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PetiteCayes

Unearthing a Caribbean Paradise on the Island of Sint Maarten – Saint Martin

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This past November, Matthijs and I embarked on a 10-day Caribbean cruise. After releasing my book, moving, and doing a month-long Midwest book tour, we felt a vacation was in order! One of the stops our ship made was in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten-Saint Martin is actually the smallest landmass in the world to be shared by two different nations, with Sint Maarten on the south side (the Dutch side) and Saint Martin (the French side) to the north. We visited Sint Maarten once before, also while sailing with Celebrity Cruises, but previously we just walked around town. This time, we knew we wanted to spread our wings. We rented a car and drove to the French side, where we did an hour hike to Petite Cayes and discovered a hidden parade. Read on to hear all about our adventure!

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SavannahJessicaStKitts

From The Sea To The Rainforest: Celebrating Life, Love, and Friendship While Exploring Saint Kitts

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On November 18, Matthijs and I embarked on a 10-day Caribbean cruise. One of the stops our ship, the Celebrity Equinox, made was in Basseterre, St. Kitts. It just so happened that my good friend and fellow author, Savannah Grace, was staying on the sister island of Nevis. We couldn’t believe how lucky we were that our schedules coincided and knew that it was fate; we had to meet up.

Savannah and her husband, Kees, took the morning ferry over from Nevis to St. Kitts to meet us. We spent the day touring the island with Glenn, our guide, who did an amazing job providing interesting tidbits about the island. We visited Wingfield Estate, hiked through the rainforest, saw two oceans at once, and relaxed on the beach. All in all, it was a fantastic day. Read on to learn more about our adventure!

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FallingWaterGrounds

Falling in Love with Fallingwater, a Frank Lloyd Wright Masterpiece

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Hello again! As you may have seen from my social media or in my blogs about Chicago and Michigan, I’m in the States for multiple reasons, one of which is a Midwest book tour. However, in the middle of the book tour, personal reasons led me to Pennsylvania to visit family. On the way back from visiting my aunt and uncle, we stopped to see Fallingwater in southwest Pennsylvania. This piece of property – the house included – was love at first sight. Read on to learn about the history of this masterpiece.

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CAFEBILDERBUCHShutterstock

A Good Book and a Nice Cup Of Tea: The Best Book Cafes in Germany

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In this guest post, world traveller Evans Lily shares her favorite book cafes in Germany. These book cafes provide tasty food, a nice cup of tea, a calm, soothing environment, and – of course – a lot of books! Read on to find out which book cafes she includes and if you have visited any of them!

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6 Tourist Destinations With Impressive Wildlife

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Guest blog by full-time mom and travel lover Diana Smith showcases six destinations with truly incredible wildlife. As she describes, “wild animals are truly majestic creatures. However, they are majestic only when they are free and allowed to live their lives in their natural habitat. The only way to witness their majesty is to visit them in their homes. You will be rewarded with a truly amazing experience and a holiday you will remember for the rest of your life.” Diana outlines a few of the best holiday destinations that will allow you to marry your love for animals and your love for traveling.

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MapBacheloretteParty

A Bachelorette Party to Remember: 1 Van, 2 Days, 5 Nationalities, 7 Women, 12 Dutch Provinces

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This past weekend, I helped organize world traveller, author, and good friend Savannah Grace’s bachelorette party. I was honored to be a part of the celebration as she enjoys her last days of singlehood. Savannah is originally from Vancouver, Canada, but has been living in the Netherlands for the past 7.5 years. Combined with the fact she’s already been to 108 countries, we decided to put together a different type of bachelorette party: a road trip.

Over the course of the weekend, we covered 1120 kilometers (696 miles) and visited all 12 Dutch provinces. Seven women from five different countries piled into one van. Our goal was to travel around the Netherlands and experience typical Dutch things, as well as complete a scavenger hunt and play games together. Read more about our weekend escape!

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Bali

6 Reasons to Visit Bali

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Bali, Indonesia is a place that has been on my mind for quite a while. In a way, you can say I’ve been dreaming of Bali. I am excited to share this guest post by travel enthusiast and lifestyle consultant Roxana Oliver. Roxana outlines six reasons why you should make Bali your next holiday destination. She says the exotic weather along with laidback atmosphere, friendly locals who will teach you their down-to-earth lifestyle, delicious food and incredibly interesting culture will make you fall in love with the place instantly. Also, the magical appeal of Bali is what makes people forget all about their troubles when they see the picturesque gem of the Pacific Ocean. Read on!

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amsterdamcanals

The Amsterdam Bucket List a.k.a. Wander List Challenge

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Last week I was sitting along the Amstel river, and I saw a group of girls jump in the water. I thought to myself – a fleeting moment I experienced many times before – I’d never done that. That sparked an idea. Amsterdam is an amazing city, home to some internationally-renowned attractions and unique experiences. Even though I’ve been living here for five years, I’m going to create a bucket list (although I prefer the term wander list) of all the musts in Amsterdam. This is a great list to use (I warn you – it is long), whether you are living in the city or are just visiting for a few days. This city swept me off my feet, and I know you’ll love it, too. What’s on your Amsterdam list?

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ForestRoad

The Great Escape: Savannah Grace’s Birthday Blitz Road Trip, Visiting 5 Countries in 1 Day

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Savannah Grace, her mom Maggie, “sister-in-law” Anita, and I set off on a one-day road trip adventure with a single goal: to visit five countries. How did we manage to visit the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and Belgium in less than 24 hours? What was the occasion? Read the entire story!

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travelinspires

How Does Travel Inspire You? Join Anywhere Workday and CultureTrav for a Special #TravelInspires Chat

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This Wednesday – and for the entire month of April – #CultureTrav is teaming up with Anywhere Workday. In light of recent world events, we are talking about how travel inspires us using the hashtag #TravelInspires. The chat will take place today at 2 p.m. EDT / 8 p.m. CET. We want to create a deeper connection and truly discover how travel can make this world a better place. Thank you to Anywhere Workday for allowing us to join this inspiring initiative! We are looking forward to hearing all of your stories and perspectives later today.

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