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!
South America

Travel Guide to Isla Baru: Cartagena, Colombia’s Tropical Island Paradise

Isla Barú, 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 Barú 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 Barú 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!
South 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.
South America

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

Cartagena is the starting point for most travelers visiting the  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!
South 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!
South 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

  • Standing in a field, thinking deep thoughts... LOL JK I'm just trying not to fall over. Anyway, today we're gonna get s**t DONE. We're gonna dive into the mentality behind productivity and success like it's a giant ball pit and we're 5. What? Whatever, go with it. . Yesterday I talked about acceptance, forgiveness, and gratitude. The concepts are fairly self-explanatory, but I'm gonna show you how they play out in my head, because essentially I spend 99% of my time just talking to myself. But if you watch my Instagram Stories, you probably already knew that ... . Today I want to add a new concept: setting extremely low, super attainable goals. That's the final step in this process, but first you need the forgiveness and gratitude. How low is the bar that we're setting? SO LOW. So low that you barely have to put forth any effort to clear it. . Like, one of my goals 3x a week is "put on workout clothes and drive to the gym." That's it. Once I get there, if I still don't feel like working out, I can turn around and head home, and I still achieved my goal. But maybe, just maybe, once I get there I can set myself a new easy goal: say, walking on the treadmill for 10 minutes. If that's all I do, that's OK (acceptance/forgiveness), it's still better than sitting on the couch and doing nothing at all (gratitude). . I keep setting extremely attainable goals as I go, but at any point if I call it quits, I pat myself on the back because I achieved not just my primary goal (showing up at the gym) but a bunch of other goals, too! I feel proud of my achievements- ALL of them, no matter how small. . Here's another example. You're tired from work and overwhelmed that you also have a blog/business to run and there is SO MUCH on your never-ending To Do List. Sound familiar? . Here's what I'd say to myself. "Hey, it's OK that you're exhausted and overwhelmed." (Acceptance/forgiveness). "Frankly, I'm amazed you even got out of bed today!" (Gratitude). "All I want you to do is open up a blog post draft. That's it. If you don't feel like writing, that's OK." (Setting an easily attainable goal). And so on. .. Have you ever tried this type of self-talk? Drop me a comment!
  • There are 3 crucial things I do every single day that contribute to my happiness and my productivity. I do them a zillion times a day, and without them, I wouldn't be where I am now. I know I mostly focus on the down-to-earth, practical, actionable stuff I do as a full time blogger, but I'm gonna get a little high level today. So please, step into my office *puts on horn-rimmed glasses* 👓 . So what is this secret success sauce? It's gonna sound basic AF: acceptance, forgiveness, and gratitude. Don't roll your eyes, I'm serious! Without these 3 habits deeply ingrained into my psyche (thanks to years of therapy, and some DIY therapy during the years I couldn't afford real therapy) I would be miserable. . Without those 3 mental tricks, I would be scrolling through Instagram looking at beautiful women in exotic places like "ugh why can't I have HER life? She's so much better than me!" Instead, I scroll through Instagram like "wow, she is KILLING it! That's so amazing, good for her. I wonder how I can learn from her success!" ... And then I post my own beautiful, exotic photos 🌴 . I've lived with jealousy, bitterness, and anxiety, and it crippled me every single day from achieving my OWN best life. The last thing I want is for my readers or followers to look at my Instagram feed or my blog and feel sh**ty about themselves. So this week I'm going to talk about my 3 habits, why they are SO important, and how to put them into daily practice. For real. . Do you practice acceptance, forgiveness, or gratitude? Do you think I'm full of cr*p and fail to see how some BS woo-woo therapy talk could possibly help you? Drop me a comment, I can handle it! . #DameTraveler #wearetravelgirls #sheisnotlost #GirlsWhoTravel #girlslovetravel #sheexplores #WomenWhoExplore #radgirlslife #thetravelwomen #girlsvsglobe #femaletravelbloggers #girlsjustwannatravel #ladiesgoneglobal #wearetravelladies #adventureladies #fatgirlstraveling #islandlifestyle #GirlsWanderlust #maketimetoseetheworld #wanderingwomen #myboldtravelmoment #colombiagrafia #igerscolombia #loves_colombia #colombia_folklore #visitsouthamerica #PassionPassport #realismomagico #colombia_estrella #loves_colombia
