Hannah Elise Schultz

Hamilton in Chicago: The Dangers of Idealization

I'm the type of person who can't remember the lyrics to a song I heard five minutes before. Unless it's "All Star" by Smashmouth, chances are I don't know the lyrics. But then, I saw Lin-Manuel Miranda's Saturday Night Live monologue last year, and I was hooked. The monologue was based on "My Shot" from Miranda's musical, Hamilton, which is based on the American Revolution and the politics of early America. So, of course, I listened to the real version of the song. And then the rest of the musical.

Travel, Thoughts on: [Things]Hannah SchultzSeptember 25, 2017hamilton, chicago, an american musical, idealization, zoo, buckingham fountain, navy pier, bean, lin-manuel mirandaComment

We the Explorers

We liked to test our limits in those early days. We drove plastic four-wheelers through the grass of the backyard, tearing up the hillside as we tested how hard we could push the whining engines. When the wheels spun uselessly on clods of clay, we sunk our fingernails into the ground, collapsing ant colonies and earthworm holes in our search for buried treasure. Once found, we clutched the arrowheads close to our little chests like the precious and exotic artifacts they were.

LifeHannah SchultzSeptember 18, 2017we the animals, justin torres, nostalgia, brothers, siblingsComment

Getting Stuck in a Bison Herd: A safari-like trip to Minneopa State Park

My favorite thing about this park is that it is home to a bison herd. Back when the American plain bison were nearly hunted to extinction, conservation groups like those at Minneopa stepped in to create herds in order to save the species and protect the ecosystem. Minneopa's herd both lends to the conservation of a magnificent creature and helps maintain the prairie landscape.

HikingHannah SchultzSeptember 11, 2017minneopa state park, bison, American plains bison, wildflowers, Mall of America, Lego Store, Minnesota's Largest Candy StoreComment

Dolomite Cliffs, Wildlife Sightings, and a Floating Walkway: A hike in Rasmussen Woods

This weekend was anxiously awaited for in my little apartment in Mankato. Why? Because my fiancé drove the 12 twelve hours up from Kentucky on Thursday so that we could spend Labor Day weekend together. Life is just better when Ryan is here.

HikingHannah SchultzSeptember 4, 2017dolomite, cliffs, deer, frog, floating walkway, hike, rasmussen, woods, mankato, minnesota, Minnesota State UniversityComment

5 Observations from a Southerner About Living in the North

So I've been living in Minnesota for an entire month now! And let me tell you, I've been a fish out of water. From the lack of normal grocery stores, to the accents, to the prairies, moving away from Kentucky has been quite a lifestyle change. Here are five serious (or not so serious) observations about living closer to the Great White North than the Bluegrass State.

TravelHannah SchultzAugust 28, 2017southerner, south, northerner, north, Mankato, Minnesota, Minnesota State University, krogerComment

A Summer Engagement Photoshoot: Florals & Pastels

And that is how we found ourselves in the Arboretum during a humid, cloudy morning, jogging through the wet grass in our fancy clothes as my mom took pictures of us. Honestly, I can't stop looking at these gorgeous photos. Who needs a wedding photographer when you've got a mom who's been practicing for this day since your first homecoming dance?

Photography and VideoHannah SchultzAugust 21, 2017engagement, pictures, Photoshoot, arboretum, lexington, kentucky, garden, pastels, flowersComment

The Tale of the Night Bus from Hell

We emerged at the end of that hellish night as changed individuals. We had experienced things no human being should ever have to. We had seen the eternal abyss and survived.

TravelHannah SchultzAugust 14, 2017night bus, london, edinburgh, national express, hell Comment

That moment when you hate change and everything in your life changes

I hate change. I am a creature of habit. I like routines. I don't like being thrown off my rhythm.

They all mean the same thing: people like me don't like their world shifting. We have, or at least have in our minds, homeostasis where we are. We are safe where we are. We won't get hurt where we are. Even if the change is positive, it's unknown, and that is not security.

