 Hi Travel Family! The holidays are over and it's a few months before the next travel adventure begins, so what are you to do? It's too cold (for most of us) to do much outside....So why not invite your BFF over and have a movie marathon? I was inspired by a list of 'Chick Flick' movies I found online, thinking I probably hadn't seen many off the list. Turns out that while I don't watch much TV I do watch more movies than I realize! How many of these have you seen? Here are 39 movies to watch or re-watch with your BFF this winter: 13 Going on 30 17 again Breakfast at Tiffany’s Bridesmaids Bring it on Clueless Crazy, Stupid Love Dirty Dancing Drive Me Crazy Freaky Friday Friends with Benefits Gone with the Wind How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Legally Blonde Letters to Juliet Little Women Love Actually Made of Honor Maid in Manhattan Mamma Mia Mean Girls Miss Congeniality My Best Friends Wedding No Strings Attached Pitch Perfect Pretty in Pink Romeo and Juliet Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion Runaway Bride She’s All That Sixteen Candles Sleepless in Seattle Sweet Home Alabama The Parent Trap The Princess Bride The Wedding Planner The Wedding Singer Titanic While You Were Sleeping You’ve Got Mail  Enjoy!  We can't always run away to the ocean, sadly. Happy Monday! So how are things? I am finishing up a nice weekend off. #WIN I don’t know about you, but lately, I’ve been coming home from work EXHAUSTED! I promised myself I would stop complaining about how tired I was from work on here, but I was asked recently how I relaxed after a stressful day. Honestly, in the past I just sucked it up and keep going. I used to tell myself that this was my life and that I had to keep going, people were depending on me. End of story. But over the past few years, I’ve realized that if I want to continue to kick-ass at work, I need to make my health and well-being a priority. I have to set firm boundaries and build in downtime for myself. I stared by creating a routine to help me relax when I get home. This gives me time to unwind and de-stress and makes the rest of the evening so much better. Talking to other women it's the same. Let's face it, it hard to relax after work when you have so much to do at home or if you run a side business, and especially if you have a family. OMG! The work never ends!  OMG! The laundry never ends! I’d get home and think about the 10,000 different projects I wanted to get started on, plus all the normal day-to-day stuff like gardening and laundry that needed to be tended too and then stay busy until I fell into bed, sometime around 11:45. Relaxing wasn’t something I was totally comfortable with. So if that sounds familiar and you need some help in the relaxing department, I have put together a few easy ways to relax after a long day at work. Change Out of Your Work Clothes Begin the minute you walk through the door. There’s nothing better than getting home from work and changing into a comfy t-shirt and losing the bra! Changing out of my work clothes tells my brain that its time to relax, and that I can enjoy a few hours to myself, without the stress of work weighing on my shoulders. Turn off Your Phone I’m on my phone all day long, and if I’m not on my phone, I’m on my computer. I’m answering e-mails, returning voicemails, processing paperwork, so when I get home, my brain needs a break. I’m legit sick of my phone by the time I get home, so I’ve been making an effort to unplug for a couple of hours. I’ll leave my phone in my bedroom for an hour or two and I’ll go out to the family room to do anything other than check my social media. This has helped my sanity tremendously. #BIGWIN Meditate/Do Yoga After a long day at work, it’s so great to spend a few minutes meditating. I'm actually a meditating expert, (I teach meditation), and because of that I know that anyone can learn this simple form of relaxation. Begin by just sitting on the floor for five minutes, and do nothing other than focusing on your breathing. This is also a great time to give thanks for the day and just be still. But if you’re not a fan of meditating or you’re just not ready for it, do some yoga or at the very least, stretch. Chances are, you’ve been sitting on your butt all day long, and your body needs some stretching. Trust me, you’ll feel SO MUCH BETTER! Another great way to unwind is reading. Grab A Book It's no secret I am a total bookworm! I love to sit in the garden or my reading nook and just relax with a good book. Even if you can only read for half an hour it will help you relax.  Take A Bubble Bath I swear, I think my bath tub is my favorite part of my new house. If it wasn’t for the fact that you get all wrinkly after sitting in the tub for a while, I think I’d stay in there for hours at a time. After a super stressful day at work, there’s nothing like slipping into a hot bubble bath. I use two different kinds of soaking baths- eucalyptus/sea salt and lavender- both are amazing for helping me achieve a few minutes of pure relaxation.  And speaking of scents... Use Essential Oils Right before bed I turn on my diffuser. I keep it filled with essential oil and not only does it relax me, but it helps me fall asleep quickly. I have one in my bedroom, one in the guest room and a large one in the formal living room. Plus I'm thinking of adding one to my office. I love oils THAT MUCH. Light Candles After a long day at work, I love lighting candles. It really sets the tone for the evening and it helps me remember to take it easy. It signals my brain that the rest of the night is for unwinding and a gentler pace.  Herbal Tea
