Travel Blogger Archives - Page 4 of 17

A Visit to The Carolina Inn

It’s CRAZY to think that I went to college just a mere 30 minutes away from The Carolina Inn, yet I had never been! During my college years, I only went to Chapel Hill, North Carolina a handful of times (mostly my Freshmen year of college) as I was primarily in my college town of Raleigh, North Carolina. However, when one of my best friends Alanna moved to Chapel Hill within the past year, I knew that I wanted to take the chance to visit the iconic Carolina Inn!!

On my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), one of my blogger and Instagram friends over the past 3 years of Liz of @palmettos_and_pineapples (go follow her!!!) has posted a few times about visiting The Carolina Inn. Liz inspired me to make a visit to The Carolina Inn AND further made me want to add it to my *never-ending* bucket list. At the same time, I am so glad that I got to explore a bit of Chapel Hill with Alanna, too. We visited the well-known Sup Dogs on Franklin Street (the University of Kentucky VS University of Tennessee game was on while we were having lunch!), got coffee at Epilogue Books right next door to Sup Dogs, and enjoyed some gorgeous murals along Franklin Street. I had a great time overall!!

The Carolina Inn is owned by Hyatt and costs upwards of $400-$500 to stay at per night (think The Greenbrier in West Virginia pricing). It is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina: the college town of the well-known University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (UNC). A fun feature of The Carolina Inn is its colors, including its logo of UNC’s trademarked color “Carolina Blue”. The Carolina Inn also has a few restaurants that are a bit pricey to eat at. I considered eating there, but for both Alanna’s and I’s budgets, we opted to do what many come to do that visit The Carolina Inn: come see what it’s ALL about! Luckily for us, we were able to enjoy the gorgeous hotel’s environment without even paying a penny. The halls at The Carolina Inn are gorgeous and filled with cabinets of china that plays homages to its native state of North Carolina, portraits of all of the Presidents (both current and former) of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and gorgeous printed tiled floors. The lobby was stunning, too!

While in Chapel Hill, Alanna and I were able to admire The Carolina Inn at all sides of the street. It is a beautiful hotel, and I hope to be able to visit again when it’s a bit warmer. Needless to say, the winter season makes *just about* everything look and feel a little bit more drab than usual! Alanna’s roommate told us while we were back at Alanna’s house (which is just a short walk away from the iconic North Carolina hotel) that The Carolina Inn hosts fun Friday Night activities for families and community members, including food, games, and live music. They even *indeed* have heaters in the cooler months! I would LOVE to be able to enjoy a Friday night at The Carolina Inn AND take some photos in front of what appeared to be a gorgeous floral display in the warmer months (it was wayyy too cold to take photos outside this time around).

Overall, I feel really grateful that I was able to get some quality time with Alanna and *finally* check seeing The Carolina Inn off of my bucket list!!

XOXO – Katie <3

January 19, 2023December 29, 2025

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6 Hours in New Hope, Pennsylvania

I have ALWAYS been a big fan of visiting tiny, charming, and historic towns. In September 2019, I visited Charleston, South Carolina and fell *in love* with the entire city that echoes Southern historic charm at every turn. Similarly speaking, I went to the charming AND historic Lewes, Delaware – also known as the first town in the first state – over my New Years Eve weekend. Lewes is Dutch-inspired and A LOT smaller than Charleston, but it still has so much charm and history to it. The same goes for Harpers Ferry, West Virginia which I visited with my best friend Bree back in June of 2022. Through it all, I have fallen in love with the charm that historic towns bring. Hence, they have become a favorite of mine to visit!! SO, when my best friend Amanda and I decided to skip our usual weekend visit to her home just outside of Philadelphia in the city to check out New Hope, Pennsylvania, I knew it was a must-go!!!

To read about my adventures to other historic and charming towns/cities, look no further than here:

Charleston, South Carolina (September 2019): https://pinkchickadee.com/2019/11/30/example-post/
Lewes, Delaware (December 2020): https://pinkchickadee.com/2020/12/03/my-lewes-delaware-travel-photo-diary/
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia (June 2022): https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/06/23/a-few-hours-in-harpers-ferry-west-virginia/
Fredricton, New Brunswick, Canada (August 2022): https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/09/20/4-hours-in-fredericton-new-brunswick/
Portsmouth, New Hampshire (August 2022): https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/08/30/an-afternoon-in-portsmouth-new-hampshire/

For more United States travel inspiration, check out my Exploring 50 States expedition page.

A fun fact about me is that up until I was 8, I lived in Pennington, New Jersey just about 20 minutes away from the gorgeous town of New Hope, Pennsylvania. After moving away from New Jersey, I came back frequently to mainly visit friends and family who live in either Pennington or New Hope or nearby Doylestown, Pennsylvania. I fell in love with the town of New Hope throughout my years of visiting both family and friends. Yet, I never got the experience to simply explore New Hope without family or other commitments looming over my head. This time around, Amanda and I went to downtown New Hope which is a town connected by a driving/foot bridge to Lambertville, New Jersey located across the Delaware River and to Peddler’s Village for an ice sculpture festival. Read more about the bridge between New Hope and Lambertville here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/06/28/the-foot-bridge-in-pennsylvania-and-new-jersey/#/

Getting there: New Hope, Pennsylvania is located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and is best to drive to get to. A LOT of Bucks County requires driving through hilly and windy roads that are gorgeous at every turn, so taking Ubers would definitely add up. New Hope is just over 45 minutes of a drive from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and just under a half hour drive from Trenton, New Jersey. If flying, then it is easiest to fly into Philadelphia and if you take the train, then is it best to arrive at either Trenton or Philadelphia (depending on where else you plan to go if any other place, but definitely Trenton is best if just to New Hope). New Hope/Lambertville makes for a nice weekend getaway from Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore, and even Washington, DC.

