Travel

30 hours in Bogota… I wasn’t sure what to expect when I had this trip on my schedule, but was eager to find out.

We arrived late at night, so I went right to bed when we got to the hotel. I woke up slowly the next morning, not sure what was in store for my day Bogota. When I finally got out of bed, I pulled back the curtains and saw the most unexpected, amazingly beautiful view.

Instantly, my mood changed and I was excited to get outside and explore.

The hotel provided free breakfast, with delicious pastries like carrot bread, chocolate croissants, donuts, and scrambled eggs made to order. After fueling up, I explored the blocks around the hotel, admiring the buildings and restaurants with gorgeous facades. I couldn’t stop snapping photos.

Lots of pretty dogs too. I found one sweet pup roaming around alone, wishing I could take her home with me!

After some difficulties at the ATM (including freaking out after I withdrew something like 60,000 pesos which converts to only $7 USD), I stopped by the street market to do a little shopping. I ended up buying some homemade jewelry and a magnet for my collection on the fridge.

Later on in the day, I got a 60 minute full body massage. This was recommended to me by lots of flight attendants who have been to Bogota before, and it was so worth it! Much needed relaxation.

I then walked to find some pizza for dinner, planning to take it ‘to-go’ back to my room. However, no one spoke a lick of English at the restaurant so I had to eat inside at a table (they didn’t understand me asking for a take-away order). It was nice though, I had the whole restaurant to myself, a great view by the window, and they were so nice to me despite the language barrier.

I then ended the evening reading my book in bed. It was a successful layover and I can’t wait to come back someday soon!

I recently moved to the city of Atlanta and there’s still so much that I haven’t seen. From day trips all around Georgia, right down to exploring my very neighborhood, I’ve created a list of what I’d like to see and where I’d like to go.

Toccoa River

Walk the 270-foot swinging suspension bridge over the Toccoa River in Blue Ridge, GA.

Longest swinging bridge east of the Mississippi River (270 feet across)! #toccoariver #swingingbridge #blueridgemountains #wandernorthga #atlantatrails #blueridgega #getoutside #bentonmackayetrail #optoutside #dayhike #lovegeorgia #exploremore #exploregeorgia #adventuretravel #travelgram #blueridgemoments #scenicstates #happytrails #takeahike

A post shared by our_florida_life (@our_florida_life) on Nov 9, 2017 at 6:04pm PST

Chattahoochee Coffee Company

Not your average coffee shop, this one is located right on the Chattahoochee River. It sounds like a hidden treasure, as you have to enter an apartment complex and ring in for them to open the gates for you. Not many people even know it’s there, but I’ve been dying to spend a day working by the river and sipping coffee here.

Another reason I think it’s special is that it’s located right near where my mom first lived in Atlanta when she was my age. Also, my roommate/best friend used to live in the apartment complex where it’s located.

Overcast morning by the river. P:@erolader

A post shared by Chattahoochee Coffee Company (@chattahoocheecoffee) on Sep 25, 2015 at 5:18am PDT

Tallulah Gorge

Hike to see the falls at Tallulah Gorge, which also has a suspension bridge and incredible views. I would love to get here for the autumn season colors!

Those views that literally take your breath away, and make you immensely grateful for this land we’re lucky to call home. An outstanding shot by our ambassador @thetalladventurer from the towering rim of Tallulah… thanks for sharing the beauty, Jonathan! #atlantatrails . . . #trailful #leavenotrace #gastateparks #tallulahgorge #fallleaves #getoutsidegeorgia #wandernorthga #northgeorgia #exploregeorgia #ashevilletrails #choosemountains #gooutsideandplay #blueridgemoments #neverstopexploring #getoutside

A post shared by Atlanta Trails (@atlantatrails) on Nov 22, 2017 at 5:00am PST

Wild Animal Safari

Drive thru safari in Georgia with over 65 types of exotic animals in Pine Mountain!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZzmWEOjkui

Okefenokee Swamp

I mean, a swamp seems like a pretty cool spot to explore!

Okefenokee Swamp Georgia USA This is a great place to observe blue heron & alligators. #georgia

A post shared by @ georgia on Nov 23, 2017 at 5:05pm PST

Lullwater Preserve

This one is right near where I live. It’s amazing what you can find right in your backyard.

The weather has been less than stellar for getting outside to climb lately. So what do you do when life is currently all rain no shine? You turn the little things into mini adventures. #lullwaterpreserve #cloudydayadventures #noclimbingtoday

A post shared by JoshuaSutterfield (@settleforadventure) on Jan 23, 2017 at 2:50pm PST

Stone Mountain

It’s been nearly 10 years since I’ve hiked Stone Mountain, so I’d say it’s time to go back!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcTFMiGnDpN

I hope you can take away some ideas from my curated list of beautiful hiking spots, quaint little towns, beautiful scenic spots, and fun activities for day trips from Atlanta.  Let me know if there’s any you have already explored or recommend!

