 Greetings from Texas!  Windblown, but okay...  Driving into Texas before the storm... Go to Texas they said.. It will be fun, they said.. Then there was a Hurricane!  So this week we planned a few days on the Texas Gulf Coast....I've been craving the waves and since we are still banned from leaving the US (Damn Covid!) It looked like Texas was the best bet. Between work, family obligations, social distancing and preparing for the upcoming holidays, this looked to be the best time to sneak away for a few sunny days....but then Beta appeared. It came up quickly and everything changed! Current Advisory on Tuesday Morning:  Current conditions where we are aren't too bad, we are outside of the flash flood zone.  From https://abc13.com/weather/beta-makes-landfall-flash-flood-warnings-until-530-am/6134994/ Last night I decided to find a new hotel, (further away from the Gulf and out of the predicted flood area) and we will wait out the storm today. Rain in Texas can be very unpredictable and I have been caught in flash floods before, so we will just play it safe and stay in.  We decided to stay about 75 miles away from the coast. So far there has been wind and rain, but all-in-all it's not too bad. We will just sit inside and wait to see what the next few days bring.
Speak soon~  I normally travel for my birthday. Barcelona, France, the Yucatan, the Med, Switzerland, you get the idea. This year I stayed home and celebrated with my family and friends. We ate, laughed and had a nice week of fun. I couldn't ask for more, especially after the year we've had.  So it was a great week of fun and relaxing, but staying home was also a necessity since we are barred from traveling. :( BUT it didn’t stop me from planning 2021’s birthday adventure. The problems was where to even begin?  I love Rome, (well most of Italy for that matter), the people, the food, the sites! It's always amazing, but I wanted to knock something else off the old travel bucket list…So in doing some digging I found August is a GREAT time to go to Greece!  Honestly, as an American I know almost nothing about Greek island culture. So after doing some research I think it will be ideal for my next birthday escape. Did you know, according to Visit Greece: "Greek sovereign land includes 6,000 islands and islets scattered in the Aegean and Ionian Seas, of which only 227 islands are inhabited?!" OMG! So many islands to see!  I know we want to explore temples and spend lazy afternoons in museums…but what else is a “must see” and where should we begin?  Reading online and then bugging my European friends I learned that in most cities, bigger villages and tourist spots, English is spoken, lodging is inexpensive and it would be safe for me to travel alone or with family members. (Well, after the pandemic is over anyway.)
Greece depends on tourism and we should all do our part, lol! Most people were surprised I never visited and actually I am too. It has been on the list for a long time, but there are soooo many placed I wish to visit, somehow I skipped over it. I will keep you in the loop with the Greece trip. I'm watching airfare currently and looking at villas to rent, sourcing the best vegan food options and trying to decide on a central island to make as "home base" for exploring. I think I forgot how much I loved travel planning... (shakes fist at damn pandemic!) What's on your travel bucket list? And when do you think it will be "safe" to travel again? Speak soon~ 
Happy Tuesday!
I hope you have some wonderful plans for today. We are in for a super hot day with temps 104'F / 40C #YIKES! I used to like warm days...they were perfect for laying by the pool or on the beach - a thrilling science fiction novel in one hand and ice cold beer in the other. #GoodTimes But sun worshipping isn't "my thing" anymore. The older I get, the more I care about my skin and more importantly the damage the sun has already done. As someone who laid out in an attempt to tan my pale nordic body I woke up one day and thought, "Maybe it's too late?!" Meaning too much damage had been done. But you know I'm not one to just roll over and accept 'fate' - So now I'm on a mission to both protect my skin from any further damage and also turn back the clock. I'm currently doing some personal research on all things skincare. There have been so many scientific advances in the field of cosmetics and skincare lately that it can be very overwhelming...Where do you even start? 
(A small sample of my current collection.) I'm also searching Amazon for other highly rated/recommended products.
These are some of the best sellers on Amazon and over the course of the next few months I will be trying vegan products out and reviewing for you.
My current (body) sunscreen is Banana Boat Dry Balance Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50. Gone are the days of greasy, oily sunscreen! This lotion drys to a nice matte finish and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. I apply this before gardening, hiking or driving. You will need to reapply every two hours, but it is really working so far. (I've been using since about the 3rd of May.) 
Looks and feels more like "normal" lotion, not heavy or greasy.
This post does continue affiliate links, and I may receive a small commission of any sales. I only promote the products I use/feel are good values for you. By clicking the link it doesn't change the price of the product, but it does helps to support the cost of the blog. (So thank you!)
