Adulting is the sweetest con. We have bills, deadlines, responsibilities, bad hair, diets, politics…the list seems never-ending and always suffering. There was a time when none of these things mattered. When the only pending deadline was bedtime and a storybook. A time when we fought with wooden swords as pirates and princesses with animal crackers and apple juice in tow.
Now, as those memories blur, we escape these demands and nuances by traveling. We travel to explore, to grow our minds, and to enrich our lives. We travel for that much-needed break from the grind and to fill our wander lusting heart’s desires.
We travel to keep dreaming and, we dream so we can believe that all the shit we take as adults is for a purpose.
“Growing up isn’t simply getting old, growing up is when you don’t believe anymore.”
― J.M. Barrie
Becoming the “Fairytale Traveler” was not a transition that was made overnight but it was a natural one. The creation of this travel blog came from a very personal part of me. I have always dreamed of fairy tales and castles in the clouds, and the idea of abandoning those dreams in my adult life seemed so unfair.
So, I set out on a mission to research all of the fairy tales that grew my heart, crafted my imagination, and taught me how to dream. I documented all of the places related to the famous works of fairy tale writers. This was the beginning of my fantastic journey to becoming a “Fairytale Traveler.”
It wasn’t long before my curiosity led me to understand that there is a whole layer of mythology and folklore dating back hundreds to thousands of years that anchor these fantastic storybook journeys that we took as children.
Sourcing destinations and places related to folklore, legend, and mythology allowed me to appreciate culture in a way I had never done before. It created a deep connection, deep, deep inside the caves of my heart, where a tiny light was still glowing from my childhood dreams. It was that connection that created a mission to uncover these magical places.
Before I knew it I was “The Fairytale Traveler,” waking up in castles, hiking into wondrous caves, and interviewing passionate people like Robin Hood of Nottingham. I was on journeys through the Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, chasing the Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow, NY, and exploring the preservation of the Book of Kells in Dublin.
I was taking the off-beaten path on a unicorn with wings to places that I only thought existed in fairytales – feeding not only my wanderlust but my addiction to adventure, the great outdoors, luxury, history, and culture.
And my journey was just beginning.
After thousands of miles of traveling since May, of 2013 I really started to crack open this metaphoric magical egg and found myself on some pretty fantastic adventures. In 2014 I arrived at one of my greatest highlights, the addition of my son “The Little Fairytale Traveler.” Together, we’ve learned a lot about travel.
For me, being a Fairytale Traveler is not just about traveling the world and feeding my travel and storybook addictions, it’s about enriching my son’s life with culture and ideas. As a single mother, like any parent, I want great things for my child.
The opportunity for him to travel the globe and explore the very fairy tales and legends that I read him at night is one that video games and television cannot contend with. Watching his heart and mind grow, seeing the enchantment tangle within his soul, and knowing that I am providing him with the idea that you can do anything you love, makes my job the best one in the world.
“Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”
– C.S. Lewis
