maker in South Africa, travel changes me. At the end of the day, that is what I expect from travel. I travel, whether for vacation or otherwise, because it provides me with experiences that I can’t just have at home.

Just go. Whether you’re a tourist, a traveler, or a vacationer, get out and go. Titles, numbers of countries, and how you do it doesn’t matter. For me, I’m finding that there is an elusive balance to travel that’s been missing for years that I’m starting to attain. This summer will include a lot of scurrying from city to city, sleeping in hostels, and folding and unfolding maps, but it’s also going to include a lot of lying on a beach holding a cold beverage with an umbrella in it.

Where do you find yourself along the travel/vacation continuum?

The wind whistles all around me, blowing so hard that I have to pull the fleece hood over my head to keep my toboggan from blowing away. Multiple layers and all this fleece, yet I’m still shivering. No, I’m not waiting for the bus or locked out of my car – this is by choice. These are the final hours of year 28 and I’m soaking it up at what could be simply described as my happy place: On a California beach under the cover of a clear, starry night. The wind is blowing my hat off, I may be freezing, I may have a three mile walk back home ahead of me, and there may be a couple making out beside me, but here in this moment, on Ocean Beach in San Francisco, under a clear night of a full moon and starry sky, this is absolute bliss. And with that, I later posted these words on Facebook that night:

This week is THE finest moment of my life; and it’s for no tangible reason. To take a deep look into who and where I am as a person now, as compared to two years ago, has never left me feeling more satisfied and accomplished. I’ve said multiple times in the last year that I finally feel comfortable in my own skin and that life has come full circle, but it wasn’t until today, and more specifically tonight, that I really believed that. 27 may have been the hardest year of my life, but 28 was THE best.

What am I supposed to do now? That’s often the question I ask after I’ve finished a great movie or book. I’m left with a sense of satisfaction, yet longing for more. These types of stories stick with me forever. They are the books and movies that are easiest for me to pick back up. Sure, I know what happens when I read or watch it again, but I just can’t help but replay the story in my mind. However, these types of stories are rare. If I asked you to name those stories that you’ve read or seen over and over, the list probably wouldn’t be any greater than five. There’s a reason that those stories are that good, but what is it?

What makes a good story great? So great that it doesn’t suffice to just read it once and put it down, but to replay it over and over in your mind? Is there a particularly nice house featured that makes it so captivating? Maybe the protagonist just has a really secure job? No, I don’t think that’s it. I think it’s something that goes much deeper beyond the surface.

I went to Twitter and Facebook to ask others what makes a great story for them. I received nearly 15 responses and almost every single response tied it back to the character. A great story demands a great character and not just great cinematically, but one in which the reader has a connection to them. I believe Brandie Feuer said it best when she told me that it was about an “emotional connection to the character.” It’s those types of stories that while the end has come and we put the book down or watch the credits roll, we’re motionless. The story, and more specifically, the characters of that story, has left a mark on our psyche.

It was two years ago today that I was homeless, facing a divorce, and using the last of several free nights at a Hyatt Place until I found somewhere to live. I was knee-deep in the worst time of my life. I was working a dead-end job, living in a state that had been a disaster for me since moving to it three years prior, and I had alienated my friends and family. This was the conflict in my story. Yet it was because of this conflict that I decided that it was high time I started writing a different story for my life then I had written for the first 27 years.

Have you ever sat to think about the types of movies that typically win the Academy Award for Best Picture? Is it typically romantic or stupid comedies? Something like Anchorman or Miss Congeniality? No, never. Those types of movies are rarely even nominated. A movie of best picture quality demands more. The range of emotion felt during such a movie by both the character and the audience includes contentment, heartache, joy, fear, hope, and resolve. It’s a roller coaster ride, yet that’s about as close as we come to feeling such range of motions, because we become content with writing a story for our lives that is far from best picture quality. And so we settle.

