Here in Indiana there are a few amusement parks, but nothing like other states.  Ohio has Cedar Point and Kings Island that are the closest to where I live.  I grew up going to Cedar Point.  I love roller coasters!  Hate the lines to get on, but I love the thrill, the adrenaline, the drops and slow ascents.  Cedar Point is my favorite.  I haven't been in years, but I remember it so well.  Kings Island isn't as big as Cedar Point and the rides are not as cool.  That's my opinion, only my opinion.  New coasters come and go, its 'low ride out' theory.  The rides that are getting the least action usually are torn down after a while and the next new bigger better faster coaster is born.  It's a far cry from The Disneys, because all the waiting is outside in long winding lines.  At Disney parks, you're mostly inside for the wait. The inside wait line is almost as cool as the rides usually.  It's nice so when it's raining you have somewhere dry to stand in line and the cues are air conditioned and June in Florida or California at an amusement park are hella hot!  It's still hot at CP but there is nice breeze off the lake there so its not terrible.  I've included links to the parks so you can find out more info and plan your next trip. 

Before I travel I always look at the city events, news and fun things happening while I'm going to be there and a lot of times I will download a travel app to use.  For an enjoyable and stress-free trip, these are the essential travel apps: Google Maps, Google Translate, Duolingo, and TripIt. These apps help with navigation, communication, language learning, and itinerary management.  I also look for a city specific app too and I never neglect checking Groupon for any and everything I might want while I'm on vacation.  It's a bit of prework before you travel, but I can promise you, you will not regret taking the extra time to make your trip *chefs kiss!

This week the conclave elected a brand new pope and for the first time he's from the United States, and not only the US but he's from the Southside of Chicago no less.  He is as american as it can get and I'm so excited for what I hope it means for us a society. He's a White Sox fan so we know he knows suffering, he's from the midwest so we know he understands rural and city issues equally and he's young enough to understand the real issues we're facing as a country.  Cardinal Robert Prevost chose the name Pope Leo XIV.  Leo has been chosen 13 times before and goes back to the OG Leo who met with *Atilla the Hun and asked him not to attack Rome. So it seems that new Pope Leo is going to stand up to oppressive political forces in the world and continue Pope Francis's work in the same way.  But what I'm really interested in is a bus tour of Pope Leo XIV stomping grounds in Chi Town.  Where did he like to eat, where did he shop, where did he like to get a coffee and slice of pie?  What seats did he have at the Sox game?  Was he a season ticket holder? It's Chicago, a city of innovators, I expect to see a #ChicagoJesus But Tour by the end of the summer.

The Institute for Quality of Life has released its Happy City index for the year, and Copenhagen, Denmark tops the list! They look at 82 indicators of happiness including: environment; economy; health; and mobility. Copenhagen ranks high due to its commitment to education, access to healthcare, and sustainability. Zurich came in second place, followed by Singapore. The highest-ranking American cities were New York and Minneapolis, which came in 17th and 30th place, respectively.  Find your city here : https://happy-city-index.com/ 

I love Mexico! From what I can remember anyway.  I went twice when I was in high school with my best friend and her family.  (sidebar: we are still best friends to this day) Her parents had a condo in Puerto Vallarta and so we went a couple times for Spring Break.  I loved it!  The weather was gorgeous, the shopping was good and the food was even better.  We were high schoolers so we had no business being in clubs down there, but there we were and it was really hecking fun. Mexico offers a great range of travel destinations, from vibrant cities to beautiful beaches and historical sites, and I tried to see them all.  We rode horses in the mountains and saw a Burt Reynolds statue.  Some of the best and most recommended places to visit in Mexico include Mexico City, Tulum, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, and of course, Puerto Vallarta.

The deadline for everyone to switch their licenses over to the REAL ID. is May 7, 2025.  After that date, your license will NOT be valid for air travel.  The REAL ID. is marked by either a gold star, the california bear or a black star.  Lines have been as long as 2 hours last week for people to get theirs. To get a REAL ID in Indiana, you'll need to provide documentation proving your identity, lawful status, Social Security number, and Indiana residency. This includes original documents such as a birth certificate or passport for identity and lawful status, your Social Security card or a W-2 form for your Social Security number, and two documents showing your Indiana address. 