LifeHannah SchultzAugust 7, 2017change, routines, engagement, moving, Minnesota, Minnesota State University, MFA, car, long distance, braveComment

Travel With Me: Two and a half days in London

We arrived, bedraggled and with spirits dangerously low, to London Victoria around 7 a.m. after our near-eternal ride on the Night Bus from Hell. After getting as far away from our fellow passengers as quickly as possible, we got our bearings and headed for the nearest underground station so that we could drop off our bags at the hostel.

Travel With Me: A layover in Iceland

When Mary and I first considered taking this trip, we noticed that the cheapest flight we could find had an 18-hour layover in Iceland. Most people would see an 18-hour layover and think, Heck no, but we saw it and thought, Heck yes. Iceland? Without much extra planning at all? How could this get any cooler?

TravelHannah SchultzAugust 6, 2017iceland, blue lagoon, europe, sleeping in keflavik airport Comment

Travel With Me: A day(ish) in Edinburgh

Our time in Scotland began with a flight from Dublin to Edinburgh at 7:30 p.m. We cobbled together a dinner at the airport before we left (okay, if I'm being honest, I wasn't feeling particularly healthy that day and mostly ate Wotsits and Kinder Buenos). The city bus was easy to catch, though I wasn't really overjoyed by my first impression of Edinburgh: the route from the nearest stop to the hostel was completely uphill, and by the end, I thought my calves were going to give out.

TravelHannah SchultzAugust 5, 2017castle rock hostel, edinburgh, scotland, arthur's seat, volcano, holyrood palace, elephant house, jk rowling, greyfriar's bobby, princes street gardens, royal mile, scott monumnetComment

Travel With Me: A day in Malahide and Howth

If you're looking for a short day trip that doesn't require extensive planning while you're in Dublin, I would highly recommend Malahide and Howth. Both are a short train ride away and offer a different take on Irish culture than the metropolitan area of Dublin—plus, Howth is right on the sea, and you can't beat the cliffside views!

TravelHannah SchultzAugust 3, 2017malahide, ireland, howth, dublin, hiking, castle, talbot, rose, butterflies, butterfly, garden, hike, peninsulaComment

Our (Mostly) Secondhand, Low-Waste Nursery

Mar 5, 2025

Life

Our (Mostly) Secondhand, Low-Waste Nursery

One of the things I’ll emphasize throughout this post is how much money you will save by going the more sustainable route (hint: it’s A LOT), but it is by no means the only positive outcome. By being a conscious consumer, you’re creating less waste, making a more stress-free environment for both you and baby, choosing materials and ingredients that are best for baby’s health and development, and more. Babies don’t actually need that much stuff and while we’re by no means minimalists, one of the first sustainable choices we made was to forgo a lot of the extraneous baby things that our consumerist society tells you that you need (even though you really don’t).

Dec 31, 2023

Photography and Video, Life

A Year in Pictures: 2023

It was a year of travel to new and old places, the year I started my dissertation, the year I hiked eight miles and up volcanic sands while pregnant, the year we bought a wagon to take Argos on adventures again, and most importantly, the year that I become a mom.

Oct 21, 2023

Travel With Me: Maui & Big Island, Hawai'i (Days Eight, Nine, & Ten)

Our final day on Maui was much more relaxed (at least for me) than the previous. While Ryan went on a scuba diving excursion to the Lahaina Cathedrals (which was one of his favorite parts of the whole trip), I got a prenatal massage at the spa at the neighboring hotel to ours and read a book on the balcony. We then spent the rest of the day lounging in the pool and enjoying some farmer’s market soursop (a fruit I’ve only ever had in Hawai’i and am obsessed with).

Adventures in
Serendipity

— Hannah Schultz (biographical name): a Kentuckian, traveler, PhD student, hiker, environmentalist, and Great Pyrenees enthusiast

Adventures inSerendipity

— Hannah Schultz (biographical name): a Kentuckian, traveler, PhD student, hiker, environmentalist, and Great Pyrenees enthusiast

Adventures in
Serendipity