Hello and welcome!
My name is Brittany and I am one half of the couple here at Highway Tails. I have visited 7 countries and 26 states. Growing up, I lived in Northern California, New Hampshire, Maryland, North Carolina, and Arkansas. I received my Bachelors Degree in Sports Management at the University of Oklahoma and will be entering law school in Fall 2022. I am a lifelong New England sports fan and you can often catch me watching my Pats, Bruins or Sox when they are in their respective seasons. If you’ve checked out Brian’s Travel Story, you’ll know that this is often the result of some light banter during Yankees/Red Sox games and Pats/Jets games. My only non-New England team is the Philadelphia Union, and I love watching European soccer, but I have no preference in team. Outside of travel and sports, I love to read, exercise and cook. My favorite travels have been to Toronto, Madrid, Hawaii, and San Diego, CA. Today, I’m going to revisit some of my first travel experiences and explain why I think it’s important to travel!
Early Travels
My travels began long before I can remember. With one parent from the East Coast and one from the West Coast, I did my fair share of traveling to visit family members. As a result, I have boasted a dip in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean in the same week. Hard not to fall in love with the world when you get to do something like that.
We spent our breaks visiting grandparents in SoCal and Delaware, but we also spent time at various beaches, on a ranch in Arizona, and on a cruise to Mexico. I’ve held a parrot in Hawaii, ridden horseback in Arizona, and (unintentionally) swam with dolphins in North Carolina. My first international trip was to Costa Rica for a school trip in 2010. We hiked volcanos, white water rafted in the rainforest, and had a bonfire on the beach. It was a truly formative experience that has since shaped how I travel. There are a couple of things that I learned on that first trip that really stuck with me. On this website and throughout my blog posts, I will do my best to provide tips and honest experiences from our travels. For now, here are my top 3 things I try to do when I travel:
Top 3 Tips for Travel:
- Eat local
First and foremost, try the local cuisine! I don’t necessarily mean try the most outlandish thing on a region’s menu. Prioritize the local foods and traditions and research what typical people eat in a day. Try to visit restaurants that focus on locally grown foods, seasonality, and taste. Occasionally, this means checking out the country’s McDonalds menu or local fast food. All in all, it’s really about balance and finding things you enjoy!
- It’s okay to take tours
Second, tours are your friend! Sometimes on the internet, and especially in the travel blog realm, you’ll see people emphasize the less “touristy” options. In my opinion, the touristy areas are the best places to learn about the history of a location, whether that’s at an art museum, statue, or architectural icon. Be sure to seek out local guides or tours to tell you why a location is important. Most people who give the tours are passionate locals who care about the preservation and teaching of their country’s history!
- Remember to enjoy yourself!
Lastly, while it’s nice to explore every square inch of a new city, remember to enjoy yourself! Brian and I LOVE to sit with a cup of coffee in a sidewalk cafe and people watch. It’s a relaxing way to try new things and still feel a part of where we are visiting. Remember, it’s ultimately YOUR vacation and don’t forget to do things that you enjoy. For instance, let’s say you don’t enjoy hiking. Take a walk in a local park or stroll along the local river instead. Don’t enjoy art museums? Try a local history museum or visit a local landmark. The wonderful thing about travel is that it allows you to see the world, try new things, and learn.
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