Let’s Start with an Introduction.

Hi!

My name is Deb, and I started Be Well Travel Light to connect with all of you while chronicling my adventures.

I am a “midlife” woman in my 50s, living in Columbus, Ohio, with my husband of nearly 23 years, our teenage daughter, two giant dogs, and a bearded dragon. I have another adult daughter who is attending college in Cincinnati. I will soon be an ‘empty nester’ when my younger daughter graduates and goes to college in the fall of 2025.

When I’m home, I love cooking, reading, writing, and yoga. I walk nearly every day with the dogs and try to stay active. I spend a ton of time researching destinations and future travel plans and frequent travel websites, blogs, and Instagram accounts.

I have my mother to thank for instilling the travel bug in me from a young age, but like many others, I began traveling much more after the pandemic. I no longer wanted to put off any adventures when faced with the reality of shutdowns or border closings.

I enjoy all forms of travel, from relaxing beach vacations to active Arctic adventures and from backcountry camping to luxury resorts. I love exploring the outdoors – hiking, camping, snorkeling, etc. I find the most beauty and wonder in our natural world. I crave anything that explores different cultures and allows me to connect with local people, cuisine, and art.

I’ve been fortunate to travel to incredible places throughout North, Central, and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

I’ve hiked to the top of Mt. Elbert (14,440 ft.) and to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I’ve explored the tropical rainforests of the Osa Peninsula and the temperate rainforests of Olympic National Park. I’ve hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and along the Cinque Terre in the Italian Riviera. I’ve walked in the cloud forests of Costa Rica and swam the underwater reefs of Hawaii. I had orcas play next to me in Washington and I had a rattlesnake threaten me in Arizona. I witnessed the Mara River Crossing of the Great Migration in Tanzania and trekked with a family of critically endangered Mountain Gorillas in Uganda. I’ve seen a concert in a cave and a concert in a swamp and a gazillion shows in between. I’ve run five full marathons and ten half marathons in seven different U.S. cities within five years. In addition to all the rugged beauty I’ve witnessed, I’ve also dined at some fine restaurants and been pampered at a few spas.

There are so many more places I want to go and many more things I long to do. I want to visit Cuba, backpack through Glacier National Park, and hike Torres del Paine in Chile. I’d love to explore more of Africa (Namibia & Botswana), and I still want to visit much of Europe. It would be a dream to spend time in Morocco or India.

I’m excited to have this space to connect with you. I’ve always loved writing and look forward to using this space to create, chronicle, reflect, and daydream. I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned and the hours/days/weeks of planning I’ve done to manifest each adventure so that anyone who might be interested can do the same. 

Thank you for being here — I look forward to connecting with you. 

Deb