Phoenix Recommendations | 2019

I had a great time in Phoenix, and will be happy to return. I always look for others blogs to find recommendations when traveling to somewhere new, so when I can add my own little recap or recommendation to a city I’ve been I like to. 

So today I want to share my favorites in three categories: coffeeshops, food and hikes in and around the Phoenix area. 

But I was only here for two separate two week periods, so like a month in total. So I couldn’t make it to all the different places there is, and I guarantee I missed quite a few cool places. 

Coffee — Michael and I work a lot from coffeeshops when we’re traveling and we usually find a few that we keep returning to. 

+ Songbird — when we came down to check Phoenix out we went almost every day to get coffee here and work. It’s in an old house, has a great vibe and yummy chia seed pudding. 

+ Schmooze — probably my favorite place overall to work from. It’s in Scottsdale and is literally a workspace cafe, so you’re not going to get any dirty looks for pulling out your laptop to get some work done. 

+ Be coffee + Food + Stuff — only went here for coffee once but it was such a neat space. I would love to host an event there. 

+ Ollie Vaughns — this was the coffeeshop around the block from the first place we stayed during our last trip and we went here quite often to work. They have really reasonably priced avocado toast and for that I’m a fan. 

Food — We tried to cook some meals at the places we were staying but there are so many great veg options here. 

+ Vegan House — if you like Thai food and are veg this is a great place. They’ve got the classics as well as some different combination as well. Plus the people who work here are super sweet. 

+ Simon’s Columbian Hotdogs — this is one of my favorite places we ate. We would go here for lunch after working the morning away at Schmooze. They have vegan hot dogs, coleslaw and all those things you can’t have at grandmas anymore. 

+ Shady Park — I have had a hankering for ramen, and this hits the spot. So often it’s hard to find vegan ramen because of the broth, and I’m not a fan of having a bunch of extras in my ramen. I literally just want the broth and a pile of noodles. And this place delivers!

+ The Coronado — Everyone loves this place. I appreciate it for their vegan biscuits and gravy. I’ve gone there three times and that’s what I got every single time. 

+ Ikes Sandwiches — the Handsome Owl was my favorite. If you want an easy delicious vegan sub this is your place. Plus they give you a sucker with your sandwich, what’s not to love.

+ The Cutting Board — this is a random one we went to twice while we were staying with Michael’s parents out in Mesa. Simple, vegan and delicious. I had their biscuits and gravy and a burrito or something like that another time. 

Hikes — one of the biggest factors that drew me to spending our time in Phoenix. 

+ Flat Iron via Siphon Draw — My favorite hike here by far. It was challenging, but doable. We tried it once but didn’t give ourselves enough time so we came back with friends and tackled it. And it’s one that you feel super accomplished when you make it to the top. 

+ Jacobs Crosscut (and anything at Lost Dutchman) — this one was great for a little trail running, or a leisurely stroll. You’ve got a beautiful mountain backdrop as you wind through a desert wonderland. 

+ Cholla Trail on Camelback — Camelback is a popular hike, but one worth doing. Michael took us up the Cholla trail, which I came to find out was the more difficult path. But it was a fun, rocky challenge. 

+ South Mountain — Michael’s cousin took us on a hike here while we were visiting, and its a nice quiet place to go on a hike. 

And there we have it, a handful of my favorites from our time in Phoenix. 

2019 Travel + Meet-Ups

I’m going to make this a running list of places we’re traveling to in 2019. And I want to start making it a thing where I have meet-ups, big or small in as many places as possible so I can start meeting you guys! 

So, this is going to be an ongoing list that I add to throughout the year as I book different trips and adventures. 

Keep an eye on it if this is something you’re interested in, and don’t hesitate to reach out if I’m traveling to your area. 

I’m always up for a coffee and a chat. 

JANUARY:

Phoenix, AZ 4th - 19th

FEBRUARY:

Phoenix, AZ 5th - 15th

San Diego, CA 16th - 19th

MARCH:

Charlottesville, VA 16th - 18th

Winston-Salom, NC 19th - 20th

Vero Beach, FL 21st - 23rd

The Places I've Traveled in 2018

I thought it would be fun to recap this past year in travel. I’m not going to include most of the little trips around Iowa. And I will link to any videos that I made from those trips. m

January:

1.16 - 2.6 Sri Lanka

We spent three weeks in Sri Lanka and I loved it. We started at Talalla Beach, which was actually an accident because we meant to book a place at Tangalle Beach. But it was a lucky mistake because Handun Villas was amazing and there were only a handful of others on the beach with us. 

From there we did a safari at Uduwalawe on our way up to Ella. We hiked Little Adams Peak which was a quick one with amazing views. There were a lot of great food and coffee options there. 

We took the famous train ride from Ella to Nuwara Eliya, which was breathtaking Nuwara Eliya was an odd little town but we went to St. Andrews hotel, sat by the fire places and the boys played a game of Billiards on a 100 year old table brought from Columbo by 6 elephants. 

We spent a night north of the airport to send our friends off before heading south of Columbo to Induruwa for a few nights. Neither of us were very impressed with that area and so we did a day trip to Hikkaduwa to walk through the tsunami museum before heading further down to Galle, which we were pleasantly surprised by. It was a cute little area and if you’re into shopping that’s your place. 

We spent the remainder of our trip in Welligama, which we both loved. Just a laidback  beach town where you can learn to surf, rent a board or relax in the sun. 

I have two more weeks of footage from this trip to edit, but here’s our first week.

February:

2.16 — San Diego (Encinitas and Temecula) 

2.17 - 2.20 — Phoenix

Michael announced a race in Temecula, California so we stopped through Encinitas while we were there, but nothing to crazy to report from this trip. From there we flew to Phoenix to visit his parents for a few days because they spent the winter down there. We went on a fun little hike on the Hieroglyphic Trail, which is very easy and family friendly. I don’t have a vlog from this trip actually. 

May:

5.17-5.21 — San Francisco (Bay to Breakers)

We went to San Francisco because Michael was announcing Bay to Breakers, which I decided to run. And it still is at the top of my list for favorite races I’ve done. Physically and mentally I felt great. I enjoyed running so much and didn’t struggle at all. The atmosphere is great and there are runners of all abilities, costumes, you name it. Here’s my vlog from that trip. 

June:

6.14-6.17 — Chicago (Julia’s Bach)

I went to Chicago for a weekend trip for one of my best friend’s bachelorette party. We did paddle board yoga, hired a party boat and danced our faces off late into the night. I don’t have a video from this trip because I was too busy enjoying myself with all of my friends. But this was actually the first extended period of time I’ve spent in Chicago beyond staying there overnight to fly out. 

July:

7.5 - 7.8 — Okoboji

7.21 - 7.27 — Colorado (family trip)

We visited a friend at his family’s lake house at Okoboji, Iowa. It was a laid back weekend because the water was too high for boats. Michael and I did take out a paddle board and kayak for some water adventures. But I spent time in a hammock, we rode our bikes around, and kept it simple. 

I had a family vacation in Colorado this summer, which was great because I got to see my family from Seattle that I only get to see every few years. There was plenty of outdoor adventures, puzzle making and quality family time. Here’s my video from that trip. 

August:

8.9 - 8. 12 — Cleveland 

8.26 - 8.31 — Bristol

We went to Cleveland for a long weekend because Michael was announcing a race there, and we were both pleasantly surprised with it. Here’s my vlog from that.

