Worth the Wander
Go somewhere worth talking about.
THE WANDER LIST
Places I’ve been, places I’m headed, and trips currently taking up too much space in my brain.
Universal Orlando: Me vs. The Standby Line
We’re headed back to Universal in October, and I’ve made a potentially terrible decision: no Express Pass. I hate crowds, I have the patience of a toddler when it comes to standing in line, and yet I refuse to pay an absurd amount of money just to… not stand there.
So we’re doing this the hard way.
I’m tracking what we spend, how long we actually wait, whether the Universal app and wait-time alerts can save my sanity, what we eat, what works, what absolutely slaps, and exactly how long it takes before I start questioning my life choices.
The Gulf Coast: Because Apparently I Live Where Other People Vacation
Beaches, food, little towns, day trips, tourist traps, and the places actually worth leaving the house for. I’m exploring my own backyard from Alabama to the Florida Panhandle—finding the places that are fire, the ones that are mostly hype, and what actually deserves a spot on your vacation.
Some of My Favorite Trips Started With “How Far Is That From Here?”
Military moves have taken us across a lot of the country, and somewhere along the way we got pretty good at taking the long way. Give me a car, a questionable amount of snacks, and somewhere worth seeing between here and wherever we’re supposed to end up. Some of my favorite memories came from the detours.
THE HONEST VERSION
Because “It Was Amazing!” Tells Me Absolutely Nothing
I want to know what it cost. What was worth every penny. What was a pain in the ass. What looked better on Instagram than it did in real life. And most importantly—would I spend my own money to do it again?
That’s the version you’ll get here.
THE REAL DAMAGE
That cute little “starting at $99” price? Adorable. Now add the fees, parking, food, tickets, upgrades, and the random crap nobody mentioned until checkout. I’m keeping the receipts and telling you what the trip actually cost.
WORTH IT OR WANDER ON?
Some things absolutely slap and deserve every dollar. Others are overpriced, overhyped, or just kind of suck. I’m not calling something “amazing” because I already paid for it. We work too damn hard for vacation money to waste it on mediocre shit.
WORTH IT ✓ | WANDER ON →
WHAT NOBODY TELLS YOU
Where to park. What to pack. When to go. What needs to be booked ahead. What I forgot. What I packed and never touched. All the little details you somehow discover five minutes after they would’ve been helpful.
PACK IT OR LEAVE IT
Because I Refuse to Give Up Suitcase Space for Useless Crap
I’m a chronic overpacker with strong opinions. So if something earns a permanent spot in my suitcase, park bag, cruise bag, or car, it better pull its weight. I’ll show you what I packed, what I actually used, what surprisingly came in clutch, and what never needs to leave the Amazon warehouse again.
Full disclosure: I will continue packing enough underwear to shit myself twice a day for the entire trip. Some risks simply aren’t worth taking.
THE MILITARY RATE
But is it actually the best rate?
Military life has taken us all over, and yes, there are some pretty great travel perks that come with it. I’ll dig into MWR and ITT deals, theme park tickets, hotels, cruises, resorts, and whatever else is available—then compare them with the regular offers.
Because I don’t just want the military deal. I want the best damn deal.
TAKING THE LONG WAY
Because sometimes the detour ends up being the whole damn point.
A lot of our traveling happened between military moves—getting from one duty station to the next and realizing there was no rule saying we had to take the fastest route. So we camped. Took detours. Saw national parks. Stayed an extra day. Took the long way.
Somewhere along the way, travel stopped being just about where we were going.
Turns out, the wandering was worth it.
MORE ABOUT ME →STICK AROUND. THERE’S MORE ROAD AHEAD.
New trips, honest reviews, questionable decisions, great finds, bad deals, and the occasional “well, that seemed like a good idea at the time.”
I’m figuring it out as I go—and keeping the receipts.
SEE WHAT’S NEXT →