Traveling Inspiration Part 3-South America and Antarctica

I combined 2 continental areas for this post, because I only came up with a small handful of places I wanted to see in South America. I am just sure that I may be missing some great places to have on this part of my list, so please DO comment, and let me know what you would add. Thanks!

Antarctica is a MUST on my list, and the cost below is for the shortest trip and basic cruise accommodations. Yikes!!

Antarctica

Antarctica

Glaciers, cruise, wildlife

December-February

9+ day cruise-$8,700+

Peru	South America	Machu Picchu	May-September	1 week, flight, 4 star hotel and expedition to Machu Picchu $3,900
Brazil	South America	Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro	December-March	1 week, flight, 4 star resort $4,000

Traveling Inspiration Part 2-North America

If you haven't already, please check out Traveling Inspiration Part 1 first. This was getting very detailed, so I have broken the chart into continents. And if you know you want to read, but lack time, bookmark or pin the link, and come back to visit! Read the posts you want. If you know you never want to visit Africa, skip that post.

Snorkeling in Puerto Rico

I have a few caveats about offering up my list that I need to share first. Traveling is an incredibly personal thing, perhaps akin to what type of undergarments one prefers-everyone has their own opinion! The countries I desire to see may mean little to you. For example, one of the main reasons I long to see Spain is because I have ancestors from there. My travel tastes may be more (or less) adventurous than your tastes. You may hate beaches (I know, I know...but surely this is possible), and since Barrett and I LOVE warm sand, ocean water, and snorkeling, there are many places on my master list geared toward this All travel is departing from PDX (Portland, Oregon), obviously your airfare would differ unless                                                      you too would be leaving from there.

Finally, I am well aware that many of these trips can be done differently and perhaps much cheaper. You can stay at cheaper places, go for less time, etc. In all likelihood, a few of the US trips I would do as 3 or 4 day weekends instead, so that's an option. The costs I give are per couple not per person, since this is how we would travel (or a few are listed as per couple and per family of 4), so divide it in half (or quarter) if you are

Yellowstone National Park

a single traveler. No discounts are applied, and I almost always buy trips on sale, but that involves watching travel sites like a hawk (for example, our Cozumel trip was 50% off and Oahu is 30% off this year). Food expenses are not included unless listed as "all-inclusive", and for a couple we budget $150/ per day. Unless noted, the cost of extra excursions or car rentals is not included. Furthermore, my final disclosure is that we like to travel in comfort. 4-5 star resorts and hotels are used for each trip cost (unless unavailable), the cruises are balcony rooms, and often (though not in all cases) the shortest flight options are chosen (I think this is worth more $-as I hate being stuck on a plane...though better than in a car IMO). I figure if we are spending the money in the first place, let's do it right so that we fully enjoy it. You may have different priorities. That all being said, these charts are offered as a jumping off point for you to make your own Bucket List Travel Dreams.

Oh, and I would LOVE to hear your input. Is there anywhere I haven't listed that is a MUST see?

