It is officially the snowbird travel season! In colder regions, many individuals like yourself choose to escape the harsh climates and retreat to warmer areas from October to April - depending on where you live, of course. Living in Chicago, and if you know me even just a little bit, you know that I'm eager to get the heck out of dodge when the snow starts to roll in!

Keep scrolling for some highlights on fall and winter travel, learn about the science of wanderlust, see where I'm off to next and head to my website to download my personal packing list.

Cheers!

While it might not feel like fall just yet, soon daylight savings time will end, nights will continue to get longer, the leaves will begin to change and the cold weather will start moving in...

For about 5% of adults, that also means the return of seasonal depression or SAD. SAD is linked to a biochemical imbalance in the brain prompted by days filled with shorter daytime hours and less sunlight. Plus no one really wants to go out to dinner let alone a fun outdoor activity when its cold, dark and windy.

The Caribbean and Costa Rica are excellent places to travel to in winter because it's the off season for those areas. Off season tends to be before and after the holidays, not during, and prior to Spring Break. You'll miss the rainy season too - so it's both beautiful and a less expensive option than traveling during the spring or summer. Book your winter vacations NOW!

I stumbled across an article a couple weeks ago that talked about the risk gene. I'd never heard of such a thing and how it related to travel!

You're probably heard of dopamine, the "pleasure chemical" that is released in our brains when something good happens.

Scientists have found that having lots of dopamine in certain parts of the brain can lead to more impulsive, risky behaviors. And it turns out that some people have all that extra dopamine because they possess a specific variant of the DRD4 gene known as the 7R+ allele.

Well, studies have linked the 7R+ variant to a wide range of behaviors. People with this variant are much more likely to make a financial gamble in hopes of a bigger payout. They might be predisposed to entrepreneurship, gambling, etc...but they are also more likely to travel to distant, foreign lands.

To explore. To experience...to wander, perhaps? Have we found an explanation behind wanderlust?

Check it Out

Since my trip to Spain was rescheduled for April 2022 (because, hey, that's travel for ya these days!), I had some free time on my hands this month.

As fate would have it, I've since been invited by ASTA, The American Society of Travel Advisors and the Kaanapali Beach Resort Association, to participate in an Educational Journey to Maui instead! I'll be staying at and visiting resorts on the island of Maui as well as participating in other activities that are specific to the Hawaiian culture. I can't wait to share more with you!

You should follow me on Facebook and Instagram using the links below so you don't miss any of my Maui journey or any of my journeys, for that matter. Full disclosure, I post a lot of pictures and stories while I travel.

If you want to go to Hawaii too, I highly recommend working with a travel advisor as things are changing all the time and I wouldn't want you to lose out on any hard earned time and/or money!

What does a travel agent pack for a trip? It is so easy to forget your essential items back at home...we've all done it!

But most packing problems can be easily avoided with just a little bit of planning. Aside from things like clothes and toiletries, I have a special process for every trip...