I just went to get the Real ID last week and its a lot of info.  I havent changed my passport to my married name so I'm sure I can't travel with it, but I was able to use it at the BMV last week instead of my birth certificate which I absolutely can not locate.  Peep these travel tips before you take off::  https://wtop.com/travel/2025/03/steps-to-take-before-booking-international-travel-for-spring-and-summer/

Southwest Airlines is finally on bargain travel platforms like expedia and hotwire for the first time ever.  Previously you could only book Southwest flights on the Southwest direct link platforms.  This new deal will allow Southwest airlines to be more competitive with other airlines and let you and me finally get deals on Southwest trips.  It's just one of new changes bringing Southwest in line with its competitors. SW also plans to roll out assigned seating with extra legroom seats, in the coming months. Southwest recently began its first-ever red eye flights.  I have only flown red eye one time, and it was from FW to Chi to St Louis and it was so quiet and peaceful, almost eerie but I would definitely do it again.  I did not dig the layover, I never like doing that.  The longest ever time was like an 8 hour layover in Atlanta and it was before iphones.  It was just me and my blackberry for 8 long hours.  I like that Fort Wayne has more direct flights than ever and soon FWA will be flying direct to Myrtle Beach!  Use those vacation days.  Bon Voyage!

There is an all girl space trip taking place this spring and all the cool girlies are on the flight; Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchez.  So who is going to pilot this thing?  There is no pilot and everyone on board is a crew member.  The ladys won't be doing any space walking and it will be the same travel time as the past the flights on Blue Origin.  Elon Musk started the celebrities in space trend and Blue Origin is Jeff Besos version and tbh I'm obsessed with the idea. There have been 52 trips.  I talked to William Shatner right when he got back from his flight and he said it was one of the coolest things he's ever done and I can't help but think the most coolest thing he's ever done is this jam  (Mr Tambourine Man) This latest all girl flight is leaving from Texas and will be the first female only flight since the Russians did it in 1963.  This is also the first time out for New Shepard, which is a fully autonomous vehicle, with no specialized roles for the crew, hence, no pilot either. During the 11 minute flight they will touch the "Kármán line," the boundary of space, this is also when they'll be weightless and be able to see Earth too.  Civilian space travel seems awesome and definitely something I would love to!  I'll keep you in the loop about Katy and the girls.

I fully and honestly believe if you have easy taxes, you can do it yourself online.  But if you have any sort of claims or deductions or anything out of the ordinary with money, I would encourage you to definitely get yourself an accountant.  Their whole and actual job is to account for money that's yours and money that belongs to Samuel Jackson. JK They want Uncle Sam to get his fair part too. There are so many things to know about donations and work expenses etc and one of the big ones is 'how do I deduct mileage on my taxes?' The standard deduction is about .$67/ mile but obviously every workplace is different.  Here are some basic facts before you begin::  https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/taxes/2025/02/15/irs-mileage-rates-2024-reimbursement/78628678007/ 

I am married to a musician so that means that most celebrations he is working.  Valentines Day is no different.  He'll be playing a gig at a super club in town.  Am I sad that my husband has to work on valentines day?  Hell no my friend.  My man working on holidays means that I have a man that has a job.  I go to everything with him, so yes, we are still spending time together.  My father in law is in the same band so my mother in law will be my valentines date and I just absolutely love her, so I do not mind this at all.  I'll get fancy and have a girls nite out with delicious food and my husband is getting paid for it?  Done deal. We'll be at The Club Room at the Clyde for New Millenium Jazz Orchestra and a special vday dinner menu. No matter how you're celebrating or with who, my friends at Visit Fort Wayne have knocked it out of the park for a really great Valentines Day round up with all the best things to do for Valentines Day.  https://www.visitfortwayne.com/blog/stories/post/6-steps-to-a-romantic-valentines-day-weekend-in-fort-wayne-18018/ 

