All Posts
Let’s Chat
Follow along on my Journey!
I promise to share fun and infrequent updates
My Latest
Adventures
Well Hello
I’m Kate
For more than a decade and a half, I’ve helped people create a life by design through my lifestyle and travel blog.
I’m a mom of 3, a full-time romance author, and I’ve been to more than 40 countries and nearly all the states.
I’m happy you’re here.
Learn More >>
Shop my Favorites
5.3M
syndicated blog views per month
Latest Blog Posts
-
The Van Life Math Nobody Does Before They Sell Everything — and the Numbers That End Most of These Experiments
Instagram van life looks like freedom, sunsets, and $800-a-month total expenses. The reality involves mechanical breakdowns, relationship strain, and a budget that often exceeds what most people pay for a studio apartment. Here’s the honest math.
-
Tourists Are Getting Hurt Doing These Things — and None of It Looks Dangerous Until It Is
Not sharks. Not terrorist attacks. Not exotic diseases. The things that actually send tourists to hospitals in popular destinations are mundane decisions that feel safe and normal until they suddenly aren’t. Here’s what actually kills vacations — and people.
-
Airlines Won’t Tell You How They Pick Who Gets Bumped — So I’ll Tell You Exactly How to Beat Their System
Airlines overbook flights on purpose, and when they need volunteers or have to involuntarily bump passengers, there’s an actual algorithm deciding whose trip gets ruined. Knowing how it works is the difference between walking away with $1,500 and sitting in an airport for eight hours with nothing.
-
America’s Most Visited National Park Has a 60% Disappointment Rate — Here’s Why the Smoky Mountains Break People’s Hearts
The Great Smoky Mountains get nearly 13 million visitors a year — more than Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon combined. A shocking number of those visitors leave underwhelmed, frustrated, or vowing never to return. The ones who love it are doing something completely different.
-
Hotel Staff Have a Secret File on You — The Guest Behaviors That Get You Flagged, Charged, and Quietly Banned
Americans have developed habits at hotels that range from mildly rude to genuinely shocking — and hotel staff have systems for tracking, charging, and banning guests who cross the line. Most travelers have no idea which behaviors trigger the file.
-
What Actually Happens When Someone Dies on a Cruise Ship — and Why the Brochure Will Never Tell You
Cruise lines sell you paradise, but they have detailed, practiced protocols for death, medical emergencies, and dangerous passengers — none of which appear in the glossy brochure. Here’s what actually happens when things go horribly wrong at sea.
