Begin again; a tribute and return to chasing the sun.

Hi there, 

Me again, what can I say, life sometimes gets the best of you. I have decided to come back to the things that make me tick. Since I have last written, life has not only taken so many turns, but I have evolved in so many ways more than I could even have imagined but also in ways that I see I manifested for myself. I decided to start off again right where I left off.

I see that I have drafts from Koh Samet, right before I left Thailand. I want to start first with a brief tribute to the younger 27 year old Sam that began this blog. Thank you, for reminding me of what really matters, remaining present, full of magic, wanderlust and excitement. Sometimes life gets so busy, we lose sight of what really matters. I took this year off in Thailand to dig in, challenge myself, meet new people and fully immerse myself in a new culture on the other side of the world. The friends I made are still a large part of my life and the experiences I was so lucky to have the opportunity to face have shaped the person I am today. I am so excited to inform you that this year of my life did in fact serve the very purpose I set out upon and do not regret one single moment. I have however noticed that after a good amount of traveling, I have the habit of biting off more than I can chew and I can tend to meet a very large hard brick wall called burn out, called burn out. She's an interesting character. bitter and cynical and full of fun lessons. I have decided to return to this blog after I have once again hit burn out. 

I plan to return to writing about my travels between Koh Samet and now including Bali, Australia, Europe, Mexico, my yoga teacher training in Costa Rica and my most recent highlight of skiing in Zermatt with my current partner and good friends from childhood. Throughout the years, travel has continued to prove to be best lifelong love affair I could have, both challenging and expanding my mind with every turn. I remain committed to the never ending wonders of this beautiful world no matter the heartbreaking realities that we face along the way, something we would call the inevitabilities of life, losing loved ones, watching the world of political warfare and hatred get the best of humanity day to day. Regardless, I remain committed to sharing the magic of this beautiful place we call this earth and the unexplored corners we have yet to navigate. I believe we should all remain curious. 

On this note, I return to you on the 13th day of a cross country road trip including 14 states, 5 national parks alongside partner of one year, a trusty English Bulldog Mack, a car bursting to the brim with keepsakes from this whirlwind journey and personal items, the highest levels of emotional and physical exhaustion and whimsical overstimulation during a journey of relocation traveling from Boston to Seattle. With my dog Mack, snoring next to me, I have reluctantly decided to take to the comforts of my room in Huntley lodge of Big Sky, Montana Ski Resort on a rainy afternoon on  September 9th 2025 post melt down to write. My partner Rob is currently working out in the fitness center downstairs and in the background I have the whimsical sounds of my favorite comfort flick 'You've Got Mail' with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. I have this terrible habit of writing with my favorite films on in the background mostly due to familiarity and fun soundtracks but also because they are the only things that allow me to feel at ease when I am homesick or feel like I am not myself. Although, I will admit I did this when I was crunching deadlines in graduate school. Maybe a maladaptive quirk? Take it how you must. It seems to work for me. My next few posts will highlight the weeks I have spent traveling with the love of my life and furry travel companion including travel tips, hotel suggestions and food recommendations!

I will leave you here with a few favorite photo teasers as I continue to publish the rest of our journey:

Until next time, Samantha Jane xx