Someone along the way subscribed me to Travel + Leisure magazine a few years ago.  I have no idea who did, but I'm not mad at it.  I love to flip through an actual magazine and I think it looks good on the coffee table tbh.  Travel + Leisure says that the safest place to visit this year is Iceland.  And its for a ton of reasons too including very few car accidents due to the fact that they have very little traffic at all.  That makes total sense, but also a whole study going back all the way to 2016 has a bunch of real data and the whole list of all the other safeish places to visit.  https://www.travelandleisure.com/iceland-named-safest-country-for-2025-travel-berkshire-hathaway-travel-protection-8771792 

It's no secret that my entire social life revolves around Bravo shows and Below Deck is one of my favorites of the franchises.  If you're not familiar, its a show about the staff of charter boats.  Massive and beautiful yachts and sailboats. There is non stop chaos not only with the staff but also with the guests that charter the boats. And I gotta tell you, after watching every episode ever of every Below Deck I really do believe there is something to be said for cabin fever.  Not only did we see that in The Shining at The Stanley Motel, but watching these people break down by the end of the season, I have to believe it has something to do with being at sea for so long.  I stumbled across this show one day and ever since I was hooked.  I had no idea the 'yachty life' even existed.  Hospitality all over the world on a boat?  That sounds amazing!  Why didn't school teach me about that job? Some of the best episodes have been with other Bravolebrity's, including someone whos spray tan ruined the couch on the charter boat.  There have been below deck babies born and according to the mama on the reunion show, we all saw it happen on camera! There is a new season and this one is with Captain Jason and they're in the Seychelles.  The first episode is out now, check it out if only to see the sunshine and the beautiful water perfect.  https://www.bravotv.com/below-deck-down-under

I had no idea that this amazing invention even existed, but now that I know, I can't imagine sleeping in a hotel bed without it now.  They're not disposable like the paper at the dr office exam table.  These are actually woven fabric and although I don't imagine the thread count is very high, at least you'll feel more protected while sleeping in a strangers bed that also hundreds and hundreds of other strangers slept in.  You can get them from Amazon here https://amzn.to/3CrgYUb It's a whole set too sheets, pillowcase etc and comes in multiple sizes and since it's Amazon if you're traveling and forget them, you have them delivered to your door.

The way you mark wealth changes as you change, but for me when I was younger the first gauge of wealth was a swingset in the backyard, and then as I aged, the swingset changed and a wooden swingset in the backyard became the goal. Now for me, its a garage refrigerator.  If you have a fridge in your garage I automatically think you're doing very well.  The kind of 'very well' that you can just pump gas and stare off in the distance until the pump stops. I used to believe anytime you had a salaried position that was a sign of wealth.  But what is really considered rich these days? Most people said that $2.5 million would mean rich, but turns out, there is no set amount.  It's all relative to where you live and how wealthy the people around you are.  $100,000 is a great salary for a small town in the midwest, but for someone living in NYC that is healthy salary, but definitely not a rich girls salary.  Some indicators if people around you have money is if they own their home, if their children are in sports and if they travel.  When you have money you have better access to mental health care and you know how important vacations are and they're just part of your families lifestyle budget.  Bon Voyage baby!

My youngest son and some of my best friends live in Charlotte, NC and are seeing snow right now.  They're not used to it, so its fun and exciting and it'll all be over soon enough for them.  But here in Indiana its going to be winter for at least fiftyleven more months so lets make the most of it. Pokagon State Park has an absolute fantastic toboggon and the cutest cabins if you're up for a small drive.  I like to stay at the Potawatomi Inn when I go.  There's a hot tub, a pool, cute rooms and a super delicious restaurant.  The Indiana Dunes State park has a big sledding hill called Devils Slide thats also so much fun!  In South Bend there is a 16, 000 foot pond that they use for ice skating.  My friends at Visit Indiana put together this cute travel guide, check it out for your next getaway. https://www.visitindiana.com/winter/cozy/ 

