Last year I started this series of ‘everywhere i traveled’ because I had a huge influx of pre-pandemic adventures. Turns out that didn’t stop! 2022 was more international-centric while 2023 was more domestic (with some exceptions!). It turns out we had a ton of local weddings & travel associated with that. So like last time - instead of just sharing photos, i’ll be sharing one lesser-known fact about each of the locations I hit in 2023 obvi with some photos.

In chronological order

1. Palm Beach, Florida: Palm Beach is home to the annual Eau Palm Beach Marathon, where participants run alongside the scenic Intracoastal Waterway and the ocean, making it one of the most picturesque marathon routes.

2. Miami, Florida: Miami is the only major city in the United States founded by a woman, Julia Tuttle.

3. Columbus, Ohio: Columbus is the birthplace of the iconic Oreo cookie and Wendys was also founded there.

4. White Haven, Pennsylvania: White Haven is near the historic Eckley Miners' Village, which is said to have inspired the eerie town of Centralia. Centralia is known for its underground coal mine fire that has been burning since 1962, creating an abandoned and eerie atmosphere.

5. Sarasota, Florida: Sarasota was once called “Circus City” after the influence of the Ringling Family.

6. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: The Dominican Republic is the only country in the world with a Bible on the flag and Mama Juana is an alcoholic drink unique to the Dominican Republic. It’s made from rum, red wine, honey, tree bark, and herbs. It’s also considered an aphrodisiac.

7. Alexandria, Washington DC: Alexandria was named after a man named John Alexander. John Alexander purchased the area from a man named Robert Howson, for the amazing price of 6,000 pounds of tobacco.

8. Karachi, Pakistan: Karachi has the haunted Frere Hall, which is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a British soldier. Some visitors claim to have witnessed paranormal activities in this historic building.

9. Tulum, Mexico: Tulum's original name is actually... Zama. In the Mayan language, it means "place of the dawning sun." Tulum is situated on the eastern side of the coast overlooking the Caribbean Sea, where you can witness the beauty of sunrise every day. So, the original name is a perfect match.

Ok technically this is cheating because I don’t think its fair to count NJ and NY but we’ll let it slide this time so I can hit 10. We’ll do a two for one, super local edition to round it off.

10. Somerset, New Jersey: Somerset was first settled in 1681, and most of the early residents were Dutch

10 [Bonus]. Cold Spring, New York: Rumor has it after a visit to the village, George Washington inspired the name of the town. After a drink from a local spring he commented it was refreshing and cold.

Some photos of the travels!

Link to Everywhere I traveled in 2022.