THE RAMBLER

For travelers who value people, place, and purpose.

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Hi Reader!

It’s a new year—and we’re trying something new. Our goal? Shorter newsletters, twice a month. Just enough to keep the connection alive, share stories that matter, and spark inspiration for wherever your next trip may take you.

But here's the truth: we haven’t booked our big overseas travel yet.

We’re not full-time travelers—and aside from a six-month retirement trip, we never have been. Like many of you, we’ve been fortunate to live in incredible places that have made local travel feel like a global adventure. And right now, we’re leaning into that again, discovering what it means to explore with intention here in our new home: Portland, Oregon.

Still, our hearts are pulled south. We’ve been keeping an eye on flights to South America, especially Ecuador, but so far… no great deals. (We're seriously wishing we lived closer to our son in Baltimore—Going keeps showing us dream-worthy fares out of BWI! Or that we wrote about Europe... Paris from Portland is running half price.)

On top of that, politics and safety are part of the equation. If you've been hesitating to book travel because of headlines and government warnings, you’re not alone. Scott and I have been deep in conversation about this.

That’s why Scott wrote this piece on how we make safety decisions when planning independent travel abroad—particularly to destinations like Colombia, Ecuador, or Mexico, where U.S. rhetoric can sometimes sound more alarming than informative:

​South America in Uncertain Times: A Travel Safety Guide​

We’re hopeful. We’ve lived abroad enough to know that U.S. embassy families often stay in place—even when the headlines turn dramatic. Context matters. And so does community.

Speaking of community...

We’re excited to announce in-person meetups coming to Portland in March, April, and May!​

Prefer virtual?​
We’re thinking about hosting an online Ramble and creating a digital space for deeper conversation. If that sounds like your kind of thing, hit reply or join our interest list here.

Thanks for Rambling With Us,

Angie & Scott

P.S. If you’ve read this far, you’re amazing! Want to support our work at no extra cost to you? If you plan to shop on Amazon, click ⇒ this link ⇐ first. We earn a small commission, and it helps us keep writing, reviewing, and traveling. Thank you! ❤️

Or, if you are an intentional woman traveler, join our next group trip to Ecuador in October!