In January 2016, Mary Grace embarked on one of her most memorable, eye-opening, heartwarming trips to date: an extensive 10-day trip to Russia, in the cities of St. Petersburg and Moscow, where the friends she met, the things she saw and the biggest lessons she realized about people on the other side of American TV news set her young travel bug energy in motion for the next decade to come.

(00:00) Intro & overview

(02:20) Decision to go to Russia & what I did for it

(03:50) Russia bound & third party scam scare

(06:30) Arriving in St. Petersburg + 1st night experiences

(11:06) When my mom found out I went to Russia

(13:20) Russian tipping, culture, sights

(19:00) Eye-opening evening in a Russian home

(23:24) Sights on Sapsan train ride to Moscow

(24:24) Moscow surprises

(28:01) Arriving in another Russian home + next etiquette lesson

(29:14) Overview of Moscow, Soviet soda machines, what to do in Moscow

(31:53) Saying goodbye + lessons not taught by the news

(34:32) Review of all key takeaways

(36:45) Last remarks

Official unofficial New Year's episode on the whim!

In this episode, Mary Grace pieces together and touches upon four main categories of lessons and unspilled tea - time management and priorities, friendships, travel, and proclaiming self-worth - along with her own "aha moment" of burnout that she experienced in 2024, all with recommendations on how to best approach and capitalize on them to kick off 2025 with a bang.

(00:00) Intro & Talk About Burnout

(03:59) Balancing Our Time Plates & Priorities

(08:21) Seeing Through Friendship Dedications

(12:33) Realizing Travel Values & Shifts

(15:15) Realizing Self Worth & Value of Time

(17:39) Plans for Once Upon a Trip

(19:26) 2025 Travel Plans

(20:32) Last Remarks & Outro

A Christmas and New Year's fusion episode! Six years ago, on Christmas Eve 2018 in Wroclaw, Poland, Mary Grace said goodbye to a short-lived long distance relationship with Mario, a Romanian native from Bucharest, after he had constantly ghosted her and showed that he was never going to change. Mary Grace then spontaneously changed her New Year’s plans with Mario and went solo to Kyiv, Ukraine for some bigger and better surprises. This short episode is a sneak peak into a young, naive, one-sided relationship built on superficial excuses and ignored red flags.

(00:00) Intro & Overview

(01:33) Background & The One Recurring Thing

(03:08) 1st Time in Romania & Next Red Flags

(04:23) “Yeehaw” Moment & Deathly Rum Chocolates

(05:49) The Attempted Christmas Planning

(08:49) Christmas Eve Moment of Truth

(10:52) No Regrets on Going Solo to Ukraine

(11:50) You’re in Control Over Change

(12:50) Last Remarks & Wishes

A Christmas holiday trip down memory lane!

10 years ago in 2014, 19-year-old Mary Grace went to Prague, Czech Republic with her dad just a few short days before Christmas to meet and spend long-awaited time with her online friend and Czech crush in the city, 25-year-old Liam. This episode recounts a highly personal account of Mary Grace’s short fairytale and memories with Liam at Christmas time in Prague, as well as dives deep into the innocence, emotional struggles of long distance and the lack of regrets in actively seeking out a young long distance love potential. Enjoy!

(00:00) Intro

(00:33) Episode Overview

(02:33) First times in Europe & Setting the Scene

(03:21) My Dad in the Airlines, Standby Flying

(04:29) Wanting to go to Prague & Background on Knowing Liam

(06:28) Taking Back the Host Offer

(07:23) Making the Journey to Prague

(08:55) Arriving and First Moments in Prague

(10:20) The Hotel Perspective Moment

(11:33) Getting Settled and Moments with Matthew

(14:00) Free Walking Tour and Prague McDonald’s

(15:14) First Time at the Prague Christmas Market

(16:43) Day 2 Festivities

(17:52) Setting the Night Scene

(18:30) The Santa Christmas Elf Moment

(20:53) Hanging out at Liam’s Apartment

(22:09) Making a Move

(23:48) Change of Plans

(25:38) The 2am Night Stroll & Street Car

(26:17) The Hardest Goodbye

(27:59) Going to the Airport

(28:25) The Amsterdam to New York Flight

(29:46) Aftermath, Reality of Long Distance & Rough Season

(32:05) What Happened After Prague

(33:58) Importance of Living in the Moment

(35:02) Episode Last Remarks

A Frohe Weihnachten/Merry Christmas themed video episode!

