Going Places with your Pup

July 14, 2019July 14, 2019 / Cate Spader / 5 Comments

If you’re anything like my husband and me, you have a difficult time doing anything without your dog. After all, dogs are part of the family!

Here are some tips for traveling with your pup:

Do your research before you go. Bring Fido and other apps like Trip Advisor are great resources. You need to know where pets are allowed and what activities you can do with the entire family!
Bring a bag for your pup! Juan and I had more gear for Linley than we did for ourselves, especially when hiking in northern Michigan. Bring food, water, toys, treats, gear and worst-case-scenario items for your furry friend.
Travel safely at all times. Whether you’re driving a long distance, walking in your neighborhood or visiting a new place, you need to be aware of your surroundings and consider your dog’s safety at all times. Also take breaks for rest, food, etc. into consideration.

Linley is definitely part of the family, and we’re very excited to take him on more adventures! 🙂

Halfway through 2019

July 2, 2019 / Cate Spader / 2 Comments

2019 has been a year of turbulence and exhaustion as opposed to the year of happiness and fun that I was hoping for. But I’m going to look at my worn-out, busted glass as half-full…

This year has been filled with:

Jazz music

Quality time with the ‘rents

Concerts

Trevor Noah

Quality time with my best friend and my Little Sister

Selfies with the pup

A sick honeymoon

Bark in the Park

Carolyn’s amazing bridal shower

I’m hoping that the rest of 2019 is full of weekend getaways, more quality time with loved ones and music!

And if not…

“Let’s raise our glasses and lower our expectations” – Geoffrey Zakarian – Cate Spader

Loving East Lansing!

February 22, 2019June 1, 2019 / Cate Spader / 3 Comments

Every basketball season, my dad and I head to East Lansing to see the Spartans win!

Although we both love college basketball, that’s not the best part of our time together. We always grab breakfast and dinner, shakes at the MSU Diary Store, some souvenirs and share lots of laughs.

My parents met and fell in love at MSU, which is yet another reason why I enjoy East Lansing as much as I do!

My dad and I are very close and seeing him get all excited about being back on campus fills my heart with warmth 🙂

It’s Always Happy in Hamburg (March, 2016)

January 19, 2019 / Cate Spader / 5 Comments

I have visited a dear friend in Hamburg, Germany twice now: once in 2012 and once in 2016. I love this city very much and have nothing but good things to say about it. In fact, Hamburg was my first city visited outside of North America and has been a gateway for my many adventures abroad! The late night dancing, scenery, food, streets, harbor and good company keep me easily entertained and happy whenever I spend time with Saskia and her parents!

November 16, 2018: Wedding Photo Essay

December 27, 2018March 5, 2019 / Cate Spader / 1 Comment

Juan and I went on our first date Friday, November 16, 2012 and were married Friday, November 16, 2018; it was truly a night to remember. Being his wife is my biggest and best adventure yet…

All photos were taken by the lovely David Lucas at http://www.dsphotomi.com/index2.php#!/HOME

My husband is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. He has shown me love since the beginning, as others did not. He has taught me to feel confident in myself, even when I have not. Juan is my best friend and I am incredibly proud of the man he is today.

First Day in Lima, Peru (June, 2018)

October 6, 2018January 28, 2019 / Cate Spader / 2 Comments

I’ve been missing my mother-daughter travels and have been holding off on posting photos from my Canon Rebel. Early this morning I’ve finally uploaded them and am ready to share them with all of you 🙂

My mom and I were in no rush during our first full day in Lima; we decided to walk in gardens and explore off the beaten path.

We admired how bright and colorful everything was! We truly knew we were in a new place that was very different from life in Michigan.

After visiting a local garden, my mom and I chose to walk toward the coast and visit some parks. It was the perfect day: not too hot, not too cold, not too bright! Seeing families and dogs at the Parque del Amor (Park of Love) reminded us of Chicago.

Although the colors at the park were admirable, the architecture was also impressive. I was never able to visit Barcelona when I was in Spain, but I felt like I was at the famous Park Guell!

Even though Parque del Amor was surrounded with romance, I am thankful to have shared this experience with my mom. We both enjoy walking around and soaking in new culture, which made Lima a great destination!

Machu Picchu, Peru in iOS (July, 2018)

August 28, 2018January 28, 2019 / Cate Spader / 3 Comments

Being with my mom was obviously the best part of Peru.

The second? Walking the steps of Machu Picchu (llamas are the third)!

My favorite movie growing up was The Emperor’s New Groove (lets be honest, it still is!) and being here made me feel like I was alongside David Spade and John Goodman. I’m so happy my mom found these Kuzco shirts!

More importantly, I have been fascinated with The Inca Empire since the sixth grade. I had a teacher who had been to Peru many times and shared his experience and stories with us in great detail. Plus, my fiancé is Ecuadorian and I somehow felt closer to his culture and past.

Our guide, Jamie (“Hi May” in Spanish, Jamie in English) was THE BEST! He provided us with unique information that we otherwise wouldn’t have learned. We also had a phenomenal group with us (one guy lives ~30 minutes away from me)! The experience as a whole was incredible. My mom and I also felt like Amazon women walking through the ancient city, standing at 5’8” and 5’10”!

