 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~  Everyone should experience Mardi Gras at least once in NOLA. #TrueFact (And if you like it then over and over.) I didn't go this year nor the year before. My friends from New Orleans usually come to visit me. Because to be honest most of the locals leave the French Quarter during Mardi Gras and let the tourist run wild. And wild it becomes...  But it all depends on what Krewe you follow and what type of experience you are after. There are parades, parties, formal masked balls, etc. Not just drunks puking in the streets. I prefer now to only celebrate Halloween in NOLA or go for Jazz Fest. I'm thinking about a trip in early December, which is a lovely time to go as well. I went in 2013 and was ill, so it wasn't that much fun. #FML :( But if you can't go to NOLA, bring it to you! I don't decorate for Valentines Day - instead we pull out the creepy dolls and crazy stuff I have bought over the years in NOLA.  Some of the dolls and feather boas, candles, and of course beads I've collected over the years.  I also have posters, Krewe tokens and lots of other stuff, lol.  What do you think? Festive or creepy?  They will only stay out for a week or so, lol- cause they don't really go with my decor either. Decorating aside, I really want to spend one Carnival in Venice. Can you imagine?  Oh how cool would that be?  #OMG!  Happy Fat Tuesday, where ever in the world you are!
I am Valentine shopping today and I thought I’d share some of my finds with you. If you are like me, you want to get a nice, thoughtful gift for your best-y, but also don’t have time to search the entire (internet) mall for a cool gift.
I have a couple of girls that I buy for and then of course everyone in my office gets a little something. Here are a couple of thoughtful gifts I found so far:  
For my "I Want To be Healthier" friend you can't go wrong with a Ninja Professional Blender. There are a lot of different blenders out there, but if you are going to actually use it, then get a professional quality. This baby has 3 speeds, pulse, and single-serve functions. Perfect for making all those amazing vegan delights! This top shelf blender will pulverizes ice to snow in seconds making creamy frozen drinks and smoothies in mere minutes. #Win
If you really don't want to spend that much, but still want an amazing gift.. One of my close friends is just discovering the fascinating world of aroma therapy and I know she will love a diffuser.  
I like the unique and compact design of this aroma diffuser. It puts out a good mist of oil and can run up to 10 hours! Mine only runs 3 (puts an extra one of these in the cart for me!) Plus it is super quiet and has adjustable LED lights. I think Vanessa will love this one! #AnotherWin
 
I also need a housewarming gift for a co-worker and found this lovely stain-glass panel. This lovely 10 Inch Stained Glass Tiffany - "Tree of Life" Art Glass piece will be a great addition to their home and it is nicely priced at under $70.
Everyone else on the list is getting this:  
This is a set of 6 (vegan) handmade bath fizzers. The mixed flavors are, RELAXATION (Lavender), DETOX (Vanilla), ENERGIZE (Grapefruit), DESTRESS, SINUS (Peppermint), CONGESTION RELIEF (Eucalyptus). So I figure everyone else in the office will LOVE these.
Next shopping post will be for Valentine gifts for the guys! Please note that these are affiliate links and I do make a few pennies if you purchase from them. It does not change your cost and helps keep me in tofu and paint supplies. Also I would never recommend anything I didn't personally love. Catch you later-  Hi and Happy 2018! Currently in America the weather has gone ape shit bananas...*Yes, that's the technical term. Have you seen all the crazy snow/blizzard/crazy storm picture coming out of the East Coast? I have friends flying in and they have been stuck in NYC for a day already and are unclear if their flight will take off tomorrow or not. They are chill, no pun intended, so they seem to be making it okay. I was digging around on my camera looking for old pictures of us together and found some photos of January 2015. Oddly I didn't post these here. I only did one post for Jan 2015 and it was random crap found on my phone. Life changing it was not...but I am glad for those memories. (Because apparently I am getting Alzheimer, based on the one post "found on my phone"? WTF I was in England in Jan 2015. You would think I would have found something to blog about?) Anyway here are the picture I found on my camera.... (Damn, did I just do it again?)  This was taken on a snowy night visit to the Long Meg standing stone circle. It was freezing! It's located at Little Salkeld, Penrith CA10 1NW, UK "Long Meg and Her Daughters is a Bronze Age stone circle near Penrith in Cumbria, North West England. One of around 1,300 stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany, it was constructed as a part of a megalithic tradition that lasted from 3,300 to 900 BCE, during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age.[1] The stone circle is the sixth-biggest example known from this part of north-western Europe,[2] being slightly smaller than the rings at Stanton Drew in Somerset, the Ring of Brodgar in Orkney and Newgrange in County Meath.[2] It primarily consists of 59 stones (of which 27 remain upright) set in an oval shape measuring 340ft (100 m) on its long axis. There may originally have been as many as 70 stones. Long Meg herself is a 12ft (3.6 m) high monolith of red sandstone 80ft (25 m) to the southwest of the circle made by her Daughters. Long Meg is marked with examples of megalithic art including a cup and ring mark, a spiral and rings of concentric circles.[3][4][5] Infra-red aerial photography has identified several undated enclosures that seem to pre-date the Long Meg circle in the area. There is also the smaller stone circle of Little Meg (Maughanby) close by.[6]" From Wiki  You know I love visting standing stones and old megaliths. I am also sure I have pictures of this in the daylight.  That was serious snow! Hope you are warm and cozy where ever you are.  Catch you later-  On 12/22/12 I started this silly little blog. My thought was it would be a good place to store my travel memories and also let my friends view my adventures while traveling. I never thought it would last this long or that I would have so many readers around the world. *feeling all shy and shit now. I'm pleased to report my pictures have gotten better. (Thank God!) And I feel when I do actually write the posts are better. (Maybe not a lot, but it is a work in progress.)  I have shared my wanderlusting adventures from:
