Welcome! I’m glad you are here. This Is My Happiness is a travel blog that focuses on culture, art, and authentic travel experiences. In 2013, I will be focusing on “quality travel,” travel that looks beyond the regular to-do list and instead seeks out unusual, out-of-the-way sights and experiences that build an understanding of a place and its people.
I have been blogging for more than 3 years and have begun to branch out into freelance writing. I am a regular contributor for Travel Mindset, am an ambassador for AFAR travel magazine, and have been included on National Geographic’s website. I strive to bring you only high-quality stories that I hope will help you get the most out of your travels (or life!).
My travel perspective is informed by my multicultural family in Brazil, Indonesia, and here in the U.S.; my education in art history and linguistics; my new reality of traveling with two kids; my love of my home state of California; and my undying love for Europe, especially Italy. Whether about down-to-earth travel experiences with locals in Brazil or my take on Renaissance frescoes in Florence, this blog looks at both the history/heritage (the old) and everyday life (the new) in the places I visit.
On the coast of California, one of my favorite places in the world.
Here’s a little more background about me:
My life has always been about moving around and traveling. As a child of a military family, I lived all over the U.S., and later, when I was old enough to choose where I wanted to live, I kept moving. My love of traveling in other countries began in my teens and grew while earning a B.A. in art history and studying abroad in Florence, Italy. One of my most rewarding experiences was living in the Czech Republic for one and a half years and traveling extensively in Europe in my early 20s. After that, I got a master’s degree in linguistics and began a wonderful career teaching English as a Second Language to immigrants in the United States. I love being surrounded by people from other countries.
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New here? Here are a few favorite posts to get you started:
Art & Travel: A different view of Florence
Connecting (and Disconnecting) in Bodega Bay
I love the name of your blog…it’s lovely and so apt to your life’s philosophy. Happy travelling!
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I really enjoyed your blog and travel pictures.