Jessie Voigts's Blog, page 6
May 31, 2025
Jet Lag, Nutrition, and Growth: What Traveling Families Should Know
Long trips can disrupt everything children rely on. Sleep patterns shift. Meals lose structure. Growth, which depends on routine, gets pushed aside for schedules that don’t match a child’s rhythm.
Families need to consider how jet lag, food changes, and sleep loss affect development. These are not surface-level inconveniences. They alter hormone timing, appetite control, and energy balance. A few missed meals or restless nights may seem harmless, but for a chi...
May 29, 2025
Exploring Kauai in Summertime
When staying on the island of Kauai in the summer, there are so many fun things to do! From breath-taking nature to welcoming small towns to learning the history, the adventures are endless. Whether you are traveling solo, or with children, this was my amazing experience in paradise.
Last year, my dad was working in Hawaii, so I took the opportunity to move myself and my family out to stay with him for a month over the summer while I was between leases at home...
May 22, 2025
Read This: 100 Things to Do in Michigan Before You Die
100 Things to Do in Michigan Before You Die, written by travel writer extraordinaire Kath Usitalo (herself a Michigander), is the latest book in a series we absolutely love from Reedy Press.
They are must-reads for any travel, culture, and food lover.
This book, about my home state of Michigan, is a pure joy to read. It is PACKED full of goodness from the get-go (the very first entry is pierogi at Legs Inn! Of course!).
While I thought I knew a great deal about ...
May 21, 2025
The Pacific Northwest's Surprisingly Simple Getaway: Whidbey Island
Beautiful coastlines and verdant landscapes of the Pacific Northwest are on full display in Whidbey Island, Washington. Located in the Puget Sound east of the Olympic Peninsula, this island is the place to go for a slow-paced getaway.
One way to access the island is by ferry from the south. Once boarded, salt air and dark waters rush past, giving you the illusion of moving faster than ferry speeds. The ride takes only about 30 minutes but makes ...
May 20, 2025
Transformed by the Sea: Uncovering a Secret Gem of Oceanside
If someone asked me what animal I would describe myself as, I would say a dolphin. So when my family and I visited Oceanside, California, where we were fortunate enough to go on a boating tour with Oceanside Adventures and see thousands of dolphins, I truly felt right at home.
The tour started with friendly faces greeting and welcoming us onto the boat. The sun was shining softly with a slight breeze. Right when we boarded, I went up to the front; soon after th...
May 19, 2025
Work/Life Synergy
Achieving work / life balance is commonly a goal most of us are told to strive towards. Like climbing a mountain, once on the top, a sense of accomplishment, possibly even fulfillment, awaits. Certainly, the concept of “balance” is welcoming and conjures up a picture of the harmony that exists when both sides of the scale are perfectly even and almost ethereal.
But, how long will that last?
How long will our job and its responsibilities on one side of the scale ...
May 18, 2025
Music for Community, Connection, and Friendship
As times continue to shift, community, connection, and friendship can be constants. Should be constants, in fact, though of course these are aspects of life which have their own ways of changing, too.
That said, consider where and how connection, community, and friendship show up in your life. Consider where and how these are sources of strength, of kindness, of ways to give and receive encouragement and help.
Music with ideas to help as you thinking about these ideas:...
May 17, 2025
Everything you need to know about visiting the incredibly unique Meow Wolf Omega Mart!
There's more than what meets the eye at Omega Mart; it’s a sensory experience like no other! Stick around to find out…you're about to enter a new whole world!
Omega Mart is an interactive art installation that was created by American arts company Meow Wolf. When you visit, you will explore a supermarket and uncover a narrative and portals. Currently, there are 5 locations, with more planned.
You do not want to miss out!
Meow Wolf Omega Mart in Las Vegas first...
May 13, 2025
How to Build a New Life Abroad (When You’re Not the One With the Job) For a Non-Teaching Spouse in International Education
If your partner has scored a job at an international school, it can be incredibly exciting! A new country, and a fresh start! And if you’ve got kids, it’s an amazing opportunity to show your kids the world.
But when you’re the one without the job offer, it can make it a little more challenging.
For many spouses of international teachers (otherwise known as trailing spouses, one of the least appealing terms in the English language!), moving abroad as ...
May 9, 2025
Leipzig's Oldest Coffee House Re-Opens with Great Fanfare
Located in the heart of Leipzig’s old town on Kleine Fleischergasse, the refurbishment of Germany's oldest continuously operated coffee house Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum (To the Arabian Coffee Tree) has been completed and the city is celebrating the traditional coffee house's grand re-opening. Guests may experience a revival of the honored traditions on three floors. The accompanying museum on Leipzig's coffee culture will be open on July 1, 2025.
Photo: Andreas ...
