Here’s a subpar travel vid for ya!
Song: Défiler (bande originale de la capsule n. 5 Mosaert) by Stromae
travel
Blue Lagoon, Iceland
I’m about to head home (or back to Toronto, THEN home…), so I might as well post about what kicked off this adventure: the infamous Blue Lagoon!
You get here, and you’re immediately hooked! The water is a misty blue color, to the point of not being able to see your body underneath the calming waves. The skies above are filled with Iceland’s unpredictable weather, yet somehow the on-and-off hail/snow doesn’t faze you once you’re immersed in the pools…
As my friend Bethany put it, “There are no adjectives to describe this experience.” She’s absolutely right! You’ll just have to check it out for yourself!
You can even enjoy mud masks AND refreshing smoothies in the water!!
Highlight of the day: finally being in the water, despite two previous Iceland stopovers!
Worst part of the day: not being able to get the nasty, Icelandic salted chocolate taste out of my mouth!
Second worst part: combing my hair after the lagoon…it’s STILL gross four days later!
Pro tip: wear your hair up ladies and gents!
Mediocre Photos of Boston
Here’s some mediocre photos from my weekend getaway, in a not-so-mediocre city!
Study Abroad Reunion: Chicago (March 9-11)
In 2016, I made the best decision of my life: to study abroad in Kalmar, Sweden.
I made THE BEST friends I could’ve asked for! We all decided to have a reunion in Chicago because Alice (to my right in the above photo) was student teaching in Illinois for one month. Mitch and Bethany (to my left) are from Colorado, and Taylor (far right) is from Texas. We HAD to take a selfie at the iconic bean, obviously 🙂
During our first afternoon/evening, we were catching up at dinner, the hotel bar, and even played Uno for awhile in our room. I hadn’t seen Taylor or Alice since I left Sweden in June, 2016, so seeing them meant the world to me. Bethany and I, thankfully, have been able to see each other twice since we returned home (once in Chicago in June, exactly!) and will be going to one of my favorite places, Iceland, this May! Spending time with Mitch is always great, and seeing him meant the world to me as well!
On our only full day together, we went to the Sears Tower (I STILL need to call it that…) and we took some obligatory Sky Deck photos! It was worth it, but the crowds and heat were too much for all of us. Thankfully, Giordano’s was right around the corner 🙂
All of us (except for Taylor – he needed a major nap after the deep dish!) spent time near the Water Tower place, specifically at Nike and Ghiradelli! Mitch and I were OBSESSED with the store. I have probably been in there at least 10 times and it never gets old! Mitch, Alice, and I all got ice cream after, which also put us into a food coma, much like our dear friend!
You can’t go to Chicago without going to a comedy show, am I right? I am in love with Second City and Zanies; I have been to both three times I believe. Bethany and I went to Zanies in June, and I’ve also been there with another friend from studying abroad in France. I decided on Zanies this time because 1) the tickets were cheaper, 2) stand-up is hilarious and is rarely ever bad (in my opinion), and 3) it’s located on N. Wells Street, where all the best bars are!
Of course, we picked the best night to go! It was Zanies’ 40th anniversary so we were able to have some mystery shots, more stand-up comedians, and many more laughs! I would tell you some of the jokes; however, they were NOT appropriate for this blog 🙂 Take my word for it: Zanies is the funniest club in Chicago!
Bethany and I are always thuggin’ it on Wells St…
Our coats got switched at Benchmark…oops!
Fun fact: Bethany and I took a similar photo here back in June. Once we found the same bar, we obviously had to recreate our masterpiece 🙂
This goes without saying, but this was probably the best weekend I’ve had in a long time. Seeing old friends felt so rewarding and I haven’t laughed that hard in SO long (both from the comedians AND my best friends)! I can’t wait until our next reunion together.
I can’t wait for Taylor to have a Guinness at every bar he passes, for Alice to be as stereo-typically French as possible, for Bethany and I to laugh over nothing at all, and for Mitch and I to have the best conversations again 🙂
Teddy Bear Travels
Hello, long time no blogging! Yet again, I have been MIA for quite some time; however, I’m back and ready to focus on blogging again!