About New Hope: New Hope is located along the Delaware River which divides New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As previously mentioned, on the other side of New Hope just across the Delaware River is the town of Lambertville, New Jersey. You can even step foot in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey at the same time which we *of course!!!* did. Just up the road minutes away from New Hope is Washington’s Crossing, Pennsylvania where *yes* former President George Washington crossed the Delaware River at Christmas time during the Revolutionary War. New Hope is notorious for its riverside dining, eclectic shopping, historic charm, scenic views, thriving LGBTQ+ scene, and impressive theater via the Bucks County Playhouse. According to Visit Pennsylvania, “New Hope is a small town with a big city feel”: something I noticed when I was there on many occasions. Additionally, New Hope has been named one of “America’s Favorite Towns” by Travel + Leisure. Last but not least, it’s fun to note that celebrities such as Gigi Hadid and Tina Fey call or have once called gorgeous New Hope home. Celebrity sightings anyone?!

While in New Hope, Amanda and I walked around the gorgeous town. We did not do any activities in particular except for crossing the foot bridge into New Jersey and checking out the eclectic shopping scene. In recent years, the Ferry Market opened up in New Hope – similar to Union Market in Washington, DC as its a mini dining hall full of small businesses. I treated Amanda and I to some coffee and a pastry. We, then, explored the scenic waterfront views of the Delaware River alongside the iconic Bucks County Playhouse which has performances all throughout the year. Afterwards, Amanda and I walked by the only pink house/building in town where we snapped a few photos aka one of my blogger photoshoot bucket list items of mine (!!!). We also saw the historical Carriage House in town AND snapped a few photos there, too. A lot of the buildings in downtown New Hope are being/have been renovated including the Logan Inn (it has an urban, New York City feel to it) and an old cathedral turned steakhouse (something that I want to try on a future trip with family!!). New Hope is definitely gorgeous and has SO much charm to offer!

After we explored a bit of downtown New Hope, Amanda and I headed for the nearby Peddler’s Village. Peddler’s Village is a shopping and dining district in New Hope that is just about 10 minutes from downtown (sorry – no waterfront views here). The BEST part about Peddler’s Village is that it offers some historical charm and feels to it throughout the whole little village. It, indeed, feels like a village!! What Peddler’s Village had when we went to visit was ice sculptures spread throughout the village. Practically every store had its own ice sculpture outside of it AND the Christmas lights were still up for all to enjoy in a magical Winter wonderland kind of way. Here, Amanda and I checked out the shops but didn’t stay for dinner as it was packed and hard to get a table there and *out of all things and days* there was a gorgeous outdoor wedding in the midst of ALL the crowds. But, through it all, I had a blast being able to get time with Amanda and enjoy some Winter Wonderland magic!

I have always loved being able to explore New Hope, Pennsylvania. New Hope and all of Bucks County for that matter is absolutely stunning. I feel extremely blessed to have family and friends nearby this extraordinary historical town and county, too. Til next time, New Hope!

XOXO – Katie <3

January 12, 2023January 28, 2026

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The Life of Katie!

New year, same ‘The Life of Katie” blog posts coming your way – LOL! Well, it’s my first blog post of 2023! My new year kicked off with a bang, as my Papa and I went to visit my Dad, Step Mom, brother Will, and their Yorkie Ginger at their home in Bethany Beach, Delaware. We all had a nice dinner (with champagne!) at the gorgeous Shorebreak Lodge in nearby Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and then went to sleep and, well, woke up and it was 2023. I hope y’all had an AMAZING jump into the new year as I’m feeling that it’ll be a good one for me. And, as always, here are some updates into *none other than* the life of Katie!!

My new favorite cocktail – The other day, Papa and I went on our *final* Christmas-y outing of the 2022 season: to National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. National Harbor is located right across the Woodrow Wilson bridge (the bridge separating Virginia and Maryland via the Potomac River – I think) on the Maryland side with many fun shops, restaurants, the gorgeous and iconic Gaylord Hotel, waterfront views, and the also iconic Capital Wheel aka a ferris wheel. Well, while we were at National Harbor this time around, we went to one of Papa’s favorites: McCormick & Schmidt’s where I got to enjoy an espresso martini! And, let me just say that it has recently become my new favorite cocktail!!! I even ordered one while in Delaware the next day. Here’s to MANY more espresso martinis in 2023!

A day trip to Lewes, Delaware – While on our New Year’s trip to Delaware, Dad and I took a day trip to Lewes, Delaware: the first town in the first state. Lewes is a very gorgeous Dutch-inspired town alongside the Delaware coast. Dad and I walked around the main downtown streets, admired the Dutch-inspiration within the building’s architecture, checked out some shops, and enjoyed a nice lunch at the Hotel Rodney. One of the town’s shops has an old, replica flag of the 13 colonies of the United States – HOW neat is that?! It was super nice to be able to get some quality time with my Dad, and I hope to explore some of the museums that Lewes has to offer on a future Delaware visit.

My first thrifting haul of 2023 – 2023 kicked off with a thrift haul where I *just* practically purchased some new pieces for my Spring 2023 wardrobe. I went to Bee Thrifty, located off of 123/Ox Road in Woodbridge, Virginia – the SAME thrift store that my fellow Instagram bestie Stephanie of @slythestlylist loves, too (we plan to shop here together, too sometime!!). I got some great finds too – pieces came from J Crew, Talbots, Banana Republic, Trina Turk, and Vera Bradley – AND a discount. I also got some home decorations, too. I am striving to shop less in 2023, but have set aside a budget for the Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Sale (which is *hopefully* very very soon!!) and took it from that.
Taking Rosie to the beach – To end our Delaware New Year’s trip, we went to the Bethany Beach boardwalk. While there, Papa and I just happened to walk in on a New Year’s Day 5K. It was fun, yet chaotic to see, but we made it to the beach after crossing through the 5K finish line *of ALLL things* and survived in one piece. Rosie had A BLAST on the beach, and many memories were made amongst me and Papa and Rosie, too!

