If you feel like you’ve been seeing a lot of trip recap posts lately, you’re not wrong. As I mentioned, April was unusually full of travel for our family and, per my New Year’s resolution, you’re hearing about all the escapades tout de suite. I know localized travel posts aren’t everyone’s favorite, so I appreciate your graciousness. Hopefully, even if you never plan to visit where we’ve been, you’ll find something to take away from the details that you can transpose onto your own next destination – or something else entirely in your life! Before we dive in, I also wanted to thank you for offering your generous thoughts on my recent survey. 75+ of you gave me much to consider. I’m still mulling over the next best step, but in the meantime, know your engagement here is very much appreciated. I was talking this week with a friend who works in marketing and with small businesses about the survey, and she was blown away by the number of responses I received. Knowing this community, I was grateful but not surprised. Thank you, thank you. Now: onto the Biltmore! This particular trip was a fun and unique one. As many of you know, John and I are passionate about personal finance. We have had the gift of coming alongside my younger sister over the last few years as she has worked to pay off her undergraduate and graduate student loans. The three of us would meet a few times a year to review her net worth (just a fancy term for a snapshot of your debts and assets), talk through her budget, check in on her payoff plan progress, and talk through any big-picture financial questions on her mind. And, of course, to cheer her on! Debt freedom can take

Though it’s been more than a month since I got home from Engage, I’m not going to let the time lapsed stop me from writing about it. Because the Gala on the last night? It was truly a once-in-a-lifetme experience. Start with a particular point in history when, between Downton Abbey and the Great Gatsby movie, 20’s style has never been more in vogue. Add in the majestic Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned house in America. Make sure it has a stupendous view. Choose a picture-perfect summer day. Invite a crowd that reinvents the idea of a costume party. Fringe and sequins and feathers, oh my! Serve the most delicious food, arrange for stunning decor, bring in pitch-perfect period jazz music. And a fire breather, just for good measure. Yes, seriously. Now add in one gal who adores Downton Abbey, whose second favorite book of all time is The Great Gatsby, and who leaps at any excuse to dress up. There. That is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Quite literally, almost: I had the chance to chat with one of the gals who works in the Biltmore catering office, and she said that they usually only do two events per year on the South Lawn — and that she had never seen anything like this one. Until time travel is possible, I think this is the closest I will ever come to experiencing another era, and I am just tickled that I got to do so. Hope you enjoyed the peek! All photos by Allan Zepeda, Jeremie Barlow, and Carla Ten Eyck & Andrew Henderson except second and group photo near bottom