Welcome to Divas Traveling Wild

Just to introduce the cast of characters you may see regularly mentioned and or contributing on this blog: 

 My 24 year old daughter, Teyonna, is my usual ride or die partner in crime but I also have a BFF (Best Friend Forever) of 23 years, Nikki, that I try to take some type of trip with every year as we do not live in the same state. 

We all have a warped sense of humor and though I am a curmudgeonly type introvert a lot of the time, I also have a very social aspect and will talk to just about anyone who is friendly and open. It is a weird balance to manage. My daughter and friend also call me the baby and animal whisperer as I always seem to attract both wherever I go. Teyonna and I have a great relationship and people often mistake us for sisters. But never fear, I am still the mom and we both know it. As for Nikki, we are so different but the same - I am 5'11 and she is 5'2, though I think she insists on saying she is 5'4, to-mah-toe, to-ma-toe; her behind is short. She is a Jersey girl and I am originally from Bah-ston (well Cape Cod) but I have lived in Florida since 2002. We both like to mess with people we meet and joke and laugh. We are both foodies and love a good bottle of vino. Also, Nikki became a part-time travel agent last year, so I use her a lot but my controlling side forces me to do all the research and just send her my specifics, what hotel, flights etc I want and I let her figure out how to get me the best price for that  exact itinerary lol. Vanna's World Travel

As for me, by day I am an engineer but in the dark of night and on weekends, I, my friends, am a crazy crafter. Every right brain/left brain test I have taken has put me basically in the middle of creative vs analytical so I indulge both sides as much as I can. I even started a side hustle in the crafting business, shameless self-promotion and plug coming in 3...2...1, called Cheeky Crab Elements. But you can also email me at cheekycrabelements@gmail.com. Ok free advertising time is over. 

2019 has been filled with a lot of upheaval that has derailed most of my usual traveling and sucked up much of my funds - for example replacing whole AC system (I live in Florida so this was a must). We have done a couple of short weekends an hour and a half away in Orlando, stayed at a couple of new hotels out there etc. We also instituted Mother-Daughter Wednesday, as a way to spend some time together doing fun and interesting things instead of just sitting in my living room drinking wine and watching tv when my daughter comes over. Why Wednesday? Well the 1st one happened by accident. My daughter works for a news station creating digital media content on local things to do, see and eat. One of her assignments had her going to a brewery right before Easter and covering a Beer and Easter Candy Pairing Tasting.

 Yes, I know...beer and Easter Candy? Really? Well she invited me along and we had a great time. (will do a post on the tasting later). And yes it was on a Wednesday. So we decided to take turns planning an activity every Wednesday (though if one of us in unavailable or a particular activity is not offered that day, we do shift it as needed).Whosever week it is to pick the activity also pays. We have done everything from a movie, to a restaurant that has their own garden (best veggie dishes I have ever tasted and I am not a veggie type of chick) to roof top bars and seeing musical acts. The point was to get out of the house and explore this community that we have been a part of since 2002 but never really embraced.

Side note: please help a sister out and go follow el kiddo, she is a major part of my retire in 7 years plan lol. from there you can see where she works and follow her segments that she produces:
Teyonna Edwards


During the month before our big Hawaii trip (which we just arrived at yesterday and will be covered under another post - this blog has been planned for a long time but jet lag and me being wide awake at 2am Hawaii time was the impetus needed to make it a reality), we tried to cut back expenses a bit and did weekly dinners at 

Our version of a charcuterie

my house that were simple but things we had not made in a while - so one week we created a big charcuterie spread with accoutrements (I love that word), another week we did home made pizza (that week did not go so well, the dough came out funky but we had fun anyway). 

The point is that this blog will be a combo travel journal, planning guide, humorous musings, product reviews,  travel tips that I usually find out the hard way, bucket list research, funny stories and of course food. My daughter and I may not travel to eat but when we do travel, we make sure to eat and drink well. While I have several food allergies, with new ones popping up all the time - I really need to go get the full battery of tests to avoid a nasty surprise one of these times - I still enjoy a good meal whether it is simple street food or a fancy 7 course meal. Local wines are a favorite along with beers. And yes I am an absolute beer snob, craft beer only for me, I am on a mission from God to sample IPAs everywhere I go. I shall not fail! FREEDOM...ok not sure why Braveheart got in there but you get the point. Oh yeah - you will probably see a lot of movie references or one-liners, you will come to enjoy it, hopefully, as they are here to stay.

So strap up, grab an adult beverage, dust off your laughter and get ready to go on a magical, ok maybe not magical but I promise it will be entertaining, journey with Divas Traveling Wild!