Let me start with Gate Lice and how that is probably not what you think it is either.  "Gate lice" is a not so nice term for passengers who try to board a flight before their group is called. It's considered impolite because it makes it difficult for others to board the plane.  American Airlines announced new technology that is aimed at stopping this.  With the new technology, if you're not in the correct boarding group there will be a beep and every single person in the terminal will know that you are a line jumper.  And also, you will not get to board the plane early.  So that brings us to Aisle Lice.  “Aisle lice,” on the other hand, points to passengers who push through others in an attempt to deplane before anyone else.  I can admit to being an Aisle Louse but never pushy or rude, but I do like to deplane right away.  Because yes, I am in a hurry...to get to the rental car.  The rental car line at the airport after you've already been flying is just the absolute worst.  Not by any fault of their own.  It is what it is, but if I can avoid it, I like to do that.  When the plane lands I pop up like a ground hog!  I am in that car rental line before most passengers are off the plane.  I'm not pushing anyone, I'm not rushing anyone, but also I am  not letting anyone out into the aisle in front of me either.  So who's worse?  The Gate Lice or the Aisle Lice?  I'll let you decide. https://www.foxnews.com/travel/aisle-lice-latest-air-travel-annoyance-spark-social-media-debate 

I was aware of the *REAL ID law going into effect this year but I wasn't aware of these other 5 sneaky new travel rules.  I do not have an international travel planned which is good news because I haven't changed over my passport to my married last name yet. 

Whether you only know Pablo Escobar because you got sucked into 'Narcos' on Netflix or you are just a general fan of ex drug king pins, this is the AirBnb for you!  I have never actually stayed in an airbnb or vrbo or anything of the sort.  I like hotels.  I do not want to clean up after myself on vacation and I feel like there is a lot of that involved with staying in someone elses house and no thank you.  I do love to look at them though.  I like to go to the sites and search for exotic stays and just look at the pictures of how insanely creative people can get with their homes to rent them to other people.  When I came across this listing for Pablo Escobars private jet, I obviously had to check it out.  The converted 727-100 business jet is permanently grounded as an Airbnb in Bristol, England.  What can you expect?  The king pin quarters includes two double bedrooms, as well as working airstairs, lighting, shower, kitchen, fridge and of course a golden toilet. And yes, its Miami Vice themed too!  If you're interested in playing gangster on a budget you can stay in Pablo Escobars jet airbnb for just about $300/ night.  Take the kids on a family vacation they'll never forget and bonus points for calling it an educational historical trip. https://www.vice.com/en/article/pablo-escobars-private-jet-is-now-an-airbnb/ 

I didn't grow up as a traveler.  Cedar Point was pretty consistent in my life.  Sometimes we would go Kings Island but that is about as far as I had traveled until I went to Mexico my junior year of high school and I knew then that it was too good for your soul not to do forever. Little did I know as a junior in high school how expensive travel is.  My best friends parents had a condo in Mexico so by the time I had graduated I had traveled more than most adults I knew and definitely more than anyone in my family.  I was a world traveler now baby.  Then it all ended. It was over. I was a broke ass adult and out of school and only hit Cedar Point maybe every other year or so.  When I first started dating my husband he took a week long trip to Florida, it was around his birthday and he took his young son but secretly I still thought that seemed a bit indulgent. Then he started talking about a 'Spring Break' trip.  And then I knew that this wasn't something he just did ocassionally, he took 2 vacations a year. Every year. I was like yaaaaaaassssssssss this is what I'm talking about!  Now I get it and I love it and we go 2-3 times a year.  We always reconnect during vacation.  With each other and with ourselves too.  Work work work is the culture but travel is really where the balance should be.  Get out of your element and see other things, pretend you're other people, get your passport stamped. Put it in your budget and believe me when I tell you it really does so much for your soul and it can be as affordable as you need it to be.  With a little work you can find great flight deals and hotels and when you see them, jump on them.  Bien!

