Get Inspired: By Traveling Beer Bellies

I am excited to share an interview with some awesome travelers!

Traveling Beer Bellies was created to document the travel adventures of myself, Kristin, and my husband, Chris. He spent 20 years in the Air Force and after retiring we sold our house with the intention to travel as much as we could for a few years before building a new house in our home state of Maine. You can follow along on BlueSky @travelingbellies.bsky.social Instagram @travelingbeerbellies Facebook @Traveling Beer Bellies or Threads @travelingbeerbellies

What was the moment or experience that made you fall in love with travel?

We've always loved to travel, I don't think there was a specific moment in which we fell in love.

If someone gave you a one-way ticket anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?

That is something we talk about often and it's SO HARD to decide! I think I would choose Venice, Italy because if we don't go soon then it may end up underwater!

What’s a destination you think is completely underrated and deserves more love?

Our favorite trip of all time was Belize, specifically San Pedro Island. I'm not sure I'd call it underrated but maybe not as well-known. San Pedro is a small island off the coast of Belize and everyone gets around using golf carts. The locals are incredibly friendly, the food is so good, the area is safe, and the experience was just amazing. We were snorkeling and came across a herd of about 11 manatees and swimming with them was just so peaceful and thrilling at the same time.

Can you describe a travel moment that completely changed your perspective on life?

I wouldn't necessarily say this moment changed our perspective but rather it affirmed our perspective. When we were in Southern California we visited Bombay Beach and stopped at the Ski Inn for a beer. While sitting at the bar my husband noticed a picture of Anthony Bourdain on the wall. He was sitting in the exact same seat, talking to the locals, just like we were doing at the time. Bourdain was well-known for interacting with locals wherever he went because you can learn so much just through a simple conversation.

What’s the most unexpected place you’ve ever fallen in love with, and why?

Slab City was definitely an unexpected gem. The people living there have managed to create something out of nothing, they've turned trash into art, and they've built a community that supports one another.

Have you ever had a “what am I doing here?” moment on a trip? How did it turn out?

In 2018 we were moving from Alaska to Delaware and Chicago was one of the stops in our long drive. We wanted to explore the city but to do so we had to leave our dogs in the hotel room. Because we had a U-haul attached to our vehicle we needed to get an Uber into the city. About 10 minutes into the ride, the hotel manager called to say our dogs wouldn't stop barking. I told my husband that he could take our kids to the city and I would go back to the hotel with the dogs and I told the Uber driver to let me out where we were. The driver asked me several times if I was sure and that probably should have been a red flag but I was so focused on getting back to my pups that I insisted he just stop and let me out. After he drove off with my family I realized that I couldn't get another Uber until that first pick up was complete so I started calling cab companies. A woman came up to me and she seemed quite concerned. She said, "honey, are you all right?" I told her I was just trying to get a cab and she replied, "oh honey, cabs won't come out here." At that moment I stopped and looked around at where I was. The area was incredibly run down, there were bars on every door and window of every building, graffiti covered every surface. It turned out, I had been dropped off right in the heart of the south side of Chicago! Like the woman said, I could not get a cab company to send a car to that location so I had to wait 20 minutes which felt more like an hour until my husband and kids completed their Uber ride before I could get another Uber back to our hotel and my crazy puppies!

What’s the most unforgettable food experience you’ve had while traveling?

While visiting Riviera Maya we splurged on dinner one night with Le Petit Chef which is "a culinary journey with 3D visuals of the world's smallest chef." It was phenomenal!

What’s one local tour or activity that totally exceeded your expectations?

On a trip to Puerto Vallarta we went on an excursion that included zip-lining and rappelling down a waterfall. We had ziplined before but rappelling down a cliff like that was all new and the guides picked me to go first. I pushed my nerves deep down inside and did it! The best part was, after I reached the bottom I could hear one of the guides telling the other participants to do it exactly like I had!

Have you tried something totally outside your comfort zone?

The waterfall rappelling was definitely outside my comfort zone. We've also been skydiving, and we just booked an excursion for an upcoming trip to South America where we will try sandboarding! We're all about trying new things even if they're outside our comfort zones. I even started letting my husband do some of the trip planning which is probably the thing that is the furthest outside of my comfort zone!

What’s one cultural experience or traditional event that really stuck with you?

We lived in the Azores for 2 years on an island called Terceira. We rented a home in the village of Agualva and being truly immersed in the culture like that was simply amazing. I even gave birth to my youngest daughter while there! At that time, you were required to pick baby names from a specific list or petition the court for approval if you wanted a name not listed. As US citizens abroad, we were pretty much guaranteed to get approval but we still had to go through the process because the name Morgan Riley was not on the list of names!

What’s a dream project or destination still on your bucket list?

We have a trip to South America (Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil) scheduled for next winter and then after that we will start planning Europe, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand! We plan to travel as much as we can while we don't have a mortgage because once we become homeowners again we won't be able to afford as many trips!

What’s one quirky item that’s always in your backpack, no matter where you go?

I pretty much always have an ace bandage with me because I tend to trip over or fall into things frequently!

Thank you Kristin & Chris for the fun interview and enjoy your travels!