Planning Adventures Big and Small

About Sarah Puckett
Asia
North America
Oceania
Travel Planning and Budgeting
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About Sarah Puckett
Asia
North America
Oceania
Travel Planning and Budgeting
Contact Me

Asia

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Recent Posts

Instagram Photo Spots in Madison, Wisconsin
How to Travel with Anxiety Without it Keeping You Down
Tongariro Crossing Hike – Guide to NZ’s Best Day Trek
Cape Reinga Day Trip New Zealand
Port Arthur Day Trip

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Keep up with me on Insta!

organized_adventurer

Long-term travel with a side of 9-5
Living in WI, working in Cali
Travel guides and planning tips ⬇️

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@timjohnkub in my eyes and @maracatadventures in my arms ❤️my whole heart in a photo.

Tim and I took Mara on a Saturday drive this weekend. She's proven herself to be a good little traveler - she's already taken 3 flights and countless car rides, and she's only 7 months old.

We love bringing Mara with us when running errands. She sits happily in my lap or in the backseat, curiously observing everything (or napping!). Admittedly, she gets a lot of attention everywhere we go - people aren't used to seeing cats out and about 😂

We're trying to figure out how to foster her wild cat instincts while also keeping her healthily skeptical of going outside on her own.

Unfortunately, she ran out the front door for the first time ever Saturday night. She's never walked out the door before (not even on a leash - we always put her in her carrier when going from the condo to the car), so it was all a bit traumatic for me.

Thankfully we were able to get her back inside pretty immediately. We've put a spray bottle by the front door which we've used to deter her from the kitchen table, counters, etc., thinking it'll discourage her from going near the door as well. We've also ordered a pet screen to serve as an extra barrier between the hallway and the door, and finally put her in a collar tagged with her name, phone, and address.

Tips on how to raise an adventure cat who isn't TOO adventurous gratefully recieved 😻

Do you travel with your fur baby?

#Wisconsin #madisonwisconsin #visitusa #visitmadison #madisonwi #travelWI #devilslake #winterwonderland #travelcat #adventurecat #catsagram #kittensofinstagram #catsofmadison #usatravel #exploreusa #iamtb #thetraveltag #adventuregirl #gltlove #girlslovetravel #catswhotravel
#americatravel #wisconsinwinter
#catloversclub #catsofinstagram #backpackersintheworld

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Don't let anyone tell you it's impossible.

A year after we watched the documentary series Frozen Planet about the world's polar regions, we were en route to Antarctica. Just a year prior, we had no idea this was a place anyone could even go to.

Gripped by the scenes of adorable and clumsy penguins in the documentary, I told Tim we simply HAD to go there.

He looked at me like I had turned into a penguin myself. This isn't a place people go, he said.

I asked him if I could figure out a way to go, if he'd be down for the journey. He said yes, probably not realizing I was serious 😂

Fast forward to the day this photo was taken in March 2014. We were on a small inflatable zodiac boat in the middle of what was called an Iceberg Graveyard. We were surrounded by skyscrapers of ice floating all around us.

The sun was staring to get lower, casting a pink hue across the sky. Another zodiac boat neared an iceberg that looked oddly like a ship itself.

The hardest thing to comprehend about Antarctica is its scale. Only when you're right there can you fully understand it.

Would you go to Antarctica?

#antarctica #antarcticadventure #polartravel #quarkexpeditions #icebergs #iamtb #thetraveltag #optoutside #womenwhoexplore #gltlove #girlslovetravel #worldnomads #lonelyplanet #afar #backpackersintheworld #proudtobeftb #femaletravelbloggers #antarcticaexpedition #antarctic #antarcticpeninsula #cntraveler #travelandleisure #travel_capture #travelgram #traveladdict

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"It isn't the great big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones." - Jean Webster

Traveling the world with my best friend and soul mate is without a doubt one of my life's great big pleasures.

Setting up a makeshift lunch spot deep in the Andes Mountains with a lopsided 3-legged table, worn out from climbing to 5000 meters, salty with sweat, warm and relaxed in the sunshine with stunning views of Ausangate straight ahead - simple, uncomplicated, perfect. Yes, this moment is one of my life's greatest little pleasures.

What's one of your greatest little pleasures?

