Click to see our Beach Walk on YouTube.

We usually go at 8:30-9:00 AM, and there are rarely more than a handful of people on the beach. After the first couple days here, the weather has been spectacular for our walks, around 75F. It gets up to about 84F in the hottest part of the day, but not much humidity and the breeze from the ocean makes it perfect.

After our walk today we had some breakfast, then headed back to the beach for some relaxing Kindle time.

Yep, I’m wearing a bikini. I bought it here after I saw women of all shapes and sizes enjoying the beach in far less fabric than this. Life lesson from my European sisters: Life is short and your beach body is simply the body you bring to the beach.

We also had a morning visit from our seagull friend, Gustavo. He now shows up for breakfast and dinner.

After washing off our day at the beach, (so much sand!), we headed back to the grocery store to pick up some items for dinner.

Speaking of dinner, last night was the food highlight of the trip so far. We had a reservation at Restaurant F, a Michelin Guide recommendation. It features creative, modern Portuguese cuisine with a stunning terrace overlooking the Mediterranean.

Our dinner was so outstanding, we immediately made another reservation for next week (and might make one for the week after!)

With salty air, sandy toes, and relaxation levels at maximum capacity,

Saúde!

A typical dinner here is grilled sardines, boiled potatoes, and salad. They have all kinds of grilled fish, but sardines are the most common.

You put bread on your plate to start, then very carefully filet the sardine on top of the bread.

The sardines were so good with crispy skin from being grilled with sea salt over charcoal, then finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. The potatoes are very simply prepared, but somehow also delicious, and the tomato salad is vinegary and refreshing.

It was such a tasty meal! We’re looking forward to trying all the types of grilled fish while we’re here.

Saúde!

The walk wasn’t too bad, about 30 minutes from our apartment.

We made the mistake of not realizing Sunday is the big shopping day here, so it was pretty crowded in the store with long lines to check out. It was a little overwhelming with it being that crowded, and not having a sense for how things work yet. We didn’t get to enjoy the up and down every aisle looking at all the fun new things pace that we normally do in a foreign grocery store, but we will be back for sure.

I was going to film inside the store, but I’ll save that for a day when it’s not as busy. In the meantime, here’s what we got for just under $60 USD:

An unreasonable amount of potatoes (because that is the only way you can buy them), 2 Pastel de Nata (egg cream pastries), 2 types of sliced cheese, chicken lunch meat, salmon, chicken thighs, chia seeds, 2 types of coffee creamer, saran wrap, crackers, yogurt drinks, mints, laundry detergent, retainer cleaning tablets, body lotion, and (not pictured) a basket to keep by the door for keys, sunglasses, and change.

After that it was definitely time for lunch!

Saúde!

They were incredibly thoughtful, stocking us up with some fridge and pantry goodies, knowing we wouldn’t have a chance to do any grocery shopping that first night.

Even though it was late, and we were exhausted, we sat on the balcony and had some wine and snacks while enjoying the ocean breeze.

We could hear the waves, but couldn’t see the beach since it was so dark. We we were in for a treat the next morning!

We typically get up around 5:00 AM, and thought we would go for our normal morning walk on the beach our first full day here, but after that travel day our bodies had other plans. When we finally rolled out of bed, this was the stunning view that awaited us for our (very late) morning coffee:

We just sat there taking it in and smiling, and asking ourselves “why are we only staying 3 weeks?” (the apartment was only available for 3 weeks when we booked)

Here’s a preview of our cute, 4th floor home away from home:

We went out to check out the neighborhood and make a grocery store run. The produce is so nice; tomatoes that smell and taste like tomatoes - what a concept! And the wine is incredibly good and inexpensive. We already made friends with the wine guy, who recommended us a bottle of “green wine”, Vinho Verde. Its a young wine made in the northwestern region here, meant to be consumed shortly after harvest.

Another happy discovery: the fresh squeezed orange juice machines they have in Spain are here too! You load oranges in the top, press the lever down, and the machine smooshes up the oranges and fills your bottle. Magically delicious!

After our grocery run we walked to the lookout point across the street from our building. Here’s the view in both directions:

We’re taking it easy the rest of today so that we can go out for a late dinner, Portugal style. In the meantime, this is not a bad place to set up my “office”. (Did I mention how good the wine is?)

Saúde! (that’s cheers in Portuguese) & stay tuned for our next update!

