Practical Wanderlust

Off-Beat Couple's Travel Blog

Playa Blanca on Isla Baru Cartagena, Colombia. Isla Baru is located less than an hour from Cartagena and home to the best beaches in Cartagena!
Latin America

Travel Guide to Playa Blanca & Isla Baru: Cartagena, Colombia’s Island Paradise

Isla BarΓΊ, located just off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, is the kind of tropical paradise that most visitors to Cartagena envision when they book their tickets. Palm trees, bright blue Caribbean sea, sandy beaches, fresh seafood and fruit juice… heaven, basically. You can visit Isla BarΓΊ for the day, sunning on the shores of stunning Playa Blanca, or you can choose to stay overnight, which is what we did. Read this travel guide to Isla Baru for more tips about visiting Isla Baru and Playa Blanca, and our pick for the best Isla BarΓΊ hotel!

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Cartagena, Colombia is one of the most photogenic cities in the world. We've visited several times, and we're sharing the most instagrammable places in Cartagena to take photos during your trip to Colombia!
Latin America

The 10 Most Instagrammable Places in Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena, Colombia is one of the most photogenic cities in the world. Around every corner there’s a 400-year old cathedral, a colorful mural, a balcony laden with flowers, or a rainbow-colored street. We’ve taken several trips to Cartagena and find ourselves returning to the same photogenic spots over and over again! In this post, we’re sharing all of our secrets to finding our favorite spots to take photos in Cartagena. You know, for Instagram. Because if you don’t post about it on Instagram, did you really go?

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Watching the sun set over Santa Marta, Colombia, with the Sierra Nevada mountains in the background. Santa Marta is one of those places you'll end up going when backpacking Colombia, even if you don't quite mean to.
Latin America

How to Get from Cartagena to Santa Marta: A Complete Guide

Cartagena is the starting point for most travelers visiting theΒ  Caribbean coast of Colombia. But too often, visitors to Cartagena don’t venture outside of the city limits and explore the rest of this amazing region. That’s a HUGE mistake! There are a zillion amazing destinations nearby, from Minca to Parque Tayrona to the Lost City to the Tatacoa Desert. But before you can dive into all that the northern Colombian coast has to offer, you’ll have to get from Cartagena to Santa Marta, which is the jumping-off point for most of these spots. Luckily for you, we’ve traveled between Cartagena and Santa Marta many times over the years. Here’s a step by step guide to getting from Cartagena to Santa Marta!

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What to pack for Colombia: the ultimate packing list for this South America travel destination. Everything you need to backpack in Colombia!
Latin America

What to Pack for Colombia: The Ultimate Packing Guide

Packing for a trip to Colombia can be really challenging. After all, Colombia is home to about every diverse landscape you can think of: the tropical Caribbean northern coast; the hot, humid Amazon; Medellin’s “eternal spring;” the cool, mountainous region around Minca and Santa Marta, and the cold, high-altitude city of Bogota. After spending a month in Colombia, we’ve got all the tips you need to pack your bags and go in our ultimate guide to what to pack for Colombia. Plus, get a free downloadable checklist to help you pack!

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30 things nobody told us about before we went backpacking in South America!
Latin America

30 Things No One Tells You About Backpacking in South America

We spent 5 months backpacking in South America. Although each of the countries we visited was as unique and different from one another as can be, we did notice a few universal truths about backpacking in South America… things nobody told us about before we left. In no particular order and in various degrees of usefulness, we’ve compiled our observations into this list of 30 things no one tells you about backpacking in South America!

