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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.
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Latest Blog Posts
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Americans Who Visit a Country With Universal Healthcare for the First Time Come Home Changed — and Not Just Because of the $4 Pharmacy Bill
American travelers who get sick abroad in countries with universal healthcare often describe it as one of the most disorienting experiences of their lives — not because the care was bad, but because it was shockingly good and shockingly cheap. The ER visit that cost nothing. The prescription that was $3. The coming-home moment when they remember what they have instead.
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Hotel Loyalty Points Are Worth Less Than They Were Five Years Ago — Here’s the Specific Math on the Programs That Have Quietly Gutted Themselves
The hotel loyalty programs that once made the math work for free nights have quietly rewritten the rules — and most members haven’t noticed. Hilton, Marriott, and IHG have each made changes in the last three years that effectively cut point values by 30 to 50 percent. Here’s exactly what happened and which programs are still worth your attention.
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Every State Has a Weekend City That Keeps Surprising People. Here Are the Ones Nobody Is Talking About.
Fifty states, fifty cities that keep showing up on ‘I can’t believe more people don’t know about this’ lists. Not the places travel media already saturated. The ones that genuinely deliver and somehow stay under the radar.
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What Airline Status Actually Gets You That Coach Passengers Never See — and Whether It’s Still Worth Chasing
Airline status has a public face — upgrades, priority boarding — and a much more valuable private one. The benefits that matter are the ones gate agents apply silently, the ones that never appear on a comparison chart, and the ones that make flying almost unrecognizable from the economy experience.
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What a Week in Thailand Actually Costs an American in 2026 — Full Line-Item Breakdown by Budget Tier
Thailand’s reputation as a cheap destination is real but requires updating. The $20-a-day backpacker math still works in the right conditions — but the mid-range traveler’s experience has changed significantly, and some of what used to be ‘free’ now comes with a fee.
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Why Americans Have Such Bad Reputations Abroad — The Specific Behaviors That Have Gotten Noticeably Worse
The ‘ugly American’ is a cliché old enough to be tired — but foreign tourism workers, hospitality staff, and locals will tell you the behavior that earns that reputation is specific, consistent, and in some destinations has gotten measurably worse in the post-COVID travel surge.