Also thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read my posts. I have a few new book reviews that should be out this week and some new vegan recipes, so do stop in again. Speak soon!  It's Chinese New Year and once again I'm moved to plan a MEGA trip to Asia. I really had hoped to go before 2017, but the whole move to England, then move to New Mexico kind of got in the way. Plus there was that hurricane...  An unexpected turn of events caused me to postpone this adventure for a couple of years, but I think it's time to start planning.  I’ve always wanted/planned to sail from California, take in the Hawaiian Islands, then on to Australia, Singapore and end up in Japan. I know that's vague AF and a whole lot of land to cover. I have a friend in Maui I'm gonna spend a week with before moving on to the land down under. I'm trying to allot as much time as I can for exploring there. (2 months? 3 Months?) Then spend six weeks in Japan. And that’s where you come in. Since I have no itinerary, I thought you could help plan my trip.  I also need some logistical help: I want to avoid flying and take boats and trains as much as possible. If anyone knows the best routes, please let me know. I want to stay away from the tourist traps and really see Australia and Asia. If you visit here much you know I'm an 'off the beaten path' type traveller. I like to eat local and stay in holiday houses over big hotels. If anyone has traveled through the region this way before, I’d love to hear about your experience and pick your brain for information. You can email me msoneworld4me@gmail.com or leave a comment below and we can chat. The rough plan is to spend 5 months in late 2020 having this amazing adventure. (Why does that sound so far in the future? It's only 2 years away!) While is this a huge trip, with lots of planning I want the pace to be slow and relaxed so that I have time to really enjoy the experience.  How long should I plan to be in Singapore? Lastly, if you live in the region, I’d love to meet up, so leave information on how to contact you (if you want to host my friend and me, that would be super, too!)
I’ve been dreaming of a big Asian trip for many years. Japan has always called to me and there are so many places I want to visit. Who knows what this trip will bring?! Speak soon~  I haven’t really spoken about Harvey. As some of you know I am from Texas, (United States) and while Texas is a large state - roughly the size of France actually, it's all connected. Many nice people have asked if I was affected by this massive storm and if it hit close to my home or family. The short answer is yes. It hit close and the rains following the hurricane devastated “my part of Texas”.
What Happened: More than six million Americans endured more than 30 inches of rain as Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast. The storm set historic records for rainfall in the United States, dumping 33 trillion gallons of water as it made landfall. According to the Red Cross, rain flooded an area in Texas roughly the size of Michigan, and nearly 52 inches of rain fell in Mont Belvieu (a suburb east of Houston), making it the highest total rainfall of any storm in the country’s history. Harvey displaced 1 million people—early estimates suggest nearly 43,000 headed to shelters, while NPR reported 7,500 people evacuated to Texas State Parks. A Reuters assessment believes 30,000 homes were flooded, resulting in approximately $23 billion in property damage, though experts agree the full environmental impact is still unknown. That’s not a typo that's a BILLION with a B and although the storm is over, the recovery has just begun. I grew up spending summers on the gulf coast. My friends and family still live in the area. It was difficult to watch all of this and almost impossible to not to rush right in afterwards. I’m actually going to Texas in a few weeks to help as much as I can. I promise to blog/video the entire trip. What I’m Doing To Help: I’m going to be dropping off a donation and lending a hand where it’s needed. If you want to help too I have added a 10 page Hurricane Preparedness Guide to this site. This report includes a 5 page Emergency Supplies Checklist. The whole report and the checklist are only $2.99 with the proceeds, after paypal fees, going towards Harvey relief. No matter where you live disasters happen and it pays to be prepared - so buy the report to learn how to protect your family and know that the money is going to a good cause. See you at the airport~  Things that make me happy: 1.) Travel (Like you didn't see that one coming).  2. Vegan Food. (Was my nice cream on point today or what??)  3.) Being in Nature...wild and free!  4.) A Good cup of TEA 5.) My Mac 6.) Working from home 7.) Vegan cookies  Lucky 8.) Love 9.) Is of course being healthy. Without your health you have nothing. What makes you happy? I'd love to know. Catch you later ~  Hello from Port A!
It's Road trip time again! We did a nice, slow drive down to the Gulf Coast of Texas today. The plan is to stay here for the next week and soak up some sun (Yes, it's cloudy but nice and warm) and just relax. Catch you later- #Beach #Fun #Adventure #USA #Texas #Holiday  “Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.” |
Author Welcome to my (I used to 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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