This is the story of my first time visiting my new favorite city : Edinburgh. It’s one of those places I’ve heard of but knew nothing about, not even how to pronounce it.

The weather forecasted rain the entire 24 hour layover, so as soon as we arrived I took a 4 hour nap. I met up with another flight attendant on my crew, Amy, and we headed out to explore around 4pm. It was still drizzling a little so went to get coffee and buy panty hose (life of a flight attendant). The clouds slowly drifted away and the sun came out to make for a beautiful rest of the day. A wee bit chilly.. but at least no more rain.

We walked around not knowing at all what to expect. Turns out, August in Edinburgh is a big deal. It’s their annual month-long festival called Fringe, which is a cultural and arts festival with street performers all over and military tattoo shows every night at the castle. I think it’s the best time of year to visit!

Nearly every building in the city of Edinburgh was absolutely gorgeous with medieval architecture. So many cathedrals and castles. Add in the green hills and without a doubt I was in heaven. I had a hayday with photos here, wishing I had more than just my iPhone.

Once the sun set, we grabbed drinks at a few pubs and scouted tickets for the tattoo. (Maybe I’m the only one who thought they meant literal body tattoo ink show, but I’ll clarify anyways.. a tattoo in Scotland is a show put on by military bands from across the world). We tried negotiating with a couple guys and eventually found tickets for $40 a piece. They were only a couple rows from the ground.. we couldn’t have had a better view!

Right as we were walking in, a couple fighter jets zoomed over our heads and around the stadium which is set right in front of the castle. The show opened up with a band from the British Armed Forces playing bagpipes, commencing the start of the tattoo.

There was an announcer narrating the history of Scotland and the founding of different countries, that’s how the show went on with different military bands representing their countries. The performances ranged from dancers, singers, reenactments, kids choruses and full marching bands. It actually reminded me a lot of what you’d see at the Olympics grand opening.

Throughout each performance, they projected images and designs onto the castle. It made for a beautiful backdrop. At the end, an amazing fireworks show was put on above/behind Edinburgh Castle.

After this awesome show, Amy and I went to find food. It was like 11pm, but since we woke up at 4 it was barely dinner time for us. Turns out, everywhere in Edinburgh closes their kitchens at 10 so we ended up getting pizza at a food truck.

On our way back to the hotel, there were tons of pubs with live bands so we stopped into one called The Inn, ordered a couple mojitos, and listened as they played all the best of 80s and 90s songs.

It was a great day in Edinburgh and I can’t wait to go back.

By pure “luck of the Irish” – I got a nice Dublin trip on my schedule for 4th of July. I know I say this about everywhere, but Ireland has been at the top of my bucket list for a long time! The photos of lush greenery under grey skies have been luring me in ever since I can remember.

A couple days prior to departure, I asked my dad if he’d want to tag along for the ride. Flights looked promising (aka, looked like he would get first class) so of course he was down to join.

He got first class and I got to serve him the full Delta One service, three course meal and all.

Once we arrived, we went and rented a car right at the airport. I had a full day planned of exploring the countryside around Dublin. First we drove to Wicklow, which is an adorable little medieval fishing town. We stopped by Black Castle, a castle that was built in the 1600s but burned down shortly after. The ruins of it are beautifully set on the cliffs of Wicklow.

We got lunch at a little coffee shop, uniquely named The Coffee Shop, and continued on our way to Glendalough.

Glendalough, pronounced “glen•da•lock,” is a beautiful nature preserve park with two lakes set in a valley of mountains. It was so picturesque, with families and dogs frolicking around the lake and through the park.

We hiked up a little ways on one of the trails to see a tall waterfall. It was so pretty!

Then we took another trail to a run down medieval cemetery. It was eery but also beautiful!

After all that hiking, we treated ourselves to some ice cream in the parking lot. YUM.

At this point, I realized we came all the way to Ireland and I haven’t seen ANY sheep.. So of course, our next mission was to find a flock of sheep. I made my dad drive out of the way into even more rural areas. And finally… sheep!

We pulled over at one farm and behind us a man with his crook and sheepdog walked by, herding a giant group of sheep. I was in heaven..

We were almost ready to call it a day, when we realized we still had a couple hours and a full tank of gas. So we made one more pit stop at Howth. I had heard so much about this town called Howth and a “beautiful lighthouse” that was a must-see. So I put it in the GPS and it’s an extra hour away. Finally we get there, only to see the most disappointing lighthouse you’ve ever laid eyes on. I don’t even have a photo to show you, because it was just plain ugly and uninteresting. I was thinking they MUST have been talking about a different lighthouse, but whatever, we made the most of our time in Howth. We got dinner at this little Australian-Italian restaurant and walked around the marina.