Places I want to visit in this lifetime

Place	Continent	Why go?	When to go	Cost from PDX for 2 travelers J
Arizona	North America	Scenery, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon	October-May for lower rates	1 night Phoenix, 3 nights near Grand Canyon, 1 night near Antelope Canyon, and rental car: $1,200 or $1,600 with 2 kids
Montana/ Wyoming	North America	Scenery, wildlife, Flathead Lake, Yellowstone National Park	July-October for best weather	2 nights Kalispell, rental car, 3 nights near Yellowstone in Wyoming actually: $2,700 or $3,300 with 2 kids
Alaska	North America	Scenery, wildlife, Alaskan cruise	May & September are off season-less people and $.	7 night cruise, balcony room $2,400-PLUS flights total: $3,100
Florida	North America	Disney World, Everglades, beaches	April-May & October-November for less crowds, good weather	1 week, 4 star Disney Resort, 3 day park-hopper ticket, SeaWorld, and Everglades tour: $3,070 *obviously kids would go too, so that total is more like $5,000
Maine	North America	Want to see the East coast, snow on the beach?	I’m thinking winter J	5 nights in 4 star hotel on waterfront, flight and rental car: $2,200
Colorado	North America	Rocky Mountain National Park, cross country skiing, ice-skating	Winter for snow	Cabin for 5 nights near park approx. $1500 plus flight and rental car: $2,250
New York	North America	Niagra, Falls, Central Park, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty	Anytime, think I’d prefer winter	6 nights in 4 star hotel and flight: $3,600 or $4,200 with 2 kids
Utah (again)	North America	National Parks-Arches, Zion	October for fall foliage	5 nights 4 star hotel, flight, rental car $1,800 or with kids $2,400
Idaho (again)	North America	Boise, scenery, high desert, Craters of the Moon National Park	September-October for fall foliage	5 nights 3 star hotel, flight, rental car $1,000 or $1,400 with 2 kids
Canada	North America	Wildlife, scenery	Depends what you want to see…	Would likely combine with Alaskan cruise-see above.
Puerto Rico	North America	San Juan, Bioluminescent Bay, beaches, snorkeling	Mid April-June is an off season for cheaper stays	1 week 4 star resort, flight, with excursion to Bioluminescent Bay: $2,500
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands	North America	Beaches, snorkeling	April & May is off season (up to 50% off) before hurricane season	1 week, flight, 4 star all inclusive resort $6,200 !!
Tulum, Mexico	North America	Ruins, beaches	November-April	1 week, flight, 4 star all inclusive resort $3,700
Jamaica	North America	Beaches, snorkeling	December-April	1 week, flight, 5 star all-inclusive resort $3,600
Belize	North America	Beaches, snorkeling, Blue Hole	March-May	1 week, flight and 4 star resort $4,200
Dominican Republic	North America	Beaches, snorkeling	December-April	1 week, flight, all-inclusive 4 star resort $3,900
Costa Rica	North America	Rain Forest, Tamarindo-snorkeling/beaches	December-April	1 week, flight, all-inclusive 4 star resort, and day trek into rain forest $3,400

Traveling Inspiration Part 1

If you are not interested in travel, you may want to quit reading now...

Oh good! You're still with me. The last few days, in every free moment I have had, I have been imagining every trip I would ever like to take in my lifetime. I am a girl who has wanderlust like no other, and can fritter away days planning the perfect trip. Yes, I am a planner, so I definitely plan out side excursions, where to stay, and how much things would cost though I do not plan every detail. :) Thankfully, not only does my husband put up with me happily planning away, but he agrees to go almost anywhere I desire (when financially feasible), with only a few vetoes which are usually due to safety concerns. I appreciate this, because he is much more knowledgeable about those things, and our conversations tend to go like this: Me- "Oooh, I want to go to (insert exotic place), it looks sooooo beautiful there." Him-"Yeah, not a chance. They are having a civil war over there right now." Me-"Okay, guess it will get crossed of the list."  Why do I want to travel? I could give you many lofty reasons about seeing cultures, etc., but mainly I say to you-why not? There are so very many things in our world to see, that staying one place seems a huge shame. 

Due to the inherent Type A-ness of my personality, not only did I make a master list, but I included things to do, when to visit, costs, and geographical location all in a little table. Yeah. You can laugh now. Unless you are like me-feel free to copy and paste the table and then edit to your heart's desire!  What does it look like when an everyday mom with day-to-day responsibilities is a wannabe world traveler? Well, that too takes planning. This will be the 3rd year in a row that B and I visit somewhere warm and tropical (Maui, Cozumel, and now Oahu). It takes wonderful parents that are happy to watch my boys for a week (though on some trips we would like to start taking them), planned time off for my hubby (and me as well when I was/am working), and a shared agreement in my marriage that extra money (as in tax refunds in our case) gets spent every year on making memories. When I am working again, we are going to set up a savings account just  for trips, and make sure that we pull money out each paycheck.  Perhaps I need a license plate cover that says "Will work to afford travel."  Seriously, no joke. I would rather travel than have a bigger house, nicer car, etc. And I have seriously thought about the fact that since we have been living off of just 1 income, except for a few things we'd like to replace and do to the home we have, that makes the 2nd income up for grabs. I knew a teacher when I was in high school that traveled with her husband every summer. She had a whole wall of postcards from places she had been to. It was inspiring. I remember once asking her how they afforded that (yeah, because teens have tons of tact!), and she said, "It's a priority of ours." Simply put, but it says a lot.