We got in Monday afternoon and were taken to the Aqua Club for VIP check-in while we sipped champagne. Shawn booked our Viento Suite on Black Friday last year, and stacked it with our Citi Strata hotel credit for a ridiculous deal.

After checking in, we were brought to our beautiful room on the 6th floor. Here’s Our Suite. We met our daytime butler, Maggie, who made dinner reservations for us and booked us a private cabana for the next day.

After some pool time and an early dinner at the fine dining restaurant, MB, we pretty much collapsed for the night, since we’d been up since 2:45 AM.

We started Tuesday with room service coffee and a morning beach walk. The sargassum (seaweed) problem in Cancun is significant, and has been for years, which is unfortunate. They try to rake it away as much as possible each day, but can’t possibly get rid of all of it, and it makes for pretty unpleasant walking in the surf or swimming.

No matter though, because the pools at Live Aqua are gorgeous and plentiful, and have great views of the ocean.

The service at the pools (and everywhere at the resort) is outstanding. You could not ask for friendlier or more attentive staff. There are multiple bars around the pools, but you don’t need to leave your chair. Servers check in frequently and will happily bring you whatever you want.

We spent Tuesday mostly in our cabana, enjoying drinks, swimming, the sound of the ocean, and foot massages, which are included with our suite category. I generally don’t like having my feet touched, but even I was won over by this masseuse.

We walked around La Isla mall across the street after lunch. It was fun to wander through the canals and window shop at all the luxury stores.

Before dinner we had cocktails at the Aqua Club and got to meet our evening butler, Carlos, who we had a great conversation with about his recent vacation in Portugal.

Dinner was at the Mexican restaurant, Siete, for our last night here.

We woke up to cloudy skies Wednesday, like Cancún was sad we were leaving. At breakfast, I ordered in Spanish and our server was excited to speak to me in his native language. I managed to talk to him with only some English sprinkled in, and thought of how our daughter, who is very skilled in Spanish, would be shaking her head at my use of pointing behind me or in front of me in place of past or present tenses.

Our flight out is not until 8 PM, and check out time for our suite is noon. No worries though, Maggie arranged a hospitality room for us so that we could stay and enjoy the resort, and have a place to take showers and get ready before our car came to pick us up.

We made the most of it with the same cabana and another round of foot massages. Bonus: we had a baby gecko in our room and got to see some of his larger iguana friends on our walk to the pool.

Loved our quick stay here! Now we’re sitting in the lounge at the Cancun airport waiting to start our marathon of travel to Portugal. We start with a 9.5 hour flight to London, where we’ll have a 5 hour layover before a 3 hour flight to Faro, Portugal, and then a 45 minute car ride to Portimao. 🤪

We’ve been talking about this type of travel for years. Having the luxury of spending several weeks somewhere, instead of being in the constant hustle and packing mode of a shorter vacation. Well, today’s the day we’re making it happen!

We got up unreasonably early to get ready for our flight to Mexico. We are starting our trip with a couple nights in Cancun as a positioning stop. This helps us avoid the massive fuel surcharges and premium taxes tied to transatlantic flights departing directly from the US. Then it’s on to Portugal for 7 weeks, plus a few days in Scotland and London on the way back home.

Stay tuned for our first stop, the Live Aqua.

Cheers!

Our two daughters decided to attend my husband’s alma matter, Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. It’s only a two hour drive north for us, but feels very different than our desert home in the best way possible. We love going up to see them and breath in the noticeably fresher air.

The NAU campus is the prettiest college campus in our state, (IMHO), with a tucked into the forest feel, brick buildings with climbing ivy, and beautiful tree-lined streets. It’s a short walk to the charming downtown area, and historic Route 66.

In the summer, Flagstaff is a popular retreat for Phoenix locals trying to escape the heat. And in winter, the snow capped mountains that frame the North end of town are a stunning landmark.

When we visit, we like to stay at The Drury Inn. It’s right on the edge of the NAU campus, so you can easily enjoy a walk around the beautiful grounds.

This was our recent view from our suite there:

We are thrilled that our girls will be at NAU for a couple more years, one completing her Bachelor’s degree and the other completing her Masters. Such a great excuse for us to visit this gorgeous mountain town. Go Jacks! 🪓💙💛

After 17 days of ocean views, unlimited room service, and what can only be described as a concerning number of empty tissue boxes, our Panama Canal cruise has officially sailed off into the sunset.