And we ended August by flying out to England to stay with our friends in Bristol before all flying down to France together for our yearly friends trip. This was my first time to Bristol, we went over into Wales as well, hit up the Cotswolds, went on a electric bike ride and had a grand old time. I always loved my trips to England. And I haven’t edited my video from that trip yet, whoopsie!

September:

9.1 - 9.6 — France 

9.7 - 9.9 Dallas (tri)

We flew from Bristol into Geneva, drove down to Saint-Gervias Les-Bains where we watched the UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) which was lucky of us to be there when it was happening. We went to Annecy, Chambery and Alp d’ Huez. It was a great tip, which I have also not edited the video for yet. 

We flew directly into Dallas so Michael could announce a triathlon in Tyler, TX. I decided the week before that I wanted to do it so I borrowed a bike and did it. The 650m swim wasn’t easy for me, my googles broke right before the start gun went off and I’m just not a strong swimmer (there was backstroking involved), but it was a fun challenge. 

October:

10.6 - 10.12 — New York + East Coast

10.24 - 10.27 — Shreveport 

I did Vlogtober this year so I have a handful of videos from our trip to the East Coast. We met up with a friend who was coming in from Germany. We started in Long Island for a race Michael was announcing and then a wedding he officiated. From there we went to New York and spent a few days in Brooklyn before working our way up the coast to New Haven and Portland. I had a great time!

Long Island, NY

Brooklyn, NY

NYC + New Haven, CT

New Haven, CT - Portland, ME

Portland, ME

November:

11.2 - 11.4 — Las Vegas

11.5 — 11.7 — San Diego + Encinitas

11.30 - 12.4 — Phoenix

We flew out to Las Vegas for the weekend to meet up with Michael’s cousin and her boyfriend. It was my first tip to Vegas and probably my last. I know there’s cool areas around the city but Las Vegas wasn’t my cup of tea. From there we drove back to San Diego with them and spent the first part of the week in San Diego and Encinitas. Here’s the video for that trip. 

And to end the year for travel we went to Phoenix for a few days to explore and get a feel for the city. We’re trying to decide between Phoenix and Encinitas for January. I had only been here once at the beginning of the year to visit his parents. I enjoy all the hiking options and I really liked the neighborhood we stayed in (Roosevelt). As of now we’re learning towards here for our January get away. 

Saving Money on a Trip

I just recently went on a weekend trip to Chicago, and have two trips on the docket for July. So, today I wanted to share with you how I go about saving some money while traveling (more locally). 

If you're looking for how to use credit cards to get airline miles, or how to get free accomodations this isn't the blog post for you. This is just me looking at the general areas of travel and things to consider when choosing what to do. 

+ Transportation — Flying is super convenient and there are plenty of great deals out there for flights. But if it’s close enough and there’s a group of you going driving is a great option. I spent around $30 to get to Chicago and back while a plane ride would have been probably over $300. I could have also taken a train but that would have been around $150. And my final option would have been the megabits which is a cool $40. My point here is research your options. 

+ Food — One great example of this is one night we were going to this really cool rooftop bar that had appetizers, but I knew it would be a bit more spendy. Some people weren’t hungry or had already gotten food so I grabbed a 6” sandwich from Subway on my way there, which was $4, filled me up and saved me a pretty penny. Another option is to split a meal with someone else there. And finally just look at the menu for cheap options. Even if it’s a more expensive place you can make a reasonable meal out of something there without spending too much. For example you could get an appetizer and a side instead of a main course meal.

Also if you’re staying at a hotel, take advantage of that free hotel breakfast even if it’s not the best meal you’ve ever eaten. And don’t forget to pack your own snacks. This is always something I do whether I’m flying or driving. You’re going to want snacks and it’ll save you money to bring your own instead having to buy them in the airport or at a gas station. Not to mention you’ll probably pack a lot healthier options then what will be available. 

And finally in this category, depending on where you’re staying, go buy groceries and cook instead of eating out every meal. This is just one of my favorite things to do in general when we travel but making your own food is going to save you money too. Obviously you can’t really cook in a hotel room (unless it has a kitchen), but if you’re staying at an Airbnb or with someone else, cook that food.

+ Alcohol — I didn’t drink on my most recent trip, but the rest of the girls all brought their own alcohol or bought it from the store to drink in our hotel room so they didn’t have to spend as much when we went out. Obviously not drinking is cheapest in this category, but also limiting the amount you drink, or ordering cheaper drinks is another option too. I normally don’t order more than one drink at dinner when we go out, unless it’s happy hour. 

+ Accommodations — Once again, shop around. Look at the differences between hotels, hostels and Airbnb. Are you traveling alone or in a group, because groups have pretty great buying power. Or can you stay with a friend you know who lives there? We usually always go with an Airbnb when we travel internationally because of price and it’s usually more fun so you can feel like you’re “in it” in a new city. We shared rooms in Chicago, and four girls in a room is obviously a lot cheaper than just one or two people per room. 

Speaking of where we stayed, you’ll also want to consider location. While further out places are probably cheaper you need to do some research and calculate how much you would be spending on transportation to get to where you want to be in that city. Because if you have to spend a bunch on the subway or Uber, it might actually be cheaper to spend a bit more and be closer to the center of action. We could walk to dinner and the bars each night instead of having to get three Ubers for our group. 

+ Entertainment — It’s definitely OK to pay for some activities especially if it’s significant to where you’re traveling, but don’t blow the bank on a ton of activities, when there are plenty of fun free things to do. I loved our tour of the Palais de Papas in Avignon, France, but I also love going on hikes or just exploring the streets of a new place. 

There’s obviously many other ways to save some money. But these are some of the big areas you can look at. Travel doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun. 

Thrifting When You Travel

There are two things that I love to do when I travel.

Go to bookstores.

And go thrift shopping. 

I frequent my local thrift shop at least once a month, but if you’re in a different city that’s an entirely new set of things and possibly a different take on fashion. 

What I mean here is you’ll probably find a slightly different stock between Iowa and say California. 

And sometimes if there’s a particular item you can’t find where you live, there might be multiple of them where you’re visiting.

I remember seeing entire racks of overalls in a shop on Brick Lane in London, and feeling in heaven. 

So, yeah I always enjoying heading into a thrift store or two regardless of where I am. That is, of course, if thrift stores, or vintage shops are a thing there. 

I didn’t find it in a thrift store, but I found my dream bike on Craigslist after months of searching. I wanted a Bianchi, but try as I might I couldn’t find one in Des Moines. I ended up going out on a ledge and looking in the Colorado Springs area because I have an uncle out there. I found a bike I loved, he went and looked at it, and a friend driving through picked it up from him and brought it back to me in Des Moines. 

I think another thing I like about thrifting is that it’s something I do at home, and I always like to do things when I travel as if I lived there. Work from coffeeshops, go to the grocery store, ride a bike, go for a run or hike and go into thrift shops. 

I just got back from San Francisco, and I spent quite a bit of time up on Haight Street going through the different thrift stores and vintage shops. I ended up finding a black denim mini skirt, which I’ve been searching for this for awhile, as well as a nice summery dress, which I’ve also wanted more of. 

I also splurged in a non-thrift way and got myself a pair of vegan Doc Martens, something I’ve wanted for quite some time now. Normally, I stay away from regular stores when I travel, but being from Des Moines, we don’t have the full array of stores here. 

Anyways I highly encourage you to go thrifting when you’re traveling. 

Are there any fun things you always like to do when you find yourself in a different city? 

