Samantha K Schmidt

I'm excited to debut this series. I love exploring little towns in Florida, but it's hard to know what to do when it's your first time visiting. Sure you can get a lot of advice from google or tripadvisor, but they tend to be all of the run-of-the-mill sort of things. I thought I'd give you an idea of how I spend a day in some of my favorite towns in Florida. Winter Garden is a quaint town just 15 miles outside of Orlando. It's one of the few places that has maintained an old town feel while still being one of the trendiest places in Central Florida. Plant Street is the popular downtown area loaded with shops and restaurants on either side. What makes this town truly unique, though, is the gorgeous bike trail that runs directly through town. Coffee: You can't go to Winter Garden without a visit to Axum Coffee . The atmosphere feels like home, the drinks are an art form, and the story is inspiring. Axum uses its profits to support communities around the w

When my husband and I got engaged and began talking about making his home into our home, it was clear that we were going to butt heads in several areas. He had lived the life of a bachelor for 3 years and separating him from some of his beloved (yet very tattered) possessions was like attempting to sever a limb from his body. Many of the items had been gifts or extraordinary finds from his travels. It was like a game of chess trying to fit all the pieces together, but eventually we made it work. Moving in with your spouse can be a long hard game of compromise, but here are a few tips to smooth out the process. 1. Purge: Before you start asking your spouse to trash all the items you find atrocious or obsolete, start by taking an inventory of your own belongings. What do you have that you no longer need, use, or even like? What are you holding onto simply because it has significance? Ask your partner for advice on a few unimportant items so that he can see your attempt at c

There's a feeling that comes with experiencing a beautiful place for the first time. Whenever I visit a new city I always go feet first. Very rarely will I take any other form of transportation when the distance is walk-able. I love getting a first hand interaction with a city. It's hard to describe the joy that comes from this interaction, but seeing something for the first time allows you to truly take in all of its beauty. When I'm not traveling, I miss that feeling. I often close my eyes and reminisce of walking down unfamiliar streets along the bay front in San Diego or finding a coffee shop a block from our bed and breakfast in Key West. Another way I can briefly experience this beauty is through Instagram. It seems superficial, but sometimes I just want to jump into one of those filters. Obviously, life has its ups and downs, but I've never understood why many fail to take on each day as a new adventure. Here is your adventure. Read, dive into the pictu