I thought it would be fun to look back on some of these trips and what made each one so special. Keep reading to take a virtual trip around the world with me!

The One That Started It: Spain

This was my first long and international trip as an adult. Three friends and I traveled to Spain for a whirlwind two-week trip visiting nine cities. We saw so much history, indulged in all the food, and had adventures every day. It was a packed trip but an unforgettable one that solidified friendships and sparked wanderlust. One day I hope to go back to a finished Sagrada Familia!

Read more about Spain in these posts.

The Stars at Night are Big and Bright: Terlingua, Texas

When I think about being surrounded by stars in the middle of nowhere, I go back to that quiet night in West Texas. A big storm had just passed through, we were staying in a teepee, and the clouds cleared so we could sit among stars touching the mountain tops. Seeing a sky full of stars in the middle of nowhere reminds me how small I am, just a speck in the world. 

Read more about that Terlingua experience in this post.

History Came Alive: Luxor, Egypt

Luxor is an indescribable place. I’ve tried my best to show and tell about it on the blog because it’s been the most incredible trip I’ve ever taken. It’s a place I think everyone should see for themselves. The architecture and history behind the architecture are awe-inspiring. Every turn would lead you towards something new to see. Egypt is definitely a bucket list trip!

Read more about Egypt in these posts.

When Diving Opened My Eyes: Thailand

Becoming a scuba diver has changed my priorities for travel destinations but that wasn’t always the case. I was very apprehensive about diving when I took my first trip. In fact, as you learned from this post commemorating 100 dives, diving scared me because I had a rough time through my certification dives in a murky lake and I was the worst diver in Thailand. But diving in the ocean also opened my eyes to how magical diving could be. I can’t wait to go back and dive in Thailand again one day.

Read more about Thailand in these posts.

This is How Chocolate Starts: Belize

A few years ago, I started learning about chocolate and how it is created. As with most food, it’s a special process when you learn about the people who grow and process it to become what you see in a grocery store. What luck that I was able to take this passion and tour a cacao orchard in Belize. We even made chocolate!

Read more about Belize in these posts.

The Biggest Wildlife Encounter: Komodo National Park, Indonesia

Diving with manta rays is an out-of-body experience. You’re not only in an unfamiliar environment underwater, but you’re near these massive creatures that are 12 feet from one fin to the other. It was an awe-inspiring experience and one of my favorite things I’ve seen while diving. I’m so glad we got to dive in Indonesia and hope to return someday.

As a runner-up, getting up close and personal with elephants in Chiang Mai, Thailand was also an incredible experience! These gentle giants were rescued and live at a sanctuary where people can visit and learn about their journey.

The Best Food Trip: Thailand

I love Thai food and eating Thai food in Thailand for two weeks was a dream! Noodles, coconut desserts, curries, and spices, Thai food is vibrant and exciting. This was also one of my favorite places to go on a food tour. It had to do with racing tuk-tuks!

Read all about the food in Thailand in this post.

Best Long Weekend Trip: Mexico City

Mexico City is a perfect weekend trip, though you could easily spend more time there. The city is filled with delicious food, from street tacos to some of the best restaurants in the world, like Pujol and Quintonil. It also has plenty of places to experience culture and history, like Museo Frida Kahlo.

Read more about Mexico City in these posts.

I’m so glad I have a blog to keep track of all my travels! It’s a great way to share tips and recommendations and to reminisce on adventures.

What’s your most inspiring trip and why?

P.S. If you’re looking for more travel stories, I wrote about my favorite six memories from my Thailand trip in this post.

P.P.S. When I travel, it’s usually for diving! Here are 10 reasons why you should dive on your next trip.

You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Most Inspiring Travel Experiences in the Last Decade of Adventures appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

I needed to get out of the house. I had just finished my 14th week working from home. Other than daily walks with Kaira, trips to the grocery store, outings to pick up restaurant take-out, and weekly bike rides, I had barely left the house and the days were blending together.

But it wasn’t only about getting out of the house. It was about escaping. It was about going somewhere I hadn’t been to before. And I was doing it for cake. Call it getting out of the house if you want to but it was really my “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” journey.