I am also 32, and while still young, I have no less than 39 countries I am dying to visit, as well as a smaller list of states here in the US. This means that ideally, I want to hit 2+ countries per year if possible. I think that's totally possible, especially since some countries will be visited in a cluster together.  Oh, and mentally speaking-did you know that there is scientific proof that even the act of planning a vacation makes you happier? I believe it. 

Here are a few things I love that get my creative, wanderlust juices flowing: 
European Destinations-Trip Planning
World's Most Beautiful Places   In fact, just type in "Most Beautiful Places in the World" in Google, and you will get TONS of great compilations. 
100 Countries 5000 Ideas This is a link to my new travel Bible that I love. 

Here is my Pinterest board: Top International Destination Wishlist. Many of the pins have attached websites with information about the country. 

And my USA Pinterest board: Top 20 USA Places to Visit

Coming soon-Part 2 with my travel chart full of recommendations. 

Words for your Day

Today I write for the sole purpose of brightening your day. I have no idea what today entails for you. I have no idea of the struggles you have had this week, or this month. But I know that we all have them. Sometimes it is so difficult to see beyond what our struggles are, or to realize that they may fall very flat when compared to the struggles of others. Have you ever had a really tough day and then you hear about someone else that has it much, much tougher? Maybe it is a mother battling cancer, or a wife who is grieving her husband. I know when that happens to me, my initial thought is one of guilt- "I guess it could be a lot worse," I think. 

But I am here to tell you that ALL of our struggles matter. There is no need to compare our difficult times to those of others. There is no need to rate our woes on a scale of 1-10 for how bad things actually are. The truth is, if you are struggling with something, anything, it matters to you (otherwise it'd be smooth sailing, right?). 

Perhaps you too, like me, are in a season of waiting-waiting on decisions that are not yours to make, but can impact your future greatly. Maybe you are struggling with your child, and there has been some behaviors that you worry about as you lie in bed each night, wondering what you can do to help. Maybe you are grieving the loss of a loved one, and each day seems an effort to go through the motions. Maybe things are tough at work, in your home, or in one of your friendships. Maybe you fret about student loan debt, lamenting that there is no way that your college education will ever be paid back.

Personally, I find that I have been "stuck" in a season of waiting for what feels like too long. I await a decision that I thought would have been made long ago about an option for my life that could (literally) change the course of things..., or it could just be another step on the way. Additionally, I will spend the next 2+ months waiting to see if I even earn an interview for nursing school. There have been a few issues with one of my sons that I think (hope?) are solved for now. Those are a few things personal to me, though I bet some of you are in similar boats regarding events in your life.

Most of us can recognize ourselves within one or more of these common struggles, and they are all valid. Instead of giving you some magical tips on how to resolve your difficulties, instead I will leave you with some words. I hope that you can find some meaning in them the way that I have this morning, and remember-you are not alone. 

• "Go through each day looking for what I have prepared for you. Accept every event as My hand-tailored provision for your needs. When you view your life this way, the most reasonable response is to be thankful." -40 Days with Jesus by Sarah Young (written as though from Jesus speaking).

• Often in life we find ourselves lured by comfort instead of meaning, necessity instead of passion. Take the time to find your passion, and take steps to make it a part of each day. -Me (That's a Sarah original for you)

Books to Stay up All Night to Read...and Those to Avoid in 2014 (Part 2)

Book review continued.

My apologies to those of you that enjoy more "normal" books. I have tried to include a few on this post, but I have to admit that my favorites are anything BUT normal. I want books to take me away from reality :).

YA Fantasy/Fiction 
-I had to add a few more that are even younger than the ones I listed, because these fun reads are just plain good!

• Percy Jackson and the Olympians- By Rick Riordan. What can I say? I LOVE Greek mythology, and this series brings it to life. There are movies of the first 2 that are okay, but again, the books are just plain fun, and actually very suspenseful. 
• The Giver Series by Lois Lowry. This is probably more dystopic again, but this is a phenomenal series. One of my first true dystopian loves. 
• Gone Series by Michael Grant. This is what happens when all adults disappear and teens with emerging mutations are now in charge of society. 

