Hi. You can call me Melanie, Mely, Mel, Dr. Mely, Dr. Witt, or lady.  

I am a professor and have been teaching students from all over the world for more than 15 years. No, I am not a medical doctor, but I do have a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction and a Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Before that, I was photographing concerts for a radio station, sports photojournalism in Hawaii, planning events, and doing PR.  

You could also say I have a PhD in understanding how to experience the world and travel the “good way.” I am that person that endlessly researches airfare, lodging, restaurants, wineries, breweries, and local attractions to make old school spreadsheets to share with the husband, friends, and family. These peeps are the image you may have seen of a toddler strolling along happily without a care in the world as they join me in all of the planning and glory by simply showing up at the airport for an amazing adventure with just their luggage. While I may not always plan an entire day or week, I know that planning travel is psychologically beneficial for us all and fills me with joy. 

I’m here to bring you teaching tips about photography, dogs,  where and when to travel, what to experience and see, what to eat and drink, or how to ignite your lust and love for experiencing travel, life, and photography.

 If you are lover of learning like me, hop on board. If you are not a meticulous planner like me, you are not alone. It is my hope that my blog will fill you up in some beautiful way as dogs, photography, and travel has for me. You might be asking yourself how this is different than any other blog. Well, I have the answer – as a teacher for 15+ years and a photographer for more than 35 years, I will offer you tips and tricks to better capture moments on your camera or camera phones, share some lessons as a teacher, share stories and lessons learned while traveling and living abroad, and hopefully cultivate a greater love for learning and greater meaning-making in life. Come with me as I take you on an adventure that will either quench your wanderlust or leave you itching for more.