Breadcrumbs Guide

Maui Shore Diving Official Guide

October 31, 2018 By Caitlin Maratea Leave a Comment

I am so excited to share this Maui Shore Diving Guide with you from a friend of mine, Caitlin Maratea! She and her husband, Kevin, own Banyan Tree Divers on Maui, and she was our instructor for Garren's and my first ocean dives after getting SCUBA certified in Minnesota. We loved that Banyan Tree Divers did shore dives, because it seemed like an easier entry into the world of SCUBA. I was definitely a little nervous about dropping into the deep. But slowly following the sandy bottom from shore to a gorgeous reef? Yep I can do that! Not many dive companies had the reviews or experience that Banyan Tree could give us, so it was an easy choice. Garren and I were so impressed with our … [keep reading...]

Milwaukee – Not Just for Biker Dudes

January 10, 2017 By Sonja Riemenschneider 10 Comments

I had always thought Milwaukee was just a grungy Midwest city with cheap beer, greasy food, and long bearded biker dudes. Until recently, I never really explored Milwaukee, never considering it a destination in itself. Then last year I met with some of the girls on the Milwaukee tourism board and their enthusiasm made me question whether I might have this city all wrong. A couple months later, I planned a weekend in Milwaukee with my sister to see if two young internationally-minded travelers could have a good time in Wisconsin's Brew City. Those Milwaukee girls knew their city well. Milwaukee was actually cool?! I had this city so wrong for so long. If I had misjudged … [keep reading...]

Seven Ways to Splurge on Santorini Views

August 8, 2016 By Sonja Riemenschneider 14 Comments

Dramatic Santorini views so perfect they couldn't be real unfold along the crescent-shaped crater rim that makes up the island of Santorini. Whitewashed cubist houses and blue-domed churches spill down the red cliffs toward the giant blue caldera, their fall interrupted by the occasional windmill. Bright pink and purple bougainvillea flowers shade back alley patios and frame peeling doorways. Cobbled streets wind up and down in a maze through the towns, dotted with cats lying in the sun and dogs snoozing in the shade, unconcerned with the many feet passing them by. In the intense Greek sun, Santorini views shine bright and white, then glow orange and pink as the sun sets. Slowly, as … [keep reading...]

Greece Packing List – The Complete Breakdown

July 26, 2016 By Sonja Riemenschneider 6 Comments

This Greece packing list has it all. It is a complete breakdown of everything you should be packing for a trip to Greece, tailored specifically for the climate, culture, and activities you'll find in Greece. I spent the last month traveling all over the country, hitting up idyllic Greek islands, Athens, and UNESCO world heritage sites on the mainland. I've refined this Greece packing list based on my experience on the road so you can pack as light as possible and still be completely prepared for this beautiful, sun-drenched country. Most people travel to Greece between June and September, when everything is open on the islands. This Greece packing list assumes you'll be going in that … [keep reading...]

Why I Didn’t Quit My PhD

June 14, 2016 By Sonja Riemenschneider 22 Comments

"Some people just don't have what it takes." Those words cut like a knife, so carelessly uttered by my thermodynamics professor as I sat facing him. The door was shut; my exam sat between us, just a couple of red numbers splashed across the page amounting to the lowest score I'd ever received on… anything. Pages and pages of work were piled beneath that first page, all ignored because I had made the wrong assumption in the first problem. I had just asked my professor for help, hoping he could explain what I could have done. I don't even remember how the rest of the meeting went. Did I respond? Did I just continue on, asking about the next question? Did I walk out? If a … [keep reading...]

Argentine Patagonia – A Guide to the End of the Earth

April 8, 2016 By Andrea Belgrade 10 Comments

Argentine Patagonia - Perito Moreno Dramatic Tone

My travel cohort and sister, Andrea Belgrade, has been bringing you posts from her Argentine adventures. This final post in the Argentina Guide series is from her travels with our dad through Argentine Patagonia. If you missed the others, you can find them at the end of this post. Argentine Patagonia - The End of the Earth Unless otherwise noted, all of the photos were taken by Andrea Belgrade on her rugged camera, the Olympus Tough TG-3. If the world were flat, I would have been afraid of falling off the edge in Patagonia. Argentine Patagonia is glittering lakes, glowing blue glaciers, shark tooth peaks, and miles of vast scrubland. Condors and eagles soar from peaks to valleys, … [keep reading...]

Asus Zenbook – Beauty Not Built for Travel

April 1, 2016 By Sonja Riemenschneider 94 Comments

I was in love. With my laptop. My Asus Zenbook was the most beautiful laptop I'd ever had. I'd had the earlier model for a few years and tragically had it stolen in 2014. Then I replaced it with the newer model, the Asus Zenbook UX303L (Hey Asus, if you're reading this - suberb branding with the name Zenbook, but maybe try harder on the model name next time). It wasn't long before I had fallen in love all over again with my new Asus Zenbook, upgraded and updated. But again, it wasn't meant to last... Asus Zenbook - The Glory Days I was always getting compliments on my Asus Zenbook. People loved it, and I loved it too. It was fast, sleek, portable, and gorgeous. The i7 processor and 8GB of … [keep reading...]

Money Exchange Tips for Argentina: Maximize Your Pesos

March 25, 2016 By Andrea Belgrade 4 Comments

Exchange Money Argentina - Roll a hundred dollar bill tightly

These Argentina money exchange tips were written by my travel cohort and sister, Andrea Belgrade. Andrea has traveled extensively in Asia, Europe, South America, and the USA and is always pushing boundaries or finding herself in hilarious and unusual situations. This installment is part 3 of a guide series for Argentina. If you missed the other installments, see part 1: a Guide to Buenos Aires, and part 2: Getting Around Argentina. Exchange More Pesos for Your Buck Argentina is not cheap, but being intentional about how you exchange money can sometimes double your spending budget! It's smart to do some research and know what your options are. Money Exchange at Your Local Bank Simple: … [keep reading...]