Sri Lanka | Week Three

It came down to our final week. Our friends were leaving a few days early, and even though they were the ones leaving, it felt like we were leaving too. But we actually had an entire week left.

We had driven over from Nuwara Eliya to Negombo because the Colombo airport is actually there. We decided to get a nicer hotel for the night because we were going to have an entire day to spend with them before their flight left and we wanted a nice pool/beach/lounge area to do so in.

We all wanted to soak up plenty of heat after being up in the mountains the previous week. And boy did it feel good after coming from chilly ol’ Nuwara Eliya.

We went in search of a final veg curry for them and ended up at this place just across the street with a character of a guy who worked there. He was one of the co-owners and I don’t even know how to begin to describe his personality, but he was amazing. He had us laughing and brought us way to much food, promising even more. It’s called Scandic Restaurant if you’re in the area waiting for a flight. 

After a tearful goodbye, we parted ways. They headed to the airport in one taxi and we hurtled down the coast in another.

We arrived at our place on Ahungalla beach around 9 p.m. only to be told there’d been a mix up with our booking and they didn’t have a room for us for the full four days, but thankfully they were able to put us up that night. Disappointed we headed to our room and Michael made a phone call via Skype to try and sort out our accommodation situation for the next few nights.

We woke up, ended up finding a new place to stay, and decided it was a lucky break because in the daylight most of the patrons of that hotel were older and just laid out on beach chairs all day, secluded by the hotel walls.We packed our bags, walked out to the main road and grabbed a tuk tuk. He was the nicest guy who was actually taking his son to school but said we could ride along for no cost (we gave him money at the end of it). We talked about tourism along with other things with him. While it can be a little off-putting at first to have tuk tuk drivers constantly asking if you need a ride, don’t let that deter you. We had some of the best convos with our tuk tuk drivers. 

We spent the next three days just south of Bentota along a little unnamed beach (or I just can’t find the name). We ventured into Bentota twice, and it really reminded me of a lake town in Iowa. Very odd and not our scene. But the beach we were on was really nice, quiet and warm.

The following day we decided to venture down to Hikkaduwa to visit the tsunami museum and then further down the coast to Galle. Both of which I highly recommend. We hired a tuk tuk driver for the day to take us to both places for 3000 RP ($20USD).

The tsunami museum was sobering, but if you’re in the area or even passing through it’s a must-see. It takes about half an hour and the lady who runs it is such a sweet woman. She explains different aspects of it, answers any questions you have, shares her story of that day and even asked at one point if we were ok looking at some of the more graphic photos.

Next, we continued on to Galle which I had zero interest in visiting initially. But if you’re on the fence about visiting Galle I definitely recommend taking a day to go down there. We spent a few hours in the fort and it’s filled with cute little streets lined with shops and restaurants. It’s obviously a bit more touristy but after being deprived of food options for so long it was amazing to be able to choose between a few places.

We ended up going to Crepe-ology (a crepe place, obviously). We both got our own savory crepes and iced teas and then split a sweet crepe at the end. It was fantastic.

We spent our final day by Bentota, just hanging around our hotel. Michael worked from the room most of the day and I spent a lot of time out on the beach. It was calm, relaxing and simple. (Not to mention I didn’t have a computer or book.)

We decided to take the train from Bentota to Weligama where we were going to finish off our stay. It cost us a whopping 280rp for our two tickets, which comes to a grand total of .91 cents each. Insane.

The train ride was pretty great (especially for that price). We chugged down the coast to Galle pretty fast, but after that, we were stopped at Galle for 20 minutes and then we got stopped at another station for 30 minutes, which got us into Weligama an hour late. But still worth it at that price if you’re a bit time-flexible. 

We pulled into our final stay, Elephant Stables, and it ended up being the best accommodation of the trip. The rooms are lovely, the property is lovely, it’s on the beach and within walking distance to almost everything. What more could we ask for? 

And wow, Weligama, I was not expecting it to be so happening. We had debated between going back to Mirissa or trying out Weligama and I’m thrilled we ended up going with Weligama.

The beach was lined with places renting out surfboards and offering lessons, there were fishing boats and places to eat. Michael grabbed a surfboard for the three days we were there, which I stole for a bit on the second day.

But mostly I just legit frolicked in the sea for three days. My goal was to be outside as much as possible, and I’ll give myself an A+ on that assignment.

It was absolutely brilliant. I loved every moment of it. I remember showering and looking out the window, seeing the palm trees and just feeling giddy with gratitude.

There were countless moments on this trip where I found myself wondering how is this real life, and how is this my life?

One of the nights we grabbed a tuk tuk over to Mirissa beach for dinner and ended up getting veggie burgers at Zephyr. And we joked how we had completed our circle of the island by going to Mirissa for the second time.

Sri Lanka is much bigger than I had realized and there’s so much that we didn’t get to. There are a few different paths you can take around the island, but I think you would have to go back a few times to even get close to visiting it all.

We had an entire day on our final day being that our flight left at 2 a.m. in the morning. And of course, we decided to spend the time in Weligama instead of heading up by Negombo. Michael surfed and I grabbed a boogie board to just float around on. We had booked in for massages at Good Spa for 5 p.m. which I recommend before jumping on a long flight. You’ll still get home a bit jumbled and cramped, but it’s a much better baseline to start from. We both got 90-minute massages for around 40USD, which is pricey but cheap when you compare to prices back home.  

From there we went in search of a final full meal before heading up to the airport. We ended up on the other end of the bay at Tiki Cliff Top Restaurant & Bar. It was super chilled out and the food was delicious. Oh, not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but don’t forget bug spray. They come out at night, and since most places to eat are outside you’re going to want some so they don’t go to town on your ankles (which they will). 

We had a taxi scheduled to pick us up from our place at 9 p.m. which is obviously more than taking the train, but then we weren’t limited to the train schedule and could squeeze out every last ounce of beach that day. We made great time on our way to the airport, and after a grueling 30+ hours of travel we arrived back home in Des Moines jetlagged, a little sick and ready for sleep.

And that finishes off our three-week adventure in Sri Lanka. I hope this has helped if you’re planning a trip there, or just like reading about travel.

Sri Lanka | Week Two

I wasn’t totally ready to leave the beach, but I was excited to see other aspects of Sri Lanka.

Michael had found and booked a safari guide for Udawalawe National Park, which was around 2/2.5 hours northeast of Talalla. We had contemplated staying a night or two in Udawalawe (maybe in a treehouse), but in the end we decided it didn’t require that much time so we planned it as a stop over between Talalla and Ella. Which was the right decision.

We woke up at 3:30 a.m. and then got a knock at our door at 3:55 a.m. from the lovely villa manager who had came in early to make us tea and coffee. Seriously, Handun Villas was one of our favorite places we stayed.

We had arranged a driver for the day to pick us up at 4:30 a.m. and wait for us while we did the safari before taking us the rest of the way to Ella.

Now, there are a few different national parks to choose to visit for a safari tour. The most popular is probably Yala, which is east of Tangalle. It’s known for its leopards, which there are still only 20 or 30 in the park. The sightings are rare and if one is spotted all the safari jeeps race to view it causing a clogged traffic jam. But if you want to see one head to Yala.

Udawalawe is the place to go to see elephants. Seriously, I was not expecting to see that many, and it was so magical to see them out in the wild instead of in some sort of enclosure. There were also a ton of beautiful birds, which I’m normally indifferent to, but our guide was really enthusiastic, knew a lot and had a great eye for picking them out. We saw water buffalo, crocodiles, a chameleon. But the best was seeing a maybe 2 week old baby elephant.

