Author: Aimee Cebulski

Author Aimee Cebulski has been furiously catching up on lost time as a traveler after a five-year battle with fear of flying grounded her dreams of visiting far-flung destinations in her mid-20s. Now, she’s proud to have 52 stamps in her passport and considers each new one a triumph over fear. She’s worked as a freelance writer and photographer for almost 15 years and currently calls San Diego, California home. Her work has been featured in a number of travel, business and lifestyle magazines, web sites and photo galleries. She recently combined her love of travel, new cultures and writing with release of The Finding 40 Project (www.finding40.net), a book about women turning 40 years old around the world. Always encouraging friends and families to follow their adventurous spirit, she believes strongly in the eye-opening power of travel and can’t wait for her next destination, whatever it may be! After returning from a volunteer trip to Cambodia in 2008, she organized and hosted a photo exhibition of her work called “Photography Works,” which raised more than $2,000 to fund water programs for The Trailblazer Foundation and Imagine Ankgor.


Woman holding her face joyfully into the sky

Do research. Plan trip. Get on plane, train, or in an automobile. Spend hours, sometimes days, in transit. Get to XYZ amazing destination and immediately begin thinking about how to have the best Instagram posts, take the most amazing photos and use all the amenities at your hotel.

Unfortunately, the stress of getting to a destination, along with the pressure to make the most of it and document every moment, can cause a traveler to …

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Sunset at Bucerías town in Riviera Nayarit

Just barely 30 minutes outside the hustle and crowds of Puerta Vallarta lies charming Bucerías, a beach town offering the best of two experiences: Traditional Mexican beach town with lots of over-ocean restaurants, a town square and cobblestone streets and a more modern, upscale district offering trendy boutiques, rental condos and a variety of cuisine options.

Long a popular getaway and destination spot for Puerta Vallarta residents and seasonal snowbirds, Bucerías has been growing with …

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"Wooden signpost with 'Baja California' text pointing right, set against a picturesque backdrop of lush vineyards and mountain ranges, showcasing the scenic beauty of Mexico's wine country destinations."

Baja California’s raw beauty and stunning contrasts draw visitors year-round. Most common is the entry point at Tijuana, just south of San Diego. While convenient to accessing the area’s coastal towns of Puerto Nuevo, Roasarito and Ensenada, the border crossing is large and somewhat confusing, and drivers need to be quick on their toes to catch the right road out of town. Coming back into the United States, this crossing can be a nightmare, with …

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Alt text: "Aerial view of a picturesque coastal village with dense housing flanked by lush green hills, facing a tranquil blue sea with a sandy beach lined by colorful umbrellas and palm trees, embodying a perfect tropical paradise for travelers seeking serene

Sayulita, Mexico isn’t Cancun or Cabo San Lucas — The coast is not dotted with all-inclusive resorts, and it’s not a Spring Break mecca — And that suits those just fine that that choose to visit this sleepy hamlet about an hour north of Puerta Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific Coast in the region known as “Riviera Nayarit.”

Built around the protected Bahia (Bay) de Banderas, the Sierra Madre mountains ring Sayulita and provide immediate elevation …

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"Sunset over a serene city skyline with silhouetted palm trees and reflective waterfront for an idyllic urban vacation destination"

Any trip to San Diego is likely filled with visits to the beach, perhaps the World-Famous San Diego Zoo, maybe even Sea World, or the museums of Balboa Park. Once you’ve checked off the ‘must-do’ tourist items on any San Diego sightseeing list, how about some off-the-radar stops popular with locals to grab a little peace and quiet and re-center?

#1 Self Realization Temple and Gardens — Encinitas

Located 20 miles north of Downtown San …

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Aerial View of Borgarnes, Iceland

Iceland’s most scenic and popular route is the “Golden Circle” of approximately 300 kilometers of breathtaking views, often traversed in a circular pattern out and back from Reykjavik. Within the Golden Circle lie some of the country’s top attractions, including Þingvellir National Park, the spectacular Gullfoss waterfalls, and Geysir in the heart of an active geothermal valley.

One of the best parts of the Golden Circle is Iceland’s well-developed and easy to follow system of …

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Rolls of various currencies from different countries

Imagine an overseas trip without spending a single Euro, Pound, Yuan, Yen, or Peso – at least not in the literal sense.

I recently returned from a 3+ week trip to Stockholm and several Baltic nations, including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, along with a quick stop in Poland.  The entire time, not a single coin or bill passed from my hands to a restaurant or store owner.

OK, fair disclosure — I did spend one …

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Gold mask from the old museum

Colombia — The land of drug runners, cartels and kidnappings, right? You might be thinking of the Colombia of old. This diverse gem nestled at the top of South America with coasts kissing both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea has successfully emerged from underneath a less than desirable reputation a few decades ago due to rampant drug trade and violence.

Now, tourists have been dipping their toes back into the country, enjoying some of

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Pacific Grey Whale

Whoosh – a giant burst of air breaks out of the water, and you are showered by a gentle mist that smells vaguely of salt and fish.  Immediately next to your small fishing (panga) boat, a gentle giant rises to the surface for an up close and personal encounter like nothing else on earth. 

The warm, protected lagoons of Baja California’s central Pacific coast, about 400 miles south of the US-Mexico border, are the perfect …

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Do research. Plan trip. Get on a plane, train, or in an automobile. Spend hours, sometimes days, in transit. Get to XYZ amazing destination and immediately begin thinking about how to have the best Instagram posts, take the most amazing photos, and use all the amenities at your hotel.

Unfortunately, the stress of getting to a destination, along with the pressure to make the most of it and document every moment, can cause a traveler …

Read More