I did later find out, it’s a different lighthouse that I guess you have to hike to, outside of Howth. So next time I’m in Dublin, I’ll go see what the real hype is all about 🙂

This was our cute little rental car.

By the end of the day, my dad and I were exhausted – but it was no doubt a successful, adventure-filled day. I’d say it was my luckiest trip to date! 🍀

My first layover in Seattle was my very first time ever there. I walked 16 miles that day, all around the whole city. From Pike Place Market, to the waterfront/pier 66, to the Space Needle and to Kerry Park – I had a long to-do list for the day and accomplished it all!

We arrived in the morning and I went right out to Pike Place to try some fresh fruit, see cheese being made from scratch, and taste some true Seattle coffee. I walked down to see the Gum Wall. Just to see it. Then I walked along the waterfront, braving the powerful winds and even a couple raindrops.

I then went to lunch at the Space Needle park area, had some bubble tea, and just enjoyed some time in the square there.

Kerry Park is at the top of a hill, so I got an uber up to take in the beautiful views of Seattle. I love exploring a city like this, getting to take my sweet time, sit in a park and relax until I’m ready for the next site. I get to enjoy the moments a little more.

For dinner, I went to this delicious pizza place and brought it back to the room to call it a night.

I’ve been back to Seattle once more since then and got to revisit Pike Place and explore a little of Capitol Hill. Seattle still remains one of my favorite layovers. It’s a beautiful city with great food and lots to do.

I was so happy to have my best friend Laura join me for a weekend in Colorado Springs! I had a 30 hour layover, so two nights and an entire day to explore this beautiful scenic destination. Laura got on my flight from ATL – COS at the very last minute, and I couldn’t have been more excited! Plus I got to serve someone I knew on a flight for the very first time! Proof:

We started the day off at Over Easy, a delicious brunch spot recommended to me by another flight attendant. Laura and I both got the quinoa coconut oatmeal with fresh fruit. It was hard for me to pass up the flight of pancakes or french toast, but I don’t regret the oatmeal one bit!

We then Ubered our way to Red Rock Canyon / Open Space park. Our Uber driver was this super cool high school teacher who was telling us all the best routes to take and places to see in Colorado Springs. We had a nice long hike through the park and even saw a couple of mule deer. It was amazing! So many cool red rock formations and scenic views!

After that, we went to Manitou Springs and this little town, nestled in between mountains, was probably the highlight of our day!

We walked along the quaint little streets with historic buildings and homes. We had been in the mood for smoothies, a tradition we have, and so we stopped at this little shop with local organic food and goods. I got a DELICIOUS iced coffee peanut butter chocolate banana smoothie, and Laura got a green smoothie which she said was delish as well! We almost went back for seconds. The guy who made our drinks, Luke, was so incredibly friendly we couldn’t believe it. The people in Colorado Springs in general were all SO nice!

After finishing our scrumptious smoothies, we walked over to this park where we heard live music. Come to find out, there was a wine festival going on. So we sat in the park across the street and relaxed, listening to the music and people-watching everyone who had a little too much wine.

Finally, to finish the day we planned to grab dinner and check out Garden of the Gods for sunset.

We went to Garden of the Gods Café, which was a really nice restaurant with locally sourced organic ingredients. We both loved our dishes! I had a spaghetti bolognese and Laura had a salad.

Just in time for sunset, we called an Uber to drop us at Garden of the Gods. Typical us, we had no idea what to expect, because apparently you can’t just get dropped off at one spot to see it all. You basically would have to spend several hours walking through the park or drive through it. After he explained this to us, our Uber driver offered to drive us through for an extra couple bucks.

So we said YES PLZ, and next thing you know we had our very own tour guide / private driver taking us through Garden of the Gods! He stopped at all the famous photo-ops and let us get out of the car for pictures. It was the perfect end to our day.

See what I mean about everyone being so nice here?? Where else do you get an Uber driver offering to be your tour guide through a national park?

There I was sitting standby at JFK airport, when my phone rang. Scheduling was calling to ask me if I wanted to work a trip to Amsterdam. My standby shift was in the morning, and Amsterdam wasn’t until later that afternoon, so they were giving me the option to say no. But obviously I said YES PLEASE!

Working international trips can be exhausting. Usually we have a 24 hour layover, but the flights are essentially red eyes. Meaning we leave in the afternoon and have to work all night until we land at ~7am Amsterdam time. Some flight attendants power through and go right out to explore, while others take a quick 3-5 hour power nap before heading out. I love my sleep, so I’m one of the nappers.

