Goodtimeswithjess is still here! Wherever here is. She has no time to blog, but she’ll get you a trip proposal ASAP

Posted on October 31, 2026 by Good Times with Jess

This blog is still alive! It hasn’t sputtered into complete oblivion just yet.

I missed the entire month of September and I’m VERY close to missing the entire month of October. The good news is it’s because I GOT SO BUSY with work! Not to be mistaken with wiping-my-kid’s-butt work, travel work.

I’m less busy with kid work because who has the time? RB turned 7 and 7-year-old butts can fend for themselves, despite protestations to the contrary.

I kept thinking I was coming up for air and then more trips appeared. Plus tag on two weeks of travel to Morocco and the Bahamas (for work), meant the only writing I was doing was email.

It’s been so long, my blog suggested I re-blog. No thank you.

I am at a loss on how to proceed. Do I tell you about Morocco?

The hotel that hosted me, put me in a gorgeous family suite with a private pool. BB was so mad I was going there without my family she made me a paper version so I could relax by my pool with my two-dimensional, perfectly behaved children.

Then I was home for a minute to do my laundry, put it back in my suitcase and off to the Bahamas.

I regret I had zero time for water slides. I met with one travel supplier who went to the water park during our lunch break. He recommended I do the same.

I don’t know how to go to a water park and return to business casual with presentable hair in 1.75 hours.

In the middle of all that, BB started middle school. BIG relief, I’ve never seen her come home from school happier. There’s dancing, singing and self-motivation to do her homework.

BB’s only issue was when I left. Twice. So many tears. So many prolonged hugs. When I leave for two weeks in February it may be the end of her.

On the other hand, when I popped into RB’s room to say goodbye before I left on my second trip, she gave me a perfunctory hug and said,

“Bye! I love you! I hope your plane doesn’t crash!”

Thanks. ME TOO.

RB turned 7! We were very tempted to repeat an NYC weekend again, but she desperately wanted a trampoline party with 30 of her closest friends, so that’s what we did. AND I scored VIP meet & greet tickets to the show you may or may not have heard of – Wild Kratts!

It’s RB’s all-time favorite show and Captain may be leading a double life as a Martin Kratt doppelgänger:

Then it was on to Halloween! RB needed a jack-o-lantern over a week ago for her school’s pumpkin stroll. It’s the year of the cat for us, so she declared her desire for a cat jack-o-lantern and went to bed.

Captain is a MASTER pumpkin carver. I don’t know when the awards happen for that, but maybe he’ll get some extra candy for his trouble. First he carved this:

RB saw it in the morning and BURST into tears,

“It’s not FUNNY Halloween! It’s SPOOKY Halloween!!!”

So the next night, I went to bed and Captain tried again:

He won!

Now today is the real deal, so last night he was at it again. I tried to say RB does NOT need a third cat jack-o-lantern. No one else agreed with me. We all went to bed and Captain accomplished:

The only thing challenging our obsession with cats is BB’s obsession with swimming and when you carve FOUR jack-o-lantern masterpieces, you can do it all.

Back to work. I must keep working. I hope to talk to you before 2027, but if you need to hear from me sooner, send me a new-trip inquiry!

Cowboy themed Halloween party for RB. I joined the 5% of dressed-up adults, because when else am I going to wear the giant unicorn onesie in my closet?

Throwback to Halloween 2020!

He thinks he can do whatever he wants because he’s related to the Backstreet Boys.

Did someone say Belize?!?

Posted on October 17, 2025 by Good Times with Jess

I don’t know what’s happening. I just bought a plane ticket and I’m leaving for Belize in two weeks.

Yesterday the owner of my agency said a colleague could no longer take the trip, so the spot was open if anyone wanted it.

I watched as one advisor after another said they wished they could go, but couldn’t.

I looked at my calendar. Nothing there aside from a MILLION kids’ activities.

I reached out to our family childcare support. They were a go.

Now I needed to run it by Captain when he got home from work. I wrote on our white board on the fridge: “???BELIZE???” With that many question marks. As if I’d forget to talk about it.