A few other places you can go and what you’ll see in Sri Lanka:

+ Wasgamuwa (NE of Kandy) — elephants

+ Sinharaja Forest (N of Mirissa) — birds

+ Minneriya (N of Dambulla and Polonnaruwa) — in Sept/Oct 300 elephants converge on the Lake

+ Horton Plains (S of Nuwara Eliya) — birds + ‘World’s End’. The train from Ella went through Horton Plains and boy oh boy it was beautiful.

+ Wilpattu (NW coast) — sloth bears and it’s the largest park

+ Knuckles (NE of Kandy) — lizards

The following day we hiked Little Adams Peak, which was such a chill hike past tea fields and ended with a stunning view of the valley and Ella Rock. We sat up there for quite some time taking it all in, and then made our way down and decided to stop for lunch at the swanky 98 Acres. The prices there are super reasonable so I suggest making that stop. We decided to hit the Nine Arches Bridge on our way back to town, and it was a fun little path to get down to it. We waited to watch the train go by and then walked along the tracks back into town.

We had planned to hike Ella Rock, which is a 3-4 hour hike (Little Adams Peak took an hour to get to, plus a little more to hang out up there). But we all woke up the next day feeling a bit iffy so we decided to hang out around town. Everything I had read about Ella was pretty misleading. Everyone said the town was crap, but to go for the surrounding area. And while the scenery did not disappoint, neither did the town. There was a little strip on the Main Street that had a ton of food and cafe options.

While in Ella I had one full body massage one day and a head and leg massage another day. Neither of them were very noteworthy. I mostly felt like I was just getting oiled up, and I always find myself wishing they would put a little more umphf into their massages, but the prices weren’t bad.

The following day we made our way on the train to Nuwara Eliya. The manager of our hotel was kind enough to go to the train station that morning to get us tickets with reserved seats. And because he got the tickets they set aside for employees they were a steal of a deal. But you can very easily get 2nd or 3rd class tickets for next to nothing, and if it’s not too busy you’ll probably get a seat. But if not find a door to hang out next to.

The train from Ella to Kandy is said to be the most beautiful train ride, and we did about half of it on our way to Nuwara Eliya. The station is actually 20 minutes away and called Nanu Oya, which confused us at first when we were looking up train schedules.

We got some veggie samosas on the train, talked to a family who were both English teachers and spent a lot of time hanging out by the open door.

Ok, so Nuwara Eliya. It’s the weirdest place we visited in Sri Lanka and possibly the weirdest town I’ve gone to. It wasn’t a town until a Brit came through and said, this reminds me of England, let’s build a town here. So, it became known as the home away from home for those visiting Sri Lanka from England. So, it’s this odd mix of Sri Lanka and England.

We had high tea at the Grand Hotel, which was my first high tea experience so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but our friends from Bristol said it could have been a lot better. I’d still recommend it, and to check out the hotel.

That night we went over to Saint Andrews Hotel, which was probably my favorite place in Nuwara Eliya. They have a 100+ year old billiards table. I’ve only ever seen pool tables and billiard tables are huge in comparison. It has all the original parts and has only been buffed. The boys decided to play a game, which I think cost like 650 rp ($4) for 45 minutes. They have a guy who’s only job is to work in the billiards room. He was awesome, and very encouraging to the guys, who started off the game a bit rough.

At one point another traveler came in, he was a professor in South Korea and informed us that the billiards table had been brought from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya by six elephants, and it took them 6 months to get there. I would love to see a drawing of that.

They also had a few fireplaces in the hotel, which felt great to curl up next to because it is noticeably chillier in Nuwara Eliya. We had to wear pants and a sweater or two to stay warm at night.

Nuwara Eliya is worth seeing, but I would only spend a day, maybe two there if I had to do it again.

Our friends had to leave a few days early so we all decided to head up to Negombo together, and ended up stopping at Bluefields Tea Factory and Ramboda Falls on the way there. Which was a much needed stop because that was by far the windiest, vomit inducing ride I’ve gone on.

The tour at Bluefields was fascinating, and free. I learned a lot. For example I didn’t know that black tea was fermented or the difference between white, green and black tea.

Ramboda Falls doesn’t look like a place you want to stop from the road. I could have easily passed it by, but Michael wanted to go for a swim. So, we made the 20 minute hike up to the top, and man I was happy we didn’t skip it.

One week left. 

Sri Lanka | Week One

I wanted to share our adventures in Sri Lanka because when I was planning our trip I looked at so many blogs trying to get a sense of what to do and where to go.  

We arrived in Sri Lanka late on January 17th, and had booked a hotel in Colombo for the night. After a few hours of sleep we all rallied and ate some breakfast near our hotel. I started off strong with a fruit plate.

We were traveling with friends from Bristol, England and their bags hadn’t made the connecting flight in Amsterdam so we had a little shopping to do courtesy of KLM.

But before we went over to the shopping center we went in search of Colombo Fort, the train station to see if we could get some seats on the train down to Matara. No such luck, but we talked to a taxi driver outside who agreed to drive us down there. Quite a bit more spendy when compared to the train ticket, which was just over $1, but it wasn’t too bad split between the four of us.

Colombo wasn’t our jam, and we were happy to leave.

Our driver’s van was older, and not very fast, but we made our way down the coast. We thought we had booked a place in Tangalle beach, but it ended up being right next door at Talalla beach, which ended up being the best mistake.

We basically had the beach to ourselves. It was magical. Just a few restaurants to choose from along the beach.

We spent five nights there at a place called Handun Villas, which I can’t recommend enough. Talalla is a great home base between Mirissa and Tangalle. And it’s a great place to rest and recharge after all that travel.

We spent the entire day of the 19th on Talalla beach and in the ocean. It was pure bliss. The boys geeked out, ordering pina coladas, and pina coladas in coconuts. We even split two orders of veg curry on our beach chairs at Sun Bay.

The following day we made the trek over to Tangalle. We set up shop in some hammocks on the beach after eating lunch...on the beach again of course. Michael found a boogie board and we spent far too long crashing around in the waves. If I had to choose one of my favorite things about this trip it would be frolicking in the waves. Seriously, I felt like a kid again most days. 

On the 20th we decided to head over to Mirissa beach, which was probably our favorite beach between there and Tangalle. There were restaurants all down the beach, a spot to surf and the water was perfect for that good ol’ playing in the waves we all loved so much.

One thing I decided I wanted to do while we were in Sri Lanka was surf, and after looking into it I decided to do a surf lesson. I’ve been surfing a handful of times, but I’m a definite beginner with almost zero confidence. We met a guy at Tangalle beach who had started his surf school not that long ago. His reviews were good and I thought, what the heck, I want to support the new guy. Tangalle Surf School

And it was awesome! We went to a quiet little place near Tangalle called Blue Beach that had some baby waves, perfect for beginners. It was great to practice my form popping up on my board and to gain that much needed confidence I was in search of.

And on top of all of that, it was just so much fun. I love surfing, I’m just not that good at it.

That pretty much sums up the excitement of our first week in Sri Lanka. Two weeks to go!

I Ruined My Laptop | Part Two

So, if you can recall I busted my laptop on the way to Sri Lanka.

I was bummed out to say the least. It was a big purchase for me two years ago, and it’s not like I have a ton of cash laying around to buy a new one (especially after our trip).

But obviously something was going to have to give because I need a computer for work.