Unwind with a mug of soothing herbal tea. The feel of your favorite mug in your hand and the wonderful aroma of a soothing herbal blend work together to help you relax. There are so many different blends to try, just make sure you get an organic tea that is pesticide free. How do you unwind and relax from a stressful day? I'd love to hear your tips - leave me a comment below and let's discuss. Now I'm off for a long soak with a good book and a warm cuppa! Catch you later-  One of the greatest challenges for a global wanders is finding community. There are times when I personally crave being alone and everything solitude offers and other times when I want a connection. I find connecting with other people can be difficult because not everyone understands my life. Finding kindred spirits takes more effort and usually isn’t the person living next door. The more I travel, the more I learn, the more I find my personal culture changes. Which is great, because part of the reason I wander is to keep growing and learning, but it also makes it difficult to relate to other people. Do you find this to be true as well? All I can say is thank goodness for the large, online community of other wanders! Now you can find your tribe and stay connected even as you wander further a field.  Meanwhile closer to home- Last week I missed a memorial service for a good friend. I was across the country and probably could have made a better plan to attend, but I didn’t. I so dislike these services. To me they are not a celebration of persons life, but a heart wrenching reminder of all that was left unsaid and undone. While I understand this is a type of closure some people need, my mourning is a private affair. I will be attending a personal service with her other friends next year. (We are scattered all over the globe and need time to organize everyones schedule.) No matter how long it has been since we have come together, we will be united by her memory. Just the act of sharing a meal with former colleagues and co-workers from our mutual past reinforces our personal connection. Stories will be told, memories shared. Hopefully there will be more laughter than tears, but I know both are therapeutic.  But I dislike the fact it takes a funeral to bring us together. How do you build a community while you wander? Do you have these same issues or is it just me? Leave me a comment and let’s discuss it further.
See you at the airport~  So simple, so elegant and so TRUE. If traveling is important to you, then stop buying goofy shit you really don't need and start saving money.  Start planning your next trip today! Believe it or not, if you get serious about a goal and start a budget you can save enough to travel. It may take awhile, but so what? The results will be so worth it!
See you at the airport~  Hello fellow rebels ~ Are you as tired of work as I am? AGGH! I'm ready for a loooong vacation. I know when I get stressed at work I cannot create or do much of anything. It seems I'm spending more time doing paperwork or sitting in meetings lately than actually working...sigh. So what to do? I find doodling really eases my mind and lets the tension flow out. While I'm making phone calls or when I need to just take a break from EVERYTHING - I draw. I do color some of my random drawings, but I think just the act of free drawing really helps the mind settle down and relax.  Don't judge me by my doodles...  Everything we draw doesn't have to be a masterpiece. Some times just the act of doodling will really clear your mind and release tension.  Also the colors you choose can tell a great deal about your mood.  The main idea is to have fun! Remember when you were a child and you drew and colored? We did those things for no reason other than to have fun. No pressure or stress - just fun.  And yes I have one blue eye and one green eye. Some days it is more noticeable than others. But enough about my eyes...I actually did accomplish a lot today & I think taking a break to color and doodle really helped. I've been using this trick for about three years now and it really surprises me how easy it is. What do you do to beat stress and relax? Share your ideas below..