#peru #perutravel #visitperu #discoverperu #cusco #cuscoperu #visitcusco #peru🇵🇪 #ausangate #backpackersintheworld #womenwhoexplore #hikerchicks #gltlove #iamtb #thetraveltag #adventuregirl #wearetravelgirls #proudtobeftb #femaletravelbloggers #peruadventure #perutrip #andesmountains #southamericatravel #southamericatrip #optoutside #womenwhohike #travelperu

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The best little Brazilian town you've never heard of 😍
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Just a few hours drive from Rio de Janeiro sits the perfectly charming cobblestone town of Paraty. At this point I can't really recall how or why we ended up planning to spend a few days there last year, but I'm definitely glad we did.
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Colorful homes, beach bars galore, all the acai bowls, and relatively few tourists made this one of my favorite towns I've visited. I would go back to Brazil just to go back to Paraty.
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Especially if you're planning a trip for Carnaval, this is a perfect town to celebrate. The party in Paraty is true to local traditions and you won't find any of the over-the-top commercialism of Rio's Carnaval celebration. Instead, locals and visitors alike parade through the streets in the evenings, eventually arriving at the main square, where people of all ages dance, eat, and drink throughout the night.
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During the day, the celebrations take place at a nearby beach where the muddy ground is said to have health benefits. Everyone covers themselves head to toe in mud and dances around to live music all day. It's a celebration unlike anything else I've ever seen.
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Have you heard of Paraty before?
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#brazil #brazilgram_ #braziltravel #brasil🇧🇷 #brazil🇧🇷 #brazilsuperphotos #paraty #visitbrazil #paratyrj #iamtb #thetraveltag #backpackersintheworld #adventurecouple #travelustcouples #marriedtravelers #globecouples #journeysofcouples #paratybrasil #coupleswhoexplore #couplestravelgoals

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Our earth is walking on thin ice.
Like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie, this eerie exhibit where the Statue of Liberty appears nearly submerged in ice makes an occasional appearance on downtown Madison, Wisconsin's Lake Mendota. It's always reminded me of the washed up Statue of Liberty in Planet of the Apes, and the spooky winter disaster scenes from The Day After Tomorrow.
Unlike this photo though, our warming planet is not an illusion.
We've had an unseasonably warm winter this year. Our lakes, which normally freeze solid for several months, are still not completely frozen through. This exhibit is usually placed further out on the ice, but the warmer temps this year meant the ice was too thin.

According to scientists, the number of ice coverage days each winter has dropped 35% since 1855. 🙀

According to the EPA, we can also blame global warming for increased heavy rainstorms in Wisconsin, like the one the flooded my own neighborhood in downtown Madison in 2018.

How have you seen signs of climate change in your town?

#Wisconsin #madisonwisconsin #visitusa #wisconsingirl #visitmadison #usatravel #exploreusa #iamtb #thetraveltag #adventuregirl #wearetravelgirls #womenwhoexplore #americatravel #winterwonderland #wisconsinwinter #backpackersintheworld #gltlove #girlslovetravel #climatechangeisreal

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You belong among the wildflowers 🌾 🌷
In 2014 we set out on a 5-day hike in Chilean Patagonia's Torres del Paine National Park. It's the only multi-day hike we've done completely on our own, without a guide or porter. I generally don't recommend going on multi-day hikes solo unless you're knowledgeable and well-equipped, but most people with day hiking experience could navigate the W Trek solo (so-called because you hike the form of the letter W). One of the benefits of hiking on our own was having such an expansive wilderness seemingly to ourselves. One moment we'd be surrounded by epic lakes and mountain vistas, and the next by a surprising and beautiful bloom of purple flowers.
You've likely seen photos from some of the W Trek's iconic views, but I wanted to share something a little more intimate and unique. While the big views are amazing, the little ones are too❤️ Swipe for some of the more famous spots!
Tips for hiking in Torres del Paine:

1. Wear good hiking boots – waterproof as you will hike across many streams, and thick-soled as it is very rocky.

2. Prepare for any weather. We saw rain, heavy wind, freezing temps, sunshine, and t-shirt weather all in one day.
3. Leave your luggage at your hotel in Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales (wherever you are staying and returning to before and after your hike) and pack lightly, as you need to carry your things from site to site during the hike. We packed one set of pajamas, one set of hiking clothes, and 3 pairs of underwear each for the 5 day hike.

4. There are refugios (small hotels and dorms) with warm beds and hot meals along the trail, so you don't need to carry food and a tent unless you want to avoid the cost of accommodations and food. Book in advance online, as they fill up fast every season.
5. Arrange the trip yourself, not through a travel agent. Though a travel agent is easier, it costs a lot more and the people we talked to were not entirely pleased with their services. We booked everything ourselves and it is not too challenging to figure it all out with a little help from Google.
Have you been to Patagonia?

#chilenatural #patagonia #patagoniachile #coupleswhohike #thetraveltag

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SETTING GOALS

For the first time in literally years, I just wrote down a list of goals for my next trip around the sun. My birthday Monday got me thinking about my age, how fast time moves, what I've done, and what I want to do next.
Ever since Tim and I returned from our round the world trip, I've been feeling rather directionless in my readjustment. For so long, planning this trip was my big "what's next", and now that it's over, I've been trying to figure out what my "next" is. What do I want my life to look like a year from now? When I picture it, how do I feel and what am I doing? What kind of person do I see?

My goals are focused on ways to make myself more PRODUCTIVE and less DISTRACTED. I want to be deliberate and mindful with how I spend my time.

