About • Life of Whimsley • A Travel Blog

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MEET THE BLOGGER

Hi there, I’m Brianna!

I’m the blogger behind Life of Whimsley, a site that’s centered around travel, with little bits of life mixed in. Whether you’re planning a trip around the world or a staycation, I’m here to help you plan your travel with ease so you can explore with joy.

If you’re headed on a trip across the world or maybe you are staying close to home, I want to help you feel that traveling can be approachable. Planning that trip you’ve been thinking (dreaming) about for years doesn’t have to be overwhelming!

You’ll find travel tips, destination guides, ideas on creating joyful moments whether you are near home or far away, and a glimpse at what brings me joy when we aren’t traveling. Thanks for joining me on this adventure!

With joy,

Bri

I love traveling

My husband, Dan, and I have been globetrotting the world for 10 years. When we catch up with friends and family, they always ask us two things: “How was your trip to [insert destination here]?” and “Where are you off to next?”

My love of travel ignited in college and it’s still burning bright. Thankfully, my husband was also up for exploring the world and together we’ve been to more than 20 countries and more than half of the U.S. states. If I’ve learned anything about myself in the last 10 years, it’s that my heart was made for travel and experiencing the world is a non-negotiable for me.

In my 20s, I was all about visiting as many new countries as I could to keep adding to my “list”. Now in my 30s, I love getting to know the places we visit. Spending more time in one spot or even, gasp!, going back to the same spot multiple times. I’m really enjoying building more of a connection to a place and it has brought us so much joy to have the feeling of familiarity each time we go back.

A man and woman stand close together, smiling, on a stone terrace overlooking an Austrian city with historic buildings and a hazy sky. The man wears a gray jacket and cap, while the woman is in a green coat. — Exploring the Hohensalzburg Fortress in Salzburg, Austria.

A smiling man and woman take a selfie in bright sunlight. The man shades his eyes with his hand, while the woman squints and smiles, wearing a striped tank top. The background is a clear blue sky. — Laughing trying to take a selfie in Hawaii (Dan was attempting to block the sun).

A man and woman smile and stand together at the Minnesota state fair. They are outdoors, surrounded by people. The entrance sign reads STATE FAIR. Trees and fair attendees are visible in the background.

A man and woman smiling and wearing baseball caps take a selfie by a lake. The background features clear blue water, a forest of trees, and a mountain under a partly cloudy sky. They both wear zip-up jackets.

A man and a woman smiling, taking a selfie against a backdrop of orange rock formations under a clear blue sky at Bryce Canyon National Park. The man is wearing a cap and a gray jacket, and the woman is wearing a gray patterned top with sunglasses on her head.

A smiling man in a blue plaid shirt and baseball cap poses closely with a woman in sunglasses and red lipstick, wearing a white top. They are outdoors, and the background is blurred.

01. Summer time at the Minnesota State Fair / 02. Walking around Mirror Lake in Utah / 03. Hiking in Bryce Canyon National Park / 04. Celebrating the 4th of July in Minnesota

From the Midwest to Out West

My husband and I both grew up in Minnesota and called it home for over 30 years. A few years ago we came out to Utah for an end of summer vacation and fell in love with the mountains.

At the time we were both working remote, it was during the pandemic, and we said if we can work from anywhere, let’s work from anywhere. The funny thing, is we had just finished fully remodeling our “forever home” but we both had this gut feeling that Utah is where we should be and that if we didn’t try moving, we will always wish we had.

Now, we’ve officially been living in a suburb of Salt Lake City for two years and we’re so happy that we made the move. It’s been especially fun to have our friends and family visit. We love showing them around so they can see firsthand why we moved out to this beautiful state.

Planning is my jam

I love planning… a vacation, our wedding, what we are going to eat for the week, what my route is going to be for the errands I need to run. You name it, I’ll plan it.

Being organized, making lists, knowing what’s coming up, all good signs that someone loves to plan – and that’s me. I know for some people (okay, a lot of people), planning is what stresses them out, but it actually puts me at ease. Is my type A personality showing through yet?!

I hope my love of planning is what keeps you hanging around here. Because my love of planning is what helped us to travel and see so many incredible places. If I can help to relieve some of that stress for you, to help to inspire you to take that first or next trip, then I’ve set out what I came on here to do.

A white mug with mentally on vacation in blue is held up against a scenic backdrop of a lake and vibrant sunset with orange and pink hues. The ground is gravel, and there are silhouettes of distant buildings. — Watching the sunrise over Bear Lake during our end of summer vacation in Garden City, Utah

A close-up selfie captures a bearded man and a woman with her hair pulled back, smiling warmly watching the sunset in Croatia. The glow highlighting their faces adds to the serene ambiance.

what’s in a name

When I dreamed about the little corner of the internet I hoped to create, I wanted it to overflow with whimsy and joy – because that’s what travel has brought to our life.

I also hoped to weave in a personal touch, incorporating our last name, since my husband and I go on all our adventures together. Our last name ends with ‘ley,’ and while we were exploring Hawaii last year, inspiration struck. The idea of blending ‘whimsical’ with ‘ley’ suddenly clicked: Whimsley.

I also wanted to leave room to share more than just our travels, so Life of Whimsley was born – a place to share all the joyful moments of our lives, both on the road and at home.

My Favorite things

A few things I might be slightly obsessed with:

Fresh flowers – Whether we’re at Trader Joe’s grabbing groceries, up in the mountains of Utah, or at a market abroad, I’ll always stop to take a few pictures and likely buy a bouquet.

Chips and Salsa – I am a foodie at heart and if there are chips and fresh salsa I have little to no self restraint. From pico de gallo to salsa verde to a habanero lime crema sauce, just keep it coming.

Black and White striped shirts – A few years ago, I realized I have at least seven black and white striped tops in my closet. Tank tops, long sleeves, or sweatshirts – they just continue to accumulate and no matter how hard I try, I just can’t resist adding one to my shopping cart.

Reading – I can’t imagine life without a Kindle. I love always being able to have a book wherever I go and it makes reading at night so much easier. I still buy physical books – there’s just something comforting about having a stack of my favorite books in my office. A few of my favorite auto-buy authors include: Emily Henry, Sarah J. Maas, Katherine Center, Carley Fortune, and Christina Lauren.

Vintage Maps – It all started on a trip when we were shopping at an antique bookshop in Boulder, Colorado. They had atlas pages for sale and we found one of Minnesota from 1918 that we had to take home with us. Now, whenever we’re traveling, we always try to find one to add to our collection. Our oldest map is from the 1850s and some of my favorites are ones we bought while in Athens, Greece.

A person smiles while holding a large coffee cup with both hands. They are wearing a striped shirt, dark vest, and a cap with text. Sunlight casts shadows, creating a warm atmosphere.

A close-up view of two vintage maps in a wooden drawer. The left map features colorful outlined regions, while the right map includes detailed geographic markings.

A serene view of Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, with its gold-leaf exterior reflecting in a tranquil pond surrounded by lush greenery under a blue sky in Kyoto, Japan.

01. Sipping a latte at Five Watt Coffee in Minneapolis / 02. Sorting through Atlas pages at an antique book shop in Boulder, Colorado / 03. A few books and trinkets in my office at home / 04. Finding fresh flowers at the Time Out Market in Lisbon, Portugal.