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Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras
June 15, 2013
in Central America, Honduras, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, travel, Utila

Utila is boring if you don’t dive.

I shouldn't have left Lago de Yajoa. I loved it there for the beauty, for the nature. I could have got lost there for a bit longer. But I kind of also wanted to see more of Honduras. But, the only other place people seemed...

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El Paraiso Coffee Finca in Lago de Yojoa, Honduras
June 13, 2013
in Central America, Honduras, Lago de Yajoa, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, travel

Valry in Wonderland: Lago de Yajoa

Sometimes I feel a bit jaded when it comes to travel. I see amazing things every day but then the amazingness turns to mundane. Places I go don't live up to the image I have in my head or to places I've already been. I...

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June 11, 2013
in Central America, Copan, Honduras, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, travel

The Mayan Ruins of Copan (or, why you should never hire me to be your tour guide…)

Copan, Honduras is best known for it's mass of Mayan ruins. I wandered the grounds one morning with some new friends and we opted against a tour guide so that we could explore at our own pace. Throughout the day I decided to play tour...

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Copan Ruinas, Honduras
June 5, 2013
in Central America, Copan, Honduras, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, travel

Scenes from a week in Copan, Honduras.

I had meant to spend two, maybe three, nights in Copan, Honduras. Instead, I ended up spending six. The first two were comprised of necessity: a night of rest (though, really, drinking) after a 4am bus ride from Guatemala, a day to explore the nearby...

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Livingston, Guatemala
May 26, 2013
in Central America, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Livingston, Round the World, travel

Welcome to Africa

"Welcome to Africa," a man said as we piled off the boat from Rio Dulce and entered Livingston, a Guatemalan town known for it's Garifuna culture. But, you wouldn't really know it unless you were told. The town is comprised, mostly, of two touristy streets...

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Rio Dulce, Guatemala
May 23, 2013
in Central America, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Rio Dulce, Round the World, travel

On taking things for what they are.

Roger Ebert, a famous American movie critic, recently passed away. I was sitting on my couch in Antigua when I read the news, and his final blog post, and I started to cry. When Mildred, one of the girls who worked at my student house,...

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Fishing Trip in Caye Caulker, Belize
May 20, 2013
in Belize, Caye Caulker, Central America, Latin American Adventure, Life List, Round the World, travel

Life List #28: Learn to fish.

I hadn't exactly planned on going fishing in Caye Caulker. But, when a vivacious Dutch girl I'd just befriended drunkenly stammered across the table, "I'm going to catch a fish tomorrow! Valerie, do you want to catch a fish?" really the only thing to do...

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Snorkeling Tour in Caye Caulker, Belize
May 17, 2013
in Belize, Caye Caulker, Central America, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, travel

f-ing manatees. f-ing turtles.

I wish I could say I was fearless. But that is far from the truth. You've probably noticed that I'm afraid of a lot of things. Pretty much everything, actually. But, truthfully, most of these fears congregate over two main themes: a fear of heights...

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Caye Caulker, Belize
May 15, 2013
in Belize, Caye Caulker, Central America, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, travel

Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world

Sometimes the world seems so small. Like when you're standing on a dock at night, wind whipping past your skin, looking out over the horizon. And the edge looks so close. Like you could just reach out your hand and slice your finger on it. Or...

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Tikal, Guatemala
May 13, 2013
in Central America, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, Tikal, travel

Tikal

I spent an afternoon in Guatemala exploring the Mayan ruins of Tikal. There were several options for getting there but I chose an afternoon sunset tour. The sunrise tour sounded interesting, seeing the ruins in a mist, hearing the jungle wake up. But personally I...

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Hi, I’m Val. I spent most of my 20s in a standstill, unable to pick which path in life I wanted to take. I wanted the nomadic life of a traveler but also wanted the husband, the condo, and the teal couch. Unable to decide which life I wanted more, I did nothing. I lived my life in limbo. When I turned 30 I’d had enough of putting my life on hold and decided to start “choosing my figs.” So, I quit my job and bought a one-way ticket to Europe. After 3 years on the road I’m back in Chicago, exploring the city, learning guitar, decorating my apartment in too much teal, cuddling my cats, and planning my next adventures.

            

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR LIFE?


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2006 –

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WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR LIFE?


Feeling stuck? Sick of living your life in limbo? Want to finally do all those things you always say you're going to do? Sign up for the Choosing Figs newsletter now to get a FREE e-book with tips on starting your own life list, inspiration for things to do in life, and worksheets to get your life goals out of your head and into action!


Your information will be used to send you our Life List e-book and subscribe you to our bi-monthly newsletter. View our full Privacy Policy.



            


MEOW | Is Val in Chicago?