Traveling has always been a passion of mine, yet myself and many other people I know are sometimes stuck in the cycle of either a) having the time, but not the money or b) having the money, but not the time. The wonderful irony of adulthood.

When I was in my 20s, I traveled as often as I could. I was unburdened by adult responsibilities. Instead of putting my money into a mortgage, I lived with my parents and was able to put my money into a plane ticket or hostels. Rather than committing myself to full-time employment, I worked at temp agencies so that I was able to save up and then take time off to go on my next adventure! Honestly, my 20s were fabulous and there is nothing I would change. However, there comes a point in time that you need to decide what direction you want your life to go in. My life? I personally decided to move from New York to Florida to be with my now fiancé, where we commit our money to a plethora of adult expenses. Settling down has meant that traveling has taken a back seat to everyday responsibilities. Now I can definitely see some people scoff at what I just said and say that you CAN have it all (the house, car, family, and vacations) – and I wish that I was that person. Unfortunately, I am not at that point of my life yet (most people aren’t, despite the pictures on Insta/Facebook) and adulthood is expensive! Once you account for mortgage, utilities, food, and whatever other random expense that will pop up (and it will) – you are lucky if you can even put away $10 into your travel fund jar for your next adventure. 

Personally, traveling recharges my spirit and I consider it a hobby (a very expensive hobby). When you are unable to do things that make you happy or “recharge you” the emotional ups and downs can definitely take a toll on you. Reading inspirational travel quotes – “collect moments, not things”, “to travel is to live”, “travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer” – only makes it worse and sometimes make you question if putting your money into a house or car is superficial (it is not, you and your future offspring need a place to live and transportation).

So I decided that I had to take a different approach to “travel” and started viewing my commute to work and the area I live as an “adventure”. I started paying attention to the little details around me that people are usually aware of on a vacation, but tend to neglect when they are home. I noticed pretty trees lining the streets, fantastic sunsets, and more. That is when I started taking pictures of my everyday surroundings and started to look for photographic “hidden gems” in my area. I enjoy photography, simply because I am able to capture a moment in time and share it with people. For a moment, people are able to see something through my eyes – exactly the way I saw it.

This blog is meant to be a collection of local adventures and photographs (sprinkled in with some national/international travel adventures of course).  I want to encourage those who are still in the process of saving for their next trip – that if you slow down and “brake for beauty” you can have moments of wanderlust in your everyday life.