It was, without question, a trip of a lifetime, packed with those big, jaw-dropping moments and the small, quiet ones that sneak up on you and stay forever. And then there was the Canal itself. Watching a ship our size get lifted and lowered through the canal system is truly surreal.

In between our handful of port stops, we absolutely mastered the fine art of doing…nothing. And not just regular nothing, professional-level nothing. The kind where you briefly consider getting up and doing something, decide against it, and reward yourself with a cocktail. To be fair, the respiratory situation we both picked up helped justify this aggressive commitment to relaxation.

But honestly, if you have to be slightly miserable, doing it on a floating five-star resort isn’t the worst life choice. Unlimited room service? Check. A bathroom that feels like a spa? Check. A bed that gently rocks you to sleep like you’re a very spoiled baby? Also check

One of our biggest questions going into this was: will we get bored after this many days at sea? The answer: a very enthusiastic absolutely not. In fact, we were mentally prepared to extend our stay indefinitely. Someone hand us a permanent wristband - we live here now

We closed things out in style with Shawn’s favorite Virgin Voyages tradition: the legendary last-night beef wellington. It was a proper send-off, equal parts celebration and “let’s order multiple desserts because we’ve behaved so well all cruise.”

Would we do this exact cruise again? Probably not the Panama Canal specifically. The Canal crossing is the main event, and once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it. This is very much a repositioning cruise, with ports that lean more “industrial shipping hub” than “postcard-perfect beach town.” That didn’t bother us (clearly, we gold medaled in Olympic-level lounging), but it’s worth knowing.

That said, we are officially fans of the long-cruise itinerary. We’d do another one in a heartbeat (under certain conditions*).

*The Conditions: being in a suite made a huge difference. Having that extra space, comfort, and little luxuries elevated the entire experience.

Also, not-so-minor detail, it helps that we genuinely like each other. Three weeks in close quarters, most of it slightly under the weather, is either a relationship builder or a Dateline episode waiting to happen. Thankfully, we packed patience, a sense of humor, and enough love to avoid homicidal thoughts.

Now we’re home, still recovering, and definitely missing the sound of the waves.

I was on the mend and Shawn was fine, then that polluted air messed everything up. My respiratory system took a dive, and we were both coughing up a lung and going through boxes of tissues. The silver lining was that we are in a suite, so we have more space for being stuck inside, and free room service, including surprisingly excellent chicken noodle soup.

We stayed holed up the first two days, only requesting fresh towels and water. We weren’t trying to be patient zero, even though we don’t think it was anything contagious. Last night was the worst for me, the coughing triggered a migraine, but it was the best night of sleep for Shawn - he needed it.

After excessively long showers this morning, we both felt human again and ventured out of our cabin to allow housekeeping to come. We had breakfast ramen on the back of the ship, which felt magically medicinal.

This was definitely a good test run for longer travel where sickness happens. We’re going to be stocking our medical kits with a few more items going forward as a result.

Today is our last sea day before Cabo, so we’re just taking it easy.

Cest La Vie!

When we pulled into port we could see the volcano in the distance. It had just erupted 4 days prior, and was still spewing some smoke.

We didn’t think much about it, just started the morning in the hot tub, then moved back into our favorite cabana to enjoy the first half of the day. This time we brought the fixings for “Rockstar Hooch”, as Shawn classily dubbed it. We stopped by the Galley and filled our bottles with fruit, ice, and some orange juice, then popped our anniversary bottle of champagne to add to the mix. We also had carrot bran muffins, we’re not animals - breakfast of champions!

After lunch we decided to check out the port and local craft market. I bought some earrings and Shawn got a macadamia chocolate bar.

Once we returned to the ship we noticed how bad the air quality was outside. Shawn’s asthma was flaring up, and even I was feeling it. The air was so bad at this point that you couldn’t see the volcano anymore. We went back inside and stayed there the rest of the day. Had we gone on any of the excursions, we would have been stuck breathing that for the whole day. Instead we got iced coffee and entertained ourselves for a while before dinner.

Dinner that night was fantastic, and took our minds off the gross air situation. We got the best table at The Wake (probably because the ship was still pretty empty).

I started off the meal with hamachi crudo with pickled rhubarb, and Shawn had the bone marrow. We shared a filet and an incredible salt baked dorado with lemon caper sauce.

We called it a night earlier than usual because Shawn was still feeling the effects of the pollution in his lungs.