So, while I was enjoying vacation I was also trying to come up with a solution when I got home.

I haven’t taken my laptop into Apple yet, so I’m not sure if there’s an “inexpensive” fix to it or if it’s gone for good.

Michael and I were talking about it one day and he suggested using the iPad as a temporary fix until I saved up and found a computer I wanted. He also has a MacBook with a broken screen that’s a $400 fix if I want to go that route.

In the long run I think I’ve decided I want to save up for an iMac since I work from home 85% of the time. But I need something until then and I need a portable option for when we travel.

I opted for the iPad option. We already had it from a Black Friday deal, and didn’t really use it. So, while in Sri Lanka I started researching the best way to ‘turn an iPad into a laptop’ essentially. And here’s what I’ve done.

The first thing I knew I would need was a keyboard. No question about that. So, I opted for a keyboard case instead of a keyboard and stand option so it was portable.

I also knew I needed a way to get video footage from my SD cards onto it so I could edit videos. My camera does have a WiFi option, but seeing as I didn’t want to hassle with that I decided to get a lightening to SD card adapter, which was a great options.

The first day I was using it with the keyboard I found it a bit fussy to not have a mouse or keypad so I looked into buying one of those, but for the time being I’m just using the screen, which just takes some getting used to.

It can be a bit finicky at times and has taken some time to get used to the differences, but because we already had the iPad it was a pretty inexpensive solution.

Depending on how I like it this might actually become my long term portable option after I get the iMac, which hopefully I can buy in a month or two.

Update: I’m sitting outside Apple waiting for an appointment. I’ve decided to pay the money to get Michael’s old MacBook Pro (which is the same model as mine) fixed. After trying to edit a video yesterday on the iPad I just found myself pretty frustrated. There’s an obvious difference between the iPad and the MacBook Pro, and I was beyond frazzled by the end of the day.

I was working to get a video up because I post every Tuesday and Thursday. Well, it’s still sitting on the iPad because even after I got the very simply edited video exported it now won’t upload to YouTube.

I just came to the conclusion that having a computer is too much of an intregal part of running FemmeHead. I really don’t want to see it hurt by not having a computer and I think it would be.

I think I’m still going to save up for an iMac, but for the time being having a MacBook Pro to work from will be such a treat. I’ve brought both his laptop to send in to get fixed as well as mine to see if there’s anything to be done about it or to at least get stuff off of it.

If you’re just looking to type documents, send emails and such, you can definitely do that on an iPad with a keyboard case. But when it comes to editing things, videos and such, the iPad is not made for that.

Update: I got called in for my appointment. We started by sending off Michael’s old MacBook to get repaired and mailed back to our house. That was going to cost $475, which was fine. And then he took my poor laptop to the back to open it up and look to see what sort of water damage there was.

He came back probably 10 minutes later and said, wait for it, that it looked fine inside and he wanted to plug it in and turn it on.

Wait what?

Ok, I said, as I fumbled in my bag for my charger. I plugged it and he pressed a few keys along with the power button and I holy mother of god it turned on. I about pooped myself.

I still didn’t want to get my hopes up because he said that he was going to run diagnostics on it. That took another 5-7 minutes. In the mean time I asked him why my screen looked like it was separating around the edge, and he said it was called ‘delaminating’ and we could look at repair options for that once the diagnostics finished.

And here’s the kicker, the diagnostics came back and he said it looked fine.

He said that even though my laptop was out of warranty, there was this replacement warranty thing when it came to screens delaminating because they aren’t supposed to do that. So, while it normally costs $475 to replace a screen they were going to do it for free (excuse me?!)

Then he said that my batttery wasn’t holding charge for as long as it should, and right before I could say I didn’t care about that he said he was going to try and get that replaced under the same thing as the screen...for free.

At this point I didn’t want to jinx myself, seriously, is this real life?

But I had to politely ask to cancel the repair order on Michael’s Mac because obviously if my computer had miraculously came back to life I didn’t need his as a replacement. And the Apple guy was kind enough to go grab it from the back and cancel the order.

I thanked him profusely, told him he was a rockstar and that he made my week, no the entire month for me. And then I left.

So at the moment it’s best case senario. My laptop is being sent in to essentially be spruced up, and it’s not going to cost me a thing (unless something else pops up while they have it).

But you guys! I’m over the moon right now.

I tried to turn it on after it got wet on the plane, but then my brother told me that you’re not supposed to try and turn on or charge electronics when they get wet. Not until they dry out. So I waited until a few days before we came back to try again, just for the hell of it, because I was pretty sure there was no hope. And it didn’t turn on so I thought it was toast.

There is nothing better than electronics coming back from the dead.

Viva la MacBook Pro!

Inspiration for Gift Giving

I know Christmas is over and we’ve got a long time until it’s time to celebrate again, but I wanted to share some of my favorite presents that I gave and got this year for inspiration. Because there’s going to be plenty of times throughout this year that you want to get someone a gift. 

Presents I Gave

+ bath bombs — if they like baths, they’ll love bath bombs.

+ incense — nag champa incense is my favorite, and anyone that likes smelly goodness will love incense.

+ a journal — I kept a journal starting last Christmas and wrote an entry every day of what we did, and then gave it to Michael this year. It was a big hit. 

+ power bank — for that person whose phone battery is always almost dead. I got this Anker one for Michael. 

+ inflatable lounge — much more of a warm weather gift, but Michael is all about being comfy, and he likes to go out and sit in a hammock in the summer so I thought this would be good to have in the car for when he can’t find trees close enough.

+ string map — a lot of fun to make, and pretty simple too. Just need a board, nails, and some embroidery string. I made a map of Iowa for a friend, but you could make letters or silhouettes. So many options. 

+ packing cubes — for anyone who travels and appreciates organization. I like these. 

+ chocolate — you can’t go wrong here. 

+ gift card — let them choose their gift at their favorite store.

+ suspend game — I was looking for a white elephant gift that would be good for any age. And I found this one, which is kind of like Jenga. 

+ s’more kit — my dad is the s’more king and he likes anything chocolate. But you could do a hot chocolate kit or any number of food kits. 

+ hygge kits — or at least that’s what I called them. I gave one to two friends as well as my mom and sister. They had face masks, warm sock slippers, chocolate, a candle and incense. 

+ regifted things — you might think this is tacky, but I think it’s genius. If you have something cool that just isn’t your style or you don’t use it, give it to someone that will. 

Presents I Got

+ hanging planter — Yes, a friend made me an awesome hanging planter that’s hanging above my desk now. I love it. It looks kind of like this one. 

+ vegan “meats” — Our friend got Michael and I a selection of vegan meat from this shop we visited in Minneapolis.  

+ knitted socks, hat, cardigan — my mom is a knitting goddess and each year I get some amazing knitted goodies. So, if you can knit or crochet make something!

+ wine — you can’t go wrong with wine.

+ converted home movies — my younger brother sent in all our old home videos to this company that converted them into mp4’s that we now all have access to for the rest of time. One of my favorite gifts. 

What are some of your favorite gifts that you gave or received? 

A Forced Internet Break

One of my favorite things about traveling, especially abroad, is being disconnected. 

For the most part you just don’t have use of your phone because it’s in airplane mode and only works around wifi. 

And this past trip to France ended up being a real break from technology, social media and all things in between. 

I would still post to Instagram every other day or so. But I wouldn’t scroll through insensately after as I’ve been known to do.

I would take a peek at my email every few days to make sure there were no fires I had to put out, and I sent my mom a message a few times. 

