Spring Life Update: Surgery, New Discoveries, and a Slower Pace for 2026
Happy April, everyone! Kait here. It is a beautiful time to be at home in North Carolina! The birds are loud, the flowers are blooming, and everything is that vibrant, electric spring green that only happens this time of year. We have shared pieces of our lives online in the past, but as you might notice things looking a little bit different in our content going forward, we wanted to share a little life update! A Facebook caption just is not long enough to cover some of the health changes and the slightly new directions you might see in blogs in the future.
Kait before her April 2026 Endometriosis Excision Surgery in North Carolina
In Case You Missed It: Kait’s Journey With Endometriosis
Since my stage 3 endometriosis diagnosis in 2018, I have navigated the mix of frustration and validation that comes with this finding that I have this disease. It took years of being dismissed by doctors before I was finally heard, and while my first surgery offered some relief for a time, there is no cure. The worst had returned, and I headed back into surgery this past Tuesday. I am fortunate to have found a highly qualified excision specialist who truly understands this condition.
My laparoscopic endometriosis excision surgery went very well and as smoothly as we could hope for! Like after my first surgery, the diagnosis was that I yet again had stage 3 (out of four stages) of endometriosis. Now that I’m all cleared out from cysts and endometrioma after a 2.5-hour surgery, I’m back home resting and healing up! My doctors and surgeon have been phenomenal and have great confidence that the surgery, plus the best follow-up treatment plan, should give me years of relief again! More on that later in the blog. I am just so thankful to be moving a little more and a little quicker each day as I recover.
My Migraine Miracle
While the endometriosis surgery was a major milestone that I’m grateful for, I have also been making significant lifestyle changes since the start of the year. In late 2025, I started having strange allergic reactions to things that never bothered me before. (Hives from trying Guarana in a Brazilian soda? My tongue going numb for the first time while eating washed raw celery? Yikes!) To stop the surprise allergies, I finally went to an allergist.
The results were a shock. Along with my known allergies like pollen, pineapple, and latex, I found out I am allergic to nearly all fragrances, several other contact allergens, and surprisingly…wheat.
Now, I have eaten wheat my entire life, but I have also been a migraine sufferer my entire life. I was used to having ten or more migraines a month! Since cutting out wheat and gluten in mid-January, I have not had a single migraine! If you have ever experienced a migraine with an aura, you know how life-altering this news is. To go from three migraines a week to zero has been truly life-changing. I am thinking more clearly and living without the same constant fear of a looming migraine attack.
Sardinia, Italy
Living an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle
Beyond the allergies, I am also adamant about trying my best to manage endometriosis. While there is no cure, I am focused on creating an environment in my body where it does not thrive. In conjunction with my medical team, I am embracing an anti-inflammatory lifestyle. For me, this means:
Removing allergens: Transitioning to dye-free and fragrance-free skincare, hair care, detergents, cleaners, etc.
Dietary shifts: Limiting inflammatory foods like dairy, gluten, sugar, alcohol, and processed meats.
Stress management: Prioritizing low-intensity exercise and reducing high-stress situations.
I am aiming for a 90/10 lifestyle. Most of the time, I strictly follow these guidelines, but I leave that 10% for the occasional piece of cheese or a cup of yogurt. Dairy is tough to quit entirely! I’m trying to think about it as eating more like they do in the beautiful Blue Zones of places we’ve loved, like Sardinia, Greece, Japan, and more.
Andrew has been incredibly supportive through all of this. He is navigating these changes right alongside me at home, though he gets his fixes as he wants them when I am away for work. If I am out of town, you can bet he is ordering a pizza or heading to Publix for a Pub Sub!
How This Could Change Our Travel Content
So, what does this mean for our travel guides? While most of the way we write will remain the same, you will potentially see a small shift in the way we explore destinations.
I will naturally be looking at destinations through a new lens of dining and accessibility. I will be sharing more gluten-free and whole-food suggestions, focusing on how easy it is to find safe, delicious food without feeling like you are missing out on the local culture.
We will also try to slowly shift from such jam-packed trips. Instead of busy weekends, you will see more guides focused on relaxing beach or mountain getaways, slower-paced city escapes, and incorporating calm moments into what are often “see-it-all” trips.
And last but not least, my go-to product recommendations will probably look different now that I’m fully aware of my allergies! I am swapping my favorite, trendy beauty products for fragrance-free alternatives that will not cause a reaction. Boring? Potentially, yes. But has it been the answer to my chronic adult acne and rosacea? Fortunately/unfortunately, also yes!
When it comes to living a happier, healthier, less-inflamed, more pain-free life, some trade-offs are totally worth it. If you’ve ever wanted to look more into “clean living” when it comes to making important switches for your health and travel, I won’t be perfect at the process, but I’m happy to share and help!
Travels Ahead for Andrew & Kait in 2026
Here is a few of the bigger plans for what we have on the horizon for this year!
The Carolinas, USA: We plan to explore more of our adopted home state of North Carolina, and its southern neighbor in South Carolina. There is so much to see right in and around our own backyard! On our bucket list are visits to the Outer Banks, Charleston, and Folly Beach, and potentially learning to ski at Beach or Sugar Mountain! (Though that might be a 2027 goal!)
30A, Florida, USA: We’ve traveled the globe and have found no beaches that compare to the bright white, soft sands of the Florida panhandle. Seriously! We are thrilled to be heading to the beautiful 30A area in Florida with family in June for a summer beach trip!
Disney World: Moving to the East Coast in 2024, we’ve found just how cheap and easy it can be to take a quick trip down to Disney World! We will be sharing plenty of Disney content this year, with a new focus on packing to beat the heat in the parks, eating gluten-free at Disney World, and park itinerary strategies for all the new updates and changes!
European Christmas Markets: Our big end-of-year trip is already in the works! We are planning to visit Dresden and Prague, along with a few other crowd-favorite stops in Germany. I will keep my radar up for gluten-free, alcohol-free, and lower-sugar options so everyone can enjoy the markets, regardless of their dietary needs.
Thank you for sticking with us through these transitions. We are excited to show you this new, healthier version of our travels!