Please Join Me on My New Site!

It’s been 1 1/2 years since I started blogging, and though I was not able to devote as much time as I would have liked due to some changes at home, I have loved every minute of of it.  I’ve been thinking about taking this site to the next level for several months but was scared of the technical details of such a move; therefore, it is with pride that I announce the new This Is My Happiness!

I’ve decided to narrow the focus of my site a bit so that, instead of being just one of the thousands of travel blogs already out there, it will provide more unique information and perspective.  My heart leads me to write about the following:

What will be the same:

The places I really know and love (especially California, Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Italy)

Exploring with my two precious little boys– I hope this will inspire others to show their children the world.

Some lessons learned along the way, reflecting optimism and an appreciation for all of life’s moments

The art in specific destinations.  This allows me to use my degree in art history, which has always been my first academic love.

What will be different:

An on-going series of posts highlighting ways people can make a positive difference in the world through travel and charity.  This is something that is very important to me, and I look forward to sharing ideas and resources.

A commitment to consistently post new content twice a week.

What about you?

The most important ingredient to long-term blogging success is the readers.  I hope that you will continue the journey with me.  Therefore, if you already have an e-mail subscription to this site, you will be receiving an e-mail asking you to confirm your subscription to the new This Is My Happiness.  If you choose to confirm the subscription, you will receive updates when new content is posted.  You can also join me on Facebook, either on the This Is My Happiness page or on the Art Travel Bloggers page.  I also hope that, when you feel inspired, you will participate in the conversation through comments.  (A blogger’s greatest joy is seeing readers’ comments!).

Please come check out the new site at http://thisismyhappiness.com and my latest post about summer travel in my home state of California.  See you there!

New Site

Just a quick update to let you know that I am in the process of redoing this site. When I am finished, it will have a whole new look and exciting new features. However, until then, sometimes the home page and other links may not work. For now, you can use the old domain name to access all the site (http://travelfrancisco.wordpress.com) and you can join me on facebook (http://facebook.com/thisismyhappiness). As soon as I am finished with the site, I will let you know!

The Perfect Mix: Art, Wine, and Beauty in Sonoma

A day to ourselves to go somewhere new… As a married couple with two small children, we don’t get that very often, if ever. It’s unfortunate because there are numerous day-trip options around here. I live in Sacramento, California, which means that I am surrounded by some truly wonderful places to visit, from San Francisco and Napa Valley to Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountains, all within less than two hours.

When you think about having a day to yourself to explore a place near your home, what kind of things come to mind? For me, this day-trip to Sonoma was the perfect mix of wine, views, and art.

Getting to Know You #5: Amanda

While I am now in the midst of launching a new site and taking care of my 4-month-old, I have less time to write but am so happy to bring you my interview with Amanda from A Dangerous Business. I was familiar with her from twitter and visiting her blog, but until now, I really only knew her as a young, spunky traveler with a love of New Zealand and a friendly smile. I now know so much more about her. The way she embraces life and the people she encounters along the way is inspiring; I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I did! (You can read my other interviews here.)

You can find Amanda on twitter (@DangerousBiz), facebook, and, of course, her blog, A Dangerous Business.

How to Get Started Traveling

I recently received an email from a young woman who really wants to travel but has questions about how to get started and some fears to work through. As I thought about how to answer her, I realized that I was thinking about myself and the choices I made more than 15 years ago when I was finishing college and getting ready to start a life abroad…

Spreading Our Child’s Wings

There's a whole world down there for him to experience.

I never thought about not traveling with my son.  In fact, after he was born, I felt an even stronger desire to travel, mostly because having a child made me feel older and gave me a greater sense of urgency in life.  Now that I have traveled with him, I see the incredible benefit it has.  I see how being a bi-cultural child and experiencing other places have very much influenced the person he has become.