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
-
Your Hotel Room Is Quietly Making You Sick — Here’s the Filth They’re Hiding in Plain Sight
You checked into a clean-looking hotel room, slept well, and came home with a mystery illness. It wasn’t bad luck. The HVAC unit above your bed, the ice machine down the hall, and the TV remote in your hand are some of the dirtiest objects in American hospitality — and the cleaning protocols most hotels follow don’t touch them. Here’s what’s actually happening in that room.
-
Road Trip Playlists Are Dead — How Serious Road Trippers Actually Use Audio on Long Drives in 2026
The 10-hour playlist was peak 2015. In 2026, serious road trippers use a layered system of podcasts, audiobooks, ambient audio, and offline downloads that adapts to attention levels, cell coverage dead zones, and the difference between mountain passes and Kansas. Here’s the actual system.
-
The States With the Best State Fair Food — Ranked By What Food Critics and Locals Actually Say, Not Which Fair Is Biggest
Minnesota might have the biggest fair, but Texas fries literally everything and Iowa has been home to some of the most creative fair food for decades. Here’s the actual ranking of state fair food cultures, based on what food writers, competition winners, and locals say — not attendance numbers.
-
What a Full Week in Japan Actually Costs an American in 2026 — Every Line Item From the Flight to the Last Bowl of Ramen
With the yen weak against the dollar, Japan is genuinely more affordable for Americans right now than it’s been in decades. But the total cost still surprises people. Here’s the complete line-item breakdown — flights, hotels, food, trains, and the currency math you need to understand before you go.
-
The 2025 Travel ‘Dream Destinations’ on Instagram vs. What You Actually Find When You Show Up
The wisteria-draped alley in Santorini has 200 people waiting to take that exact photo. The lavender fields in Provence are harvested by late June. The Amalfi Coast town in the most-shared photos doesn’t have anywhere to park. Here’s what the algorithm doesn’t tell you.
-
Airlines Owe You Money When Flights Are Delayed — Here’s the Law, the Loopholes, and Why They’re Banking on You Not Knowing
In the EU, airlines must pay up to €600 per passenger for significant delays — and that covers your flight from Paris even if you’re American. The US rules are weaker but still real. Here’s exactly what you’re owed, how to claim it, and the specific tactics airlines use to make you give up.
