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This Way To Paradise

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Travel Tips
  • Escape Guides
    • Belize
      • Ambergris Caye
      • Caye Caulker
    • Cambodia, Koh Rong Samloem
    • Costa Rica
      • Arenal and La Fortuna
      • The Osa Peninsula, Corcovado National Park
      • Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
    • Dominican Republic
    • Guatemala
      • Lake Atitlan
    • Indonesia
      • Ambon, Maluku
      • Bali
      • Gili Islands
      • Kai Island, Maluku
      • Raja Ampat
      • Sumatra-Belitung Island
    • Mexico
      • Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo
      • La Paz
      • Patzcuaro
      • San Miguel De Allende
      • Todos Santos-The Antidote To Cabo!
      • Zipolite Beach: A Complete Travel Guide
    • Portugal
      • Beach Porn Alert: 7 Reasons Why You Need To Put Lagos, Portugal On Your Bucket List Now
      • The Top Portugal Beaches To Visit
    • Sri Lanka
      • Colombo, Sri Lanka
      • Ella
      • Mirissa Beach
      • Yala National Park
    • Thailand
      • Bangkok
      • Koh Lipe
      • Phi Phi
      • Phuket
      • Railay Beach-Krabi Town
      • Your Thailand Songkran Water Festival Guide
  • Places To Stay
  • Food
  • Contact Me
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Travel Tips
  • Escape Guides
    • Belize
      • Ambergris Caye
      • Caye Caulker
    • Cambodia, Koh Rong Samloem
    • Costa Rica
      • Arenal and La Fortuna
      • The Osa Peninsula, Corcovado National Park
      • Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
    • Dominican Republic
    • Guatemala
      • Lake Atitlan
    • Indonesia
      • Ambon, Maluku
      • Bali
      • Gili Islands
      • Kai Island, Maluku
      • Raja Ampat
      • Sumatra-Belitung Island
    • Mexico
      • Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo
      • La Paz
      • Patzcuaro
      • San Miguel De Allende
      • Todos Santos-The Antidote To Cabo!
      • Zipolite Beach: A Complete Travel Guide
    • Portugal
      • Beach Porn Alert: 7 Reasons Why You Need To Put Lagos, Portugal On Your Bucket List Now
      • The Top Portugal Beaches To Visit
    • Sri Lanka
      • Colombo, Sri Lanka
      • Ella
      • Mirissa Beach
      • Yala National Park
    • Thailand
      • Bangkok
      • Koh Lipe
      • Phi Phi
      • Phuket
      • Railay Beach-Krabi Town
      • Your Thailand Songkran Water Festival Guide
  • Places To Stay
  • Food
  • Contact Me

Recent Posts

  • The Power of Adventure Vacations: Exploring Nature and Curiosity
  • The World’s Most Exciting Long-Distance Travel Routes
  • What to pack for the Camino de Santiago (and what to send ahead)
  • Trading Palm Trees for Twinkle Lights: Finding Winter Paradise in Europe’s Festive Old Towns
  • Hidden Alpine Destinations That Deserve More Attention
  • Sky view of clouds from airplane
    Travel Blog

    Yep, I’m A Goofball-How That Fact Saved The Day (And Had Half of SFO Airport Cheering Me On)

    March 2, 2013 / 13 Comments

    I have been convinced that I am half-mermaid ever since I was a child and saw Darryl Hannah in Splash. Later on, when people told me that I looked like her, I knew it had to be true. And, I seem to be the kind of person who doesn’t quite fully understand what to do with her legs. I am always running into stuff, tripping, and very much accident prone. I often am amazed when I take a flight that my whole body arrived at my new destination, and surprised that my head isn’t still stuck back at the departure gate. The thing is, when people first meet me their…

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    April 2, 2025
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    Lost In Translation-How My Spanglish Almost Caused Me To Starve To Death

    February 25, 2013

    If You’re Researching a New Country to Explore, Visit These Websites

    March 4, 2026
  • A boat on the beach in the Dominican Republic
    Escape Guides

    Dominican Republic

    February 27, 2013 / No Comments

    The Dominican Republic has some of the best beaches in the world, the best fish that I’ve ever tasted in my life, and some of the friendliest people.  When I went, I explored the areas of Santo Domingo and the Samana Peninsula.  The city of Santo Domingo has very interesting architecture and is a very lively city to explore.  There are many beaches just a short distance away. The Samana Peninsula took my breath away with the beauty of its beaches. I am not sure that I’ve ever seen prettier ones. One of the best things about the Dominican Republic is that it’s pretty much a year-round destination.  The temperatures…

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    May 8, 2026

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    April 17, 2026

    A Guide to Visiting Sri Lanka for the First Time

    March 24, 2026
  • Oaxaca Market People
    Travel Blog

    Para Hoy-For Today (Life In Mexico)

    February 26, 2013 / No Comments

    “Pará hoy”?  the avocado seller asks. I nod. Yes, today. I have no life beyond today. -Tony Cohan Perhaps the greatest thing that I learned on my trip to Mexico, on that Mexican time was that there is only today. Perhaps that is why tears welled up in my eyes when I was airlifted back into a life  that seems all too often to take me out of the present and into some future. Future plans, future moments….I really don’t want any of it. In Mexico, when you ask a restaurant if they will have a reservation for you, the answer is maybe. Always maybe. After all, you never knew…

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    September 15, 2014
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    January 28, 2013
    Boat on the Kei Islands, Maluku, Spice Islands of Indonesia

    How My Wine Obsession Almost Got Me Confused For A Terrorist

    March 22, 2013
  • Val eating fish in Mexico
    Travel Blog

    Lost In Translation-How My Spanglish Almost Caused Me To Starve To Death

    February 25, 2013 / 9 Comments

    We must all eat to live; some more urgently than others. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am easy-going, upbeat, and positive UNLESS I am hungry. When my blood sugar gets low, I don’t manage very well.  The world seems to tilt on its axis, my stomach starts to feel like it’s eating itself, and I lose all sense of balance and equilibrium.  Especially with my mood.  While, I try to learn the basic phrases in the language of the places that I travel to, I am learning that one of those basic phrases needs to be, “I need food now!!!” I really should know this by now.…

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    January 24, 2013

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    March 18, 2014
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    Where Is Home?

    September 13, 2013
  • Carne Asada in Oaxaca
    Food

    Tasting Oaxaca

    February 23, 2013 / 2 Comments

    I walked the colorful city of Oaxaca’s roads, its streets, its paths, and made some of my own. I  walked until even the bones in my feet ached with each step and, yet, the tips of my toes were crying out with joy for each soulful (soleful) thing they saw. There was something so radiant about having so many colors enter my world, so vibrant that even on a rainy day, the day seemed sunny and happy.   But, what I remember most about Oaxaca was its flavor.  Oh, the things I tasted. Thanks to Oaxaca, I now know what a camarone should taste like, like the ocean meeting the…

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    Alchemy-A Juice Bar And So Much More-Ubud, Bali

    April 2, 2013
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    Cravings And Why I’m Not So Vanilla

    January 20, 2013

    How to Enjoy Local Food Adventures Without Overlooking Food Safety

    September 16, 2026
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About Me

I am always looking for the perfect escape, the perfect paradise, the kind of place that tosses your cares into the sea. Fortunately, I have discovered many! I created this site to show you where to go and how to get there. My goal is to show you that Paradise is only a plane ticket (or boat ride) away. I have inspired many others to travel and to create a better life. I am available for inspirational speaking, coaching, writing, travel planning, and photography.

©2026