As I write this, I’m sitting in a cafe in San Francisco, looking out the bay window, up to the Transamerica Pyramid and down the street to the Ferry Building. I can’t help but think about my story now as compared to two years ago. A lot has changed since then. I’ve traveled for nine months, become a full-time writer and consultant to the travel industry, and moved 2,500 miles across the U.S. to San Francisco. This summer I’m living in Northern California wine country for four weeks, taking my first cruise (A cruise to Alaska, one of five U.S. states I haven’t been to), and traveling through Europe. I say this not to boast, but simply because it’s a part of my ever-evolving story, in which some of you are even characters in.

I don’t see any reason why someone would ever write a story about my past, present, or future life. Nonetheless, upon making a new friend recently who really connected with my story, I felt inspired to share about where I am and how I feel one year after writing that series of posts. Whether my story is interesting to anyone else or not doesn’t matter. It just needs to be interesting to me because I’m the one who has to live with it every day. It’s not all joy and hope. It’s one filled with fear and anxiety at times, but it’s a story I believe is worth living and telling. Thank you for being a part of my story. Now go write and live your own.

Someone lied to me. You see for all this time I thought California was so sexy – pristine beaches, bustling boardwalks, In-N-Out Burger, Pacific Ocean sunsets, and glamourous beach houses. Maybe it was all those years watching Baywatch when I was younger or listening to too much Beach Boys.  I had romanticized California. Who knew that there were miles of cow pastures on I-5, deserts in Southern California, and a street called “Santa Clause Lane” in Santa Barbara that Santa didn’t actually live on. Shocking right? Well those aren’t the only quirks to California. Since moving here last June, I’ve found a whole host of unique attractions that you might not exactly associate with California. And while they may not exactly be sexy, they are worth a visit nonetheless.

1. Salton Sea. I’m just going to go ahead and say that my afternoon in the Salton Sea area of Southern California was one of the most interesting experiences of my life. While I didn’t walk away with any value added to my life, it was the experience of visiting what I think is one of the most fascinating areas of the U.S. The sea is one of the largest inland seas in the world, as well as one of the lowest spots, at -227 feet below sea level. The Salton Sea has a high level of salinity, even more than the Pacific Ocean, which has resulted in most fish species not being able to survive in it. Nonetheless, as you can see below, a visit to the Salton Sea resulted in one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen.

The quirkiness of the area only continues on the outskirts of the Salton Sea in what’s become known as Slab City. Located just southeast of the Salton Sea, Slab City is located just outside of a small town called Niland, and just 50 miles from the Mexico border. It’s located off the main highway, although you’ll see Salvation Mountain from the distance as you begin approaching it. Salvation Mountain being an art installation at the edge of Slab City that dates back to the mid-1980s and continues to be added onto. Slab City is a giant concrete slab, originally part of a military base that has long been decommissioned. As an uncontrolled piece of land, it’s often been referred to as “The last free place in America,” and home to thousands of campers every year. You may have heard of it if you’ve seen or read Into the Wild, as Christopher McCandless spent time there.

2. Cabazon Dinosaurs. Yes, dinosaurs, and as in the world BIGGEST dinosaurs. The saying, “You can’t miss it,” when directions are given, couldn’t be any more true than for Cabazon Dinosaurs. Located just off I-10 near Palm Springs, the Cabazon Dinosaurs go back decades. Those Pee-wee Herman fans may remember the dinosaurs from Pee-wee’s Big Adventures. Started in the 1960s, Claude Bell originally began creating the dinosaurs to attract people to his restaurant, The Wheel Inn Cafe. In addition to the dinosaurs and restaurant, the property now also includes a gift shop and creationist museum.

3. Fort Bragg Glass Beach. Since I’m being so literal, it’s only appropriate to move on to the Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. Formerly a public dump, Fort Bragg’s Glass Beach is now a public beach and part of MacKerricher State Park. However, don’t be turned off by its former life, as there’s something much bigger at work here. After the dump closed years ago, mother nature went to work pounding the discarded glass on the beach, turning them into smooth, polished pieces of glass. While many of the pieces of glass glisten in the light and are pretty enough to take home, the state park asks you not to. Additionally, the beach is known for its array of tide pools.