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ABOUT

Meet Lia & Jeremy

Recent Posts

  • Jeremy and I are the kind of people who get aggressively competitive about things that most other (normal) people wouldn't consider competitions. Like karaoke. Or stand-up paddleboarding. Or berry picking. Or who ordered a better meal at a restaurant. Literally anything. . We don't even necessarily compete against each other. If we can turn something into a game, with points or strategy or a way to "win" or "lose," chances are we're gonna get competitive about it, much to the chagrin of any non-competitive friends or family members who might happen to be in our vicinity. . We developed this tendency scarily early in our relationship. Within 2 weeks of dating one another, we realized that we shared one important thing in common: we both do a REALLY good Creed impression, specifically when it comes to singing "With Arms Wide Open." So obviously, we headed to a karaoke bar to duke it out on stage. (Jeremy is the reigning champion.) . I also planned a massive, day-long Scavenger Hunt for Jeremy to celebrate Valentine's Day together BEFORE WE WERE EVEN OFFICIAL. It was as over-the-top as you can get: there were rhyming handmade clues, the involvement of multiple friends & family members that I'd barely met, and a stop at every place we'd been to together (all 6 of them. This was like, a month into us dating). It was AMAZINGLY over the top. Any other guy might have run the other way at this ridiculous display of affection, but Jeremy is my soulmate, so he was wildly impressed (and swears he will one day one-up my Scavenger Hunt with one of his own, likely involving plane tickets). . When it comes to Disney, we've been longing for something to make our Disneyland trips EPIC. Sure,our incredibly specific Disney Strategy helps, as does competitively finding Hidden Mickeys. But what we really needed was a game. Somethine to give us an excuse to DESTROY one another. To WIN. But we couldn't find one that wasn't laughably easy or targetted to kids. So ... we made our own! . Yep. That's right. We've made the most epic Disney Scavenger Hunts EVER, and we can't WAIT to tell you all about them. . But first ... tell me: what do you get weirdly competitive about? Spill!
  • All those years ago as a Cast Member, Walt Disney World was my stomping ground. I still get a little teary-eyed when I see the castle in the intro of Disney movies, because it feels like my old home. For that matter, so does Hogwarts, but I digress. . Even though Disney World in Orlando was once my home, Disneyland in Anaheim, California is closer to my home NOW. Much closer. Like, a few hours south, conveniently located near multiple family members. Muahaha. Well done, family. . We're not baller status so we don't have season tickets (to anything, just like ... generally speaking) but we do try to go at least once per year. Jeremy even finagled a trip once as the chaperone of his students' Grad Nite, because if you go to high school in California you get to go to Disneyland all night, apparently. I'll add that to my lengthy list of YET ANOTHER THING I missed out on by growing up in Kentucky instead of California, along with having O.C. lookalikes as classmates, frolicking with dolphins on my lunch break, and learning to identify non-predatory jellyfish on sight. . Here's the thing about Disneyland versus Disney World: It's a LOT smaller. That's not a downside, though. Thanks to its size, you can actually see the parks (there are 2!) all in one (long) day. . We've just published a brand new post with our favorite tips to help you take your next Disneyland trip to a whole new level. AND, we're debuting our FAVORITE way to experiencing the parks: via Scavenger Hunt, of course! Stay tuned for more info... or check out the link in our bio for a sneak preview. . Since we're sharing our Disneyland secrets, we want to know yours! What's your favorite Disney Parks tip? (Non-Disney people: what's your favorite Disney movie? Come on, join in on the love.) . . . #DameTraveler #wearetravelgirls #sheisnotlost #GirlsWhoTravel #girlslovetravel #sheexplores #WomenWhoExplore #radgirlslife #thetravelwomen #girlsvsglobe #femaletravelbloggers #girlsjustwannatravel #ladiesgoneglobal #wearetravelladies #girlaroundworld #girlsthatwander #disneyland #disneylandresort #disneygram #disneylovers #disneylove #disneyfan #disneylife #disneymagic #disneylandpark #disneylandcalifornia
  • As you can see, I managed to find the most Instagrammable macaron in all of Disneyland. I known, you're amazed - please hold your applause until the end of this post πŸ˜‰ . This macaron was calling my name at the Holly Jolly Bakery (it's Mary Poppins themed, for y'all not in the know. And yes, it's adorable). It was like a sign, and the sign said "Millennial Pink Macaron $5.99." (No, it really did. Check the story on my highlights if you don't believe me). I thought to myself, self, there's no sense fighting it: the marketing team at Disney clearly GETS ME. . I bought that Millennial Pink macaron entirely, like 10000%, for the 'gram. It tasted like student loan debt and never being able to afford a house, but it sparkled in the sunlight like a diamond. πŸ’Žβ€ . Here's the thing about Theme Park food: sometimes it's overpriced cardboard, but sometimes it's SO GOOD and exactly what you need on a hot day of rides and fun. Disney Parks food is in