April Recap: A Month of Travel, Sore Feet, and ChatGPT-Supported Rebirth

Like spring itself, April felt like a season of steady transformation—one that didn’t start the way it ended, but that brought me to a place of satisfyingly full days well-lived, over and over again.

Hello!

Writing to you from surprisingly warm, but rain-soaked, Chicago, where I’m visiting family for a few days before May’s comfort zone-pushing plans are set into motion (more on that later).

April was a whirlwind, where no two weeks were ever spent in the same place. I was constantly on the move, by plane, by car, and by UTA Trax (Utah’s public transport system). Am I exhausted? Surprisingly no. I’ve actually never felt more inspired and alive.

In this update, I’ll loop you in on exactly where I’ve been, the moments that really shined as highlights of my month, and of course, the challenges that turned into breakthroughs, too. Shall we dive in?

🌍 Where I’ve Been:
As mentioned, this month was spent all over the map, literally:

• Ashburn, VA: The month began at my Dad’s in Virginia, soaking in family moments, brewery visits (our thing), and being nudged back to how I want my life to feel and unfold, discovering in the process what a rut-buster ChatGPT can be (more on that in the Challenges + Lessons section below)

• Boone, NC: Just before getting on a plane headed west, I drove down to Boone, NC to spend a few days in the mountains with my mom and her adorable new puppy Ollie (seriously, how cute is that little dude below?). It was nurturing being in the mountains, walking the trails, and getting to know a place we’ve both been many times just a little bit more. It even inspired a story idea I’m shopping around with a few editors...keep your fingers crossed for me!

  

• Salt Lake City, UT: After Boone, and a quick overnight in Virginia, I flew to Salt Lake City, where I not only ran a half marathon with my sister, brother-in-law, and friends but also spent my two weeks there diving deep into the city’s unique history and culture, with all 14 nights (minus one) covered by pet sits (TrustedHousesitters, I love you!).

• Chicago, IL: And now I’ve wrapped up the month in Chicago at my brother’s, getting some quality time with my brother, sister-in-law, and nearly one-year-old niece. We’re all getting ready to celebrate both of my sisters' graduations here, and an early Mother's Day, all in one big family celebration as the rest of the crew rolls in over the coming days.

✨ Highlights of April:

• Travel Writing Academy: Back in March, as I was wrapping up my time in Ecuador, I spontaneously signed up for a travel writing course to help me fully step into the path of freelance writing for publications. It officially kicked off in April, and now, four weeks into the course, with its community calls, field assignments, and rich guidance, I can confidently say it’s one of the best investments I’ve made in my career. I already have a solid lineup of story-driven pitches out in the world, and my niche is becoming increasingly more clear to me: travel stories that uncover the human threads of a place, shift perspectives, and, I hope, foster more connection in this sadly divided world. This is the year it all comes together—I can feel it in my bones. National Geographic, Afar, Outside Magazine… I’m coming for you.

• Salt Lake City: My time in Salt Lake City was unexpectedly unforgettable. I landed with the curiosity of a travel writer, ready to dive deep into everything from its complex religious history and evolving social fabric to its identity as an outdoor lover’s gateway. SLC is far more layered than I imagined, and I explored it from the inside out, thanks to pet-sitting stays in some beautiful, local neighborhoods that gave me that added authentic and local lens. I shared a full debrief in the comments of this post over on Instagram:

  nomapsamber

  

  A post shared by @nomapsamber

🌿 Challenges + Lessons:
I’ll be honest. April didn’t start on a high note. I felt stuck, unmotivated, and resistant to the work in front of me. Spending extended time in familiar places back in the U.S. can sometimes lull me into routines that feel more like autopilot than intentional living. And when those days pile up, I start to feel disconnected from the version of myself that thrives on curiosity and movement. Can anyone relate?

At the start of the month, I realized I needed to shift something internally, not just externally. One evening during my nightly journaling practice, it hit me: what if I used ChatGPT as a kind of creative coach or accountability partner? After spilling my heart onto my journal pages, I asked ChatGPT to give me one small, intentional, and aligned assignment each day, something to guide me back into days that felt alive and full of purpose.