My friend Janna has been raving about this cake shop for months, maybe even longer. With my affinity for cake, you would think it would be a top priority to try this cake, one that has seemingly formed a loyal and passionate following. Sweet Cakes 4 U is in Buda, 16 miles from Downtown Austin, and since I live in North Austin, it is 28 miles or 36 minutes one way. Yes, that would be a 72-minute trip for cake. I hadn’t made it there yet.

With a Friday off and a craving for cake, I jumped at the opportunity to make the journey. Janna warned me that the shop sells out quickly and sure enough when I arrived before it opened, there were already seven people in line. It was 11 a.m. on a Friday. Granted, they don’t take pre-orders and are only open Thursday through Sunday, but when the main thing you sell is dessert, you’ve got to have some very passionate or curious customers. Needless to say, I was intrigued as I got in line.

Sweet Cakes 4 U, located in the cute bright shops in Downtown Buda, is known for its big slices of cake with three layers of cake and frosting each. They have more than a dozen flavors on their menu that changes every week. If you’re early in line and planning to get a cake for a crowd, you can also snag a whole cake that feeds 6-8 people for $50. Along with the cake slices, the menu features cupcakes, mini cheesecakes, cake balls, brownies, and cookies. Gratefully, they have a mask requirement and a to-go window that allows for quick, one-by-one service without stepping inside the shop.

Because of the bakery’s distance from my house, I made the most of the trip by getting six slices of cake and a cupcake. That might have sounded really casual, so I’ll say it again with more emphasis.

SIX SLICES OF CAKE.

I got slices of triple chocolate, chocolate salted caramel, strawberries and cream, tres leches, carrot, and chocolate with strawberry. Y’all. Each slice probably weighed about an lb. I got a funfetti cupcake for good measure since I have a thing for cupcakes and all.

The process was quick and easy and before long, I was back in my car, carefully tucking all the slices into the cooler I brought because obviously I had to maintain the quality during the long ride home. All except that cupcake. That was devoured immediately as I started to drive away.

On the long drive home, I thought about the significance of having the day off. You see, it was Juneteenth, and our company decided earlier that week to make it a paid holiday. On June 19th, 1865, TWO YEARS after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to bring the news that slaves were now free. I wanted to honor the significance from a distance. Honestly, I wanted to escape. The weeks following more murders of black people and protests throughout the U.S. had proved to begin a painful and emotional movement to confront and break racism in the U.S., a movement that seemed serious about delivering real results. It rightfully dismantled whatever security we, the non-black population, felt in our lives and the ways we ignored racism to keep the peace.

At the same time, what a strange time in the midst of a pandemic that has shattered our views and plans for the future. It’s hard to put into words what this time in life is like. It is frustrating yet simple. It is boring yet full. It is uncomfortable and emotional. It is easy yet lacking. We can see it as an opportunity to slow life down but it has also created grief. Hundreds of my colleagues and thousands in the travel industry are without work. There are negative consequences when you consider the development and safety of children without regular school, the widening gap of poverty, and the overall morale and mental health, just to name a few issues. It’s a lot.

And there, that’s really why I needed this seemingly simple and frivolous journey. I brought home six huge slices of cake, full of hope that they were delicious and they would pick me up and bring me joy. The time spent on this journey gave me the chance to take a break and reflect. It gave me the opportunity to drive from one end of Austin to the other, sending loving thoughts to my friends, colleagues, and the people of Austin along the way.

One by one, I tried a few slices each day and finished them all in a week. (Don’t worry, Will helped.) Strawberries and cream was hands down my favorite flavor. I admit, six slices of cake were ambitious and kind of ridiculous because it really was a lot of cake. It made me chuckle the whole time – loading the slices into my car to seeing the slices in my fridge every time I opened it – about how dedicated to sugar rushes I am.

All I needed was cake (and the hope of dismantling systematic racism and moving forward to the post-COVID life). In all the frustrating and chaotic times of this year, there are a few things I can count on. The first experience at a new bakery, the adventure of trying something new, and the sweetness of delicious cake.