Michael and I are both sort of workaholics. We just really get sucked into what we do. But it was a great chance to do something else. And to just be forced to do something else. 

We went on a lot of walks, either through the country or through the city, depending on where were were staying that day. 

We would make meals together and sit outside to eat them. 

We would start our day by waking up and having a cup of coffee together. 

We went on bike rides, hikes, and spent hours curled up around a fireplace with a few friends that came to visit having those conversations that leave you inspired and invigorated for life. 

We would sit down and read. We even went on a tour in Avignon!

And now that we’re home we both have really tried to bring a few things back with us. 

We went rock climbing the other day, we both have books we’re reading (or in my case five). 

We’ve been making more of an effort to hang out with friends and family. I went and saw my sister and nephew the day after I got back, the next week we went up to his sister’s for Halloween, and a few days later I went to hang out with two of my friends. 

And I’m looking forward to getting together with family now that the holidays are coming up. 

I always like to take vacations as a chance to reset as well as recharge. Take the time to analyze the aspects from your trip that you want to take with you into everyday life. 

What are some of the changes you’ve made because of a trip?

Getting Back to Reality After Traveling

Ok, so you’ve just gotten back from a great trip and you have to get back to reality. 

Here are some strategies I’ve found that really help me get back at it. 

+ Clean your home

All the way down to the vacuuming and dusting. Get all those stray dirty dishes popped into the washer, your laundry cleaned and put away, and take this opportunity to get all the little random bits and bobs back where they belong.

Nothing helps me more than getting my house in order. 

+ Go grocery shopping

I always aim to eat healthy while away, but in reality that doesn’t always happen. So, when I get home I am always rejuvenated to go get a healthy plant heavy grocery haul. 

And it’s just another step to getting everything in order at home, which once again does so much to make me feel better about being back and at it again. 

+ Tick off some to-do’s

Go through your mail or other things you’ve been avoiding. I took the chance Sunday morning to sit down and order a few things I needed offline including a new bullet journal and accessories for that (yay!) as well as a sunrise simulator alarm clock (more on that in a bit). I also ordered a new credit card seeing as I lost mine in Avignon while there (I think I threw it away).

+ Add in a habit or element discovered during trip

One thing I really noticed during this trip was how little I was on my phone, computer and such. And it was amazing! I always like to think I can disconnect myself, but it’s so nice to be forced to sometimes. So, I’ve been trying to carry that forward now that I’m home. 

Other things I do more of when I’m traveling: I read more books (so I went to the library), I have more adventure (Michael and I went rock climbing last night) and I came home with a renewed desire to meditate and journal more.

+ Accept the weather of where you are

It’s hard, especially when it’s 30 degrees colder, but I’m making a conscious effort this year to accept the cold weather and make the most out of it (snuggling into cozy slippers, blankets and all things warm). 

Right after I got back in town I went and bought a few candles, a new sweater and sweatpants and snuggled into my house.

Another thing I’ve done to help with this is ordered a sunrise simulator alarm clock for Michael and I. And it does exactly what it says. It mimics a sunrise in your room, and I can’t wait to get it because I can tell a big difference between waking up when there’s light out and when it’s still pitch black. 

+ Visit family and friends

I went and saw my sister and nephew the day after I got back, I had a nice long phone call with my mother the day I got back, Michael and I hung out with a few friends last night and I’ve made plans to get together with a few friends this week. 

+ Indulge in what did you missed while you were away

What I missed most were things like work, my own space and a routine. I really savored the first moments of getting back to work this morning, I was very aware and conscious of being in my home and therefore wanted to spruce it up and take care of it. 

+ Take some time to pamper yourself

I steamed my face with a warm washcloth, exfoliated it, put a hydrating mask on it and lathered my entire body with avocado oil after soaking in the bath surrounded by candlelight. 

It was magic.

I always fell a bit worn down and rough at the edges after traveling so it’s nice to take some time out for myself to get me back to 100%. 

+ Alter your schedule

I love using travel as an excuse to change things up.

For example I love being able to make the most out of jet lag and wake up earlier than normal. 

What do I went to spend more time doing, less time doing? 

Overall, while I love traveling, I am so thankful that I love coming home. But when I get home I like to hit the “refresh” button and do all these things before digging back into my day to day life. 

Using Pinterest to Create Dream Board

I love the concept of dream boards. 

My teenage bedroom was essentially four walls of dream boards, or whatever I decided was worthy of getting cut out of a Teen Vogue and taped on my wall. 

I don’t collect magazines anymore, nor do I find my “dream life” in them. 

But do you know what has come along since my moody teenage days?

Pinterest. 

I don’t even have to explain what it is: the internet’s dream board. 

We’ve all spent countless hours pinning drool worthy recipes, outfits that are a little too perfect and a detailed plan of our dream wedding before we even had serious boyfriends. 

I’ve seriously curbed my Pinterest addiction since college, but I’ve found it a cathartic exercise to collect and curate different aspects of the dream life I strive for.

In January I chose two guiding words for 2017: Ignite and Radiate. And I created a board of different images and quotes that spoke to those words that I’ll scroll through every now and then. 

And one of the best features of Pinterest? Secret boards. 

No more scouring magazines, scissors and glue for this girl. 

My most recent secret board creation? One I dubbed, “Beautiful Abundance” where I put all the things I’m working to manifest in my life. 

And if you hear the term “manifest” and want to gag a little bit, stick with me. I was once in your shoes not that long ago. 

Then I discovered “Letters to the Universe”, dipping my toes into manifesting, and things started to happen. 

I asked the Universe for freelance opportunities and I got an email from a gal I went on to do a internship/mentorship for. 

I asked for more money opportunities, and my mom called to ask for help with two painting jobs, totaling over $1600 in less than three weeks. 

“I’ve got to put this power to good use!” I thought. 

So, back to my “Beautiful Abundance” board. I created it as a place to put all the things I wanted to manifest for my future. And not my “where will you be in 10 years” future. My 6 months - 5 years plan. 

While it’s obviously important to consider where you want to be in 15 years time I think so many people spend all their wishing on years and years down the road. 

What about the life we’re living in the here in now? 

Why not focus on that? I know I am. 

Fill your dream boards, your vision boards, whatever you want to call them with things that make you feel something. That get you excited to work towards your goals. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m a visual person so actually seeing something versus just writing it down (which I also think is important) sparks something different in my brain, making it seem like more of a possibility for reality. 

So, go and spend some time on Pinterest (I’m giving you permission) and make a board that is just for curating your dream life. Don’t hold yourself back, fill it with images, words and whatever else feel right to you. 

Go back and look back on it here and there, edit it and refine it to keep it up to date with what you want. And just let it soak in, think about how it would feel to have or be whatever it is. Visualize that, and magical things will start to happen. 

September FemmeHead Meet-Ups

I had this revelation a few weeks ago about a goal I’ve been sitting on for far too long.

I’ve been wanting to do more in person things for FemmeHead. 

While I love the comfort and security of working from home, I’m going to challenge myself to get involved in my community via FemmeHead as well as when I travel. 

And then I realized I’m already traveling quite a bit with Michael when he announces races, why don’t I start doing FemmeHead meet-ups and workshops since I’m already there? 

Next year, I want to start offering workshops around the U.S. and even when we travel abroad, but for this year I’m going to start out with just doing simple, easy going meet-ups to start to meet the FemmeHead community. 

So, let’s start with this month. 

I’m going to be in Dallas, D.C. and Long Island. 