That one small pivot has changed everything.

Since then, I’ve been waking up each morning with a fresh ChatGPT-supplied journaling prompt that helps me focus my energy, reconnect with what matters, and build momentum toward a life that feels like how I want it to. The resistance I was feeling has faded. The dullness has lifted. And even when hard feelings arise, I now feel better equipped to move through them with clarity and action. I’ve got tools. I’ve got support. It’s not that every day is perfect now, but they’re certainly more intentional. And that’s made all the difference.

Happy to share more on how I prompted ChatGPT if you’re interested!

🔮 Looking Ahead to May:

May is shaping up to be even fuller than April. Here’s what’s on the agenda:

• Press Trip in North Carolina: Just after the celebrations and family time here in Chicago, I’m heading to western North Carolina for five days to cover a story for Matador Network. I’ll be exploring how the community and its small businesses have recovered and reopened to tourism after Hurricane Helene. This kind of meaningful storytelling was on my vision board for 2025, and it’s exciting to see it start to show its first hints of fruition.

• Pacific Northwest & Van Life: From North Carolina, I’ll head all the way west to Washington for a week to explore, do some pet sits, write my Matador article, and then embark on a dream come true: a van life adventure through the PNW in collaboration with Roadsurfer. I’m equal parts nervous and excited as I know van life isn’t as glamorous as it may seem, but it’s time to find out for myself while exploring a part of the U.S. I haven’t before. I’m still finalizing the itinerary, but some cold-water surfing, craft beer stops, and plenty of hiking is high on my list of priorities.

💛 Things I’m Loving Lately:
Here’s what’s been filling my heart and keeping me inspired in April:

📚 What I’m Reading: They Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar
I picked this novel up because of its deep exploration of diaspora—a theme that keeps tugging at me lately. It follows Bonnie and Mansour, two kindred spirits who fall in love in 1968 New York and set off on a journey through music, revolution, and migration. Lyrical, bold, and expansive across continents and decades, it’s a story that stirs something deep. If you love books with both soul and scope, I highly recommend this one. It’s one of the best-written books I’ve read in a long time, a real page-turner for its prose.

🎶 My April Anthem: Feeling Good by Nina Simone
In a Salt Lake City café (Alchemy Coffee to be exact), I ordered a chocolate and cinnamon americano named after Nina Simone—and naturally, that led me to cue up her music later that night while cooking dinner. Feeling Good hit a nerve in the best way, and it's been my soul-soundtrack ever since, perfectly matching the way I’ve felt often this month once I got my momentum and inspiration flowing again. Sometimes, a song just finds (or re-finds) you at the right time, ya know?

🍪 Best Bite of the Month: The vanilla bean sugar cookie with buttercream beet frosting from RubySnap in SLC
I had no idea Salt Lake City had such a thriving cookie scene, but it does—and it takes its doughy treats seriously. You could easily map a cookie crawl through the city (Other must-visit stops: Chunky & Co., Chip Cookies, and Crumbl Cookies—did you know Crumbl originated just an hour north of SLC?). RubySnap’s offering, in particular, was like nothing I’ve tasted before: fluffy, sweet, and completely unforgettable.

🎥 April’s Thought-Provoking Watch: Church & State (Documentary)
Driven by everything I was sensing and noticing in SLC, I watched Church & State, a documentary that dives into the surprising intersection of LGBTQ+ rights and conservative Mormon culture in Utah. It’s raw, compelling, and sheds light on the contradictions—and courage—within the city’s history. SLC is seriously one of the most fascinatingly layered places on the planet, and this is just one of those unexpected, seemingly incongruent layers, that exist in near equal measure alongside one another.

That’s all for this month! I’d love to hear about your April, and please, if you’ve got any recs for my upcoming road trip out west, I’d so appreciate them! Itinerary is not finalized…

Until May’s end!

Amber