YA and Adult Fantasy/Paranormal (this category is similar to part one, but I think the content is maybe a bit more adult than the other books already in this category). 

• Sookie Stackhouse Series- by Charlaine Harris. This is the series that TrueBlood, the HBO tv series was spawned after. They are not the same!! If you are fans of both, that's fine, but the books have far less sex and gore than the show, and are actually more of a light read (in my opinion). Sadly this goes in my Series Not Worth Finishing category as well, because the author ends the series in a way that was not in character for many of the main characters...
• The Mind Readers Series by Lori Brighton. For an inexpensive, enjoyable read (You can get the first book FREE on Kindle right now), these books had me captivated. Think X-Men, but all the notable characters have mind powers, and then combine with a big conspiracy. Good read.
• Eternal Eden Series by Nicole Williams. This is also a series I started for FREE (and it still is, I looked!) on Kindle, and really enjoyed. Take immortals, add some romance, and lots of twists, and again, a great read for a very small investment (the other novels aren't free, but are on the lower price end). 
• Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking. This is a take on paranormal that I had never seen before that actually involves trolls-that may sound weird, but phenomenal books that I could NOT put down. The first book is just $2.99 on Kindle, so not bad to start.
• Arcadia's Gift by Jesi Lea Ryan. A great start to what promises to be an interesting series by a new writer. Aracdia (cady) is a girl that is an empath-she can feel the emotions of others...

Adult Fiction

• The Long Game by J.L. Fynn is a story of American Gypsies, a crazy con, and of-course romance that has the ability to get in the way. This novel was co-written by two gals (who share a pen name) I went to high school with, and though it is not normally my style, I couldn't put the book down and can't wait to read the next one!

Non-Fiction Reads

• Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys by Stephen James and David Thomas. I just got this book yesterday, and am already 3 chapters in. It is a practical, yet humorous read about why boys are different to parent than girls, the stages they go through, and how to best help them at each stage. I highly recommend to moms (and dads) of boys. 

Humor

• Dad is Fat by comedian Jim Gaffigan, this is a laugh-out-loud literally book about parenting. 

Series that Started Good, but not sure are worth finishing
-yes, sadly this has to be it's own category!!
I still recommend (I guess, though grudgingly, because these all started with a bang and then left something-or a lot of somethings to be desired later on).

• Sookie Stackhouse series (as mentioned above)
• House of Night Series by PC Cast. This series about a school for vampires actually starts really good. The first 4-5 books are great, but it starts to fizzle. There is one more book (out in October), and I will read it, though sadly, I don't have high hopes. 
• Divergent Series by Veronica Roth. The first book is AMAZING, and I am looking forward to the movie that comes out this March. But have you ever been so excited about a final book in a trilogy and then wanted to literally throw the book across the room when done reading?!! I HATED, HATED the final book. It was such a disappointment for many reasons, not just the lackluster ending that leaves you saying "huh? what? seriously???!!"  So, I am not sure I can recommend the series. The first 2 are pretty darn great, and then BAM, a crappy writer who sums up nothing, giving shoddy answers for the explanations, and an infinitely depressing ending somehow inhabits the body of an otherwise promising author. The final book, in my opinion, was no worse than author suicide. Not sure I will ever read another book of hers again.
• Pathfinder series by Orson Scott Card (Yes, same dude that wrote Ender's Game which I Do recommend, but have only read the first one) started off so nice in Pathfinder, but Ruins (the 2nd book) has yet to grab me....but I am still trying.
• Inheritance Series by Christopher Paolini. I loved Eragon, but the books got slower and dryer to me. Granted, I am someone who loathes overtly descriptive novels, and these definitely qualify. I feel they are good stories, but I just couldn't finish the last one, so I asked my husband (who enjoyed them) to just sum it up to me. Turns out? I wouldn't have liked the ending anyhow. 

On my Reading List (and Kindle!)