When we travel for an extensive amount of time, it’s always nice to have something from home. Some bring a photograph, others a keepsake…but for me, it’s always my teddy bear, Pierre!
Pierre is a 3-year-old Build-a-Bear who my boyfriend and I made for Christmas in 2015. He is very loved, privileged, and fortunate to have seen all these incredible places! I hope you enjoy his journey as much as he does (and as much as I do)! 🙂
Pierre loves to go boating on Michigan’s many lakes!
He and his wife, Claire, have even ventured to Chicago with me!
Pierre and his best friend, Chestnut, were my travel buddies in Sweden for my semester abroad.
Pierre has even been to castles, something that many humans haven’t even experienced!
He loved riding through Kalmar, SE with me!
Praha (Prague) was one place where Pierre could meet some cool cats 🙂
…but he enjoyed being in my dorm with Chestnut, Coconut, Barry, and Sandy!
Pierre was able to meet one of my best friends from Hamburg, Germany too! She gave us a care package when we arrived!
I bought this bag in Copenhagen, especially for Pierre! He needed it for our weekend in London together 🙂
DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!
We enjoyed sunny days on the dock near the Kalmar castle 🙂
Pierre and I probably loved our time in Norway the most! 🙂 It made him feel at home with all the boating we did in those two weeks…
We love quality time with Juan! Pierre loves Lake Michigan 🙂
Pierre was also my buddy on my train from Denver to Grand Junction to visit a friend from study abroad!
More traveling is in Pierre’s future, and mine as well 🙂
My Travel Timeline
One major flaw of mine is that I compare myself to others – I can’t be happy and reach my full potential if this nasty habit continues…
Loved ones around me are “progressing at faster rates”: moving into new places, getting engaged/married, are more financially stable than me…
Rather than getting bitter, I want to get better!
And let’s face facts here: I wouldn’t be who I am today if I hadn’t traveled and seen the incredible things that I’ve seen! So what if I’m carrying a bit more student loan debt because of study abroad? Who cares that I’m not living with my boyfriend at the moment? I knew that travel would alter my life’s course, and that’s fine. Why do I care what others around me (family, “friends”…) think?!?!
In honor of my choices, that I am VERY proud of, here’s my travel timeline:
Canada (as a baby several times and again in 2011)
*no photo from Canada unfortunately…*
Germany (2012 – one month)
France (2014 – two months)
England (2014 and again in 2016)
Italy (2014 and again in 2016)
The Netherlands (2014)
Iceland (2014 and again in 2016, also visiting again May 2018)
*no saved photos of Iceland unfortunately…more to come this spring!!!*
Denmark (a few times in 2016)
Sweden (2016 – five months)
Czech Republic (2016)
Norway (2016)
Estonia (2016)
Russia (2016)
Finland (2016)
Ireland (2016)
Scotland (2016)
Hungary (2016)
Spain (2016)
Thailand (2017 – one month)
Macau (2017)
I hope this inspires you to live your OWN life!
“Do your thing and don’t care if they like it,” – Tina Fey
Most Recent Trip Abroad: Macau, China (Spring 2017)
My 2018 travel plans are at my fingertips! *insert jazz hands here* Here’s my most recent country visited: Macau. This fuels me to keep traveling, no matter what financial or personal restraints are in my way!
My Week in Macau, China
Back in May before I returned home from Thailand, I visited a friend who lives in Macau. Gloria and I met in 2016 while studying in Sweden – although we talked about visiting one another, I never thought I would be in such a unique place!
Macau is like a mixture of China (or at least what I would assume China is like…) and Europe. This is due to Portuguese colonization and influence on this island near Hong Kong.
What a great week I had! It’s evident from the photos below:
July in the Big Apple
Hello again, and Happy Halloween!
I frequent my introductions with “I haven’t posted in awhile…” or something along those lines.
I need to stop doing this.
Anyway…I have been living at home in a small town for a little over a year now, and it makes me crave the city. Thankfully, I was able to visit my cousin, Katy who lives just outside of NYC. Our times together are always well-spent!
We first visited a food festival in Brooklyn, where I tended to look nine months pregnant in every photo (it was the wind – I swear)!! I ended up getting freshly-squeezed peach lemonade and truffle fries with aioli for ‘brunch.’