  • I went through a lot of sh***y relationships before I met Jeremy. We're talking f**kboys, dudes that live in their parents basements (both when I dated them and now, 10+ years later), manipulative dudes, guilt-trippers, abusers, gas-lighters, and nice guys that were perfect for me "on paper" but didn't feel right deep down. . Each time I was dating some new, not-right-for-me dude, I would ignore that gut feeling telling me to RUN and instead try to logic myself into staying. "You're being superficial - being attracted to your partner isn't THAT important." I'd say to myself. Or "He's so sad. If you leave him, you'll be treating him just like all of the other people who have abandoned him." Or "But he's SO cute!" . Ugh. If I had a nickel for every terrible reason I stayed in a relationship with someone, I could've paid for my whole damn wedding. . But all of those years of struggle and ignoring my gut feeling prepared me for the moment when Jeremy strutted into my life, wearing tight black jeans with Converse sneakers and a (faux) leather jacket, beard shining red in the sun, looking generally fly AF. My gut instinct told me right away that he was something special. It told me to do very un-practical things like jump in head first, to do crazy over-the-top romantic gestures before we were even a couple, to talk about moving in together and marriage inappropriately early, to invite him along on the year-long international trip I was planning on our 2nd date. And although my brain was HIGHLY SKEPTICAL, for once I listened to my gut. And I'm so glad I did. . Do you listen to your gut instincts, or do you let your logical side take over? Drop me a comment below! . #traveltogether #travelcouple #adventuretogether #adventurecouple #travelsandchill #travelcouple #globetrottingcouples #coupleswhotravel #travelcouplelife #globecouples #travelduo #travelustcouples #creativetravelcouples #TravelDiary #LovetoTravel #PassionPassport #LetsGoSomewhere #wheretofindme #BestVacations #MyTinyAtlas #destinationearth #flashesofdelight #loves_colombia #colombia_folklore #visitsouthamerica #PassionPassport #realismomagico #colombia_estrella #loves_colombia #islabaru
  • Nobody knows about this beach. Everyone goes to its sister beach instead, across the island: Playa Blanca, the most famous day trip from Cartagena, Colombia. At Playa Blanca, you'll find soft white sand, bright and warm Caribbean water, palm trees... and people. Lots and lots of people. It's the #1 complaint we always hear about Playa Blanca, and it's what made us pass on visiting this island 2 of the 3 times we've visited Cartagena! . How wrong we were. Because what we didn't realize is that Playa Blanca isn't the only attraction on little Isla Barú. Just minutes away from the crowds, there is another stretch of beach: quiet and calm, bordered by mangroves instead of palm trees, with somewhat cloudier water and slightly less perfect sand ... but blissfully, thrillingly empty! . There are several of these little patches of paradise on Isla Barú. This particular one is called Playa Manglares, and it is a private beach connected to the family-owned resort where we stayed. I say resort, but that conjures up an inaccurately fancy image ... think smaller: there are only 5 luxurious rooms, and everyone dines together, family-style, so that the resort almost has the intimate social vibe of a hostel. Which is EXACTLY what we love. . This little beach was so close to our room that we could hear the waves crashing on the shore as we laid in bed - or in the 2 hammocks strung up in our room. Paradise. Colombia, you continue to amaze me. . We've got a guide up on the blog all about Isla Barú, and how to see Playa Blanca without the crowds (yes, it is possible)! The link is in our bio. . Where is the last place you visited that could best be described as "Paradise?" Inspire our wanderlust in the comments below! . #sponsored #TheGlobeWanderer #TravelDiary #LovetoTravel #exploretheworld #PassionPassport #LetsGoSomewhere #goexplore #wheretofindme #exploremore #BestVacations #MyTinyAtlas #PassionPassport #travelstagram #destinationearth #sidewalkerdaily #instavacation #liveauthentic#flashesofdelight #travelogue #islandlife #loves_colombia #colombia_folklore #visitsouthamerica #PassionPassport #realismomagico #colombia_estrella #loves_colombia #islabaru
