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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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Airbnb Hosts Finally Said the Quiet Part Out Loud — Here’s What Guests Do That Costs Everyone Money
We talked to dozens of Airbnb hosts across the country, and they have feelings — a lot of them. From the guest who left every single light on for four days to the one who cooked fish at 11pm and fogged up the sensor, here’s what’s really happening behind those five-star facades.
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The States Where You Can Retire AND Afford to Actually Travel — A Realistic Cost-of-Living Breakdown
Retiring in a state with low cost of living sounds like financial common sense — until you discover that some of those states have no airport within two hours and others have weather that makes you a prisoner of your own house for five months of the year. We found the states where the combination of affordable living AND genuine travel access actually works.
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I Carry On for Every Trip. Here’s the Exact System — Bags, Items, and the Method That Never Fails
Every frequent traveler eventually lands on a carry-on system that works. Getting there takes most people years of trial and error — overpacked bags that exceed limits, forgotten essentials, and that particular despair of watching your checked bag not appear on the carousel. Here’s the system, in specific detail, that makes every trip cleaner, faster, and cheaper.
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What Nobody Tells You About Travel After 60 — The Real Changes, the Surprising Upgrades, and the Hacks That Actually Work
Travel after 60 is different from travel at 35. Some things get harder. Some things — surprisingly, genuinely — get better. And there is a whole toolkit of senior travel strategies that most people over 60 don’t know exists, that can transform everything from how much you pay to how comfortable the trip actually is.
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The Beach Locals Actually Go To — One Underrated Gem Per U.S. Region
Every region of the U.S. coastline has a famous beach that shows up in every travel magazine and a better beach that nobody writes about — because the people who know about it are quietly hoping you don’t. We found the local favorites: the ones with parking you can actually get, water that’s actually swimmable, and the kind of scenery that makes you wonder why you ever paid $400 a night in a more famous place.
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The Airline Loyalty Program Worth Keeping in 2026 — And the Ones Frequent Flyers Are Quietly Quitting
Airline loyalty programs spent the past four years devaluing points, raising redemption thresholds, and tying elite status to credit card spending instead of actual flying. Frequent travelers have noticed. Here’s which program still delivers real value — and which ones have quietly become a way to make you feel loyal to a program that is no longer loyal to you.