Upcoming January 2023 travels and beyond – I have so many exciting travel plans for 2023! As of right now, I am going on two weekend trips in January: one to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Haddonfield, New Jersey to visit my best friend Amanda and another to Raleigh, North Carolina and Chapel Hill, North Carolina to see some of my best college friends. Beyond January, I am planning to see family in New Jersey/Pennsylvania, visit Kentucky with my Mom, and a few other exciting places that I have yet to announce! Stay tuned!!!

Here’s to a GREAT 2023 for us all. May this year be filled with joy and happiness for each and every one of us. 2020, 2021, and 2022 weren’t my favorite years, so I’m hoping and pretty optimistic that 2023 may just be my year. I know that 2023 will not be the year for everyone, but I hope that each of us remembers to see the good in it all. Here’s to making many new memories with loved ones. Happy New Year!!

XOXO – Katie <3

January 3, 2023December 29, 2025

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My Highlights of 2022!

Winter (January-February):

My 2022 started off with a BANG and a HUGE snow storm. I remember waking up bright and early on the first Monday of 2023 to the Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Sale online and a bunch of snow. Needless to say, I was psyched! Then, just a week later, we celebrated my dog Rosie’s 1 year Gotcha Day with balloons and lots of doggy toys and treats. Rosie was pissed that she had to pose for the camera on a chair – LOL! I celebrated 2 years as a blogger at a gorgeous vineyard (Potomac Point Winery) down in nearby Stafford, Virginia, which I’d love to visit again sometime in the warmer months. As January progressed, I spent much time indoors due to the chilly weather and the still then-prevalent Omicron COVID-19 variant. However, my social life started to excitedly kick in when I met up with my good friends Brittany and Brianna for brunch at Farmers Fishers Bakers at the Georgetown Waterfront in Washington, DC for DC Restaurant Week. And, our friendships began to bloom!!

February was a month ALL about self love. It was PERFECT for Valentine’s Day! Having recently celebrated 6 months in the workforce, I had been able to finally meet up with a friend who I had connected with through my company and we had a blast. My best friend Bree also came to visit for a long weekend and we went to see Louis Tomlinson in concert at The Wharf’s The Anthem, which Bree was in heaven the entire time for! We, then, explored Bree’s old neighborhood in Herndon, Virginia and the gorgeous Reston Town Center in Reston, Virginia. And, we ended the weekend with a day in Washington, DC (mainly the National Mall, though, with food truck hot dogs and ALL!) without a plan. The following weekend, I got to visit Hannah and Alanna down in Raleigh, North Carolina to celebrate Alanna’s 25th Birthday – Lilly Pulitzer-themed!! I got to see our friends Caroline and Jasmine, too. However, the end of February was tough as my brother got into an accident that totaled his car, leaving me to give him the family car that I drove so he could get to school (I work from home), and, thus, putting me on the market for a brand-new car.

Spring (March-May):

My March kicked off with all-things car shopping and the stress that comes with it all. After a stressful few weeks, I found my now-car Daisy on a whim and it was THE BEST decision that I ever made – she is a little white car with safety features aka the only standards I had for my first car! During that time, I went on a fun outing with my friend Brittany to Foggy Bottom in Washington, DC and Pentagon Row in Pentagon City, Virginia and we had a great much-needed time. A week after getting Daisy, we went on our first ever road trip to Charlottesville, Virginia where I got to attend a work conference at the University of Virginia and visit with my Aunt Lisa, Uncle John, cousin Mary, cousin Joey, and cousin Matthew for some special family time. Also, I got to visit the iconic #IfThenSheCan exhibit – honoring Women in STEM at the National Mall twice – once with my best friend Shivani and the other time with my coworkers (Shivani tagged along on that outing too LOL!). The iconic Cherry Blossom Festival also kicked off and Shivani and I spent LOTS of time enjoying ALL that Washington, DC has to offer, including the monuments, Tidal Basin, and the Opening Ceremony at Warner Theatre.

Late Spring 2022 was a fun one! The Cherry Blossom Festival continued, Papa and I visited a local yet new-to-us historic mansion aka Gunston Hall, and I got to see The Bachelor Live at Warner Theatre with a coworker. My best friend Wyatt and I visited the iconic National Gallery of Art during their Spring-themed After Hours Party that’s FREE at the museum on a Thursday evening. My Birthday festivities started soon after a lovely Easter with family, including Georgetown Cupcake, lemon drop martini’s, seeing family friend Amy Wright at Bitty’s & Beau’s on Opening Day in Georgetown, getting flocked (thanks Mom!!!), and lunch with Dad in the gorgeous historic town of Occoquan, Virginia. Soon after the Birthday festivities ended, I road tripped with Daisy down to Raleigh, North Carolina to celebrate my best friend Hannah’s graduation from Meredith College. It was a blast yet bittersweet getting to visit my sweet alma mater one year post-graduation. Afterwards, we had a huge potluck with Hannah’s family and friends AND a pool party. Many more friendships bloomed which led to us all taking a super fun trip to Asheville, North Carolina that August. While late Spring was a tough month on me mentally despite all the excitement, there were so many blessings as mentioned above!

