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Journeys and Jaunts

Family Travel, Solo Female Adventure Travel, Tips and Tricks for Traveling with your Dog

Nepal

Wildlife Trekking in Chitwan National Park

Location: Amaltari, Nepal

The only time I felt unsafe during my time in Nepal was driving down through the Himalayas to reach Chitwan National Park. I looked at the map on google earth and it was just a scribble because you have to zig zag through the mountains. It is incredible to think that it is a major trade route ... Read More

The best sites to see in Kathmandu, Nepal

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal

Earlier this week, I wrote about my new found fear of traveling. It's strange to be afraid of something you love! In the end, I loved my trip to Nepal and was so glad that I went. The beautiful people, fluttering prayer flags and majestic wildlife will always hold a special place in my heart. Here ... Read More

Traveling Solo to Nepal- overcoming the obstacle of fear

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal

Let’s talk about traveling and fear. I don’t know if it is because of my age or just having children or all of the F-ed up things happening in the world, but my travel anxiety now goes through the roof. My work offered me an amazing opportunity to attend a conference in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was a ... Read More

  • How do you transport bears through the mountains? The answer is: a truck. A really really big truck. We had to borrow this beast from the military. The guys with the job of opening the crate doors also has to be able to jump into the back before the bear turns. Glad I didn’t get that job!#bears #animalrescuer #iloveanimals🐾 #iloveanimals #sanctuary #freedom #crueltyfree #animalrescue #trucks #runfree #compassion #saveanimals
  • I can finally shout it from the rooftops- DASHA IS FREE!!! This bear has been through more than you can imagine. She was the first bear to be rescued as a part of International Animal Rescue’s Great Bear Rescue Campaign. She was found welded into a cage that was built into a river that was known to flood. She had been in there for 10 grueling years being fed nothing but scraps and Coca Cola. When she came out of hibernation at the rescue center, she had two tiny cubs trailing behind her. The cubs were raised with no human interaction to keep them wild enough for release. A full year after her rehabilitation, Dasha was radio collared and we drove far up into the mountains where they would be far from humans. They were released as a family and to see them walk up into the mountains to be wild and free for the first time will go down as one of the most amazing experiences of my lifetime. Thank you to Roger Allen for capturing these amazing photographs. #bear #bears #bearsofinstagram #rescue #animalrescue #compassion #savetheplanet #iloveanimals🐾 #iloveanimals #sanctuary #freedom #animals #animal #saveanimals #crueltyfree #runfree
  • These three bears were rescued from a general who kept them as pets. They just finished their quarantine and got released into their outdoor enclosure for the first time. We thought they would run straight out but it took the first two an hour to work up the courage. The most dominant bear just kept blocking the tunnel, because he was just too nervous to walk all the way through. He became known as “Mr. Gatekeeper.” It took him a day and a half before he finally made it out. These bears have spent their entire lives in a cage and the outside was a bit overwhelming for them at first. Watching them touch grass for the first time was so emotional. They felt the sun on their backs and were able to dig in the dirt and slowly learn to be bears. The second picture is Mr. Gatekeeper finally venturing out for his first taste of freedom. On my last night in Armenia, we sat with them at sunset and watched them finally enjoying life. I had tears streaming down my face. #bear #rescue #bearrescue #animal #animals #animalrescue #animalrescuer #sanctuary #iloveanimals #love #freedom #iloveanimals🐾
  • No picture of Mount Ararat will do it justice. When I got my first glimpse of the mountain, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Although it is technically in Turkey, it remains the national symbol of Armenia. The snow covered peaks loom over the city and act as a sad reminder of what Armenians lost during the genocide. Mount Ararat is actually a dormant compound volcano that is known in Christianity as the resting place of Noah’s Ark. #armenia #travel #wanderlust #mountararat #travelstagram__
  • Happy Mother’s Day to my Mama. Everything good in my life is because of you ❤️. And thank you to Liz Oberacker at Purestyle Photography who’s patience and dedication helped bring this whole project together. I had a vision of this generation photograph and she ran with it and made it better than I even imagined. It took a lot of photo shoots, printing and framing. I only wish GG could have been in it. My mom had no idea what she was holding in the picture- I just gave it to her to open once it was complete. #mothersday #mothersdaygifts #mothers #generation #generations #family #familyphotography #familygoals #mother #daughter #mothersanddaughters
  • My time in Armenia is coming to an end and it’s been so emotional. We have been in the highlands helping bears. We confiscated a bear today that has lived in deportable conditions for 9 years. He is so damaged but he is safe now and can begin his rehabilitation. There will be a lot of pictures and stories to come, but for now, the sun is setting over the mountains and I will sit with little Ivy who is enjoying her new freedom. #bear #bears #armenia #bearrescue #animals #rescue #animalrescue #freedom
  • Walking into my first Women in Travel Summit was like finally finding my people. I walked away so inspired by these women from all over the world doing such amazing things. Can’t wait for next year! #wits19 #visitportlandme #travelblogger #travelbloggerslife #travelbloggervibes #travelbloggersofig #travelbetter #wanderlust
  • Portland, Maine has a beautiful rocky coastline that is dotted with lighthouses. These two are located just 10 minutes apart. To make it even more fun for kids, get a lighthouse passport so they can collect stamps. The first one is Portland Head Light on Cape Elizabeth. The second one is The Bug Light. Both have a great park for kids and dogs to run and play. #explore #maine #lighthouse #visitportlandme #wits19 #newengland #coastline #getoutside #optoutside #beach #travel