I was up and ready to explore Amsterdam by 1 pm. I had been once before with my mom, so my goal was to retrace some of our steps. I explored a lot of the Jordaan district first, and stopped for lunch at a cute place called Piqniq. I sat at a table for one and had a delicious sandwich and flat white coffee.

A little later I went to a cheese museum. This place I highly recommend! They have samples on samples of FREE cheese. From blue pesto cheese to classic cheddar, you’ll quench all your cheese cravings here.

I had heard a lot about this place called Winkel that has to-die-for apple pie, and noticed a long line constantly outside of it. I decided to see what all the fuss was about, and treat myself to a slice. It was definitely the best apple pie I’ve ever had! I enjoyed eating it on a bench by one of the many canals in Amsterdam.

By this time, I was ready for dinner. Ok.. I know it sounds like all I did was eat in Amsterdam. But I swear I walked like 13 miles exploring the city and taking photos, but none of that is worth mentioning more than the delicious food! I started heading to this place called Casa di David, where my mom and I ate last time I was there. It’s a very delicious Italian restaurant with big windows overlooking a canal and beautiful street. When I walked in, there was a line of people and the host mentioned an hour long wait. So quickly I turned back around and left (It was past my bed time by this time anyways). I wandered back in the direction of my hotel and figured I’d stop at the first place that looked good. I was already in the mood for Italian, so when I saw this tiny cute Italian pizza place, I stopped in my tracks.

I walked inside and like a true Italian, the owner behind the counter greeted me “Ciao bella!!” He asked me where I was from and was overjoyed that I was from TENNESSEE?!? “Where they make whiskey!” And he points at their Tennessee Whiskey bottles on the wall and shouts to everyone in the cafe that I was from “The Tennessee!” I then go to pay for my margherita pizza and he sees the First Tennessee Bank written on my card. He holds it up to everyone in the store, once again, and says “Look! Tennessee BANK!!” This man was so happy and it truly made my whole day. The pizza was so delicious and authentic, I can’t wait to go back next time I visit Amsterdam!

By now it was bed time, and I got a fantastic night’s sleep. A successful, short but sweet, trip to Amsterdam. Thanks, Scheduling 🙂

When I first saw a 36 hour layover in ILM up for grabs, I had to Google what it was… Wilmington, NC?! It looked adorable in Google Images, so I added it to my schedule. This is the longest layover I’ve ever had – two nights in a city is hard to beat, but it’s even better when it’s in an adorable, southern beachside town like Wilmington. And of all days, it fell on Mother’s Day. I took it as a little sign from my momma in heaven.

The night I arrived, it was raining and we had a little delay, so it was also sunset. I got to my room and looked out the window to the most beautiful pink sky reflecting over the river.

I was so exhausted though, I decided to stay in and order room service (for the first time ever!!) and it was great. So relaxing. I planned to get up for sunrise, so I set my alarm for 6am. But.. I was still too tired, so my snooze button won me over. By 9 am I was up and at ’em and walked down the street from the hotel in search of breakfast and coffee. I stopped at Tugboat Tony’s for a bagel and Bespoke for an iced coffee, then sat on the edge of the riverwalk to enjoy my breakfast.

Now that I had some caffeine and carbs, I was ready to explore! I had no idea what this town had to offer, so it was a lot of fun just wandering around and enjoying the sights. The town is so quaint and historic, with colorful old buildings and horses on the streets. By lunch time I decided to make my way to the beach for some salt and sand.

I had to take an Uber because the beach is on the other side of Wilmington from our riverside hotel. But it wasn’t very far at all and quite a nice scenic drive. I arrived at Johnnie Mercer’s Pier and there were sooo many people. I had almost forgot it was Mother’s Day, so of course everyone and their mother was at the beach! But I found myself a nice spot in the sand and it was sunny and 85 degrees – I couldn’t be happier laying there on my towel and soaking up the sun.

After a couple hours beachside, I Ubered back to the hotel and got freshened up for dinner. I was by myself and it was Mother’s Day, so I felt weird going into a restaurant and asking for a table for 1. All I could find with decent take out was a pizza place called I <3 NY Pizza… I thought this was pretty funny because it was the furthest place from NY and I couldn’t tell you the last time I ate pizza in actual New York. Anyways, I got myself a pizza and walked along the riverside taking photos of the gorgeous sunset.

As the sun went down I realized how lucky I am to have a job that gives me opportunities like this. Never in my life would I have thought to go to Wilmington, and here I was enjoying two whole nights in one of the most beautiful places I’d never even heard of.

Wilmington, I hope to see you again soon 🙂