4. Jelly Belly Factory. If you watched Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory as a child wishing that you could one day tour a candy factory, then here’s your shot. There’s not much in Fairfield, California, but it was worth a trip for me to throw on a doctor’s coat and hairnet and play Willy Wonka for a couple hours. While there’s a free tour that takes visitors along the top of the factory, I elected for the VIP tour, also known as Jelly Belly University, where I got my degree in Beanology. The tour takes you behind the scenes to every part of the Jelly Belly making process, which really meant eating jelly beans throughout the tour. The highlight of the tour was getting a handful of jelly beans as they were coming out of the oven.

5. Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. While there may not be the same romanticism behind a fortune cookie factory as the Jelly Belly Factory, Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is still worth the visit in San Francisco’s Chinatown. If for no other reason, when are you going to have another chance to try a fortune cookie fresh out of the oven? It may be a small operation, but the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory has been supplying fortune cookies to the world for decades. Grab a large bag of fortune cookies for just a few dollars or enjoy snacking on unfolded, fortuneless cookies while you watch how the magic happens.

What’s the most quirky thing you’ve seen on your travels

It’s a moment of decision – one that is signified by my nervous foot tapping on the floor board and finger tapping on the keyboard. Through my rearview mirror I can see the sun start to peek over the horizon as the day starts to awaken. Yet in this serene moment (In a McDonalds parking lot in North Carolina, but serene nonetheless), I tap away nervously, glancing between the clock, my laptop, and then back at the rearview mirror as the sun finally clears the horizon and continues its ascent in the sky. I give one last long look at the sunrise, close my eyes for a few seconds, and take a deep breath before hitting send on an email with the subject line “Resignation”.

Are those of us who travel frequently being irresponsible with our lifestyle choice? I’m not talking about that summer beach vacation every Independence Day or Labor Day trip to the lake. I’m talking about frequent travel, whether several times a year on week-long trips or long trips like my 9-month trip last year. I’m talking about a lifestyle in which considerable amounts of time and money are spent traveling. Is that an act of irresponsibility?

There was an article in The Atlantic recently that discussed financial responsibility and travel. The article discussed how the IRS wants the right to seize passports from U.S. citizens who have back taxes of over $50,000. The article first made me thankful that I don’t owe $50,000 in taxes, while also questioning the reasons for my travel. Is it truly for the experience or is it rather to escape? Maybe the statement “Do it while you’re young,” should rather be changed to “do it when you’re not in debt.”

Through observations, my own experiences, and conversations with others, it seems that the appropriate time to travel is either when you’re young or when you retire. In layman’s terms, if you don’t get your traveling in right after college, then you’ll just have to wait until you retire. Because of course anything else throws us off the correct life course. You’re time constrained to move up your career ladder, you may miss the girl of your dreams, or you’ll be late building your retirement. Travel evidently delays all of these things and doesn’t tangibly offer a return.

When I talk to people about my past, present, and future lifestyle of travel, I get some interesting looks and comments. Many people ask about my job, dating life, and home, before telling me that they could never keep up such a lifestyle because of their responsibilities. The thing about travel though is that while it is a personal and concrete experience, so much of it isn’t tangible. Each experience differs and has such a level of uncertainty, making it difficult to measure its return. We often measure our careers and homes using a yardstick of quality, yet there’s no yardstick to measure travel. There’s an underlying mysticism that goes beyond the tangible.

It was a year and a half ago that I was sitting in that McDonald’s parking lot and sent off my letter of resignation to my boss in order to become a freelance travel writer and blogger and set off on a season of travel. I didn’t know it then, but that unequivocally was the best decision of my life. Travel brings out my absolute best. While I now have a home base of San Francisco, I’m traveling more than ever, but just in spurts and not for months at a time like I did last year. Without a shadow of a doubt, I can say that this season of my life, is my very best. And if it took travel to bring out my very best, would it not stand to reason then, that it’s the act of witholding travel that would be irresponsible?