the "SO GOOD" category. It's genuinely amazing. It also happens to be highly photogenic, which is convenient AF for anyone looking to take pictures of themselves holding stuff in front of stuff *ahem*. . Other than waxing poetic about 'gram foods, I do have quite a few Disneyland foodie favorites. Like churros. And Dole Whips. And the Monte Christo Sandwhich at the Blue Bayou cafe. And Mickey Bars! Omg, Mickey Bars 😍those things actually manage to taste better as they melt all over your hand. Remarkable. . What about you - what are your favorite theme park foods, Disney or otherwise? Drop me a comment! . . . . #disneyland #disneylandresort #disneygram #disneylovers #disneylove #disneyfan #disneylife #disneymagic #disney #disneylandpark #disneylandcalifornia #disneystyle #anaheim #disneyparks #disneypark #disneylandforever #disneylandanaheim #disneyexperience #disneymemories #tastespotting #disneyforever #disneyside #disneyfood #darlingescapes #wheretofindme #passionpassport #femaletravelbloggers #disneyaddict #disnerd #disneyig
  • I've traveled all over, but I'll always think of Disney as the most magical place on earth. I drank the Kool-Aid HARD back when I was a Cast Member, y'all! But once you go Disney, you never go back, and I've gone WAY down this rabbit hole. . I was a WDW Cast Member the semester that I turned 21. It's been 7 years, and I still struggle not to refer to little girls and boys as Princes and Princesses when I'm strolling through the parks. Luckily, I dropped the 2-finger point a few years back - otherwise I'd probably still have people coming up to me and asking "what time is the 3 o'clock parade?" (YES, this is the #1 most common question that guests ask Cast Members, and it still makes my head explode). . Unlike me, Jeremy grew up going to Disneyland. It's his Disney "home." So on our most recent Disney vacation in May, I let him show me the ropes. I learned all kinds of tips and tricks (Disneyland and Disney World really are quite different, as it turns out), and together we created something REALLY exciting that I can't WAIT to tell y'all about. But I'm gonna stretch it out over like 83 pictures because hello, that's how this works, and also because I have a LOT of cute pictures I want to share and that's a pretty good excuse. . Have you ever been to Disneyland or Disney World? If you've been to both, which is your favorite? If you've never been to either, WHY WON'T YOU DRINK THE KOOLAID WITH US?!?!?! Drop us a comment below! . #sponsored #disneyland #disneylandresort
  • For the 2nd summer in a row, I came home. Like, HOME home: Louisville, Kentucky. Some people crave the beach or somewhere exotic and strange - I crave the familiar. I crave nostalgia. I crave friends and family and "y'all" and bourbon and summer weather and strangers striking up conversations and people letting me over when I put on my turn signal and stopping to let deer cross the road and seeing horses around every corner and the slow, heavy current of the Ohio River. Louisville runs through my veins, and I come back as often as I can. I took this picture in the garden of my childhood home. It's like, HOME home. You know what I mean? . This visit home comes right on the tail end of a series of trips, all back to back, and right before a big trip abroad (more on that later). This is my new life as a full-time travel blogger, and to be honest, I'm still getting used to it. Traveling this frequently means I have to pull out all my tricks to make myself look presentable, because spoilers: I've pretty much been carrying the same suitcase full of clothes around for 2 months now. . To keep myself looking like a Regular Person who has a job and rent to pay (which I do! I swear!), I roll my clothes (never fold!). I unpack the minute I arrive at my next destination. And I carry a small battalion of Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus with me to disguise the inevitable creases that appear in everything I own. I don't want to have to worry about much more than throwing on my clothes and heading out to see friends and family and explore my beloved hometown, so having these tools in my arsenal helps me from looking like a person who's been living out of a suitcase for the past few months (not to mention, a whole year before that). . Do you have any tips for looking fresh when you travel? Drop me a comment below! . #sponsored @downywrinklereleaserplus #spraytugsmooth #NoIronRequired #AlwaysLookYourBest #SprayOutWrinkles
  • Cayucos is the kind of place you go to escape the many, many stresses of the world. Life moves slowly here – this is SLO-Cal, after all – and you can feel your troubles drift away with the waves crashing on the beach. If Gilmore Girls had been filmed in California, it could have been filmed here. This homey, simple life beach vibe is why many families return to Cayucos year after year, visiting the same beloved places and reveling in the same beloved charm. . Before our most recent trip to Cayucos, our experience was mostly limited to surfing and eating cookies. (Oh, did I mention? There's a BOMB cookie company in Cayucos, Brown Butter Cookie Company, and we're obsessed with it.) . But our recent trip opened our eyes to the many charms of Cayucos. A quaint little main street filled with historic buildings turned into delicious farm-to-table (and sea to fork) restaurants. A slew of amazing antique shops selling everything from