  • I've always wanted to be the type who does yoga on the beach in exotic locations. I dream of being a Morning Person, waking up at 6 and tying back my suddenly perfect hair to go do sunrise beach yoga and then drink exotic fruit juice or whatever. Instead, I typically roll out of bed around 9, wipe the drool from my face and skip right to the juice. The only thing I have in common with morning yoga people at that point is the ~dewy face sheen that they earned and I guess I was just gifted with at birth. . During our year long honeymoon, Jeremy and I managed to do sunrise yoga exactly 1 time, at a resort hostel in Vilcabamba, Ecuador which offered free yoga classes every morning. It felt pretty good, but not as good as sleeping until everyone in our dorm was gone so we could get dressed at our own leisure, which is it's own type of luxury. . If I'm being honest, we will probably never do yoga on the beach. It sounds nice, minus getting sand stuck to your sweaty, well-stretched limbs, but we're just not those people. We thought we would be. Before our year-long honeymoon, Jeremy and I hit the gym 3-5x a week. We hiked, rock climbed, powerlifted, stairclimbed and jogged. And then we got to South America and our healthy habits vanished as quickly as a fresh glass of Guanabana juice on a hot day: immediately and with a delicious creamy foam on top. Mmm, guanabana... Sorry, its early and my metaphors are still waking up 🤣 . I'm still working on developing my old gym habit back to where it was, but I've forgiven myself for spending our trip sleeping in instead of becoming a totally different person. The girl who sleeps in and then stays up until 11pm watching Netflix and then stays up until 2am blogging IS the real me. I just needed a year to accept her and forgive her for her imperfections! . Would you rather be at this morning beach yoga class in Isla Mujeres, or sleeping in like us? (Psst: details about this class are on the blog, link in bio!)
  • When I first met Jeremy 4 years ago, we were both young whipper-snappers still in our partying phase. We threw a GIANT 90's themed birthday party for his 26th birthday. Everyone was in costume, we were jammin' out to 90's pop and R&B, we had a photo booth with handmade props like a bottle of Surge and giant Tamagotchis, and we managed to find some old posters and VHS tapes of our favorite 90's movies for decorations at a thrift store. But even though we only invited everyone we'd ever met, the whole party quickly got totally out of hand, 90's teen movie style. There was even a band that showed up unexpectedly to play in the backyard, along with a bunch of complete strangers who pushed past the door saying things like "I'm with the band." And of course the whole shindig got busted by the cops around midnight, like any good house party eventually does. It was EPIC, and everything we wanted at the time. . This year, we did things a bit more low-key. We celebrated Jeremy's birthday last week with a snowboarding getaway in Utah - for the past few years, taking a trip has been our holiday celebration of choice. Later in the week, we celebrated with my family in Los Angeles. And this weekend, we celebrated again, back at home in Oakland - low key, just a backyard BBQ in our patio. (PS I am obsessed with my patio and I love having a patio OMG.) . My husband is a birthday princess, so 3 celebrations is ALMOST enough, but he'll probably be using "it's my BIRTHDAY MONTH" as an excuse for a few more weeks ;) . Do you prefer a low-key birthday celebration, or would you rather be spoiled - say, whisked away to somewhere beachy and tropical, such as Isla Mujeres in Mexico where we took this pic last year? . #TheGlobeWanderer #TravelDiary #LovetoTravel #exploretheworld #PassionPassport #LetsGoSomewhere #exploremore #BestVacations #MyTinyAtlas #PassionPassport #travelstagram #destinationearth #sidewalkerdaily #igersmexico #loves_mexico #creativosmx #mexicomaravilloso #mextagram #ig_mexico #vivamexico #mexicanoscreativos #vive_mexico #instamexico #instavacation #liveauthentic#flashesofdelight #mexicanoscreativos #travelogue #islamujeres_ig #islandlife