Summer (June-August):

Summer 2022 was a fun one! My best friend Bree started her internship in Ballston, Arlington, Virginia in June and moved to her old neighborhood of Herndon, Virginia for the summer. Bree and I had A TON of summer adventures in the Washington, DC area, including: a rained out Halsey concert, a visit to Washington, DC’s Georgetown neighborhood, a stroll through the National Mall at night on a rainy and foggy Friday, a day trip to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and a walk through Old Town Alexandria. We had A BLAST!!! My best friend Amanda also came to visit me from New Jersey and we tried a mega bucket list restaurant item for me – The Hamilton – and it was GREAT. I took Bree and Amanda both to The Winery at Bull Run aka my favorite vineyard. Bree and I also visited my Dad and Step Mom at their home in Bethany Beach, Delaware and it was an epic adventure. On the same token, we also went to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit our best friends Allison, Alanna, Hannah, Sarah, and Drew for a Big Time Rush concert. As we were heading back, we sadly got stranded for 5 hours at a North Carolina gas station due to an accident which I had sadly gotten in a few days before heading to work via being rear-ended just minutes away from my office. At the same time, I got to attend a super-fun work function at a Washington Nationals game and meet many other coworkers that I hadn’t been able to meet due to the virtual work environment. I also got to meet some of Bree’s coworkers as her Plus One to a work happy hour event in the gorgeous Washington, DC Dupont Circle neighborhood. So much whirlwind of adventures – haha!

In August, I got to take my first-ever week off from my 9-5 job to hit the road with my Papa and dog Rosie for Maine. We had the BEST time!!! We stopped in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, saw the Portland Head Light, visited my family reunion favorite stop of East Grand Lake, took a day trip to Canada, and drove up the top of Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park. My vacation was much-needed and a few days later I set off for North Carolina to celebrate my best friend Kearra’s Birthday. Me, Aspen, Hannah, Alanna, Rachel, and Kearra and I all had an amazing time together as we saw The Biltmore, made candles, enjoyed gorgeous mountain views, and explored The Biltmore Village. Asheville has been on my bucket list for YEARS, too!! However, as we were driving home from Asheville, I got the call that my grandad who I called Deedat had passed. I was super sad and ended up taking off from North Carolina early to be with family and grief.

Fall (September-October):

September was a tough month at the start. It started off with me and Papa having to cancel our then-planned road trip to Iowa and South Dakota due to Deedat’s passing. I, then, ventured off to Delaware to be with my Dad and my Step Mom for Labor Day weekend at the beach and Deedat’s funeral to follow. While a rough time and sad for us all, it was great to be able to spend time with my Dad’s family and relish on memories with Deedat’s loved ones. My friends Brianna and Brittany and I met up recently after the funeral, too, and we were all going through rough times. It was nice to meet and know that NONE of us were and are ever alone. But, at the same time, the Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Sale and shopping in-person at The Pink Crab in Annapolis gave me a lot of much-needed sunshine. I remember talking to my boss and we both agreed that we were ready for a brand-new season, so, bring on Fall!!!

Fall 2022 was a fun one!! It started off with a trip to see my best friend Bree at her college East Carolina University and meet up with our besties Hannah and Alanna for the East Carolina University VS Naval Academy game. I loved getting to see Bree’s campus and meet some of her college friends that she’s talked A TON about. Papa and I visited two pumpkin patches along with our annual visit to Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive to see the iconic Fall Foliage. I got to see Hamilton live on a solo date at the iconic Kennedy Center. My best friend Haley and I also visited our bestie Violet who is a Nursing student at Philadelphia’s Drexel University. Philadelphia is one of my all-time favorite cities, so it was GREAT to be back! I also got to meet up with my bestie Amanda who lives in the nearby New Jersey suburbs for dinner in the city. I ended Fall with a trip to my alma mater Meredith College’s iconic Cornhuskin’ Homecoming tradition to experience it all as an Alumnae with Papa and Rosie. I saw SO many great friends from my college years and it was such a special time!

Holiday’s (November-December):

Once Papa, Rosie, and I got back from Cornhuskin’, we started to get into the Christmas spirit! Brianna, Brittany, and I visited this adorable cafe/bar called Virginia’s Darling in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. The following weekend, my best friend Hannah came to visit for her conference in Washington, DC and we did ALL the things, such as: the Downtown Holiday Market, Old Town Alexandria’s King Street, Old Ebbitt Grill, the White House (with a preview of The National Christmas Tree), The Willard Intercontinental Hotel, and *of course* Shake Shack. It was a great way to kick off the holiday season before Thanksgiving, which included great family time, seeing Frozen Live by the National Symphony Orchestra with Brianna and Brittany, and a trip to Leesburg, Virginia to see the Lucketts Store Holiday House. I, then, had a bit of a health scare during early-mid December as I got really tired and had to miss out on some work networking events along with Hannah’s Birthday weekend in Raleigh. While disappointing, everything worked out health-wise and I am thankfully OKAY. Luckily, I got to spend some time with my Dad and meet their newly adopted rescue Yorkie Ginger and snuggle with her as I processed it all. The same goes for time with Papa, too. However, when I got the GREAT health-related news, I went out on the town to the Library of Congress’s Late Night Live at the Library for a fun time with Brianna and Brittany. The year closed with some quality family time, including an outing to the US Botanic Garden’s Season’s Greenings Display with my Mom, dinner with my Papa at National Harbor with espresso martini’s, and visiting Enchant with my bestie Stephanie.

