Hey Reader,

It's Lia and Jeremy from Practical Wanderlust, that disaster-prone travel blogging couple. You signed up for our newsletter because you're the best! Here's everything we've been up to, plus all the new content we've published since our last newsletter.

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Hey y'all! Long time no chat - we've been a little bit busy. Meet Aurora, the newest member of our family!

In case you missed our sporadic posts on Instagram, here's the short version of what's happened in the last 5 months:

• I gave birth via emergency c-section. But everything turned out just fine! My recovery was brutally painful but quick, and I was up and walking a couple miles a day within a few weeks.
• At first, Aurora had difficulty nursing, and we spent 2 awful months triple feeding and panicking over her slow weight gain. But we made it through, and she's now nursing and gaining weight like a champ!
• Since then, it's actually been pretty smooth sailing (knock on wood). She's a phenomenal sleeper, she started smiling and laughing a few months ago (which made the entire pregnancy/birth situation well worth it), she's generally super chill and is a great little adventure partner already! We're absolutely obsessed with her and loving this whole parenting thing.
• Oh yeah - in July, we packed our lives up and drove across the country in a camper van to move to our new home in Louisville, Kentucky! We're settling in and growing our community here, and it's been a wonderful summer.

Now that we've kinda got the hang of this whole parenting thing and Aurora is rapidly approaching the 6-month mark (which means she can get her COVID vaccine, woo!) we're actually starting to plan some trips! I'll be speaking at the TBEX conference in Lafayette, Louisiana in October, and we're planning some big international trips this winter. Wish us all the luck - and get ready for some baby-inclusive packing lists and travel tip posts!

Definitely make sure you're following us on Instagram because time is limited these days and Instagram Stories are the fastest way for us to share what's going on with us!

Lia, Jeremy, Mulan, & Aurora

Psst - have you gotten your new Omicron booster shot yet? If not, go get it ASAP!

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While we've been in baby bliss, my amazing team was able to publish a few awesome blog posts:

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​12 Perfect Things to do in New Harmony, Indiana

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Two Utopian Societies with two different labyrinths. A roofless church with gilded gates. One strange place.

Situated along the Wabash River about 35 minutes outside of Evansville, Indiana, the town of New Harmony, Indiana seems like any other well-manicured midwestern town. But its spic and span look is not just community pride - but hearkens back to when it was a real-life utopian society. Well, actually, two of them. Read this post »​

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​28 Epic Things to do in Lassen National Park, California: The Ultimate Guide to Lassen​

Bubbling thermal springs. Volcanic peaks and craters. Pristine turquoise lakes. Lassen Volcanic National Park, located in the northeast corner of California, is an under-the-radar National Park home to a prehistoric landscape dotted with thermal hot spots and volcanoes. It's so otherworldly, it almost feels like you're on another planet! Here's everything you need to know to plan a trip to Lassen National Park! Read this post »​

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​The Perfect 5-Day Switzerland Itinerary​

Snow-covered Alps. Pristine, glimmering lakes. Lots of cheese and chocolate. Switzerland is at once modern and historic, where you can cross a wooden bridge adorned with 15th-century paintings, as well as take a train up a mountain to see the Matterhorn up close and personal. Nature here is imminent, beauty is everywhere, and Switzerland is truly as stunning as they say ("they" being me!). And you can all this and more on an incredible 5-day Switzerland itinerary! Read this post »​

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​The 10 Best Weekend Getaways in Florida (& Over 60 Activities!)​

Sandy, sweeping beaches. Old, haunted cities with lots of ghost stories. Lots & lots of seafood. Florida is nicknamed the Sunshine State, with an average of 237 sunny days a year. It's truly the land of a million sandy beaches, theme parks, and a whole lot of things to do. And it's one of the best places for a mini-vacation with so many truly unique weekend getaways in Florida! Here are the 10 best weekend getaways in Florida, from beach getaways, to adventurous expeditions, to ghost stories! 60+ activities included! Read this post »​

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​Where to Stay in Barcelona (& Where Not To)​

Catalan cuisine, neo-Gothic architecture, sandy beaches, rugged mountains, and a colorful history. Did we mention Catalan cuisine? Maybe you are looking to stay in the heart of the old town and Gothic architecture, or do you want to experience the blend of city and beach in Barceloneta? It could be that you are more of an uptown kinda person and want to stay in the heart of Eixample, surrounded by towering buildings, endless shopping opportunities and Gaudi around what seems like almost every corner.  We have the best of the barrios (neighborhoods) laid out for you to decide for yourself! Read this post »​

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​Traveling with curly hair: the low maintenance guide to amazing curls abroad​

I always thought I had awful hair: thin, frizzy, kinda wavy but not really, prone to breakage and just generally shapeless and annoying. Turns out I just had no idea how to handle my hair! Today, my curls are living their full potential all over the world, even though I'm lazy AF about it. Here's all the low maintenance tips you need for traveling with curly hair! Read this post »​

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Here's where we're dreaming of visiting this time of year:

• National Parks: We LOVE National Parks, and they're so much emptier this time of year! September is the perfect month to take advantage of less crowds, lower prices, and beautiful weather at spots that are typically super crowded during the summer. Our favorites are Yosemite in California, Zion in Utah, and Glacier in Montana - each of which are the perfect states to take a road trip. We've created the perfect Utah road trip and Montana road trip featuring our favorite national parks! Read all our National Park posts here. And don't forget to pick up your America is Beautiful National Parks Pass!
• ​New Orleans, Louisiana: Nowhere celebrates Halloween like New Orleans, one of the most haunted cities in the country! We visited NoLa during Halloween last year, and two of the highlights were this informative Voodoo Tour and this spine-tingling Ghost Tour. Our 3-day itinerary has everything you need for the perfect New Orleans weekend getaway.
• ​Savannah, Georgia: Savannah, Georgia is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been - and it's INCREDIBLY haunted. From amazing food and drinks to spine-tingling ghost stories, our post has all the best things to do in Savannah, GA on the perfect autumnal weekend trip!
• Long Haul Planning: Dreaming of a bucket list trip to Bali? We spent 2-weeks in Bali a few summers ago and it is truly a paradise. Read our 2-week itinerary here, or how to travel Bali on a Budget. As Bali is a country of variety we have Things Nobody Told You About Backpacking Bali, and then just to help you with preparation we have a Bali packing list!

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Sooo, what are we reading/listening to/watching right now? Uhh... well, things are a little bit different with a baby. We spent 3 months not watching or listening to anything at all. And it's only the last few weeks that we were able to add some TV back into our evening routine after Aurora goes to bed (we're currently watching Fboy Island - so good - and She-Hulk).

So instead of waxing poetic about cultural things we're definitely not staying up-to-date on, we wanted to give y'all a very short roundup of baby gear that we've found helpful so far!

• ​The Colugo Baby Carrier: There are a million baby carriers out there, but this one is our favorite so far. It has magnetic closures so you can manage everything one-handed while juggling a baby, it's super soft and comfortable, and the carrying weight is perfectly distributed between shoulders and back. Plus, it's hip healthy for babies! We're digging this company, and already we're eyeing their compact stroller for travel, too.
• ​Guava Lotus Travel Crib: This sturdy but lightweight travel-friendly crib folds up into a backpack for carry-on travel. We're using it as our primary crib at home, which we're hoping will help with transitioning to sleeping in a new place when we travel!

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That's all we've got for now, and for the next little while. We'll see you on the other side!

Have any questions for us, or just want to say hi? You can click reply and email us directly. We swear we're not just incredibly advanced and attractive robots - we do actually read & respond to your messages (and we love getting them)!

Until next time,