Travel. It brings a change of perspective. It helps you expand your view, helping you see yourself and the world around you just a little clearer. It can be a welcome retreat when you need a different lens on life. On a trip to NYC last week, I rolled out of bed early in the morning and walked two blocks to the FOX News studio preparing for an interview for an early morning National talk show. It was 5:00 am ET and I was still on West Coast time, so I had barely slurped down a half cup of coffee, let alone checked the news. I arrived at the studio to learn that the show had been canceled due to the breaking news of the devastating Oklahoma tornadoes. I returned to my room, turned on the TV to see the news of families searching for their loved ones, many of them children. My heart ached once again and longed to beam back to be with my family, tucked snug in their beds. Life is precious. Family time is fleeting. I prayed for those families suffering. That day, I needed a change of perspective, so I walked ten blocks to the Empire State Building to snap this photo, get a different view and to find my perspective. And then I flew home.
You see, this is life. Every experience new, some expected, some unexpected. It’s all how we react and experience the journey that makes it sweet. It’s our perspective, the experiences we share together and the company we keep. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to do what I do for a living, to work with incredibly smart people and partner with brands that share the same love and passion for travel and discovery. I carefully select these brand partners to work with based on their passion and match in philosophy, and dedication for inspiring you to discover and plan great travel experiences.
One HTM brand partner that shares the love of inspiring you to travel is the team at Expedia. I’m thrilled to be a part of a new blog launched today called Expedia Viewfinder, pairing the resources of the world’s largest online travel agency with the deep travel knowledge of a diverse set of independent travel bloggers. The “Expedia Viewfinders” are a collection of fabulously fun, professional travel bloggers that I’m grateful to also call friends, and together we will globetrott around the world to inspire you to do the same.
The #ExpediaViewfinder crew includes:
- Spencer Spellman, The Traveling Philosopher
- Chris Staudinger and Tawny Clark, Captain and Clark
- Rick Griffin and Sandi McKenna, Midlife Road Trip
- Kent Reiersgaard and Caanan Reiersgaard, No Vacation Required
- Kara Williams, The Vacation Gals
- Trish Friesen, Trip Styler
- Matt Villano, Wandering Pod
- Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil, The Planet D
- Anne Taylor Hartzell, Hip Travel Mama
- Beth Whitman, Wanderlust and Lipstick
Together on Expedia ViewFinder, we will be exploring the world and sharing inspiration and practical tips on visiting top destinations around the world. I hope you will stop by and peruse some of my posts there too, including our dream A to Z California Road Trip, a recap of my husband and I Rekindling the Romance in Los Cabos, or get inspired to plan your visit to Seattle with our Family Friendly Seattle Day Trips.
It all goes to the greater good of helping inspire you to be a more #welltraveledfamily, to raise more confident, culturally aware and more connected families through our shared love of travel.
Travel on my friends…
xxoo
Anne
Disclosure: Expedia compensates authors for their writings appearing on the Expedia Viewfinder blog, and such compensation may include travel and other costs. As always, the opinions expressed here are my own.