Now we have 3 sea days, Cabo, another 2 sea days, then LA. Gonna be a lot more of this…

And we are a-ok with that. ❤️🚢❤️

We got a cabana at Richard’s Rooftop and spent the whole day reading, sipping cocktails, and enjoying lunch.

After cleaning up, we had Opa Hour snacks at The Dock, then walked the promenade deck to watch the sea birds hunting

Back to Richard’s for happy hour, then got to enjoy the perfect weather to watch a beautiful sunset.

We finished the day with cocktails at On The Rocks before dinner.

Truly a perfect day.💕

Next stop, Guatemala!🇬🇹

The hammock is actually a very comfy bed, rocking gently with the waves as a soundtrack.

This was a relaxing day with lots of lounging about in various areas of the ship.

We had a snack at the Dock before the stand-up comedy show featuring Rodney Lane. Our Rock Star perks came in handy with not having to wait in the long line.

We got to catch up with our kids. It’s always great to hear how they’re doing and what’s happening in their lives.

It was a fun evening of cocktails and music at The Hostess’s cabaret show. She is a brilliant performer with great comedic timing, and she has a beautiful singing voice

Once again that evening my coughing fits returned, so back to the hammock at 4 in the morning I went. Bonus - I got a private sunrise dolphin show!

Going into a 7.5-hour nature marathon in Costa Rica after roughly zero sleep felt optimistic in the way people sign up for marathons and say, “How hard can it be?”

We started with a dainty breakfast because lunch was part of our excursion. We lounged in the waiting area like caffeinated zombies, ready for our Costa Rica cloud-forest adventure. It was advertised as a once in a lifetime adventure, with an amazing collection of wildlife and exotic orchids.

Act One of This Comedy of Errors: an alert announcing the tide was too low for the usual disembarkation, so plans changed and we were an hour behind before anything exciting had happened. Then, when we boarded the 1.5-hour bus trip, the driver kindly informed us construction had turned that into 2.5 hours. The route was the world’s windiest mountain road, mostly one lane, with enough switchbacks to induce nausea. Our guide mumbled what I assume were facts about Costa Rica between sympathetic shrugs.

At one point he asked the group to choose lunch: beef, chicken, or vegetarian. Everyone made their selection like eager contestants on a game show - we were all very hungry by this point.

We rolled up to Treetopia, the mystical cloud-forest venue, at 2:40 pm. This is where orchids, monkeys, sloths, and Instagram dreams allegedly live. Mood check: no one had eaten since breakfast, the bus had aged us a collective ten years, and we all felt slightly gross after those switchbacks. The tour suggested long pants (probably jungle etiquette). Our guide suggested, “You might want rain gear, but I don’t think you need it.” Famous last words.

We stepped off the bus and discovered the temperature had taken a dive. Nobody had the “right” clothes. So we were grouped with the organizational finesse of a toddler sorting Legos and shoved onto a three-minute gondola ride into the canopy. It was cold, windy, and damp; I donned a rain poncho more for heat conservation than weather protection

After we took some photos and gondola-ed back down, we assumed lunch had to be imminent. Instead, the guide announced a nearly two-hour nature walk where we would traverse two suspended bridges because, apparently, we didn’t have time for all five. We are running on fumes at this point.

Well, the scenery was gorgeous. We spotted exactly two birds, zero orchids, and a grand total of no monkeys or sloths. The air was astonishingly fresh, which was nice, because by then we’d used up our last reserves of patience and coffee. And, bonus, no one had a panic attack on the very wobbly bridges.

Confusion reigned again as we sorted getting everyone back on the busses. Then a “quick” drive to “lunch”… it’s after 5pm by now, so let’s just call it dinner. Everyone feels like hostages at this point knowing we have the very long, very windy drive back to the ship, only now it will be in the dark… and RIP to your dinner reservations- you got this bowl of rice with dry chicken instead.

The good news is that while everyone finished their food we went next door to a pharmacy to pick up some cough syrup for me and candy bars for our cabin crew.

Sometimes you don’t get the perfect day, and that’s when it pays to be with the perfect person. ❤️

Next up: a much needed sea day to recover 😂🚢

First view from our balcony was sailing under the Atlantic Bridge on our way to the locks.

We had a very early room service breakfast on our deck, then threw on some clothes to head for Richard’s Rooftop - the suites only outdoor lounge at the front of the ship. One of the reasons we booked a suite for this cruise was to have access to this space for the crossing, as we knew it would have the best possible views. When we walked in though, there was a huge crowd there, and no where for us to see the forward view. We quickly realized that the majority of people there were not suite guests (red wristbands vs black.) They had been able to come in due to a malfunctioning door lock. Security had to get them to leave, it wasn’t pretty, some were pretty rude about it, and I felt bad for everyone involved.

