Once upon a time, it seems—at least to me—that linen was linen. Visit any thrift store with a decent amount of linen from 15+ years ago, and I suspect much of it will feel the same, regardless of the brand: cool, crisp, and dense. And if you’re lucky, it will also feel soft, because its ... The post Effortless Summer Style: An Honest Review of Universal Standard’s Size-Inclusive Linen first appeared on wayward ..read more

Summerville is a town with a pleasant-sounding name that has caught my eye many times when scrolling about on Google Maps, looking for new-to-me destinations. (I call this “mapsurfing,” and I find it fuels my travel-hungry mind far more than mindlessly scrolling Instagram or TikTok). So when the team at Santee Cooper Country Tourism Region reached out to commission an article for their website, well, how could I say no to visiting the city with a sunny name? My visit to Berkeley County was generously hosted by the team at Santee Cooper Country Tourism Region for the purposes of creating c ..read more

As budget airlines like Spirit and Frontier become stricter with personal item rules and some legacy carriers begin charging exorbitant fees for accessing overhead bins, more travelers are facing a tough choice: bring only a personal item or risk the headaches associated with checked luggage. In addition to running the risk of lost luggage, the latter also comes with a string of other hassles like paying an additional fee, having to arrive early to drop the bag off at the counter, waiting around to claim it, and shlepping it about your destination. This post is not sponsored or associated wi ..read more

“Where’s that?” People often ask me about my next trip, and my answers typically get responses like “Cool,” “Neat,” or occasionally, “I’ve been there!” But when I mentioned that Michael and I were headed to Elkin for a recent weekend getaway, I got a lot of “Where’s that?” followed by puzzled looks. Elkin may not have the name recognition of cities like Asheville, Raleigh, Wilmington, or Durham, but this town just 90 minutes from Charlotte should definitely be on your radar. Portions of our trip to Elkin were hosted, but this guide is not sponsored. As always, when I discover a destina ..read more

I usually know better than to say never, but chances are, you’ll likely never catch me with a high-end designer bag in my grasp. Not because I don’t appreciate their craftsmanship and design – I do, from afar – but because I know I’m not worthy. I move through life at a quick and often clumsy pace, tumbling along in search of my next great adventure. Dragging along a bag that costs ten grand just isn’t a good idea (and also that’s a lot of plane tickets!). But that doesn’t mean I ignore things like quality and style – I just have to seek them out in ways that suit my budget and my tastes ..read more

(There's more to it than wearing a flowy dress in pretty locations) It’s such a cliche, but boy, does time really fly when you’re having fun. Back in April, this website celebrated its seventh (seventh!) birthday, and to say running a travel blog has been a journey would be an understatement. Running a blog today keeps me a lot busier than it did when I first started in 2017, and these days I usually wind up spending more time focusing on the future than looking back at the past. But with a few moments to breathe between trips, I thought it would be fun to pull back the curtain a little and ..read more

Sometimes, the best adventures are the ones you can take without the hassle of airport security and cramped airplane seats. Whenever I’m itching to explore somewhere new, I pull up a map and zoom out from my home city of Charlotte, tracing my finger over the Southeastern corner of the country to see what new-to-me destinations are in easy reach. After a busy season of flyaway trips, the thought of exploring quaint streets, discovering hidden gems, and indulging in delicious local cuisine was all the motivation I needed to find a cozy destination. This time, my finger landed on the neighb ..read more

Packing for a trip to New England is always a fun challenge. The region’s fickle climate, with intense winters and sudden seasonal shifts, requires thoughtful planning to ensure you’re prepared for anything. Especially when you’re packing for four days and limited to bringing only a backpack. This post is not affiliated with any of the brands below but contains gifted product and commissionable links. An early May flight from the Concord airport (about twenty minutes from Charlotte) to New Haven brought with it a 40-degree shift in temperature, almost like flipping back pages of the calend ..read more

Highlighting all the reasons why you should consider spending a weekend in New Haven, Connecticut After more than thirty years on this earth, I finally experienced my first inaugural flight. With flights departing from Greenville, Raleigh, and Wilmington, Avelo Airlines has been circling Charlotte for what feels like forever. In May 2024, the budget carrier finally began offering service in the Charlotte area, connecting the city of Concord with New Haven, Connecticut, four times per week. It took only one word to convince Michael to join me for a journey on that first flight (“Pizza ..read more

*click* *pop* Did you hear that? That’s the sound of the can of worms I’m opening in today’s post. Few topics outside of say, sports teams, get people as riled up as they do about pizza. Casually mention that you’re placing a pizza order, and a New Yorker will instantly make themselves known. A Chicagoan might pipe up immediately after, proclaiming either their fondness or hatred over their city’s namesake pies. And a Detroiter just may not say anything at all, because they’re already elbow-deep in a square slab. But none of those places have been named Pizza Capital of the United States, a ti ..read more