• Start Here
  • Contact Me
  • Advertise/Hire Me
  • Privacy Policy
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

  • Hidden Culinary Gems: Extraordinary Dishes Worth Trying
  • 10 Hidden Beaches in Mexico You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
  • UK Escapes That Rival Any Global Hotspot
  • Why High-End Travelers Matter So Much to Resorts
  • Holiday Homes in France
  • 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…

    Read More
    paradise

    You May Also Like

    First Impressions Of Crete

    March 18, 2014
    nepal sunrise nagarkot

    Tibetan Singing Bowl Lessons: The Best Thing I Did In Nepal

    October 29, 2014
    Flower in Victoria Garden, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

    Pictures From Ella, Sri Lanka To Nuwara Eliya

    August 1, 2013
  • 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…

    Read More
    paradise

    You May Also Like

    The Joy of Vacation Prep: Why Planning Can Be Half the Fun

    April 23, 2025
    Your Isla Mujeres Travel Guide

    Your Isla Mujeres Travel Guide

    January 6, 2019

    7 Awe-Inspiring Things To Do In Iceland

    December 22, 2015
  • 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.…

    Read More
    paradise

    You May Also Like

    How to paint in Ubud, Bali

    Learn How To Paint In Bali

    April 8, 2013
    Your Isla Mujeres Travel Guide

    Your Isla Mujeres Travel Guide

    January 6, 2019
    Dusit Thani Bangkok

    Dusit Thani-An Oasis Of Heaven In Bangkok

    June 4, 2014
  • Boat in Belize
    Travel Blog

    Where I Found Happiness In Belize (It Wasn’t Where You Might Think!)

    February 15, 2013 / 4 Comments

    I admit, I was searching for happiness when I booked my plane ticket to Belize.  You see, I spend most of my time in  Portland, OR where in the winter, the only sun we see is the picture of the one on the Weather Channel.  It was March, and I absolutely couldn’t handle another day of rain.  So, I booked a ticket leaving for Belize three weeks later.  I was feeling blue, and I thought the sun, the sand, and the sea would bring me some much-needed happiness. And yes, while the beauty there did make me feel happier, the true joy that I discovered was the people themselves.  The…

    Read More
    paradise

    You May Also Like

    The Exciting 5 Reasons Why I'm Moving To Hawaii Now

    The Exciting 5 Reasons Why I’m Moving To Hawaii Now

    March 21, 2016
    traveling to Guatemala, Antigua

    The One Thing You Probably Don’t Know If You Are Traveling To Guatemala

    June 29, 2015
    San Miguel de allende mojito it's not you, it's me

    San Miguel, “It’s Not You, It’s Me”

    February 16, 2014
  • Cuban flags
    Travel Blog

    The Punishment and The Reward: How My Illegal Entry Into Cuba Changed Me

    February 13, 2013 / 18 Comments

      Yes, I did.  I went to Cuba illegally.  I had the urge to see it before things changed too much, before it got too modernized.  And so it was, that my best friend, Ingrid, and I decided that we would make a little side trip from the Dominican Republic and go see this incredible place for ourselves.  We had a little trepidation, but entered the country without too much of a glitch.  I had read about how hard it was for Cubans to get basic necessities such as dental floss, so we came armed with an entire suitcase of floss, toys for the children, and medicine that I had…

    Read More
    paradise

    You May Also Like

    Castaway Resort, Koh Lipe, www.thiswaytoparadise.com

    3 Thailand Beaches That You Just Shouldn’t Miss

    September 3, 2013
    lotus flower how to travel mindfully

    How To Travel The World With Mindfulness

    January 6, 2014
    Bura surf house Lagos, Portugal

    Bura Surfhouse: More Than Just A Backpackers Hostel In Lagos, Portugal

    May 12, 2014
5678

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