Catch you later~  This has been a interesting Challenge. I've tried to stay on top of it and also be more open about my life. I'm traveling today - so lets do a catch up - If you missed any posts you can find them here: Day 1 September Goals Day 2 Day 2 Blog Challenge Day 3 Favorite Fashion Trend - Bold Jewelry Day 4 Thankful Thoughts Day 5 Blogging Challenge Update Day 6 6 Things I’m Looking Forward To In Fall Day 7 7 Things I Need to Improve  Day 8 8 Things I Am Currently Loving Day 9 Todays Outfit Day 10 Make a Wish Day 11 Day In The Life of Ms One World Day 12 Fav Travel Quotes Day 13 Top Guilty Pleasures Day 14 Ideas? Day 15 Current Fav Television Shows  Opps! I see some of my post haven't loaded! Let me fix that and add the links! Day 17 10 Things That Make Me Happy Day 19 -Happiness is... Day 20 - Traveller By Choice Will update the missing links asap.  When I tell people I'm about to go on another adventure, they always seem shocked and then wistful...So I ask them what's the one thing that holds them back from traveling? They always say the same thing....Money. And the thing is they have no idea how much a trip actually costs. They just believe that can't afford it so don't go any further. It becomes an unattainable dream. Something to imagine when they are caught in rush hour traffic or working a double shift. Some impossible fantasy that only happens to a select few. ~Sigh~ But you know what? It's not really about Money -- It's about CHOICES. What do you choose to spend your money on? Travel or a new, over priced car? A new luxury purse or a cruise? Sticking to a budget and watching your spending can allow almost anyone to save enough for a trip.  I have found if it's really important to you, you will find a way to make it happen. For me, hands down I would rather have the experience of travel than a new, shiny "thing". But that's what I choose. Which would you pick?
See you at the airport~  Blog Challenge Continues... Today's topic is "Thankful" I really have so much to be thankful for this wasn't difficult at all. Here are a few random thankful thoughts:
What about you? Can you come up with a quick list of things to be thankful for? I bet you can! I think we often forget how lucky we are and take things for granted.  Like the beauty of nature. But honestly, if you are online reading this, then you too probably have a lot to be thankful for.
Read my progress with this daily challenge here: September Goals and here Fashion Trends and do leave me a comment and tell me what you are grateful for. See you tomorrow for Top 5 Highlights of Summer!  Quick, catch up post-  How's your weekend going? I've been waiting for this one. No appointments scheduled and no work, just time to chill. #BIGWIN One of my goals for 2018 was to get back into a regular exercise routine and also carve more downtime out for myself. Running two full-time businesses keeps me very busy, but I have hired more folks to help me and I can finally start to relax again. The weekends are MINE! lol Don't get me wrong I did take off some in 2017, and I even managed to exercise and loose some weight. But everything was based on when I could find time, and that was not as often as it should have been. So Saturday I was up early for yoga, meditation and to enjoy the fiery sunrise. One thing about living in the southwest is the sky, it's rare to see the sunrise or sunset without being moved. It's usually very dramatic and will inspire you, (as it has done for countless artists), to be more creative. If you really take the time to be present, it will also foster an appreciation for nature and our place in it, too.  The sky looked like it was on fire Saturday morning. One of my friends in Paris sent me a picture this morning of his sunrise in comparison, I'm not gonna post it (because it's not mine) and because it was a dull, gray, overcast day complete with drizzle. Don't get me wrong I love Paris, and I also love rainy weather, *which I miss here. So it's a trade off. But I feel truly blessed to enjoy the best of both world. (Read between the lines: I will be returning to Europe soon.)  It was cold this a.m. but I braved it to snap these pictures.  So other than sunrise yoga, my weekend goals are to climb into my new books and practice the art of siestas, lol.  I'm reading the Bloody Baron now. This is the second and third book in the Anno series. I wrote a review here and told you how much I liked this authors writing style, yeah? Well, when I find an author I really like I proceed to buy everything in their catalogue, so far I'm three in and he hasn't disappointed.