Once that was resolved, this was our view coming into the first lock.

All throughout the day, the captain would make announcements about each point we passed. The bridge camera was projected in the public areas of the ship as well.

You can see how tight the fit is for our ship in this view from our balcony, and how many officers are in the bridge.

We had a few tugboats helping us along the way.

A port camera captured this picture of our ship coming into the locks.

This was the view from the back of the ship as we left the first set of locks and sailed into Gaton Lake.

Shawn passed some time in his favorite spot on the ship while I took a million pictures of the gorgeous lake.

Then we had some relaxing time at the Dock as we continued our journey across the lake.

At about 3 in the afternoon we headed into the second set of locks, on the Pacific side of the lake.

The vibes were festive all over the ship, and when we entered the first lock, champagne was passed out all around.

We had a little crocodile friend traversing the locks with us.

Coming into the final lock of the journey.

Once we passed through the final lock, the whole ship celebrated.🎉

We even had a celebratory escort!

Our first view on the Pacific side was the impressive skyline of Panama City.

Goodbye little tugboat!

Passing under the Bridge of the Americas to the Pacific Ocean.

Another view of Panama City as we sailed away.

When we returned to our cabin, we found these. Such a nice touch from Virgin. What an incredibly special day. So thrilled we got to experience this together. 💕🥰💕

Today we have a sea day, then our next port stop is Costa Rica!

Bonus pic - someone from our tour in Colon managed to get a better sloth photo…

We arrived at Gaton Lake and boarded a boat with some of our fellow sailors for a high-speed trip to the islands where monkeys and other local wildlife are easily spotted.

Fist sighting was the Howler monkeys, which we heard before seeing them lounging in the trees. They’re the dark colored blobs… I know, I’m not a professional photographer.

Getting close enough to elicit a “Don’t touch the monkeys! They get irritated easily!” (honestly, same) were the Capuchins. Intelligent little creatures, they know the boat guides will give them pieces of banana.

Then the tiny Tee Tee monkey. That’s just what the locals call them, I don’t know their government name. They were super cute until you saw them up close, then kind of terrifying

As we came closer to one of the little islands, the holy grail of Panamanian wildlife was sighted… the sloth. You’re going to have to take my word for it though because that guy was hard to photograph. Our whole boat was trying to see a better view of him, and honestly he couldn’t have cared less. That cream colored lump in the leaves is as good a picture as we could get.

After monkeys and sloths, things took a turn towards less cuteness. We saw bats sleeping on a tree trunk, and got to hear about how they are tarantulas favorite cuisine.

A cayman posing for the cameras.

A big old iguana, sunning himself on a branch.

And a giant ants nest, hanging from a tree branch. Reason #432 why I don’t want to live in a jungle.

Once back on land we took a couple photos at the marina, then the long return bus ride to the ship.

Back onboard, we enjoyed happy hour with some new friends, then a lovely meal at Extra Virgin. This lamb pasta dish is our favorite thing we’ve eaten on the cruise so far.

We came back to our room to a sweet thank you note and towel heart from our cabin hosts for bringing them snacks we procured while on our excursion. Take care of the people who take care of you. 💕

Next up, the Panama Canal!

We’re not big fans of doing tours through the cruise line, with big groups, having to cater to the slowest pace, not in control of when you’re “done”, and straining to hear the guide over a bunch of yapping. However, with the ports we are visiting on this cruise- and the time the tours take - we opted to tough it out with ship excursions to guarantee we were back in time and for safety reasons.

Yesterday was our first port stop in Cartagena, and our tour was called Quintessential Cartagena- a walking tour of some of the city’s most famous areas. Sounds tame, right? Dear reader, it was not 😂😳

We got off the ship and boarded a bus with 30ish of our fellow sailors and headed for Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the largest fort in South America. Off the bus we got, into the 90 degree heat and humidity, and were told we were climbing to the top

Once our whole group made it up there we got to sit in an air conditioned room (thank goodness) to hear the story of the fort and its importance to Columbia- which was really interesting.

On the way down from the top, the guide took us through the strategic tunnels used at the fort. Unfortunately for Shawn, he is much taller than the average Colombian soldier for whom they were built.