One of my other holiday season highlights was getting to help plan and be the social media point of contact for STEM For Her’s first-ever STEM For Her Day! STEM For Her is a nonprofit organization focused on facilitating interest in STEM and teaching girls about career paths in STEM. They focus on empowering the next generation of women in STEM with an emphasis on underserved communities. Needless to say, at STEM For Her Day, I got to meet some incredible people, like: WUSA 9’s Kaitlyn McGrath, PillowTalk Derm’s founder, two IF/THEN ambassadors, and Toni Townes Whitley. It was A BLAST and such a needed day. STEM For Her Day also ignited my passion for empowering the next generation of women in STEM!!

Highlights!

Ringing in the new year with Starbucks in-hand.

Here’s to MANY more adventures in 2023! Happy New Year!

XOXO – Katie <3

December 30, 2022December 29, 2025

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Gift Guide: For the Jetsetter

Over the years, I have fallen in love with travel. I have been super fortunate to live in both Italy and England for a month each in 2018 while studying abroad for the summer back in my college years. On the same token, I have also traveled to different parts of North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware on a semi-regular basis to visit family and friends. That all being said, I consider myself to be a jetsetter from time to time!

*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

My for the jetsetter gift guide was A BLAST to create. I had fun looking through and pretending to shop for travel essentials that I have used and loved along with those that I may just add to my wishlist. Some of the travel essentials on this gift guide, including the Lilly Pulitzer scrunchie set, the Stoney Clover Lane Classic customizable backpack and large pouch, Vera Bradley grand hanging organizer, and Lands End weekender tote, I have used quite often when traveling. Needless to say, many of the products on this gift guide have been used regularly by myself during my travels, both near and far!

When it comes to pouches, they have been my saving grace in recent years when traveling! My Dad ALWAYS uses pouches to keep his things organized throughout his travels over the years. I used to think that he was CRAZY, yet now I am just as CRAZY if not even more than he is when judged by my younger self. In recent years, clear pouches and bags have become essential in concert venues and more across the world. Stoney Clover Lane’s customizable clear travel pouches (I purchased 2 during their sale back in late October!) are PERFECT as they’re large enough to hold the essentials, yet small enough to comfortably carry while out and about. I was also really excited to come across Sprinkled with Pink’s monogrammed pool bags, too, as they’re super adorable and also pretty great for events where there may be a clear bag policy.

Whether near or far, I am ALWAYS creating my own confetti wherever I go. My for the jetsetter gift guide allows others to create their own confetti both close to home and when on the road. Being bright and bubbly is always a go for me especially when on the go and I hope it is the same for you, too!

XOXO – Katie <3

November 15, 2022December 29, 2025

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Thoughts on Visiting my Alma Mater for Homecoming Weekend

This past weekend, I took a trip down memory lane and posted ALL about it on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!) by visiting my alma mater Meredith College for its Homecoming Weekend known as Cornhuskin’. Growing up in high school, I lived for Homecoming weekend – the football game, the dance, the shopping for the dance, and the friends. However, when I got to college, I attended an all-women’s institution which meant that our Homecoming Tradition – our always loved Cornhuskin’ – would look A WHOLE LOT different than it did for me during my high school years or for that matter most other college’s. Indeed, one of my favorite parts of this Fall season was getting to visit and experience Cornhuskin’ as an alum of Meredith College.

Cornhuskin’ at Meredith College is our Homecoming tradition, since we are proudly undefeated in football/have no football team – LOL! We also have shirts to prove our undefeated pride in football, too. Cornhuskin’ is pretty much a class competition – the Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors ALL compete against one another – via dances, skit, can art, Hog Callin’, Tall Tales, sweatshirt design, t-shirt design, prop design, on-campus spirit (to win a spirit stick – my class won twice) and much more!! – for bragging rights and the right of winning this most prized tradition. Everything within the class competition revolves around a theme that is then tied into the amazing Meredith College sisterhood given the year of college and ongoings that come with it – my Sophomore year our theme with based on Hercules and the strong sisterhood and we wore togas to dance and throughout our skit. It seriously is very Corny but seriously one of the best ways to spread joy and bond with classmates of all years.

Unlike in high school, Cornhuskin’ is a mega Meredith College community effort that takes effort from practically everyone in the community for months. Although a totally optional activity for all students, many many many of the Meredith College classmates of mine would participate, since it was a great opportunity to bond with classmates. We would start Cornhuskin’ practices in September where we would dance, rehearse skits, paint signs, and make up rhymes in the on-campus parking lots from 9pm until 1am sometimes. The next morning, we would get up and do it all again along with the hustle of classes, committees, jobs, and everything else in between. It was stressful to say the least. And, in fact, my Sophomore year of college, I felt VERY lonely as my friends from Freshmen year had transferred to other schools/drama had happened with those who stayed that I almost considered not participating due to the stress and feeling lonely. BUT, in the very end, I am super proud of myself for taking that leap and doing Cornhuskin’ and so so so happy that I did. The blood, sweat, and tears put into making Cornhuskin’ happen by all within the Meredith College student body made it soooooo worth it in the end when we would perform in the amphitheater at night in front of our family, friends, faculty, staff, classmates, alumnae, and community members.

Due to COVID-19, I did not get a Senior year Cornhuskin’. Meredith College staff did a GREAT job at attempting to give us an as-typical experience as possible, despite nothing looking the same during the 2020-2021 timeframe anyways. Though, in the end, it was sad that we in the Class of 2021 didn’t get a Senior Cornhuskin’ along with the classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024 behind us in their respective years. My friends and I in the Class of 2021 definitely felt some remorse towards that fact that we didn’t get a Senior Cornhuskin’ coming back to Cornhuskin’ this past weekend. COVID-19 took a lot from all of us, and I think it is important that we ALL acknowledge that everyone lost a lot from it and that it isn’t easy at times either. It’s HARD! Loss is hard and there is a major component of COVID-19 that we don’t talk about much: grief. Grief comes in many forms, but the occurrence of my beloved Cornhuskin’ my Senior year of college was hard to lose and it is something that I am still processing and miss all the time. Personally, I wish I got to experience it as a student and get Corny one last time with all of my classmates by my side.