I’m not telling you to quit your job and travel the world for months or years. It would bring me sheer delight, but that type of lifestyle and experience doesn’t bring the same satisfaction and change that it did me. But I am telling you to take some risks and go. Go somewhere. Maybe it’s just a long vacation with your honey or going to a state you haven’t been to. Or even bigger, going to a country you’ve never been to. You won’t grow your portfolio, add years to your life, or double your retirement, but like me, it may give you a life that no price tag can be put on.

It seems like most travelers these days are lumped into two groups: Budget or luxury travelers. If I had to be put into one group or the other, I’m sure it would be that of a budget traveler, although I like to think of myself as more of a savvy traveler. I often cringe at the words “motel” or “hostel”, frequently ask for upgrades, refuse to stay at accommodations with rooms that open up to the outside (Rather than opening to an indoor hallway), and I enjoy having a town car, or better yet, an SUV take me to and from the airport. However, my inbox is constantly overflowing with fare alerts, I’m subscribed to multiple daily deal websites, I refuse to pay for Internet at a hotel, and I pack my own snacks while traveling. Nonetheless, a recent experience at two different types of accommodations made me raise some questions about the real value of travel.

On a recent vacation to the Pacific Northwest, I stayed at two very different types of accommodations within 10 miles of one another. One, a cozy bed and breakfast just outside the charming town of Bainbridge Island, and the other, a luxury hotel in downtown Seattle that I got for half the price it usually is at $105 per night. The difference between the two hotels of course being the type of accommodations, since one is a hotel and the other a bed and breakfast, but more importantly to me, one rate was inclusive and the other wasn’t.

Like most bed and breakfasts, the inn I stayed at on Bainbridge Island included all amenities in the rate, which was several different things, but not as extensive as the amenities that most hotels offer. For $149, I got a large suite with a king bed, fireplace, bathroom, mini fridge with two waters, sitting area, and flat screen television. Also included in the rate was wireless Internet access, parking, phone calls, and a warm breakfast. I ate breakfast at the inn every morning, but if I had decided to eat elsewhere in town, the inn would’ve given me a $15 credit.

The rate of the downtown Seattle hotel didn’t include any of the amenities that I mentioned above. While the rate was $105, that didn’t include phone calls, Internet access, parking, or breakfast. It did, however, include HBO, which I didn’t find on TV at the bed and breakfast, and the fitness center was free to use. Internet access was $12.95 per day and parking $30 per day. Those two are essential items for many travelers, meaning that with the rate I received, the fees of parking and Internet were nearly half the price of the room. I’m not one to typically use a business center, but I found out upon walking into the business center to print off a couple things, that I had to pay $5 for ten minutes of Internet usage.

My question then is this: Should additional travel fees simply be the expectation when traveling? Sure, there are exceptions, like most bed and breakfasts and many motels, but for most parts of travel, should we just expect that while we may be given a rate upfront, we’ll have to reach deeper into our wallets once we get there? It seems to be that nowadays, what you see, is rarely what you get. This extends to airlines and rental car companies as well. Few airlines allow you to check in luggage without paying a fee and some even require a fee if you carry on luggage. And then with rental cars, the cost for insurance can equal or exceed the daily rate of the rental.

I’ll be the first to say that travel planning can be tedious and stressful. However, that stress is heightened when unexpected fees are incurred while traveling. The problem is that many travel fees aren’t noticed until much later in the travel planning process, such as boarding a plane, arriving at the rental car depot, or opening up your laptop in your hotel room. While these are often small fees that may only be a small inconvenience, valet parking, overweight luggage, and car rental insurance can add up over the course of a trip. My concern is that in an effort to make travel more convenient and accessible, the travel industry ultimately is making it less accessible.

What I’m advocating for is more transparency in the travel industry. I get it – most travelers are jumping at the lowest price they see, rather than being loyal to one brand. However, the way to win over travelers is not by knocking down the price, while then making many of the most desirable features sold separately. At the end of the day, it’s about the traveler and their experience. Maybe if travel brands really focused on the experience and not the bottom line, then travelers would be more loyal to brands.

Do you think fees are taking away from the travel experience?

