Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.

Terry Pratchett

By now you know I LOVE books and travel. Duh. What you may not know is that I absolutely love designing and creating original bookmarks. Like I get giddy about it to the point I’m dancing to absolutely no music while I sit in my chair and make fun bookmarks. I’m that person. I’m also that person who will take 9,000 pictures on a trip and lay down on the ground to get “the shot”. Both make me super happy.

I’m not sure where the inspiration to combine both into one post came from, but here we are. Welcome to my brain. Today, I decided to match a bookmark I made with a travel photo I’ve taken, because why not?

Fantasy Read More Bookmark & Scotland

I designed this, but my amazingly talented friend Vania turned this into the amazing illustration you see here! These photos were taken on a road trip with one of my favorite people in Scotland. We explored as much as we could in a few days after visiting Edinburgh and every second felt like we were in a fantasy book.

Witch, Please & Northern Virginia

I went on an archaeological survey in the middle of nowhere Virginia. We came across these abandoned buildings. They weren’t creepy when we were there in the middle of the day, especially with my dog happily roaming around, but in black in white photos? Yeah, a witch definitely lives there.

Just One More Chapter & Albuquerque, New Mexico

Remember the time you read just one more chapter? Me neither. 12 chapters later and I’m asleep with a book on my face with no idea where I am, what time it is, or what day it is. Remember that time you thought you wouldn’t end up in Albuquerque year after year? Yeah… 5 trips later and we still can’t stop ourselves…but why would we when it’s so amazing?

Keep Sleighing Those Pages & Alaska

Is there anywhere more Christmas-y than the North Pole? A few years ago I went to Fairbanks, Alaska to visit a great friend. The views there were next level and I’ve never seen so much snow in my life. We even took a mini road trip to the North Pole for an ice sculpture competition. Couldn’t imagine pairing this bookmark with anywhere else!

Oh My Gourd & Barcelona

Barcelona was full of bright, sandy coastline and sand-colored buildings. The colors and the food scene matched perfectly, at least in my opinion, to the Oh My Gourd bookmark. I loved sampling tapas from around the city and pretty much gorged myself on delicious food and gorgeous views the entire time.

Dewey Decimating This Book & Pompeii, Italy

Not only did the sand-colored buildings remind me of the bookmark, but Pompeii is surprisingly quiet. Not to mention, the volcano in the background threatening to decimate the entire site again. I loved spending 3 weeks on site for an archaeological field school and it was a time I’ll never forget. Exploring these ruins was an amazing experience.

Donut Worry & Lancaster, PA

The sheer number of places you can get a donut in Lancaster is mind boggling. Central Market is our go-to place for donuts since there is one giant stand with over 30 different options available. Then there’s Achenbach Day which is a type of PA Dutch donut, and you can’t forget about the Fasnachts either which is a German donut found here. THEN there’s the other donut stores like Beilers and we even have a Duck Donuts. It’s kind of low-key donut heaven here.

You Better Be-Leaf & Peru

You probably don’t think of flowers when you think about Peru, but I couldn’t stop taking pictures of them. Every place we went we saw so many I’d never seen before and they were all so gorgeous. I was looking through those pictures when I came up with this bookmark, so they genuinely were the inspiration behind this one!

Sun’s Out Buns Out & Puerto Rico

Last, but not least, is my favorite bookmark. Funny enough it pairs perfectly with one of my favorite places of all time, Puerto Rico. When we went I had started on my weight loss journey and was thinking about competing in a bikini competition down the road. It was the first time I had ever felt confident in a bikini. Plus, everything about the beaches there were incredible and I never wanted to go inside while I was here. It was truly a ‘if the sun is out, my butt is going to be outside’ type of vacation.

Which One is Your Favorite?

You already know my favorite! I make a new one each month, but this is a sneak peek at May, June, and July for my book adventure boxes. Keep an eye out soon because they will be going up in my store!