Sweet Cakes 4 U
302 S Main St Suite 101, Buda, Texas 78610
Thursday – Sunday 11 am – 5 pm
No website but they update their Facebook page daily

P.S. Want more adventures? How about making my 100th dive, sleeping in a teepee, or my most relaxing vacation.

You can follow my adventures on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Anita Goes to Sweet Cakes 4 U appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

Disclosure: Kerbey Lane Café sent me a gift card to try their newest menu items, and all these honest opinions and stories are my own.

If you live in Austin or maybe even if you’ve visited Austin, you know about Kerbey Lane Café. It’s a uniquely Austin restaurant that will give you different experiences, depending on the location and time of day. On a recent visit, I started thinking back on some of the memorable meals I’ve shared at Kerbey Lane.

First Girlfriends

Everywhere I looked around campus my freshman year, I felt like the only lonely person in a new city. I wasn’t living in a dorm, none of my close friends were going here, and you can imagine how my awkward and shy self navigated through orientation. College wasn’t this bright and shiny adventure I had pictured it being.

I befriended a girl in my class and after a few weeks, she casually invited me to join a couple other girls for dinner. Hesitantly, I went to Kerbey Lane that night, hopeful that it would be a fun time or at least I would get to try this Kerbey queso everyone had been talking about.

It’s cliché but true, college was were I figured myself out. I had the space to be myself and not the person my parents wanted me to be. I learned who I was becoming, found my voice, and discovered what values mattered to me. It was a tough and fulfilling journey, and it started with some girls welcoming me into their circle. And I could finally be on the other side, excitedly asking other new Austin transplants, “have you tried Kerbey queso yet?”

*Kerbey Queso is classic queso with guacamole and pico de gallo in it. Yum, I know!

The Last First Date

“How about Kerbey Lane?” he said, picking a place near his house.

We signed up for the 5K race months ago, but on the day of the event, we hadn’t seen each other for weeks. Our relationship had always been tumultuous, and we didn’t know where we were headed. The 5K, awkwardness and all, wasn’t so bad and we ended up having a lot of fun together. Maybe it was the start of something new.

The next night, I spontaneously called him up after attending an event. I was in his part of town and maybe he wanted to get dinner. He arrived first and when I sat down at the table, we grinned ear to ear, feeling a renewed spark between us. I ordered a salad, he ordered a burger. The butterflies subsided as we talked for an hour or so, catching up on the last couple of weeks and finding our familiar comfort with each other.

As we walked out the door and said our goodbyes, there was cautious excitement in the air. We didn’t know then that a few months later, it would be the end for good this time. That date is one of our last memories, forever suspended in the hope of falling in love again.

Late Night Shenanigans

What time does Kerbey Lane close? Oh, that’s right, it’s open 24 hours! Which is how we ended up there, probably around 2:30 a.m.

Friends were visiting from out of town and we showed them the vibrant nightlife, local specialty liquors, and invincible “this definitely won’t hurt tomorrow” spirit Austin has to offer. There was only one stop left that night.

I don’t have a photo from that night but I’m sure you can imagine a table filled with plates and all of us silently refueling and feeding our munchies. Amid the omelets, tacos and breakfast platters, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were multiple exclamations of “these are the best pancakes ever!”

*Below is the new chicken and pancakes dish. It’s the perfect combo of sweet and savory and my new favorite!

Kerbey Lane

Boyfriend and I were sitting at the bar at Kerbey Lane, watching all of the action in the restaurant. It’s probably the best spot to sit for attentive service plus there’s no need to wait for a table. First come, first served.

From restaurant remodels to chefs, Kerbey Lane has changed in the last few years, but there’s always coffee and a huge menu of selections. Their focus on seasonal menu items offers a fresh menu on every visit.

They still make the best pancakes around (so good that they sell their pancake mix) and the seasonal pancake flavors (yes, pumpkin in the fall) keeps it fun. Three special flavors are featured every week.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night, or whenever the craving hits, Kerbey Lane Café has been here since 1980 and will always be a place with good food and good memories for me. Now, who wants to go eat through the menu with me?