• The Uglies by Scott Westerfield
• The Selection by Kiera Cass
• Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
• Prodigy by Marie Lu
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver

If you think you may have similar tastes to me, these are all recommended if you like the Hunger Games. :)

Books to Stay up All Night to Read...and Those to Avoid in 2014 (Part 1)

I am an avid reader, as in I am always reading something. Actually, I am almost always reading multiple books at the same time, perhaps a few non-fiction, and a fiction (or two). Up until recently I never thought myself that picky of a a reader. I thought I could read and enjoy almost anything, that my tastes were very eclectic (like my music tastes where I can go between Frank Sinatra, Eminem, Taylor Swift, and Metallica all in one day...okay, more like one hour.) As it turns out, I suppose I do like many types of books, but I tend to go in spurts. When I was in junior high and thought I wanted to become a judge (after being a lawyer of course!) I read every John Grisham book out. I also read true crime type books. Then I became interested in medical thrillers and read every Robin Cook novel imaginable. Surprisingly enough, especially to my husband, I have not once really gone through a romance novel read-a-thon (unless you count junior high when my friends and I would pass her mother's romance books around and read the good parts!). I even tried Stephen King, and I say tried because I actually liked a few of his works, but they were when he was writing as Richard Bachman, and though creepy as all get out, they had a quality that I enjoyed more than the more typical King works. I also tried, and liked some of Dean Koontz (one of my dad's favorite authors).

Now, probably since way back with Harry Potter and Twilight, I have become enamored with YA Fantasy and Paranormal fiction. I love dystopian societies (A dystopia is a community or society that is in some important way undesirable or frightening. It is the opposite of a utopia). I have read my share of great books as well as books that were just mreh. I actually used to feel guilty when I would not finish a book I began, or a book that was highly recommended to me. But now I figure, life is short, and there are millions (probably billions) of books to be read, and time wasted reading one I don't enjoy means time I am not reading one that I do.

We all have unique tastes, but I decided to make a list of books I have read in the last year that I loved, and a few I'd avoid if I were you. I have provided each title a link to Amazon, so that you can read the reviews on there versus me lengthily reviewing each one. It's winter, get yourself some new reads to cozy up with.  Happy reading!!!

Young Adult (YA) Fantasy/Dystopian 

• Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (can't leave this one out! Love the series). You have likely seen the movie or at least heard of it. Movie is good...book is phenomenal. 
• Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie: In a society where everything is controlled, even the person you will marry, a young girl must make the choice between what is supposed to be and what she really feels. Very interesting premise in this dystopic reality.
• The Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare: both are set in a society where Shadow-hunters hunt demons. The Infernal Devices is set a century before The Mortal Instruments, though both series can stand alone. A movie has been made of City of Bones, the first Mortal Instruments book. The movie is pretty decent...again, the book is FAR better.
• Iron Fey Series  by Julie Kagawa: In a world where faeries exist, a young girl must battle evil to take her rightful place among them.
• An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Series by Chanda Hahn. Not as much substance as other books I recommend, but a FUN read about an ancestor of the Grimm brothers having to battle her way through fairy-tales that have come to life. There are 3 books so far, and more to come.  You can get the first one free right now for Kindle! 

YA Dystopian (kind of disturbing)...not sure what to call this category. These are dystopias I LOVE, but you can't be squeamish...

• Chemical Garden Trilogy by Lauren DeStefano. I am currently reading this one, and I cannot speak for the entire trilogy since I am on book 1, but I LOVE this book!! This has caught my attention like nothing else has in quite awhile. It definitely blurs some moral boundaries that make for great thinking (and conversations) I have included the description from Amazon here, because I highly recommend..

What if you knew exactly when you’d die? The first book of The Chemical Garden Trilogy.

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males born with a lifespan of 25 years, and females a lifespan of 20 years--leaving the world in a state of panic. Geneticists seek a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Yet her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement; her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next; and Rhine has no way to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. 

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

• Unwind by Neal Shusterman. This is the first book, and there are more but I have not read them all yet. It is creepy, but thought-provoking. It is a society in which unwanted teens are salvaged for harvesting of their body parts, and the story of 3 teens trying to escape. 
• The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer takes a look at using human clones to make necessary parts for an aging society. I love the moral dilemma in this award-winning novel. 

This is all for now, because this is quite a list just of the YA books I recommend, but in my next post  Part 2 I will list some adult fiction, non-fiction, and books I wouldn't recommend.