Belize | Travel

Belize was hot and humid, and it was glorious! Right smack-dab in the middle of our Arctic winter, Nathan and I got to escape to Central America and visit both the ocean and the rainforest. I say this every time I post travel photos but I think it's worth repeating: Traveling is so good for the soul. We pinch pennies throughout the rest of the year so that we can visit truly inspiring places and meet people we would never meet otherwise! These experiences and the beauty we're lucky enough to witness keep me dreaming all year long.

I hope these photos bring you some warmth today since we aren't all lucky enough to live in a Caribbean climate. ;)

We started our trip on the coast in Hopkins, Belize. We didn't have much planned for the first half of our stay … just lots of relaxing, reading and exploring! The only bummer was the insane amount of algae in the ocean that made it hard to swim and snorkel (you'll see it in the pictures below!). Nathan's personal snorkel set went unused, but I'd say that's a small price to pay for such a great trip! (And it should be noted that the algae is a rare occurrence. Don't let it deter you if you ever want to visit the area!)

Somehow every time we go somewhere that requires lots of sunscreen, Nathan forgets to apply it to majorly exposed body parts. Our first day in Belize he realized he forgot to cover his legs. You can bet a whole lot of money that they were real red.

And then it was off to the rainforest, which Nathan and I agreed was our favorite part of the trip. Not only was it gorgeous, but the people we met during the second half of our trip made it so fun! I can't say enough good things about the staff at Sleeping Giant Lodge. I wish we would have gotten photos with all of them!

I didn't realize how breathtaking the Mayan Ruins would be! It was so surreal to walk on these structures that the Maya people built so long ago. (Our fun guide played paparazzi for us and worked my film camera like a pro! :) )

At the top of the gazebo! Swift, the bartender at Sleeping Giant and also our guide for the hike, taught us so much about the plants and animals in the rainforest. It also made us realize that we sit inside at our computers way too much; we need to get out in nature more! (If any of my gymnastics friends are reading right now: Yes, I DO still have my districts shirt from 15 years ago. I should probably invest in some better workout clothes.)

Where we stayed: Jaguar Reef Lodge (Hopkins) and Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge (near Belmopan) What we did: Bicycled into Hopkins, visited Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, went cave tubing and visited St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park, hiked to the gazebo on Sleeping Giant's property (much more intense than it sounds!)

Our Annual Ski Adventure | Travel

A couple weeks ago, Nathan and I traveled out west for the annual Baldwin ski trip. Remember, I'm not a great skier, but it was so nice to be in a sunny, warmer climate (50 degrees!) surrounded by gorgeous scenery. Plus we got to spend lots of quality time with family and have a couple adventures while in Colorado. The highlights of my trip included:

• Taking in the beauty of the mountains from the top of the slope.
• Helping Nathan eat a cinnamon roll the size of our heads.
• Finishing two books in front of the fire.
• Not falling ONE time on the slopes. Whoohoo! I think I'm slowly becoming a better skier.
• Riding a snowmobile for the first time.
• Watching Nathan, his sister and his dad swim the length of a 33-degree natural spring pool. (While I sat comfortably in a 104-degree hot spring.)
• Playing in the snow like little kids, complete with snow angels and a snowball fight.

Nathan also made his first GoPro video from our adventures. Take a peek ...

Edinburgh, Scotland | Travel

Oh, hey! Look at this! One more set of photos from our UK adventure. Don't mind if I do. :)

We spent the second half of our trip in Edinburgh, Scotland. Actually … we stayed with our friends Lindsey, Alex and Miss Evie outside the city, but we traveled in a few times despite the foggy and misty weather. Edinburgh was soooo different than the small towns we visited in Ireland (here and here). First of all, it's a HUGE city and just so gorgeous and regal! I loved the contrast. That and trying to figure out how to do a Scottish accent vs. an Irish one. (Still haven't figured it out. I'm terrible at accents.)

I would love, love, love to go back to Edinburgh one day. I felt so classy and elegant walking amidst the old stone buildings and cobblestone streets. Even though I was wearing tennis shoes the whole time.

Right after we landed at the airport, Lindsey and Alex took us to Queensferry, which is just about the cutest town I've ever seen.

Nathan and I toured the castle. It was a little pricey, but really cool.

Hey, Evie! You're cute!

Ironically enough, we were in Scotland during the independence vote. It was pretty unreal to see all the banners and news crews and passionate people at the Parliament Building. Just looking around the city, it seemed the vote would be a "Yes." There were "Yes" campaigners everywhere!

Love these people. It was so nice having locals with us. :)

We had afternoon tea at Mimi's Bakehouse. Delish. Definitely check it out if you're in Edinburgh.

And then we toured an abandoned psychiatric hospital village. It was so cool and creepy at the same time. The fog added to the creepiness.

Where we ate: Orocco Pier, The Spoon, Mimi's Bakehouse, Caffe La Ronda, The Beehive Inn, 1912 What we did: Explored the castle, learned about scotch at the Scotch Whisky Experience, took a ghost tour (eek!), walked the Royal Mile

Kinsale and Cliffs of Moher, Ireland | Travel

Here's the thing about traveling: It's so easy NOT to do it. There are so many reasons why now isn't a good time to explore the world … we can't take time off work, it's expensive, we have too many responsibilities at home, etc., etc. I get it. Nathan and I toss around these (legitimate!) excuses all the time. After talking about this trip for years, I wasn't quite sure it was really going to happen. But you know what? All that scrimping and saving and going without was worth it.

As I get older, I realize that having experiences and creating memories is more important to me than stuff. Traveling really opens your eyes to the world and allows you to spend quality time with people you may have been neglecting. I am the first to admit that I can get waaaaay too wrapped up in work, and this trip was just what we needed to reset our focus. Stuff will always be there, but once-in-a-lifetime experiences with the people you love won't.

So if you've been putting off a trip--to Europe or to the next city over--I urge you to DO IT! You won't regret it. I promise!

The next stop in our tour of Ireland was Kinsale (see part 1 here). It's a beautiful little harbor town in the south of Ireland.

The cafes in Kinsale were delicious and so cozy. It was a little chilly on the water, so afternoon tea was really welcomed.

I have to give a shout out to Don of Don & Barry's Historic Kinsale Walking Tour. The whole stroll was so informative (Kinsale has a LOT of history!), and I just loved Don's hat!

Then we headed to the Cliffs of Moher, which was absolutely breaktaking. A must-see if you're ever in Ireland!

It's insane how close you can get to the edge! It is not a tiny drop.

Where we stayed: Golden Gate House (Kinsale), Twin Peaks B&B (Doolin) Where we ate: Poet's Corner, The Shack, Janey Mac, Bruno's (Kinsale), Gus O'Connor's Pub (Doolin) What we did: Explored the Kinsale Harbor Walk, took Don & Barry's Historic Kinsale Walking Tour, walked around Charles Fort (Kinsale), visited the Cliffs of Moher and hiked along the coastal walk (near Doolin)