How many movies have you watched over the years where there was a scene in which someone was sitting around during a very sentimental moment watching homemade movie reels? The first film that comes to mind is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Clark Griswold’s family Christmas is far from going according to plan, only to then accidentally lock himself in the attic while the entire family goes out Christmas shopping. It’s at this point that he stumbles upon some old homemade movie reels from past holidays, bringing happiness during a moment of chaos. It’s times like this that I like to put myself in the shoes of someone like Clark and think about what kind of reel I would want to watch, and have others watch, of a particular momentous time in my life.

Last year I wrote a series that I titled: “Write Your Own Story”. In the series, I shared some of the elements of stories and mused on the type of story that I wanted to write with my own life. I discussed beginnings and endings, plot, and conflict, while pulling in quotes from Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. In wanting to write a better story for my own life, I challenged readers to think about how they can write a better story for their own life.

This is my story. Maybe you’re a character in it, but it’s still my story and I’m the only one who lives it. Don’t let anyone tell you that there’s a certain way of seeing or experiencing the world. Just as good stories help us make sense of the world and always stick with us, this one too, will stick with me. The great, legendary stories, never truly end, but are replayed in our mind. They are the ones that are told around camp fires. The ones that grandchildren will come up to you and say: “Grandpa, tell us that one story again.”

Don’t you just hate watching movies sometimes with people who have seen it already. Maybe you’ve had this happen before, where you’re having a movie night at your home and you have to jump up real quick to refill the popcorn bowl when Johnny Movie Buff yells out: “Hurry back! We’re coming up on the part when insert climatic scene involving a cliff, gun, a fighter jet, or a couple about to make out for the first time.” And then that just kills the mood because nobody else has seen the movie and they were watching in such eager anticipation. But that never happens during an anti-climatic scene. “Hurry back! We’re coming up on the scene where Joe drives to work, makes 50 cold calls, and then leaves work 10 minutes earlier than usual.”

We want a life like the movies. The Avett Brothers went as far as writing a song entitled Love Like the Movies. We want our hearts to race, our adrenaline to pump, and to live an adventurous and mysterious life. We want to win the game, save the girl, and be the hero. These feelings are at their height during and immediately after a movie, but they often become stagnant shortly after. We often don’t act on these heightened feelings and simply return to the norm upon walking back into our home or office. We continue our daily routine of taking the same route to work, traveling to the same places, and eating at the same restaurants.

I’m not sure if there’s been a season of my life that has been so reflective. I turn 30 in 11 months, I’m coming up on living in San Francisco for an entire year, it’s been a year since returning from traveling long term, and I’m coming up on two years since I left the life of complacency I had in the Carolinas. Being a philosopher then, you can imagine that this is a reflective time for me. But it’s not one of those “woe is me” times of reflections. It’s one of those “my cup runneth over” types of reflections. Like I want time to just come to almost a standstill so I can grab some popcorn, a soda, and Junior Mints and take it all in because I don’t know how long it’ll last. Yet I want to learn from it and make sure I’m watching it from beginning to end, so that when those seasons of conflict no doubt come, I’ll know how to be equipped to face it while using it as opportunity to better myself and others just as I’ve done during this season of my life.

If there was a season of my life that I wanted to be my movie reel, one that I would be proud of and that I would want the world to see, this season of life would be it. It’s not even tied to accomplishments, money, or material gain. I think there are rare moments in life when a person is hitting on all cylinders in relationships, career, and personal happiness. I’ve often found that it’s a balance scale where one often outweighs the rest, with perfect balance always elusive. Yet somehow, I seem to have found this place in life where I’m finding balance across my relationships, career, and personal happiness. Just thinking about it makes me emotional, and this coming from a guy who went years without shedding a tear. It’s a place in life I’ve never been and I don’t know how long I’ll be here. But if there’s a moment in my life that I wish could be captured on film that shows my absolute best, this is it.

What would you want want the movie reel of your life to show?