If you’re interested in hanging out, let me know, and I’ll be posting where I’ll be hanging out when the time get’s closer. 

+ Dallas — September 8 - 10

+ D.C. — September 11 - 16

+ Long Island — September 29 - October 1

Keep an eye out on my social media for locations, and I can’t wait to hang out if you’re able to come. 

What I Bring For Work When Traveling

I love hearing what others pack for different trips, so today I wanted to share what I bring so I can work while I’m traveling. 

While I’m not traveling for “work” (soon!) I am lucky enough to be able to work from anywhere so I always have a few key things with me no matter where I go. 

Laptop + Charger

When you’re a self-employed girl boss who’s business is (mostly) all online you always take your laptop with you. Trying to do anything on my phone for work (outside of posting to social media) is a pain. 

And there’s nothing better than setting up shop in a cool little cafe in some new city and cracking out some work. 

When Michael and I first went to SE Asia together in 2014 I left my laptop at home. We ended up spending a lot of time while in Chiang Mai in coffeeshops because he had some unexpected work come up. And I remember really just regretting my decision to leave my laptop at home. 

It now comes everywhere. 

Headphones

This is a must for travel in general, but there’s nothing worse than forgetting to pack your headphones.

While there’s other tasks you can complete if you’re out in public, you can’t edit videos because hello, that would be rude. 

Not to mention popping on some motivational, upbeat music, watching videos or taking a break to meditate. 

External Hard Drive

The storage on my laptop is pretty decent, but I never want to run out of space to create. So, having extra storage is a must. 

Plus you can throw videos, photos and everything from your trip on there to keep your phone and SD cards clear for even more goodness. 

I also store different things on my hard drive that I might need to access for work. 

Bullet Journal + Pen

My planner! I would be lost without this one. There’s something about the routine and organization I get from this tiny book that is revolutionary to what I’m able to accomplish for work. 

Even day to day if I don’t have my planner I can’t tell people if I’m free a certain day, which makes planning anything difficult. 

Camera + Charger

I love that I now have a smaller Canon g7x for traveling. And because of this I almost always have my camera with me. 

Not only do I like documenting my travels, but being able to film a new FemmeHead video even when I’m not home is valuable. 

Overall, it’s a simple list of items I need, which makes life oh so easy. And how amazing is it to be able to run an entire business with just a few things!

What are your work must-haves when traveling? 

Some Of My Favorite YouTube Channels

I’ve been watching YouTube videos since high school, and while my interests have changed over the years I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite people on YouTube. 

In no particular order, here are some people/channels I love:

Sarah Lemkus 

She has an adorable little vegan family, and they live in New Zealand. She shares a lot of What I Eat In A Day videos, as well as her life in New Zealand as well as travel. 

Ellen Fisher 

Possibly my favorite family on YouTube. Ellen has a heart of gold, her husband is a sweetheart and she has two super adorable boys. She talks all things vegan, sustainable living, and her life in Hawaii. 

Raw Alignment 

She talks a lot about self-love and being vegan. She also shares her adventures, her workouts and just general feel good messages. 

Sailing LaVagabonde 

This sweet couple travel the world on their sailboat, and you get to go along on all their adventures. [And it is because of them that I discovered Patreon. It is what makes their adventure possible, and now I have a Patreon for those who want to support FemmeHead.] 

Kathleen Lights 

I’m used to watch a lot of makeup YouTubers, but over the years my interests have changed, but I will always watch Kathleen. And that’s for her personality.

Damon and Jo 

You don’t have to be rich to travel the world, and these two are a complete hoot while doing it. They have vibrant personalities and share practical travel tips. 

Sarah Norse 

She is one of those people who is living the life she wants. She does a lot of traveling, moving countries with her husband. She shares videos all about minimalism, money, travel and lifestyle. 

Alli Cherry 

She has a great esthetic, personality and shares videos on a range of topics. Everything from design, cool flea market finds, sustainable living, natural products and travel and camping videos. 

Ollie Ritchie 

Pure inspiration for beautiful videos. Gives you this nostalgic feeling for memories, places and people in your past. 

Wild Daze 

An eclectic gal sharing her adventures around the world. She’s based in the UK, goes to festivals, shares her wacky style and is unapologetically herself. 

Coolripa 

I always wanted to be the girl in high school who made her own clothes, but I didn’t have the skill or patience to do so. This girl takes her thrift store finds and turns them into adorable outfits that you want to wear. 

Lavendaire 

A calming influence on your life. She talks about minimalism, personal growth, and creating the life you want to live.  

Muchelleb 

She’s all about creating the lifestyle and space you want to live in, covering how to simplify your space, be intentional about your life, goals, minimalism and goodness like this. 

Shameless Maya 

I sometimes struggle when it comes to technology, but anytime I need an answer or some inspiration I head over to her channel. I really enjoy her Tech Talk Tuesdays as well as her just explaining different methods and techniques. 

BuzzFeed Unsolved 

I love watching BuzzFeed, but one of my favorite series currently is BuzzFeed Unsolved. They’re a hilarious duo who travel to haunted places, often staying the night, sharing the history and trying to stir up some ghosts. 

SoSonia on SoulPancake 

She makes me feel good, she makes me think and she inspires me to get creative. 

These aren’t all the channels I like, but I didn’t want to go on forever. Hopefully this will help you discover a new channel or two that you like!

Picking Up Lost Habits

Sometimes life gets a bit hectic, and you loose track of your routine, those things that keep you balanced and sane. But when you don’t have time you have to just let go of certain things. And not feel guilty for it. 

Hopefully the time comes when you can return to those things that matter. And possibly weed out those habits that aren’t serving you. 

Life got a bit crazy for me over the month of May, and I let quite a few of my favorite things slip away, knowing I’d make my way back to them. But now that I’m getting back to the point of having the time again I have found I have to rebuild those connections to those habits. 

The three habits I’m referring to, and am frankly always talking about are:

+ journaling

+ yoga

+ meditation

Simple, daily tasks that can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour, depending on the day. But I know the benefits from each. 

Journaling is a way to cleanse my mind each morning. To clear out the junk as well as jot down those important memories and thoughts worth remembering. 

I journal in a few different forms. The most beneficial is morning pages, three pages of handwritten, streaming conscious thought. It is a way, like I said above, to excavate those things lingering from the past. Things that need to be addressed, talked about, thought about. It is a way to work through difficult things, annoyances, and to give light to moments that have really made my day. 

After I have taken the time to sit down and do morning pages (15-45 minutes) I am noticeably more focused, and able to stay on task throughout the day. Because often times the things that distract me from what I have at hand is something from the past, some thought or memory that has been nagging at my conscious. 

In a way journaling is a form of therapy for me. 

I also keep the type of journal that comes to mind when you hear the word "journal". 

Beyond that I also have two pages for each month in my bullet journal for what I call my “sparkly bits”. It is my daily gratitude. And from continuously practicing daily gratitude I am more in tune with the daily moments that bring me joy. 

Journaling is something I dabbled in starting at 8 years old, but didn't really pick up on at the age of 19. And it is something I no doubt will continue to do until the day I die. 

Next up, yoga. 

I first tried yoga in college. There was a free class for students a couple mornings a week. After graduating I hit a rough patch (ended a relationship and was lost with where I was supposed to head with my future). I rediscovered yoga, and it was more than I could have asked for at that point in my life. Over the next six months or so I did almost daily 6 a.m. hot yoga classes, all the while working 16 hour days and struggling with what to do with life. 

