I love a good fairytale.

Not so much for the woman swooning over a man who saves her from grave danger, but more for the beauty surrounding them. They stand as a testament to times long gone. One's of queens and kings, fancy dinners, and things we could only dream of. In fairytales, these grandeurs of monarchy are given wings as we watch them unfold on screen. Little girls everywhere are immersed in the stories of Beauty and the Beast; Rapunzel's journey with Flynn Rider only to learn that she belongs in a castle herself, Ariel manages to save a prince only to then have him save her (there are two castles in that one), or Elsa and Anna in their gorgeous Norwegian home (if I must go through tough times... can I do that in Arrendale?). We see them, envy them, and then promptly dress our daughters in the costumes and remind them how much of a pretty princess they are. The stories, the woods, the family crests, there's just something about castles.

All that to say, I can't say that I've ever seen a castle in person. Yes, I have been to Disney World and Disneyland multiple times, and those castles are as magnificent as one would imagine. I'll even give Hogwarts castle light props over at Universal, but I mean a REAL castle. I've read about them in many travel blogs, and yes, I've visited quite a few mansions that feel like castles, but a real castle, no. Are there even castles in the United States? There has to be, right? There are enough quirky things here, so surely there has to be one I can visit.

This, my friends, is how personal travel challenges start.

So, what's my personal travel challenge for 2025?

I want to visit a new castle each season.

To clarify, I don't want just to visit a castle and tour it. I want to frolic like a princess at a castle each season. Literally frolic. Like with no real intention. Sure, there are tours and events to attend, history, and everything I love to admire, but I'm a woman with a mission. I want to dress fancy. We're talking about a full-flowing gown with tulle underlayment. For what? Nothing. A pretty picture of myself and perhaps the kiddo sitting in a garden admiring the flowers, journaling on a bench, or looking out from a stone banister. That's all.

Stupid? Maybe.

Frivolous? Definitely

Worth it? Duh.

However, deep in my core, amid the many fantasy novels and fairytales I read to escape to a world unlike my own, this seems a tribute to them. An ode to an imagination beyond. My feelings are doubled when I think of it as a way to bond with my daughter. She is so incredibly girly in everything she does; I'm more of the dark one of the bunch, but the over-the-top bows in your hair, ruffled socks, corset dress for Christmas with a white shawl, yup, that's her. With 2 years of high school left, before fairytales and bedtime stories are taken over by college exams and adult expectations, this is a way to cling to childhood alongside her. To be a mom who does goofy, ridiculous things but also who loves her fiercely, showing that the inner child is something you should never let go of. It also proves that you can make your own fantasy and have your own fairytale, which you can star in, direct, and design simply because you feel like it; no prince is necessary. I'm teaching her that there is a princess in all of us and that confidence comes in the craziest ways, but it's all worth it in the end.

Regarding what castles we're going to, I have some ideas of where to go in our home state, a few simple car rides away, and some places we hope to journey to this upcoming year. I think we can make it happen. The dresses? My trusted standby thrift stores. If you don't shop secondhand, you have no idea what you're missing out on. Prom season is right around the corner, which means there will be gold out there, and if you don't like the color, there's always some good old RIT dye to change up a wedding dress from Goodwill. It'll be fun, a silly project for us to remember for years to come. I welcome it.

Here's to moats, drawbridges, and dreams

Here's to trolls, spindles, and vines

Here's to my Castle-core challenge!

Moreover, here's to more travel-based memories for years to come.

Xoxo,

Brittney