Let me just tell you, Californians love their wine. During the month of March I was on a tour of California with Expedia and spent an extensive part of the trip in Northern California wine country. I had been to wine country several times, but this was a much more extensive trip, visiting several wine regions over the course of a week, including Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino. Did you know that there are over 400 wineries in Napa alone? And what I found to be so fascinating was that while there are so many wineries, they each have their own characteristics and strengths that set them apart from each other. Today I take you on a little wine tour of Mendocino, Sonoma, and Napa.

Napa. It’s no surprise that Napa is often what people think of when it comes to California wine country. It has one of the longest histories of wine in the U.S., dating back long before prohibition. However, it really wasn’t until the mid-1900s when Napa started putting itself on the map for their wine production. This charge was led by Robert Mondavi, who many wine lovers are familiar with, since Robert Mondavi wines are some of the most recognizable wines in the U.S. Another large scale winery is Sutter Home Winery, whose wines you’ve probably seen in grocery stores. However, I recommend getting off Highway 29 to find some of the smaller and more unique wineries of the Napa Valley.

While you should certainly include a stop in the city of Napa while touring the valley, I suggest spending most of your time outside of the city. At the minimum, spend an afternoon eating your way through Oxbow Public Market, but then start making your way north, as I find that the wine tasting experience gets better the further north you go. With hundreds of wineries, the experience can really vary. One moment you’re listening to rock music while tasting wine at Clif Lede Vineyards in Yountville and the next you’re sipping on wine atop a castle at Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga. To get to parts of Napa that your car can’t access, take a hot air balloon ride or ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train.

Sonoma. I’ll let you in on a little something: I’ve been to Sonoma County several times and haven’t even been to the city of Sonoma even once! Similar to Napa, the wine experience in Sonoma goes much further than the city itself. While Sonoma County has less wineries than Napa, Sonoma has exceeded Napa in production in past years. It’s often considered in San Francisco that many of the tourists go to Napa, while many locals prefer Sonoma. Sonoma is unique in that winemaking varies so much with 13 viticulture areas.

What I love about Sonoma is that it fits my personality. The region as a whole is a bit more offbeat and low-key than other wines regions. If you want something more formal and intimate, then head to Napa, but if you want something more relaxing, then spend the day or weekend in Sonoma. My most recent trip to Sonoma County included spending the weekend in Healdsburg, which took me back to my countryside roots. An afternoon at Dry Creek Vineyard was followed by a walk down the street to The Bar at the Dry Creek General Store (A true general store dating back to the late 1800s) before ending with the sun setting over the valley with a drink in hand at the patio of Medlock Ames’ speakeasy bar.

But wait, there’s more! Something else that Sonoma County has that Napa doesn’t is coastline. Getting to the Sonoma County coastline can be a little more challenging since it’s so far off the beaten path, but you’re rewarded with beautiful views and great outdoor experiences. The area around the Sonoma Coast State Park offers activities that include kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, and tidepooling.

Mendocino.With Sonoma and Napa as the staples of Northern California wine country, Mendocino County often gets overlooked. It’s even more offbeat than Sonoma County and typically requires a weekend trip since it’s a three-hour drive from San Francisco. However, that’s part of the charm that makes Mendocino County different from Sonoma and Napa. What I like about Mendocino County is that the vineyards are so much closer to the coastline. Just minutes after driving through an alley of redwoods in Navarro River Redwoods State Park you’re riding alongside the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline.

I recommend doing at least a two day trip to Mendocino. On your way up the 128 to the town of Mendocino, at least stop at a couple wineries. Boonville is worth an afternoon visit alone. The town has an official dialect, Boontling, that you may hear some of the old timers speaking to one another. Just north of Boonville is a small winery called Breggo (“Sheep” in the Boontling dialect), which though small, had several wines that I enjoyed drinking, which is rare for my visits to wineries. Breggo is owned by Napa’s Clif Lede Vineyards. Spend the night in one of the many bed and breakfasts in Mendocino and have a drink and a Guinness cupcake at the only bar in town, Patterson’s Pub, before heading back down the 128 the next morning to stop at a few more wineries.

What’s your wine or wine region of choice?