I love to travel. My favorite sound in the world is the sound of my luggage rolling through the airport.  I am just a regular suitcase traveler but I see all these travel accessories and gadgets for travel like cups holders that clip on your suitcase so you're not trying to handle a cup while you're searching for your boarding pass. But not for me because my husband has my boarding pass on his phone as I am the Passenger Princess,  I am however interested in a travel neck pillow.  I have never used them before because honestly for whatever reason, I always thought they were kind of dorky.  I don't even know why I think that, but when I think of travel pillows, it is never someone attractive carrying one.  Which is obviously nuts because they're not just for ugly dorks.  In fact, we should all be using a travel pillow. Except for those ostrich pillow things.  I am not doing that.  I lived in a time when dancing involved a lot of neck. This neck has been through some rough dance moves.  Multiple car wrecks, rollercoasters, turbulence, all of it has lead to an achy neck.  Yet, even so, I get on that plane multiple times a year without a travel pillow.  I see everyone around me snoozing comfy and not worrying if they packed the aspirin or not because definitely there will be some neck pain in the rental to the hotel.  But yet, I still get on that plane without a travel pillow.  One time we were at the airport and here comes my husband walking from the airport store, with a travel pillow.  One travel pillow.  Just the one.  For him.  I knew it was for him because it was blue.  If it were for me it would've been pink.  He's super observant and thoughtful like that.  But still, JUST THE ONE comfy travel neck pillow.  But I am ready and the time is right.  I am not getting on a plane again without a travel neck pillow.  But not a jenky one.  I feel like they're a status symbol at the airport lounge.  If I am doing it, it has got to be a nice one.  Maybe a lavender scented one. Firm but soft too.  I guess it would be nice if maybe was bluetooth also so that I could pack my earbuds instead of leaving them loose.  (*sidenote:: last time I flew I dropped my earbud holder with earbuds inside because of course! I was so mad because I was sure they were going to slide to the back of the plane and I would never see them again.  They slid around a bit and I stepped on them and held them under my shoe for the entire plane ride.  All the way from PIE to FWA I had that little earbud holder trapped under my sneaker) My next trip is probably Florida spring break so this is the time to be scouting around for my new and not dorky travel neck pillow.  I traveled all around the internet to find you this list of all the best neck pillows out there. https://www.cntraveler.com/story/travel-pillows

Christmas Vacation is essentially over and you and your kids are probably headed back to work and to school in a few days.  If you're traveling today you already know that Saturday travel is typically cheaper than a Friday or Sunday flight.  I personally love a Saturday return home because then I feel better about going back on Monday.  I like to have that Sunday rest day in there.  I am always looking for easy cheap travel hacks to make the adventure even easier.  Here are some of my favorite tips and I'm always open to new ones, so tell me your favorites too.  https://www.buzzfeed.com/anamariaglavan/things-dont-believe-in-checking-a-bag

Visit Fort Wayne is such a little hidden gem downtown.  If you've never been, you'll find incredible artwork, really cute hoodies and apparel, Christmas ornaments, greeting cards............. just like so much.  It's perfect for your out of town friends and family when you're looking for a unique gift to remind them of home.  But they're also a really great resource for what's poppin' in your area.  They house information like the where the best hotels are, and what restaurants are the best.  They also sometimes have tickets to events happening in the area and all you have to do is ask.  All that being said, it all goes for Visitors centers in other cities.  Most cities have their own visitors center with info, coupons, merch exclusive to them.  Once a few years ago the visitors center here in town invited me to be a 'celebrity phone bank worker' at the visitors center one afternoon.  It was a whole day of rotating people, maybe it was 'visitors center day' I honestly don't remember but it was very fun and we stuffed envelopes full FW info, so that is where I got that little hack.  I always request info from visitors centers when we're traveling.  I get it a few weeks in advance just in case something cool is happening in the city while we're there.  Give our visitors center a try the next time you're looking for great local art or the perfect present.  Find them here and tell them I sent you!! https://www.visitfortwayne.com/