I have done yoga on and off since then. Not being able to afford classes (seriously, they are expensive), but knowing the benefit I have begun to do a daily practice from home. Either I move through sequences as they come to mind or I follow a video I’ve found online. Whether it’s five minutes, or 90 minutes, yoga feeds my soul. I come out of it feeling renewed, refreshed, incredible. 

And finally, the most recent addition to my life — meditation. 

Here is something that I’ve wanted to do for years, but could never quite figure out. 

I spent so long thinking it had to be one way, when in reality there are so many forms of meditation practice. 

And I found my form in guided lessons via the Headspace app. It came at a time in life where things were coming together but I felt lost, I felt off balanced and in a way out of control. I needed something to bring me back to center, and for whatever reason I knew my answer was meditation. 

I had heard of this particular app here and there. To be quite frank, it kept popping up, almost as if telling me I needed to give meditation another go. 

Meditation is another form of therapy, similar yet different from journaling. 

When I have a good daily meditation practice going I am so much more balanced — emotionally, mentally and it gives me that sense of spirituality (that I also get from yoga) that I could never find in organized religion. 

And the trick to all of this is timing. Creating space for it in your day. For me, in the past, that was journaling first thing in the morning for around an hour, then taking another hour around 2 p.m. to take a break from work, roll out my yoga mat, choose a video from online and end it with a meditation session during savasana. 

These three habits combined are a trifecta of mental health for me. And I hope from reading this today you can feel a burst of inspiration to rekindle that flame with those habits that nourish you. 

Nature Feeds My Soul

I grew up in the country (outside the city, in nature), on over 90 acres of land. 

On top of that I was homeschooled through fifth grade, meaning I spent a lot of time around home, which I absolutely loved. 

I was in the middle of the woods, surrounded by nature and animals. 

The most ponies/horses we’ve had at one time was 13 I believe. We have always had two dogs, a handful of cats, a parrot that’s older than I am, and we once had two pigs, two jersey calves and a crippled angus calf around the same time. 

I also grew up with three siblings. A sister 21 months older than me and then two brothers, three and five years younger than me. We would run around the woods creating make believe worlds, and swim in a particular part of our creek we called the Frog Pond. 

But as I got into junior high and high school I started to resent this little slice of heaven I grew up on. I wanted the city and I couldn’t wait to get as far away from the country as I could. 

But as the years pass the more I can feel myself pulled towards the trees, the birds and the ability to see the stars at night.

When the occasion comes to get back down to my parent’s place I relish in those moments spent outside. I soak in how incredibly calm and peaceful it is. 

I forget until I get back out there how much nature nourishes me. 

I find myself in these moments, out there in the trees, where I can just stop, breath deep and look up towards the sky. What better time to stop and become present in that moment, to find gratitude for being in that place. 

And I am reminded each time, how much good this does for me, and how I need to continue to find space for nature in my life. 

I'm a Hermit Who Craves Social Interaction

I always hear people say that they’re either an introvert or an extrovert. And I claimed for the longest time that I was an introvert. I am and I’m not. I’ve come to the realization that you can be both. 

I am a total hermit most of the time. I work from home, and there are days that I don’t leave the house (sad, I know). 

But I am a hermit that craves social interaction. If you get me around my friends or a group of fun, outgoing people, I am a total extrovert. I love cracking jokes, making people laugh, and talking other’s ears off. 

I guess you could say I’m a selective extrovert. There are only certain social scenarios where I think, yeah this sounds fun, let’s go do it. It’s been over two years since I’ve stayed up past bar close, and that was for a friend’s bachelorette party. And I distinctly remember thinking, there’s no way I’m going to make it past ten. And then when final call came I thought, oh my god, oh my god, I made it. 

Let’s just say I was proud of myself. 

I’m not an extrovert in that I dislike large crowds of people (think night club or mall). And I’m not an introvert in that I don’t always like being alone. 

I saw someone describe it as a spectrum, and like with most things in life I totally agree that it is a spectrum, rather than you’re either one or the other. 

Most days I love hunkering in over a cup of coffee and working, journaling and getting after my various projects. There’s almost nothing better than a night home alone, with a hot bath, plate of nachos and watching more than my fair share of YouTube videos. 

But for me there has to be a balance. 

Because I also really enjoy weekly get togethers with friends, catching up over a mug of coffee, Nutella crepes or a glass of wine. I like going out to dinner with Michael just as much as I love staying in and cooking a meal with him too. And there are days I just need to go sit and work from a coffeeshop even though I know I’m not as focused as I would be at home.  

I’ve talked before about finding my own personal balance, because I can tell that I have been lacking in the social interaction department lately. 

So, I’ve been challenging myself to say “Yes!” more often to invitations, to be the one arranging get togethers myself, and not waiting for others to initiate it. 

I’m far from perfect and I’ve got a long ways to go, but I’m continuously improving, finding new ways to get out into the world, and hoping to find that equilibrium between my solo and social time. 

What Travel Makes Me Want For the Future

I’m from small town Iowa. I grew up out in the country, and was homeschooled for the first five years of my education. I feel myself drawn back to the nature I grew up around, but I’m so glad I got out and experienced the world. And as you can guess it has had an impact on what I want for my future.

While I’m a huge homebody, I crave and appreciate travel. It’s something that I will never stop doing, whether that’s local or abroad. And while I know my “responsibilities” will change over the years, especially if we have children, I know that won’t stop the travel. We’ll just adapt as we go along.

I don’t want my children to be “spoiled”, and I don’t want to give up on travel after I have kids. Plus I want them to experience the world, and I know that there is so much they can learn from it. 

I love Iowa as a home base, but I absolutely love being able to escape the winter blues as much as possible. Like just about every other person out there I am effected quite a bit by weather. I need sun, I need warmth, I need blue skies. And there’s not a whole lot of that here in Iowa over the winter months. 

We were able to do it this past winter and I hope it’s something that works for us in the years to come — escaping the winter and moving to a warm place for a month or two. 

And I love the idea of putting my kids in international schools, or homeschooling them while we travel. 

There was one morning where I was sitting, working in a coffeeshop in Ubud, and a mother asked if her and her son could sit at my table with me. It was a busy little cafe, where the tables filled up quickly. Of course I said yes. At one point she was talking to her, probably 8 or 9 year old, son about their flights back home, and she asked if he wanted to stop in Thailand on their way back through or come straight back to Indonesia. And he chose come back to Indonesia without stopping in Thailand. I just loved that they were having such a mature conversation, that he had the wherewithal to know what he wanted, and that she was including him in the decision making. 

There’s an awesome looking Green School just south of Ubud, that we didn’t get the chance to tour, but will look into next time. And there are different schools like that around the world that call out to me. I would have loved to have those different experiences growing up. 

Traveling so much has instilled this need for the freedom and flexibility to keep doing it. Something I haven’t perfected but am working towards fitting cohesively into my lifestyle in the years to come. 

Because what works for me is to continue to work as I travel. And this means some semblance of consistency while traveling as well as a stable internet connection. (Seriously, you take for granted good internet until you don't have it).

And that means not having the desire to have certain things back home. I still have no need for a vehicle, and while we’ve talked about the desire to eventually buy a plot of land and build a house we’re not rushing into it. And there are other material “luxuries” that I see no real need for. Fancy clothes, shoes, purses, etc, which fits perfectly into my love for minimalism. 

I’m really excited to see how travel evolves for me over the years, the different places I go, and the experiences I have. 

What is one way in which travel has impacted you?