July 2025 & Traditions

The Fourth of July has always been one of my favorite holidays! Every year, my entire family descends upon our favorite little beach town in Oregon. We join the community “walkabout,” cheer during the sing-along at the flag-raising (complete with fighter jets overhead!), and cap the day off with a spectacular fireworks show.

With the political health of our country feeling so fragile right now, these traditions feel more meaningful than ever. We show up to celebrate not just the holiday, but the goodness of community and the joy of coming together. And yes — I still make my flag cake every year.

I spent the rest of July in Oregon, soaking up the beautiful sunshine and everything the season has to offer.

This month, I’m also sharing the books I read! Books are a huge part of my life — and my travels. While I do sit down to read sometimes, I mostly listen to audiobooks. I borrow them from my public library using the Libby app, which means I always have something wonderful to listen to while I’m on the move. Not all of my choices are travel-related, but that’s a genre I especially love.

If you have any recommendations, please send them my way! You can also follow me on goodreads.com

Here are my favorites from July …

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang 4/5 Stars - An awesome phycological thriller. I zoomed through this book and loved the suspense.

On the Hippie Trail by Rick Steves 4/5 Stars - Travelogues are one of my favorite genres. If you listen, you’ll enjoy hearing the voice of Rick Steves share his epic journey traveling from Istanbul to Kathmandu. He credits this adventure as the one that made him a travel writer. And aren’t we all so thankful!

Atlas Obscura by Joshua Foer, Dyland Thuras & Ella Morton 4/5 Stars - “An explorers guide to the world’s hidden wonders.” This book inspires you to set forth and see the world, and all of the unique places along the way. Each time I open this book, I travel to new interesting places.