Essay tips

As a child, I eagerly awaited the annual road trips across the US with my parents and two siblings. Those childhood adventures ignited my wanderlust and inspired me to visit all 50 states, a journey I completed more than a decade ago. My parents often tease me about the time my 6-year-old self declared during one of our cross-country trips, "This isn't a vacation. We're just driving!" But little did I know that those seemingly endless miles would leave an indelible imprint, filled with laughter, bonding, and unforgettable memories, shaping me into the avid traveler I am today.

"Hi everyone. My name is Laura. I'm a doctor from Nova Scotia, Canada, and a fun fact about me is that even though I'm here alone,  I just got married last month."

My family and I live in Alabama and travel throughout the year between Birmingham and the Gulf Coast. Just a little over four hours, it's an easy trip to run down to the white sand beaches. Some of these road trips have been bliss, with the kids taking long naps in the back seat, while others have been less enjoyable, with screaming fits and diaper blowouts.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Melissa Mullett, director of operations for David's Vacation Club Rentals . It has been edited for length and clarity.

This summer, my fiancé and I finally took the two-week vacation to Greece that we'd been dreaming of for years.

In 2021, I moved abroad to spend six months exploring Europe. I was looking for a change of scenery from New York City and to fulfill my dream of living in Europe.

As a travel writer, I spend a lot of time in airline lounges, but I never imagined that's where I'd meet my soulmate.

In 2015, my new wife and I headed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for our honeymoon.

In March, I decided to leave the familiar hustle and bustle of Brooklyn and hit the road in search of my new home. My drive across the country landed me in Denver, where I fell in love with the sun setting over the mountains and the wide-open streets free of mysterious smells and rat corpses.

I'd wanted to get a tattoo since I was 18 years old. I loved the idea of carrying art on my body with me wherever I went and was drawn to literary-themed tattoos.

While on my honeymoon, I traveled to Japan and took the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto.

A few months before my 50th birthday in 2002, I was in the hospital for five days. I had become suddenly and severely ill; doctors did numerous tests and ruled out anything serious aside from anemia. While in the hospital, my older sister Diane called and asked if I needed anything. My answer was, "Quality time with my sisters and Mom." Diane reminded me that my 50th birthday was coming up in June, and suggested we reunite to take a trip together. Hence, "The Schemes and Dreams Tour," as we have come to call it, was conceived.

2020 was a tough year for many reasons.

I put myself on my first diet when I was 8 years old. My childhood and teen years are littered with memories of restriction and self-judgment. It's not hard to imagine how I developed an eating disorder, or ED. I struggled with restriction, bulimia, binging, and other disordered-eating behaviors for years. Thanks to my privileged access to therapists, psychiatrists, and help from loved ones, I've been in eating disorder recovery for the last 10 years.

I moved to Ireland when I was 15 due to my father's temporary assignment abroad with an insurance company. It was my mom, my dad, and me.

I'll never forget walking into the Cancún, Mexico, resort in August 2007 where my new husband and I would spend our honeymoon.

For the first time in a decade, I went away without my husband.

It had always been my dream to visit Rome, but I'd never met the right person to go with — until I met my husband.

Since 2015, I have spent most of my time traveling around Australia with my cat in a camper van. In fact, if it weren't for these travels, I would never have met my wife, Steph. While I've had the freedom to do and see whatever I want during this time, I was becoming increasingly dependent on my smartphone and internet access.

While studying in northern France in 1998, I didn't expect to celebrate Thanksgiving, but I was shocked to encounter French ignorance of Halloween, my favorite spooky holiday. This explained the absence of costumes, decorations, and candy corn, which compounded my culture shock.By the time my French partner and I moved back to France in 2008, I was a parent. I wanted to keep our American traditions alive, but finding not much more than carving pumpkins and a meager Halloween display in the grocery store, I scoured the internet for recipes and DIY decorations.

I recently visited Japan for my honeymoon.