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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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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.
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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.
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The Travel Gear That Frequent Flyers Bought Twice — Because the First Version Broke or Disappointed Them
Every frequent traveler has a mental list: the things they bought cheap, regretted, replaced with something better, and now recommend to everyone. Here’s what actually breaks, what’s worth the upgrade, and the specific items where paying more is objectively the right call.
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Disney Before It Got Expensive — What People Who Grew Up With It Are Actually Mourning
A day at Walt Disney World in 1975 cost $6. Today it starts at $109 and averages over $200 with everything included. The price increase is quantifiable. What’s harder to quantify — but real — is what changed beyond the price. Here’s an honest accounting of what was lost and what was always mythologized.
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How Your Checked Bag Fee Went From $0 to $35 to $75 — and Why It’s Never Going Back to Free
In 2008, American Airlines charged a checked bag fee for the first time in US aviation history. Within 18 months, every major carrier followed. Fifteen years later the fees have tripled, airlines have made billions, and the one credit card trick that actually gets you out of it still works — for now.
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Americans Have Mexico Almost Entirely Wrong — Here’s What People Who’ve Lived There 5+ Years Actually Say
The American mental model of Mexico is a combination of State Department warnings, spring break memories, and resort-town impressions that have almost nothing to do with the country as it actually exists. Here’s the safety picture by specific region, the real cost of living, and what long-term expats say when they’re being honest.