Next, we visited the High Line in west Manhattan. The last time I visited NYC, the High Line was still under construction; it was definitely worth the wait and the strong winds! We once again took several photos, and I had more to eat (I think dark chocolate gelato this time?).
We decided that the wind was a tad overwhelming and headed to Queens. Katy mentioned something about the “Museum of the Moving Image.” I was sold!
Katy and I then agreed that margaritas were suddenly necessities and ventured over to the Chipotle test kitchen. They even had queso, so this was basically my heaven-on-earth…
The infamous Fearless Girl was on our way to the Staten Island Ferry, which led to us posing with her immediately!
Although the ferry might have been windier than the High Line, it was SO worth it! We attempted to take several Titantic-posed photos, but nothing turned out as we hoped.
Unfortunately, we never met any of the Impractical Jokers either. Bummer…
On my last day, Katy, my aunt Jenn, and I visited Brooklyn again; there was a market going on and we decided to check it out. It was a beautiful day, thus making it even MORE difficult to say goodbye to the city and my family.
NYC? 10/10 would recommend. I have visited the Big Apple three times now, and each time has been incredible (my rating would have been a 17/10 if I could’ve met Murr, Joe, Sal, or Q)!!
An Old City with a New Friend
As I grow older, my friend circle dwindles down and becomes more tight-knit. This may sound like a bad thing, and at first I thought it was, but I get it now.
I am blessed to have great, close friends in my life who I would do anything for and vice versa.
One of those friends is someone who I met in Sweden. Bethany and I visited each other in Chicago two months ago – I will always cherish our weekend together, full of exchanging study abroad memories, sore feet from walking everywhere, and acknowledging newfound inside jokes!
It was also special because I have been to Chicago several times (many of my favorite childhood memories are from Chi-town) and Bethany had never been there prior to this summer. I was able to show her my favorite places, as well as experience new bars and clubs together!
Bethany, I’m not sure if you’ll see this anytime soon, but thanks for being a gem of a friend! I’m beyond thankful to have met you in Sweden!
Cheers to more adventures together!
Askøy & Bergen, Norway (Part II)
At the beginning of 2018, I hope to go on a trip to Europe with my brother. He will graduate college in December of this year and has never gone to Europe, so I figure this would be the perfect gift for him (expensive, yes, but perfect…) 🙂
And if that doesn’t work out, then my mom is willing to take his place!
Until my next adventure in Europe, I can look back on the past and cherish the memories I have already made as I excitedly plan on making some new ones in the near future 🙂
I hope you all have a great Monday and a great week ahead of you! 🙂
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, Chiang Mai
This weekend, I participated in something extremely spiritual and heartwarming. I visited an elephant sanctuary with my friends from the Mirror Foundation. Mind you, we didn’t ride the elephants, nor do we condone that behavior; however, we fed and bathed them!
Riding elephants, no matter how “well cared for” they are, is awful. It’s an exploitation of Thai culture, as well as a form of animal cruelty that I won’t even get into. The bottom line is this: always educate yourself on animal treatment, as well as cultural acceptances, when researching zoos and animal sanctuaries!!!
The experience was incredible. A songtaew picked us up from our hotel in Chiang Mai, where we met three Swedish girls. I recognized the Swedish instantly, and it turns out they lived in Kalmar, where I lived for five months! Small world!
When we arrived, we immediately changed into matching shirts to wear over our clothes. We had an educational lesson about elephant sanctuaries, which ones are proper, and how to feed/behave around the elephants.
Feeding them was beyond what I thought it could be. They didn’t even need the bananas to be peeled for them; the only one who did was the seven month-old male named Ronaldo! How cute!!! We held the bananas behind our backs and fed them one by one. I absolutely loved the experience, even if my hands became muddy from their thick tongues!
Throwing mud at the elephants seemed like an odd task, but we all had so much fun getting messy and the elephants were enjoying themselves! Bathing them off with buckets of water was probably my favorite part, because we could really get up close and personal with the elephants.
My words and photos don’t do the experience justice. Visit the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary if you’re ever in Chiang Mai!
Traveling with the Traceys 