After our amazing day, we had to take a bus back down to the city centre. Unfortunately, I was a bit car sick and my mom had a killer migraine! We relaxed in town, then headed back to Cusco via train. Our Machu Picchu Train was awesome and I was even able to dance with the god Carmen during the staff’s “fashion show!”

Cusco, Peru in iOS (June/July, 2018)

August 19, 2018January 28, 2019 / Cate Spader / Leave a comment

Although my mom and I enjoyed our time in Lima, Cusco was our favorite!

Spending all of this quality time meant the world to me! The only downside about Cusco? The altitude adjustment (or lack thereof on my end)! I instantly felt hungover, even when I was only drinking hot water. Being with my mom and petting/holding baby animals made me feel better though!

Our first night in Cusco consisted of me puking and the two of us watching old Denzel Washington movies 😂 At least the next day I seemed to make a full recovery…

We ate at the chocolate museum (twice!), saw amazing parade floats, visited more animals, climbed the cathedral for the best views, ate more incredible meals, and met some of the kindest people. Cusco, we’ll be back for sure!

Sharing this experience with my mom is indescribable. We brought back lots of memories (and llamas)!

Lima, Peru in iOS (June,2018)

August 18, 2018January 28, 2019 / Cate Spader / Leave a comment

Toward the middle of June, my mom and I FINALLY decided to visit Peru! We were on the fence for a while, given the fact that I’m starting a new job in September and getting married in November…but our better judgment prevailed!

I mean c’mon! Look at that itinerary (courtesy of my mom)!

We mainly stayed in Lima to become acclimated to the altitude change; however, we really enjoyed it! Aside from my mom feeling the initial culture shock while departing from the airport, all went smoothly!

We had so much fun in the city! The Starbucks barista’s spelling of “Dawn” was my favorite part! At the hotel, we even made friends with the pet guinea pig!

From strolling through Parque del Amor to eating and shopping at Larcomar, Lima didn’t disappoint 🙂

Ecola State Park, Oregon

August 14, 2018August 14, 2018 / Cate Spader / Leave a comment

Friday, July 27 (continued)

After our time relaxing at the beach, Al and I knew we had some hiking to do!

Our walk to the state park wasn’t all flowers and sunshine though! We had to walk up to the entrance of the park, which consisted of walking uphill for ~30 mins-1 hour and made us short of breath even before the “real” hiking began!

Once we arrived at the entrance, the guide helped us pick which trail we wanted to hike. Since we craved high, ocean views, we chose to head west and felt the ocean air.

Prior to heading back uphill to continue on our path, a huge bug landed in Al’s mouth as he was talking! I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t even walk back up on the trail!

Even though I couldn’t get his bug incident on camera, I’m happy we took the above pictures 🙂

The views were incredible, the stories were endless, and the laughs were much-needed after a long day of hiking!

Some Favorites from 2017

December 24, 2017 / Cate Spader / Leave a comment

2017 was a great year, but cheers to 2018 and more adventures to come!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! 🙂

July in the Big Apple

October 31, 2017 / Cate Spader / Leave a comment

Hello again, and Happy Halloween!

I frequent my introductions with “I haven’t posted in awhile…” or something along those lines.

I need to stop doing this.

Anyway…I have been living at home in a small town for a little over a year now, and it makes me crave the city. Thankfully, I was able to visit my cousin, Katy who lives just outside of NYC. Our times together are always well-spent!

We first visited a food festival in Brooklyn, where I tended to look nine months pregnant in every photo (it was the wind – I swear)!! I ended up getting freshly-squeezed peach lemonade and truffle fries with aioli for ‘brunch.’

Next, we visited the High Line in west Manhattan. The last time I visited NYC, the High Line was still under construction; it was definitely worth the wait and the strong winds! We once again took several photos, and I had more to eat (I think dark chocolate gelato this time?).

We decided that the wind was a tad overwhelming and headed to Queens. Katy mentioned something about the “Museum of the Moving Image.” I was sold!

Katy and I then agreed that margaritas were suddenly necessities and ventured over to the Chipotle test kitchen. They even had queso, so this was basically my heaven-on-earth…

The infamous Fearless Girl was on our way to the Staten Island Ferry, which led to us posing with her immediately!

Although the ferry might have been windier than the High Line, it was SO worth it! We attempted to take several Titantic-posed photos, but nothing turned out as we hoped.

Unfortunately, we never met any of the Impractical Jokers either. Bummer…

On my last day, Katy, my aunt Jenn, and I visited Brooklyn again; there was a market going on and we decided to check it out. It was a beautiful day, thus making it even MORE difficult to say goodbye to the city and my family.

NYC? 10/10 would recommend. I have visited the Big Apple three times now, and each time has been incredible (my rating would have been a 17/10 if I could’ve met Murr, Joe, Sal, or Q)!!

Adventure in Spades

(mis)Adventures | Growth | Wanderlust

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