I'll do a proper book review next week, but so far I'm enjoying the book and looking forward to reading more in the series. Now I'm off for a coffee with a friend in ABQ. I hope you are enjoying your weekend and find time to watch the sunrise/sunset. Speak soon-  127 Blog Posts! This is my 8th blog post of 2018. Last year I blogged 127 times, that makes 10.58 blog posts per month, almost 2 blog posts per week. HEY THAT’S NOT BAD. Considering that it is a luxury to actually have time to sleep. I even made the effort to update the look of the website and added video headers, plus some new pages. I have also opted to add a few affiliate links. I’m actually not sure if I want to continue them, we shall see. I also tried to refrain from bitching about work and being constantly exhausted all the time. My 2018 new year resolution is blog at least 3 posts per week. I have never really cared if anybody reads this silly little blog, it has been more about documenting some of the places I’ve been and the insights I’ve had. So I am always surprised that people do follow. I want to say a BIG THANK YOU! 🙂 for your continued support. Okay back to reviewing 2017...  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...  No, actually it was a good year. I spent most of it in New Mexico.  Which is a state in the USA, not the country of Mexico. Confusing, right?  We are still in the same house. Which we love very much.. This is somewhat surprising. We are still here, on the outskirts of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. I post mostly landscapes and of course food picture from here or random selfies, lol. Honestly I am so in love with the mountains and the blue sky here and of course the house. We have a nice garden and mostly this feels like heaven. So I try to keep the house tidy and minimal even though it's big 2 story with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and a huge bonus room I use for an office, but I don't actually talk much about the house. The kitchen is nice, much better than what we had in the UK, but not as well thought out as the kitchen in France. But it works for us, as you may have noticed I am sharing more food picts and recipes. More Vegan Food I have posted more and more vegan recipes and cooking stuff in general this past year. Mostly because I have been home more and have the ability to cook more. I still want to remind you I am NOT a food blogger.  #MsOneCooks  (Avocado pudding.)  (Mango & Chili Nice Cream) 2017 hair I think I have taken more selfies in 2017 than all the past years combined. Remember when you wondered what I looked like? Yeah, those days are long gone. But back to my hair, it is still blonde - And yes, I’m bored with it. I considered cutting it off this year, but I think I will wait another year. It grows pretty fast though and if I do not flat iron it you can see it is really thick. Using the flat iron may make the style look better - but I hate how thin and flat it looks. :(  See? It's everywhere.  Vs Flat Ironed and styled. Travel in 2017 Travel this past year was sparse. Well, compared to other years when I'm running back and forth to NOLA, Florida or France. But I did mange a few adventures...  Another day, another hotel room... Janurary here in central New Mexico started out snowing... I am still impressed with snow. It was fun for a few days and then it was over. #Goodtimes  Snow around my yard. Jan - left the odd snow storm and headed to New York City. It was dark, cold and snowing there too. But New York is always amazing no matter what the weather is like. This trip was part busines/part fun.  In February we left the dark and flew to Iceland. This was a destination that's been on my son's bucket list for years, but I was not that excited. But guess what? I LOVED IT!  It is so friggen' awesome! And totally not what I expected. It did snow while we were there, but we still managed a night trip to see the Northern Lights. We stayed 7 days and it was not long enough. I'm sure we will return soon.  There was much more Vegan food than I expected and while the shopping is costly you can still find inexpensive gifts too. March was a short Vegas get away and April was me at home planting a garden and experimenting in the kitchen. May I had company and showed them around the area here. You can read about it here. I also started a mini food diary to share what I eat (people still ask) and what I typically purchase at the market.  This is the Isleta Resort and Casino - which my guest always want to visit.  Where I seem to spend 99% of my time..  August I began "What Are You Reading?" A quick review of my recent reads and such. Work was still very busy, but I made my mind up I was going to make time to read and relax more.  I'm an eclectic reader, so people seem interested in what I've read and my reviews. It has been nice comparing notes with fellow readers.  I'm still doing book reviews here and there. September another review and of course the hurricane hitting my home in Texas. I actually didn't talk much about it. Maybe this year I will be able to share more, it's just completely overwhelming. STILL. October was Halloween and I was supposed to go to NOLA for a right old party, but I came down with a bug and spent it in bed. #FML (But look out this year!) November I blogged about American Myths and more book reviews. We debated on going somewhere exotic for Christmas, but decided against it. After spending the holidays in Europe and other amazing places it was nice to just stay in and chill for a change. We did explore around the area, here some. Check out this short video if you want to see an ancient Native American site we hiked. I also posted more about my not so secret love of flowers and house plants this past year.  The bright side of being home more is I am able to garden. So I posted more about gardens and houseplants than ever before. It's not quite an obsession, but almost.  Rescued succulents from the "dead" tray at Home Depot. So all in all it was a great year. We didn't travel as much as usual, but that's okay too. I'm so thankful we are able to live in a nice place, with lots of natural beauty and good people.
I'm also thankful for you, taking the time to read my silly little blog. I appreciate it and the encouraging emails I get from ya'll. Thank you for your friendship and support! Do you have big plans for this year? I can't wait to see what adventures 2018 will bring! See you at the airport- |
Author Welcome to my travel blog, my healthy Vegan lifestyle blog and my life! It's a lot, but it's my passions and I just love to write about it. Here I share tips, stories and photos from my adventures and life. This is the place where people can find daily inspiration to travel and motivation to live healthier lives and laugh a bit too! 
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