Rather than eliminating bad habits, I've decided to structure my goals around adding good ones.

Here's what I came up with:

1. Become a morning person
2. Read more (1 book/month)

3. Write more (start with 10 minutes/day)

4. Meditate daily (20 minutes)
5. Exercise 5x/week (30 minutes)

6. Eat clean 80% of the time

It doesn't stop there though. Goals are just dreams until you actually identify specific steps. So that's what I'll be doing next.

Do you have a current goal?

ABOUT THIS SHOT: 📍 Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Tips for visiting:
The only way to get to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain is to take one of the cable cars shown in this photo.

It's a popular spot for sunset, but get there an hour early to beat crowds and still enjoy gorgeous golden light.

If you buy your cable car ticket online, you get a 10% discount (making it $26 USD/person). PS - can you spot the Christ Redeemer statue on top of the mountain on the right?! #brazil #brazil🇧🇷 #braziltravel #visitbrazil #iamtb #thetraveltag #backpackersintheworld #sugarloafmountain #riodejaneiro #rio #rdj #brazilgram_ #brazilsuperphotos #gltlove #girlslovetravel #sheisnotlost #wearetravelgirls #darlingescapes #womenwhoexplore #riodejaneirotrip #riodejaneiroinstagram #riodejaneirotop #brazilgram #brasil🇧🇷 #brasil_greatshots

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It's my birthday and I'm celebrating by taking a pre-dawn flight across the country for work 😂🤷🏼‍♀️
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It's not my favorite way to spend my birthday sunrise, but things could be worse. Last year on my birthday, Tim and I both still had salmonella poisoning from a cake batter debacle in Guatemala.
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Things could also be better. This year, I'm in a walking boot from my broken ankle and just finished a round of antibiotics from an infection I had last week. I was even supposed to go to London last weekend to visit my college roommate. When I broke my ankle, I had to cancel that trip. Tim and also had to postpone my birthday tradition of going to the indoor waterparks at Wisconsin Dells. .
But I was upgraded to first class on my flight this morning, got to spend all weekend with my husband @timjohnkub and our fur baby @maracatadventures, and Tim surprised me with my favorite dessert of all time (baklava cheesecake from a specific Greek restaurant outside of Atlanta, Georgia). And I'm pretty grateful for all of that.
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That said, after being out of commission for 2 birthdays in a row, I told Tim we're celebrating hard next year and going to Vegas to make up for missed birthday celebrations. 😂
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Do you have any birthday traditions?
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📍 Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
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TIPS- If you travel to the Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia between December and April, you'll get to stand on the world's largest mirror. Thanks to the thin layer of water that stands on the salt flats during the wet season, the ground reflects a mirror image of the sky above. Start your visit before dawn so you can see the sunrise in the sky and on the ground 😍
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#bolivia #bolivia🇧🇴 #boliviasaltflats #boliviatravel #explorebolivia #boliviatrip #uyuni #uyunisaltflats #uyunibolivia #iamtb #thetraveltag #backpackersintheworld #adventurecouple #coupleswhohike #travelustcouples #journeysofcouples #creativetravelcouples #travelingcouple #travelcouple #travelduo

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Is it ETHICAL to visit Myanmar?
With the ongoing persecution and genocide carried out by the Myanmar military against the Rohingya minority group, I think it's a question a lot of people considering travel to the region would have. No one wants to support genocide or human rights violations, even inadvertently.
Ultimately, we decided that the benefits that tourism can bring to a country that has, for decades, had very little of it, were worth visiting for. A lot of people disagree, and that's OK. Deciding where to travel or not is a personal decision, and when you throw moral questions into the mix, it's even more so.
Without trying to change anyone's opinion, I want to share some of the reasons why we decided that visiting Myanmar was a moral choice for us:

Tourism brings money. Most people working in tourism in Myanmar work for private businesses, meaning your money benefits the people, in particular the lower class.
The military IS NOT the same as the government in Myanmar. They are two separate entities. When you pay for a Myanmar visa, your money goes to social services like education and healthcare, not to the military.
If Tim and I were to decide to boycott Myanmar on moral grounds, we'd have to be consistent. Would this mean no travel to Australia until all lands are returned to aboriginals; no travel to Japan until they stop commercial whaling; no travel to my own country, the USA, until we stop caging children at our southern border? Maybe for some people the answer would be yes, and that's fine, but for us, it was a slippery slope and not practical.
When I think of the kind monk who taught us to meditate, the student who practiced his English with us, the family on Inle Lake who welcomed us into their home, and the guides (all women!!) who spoke with such pride about the Myanmar history and culture, I am reminded that some of our most meaningful travel connections happened in this country.
Let's have a kind, constructive discussion - Are there any places you won't travel to because of ethical concerns? 📍Hsinbyume Pagoda, Mingun, Myanmar

#Myanmar #myanmartravel #myanmartrip #myanmarburma #myanmartourism #backpackersintheworld

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