Grab yourself coffee, Glühwein, or other hot drink and be sure to ho, ho, hold your horses today as Mary Grace and Marco both share their various Christmas season upbringings, memories and holiday experiences in Europe (especially Germany) and in the United States - all of which the children and adults in ourselves have lived through once before.

Enjoy! Cheers and happy holidays!

(00:00) German "Greetings"

(00:32) Intro & Glühwein Toast

(02:28) All Things Christmas Markets

(04:41) Christmas Markets We've Been To & Would Recommend

(08:30) The Christkindl Market in Chicago, USA

(10:51) Other Christmas Markets

(12:12) Memories of Snow & Sleighing

(13:11) December 6th | Saint Nicholas Day

(15:17) Tree Decorations, German Schwibbogen, & Stern

(19:06) Family Christmas Cards, Christmas Cookies, & Stollen

(21:41) Other Little Differences

(22:33) American Christmas Traditions & Santa Claus

(23:34) Coca Cola Influence on Santa

(24:16) Coca Cola Christmas Trucks in Germany

(25:04) Santa Traditions in Germany vs. U.S.

(27:33) Go to Germany in December

(28:00) Episode Last Remarks & Wrap-up

In December 2022, Mary Grace went on a trip to Washington State having a friend there, and came back to Georgia six days later breaking things off and no longer having that friend in her life. This episode is a very detailed account of the six-day series of events, bottled-up emotions, harsh conversations, awkward confessions, and the reality of taking an eight-year online friendship offline, just to see and unravel all of the reasons that it was a friendship never meant to be.

(00:00) Intro

(00:32) Episode Overview

(03:24) First Day in Bothell, Washington

(06:33) First Night & No Privacy

(09:45) Second Day & Mercer Island

(11:52) Second Night & the Restaurant

(14:13) Third Day & Seattle

(17:06) The Workout Session

(18:10) High Expectations Salvaged & Pet Peeves

(20:37) Fourth Day & Moments of Truth

(26:13) My Mistakes

(29:01) Fourth Day Cont’d & Bust in Leavenworth

(30:42) Fifth Day & Decision to Leave

(34:41) Morals of the Story & Reflecting Now

(37:30) Episode Wrap-up

Thanksgiving holiday themed episode with the twist of a European perspective! Join Mary Grace and Marco as they share their personal Thanksgiving experiences, as well as their takes on witnessing the chaos of Black Friday and all that they are thankful for this year. Enjoy!

(00:00) Intro

(00:32) Episode overview

(02:34) Marco’s thought on Thanksgiving

(03:30) A little background and history

(07:03) Do Germans know about Thanksgiving?

(09:05) Thanksgiving Experiences

(10:01) Thanksgiving Experience #1

(11:45) Thanksgiving Experience #2

(14:16) Thanksgiving foods that you don’t like

(19:34) What foods can you find at a German feast?

(21:21) Black Friday in Germany vs. America

(27:55) What are you thankful for?

(34:17) Episode wrap-up

A deeper snippet and deep dive into the American dating scene and stories!

Join Mary Grace as she divulges her experiences, fails executed and witnessed, and lessons learned from dating four different American guys in Atlanta, Georgia throughout the year after she left her life in Turkey and Europe behind, plus, as she reveals more about the one European from Germany who changed up the dating game entirely.

(00:00) Intro

(00:33) Episode overview

(02:00) Dating apps & being convinced to use one

(03:54) Guy #1: Mr. Bright and Handsome

(06:40) Dating fail #1 with Mr. Bright and Handsome

(07:53) Dating fail #2 with Mr. Bright and Handsome

(09:07) Why it ended & one sidedness

(10:31) Guy #2: Mr. Southern Christian Boy

(13:32) Different futures & ultimate dealbreaker

(14:56) The list

(16:17) How it ended & people are still good

(16:41) Guy #3: Mr. Superficial

(17:37) Mr. Superficial’s dating fail

(18:30) Work Inflexibility & insecurity

(19:05) How and why it ended

(19:36) Guy #4: Mr. Oblivious and Selfish

(23:48) Dating fail at the brewery

(24:45) Confronting the oblivion and selfishness

(26:51) Transition to guy #5: Marco

(27:47) My dating slump & prayer moment

(29:16) Meeting Marco on Hinge

(31:05) What Marco isn’t and is

(32:15) Last takeaways

(33:14) Episode wrap-up