 10 years of blogging ~ What a strange trip its been! I'm not sure how it's even possible, but this blog is 10 years old today. WTF?? How is that even possible?? It seems like only last year I took the plunge and leaped out there and bought this domain. Looking back, I've blogged about my adventures traveling in the USA, Europe, Iceland, Canada, Mexico and South America. I've written about trips planned, delayed and failed, as well as amazing adventures that were life changing. I've shared my cruises to the Caribbean, Europe and the Transatlantic journeys. I documented my switch from Vegetarian to Vegan, shared recipes, created book reviews and wrote about my day to day life. I've moved from Texas to the south of France, London, the Lake District and back to the USA and you have been with me.  I have learned and grown so much on this adventure. This blog has opened so many doors for me. I have written several best selling books that wouldn't have happened if I wasn't pushing myself to write here. It's also helped me to try new things, and be open to new experiences. I've gotten serious about Youtube and started sharing way more of everyday life. My world has grown as I've meet new people from all walks of life and become much more of a global citizen.  Thank you so much for reading my posts, sharing your own stories and connecting with me. Your feedback, suggestions and insights have helped me so much. Your friendships mean the world to me and I treasure you.  Where will be go in the next 10 years? In the next part of this 10 year celebration I'm going to share some stats with you and take a trip down memory lane. (Reading the old posts used to make me cringe now I am just nostalgic!)
I can't wait to see what the next 10 years bring!
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 Hey and Happy Sunday! I've been talking about my adventures in the State Park... BUT this one takes place in a Cemetery...watch it here: Follow the Youtube channel for weekly adventures!
 Hello there, How are you? I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm up late/early working on new videos and book reviews. I have so many ideas and possible directions for those hours and hours of footage I shot in September. What would you like to see? More nature and less talking or more of vlog type posts? Or something totally different? Let me know below.  I hate staring at a blank page! Tonight I plan on putting all these new ideas on paper. Do you have periods where you are super creative and other times when you can't think of a single thing to do? I've noticed I'm usually awake (and creating) more around the full moon. It feels like a big blast of creative energy flowing in and I want to take full advantage of this inspiration. So I stay up way too late and write, paint, edit and make lists. I also tend to try new recipes and cook more. I'm not motivated to do admin work or anything overly analytical during these few days each month. Sadly even journaling falls by the wayside unless its project related.  Usually I have more of an issue around finding enough hours in the day to create, vs me looking for inspiration, but lately with us being away from home I haven't felt all that inspired. So I'm going to make another pot of tea and keep at it. It feels so good to be back in the flow!
Have a great weekend and be sure and subscribe to the YouTube channel for all the new adventures~  Hello my friends! I hope you are well and enjoying the change of season, no matter where you are in the world. The last week of September I tried to squeeze as much fun as possible out of my busy schedule. We have so many projects going on, but all I really wanted to do was spend time outside and soak up the sunshine. The weather is finally beginning to break and the oppressive heat is letting up (some), so I took a day trip to a nearby park and played in the light. I really needed this break and immensely enjoyed myself! Often just a few hours away can really reset your energy and outlook on life. Check out this short video of the trip below... Do you have a special place you go for an energy reset? If so let me know below.
Have a great week~  Hello from Texas! How are things going? August is speeding by, or so it seems. I hope you are finding time to relax and enjoy yourself. The heat is still awful here, but we are making the best of it. I try to only go out early in the morning (hello sunrise!) or after 8:00 pm. But this isn't as bad as it sounds, this gives me free time in the day to read, nap and write. (Best vacation EVER!) As of today (August 10, 2022) I have posted four times on this blog in August!  Now they haven't been Pulitzer Prize winning essays but I do deserve a B for effort, lol. I'm working on more book reviews, recipes and more videos as well. BUT I am guilty of only remembering to take photos AFTER we eat or return home. But I promise to do better, next trip. Speaking of videos, I have uploaded six new videos this month. Most are shorts, except for Part One of a Summer Roadtrip. Check it out if you are bored.  A summer storm blowing in and I'm taking full advantage of it- Lighting candles, making a snack and grabbing a book. The kettle is on and all is right in the world. Where ever you are in the world, make sure you take time today to do something that feeds your soul and gives you pleasure. This is your life, live it your way.  I have a hard drive full of adventures to write up, so don't be a stranger!  (More like coughing and headachy Monday, but it doesn't have the same flair, lol) Hello Travel Fam,
This Monday is a bit slower than others — not feeling the best today. (Anyone else?) But that’s okay! Some days you need to take a little time for yourself to recoup & recover so you can take charge the rest of the week! So that's my plan, a bit of R & R and then come back hopefully feeling ready to go. So if your Monday has been like mine, give yourself a break. Pour another cup of tea and do what you can, but don't try to do everything. Have a great rest of your day friends 💕 Speak soon~  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~ |
Author Welcome to my (I'm excited to travel again) 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. Visit the "About Me Page" to learn more. 
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