Welcome to Our Changing Lives!
We’ve come a long way, baby!
It all started with a local restaurant blog called “The Dotte Life”. Before long, we discovered that people connected with our style, and our readership flourished. In 2017, we launched Our Changing Lives with the goal of enticing others to explore this big, blue marble we all call home. After spending the first portion of our lives raising a family, the empty nest syndrome finally caught up with us. This change has allowed us to spend more time traveling and seeking out new destinations.
We developed this website to show how we “Visit Like A Local”. Our itineraries are designed to get us off the interstates, and into the heart of the places we visit. We believe this will allow others to choose a cultural experience, and eventually head home with a real flavor of the places they visit. If you read about a place on our blog, then we actually visited it. Our goal is to give you a feel for each stop along the way. Hopefully, you’ll find some subjects intriguing and go check them out in person.
Meet Jeff:
Jeff is the creative mind behind Our Changing Lives. He is responsible for the photography and writing. It is his voice that comes through in articles and social posts, and at times he will even inject a little humor into his writings. He takes research seriously and loves trivia. This is often apparent in the details included in his writings. Jeff creates all of our itineraries and is the contact point for cities we work with. His passion for knowledge is apparent in the places we feature. He’s also the one who gets to try the adrenaline-pumping activities. Whether it’s ziplining in Palo Duro Canyon or whitewater rafting in Oklahoma City, Jeff’s ready to give it a try.
Meet Crystal:
Crystal is our forward presence. Social media is her domain, and she loves to interact with our readers. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, which helps her make friends easily, and her infectious smile helps us get insider information from the locals. If you’ve kept up with our stories about her, you know she also has an uncanny ability to attract animals. Crystal also serves as our librarian. During research visits, she is responsible to gather details from the people we meet, which we use to build our articles. Without her note-taking, we would certainly forget some important detail from our various visits. Crystal’s patience is amazing, especially when it requires waiting to eat until after photos of the food have been taken.
Wonder Twin powers activate:
While they each have their own distinct tasks, Jeff and Crystal share in the fun of exploring. Before launching this new endeavor, they agreed upon a planned path of exploration, which radiates out from their home base in Kansas City. This methodical approach has allowed them to build a travel resource for their readers. Our Changing Lives has become one of the fastest-growing North America-focused travel blogs. Their destinations are a mix of family-friendly vacation ideas, as well as couples’ escapes. You will find a heavy concentration of destinations located in the Central U.S. since they believe this region’s vacation potential is often overlooked.
Interested In Collaborating With Us?
We enjoy exploring new destinations, especially when they have plenty of local flavor. If you’re interested in exploring a possible collaboration, check out more details at the link below. We look forward to hearing from you.
What It's All About!
Food:
It all started with a food blog featuring Kansas City restaurants. Many have asked if we consider ourselves “foodies” and our response is “Aren’t we all?” Since we must eat to survive, why not make the meals enjoyable. Whether traveling across the country or just across town, we seek out those eateries that the locals love. Don’t be surprised when you see plenty of barbecue and ice cream photos. Those are two of our favorites. Hopefully, you’ll find some new stops that you can add to your next adventure.
Friends:
Our travels have allowed us to meet so many amazing people all across North America. Each one has their own stories that are part of the tapestry of life. We enjoy making friends in each new destination. By the time we complete our visit, we have a better grasp of the culture of the community. This is why we find it important to “Visit Like A Local”.
Fun:
“Life’s too short not to make the most of it.” That’s a theme that resonates with us. We have a goal of visiting all 50 states, as well as many excursions to see our neighbors to the north and south. That means we will keep this travel blog going as long as our legs hold out. We enjoy exploring together and meeting the locals in each new destination. We hope that you will follow along on our escapades and use our articles as research material for your own escapes. Feel free to drop us a line with suggestions or stories from your own travels. We love hearing from you and find your tips useful.
Travel safely!