The Details

• Kerbey Lane Café has seven locations in the Austin area. (I’ve been to 5 out of 7! How about you?) See them here.
• Check out the menu here.
• Current summer specials: The Chicken & Pancakes with a strawberry maple-jalapeño sauce and Salmon Burger with Miso Cauliflower (pictured above) are both fantastic!
• They’ve partnered with Amy’s Ice Cream (hello, Mexican vanilla ice cream!) to provide three special desserts. Above is the snickerdoodle ice cream sandwich, and they also have an ice cream queso sundae and a fudge brownie sundae.
• Yes, there are vegan and gluten-free options.

Have you been to Kerbey Lane? Any favorite dishes or memories?
Are there any places where you live that reminds you of Kerbey Lane?

P.S. Want more Austin eats? You got it.

Always eating. You can find me and my food on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Memories and Good Eats from Kerbey Lane Cafe in Austin, TX appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

There we were, listening to two cowboys strumming their guitars and singing about living in harmony as we sat around a campfire, cracking open beers on an early Sunday morning. It’s one of those moments where you look around and wonder ‘how did I get here?’

I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I found Tin Valley Retro Rentals on Airbnb because I was searching for a room near Big Bend National Park. There aren’t many options for hotels in that area and I had always wanted to stay in a tipi. The chance to stay in a tipi over a lackluster hotel was a no-brainer.

We left Alpine after a quick bite to eat, realizing it was a little later than we had planned. We raced down the highway to get to our tipi before the sun set completely. Finding our way in an unfamiliar desert in the pitch dark would not be an ideal situation. Big storm clouds loomed around us with strikes of lightning in the distance.

We couldn’t miss the Airbnb. The community of tipis and trailers confirmed we had made it, with a bit of dusk light left to help us get settled in. The tipi stood tall. I couldn’t keep my cool as I snapped photo after photo and admired the homey glamping set-up inside. This was my kind of camping, with a full-size bed, air conditioning unit, and electricity!

The storm was getting closer. We nervously went to find the owner Ronda, who lives on a bus on the property, to ask about the hole in the top of our tipi. We had no clue how tipis worked. Would we be drenched? Although she assured us the rain would barely get inside the tipi, we went back uncertain but ready to brave the storm. We lay in the bed as the storm began raging with loud claps of thunder and taps of raindrops on the tipi canvas. Sure enough, the rainwater barely fell directly into the tipi. Drops followed down the poles but nothing that was drenching. No more than fifteen minutes later, the storm had passed.

It wasn’t very late so we ventured outside, dried off the chairs nearby, and admired the sky. The sky! Stars filled the sky and it was the first time I had ever experienced the night sky like that. The horizon felt low and without bright lights or tall buildings, the stars were bright. The expanse of the sky filled my body with gratitude and awe. It made me reflective and thoughtful. How long has it been since I stopped to admire the beauty of nature in the quiet and calm? How many others have gotten to see this incredible sight? How do I bottle up this feeling of expanse, wonder, and peace?

The next morning felt like Christmas, and we couldn’t sleep any longer. We hopped out to see the sunrise and admire our surroundings in the first light. The tall mountains and quiet of the desert were as magnificent, if not more, than the night before. It was a different sense of awe than the starry night sky but as peaceful and full of gratitude.

The rental park began to come to life. We heard laughing and the strumming of guitars coming from the main fire pit in the distance, so we walked over to join in. We enjoyed breakfast tacos and met visitors from around the world. (Apparently, Big Bend National Park attracts many Europeans.) One visitor offered everyone craft beer from his brewery in Florida. Mark and Jeff played funny and thoughtful original songs. Their harmonious voices put goosebumps on my arms as the bright sun overcame the morning chill. Somehow, all our life paths brought us to this place at the same time to share this care-free morning together.