On the flip side, I am SUPER grateful for the Meredith College sisters and classmates of mine that I do have to this day right in my corner. I got to both reconnect and bond with so many of my classmates some of which that I haven’t seen since I graduated or since before COVID-19 times. It was truly a blessing to see Hannah, Alanna, Kearra, Aspen, Jane, Lexie, Laurie, Sarah, Caroline, Cassie, Chandler, Faith, Aly, Kiran, Meredith, Bailey, Jasmine, and my Lil/Grand Lil’s Lelia, Madelyne, and Jordan and many more. I also got to bring my Papa and dog Rosie along to experience it all with me. Rosie dressed as Corny Corn and wore her pineapple Halloween costume from last year in the parade (we got to walk in it as Alumnae with other fellows alums!). We spent hours, after the main events of the class competition, talking in the parking lot just like the good old days of Cornhuskin’. SO many memories were made. I felt apart of the Meredith College community yet again after gaining my Meredith Angel wings and flying off to Washington, DC for my post-graduate life. Currently, I am still struggling to find my way in the Washington, DC area, but knowing that I have SO many fellow Meredith College Angels in my corner is such a sweet feeling and makes me know that I WILL find my way in my new city just like I did at Meredith.

Meredith College prides on its slogan of “Going Strong”. We Meredith College Angels, through it all, are strong – we have gone through tough things and we will do it again. Cornhuskin’ as a student was tough at times – the late nights practicing and then even later nights studying, the long days of classes, committees, and work, the stride to maintain a clean apartment and eat three meals a day, and everything else in between – is not easy for anyone to strive for. BUT, at the end of it all, as fatigued as we were, we loved every minute of our time well spent via Cornhuskin’ and our hearts were filled with gratitude and many many special memories made along the way. We truly were and are still continuing to be going strong the Meredith way, NO MATTER how Corny we may be at times!

XOXO – Katie <3

November 12, 2022December 29, 2025

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I Visited Shenandoah National Park During Peak Season!

Every year, my Papa and I make an effort to visit Shenandoah National Park during the Fall season. Luckily for us, it SO happened to be that the only weekend day we both had available to go was during Peak Fall leaves season! That all being said, we had a breathtakingly gorgeous experience driving through the national park’s major road to sightsee – Skyline Drive. It was all truly a DREAM come true!!

About Shenandoah National Park: Shenandoah National Park is a mountainous oasis just 75 miles away from Washington, DC in Virginia. It is home to Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, which extend from North Carolina. This Virginia national park also includes a 101-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail. Skyline Drive, which Papa and I drove about 25 miles of from the Front Royal entrance to the Sperryville exit, runs approximately 105 miles both north and south along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Scenic views galore when driving through Skyline Drive, whether you go leaf peeping (like Papa and I!) in the Fall or want to take in ALL the gorgeous mountainous views. One of the most well-known hikes at Shenandoah National Park is Old Rag. There are ALSO several other hiking trails, many of which include gorgeous cascade waterfalls. For more information and to book a National Park Pass to visit, look no further than here: https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm

I will be honest here for a second, it was PACKED when Papa and I arrived. We picked the prime day for leaf peeping yet the WORST day in terms of traffic and crowds. We actually had to wait about 1-2 hours in a longggg line full of cars just to get into the park. One of the biggest suggestions I have for visiting Shenandoah National Park is to book your pass to visit in advance (or purchase a National Park Pass if you’ll get your money’s worth!). Papa has a Senior Citizen National Park Pass, so we were able to bypass a good chunk of the lines of cars to get into the park. BUT, when we did get into the park, it was definitely worth the wait!

Personally, I am not a big fan of crowds. There were crowds everywhere when we drove Skyline Drive, but it was to be expected given the time that we chose to visit and the fact that it was a weekend. If crowds overwhelm you, then it is worthwhile choosing to visit during a less of a peak season or on a weekday to avoid them a bit. I will say, though, that simply being in the car with Papa and Rosie and stopping at the scenic views of our choosing was nice and a good way to simply space out.

Now, on a more positive note, the leaves were absolutely gorgeous!!! I LOVED getting to visit Shenandoah National Park during Peak leaves season. This is something I have ALWAYS wanted to do, yet never gotten the chance to given, well, life. So, through the crowds and traffic and all, I am so so so grateful that I was able to visit during this terrific time to do so. Pictures DO NOT do the roads and the sights of Skyline Drive ANY justice. Gratitude is the word, especially when taking in ALLL the views!

I feel super lucky to be able to live so close to such a great national park within an easy day’s reach. While I’m not a big hiker, I do love the mountains and the serenity that it brings me. I know others feel the same way, too, hiker or not. One day, I would LOVE to explore the cascade waterfalls via a bunny hike of Shenandoah National Park and more!

XOXO – Katie <3

October 27, 2022December 29, 2025

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How I Afford to Travel Often

One of the BIGGEST questions I get over on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!) is how I can afford to travel often. Traveling has become one of my biggest passions and favorite things to do – I always have had a passion for learning more about the world around me, whether it be just down the street or across the world. Well, today, I’m going to be spilling ALLL the secrets on how I am able to travel on a regular basis!

Before I get into the meat of this blog post, I want to pre-phase by saying that travel is by all means a privilege. Not everyone is able to even go on a trip. I have seen travel to be one of the biggest blessings, opportunities, and learning experiences in my life. But, not everyone gets the opportunity to do so. Personally, I feel beyond lucky to be able to travel as much as I do, yet have the option to even be able to do so. Remember to count your blessings, including travel.

