Hello Reader , Greetings from Samarkand, Uzbekistan! This city is 2,500 years old. Alexander the Great walked here. Genghis Khan roared through here, leveling most of it. Some of the earliest work in astronomy happened on this ground. The United States just threw itself a 250th birthday party, and standing here, 250 feels 'adorable'. My own 20-year travel blogging milestone feels downright tiny. I'll be honest about what it's like, because it isn't easy. They aren't used to European and...
22 days ago • 5 min read
Hello Reader , Twenty years ago, on September 8, 2006, I stood in Penn Station with a one-way ticket to Africa and a plan to travel for one year. I thought I was starting a new chapter. I had no idea I was starting an entire novel. I want to take a minute today, before I send you into the actual celebration, to just say it plainly: thank you. Thank you for reading my travel advice and actually using it. For coming on a tour with me. For telling a friend about that one post that talked you...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Hello Reader , I have been trying to write this newsletter for a month. Every time I sat down to do it, something else won: house guests, a laundry room remodel, two kittens who consider my keyboard a bed, and a pile of Ottsworld Tours work. And, quite frankly, being home in Denver and hanging out with my friends was more fun than writing about it. I tell people I have the best travel newsletter because I hardly ever send it. The downside is that when I finally do, a month's worth of stuff...
about 2 months ago • 7 min read
Hello Reader , Thirteen years ago, walking across Spain on my first Camino de Santiago, I landed on a mantra that's quietly steered every decision I've made since: Make Your Own Way. I was at a crossroads in my blogging, and I was considering stopping it all together because I didn't like the direction the blogging world was going, and I didn't want to compromise to fit into it. What I realized that first time around was that I didn't build this life — leaving a stable corporate job in 2006,...
3 months ago • 6 min read
Hello Reader , Greetings from Lisbon, Portugal - where I'm visiting a friend for a couple of days and enjoying this vibrant city! I just finished a spectacular Ottsworld hiking trip in Donegal, Ireland, with a group of incredible hikers. Mother Nature threw everything at us...but we persevered! We climbed bog hills, stood up to winds and sideways rain, and also enjoyed incredible coastal views...and even some sheep dog puppies! Now I switch gears - this weekend I will start my 2nd...
5 months ago • 8 min read
Hello Reader , Cows are therapeutic...at least they are for me. Every time I bike past cows on one of my Capitol routes, I talk to them and observe their behaviors (some run away from me, some run towards me, and all of them stare at me). For some reason, I get immense joy from this 'cow interaction'. Lately, my social feeds have been full of one bold claim: “Travel is better than therapy.” It’s the kind of dramatic statement the internet loves—but it also made me curious: is there actually...
5 months ago • 6 min read
Hello Reader , I’ve been creating a new presentation for the Denver Travel & Adventure Show around this idea: a journey gets you somewhere, but a quest makes you someone. For years, I traveled like most people—choosing destinations, checking places off a list. But the trips that have stayed with me—the ones that actually changed me—were never just trips. They were part of something bigger. That’s what a travel quest does. It keeps you inspired long after you return home. It builds confidence...
6 months ago • 7 min read
Hello Reader , Happy Saint Patrick's Day! I'm busy cooking up corned beef, cabbage, and boxty's today! How are you celebrating Saint Patrick's Day? This just makes me excited for my upcoming trip to Ireland in May! Even though my Donegal hiking tour is full, if you are looking for a great Ireland hiking tour - I have other options for you! Ireland Walk Hike Bike offers guided and self-guided hiking tours all over Ireland. As an Ottsworld reader you get 5% off any of their tours or custom...
7 months ago • 6 min read
Hello Reader , Happy March!! This month, I wanted to kick off Women's History Month by highlighting women's travel and resources! Last fall, I led an all-women’s trek in Nepal with World Expeditions—and it reminded me just how powerful it is when women step outside their routines and into the unknown together. I watched women arrive, unsure of themselves, and leave standing at mountain viewpoints with a new sense of confidence and possibility. These trips aren’t just about where you...
8 months ago • 7 min read