Back to the bus and on to the walled city for a walking tour of old town.

We toured the old Spanish government buildings and heard our tour guide’s version of the origin of the term Black Friday, which was horrifying (and according to our research, maybe not true.) Slaves were sorted by price and sold accordingly- tall men with all their teeth and attractive women were worth the most. Once a year, on a Friday in November, there would be a 1/2 price sale for the slaves who had not sold yet.

After that sobering information, we headed to a museum and the oldest neighborhood in the town, where indigenous people still live and make beautiful art

We also had a stop at a hotel for empanadas and hibiscus tea. We were all wilting at this point and ready to get back to the port. Also notice I’m not wearing my jewelry anymore in the last photo- our guide had me take it all off for safety.

Our final stop before getting back to the ship was a bird and monkey sanctuary. Easily the highlight of the day, even though I almost got beaned with a papaya husk that a monkey tossed down from his branch.

We got back to the ship a sweaty mess, but managed to get cleaned up to celebrate our wedding anniversary.❤️

Today we are docking in Colon, Panama, and have a jungle excursion with a nature guide to see local wildlife. Wearing more sunscreen, bug spray, and deodorant for sure. 😂

*Editors Note: I did this post all on my phone with the slowest internet connection possible, so please forgive any formatting issues 😩

We showed up at the Virgin terminal a full hour early for boarding, partly because we’re responsible adults, mostly because we wanted those black Rockstar wristbands on our wrists ASAP. Priorities. The excitement for the new ship and first time voyage through the canal was everywhere. Everyone was buzzing like it was the first day of summer camp… but with better outfits and significantly more champagne in our future.

Once we boarded the ship we dropped our luggage in our cabin immediately and headed to the Rockstar welcome to meet with our Agent (concierge for the cruise) and give him our preferences for in-room bar setup, bedding, and dining reservations, all while sipping champagne.

From there, we walked to the back of the ship to have a late lunch at The Dock, our unofficial “first stop every cruise” tradition for Mediterranean tapas and cocktails.

Next up: Richard’s Rooftop for happy hour and Sail Away. And this is where the plot twist hits.

Right as the party kicked off, I started feeling…off. Not seasick (thank you, Dramamine), just a vague, unwelcome sense of “uh oh.” It escalated as dinner approached, and I made the executive decision to call it a night early. Of course I had a complete freak out - what if I am coming down with something on day 1 of a 17 day cruise?? The good news: I woke up on Day 2 feeling about 90% human again. I am believing this upward arc is going to continue. Alcohol kills germs, right?

Day 2 was a sea day, which we spent doing what we do best: lounging at Richard’s Rooftop, the suites-only outdoor lounge at the front of the ship. There’s a constant breeze up there that tricks you into thinking you’re not getting that much sun. Reader, this is a lie. We got a lot of sun. Oops.

Dinner that night was at Extra Virgin (the Italian restaurant), and it was as good as we remembered, which is to say, dangerously good.

Before this cruise, we made a bold, optimistic decision: we would be “mindful” about how we eat for 17 days. Seventeen. Days. That’s a lot of opportunities to spiral into a breadbasket. So far, we’ve been sticking to our plan: healthy breakfasts, light lunches, and keeping dinner carbs somewhat in check.

Day 3 brought another sea day (feeling 95% today, fingers crossed it keeps getting better), and an early wake-up call thanks to a time change. We got our first bag of laundry ready to be picked up (we are doing laundry about every 5 days.) We had our first sit-down breakfast at Razzle Dazzle, then attended a lecture on the origins of the Panama Canal. I found it fascinating. Shawn… found his phone fascinating. To be fair, he’s listened to approximately 47 podcasts on the topic and probably could’ve guest lectured himself, if called upon.

The afternoon was very chill: card games, ocean views, and a relaxed lunch back at The Dock (grilled chicken and shrimp skewers, for those tracking our “mindful” era).

Tonight: dinner at The Wake, Virgin’s steakhouse. Tomorrow: our first port stop, Cartagena, Colombia. Let the adventures (and good eating decisions) continue!

Perk #1: Blacklane pickup 🚘
Nothing is better than a pre-arranged chauffer when you’re getting off a plane at 10pm. Our very fun ride (check out the space-themed ceiling of the car) whisked us to our first stop: The Tony.