Travel, as we all know, can be COSTLY. With flights, transport when there, gas, lodging, meals, coffees, activities, and souvenir shopping, and much more, it ALL adds up. Trust me, it’s hard to factor in all of those costs when away from home even for a day. And, depending on where you go, different aspects of travel can add up even more, especially when it comes to getting into an accident, cell phone plan while/if going abroad, needing to see a health care provider in case of an emergency, and many things not even mentioned. Realistically speaking, it is HARD to factor in all of those costs.

Now, for the ways that I afford to travel often:

Set aside some money from each paycheck in a travel fund – no MATTER how little it may be, every cent adds up over time!
Join a rewards program with an airline of your choosing and/or Amtrak – personally, I have a United Airlines Rewards Membership and an Amtrak membership, as my most frequented cities are Philadelphia and Raleigh to see friends who live there. My favorite Washington, DC area airport – Dulles International Airport – is a United Airlines hub, so it makes it easy to get flights in and out of there at great prices. Hopefully in the new year, I can visit my cousin Sabrina in Boston and score a GREAT flight deal!
Travel to cities where you have friends/family that live there and stay with them if you can – that way, ALL you have to pay for is getting there, meals (but probably not as many if you were to stay in a hotel!), and activities. Failing that, do your research and find some options that are cheaper than hotels. You may find hostels or campsites that are ideal for your trip. For example, take a look at Travel Resorts of America reviews for plenty of advice on where to stay as you travel through America.
Be strategic with PTO days – I usually choose to take 2 day weekend trips or 3 day weekend trips on long weekends that my company already gives us off, where I don’t need to use any PTO. I feel VERY fortunate to say that I have unlimited PTO as per my company’s policy. Yet, I like to use my PTO accordingly and strategically and within a realistic reason. At the same time, I try to take off one-two weeks to truly unplug and get away, along with a few longer weekends sprinkled in throughout the year where I actually use PTO.
Eat a mixture of expensive dining meals and eat in as much as you can – If you stay with a friend/family member, be sure to take advantage of the free meals. The same goes for staying at a hotel that offers free breakfast (that’s something I usually look for, too!). You can ALWAYS eat affordably when traveling to, such as microwaveable items from CVS or a local grocery store or going to a local cafe or even fast food place.
Frequently scan flight/train fares – This helps OFTEN! I booked a trip to New York City on Amtrak during Christmas time this year for ~$90 round trip (the average fare is $200+ this time of year). I booked my trip in August, but it was a GREAT deal and I got a great deal on a hotel, too. If I hadn’t randomly scanned New York City at Christmas time train fares on the fly, then I wouldn’t have booked my trip of a lifetime and of my dreams, either!
Get a travel rewards credit card – Personally, I use the Capital One Venture credit card which gives 75,000 bonus miles if you spend $4,000 in 3 months on every day essentials, which can be reimbursed for travel along with miles earned regularly when spending!
Pick and choose things to do – When traveling, you ALWAYS have to pick and choose where you go, what you do, eat, etc. My biggest piece of advice is to be strategic with it all. Most of the major museums in Washington, DC are free, yet most of the major museums in Paris or New York City usually aren’t. If you choose to do a rather costly activity during the day, then you may want to do something more affordable the next or eat a less pricey meal(s).

Being able to travel has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. I love being able to meet new people along the way, too. When traveling, you always have to be realistic and reasonable, no matter how frequent you do it. But, above all else, HAVE FUN!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

October 11, 2022December 29, 2025

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24 Hours in Greenville, North Carolina

When most people hear the city “Greenville”, they think of Greenville, South Carolina. HOWEVER, both of the Carolina’s have a Greenville to call their own! A little less well-known than its South Carolina counterpart, Greenville, North Carolina plays homage to East Carolina University (ECU). It is also one of the fastest growing and up-and-coming cities in the United States and has even been ranked by Best Places and Liveability as one of the best places to live. One of my best friends, Bryn, who spent her summer interning up by me in Arlington, Virginia is finishing out her Senior year of college at ECU. SO, me and my friends Alanna and Hannah decided to make the trek for a day down to Greenville to spend some time with Bryn and see a football game versus the Naval Academy!

For more United States travel inspiration, check out my Exploring 50 States expedition page.

The majority of our visit was spent visiting with Bryn in her gorgeous dorm, exploring ECU’s campus including a meal at the dining hall and seeing Bryn’s most-frequented spots, and going to the ECU-Navy football game. At the same time, we ALSO walked a bit around the gorgeous downtown of Greenville (which I hope to explore more so in the Spring when I visit Bryn again!) at night, ate at the well-known pre-tailgate restaurant known as Sup Dogs (they also have a location in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by the University of North Carolina), and visited Pink – a Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store located in Greenville. I shared ALL of my adventures on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!).

I left bright and early for Greenville, North Carolina that Saturday morning of the game. To my surprise living in the Washington, DC area (the traffic here is THE WORST), I ran into NO TRAFFIC. It was, indeed, my first-ever 1+ hour drive on I-95 with NO traffic. The drive to Greenville, North Carolina from Northern Virginia is mostly a straight-shot south on I-95 for a good 3-4 hours. Parking at ECU is FREE on the weekends at the parking deck near the Student Center. Generally speaking, ECU’s Campus Police don’t check on cars parked on campus or charge for parking on the weekend, making it very easy and free to park on campus on the weekends. Needless to say, when I made it to Greenville, I was excited to be able to enjoy the town and be reunited with Bryn along with Hannah and Alanna who arrived just minutes after I did.