We talked about how Ronda, Mark, and Jeff came to live in Terlingua. They were drawn to the beauty of the land and the community. It attracted people who wanted a slower way of life yet were filled with adventure. There is no place like Terlingua and when you arrived and stayed a while, you weren’t sure you would find anywhere quite like it again.

As the sun rose higher and the temperature warmed, we knew it was time to say goodbye before the sun made hiking Big Bend National Park unbearable. Begrudgingly, we made our way back to the tipi to pack up and head out, with a stop to say goodbye to Sampson the donkey.

I knew visiting West Texas would be a fun adventure and an interesting place to see but I didn’t realize the expanse of the land and the depth of the calm. We move so fast these days, and the cycle and demands can go non-stop. But my problems are a speck in the grand scheme of things, especially in the awe of physical grandeur. Sometimes, it takes getting away from it all, staring deeply at nature, and listening to cowboys sing to remind me that.

P.S. Looking to plan your Terlingua trip? Check out my post for tips!

Keep up with my travel posts and adventures. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Terlingua Adventure: Beautiful and Quiet Moments in West Texas appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

As the wheels went up on the plane, leaving Belize behind, I settled into my seat and thought to myself, “have I ever been this relaxed?”

I didn’t think my life was that stressful. I usually don’t come home from work stressed. I don’t have kids. Heck, I don’t even need to walk a dog. I mostly stick to a routine, which makes life less stressful. But I create plenty of stress for myself by overscheduling, thinking too much about the future, and planning very active vacations.

Thinking back on my vacations for the last four years, they all involved jumping from one city to the next in a short period of time (four days to two weeks), diving four times a day, or lots of scheduled activities. Don’t get me wrong, they were all very fun and adventurous trips that I would do again, but I came back needing a vacation from my vacation.

Belize was the vacation I didn’t know I needed. We stayed at the same resort and in the same room all week, so there was no re-packing or moving our stuff from place to place. We had daily adventures and dives, but we returned in the afternoon to a carefree routine: take a leisurely shower, get ready to look somewhat presentable (flip-flops ok!) for dinner, enjoy happy hour, eat dinner, and be in bed by 9:30 p.m. at the latest. We laid in hammocks with nowhere to be. We ate our meals leisurely. We got plenty of sleep. We took our time.

Our guides even reminded us to take our time during our daily adventures. Granted, a lot of times they said that because we were doing an intense physical activity and they didn’t want us to get hurt, but it still echoed the thought of slowing down and enjoying everything happening in the moment. We stopped to admire the landscape. We stopped to catch our breath. We were present, experiencing all the beauty and adventure Belize was offering us.

I’ll admit, all this extra leisure time during our vacation made me a little uneasy. I felt like I should be doing something, maybe out discovering something at the resort I hadn’t seen before. But settling into a leisurely routine and not having the usual distractions of internet and TV helped me slow down and enjoy the present to simply be and reflect.

I experience an abbreviated version of complete relaxation on the weekends sometimes, like a quiet morning at home, but in reality, I’m always planning something and on the move. The next week of work, activities with friends, the next blog posts. My brain is constantly thinking about schedules, deadlines, and to-dos. (I hope this isn’t only me!) More than two days of absolute relaxing is unfathomable.

And it wasn’t until leaving beautiful Belize and returning to the hustle that I realized having that many days in a row to truly relax and unplug was an essential luxury. This is what it really means to re-charge! I may not be able to take vacations like this as often as I’d like, but now I remember what slowing down is like, and I can make it a goal for my days and my life, at least sometimes.

I’ve always been the one who would rather be exploring and moving instead of sitting on the beach all week. It looks like my future vacations need a little more time to go slowly.

When was the last time you truly relaxed? Do you plan relaxing vacations or adventurous vacations?

P.S. This relaxing Belize vacation did have some fun activities. Read this post about our resort, this one about the diving, and the full Belize guide here!

P.S. What are these busy yet adventurous vacations I speak of? Check out Spain, Greece, and Thailand!

Keep up with my adventures. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Why Belize Was the Most Relaxing Vacation I’ve Had in a Long Time appeared first on Fearless Captivations.