While we were spending a week in Roatan I got curious and started researching. To my surprise, cruising can be a very economical way to vacation. I booked a Transatlantic Cruise to Barcelonaand then got a little nervous at the idea of spending 16 days on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean so I decided to book a shorter cruise as a trial run. 

There is so much pressure to do more, see more, consume more, that getting caught up in the whirlwind travel style is easy to do. Traveling slowly is a conscious mindset, reinforced by the small joys in everyday moments spent in a destination.

The internet has completely changed the way the travel industry operates. And phone apps are the latest in helpful technology to make your traveling a little easier. Here are the apps I use when planning, booking, and taking my vacations.

As someone who caught the travel bug bad, I try to make the most out of every trip, big and small. One way I do this is by taking “work-ations” or working from the road. In this day and age, we have more flexibility than ever before. Work from home and flexible schedules, as well as expanded vacation packages make for plenty of opportunities to take working vacations.

Travel insurance is one of those things that can feel like a scam, or a waste of money. Believe me, I used to feel the same way. But after losing quite a bit on trip deposits during COVID and worrying about whether future travel plans would come to fruition, I started shelling out for the extra coverage. Now, you wouldn’t catch me without it.

When I’m traveling, I try to live by the motto that almost anything can be bought at your destination. My husband, on the other hand, is a literal pack rat because he feels he “might need” just about everything he owns. To each their own.

My number one secret for finding cheap flights is to use Google Flights. You can compare prices from different airlines and the algorithm is wicked good. Search by destination, dates, or use the Explore option to see what deals are out there at any given time.

We rent out our primary residence about once a month and every time we travel.

It’s not always easy and I’ve spent more than a few nights tossing and turning over the possibility of returning to a mangled couch or a kitchen fire, but it’s been overwhelmingly worth it.