Walking on campus was a BLAST – I got to see the Pirate statue, the gorgeous well that holds the superstition that if you walk under it as an undergrad you won’t graduate within 4 years, eat at the dining hall with Bryn and her ECU friends, shop at the Campus Store, and get an iced Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. I got A LOT of steps in and enjoyed the gorgeous on-campus environment. Similarly speaking, I loved getting to walk down the gorgeous streets of downtown Greenville. While a small town, it offered a lot of places to eat, drink, and historical views (I LOVED seeing the town’s community library there!). We also visited Pink in Greenville and chatted with the super sweet owner of the store. Visiting Pink was a highlight for me while in Greenville, as I’ve been connected with the owners of the store on Instagram for over 2 years now. We have definitely become friends online and now in real life, too! *Of course* we grabbed some Lilly Pulitzer goodies to bring back home with us AND got some photos in the store!!!

Well, the main reason for our visit was to go to the ECU-Navy football game. A fun fact about me and my family is that my Great-Grandad, Grandad, Great Uncle, Great Aunt’s, and Uncle’s all have served or are serving in the Navy. My Grandad was in the same graduating class as John McCain and calls him “Johnny”. And, well, I have never been to a Navy football game, so I decided on this weekend to see Navy play, even if it was in Greenville, North Carolina. Bryn got us student seating guest tickets for $40/each, while hers was free or much cheaper (I cannot remember LOL!) being a student there. We had a GREAT TIME! Afterwards, we went to Insomnia Cookies in downtown Greenville.

I am SO blessed to have been able *FINALLY* visit Bryn at her college campus and see her college town! It was great to be able to see her for the first-time ever since she interned up here by me in Arlington, Virginia. Here’s to my next adventure in Greenville and beyond!!

XOXO – Katie <3

October 1, 2022January 28, 2026

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4 Hours in Fredericton, New Brunswick

It’s CRAZY to say that I spent LESS THAN A DAY in Canada and then came back to the United States by the afternoon. If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), I shared on my stories a few weeks back about my drive going across the United States-Canada border (more on that down below!) with my Papa and dog Rosie. We, then, were whisked away to enjoy the literally drop dead gorgeous Canadian highways, before landing in our destination of the capital city of the New Brunswick province – Fredericton.

SO, to get across the border of Canada, you have to have a passport that will not expire within 6 months upon entry into Canada or any country for that matter, fill out the Go Canada questionnaire to list out your destination(s) that you’re going to while in Canada, COVID-19 vaccination records, and everything ready to go when you get to the border patrol. You can ALSO bring dogs with you!!! To bring a dog into Canada, you need their updated vaccination records which you can usually get from the vet (we did for Rosie!). Papa and I were staying at our family’s homestead in Houlton, Maine – a small town located at the VERYYY end of I-95 and right by the United States-Canadian border. Getting across the United States-Canada border was pretty easy: we simply drove up to the United States/Canada Customs building window, were greeted by a Border Patrol Guard, showed our needed documents/answered a few questions about belongings that we were bringing in with us, and then went on our way. We didn’t even have to get out of the car, which was super easy and makes the process of going in/out of Canada for the day a much much much easier process than it could have been, when compared to landing in a foreign country’s airport and going through the Customs process in that country (case in point: Customs usually lasts at least an hour in both United States’ and United Kingdom’s airports). Overall, driving into Canada was a much more simplified process than I have experienced in the past!

AND, alas, we were in Canada!!! Fredericton is about an hour from the United States-Canada border. The highways in Canada were absolutely STUNNING as they were super well-kept and there were drop dead gorgeous pine trees, lakes, and islands filled with pine trees lining the roads. New Brunswick is a Canadian province that is rather rural, well at least the part that we were in, so the more pine trees the better! We enjoyed the Canadian countryside – I guess?! – for sure!!!

Now, Fredericton, New Brunswick is the historical capital city of the New Brunswick province of Canada and sits on the St. John River. New Brunswick, along with Quebec, is one of a few Canadian provinces that speak both English and French. You will, indeed, see signs in both English and French on the New Brunswick highways just like you would in Quebec. Fredericton has a population of around 60,000 people which is tiny compared to the Washington, DC area where I reside yet huge for the province of New Brunswick (especially the area that we were in). There was sooooo much historical charm in Fredericton, even just driving through the streets.

When we arrived in Fredericton, I felt a bit like I was in Europe – not going to lie here – the streets felt very European and there were folks speaking both English and French. Papa and I personally didn’t have any MAJOR plans on what we wanted to do, as we decided to go on a whim. That all being said, we enjoyed the downtown streets while there. The City Hall was located right by where we had parked and paid homage to the nation of Canada, province of New Brunswick, and displayed their love and pride for the LGBTQ+ community. There was A LOT of LGBTQ+ pride signs, streets, stickers, attire, and much more around town in Fredericton – what a BEAUTIFUL THING! At the same time, the town had a lot of gorgeous historical and Victorian-inspired buildings. For being a rather small city, Fredericton felt like such a multi-cultural melting pot. I went into Urban Almanac – a cute little cafe that brews in-house – and got lavender flavored iced coffee. I got to talk to some of the locals there and they were SO SWEET. Above all else, along with its charming history and culture, the people of Fredericton are simply super kind.

Personally, I really enjoyed Fredericton. It was really fun getting to explore this gorgeous town with Papa and Rosie and *finally* have it feel like Fall there, too. We wore our raincoats there and weren’t hot either (!!!). I would love to explore more hidden Canadian gems, too, such as St. Andrews, New Brunswick and Ottawa, Canada and Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Fredricton truly is off the beaten path yet a gem to yet be uncovered for all to see.

XOXO – Katie <3

September 20, 2022July 2, 2024

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