I was on the fence. I just got home from Italy and I’m headed to the Swiss/Austrian Alps the beginning of December. I don’t want to burden my family too much.

Captain thought I should go.

That’s all I needed to hear!

Just when I thought my body was settling into winter-sweatsuit mode, we are back in a bikini, headed for the second largest barrier reef in the world and the best diving in the western hemisphere.

I will continue to shave my legs.

I am not a last minute type of person. I’m a planner. Go figure.

I have been shocked by how many clients book last minute trips. This is great for them and I’m very happy to do it.

My ideal time frame for planning trips for my own family is six months to over a year away. I had my eye on the Galápagos two years before we took the trip. And right now I’ve got my eye on Africa 2027.

I have never in my life booked a flight for myself two weeks before I leave.

Here I am. Ticketed. I just need to shave my legs and repack my freshly put away summer wardrobe.

I’m in excited disbelief that I’m leaving the country again so soon. I said to Captain,

“Who am I? I’m some new version of Jessica.”

“No! You’re the old Jessica!”

That’s right! I AM the old Jessica. Past Jessica’s passport was so full she had to send it away for more pages.

The main difference is that twenty-something-year-old Jessica did not have the word “luxury” associated with any part of her travels. Although she did as a child and she was luxury adjacent during her summer as a deckhand/stewardess on a yacht in the south of France.

Present, middle-aged Jessica has adapted well to the change.

I’m still, as Captain would say, rugged. I can carry my own luggage. But if someone wants to carry it for me, who am I to say no? And there’s nothing wrong with a chocolate on my pillow at night.

BB is not pleased that I’m peacing out again, but the promise of a Belizean stuffie is helping my case.

Are you thinking about somewhere warm? Maybe the Caribbean or maybe somewhere else nearby? Do you want adventure, culture, beach, jungle and amazing sea life?

Yes please!

I leave the day after Halloween. It’s daylight savings weekend. We gain an hour. My kids will be complete, post-Halloween trash and not my problem.

See you soon Belize!

If you need me, I can plan your trip from here!

Luxury Adventure, who wants in?

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Good Times with Jess

And so we’re home. For now. I leave for Croatia in three weeks. By myself. For work.

I need to go: hiking, biking, kayaking, white-water rafting, oyster sampling, private yacht chartering, horseback riding, so that I’ll be able to advise you on the best Croatian trip possible.

I’m leaving my babies behind. These are the sacrifices I must make.

It is bittersweet. I would love to do this adventure with my whole family. Someday we can. BUT in the meantime, I’ll bring them back some candy.

RB loves candy. She’s been counting her future Easter eggs ever since her Halloween candy ran out months ago.

BB will not be so easily won over, but there must be a Croatian stuffy to be had.

As for Captain, my gift to him will be my return. He’s concerned I’m not going to survive white-water rafting. He insisted on travel insurance so there will be funds for the repatriation of my body.

The fact that I’ve gone white-water rafting before and in higher-class rapids, does not seem to reassure him.

I also went white-water boogie boarding and again, here I am.

I’m a luxury travel advisor, but when encouraged to pick a specialization, I created: “Luxury Adventure Specialist.”

Captain agreed that that was a good fit for me.

I’m not sure what it means, but it sure sounds like someone who stays in 5-star hotels and goes white-water rafting.

That can be you too. Or luxury hotels and yoga. Or luxury hotels and a safari. The adventure options are really endless.

I just applied for a trip that’s 5-star hotels and skiing. Keeping my adventure options open.

That required a two-minute video application. I emerged from my room after an hour of filming myself.

Feeling ridiculous and self-conscious I checked in with Captain,

“I finished my video application.”

“Oh you did?”

“You didn’t hear me?!”

“No! I thought you were in a meeting.”

A meeting with myself where I say the same thing over and over again, hoping somehow that the millionth try will be acceptable to whatever nebulous standard I’m holding myself to.

It is done and sent off. With any luck I’ll add Austria to my list of upcoming adventures, after Sardinia this September.

Good times with Jess and sometimes her family, but not always.