THE DISCOVER & BLOOM JOURNAL
Firsthand travel, honest hotel notes and the places that stay with me long after the suitcase is unpacked.
START HERE · DESTINATION MATCH
The water may be beautiful in all of them. The vacations are not remotely the same.
Read the guide →THE GRAND STAY EDIT
Thoughtful luxury, honest value and the details that determine whether a beautiful hotel becomes a truly memorable stay.
THREE STAYS · MORE TO COME
CARIBBEAN · CRUISE PLANNING & PACKING NOTES
From choosing your sailing to dressing for dinner: a practical guide to planning a Caribbean cruise, with room for the little details that make traveling together easier.
EUROPE · STYLE & PACKING NOTES
From café mornings to city evenings: three outfit ideas, adaptable layers, and a practical packing checklist for your fall European travels.
QUÉBEC CITY · STYLE & PACKING NOTES
Two seasonal packing edits for walking Old Québec, with comfortable shoes, flexible layers and shoppable collages.
COPENHAGEN · STYLE & PACKING NOTES
A polished, comfortable capsule wardrobe for crisp city walks, changeable weather and days that move from sightseeing to dinner.
SCOTLAND · STYLE & PACKING NOTES
Weather-ready layers, walkable shoes and a little country-house polish for days between the gardens and afternoon tea.
FAMILY TRAVEL · PRACTICAL GUIDE
A practical guide to packing for meals, downtime and the unpredictable transitions that come with traveling with a toddler.
QUÉBEC CITY · FAMILY CITY BREAK
A château stay, cobblestone streets, a river cruise, Montmorency Falls and an autumn drive across Île d’Orléans—with a toddler along for all of it.
TRAVEL PLANNING · 2027 PTO STRATEGY
Eight strategically placed breaks can stretch 20 PTO days into 53 days away. Here are the exact dates to request—and how to use the same strategy with whatever time you have.
ICELAND · FOOD & FAMILY TRAVEL
Incredible steak, killer pizza and beautiful spaces: our firsthand take on Pósthús, Hlemmur and Hafnartorg.
DENMARK · A FAMILY CITY BREAK
Our short family stay in Copenhagen: Villa Copenhagen, Tivoli Gardens, excellent food and exploring the city with a toddler before our Baltic cruise.
ICELAND · THE LAGOON LOG
Three geothermal experiences, three completely different moods—and why I would happily visit all three again.
ICELAND · FIVE-NIGHT FAMILY ITINERARY
A city base, alternating driving days and the unexpectedly easy rhythm that made our May family trip one I would repeat almost exactly.
ST. BARTH · FIRSTHAND GUIDE
One ferry, a walk through Gustavia and a long lunch by impossible blue water—plus what I would do differently next time.
COSTA RICA · SEVEN-NIGHT ITINERARY
Four nights near Arenal, three nights on the Papagayo Peninsula and why the contrast made the trip feel much bigger than one week.
SAINT MARTIN · ISLAND GUIDE
Grand Case dinners, Orient Bay energy, Maho’s planes and the quieter corners I would choose for my own stay.
LIFE · MOTHERHOOD
The moment my son arrived, the things I loved did not disappear. They gained a new person, a new perspective and a lot more tiny luggage.
FROM GENUINELY JENI TO DISCOVER & BLOOM
I'm revisiting years of travel notes and photographs—not simply reposting them. Each story is being expanded with the context, candor and practical judgment I would want before planning the trip myself.