The Tony: one-night wonder
Cute, spacious, and staffed by people who seemed genuinely thrilled we were there. Seriously, 10/10 for late-night enthusiasm. We only stayed one night because the real plan was to enter our Elite AMEX Perk Era starting the next day.

Next stop: Ritz-Carlton Miami Beach 💅
We Ubered over Wednesday at noon and activated:

• Early check-in

• Significant cash back discount

• Room upgrade

• Free breakfast

• Hotel credit for food, drinks, or spa services

Of course, Miami decided to serve rain and emotional damage, so we made an emergency Ross run where I got an unreal discount on a Rag & Bone cardigan (the South Beach Ross has an impressively different level of luxe than ours back home). Then we retreated to the hotel for champagne happy hour because - free bubbles!

Thursday: redemption arc ☀️
Weather improved, spirits lifted, and we hit the boardwalk after a buffet breakfast that was absolutely 5 star. Dragon Fruit for the win, IYKYK. At the end of our walk, another perk - free mojitos.

Late checkout (final perk!) meant we could take our sweet time getting ready before moving to our last Miami stop:

InterContinental Miami 🌊
Same perks, but much better room. 28th floor, ocean view, front-row seats to cruise ship traffic and lifestyles of the rich and famous.

We used more of our hotel food & beverage credit for cocktails, then walked to dinner at Niu Kitchen, a tiny Catalonian spot that absolutely delivered. Bonus: covered by a quarterly $100 AMEX credit. We are, at this point, essentially being paid to eat

Friday morning views:
Sunrise over the port + SIX cruise ships docked.

Breakfast here wasn’t quite Ritz-level, (no Dragon Fruit), but still solid. Weather went back to “I thought we were in Miami?” so we leaned into doing absolutely nothing until lunch at Asian fusion restaurant Novikov, which, no notes, was the food highlight so far. Covered with Shawn’s AMEX credit this time.

Tonight: seeing Project Hail Mary
Tomorrow: boarding the Brilliant Lady for 17 days 🚢

Stay tuned!

When Shawn and I got married, we had two major financial goals:

1. Invest in Ourselves: Retire when our youngest went to college.
To us, this meant two things:

• Being able to live well while covering all our current and future living and medical expenses & never becoming a financial burden to our children.

• Being able to travel comfortably and as often as we want while we are healthy and physically able.

2. Invest in Our Kids: Cover four years of college for each of them.
We wanted to give them the gift of stepping into adulthood with a Bachelor’s degree in hand without the headwind of student loan debt to go with it.

Every major financial decision we made circled back to those two goals. If it didn’t help Future Us or Future Kids, it got cut. (Proof: I still drive a car that requires an actual key in the ignition.)

We know how fortunate we have been to be able to set goals like these. Having two strong, steady incomes gave us choices we understand not everyone has. We’ve always tried to be mindful of that privilege.

Of course none of this would have been possible without Shawn as our family’s CFO. He not only kept us on track for our goals, he also taught our kids financial management. Budgeting and investing lessons were free in this household… and mandatory.

So here we are. Our youngest started college in 2024, and Shawn retired. He’s been patiently waiting for me to join him ever since, and it’s finally time.

I’ve worked my entire adult life, in an executive level role for the last 20 years of that, so I’m fully aware that this next phase will require some serious change management. Thankfully, Shawn has had a full year of post-work life under his belt, so he’ll be my retirement sherpa - guiding, nudging, and occasionally dragging me into the land of owning your own schedule.

What I know will be hardest to leave behind are the people - the colleagues I cheered on, the ones I watched grow into phenomenal leaders, and especially those who became friends. Those relationships are the souvenirs I’ll treasure long after I turn in my badge.

As for our joint retirement plans? They’re big! The slow-travel spreadsheet has officially come out of hibernation, and we’re already plotting 2026 and 2027. So far we’ve locked in a Panama Canal cruise in the spring and a couple months in Portugal over the summer. After that, we’re eyeing Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Nordic countries. But nothing is set in stone; as JP Morgan said: Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.

Cheers to new horizons!

We didn’t start out that way. But after a few hard-earned lessons involving heat that felt personal, and crowds so thick you couldn’t tell where you ended and the tour group began, we made a rule:

We won’t chase destinations. We’ll chase good weather and fewer people.

Everything else - food, culture, charm - works itself out if you’re not melting into the pavement or being shoulder-checked by a mega-ship’s worth of cruise passengers.

Enter: The Spreadsheet

Below is one of the first iterations of our slow-travel spreadsheet. It’s evolved since then (some destinations added, others removed), but this version gives you the general idea.