beach-house themed housewares to vintage finds with a cowboy feel. The pier, where you can watch surfers and dolphins and even catch migrating whales as they pass through on their twice annual migration. Our hosts, the @shorelineinn_cayucos, with a beautiful inn located right on the beach. And the people! Friendly, hospitable, and eager to tell you about the history of Cayucos, to share what the town means to them, and to explain why it's so incredibly special. . Cayucos is a must-visit stop on the Pacific Coast Highway. Blink as you zoom through and you might pass right through it, but stop and stay for a few days and we think you'll find its charm is undeniable, just like we did! . #sponsored #cayucos #VisitSLO #centralcoast #SLOcal #SLOcounty #PassionPassport #LetsGoSomewhere #welltravelled #travelDeeper #californiaadventure #californiadreamin #californialove #calivibes #californiacoast#visitcalifornia #californiaholics#explorecalifornia #caliexplored #igerscalifornia#relaxyoureincali #calilife #ShareSLO #TheGlobeWanderer #girlsvsglobe #LovetoTravel #DameTraveler #wearetravelgirls #sheisnotlost #GirlsWhoTravel
  • Jeremy and I both have the tendency to be workaholics. Most nights, you'll find us at home on the couch, furiously tapping away on our respective Macbooks, with some awful reality TV show playing on the projector until one of us drags the other one to bed an hour after we meant to turn in. Workaholicism (sp) is one side effect of loving your job - it doesn't feel like work when you love it! Well, until you've been working non-stop 14-hour days for like, a month straight, and it hits you like a ton of bricks and oh my god, you NEED a break.β € .β € It's times like those when we're even more grateful than usual to live in California, where weekend getaways abound, and everything you could ever want is just a few hours away. Want some snow-topped mountains? Maybe some Jurassic Park-esque forest with giant trees and massive ferns? Perhaps a nice desert? A giant lake? Wine country? Or maybe a beautiful, white sand beach with perfect waves (just a few minutes away from wine country)?β € .β € Before we were travel bloggers, Jeremy and I spent most of our weekends exploring California. We were out finding "hidden gems" before we ever wrote the words "hidden gem." Now, of course, we've written it so many times our eyes are permanently crossed and the phrase just sounds like gibberish.β € .β € Now that travel is Lia's full time job, it seems rare just to have a weekend at home. But sometimes, in between flights and international trips and adventures and catching up on laundry, we find the time to steal away on a little weekend getaway. To return to our roots. To hop in a car after work on a Friday, turn on our "Driving in California" playlist, and drive off into the sunset, only stopping for In N Out and gas before finally pulling in to somewhere new and exciting sometime after midnight. β € .β € Cayucos, California was one of those perfect California getaways. Check out the link in our bio for 12 charming things to do in this beautiful little beach town 4 hours south of San Francisco. β € .β € Do you like to take weekend getaways? Where is your favorite place to escape to?
  • As a stereotypical Californian, Jeremy grew up surfing (and wearing fish shirts, I guess). The first place he EVER went surfing was right here in Cayucos, California. It was magical: the air was heavy with fog, all was quiet except for waves and the occasional call of a gull, and as he waited to catch his first wave, a dolphin appeared. They became best friends and frolicked together and this is the story that Flipper is based on. . OK, I'm slightly exaggerating. But there really was a dolphin, and his first ever surfing experience was freakin' magical. . Many years later, he attempted to share his favorite California pastime with his Kentucky wife. Here's what happened: I attempted to squeeze myself into a size M wetsuit (LOL) because apparently the employees at the surf shop had never seen a fat girl before. Then, it took me a full 45 minutes to actually paddle my way out to the right spot, by which time I was cranky and my arms were aching. Every 5 seconds, freezing cold saltwater would splash in my face, causing me to shriek and nearly flop off my board. . Before I could even attempt to catch my first wave, a cluster of menacing jellyfish appeared .5 inches from my face. They waved their angry little tentacles at me. They bobbed terrifyingly in my general direction. I immediately knew I was going to die. . In the blink of an eye, I unshackled my leg from its massive, surfboard-shaped anchor and bolted to shore faster than any wave could take me, screaming my head off. The fear of those gelatanous little monsters chased me all the way back to shore. . I was later informed by my patient husband that they were a harmless species of jelly. Apparently, Jellyfish Idenfitcation is one of the things you learn when you grow up in California. . Needless to say, that was the last time I ever went surfing. These days, I prefer to swim next to Jeremy instead - the better to help him watch for dolphins, jellyfish, and quality waves. . Have you ever been surfing? Are you a mer-person like Jeremy, or do you agree with me that it is a terrible sport made for incredibly athletic people and Californians? Drop me a comment below!

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