  • Happy Birthday, Jeremy! Today, my life partner is 30 years old. If you're not into mush, LEAVE NOW because that's where this post is headed! I've got a huge, stupid crush on this dude and I'm about to gush all over this caption. . Jeremy is my other half. When I reach out my arm, his hand is on the end of it, like a weird science experiment. Our minds are meshed together like a freakishly in-sync human clone couple. What I'm trying to say here, using oddly scientific metaphors, is that in Jeremy I have found myself, except better and with a beautiful ginger beard. I am obsessed with this man. I love everything about him, from his lame dad jokes to the way he tells the plots of movies like a story that's more interesting than the movies themselves to the sass the he uses to cover up the fact that he's actually the most caring, giving person in the world. Also, he's gorgeous. . We spent a full year traveling together, 24/7 every single day, and I still craved more (I'm clingy like that). There is nothing I'd rather do than spend hours in the car on a long road trip somewhere, talking and telling stories about our lives and singing to the song we both have stuck in our collective head. Jeremy is my partner, my soulmate, my other half. He is everything I ever dreamed of in a husband, in a travel partner, in a boo-mate... and more. And now he's 30, which means in a few years he's probably going to have a cinnamon sugar beard. I can't WAIT. . I am so excited to spend the rest of my life with this amazing, wonderful man. I'm obsessed with him, and it's gross unless you're us, in which case it's great. Here's to another 60 more birthdays together (at least)! . #PassionPassport #ig_latinoamerica_ #loves_americas #traveltogether #travelcouple #adventuretogether #adventurecouple #travelsandchill #travelcouple #globetrottingcouples #coupleswhotravel #travelcouplelife #globecouples #travelduo #travelustcouples #TravelWithFathom #creativetravelcouples #igersmexico #loves_mexico #creativosmx #mexicomaravilloso #mextagram #mexicocity #ig_mexico #vivamexico #mexicanoscreativos #vive_mexico #instamexico #couplesofinstagram #coupleinlove
  • Do you prefer to be cute or comfortable? I used to be really into fashion & makeup. Like, I have a degree in fashion design and worked as a freelance makeup artist in college. I saw my body & my face as my canvas, and fashion and makeup as a way to express myself. . I dressed for my mood and wore makeup according to what I wanted to tell the world that day. Red lipstick meant I was feeling ~~sexy, black eyeliner and combat boots meant I was feeling angry and wanted to tell the world to f*** off, a flowery dress and a shimmery eye meant I was happy. If I was wearing jeans, it meant something was horribly wrong - I was NOT a jeans girl. I only wore jeans when I was deathly ill. Needless to say, yoga pants and leggings had no place in my closet. . But everything changed as I got older. Nowadays, the only message I'm sending the world is "OMG, I'm SO comfortable." I value my time too much to search through thrift stores for inexpensive versions of the newest trends. I've got my daily makeup look down to a 5 minute routine - and I definitely don't do it daily. And I can't be bothered to wear anything tight, or short, or sweaty ... ESPECIALLY when traveling! . Every discomfort becomes more emphasized when we travel, so I'm constantly seeking multi-functional clothes & makeup that are up to a daily challenge & hours of exploring. I want to be able to move and twirl and jump and hike and run. My message now is: I value my freedom! And pockets. I also value pockets. . These days, I spend more time researching before I make a purchase - but once I find something I like, I add it to my rotation forever. My mantra is "fewer, better things." . So what about you? Comfy or cute? . #DameTraveler #girlslovetravel #gltlove #MyTinyAtlas #femaletravelbloggers #darlingescapes #girlaroundtheworld #globelletravels #ladiesgoneglobal #sheexplores #sheisnotlost #thetravelwomen #wearetravelgirls #colombiagrafia #GaleriaCo #colombia_greatshots #travelcolombia #igerscolombia #icu_colombia #loves_colombia #colombia_folklore #visitsouthamerica #PassionPassport #ig_latinoamerica_ #loves_americas #realismomagico #colombia_estrella #ig_colombia #loves_colombia #cartagenacolombia

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