Green means:

• Pleasant temperatures (for us, anyway)

• Lower crowds

• Minimal chance of regretting our life choices

White (or blank) means:

• Too hot

• Too cold

• Too wet

• Too crowded

• Or some unholy combination of all four

If it’s not green, we probably won’t go. And you’ll notice December is permanently greyed out; we want to be home for the holidays.

The Schengen Zone (aka the Fine Print That Matters)

You’ll notice our spreadsheet is split into “Europe – Schengen” and “Europe – Non-Schengen.” This isn’t random. This is strategy.

The Schengen Zone is a group of European countries that allow free movement between them with no border checks, no passport stamps, no tiny booths where someone asks why you’re there.

But here’s the catch (and it’s a big one):

As a non-EU tourist, you’re allowed 90 days in the Schengen Zone within any rolling 180-day period.

Not 90 days per country.
Not “reset when you cross a border.”
Not “close enough if you don’t count weekends.”

It’s 90 days total. And yes, they count everything.

Enter: The Non-Schengen MVPs

Non-Schengen countries are what keep slow travel in Europe possible long-term. Places like:

• Georgia

• Romania

• Turkey

• Ireland

• Scotland

These are the destinations that let you stay in Europe longer without draining your Schengen time bank. They’re not consolation prizes, either. Each are fantastic in their own right, often less crowded, and sometimes even better suited to slow travel.

The Real Luxury of Slow Travel

It turns out the real luxury isn’t five-star hotels or first-class flights, it’s timing.

Arriving when a place can be itself.
When locals aren’t exhausted by tourists.
When you can walk for hours, eat outside, and think, Yes. This was the right call.

So yes, we’re planning our adventures with a spreadsheet.

First Port Stop - Tortola: We chartered a small boat called the Lickety Split, which sounds adorable until you’re bouncing across open water like popcorn kernels in hot oil. Suddenly those boat seats shaped like saddles made perfect sense. But the perk of being on a tiny, slightly feral vessel? We could zip into Sandy Spit, a pocket-sized island that looks like it was photoshopped into reality. Just a few palm trees, some hermit crabs, and us. This is what paradise looks like! We also got to visit a couple beach bars accessible only by boat on Jost Van Dyke. We needed the liquid courage for the ride back to port!

That evening, we cleaned up from our Mr. Toads Wild Ride of a boat outing for the Splash of Romance happy hour. There was a dreamy sunset, live music, and that perfect ocean breeze that makes you feel like you’re starring in your own travel commercial.

We ended the night at Gunbae, Virgin’s Korean BBQ restaurant, where they kick off dinner with a drinking game that involves math. Math. After cocktails. Unsurprisingly, I was eliminated almost instantly, but Kathy absolutely dominated. We also made instant friends - nothing bonds strangers like shared confusion, sizzling meat, and competitive soju consumption.

Barbados: We spent the day on the pristine white sand of Carlisle Beach, which is simply stunning. Warm water, powder-soft sand, and a level of relaxation that should honestly be medically prescribed.

St. Lucia: We had booked a scooter tour for all four of us, imagining cute little Vespa vibes. Absolutely not. These were mini Harley Davidson hell beasts disguised as “scooters.” Kathy and I took one very tentative test drive and immediately opted to become passenger princesses - crowns metaphorically on, pride fully intact. The boys bravely powered on, and by the time the tour ended, the general consensus was: “We’re just happy to still be alive.”

That night was Virgin’s famous Scarlet Night, an octopus-themed ship wide extravaganza where everybody wears red and there’s glitter in places glitter should probably never be. At Pink Agave, the Mexican restaurant, the boys sampled margaritas topped with dried crickets (tastes like chicken). Kathy and I enjoyed more complimentary champagne.

St. Maarten: our final port day. We hired a local driver, Maria, who whisked us around both the French and Dutch sides of the island like a one-woman tour-de-force. We visited the iconic Maho Beach, where planes take off and blast spectators with sand and jet-engine enthusiasm (we survived and still have eyebrows). Then we wrapped up with Guava Berry Coladas and a blissful afternoon lounging at Orient Bay.

Best of all, we had an absolute blast hanging out with Troy and Kathy the whole time - whether we were bouncing across the ocean, dodging death scooters, or singing our lungs out to 80’s music. If this is how our first trip together went, we can’t wait to see what kind of chaos the next adventure brings.