Summer is my absolute favorite time of year to travel. There is nothing like lounging in the hot sun and breathing in the warm air while you pound the pavement. If you haven’t booked your adventure yet this year, now is the time!

Before you grab your bikinis and shades, check out my top tips for summer travel!

Be Prepared

Nothing will ruin your travel plans faster than being disorganized. Think of all your essentials before you go and don’t leave anything to the last minute. If you are renewing your passport, you should plan on at least three months of waiting. Likewise, plan for any required visas long in advance.

Trust me, you don’t want to be anxiously checking your mailbox while you count down the days to your departure.

When it comes to airport security, remember to arrive at least two hours before your flight. If you need transport at your destination, book it in advance. Before you start packing, your top priority should be making sure you don’t get stranded anywhere. Always know exactly how you’re going to get to where you’re going.

Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Bed bugs can be a total nightmare. They can travel undetected and they don’t discriminate! Even though bed bugs are often associated with dingy hostels or budget hotels, the truth is that you can get a bed bug infestation anywhere, anytime. In fact, according to the experts at Raid®, infestations of bed bugs have been increasing since the 1990s.

So, before you get settled in for the night, go on a bed bug hunt! Search pillowcases, sheets, box springs, and mattresses for little red smears and dots, which are telltale signs of an infestation.

We’re definitely getting smarter about these types of bugs. I learned that three out of four Millennial travelers check the bed or mattress for bed bugs while traveling, but only 37 percent check the headboard, according to the Raid® Bed Bug Survey.

One of my latest and greatest travel essentials is the new Raid® Bed Bug Detector & Trap.

Check these awesome traps two to three times a week and you can easily detect bed bugs before infestations get out of hand. When you are packing for your next getaway, stash one of these lightweight, travel friendly traps in your bag. They can easily be placed under hotel mattresses or on the floor next to furniture closest to your head where you sleep or rest.

Before you pack up and ship out, check the see through window for bed bugs to avoid bringing these types of bugs home as souvenirs.

Pack Light

Always stick with the essentials. Don’t waste precious luggage space on generic, consumable items. You can buy things like sunscreen at your destination—often for less! Unless you are obsessed with a particular product, buy it when you arrive. If you are going away for a couple of weeks, grab a cheap bottle of body wash and sunscreen when you get there.

You’ll probably finish it before you head home.

When I pack, I always make a list of the most important stuff and check it off as I stick it in my bag. Double check your daily essentials like cash, medications, and travel documents.

You definitely don’t want to be searching for allergy pills or practical shoes while you’re on your trip. If you can buy it at a convenience store, you’ll have no problem getting it at most any destination.

Budget Accordingly

Summer is the peak season in most destinations so expect higher prices. Focus on spending your money where it matters. You won’t remember that pricey coffee after you go home so forget about wasting your cash on it. If your traveling partner wants to go to a museum that you have no interest in, skip it! Agree to disagree sometimes.

Spending a couple of hours solo can be a great experience, so don’t feel like you have to be glued at the hip. Splurge where it counts and you’ll never feel deprived.

Book Accommodations Ahead of Time

Don’t waste your valuable time searching for accommodation. Book before you arrive and save yourself a ton of stress. During the peak season, beds will sell out quickly so you will need to come prepared—especially if you want to nab a hostel bed in a big city.

If you decide to just wing it, you might end up paying a lot more for a room you don’t really want. Search for rooms online in advance, read reviews, and know exactly what you are getting.

READ NEXT: Ten Essential Tips For Solo Female Travelers

The Ultimate Guide to Solo Female Travel

6 Fears You Face as a Solo Female Traveler

Ten Mistakes Made by Solo Female Travelers

Why NOW Is The Best Time for Americans to Travel

How to Avoid Overpacking for a Trip

The Ultimate Travel Gear Packing Guide

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SC Johnson RAID. The opinions and text are all mine.

Instagram

Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

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Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

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January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

Sun-drenched mornings, salty air, and the kind of place that makes you instantly exhale @waldorfastoriacostarica ✌️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Our stay at this brand-new property was truly a dream — sweeping ocean views, elevated design, and more pools than I’ve ever seen at a hotel in my entire life.

From award-winning wellness to coconuts by the pool, every detail felt thoughtful and intentional.

🧖‍♀️ The Spa
Recently named Costa Rica’s Best Resort Spa, this sanctuary blends modern wellness with local healing traditions — volcanic mud rituals, rainforest-inspired therapies, and grounding treatments that leave you floating.

🛎️ Amenities
World-class service, beachfront access, a stunning collection of pools (truly — endless), curated experiences, and those sweet elevated touches everywhere you turn. Newly opened, yet already operating like a seasoned 5-star icon.

💦 Kids’ Club
One of the coolest spaces for littles — crafts, games, toys, and outdoor play areas that made traveling with Oliver feel easy (and fun for him, too).

🥥 The Food & Coffee
Fresh, locally sourced Costa Rican flavors with elevated execution. Oceanfront bites, poolside snacks, handcrafted coffee experiences, and yes… plenty of coconuts.

🌿 Sustainability
Proud holders of the Bandera Azul Ecológica for conservation and environmental efforts — luxury and responsibility beautifully intertwined.

We truly cannot wait to come back. ✨

If you’re looking for a luxury, family-friendly escape in Costa Rica — this is your spot.

A huge thank you to @waldorfastoriacostarica for hosting us on this sunshine-soaked getaway.
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#costarica #waldorfastoria #luxuryfamilytravel #familytravel

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A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

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A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

My favorite smart features of my old home! 🏠
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
I put a lot of thought and design into my home, so I knew I had to get curated, high-tech window shades to match.

Enter @rollishades — sleek, custom motorized shades that actually elevate the space while solving the very real sunlight problem. From light-filtering to blackout options, everything is tailored to fit perfectly and controlled with the touch of a button (or app). It’s the kind of smart, intentional design that makes a home feel finished. 🪟🤍

I easily installed these in my guest bedroom and let me just say, when guests come over, they’re getting what feels like a hotel experience in my home (minus the room service).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
#gifted #homedesign #interiorinspo #smarthome #rollishades

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