New York City can feel overwhelming if you have never been here before. It is loud, fast, crowded, and full of options. But it is also incredibly navigable once you understand a few basics. These are not secret hacks or tourist shortcuts. These are the things we wish every visitor knew before arriving, especially if this is your first trip or you are visiting in the summer.

There is a strange quiet that happens at the end of a long trip. Not the quiet of a peaceful place. Not the quiet of mountains or empty streets. But the quiet that settles in when you realize the journey is almost over.

If you only have a couple of days in Zurich but want to experience the Swiss Alps, a day trip into the mountains is absolutely worth it. One of the best surprises about Zurich is how easy it is to reach some of Switzerland’s most breathtaking landscapes. Within a few hours you can go from historic city streets to waterfalls, glacial rivers, alpine villages, and towering mountain peaks.

After saying goodbye to the Matterhorn in Zermatt, we boarded the train for the final stop of our Swiss adventure. Zurich. Compared to the quiet alpine villages we had been visiting, Zurich immediately felt more energetic. Busy streets, historic architecture, craft beer, incredible cocktails, and a full day exploring some of Switzerland’s most breathtaking landscapes made it the perfect place to end the trip.

A short video of all 40 locations we went to over the past year to celebrate me turning 40 this year!  We work hard to get to travel and are so fortunate to be able to do so! https://youtu.be/TOAiJbosjgI?si=lb4xinSQbewNK2iG   I joke about being surprised that I made it to 40. But in reality there have been moments and decisions that do make this feel lucky or fortunate at times. Not only to have made it - but to have made it to where I am - happy, successful, whole, and loved

Portugal

New YouTube Video! https://youtu.be/oPQso0kLUcQ 13 of 40 Birthday Experiences! September 2023 - Oktoberfest in Munich with Kassie’s Parents! Oktoberfest tip: Three different large and pretty busy tents - Kassie would ask the first waitress without beer in her hand, and ask where we could sit if we didn’t have a reservation. Every single one got us a spot at a table right away and beers! One time even at a reserved table! Day 1: We landed in Munich just after lunch. After over

10 of 40 Birthday Experiences! Day One of our Iceland Vacation in August 2023: Starting at the Reykjavik airport for a small domestic flight to Egilsstadir. We got into our rental car and headed on the beautiful road. We took a break at Fardagafoss waterfall prior to heading to our amazing hotel in Seyðisfjörður. This was after driving down the road that Walter Mitty longboards down. We’ve heading into Seyðisfjörður in 2022 but were excited to come back to stay this time! We

7 of 40 Birthday Experiences! May 2023 - Sheep, hills, history and more! Day One: We woke up and grabbed coffee and a pastry from No 25 Cafe in Tenby, Wales before heading out in the car to Caerphilly and to walk some sheep (OMG!!!) at Duffryn Farm. After that we headed to Caerphilly Castle - which is a great one to really explore and walk around. The roads quickly went from highway to very tight 2 lane roads. It was a bit nerve-racking for Rick but the view was gorgeous. We

6 of 40 Birthday Experiences! May 2023 - Two days in the beautiful coastal town of Tenby, Wales. Day One: We landed in London early in the morning before taking the Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station. Such and easy express train. Then waiting the few hours until our train to Cardiff. In Cardiff we walked the mile to Hertz to pick up our rental car and got in (Rick on the right of course!) to drive the four hours to Tenby. It was mostly larger highway roads between

6 & 7 of 40 Birthday Experiences (the specific videos coming soon!)! May 2023 - Five days exploring Wales!! Staying both in Tenby and in the south part of Snowdonia. Ocean to Mountains / Castles to Sheep. It doesn’t get much better than that! Day One: We landed in London early in the morning before taking the Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station. Such and easy express train. Then waiting the few hours until our train to Cardiff. In Cardiff we walked the mile to Hertz