Lately life has been so busy that it's felt a bit like struggling to keep my head above water. So when feels like they're drowning with the everyday pressures of life, what better way to destress than take a plunge under the sea? I don't know about you, but it's hard to be completely full of despair in the face of otters being cute and adorable. 

Disneyland's first Festival of Holidays is well underway and appearing at California Adventure through January 8th. As a fan of Epcot Food & Wine at Disney World, I wanted to see how these holiday booth small plate offerings compared to the ones at International Showcase.

There are 14 booths featured in the festival, all with different holiday-themed foods and some featuring special cocktails and wines. They're laid out over one stretch of walkway just past the entrance of California Adventure as you walk towards the direction of Paradise Pier. And don't worry, a big sign for the event will make sure you know where it is.

So is this new offering a success? Well.....yes and no. Disneyland has some things they need to tweak if they want to do future holiday festivals like this. But first, the food.

Do you like outdoor water sports? Hiking? Seeing marine life in the wild? Good food, good shops, good wine? If yes to any or all of the above, you're in the right place! Just a short drive past Monterey on 101 is the charming, idyllic little village of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

There's a lot of great food options at Disneyland, and you could easily snack your way through the park for days between the candied apples, Matterhorn macaroons, and the oh so tasty corn dogs. Here are five tasty options to savor in between rides, that are both cheap and yummy. 

When I was five, we went to Disneyworld and I barely remember it outside of riding Haunted Mansion the Dumbo ride. Since then, I hadn't set foot in a Disney park for twenty-five years. I'm a bit terrified of roller coasters, and just never had time to go back. Also, Florida is crazy humid and I do poorly in humidity for too long.

And then three years ago I went to Disneyland for the first time ever, and fell in love. It really can be the happiest place on Earth and from the moment I walked onto Main Street with it's quirky, bright small town feel, I was in love. And that was before I had even tried the wonder that is Dole Whip! 

Disneyland makes you feel like a kid again, and really, you're never too old to visit.

Much like San Francisco, Portland is a city with a strong counter culture vibe, and it's also smack dab in the middle of so much beautiful geography and activity. Roughly two hours from the rugged Oregon Coast, it's very much a city...that also happens to have a large forest in its northwest section and is close by to several waterfalls and parks. 

There really is something for everyone in Portland, whether you're a literature lover, outdoor adventurer, or cocktail connoisseur. Here are some fun things to do the next time you visit.

Between San Jose and San Francisco, the leafy and quaint Mountain Vew lays tucked away just off US-101 and Central Expressway. It's downtown area, served by a main artery in the form of Castro St., is perfect for a leisurely weekend stroll. I like coming on Sunday, when the Farmers Market is in full swing.

It seems like an odd choice visiting Las Vegas if you don't gamble, but there's actually quite a few cool things to do in the sin city that don't require sitting at a poker table.

Vacation is usually synonymous with summer time, but there's something to be said about traveling in winter. It's usually the cheapest time of year for many destinations worldwide, and traveling in a shoulder season means places are less crowded. Why not spend some time next December strolling through Christmas markets in London or Germany? Or, if you're wanting to get away from the cold there's always Hawaii.

I have Memorial Day Monday off, since my SO is away working, I decided a mini-weekend vacation is in order. Easier said than done when you're indecisive.

At first, I thought Quebec. I've never been, it has beautiful Old World charm, good food...and unfortunately no good plane itinerary from Bay Area that would work for me to get there and have actual time to do things, and it meant 6am or around there in way too early in morning flights. No. Sadly, pass for now. 

Then I thought New Orleans. I have 30k Virgin Elevates points in my account, I could use points and fly SFO to Dallas and then Southwest to New Orleans, right? Well, same problem with itineraries and the cost just wasn't where I needed it to be. 

So after mulling it over, one of my friends and elite grade travel hacker Tuan suggested Portland.