The Azores Iceland Italy Scotland England France Spain USA And Mexico, the Caribbean, Switzerland and a few other cool places. Also there have been many reviews, because I do buy a lot of stuff and blurry food pictures, because I also eat a lot, lol. Also some random rants about great deals and stuff that angered me over the years. (Surprisingly you are still reading this!) Thank you for continuing to read these random posts and sending me nice messages. I am grateful for your friendship and encouragement through all this. Here's to another fun and travel filled year ahead! See you at the airport!  Happy Tuesday! Hope your having a great week. I'm not sure what I've been doing lately, but I can tell you I have been doing a lot of it...cause nothing is really getting done at home or at work, lol. Once I decided not to go anywhere for the holidays I just quit giving a fuck and things really chilled out here. #WIN I don't know about you, but I have a love/hate relationship with the holidays. I love the fun, people, activities and hate the stress. Earlier today I was reading some of the older blog posts to write some sorta riveting anniversary entry, (December 22, makes 5 years!) And I really saw how much I overworked myself on the holidays. I never enjoyed them, I spent too much money, gave up all my free time, and stressed over every little detail. Why the HELL did I do this? (Do you do this too? Do we need a 12 step program? WTF?!)  One year I handmade ornaments for everyone...AND I MEAN EVERYONE! I made over 250 artistic pieces that people probably threw in a box in the back of the closet. Looking back I think I felt I was baking, cleaning, crafting, and giving so much to make it better for other people, you know? Making it a special occasion that they would remember. Which I think it did, because they started expecting me to do it every single year afterwards...#FAIL So the thought of staying up late reading and then sleeping in the next day, and having pancakes in bed, (before a Netflix marathon) sounds like the perfect Holiday celebration. Perhaps this will be the start of a new holiday tradition?!  #Shelfie (See it's a thing, I bet you thought I mispelled Selfie. *wink* Not this time!) Speaking of reading, new book reviews on Goodreads up soon, as time permits of course, those pancakes aren't going to eat themselves. I have this fantasy that I will be off work for a week and get EVERYTHING done on my list, including those 200 unfinished blog posts that are gathering dust on my lappy. But really we know I'm gonna read, watch Kodi and rest. I have a out of country trip coming up soon and OMG I'm so not ready! This is one of those trips that will require planes, trains, boats, buses, Uber, UKLetting, etc. It's so, so, so much to plan, but I am so excited!  But for today I'm not gonna worry about it all. I have other book nerd, type problems...You know that ones only one small bookcase in that photo. I have books in every room of this house. #Obsession
Me: Okay I'm gonna only buy books once a month and it's gonna be a purchase under $50! Me: *buys books at least once a week at a minimum of $40* Me: ...well shit...as I wait for today's Amazon book delivery Catch you later! Happy Monday!
Hope you had a great weekend. I had a very chill weekend for a change, I took off early and fake baked vegan candy and cookies, we finished the Punisher and went to look at the holiday lights in the neighborhood. #WIN I made a quick video of the lights...see above. It was too cold to get out so we enjoyed doing a slow drive by with a nice cuppa. Some of the lights were so over the top! I really like the projectors people are using to make a complete light show on their homes. I would just sit outside all the time watching it....I love things like that so much. #Nerd Have a great week and speak soon!  It's hard to believe it's almost Christmas! I've got most of my shopping done and wrapped. (So I will not be tempted to give it away early, lol) and just need a few little things for stocking stuffers. My list isn't that long so it will be a breeze, fingers crossed.  We went to the Dollar Store today and looked around for those stocking stuffers.  Hmmmm...I didn't find any. I also spoke to my family in Texas today and told them I was not coming for the holidays. So Monday I will start mailing gifts to them. Well, I will mail some, Amazon will take care of the rest, thankfully. My brother called to discuss Christmas and tell me about the freak snowstorm they had this week. It usually snows in south/central Texas once every 10-15 years and turns into ice, a big mess and lots of traffic accidents! And people freak out. (See the news story here) But, fortunately this time it was just pleasant snow for about 24 hours and then was warm again. It does make it seem more like Christmas.  (Texas snow.)  We also went to the market to stock up on fruit and veggies today. I hate seeing advertsing on fruit...#PetPeeve It has been snowing here in New Mexico off and on all around us. But mostly it has just been cold, but it is winter after all. We have a short day trip to Santa Fe planed for next month, so we should have really nice snow pictures then!  So much stuff, so little actual food. SMH  Behold real food...are at least a real cookie! The bananas went into these vegan flourless cookies. I think I have finally found the holy grail of oatmeal cookies. These cookies were amazing! Let me bake one more batch and then I will post pictures and the full recipe.  I also picked these up for my son to try. He devoured them! Random-I know, but if you have a picky guest, pick up a bag. I am glad to say I will not be having any guest or be running around the country like a crazy person this year. A staycation seemed like the thing to do originally because I had so much work to do, but I actually am caught up now, thanks to an amazing new admin and extra help! #WIN! So we could go to Texas..but the more I thought about it, the more I knew sticking with the original plan was the right thing to do. I'm so excited about taking time off from work and just staying home and not having any commitments. It may sound lame, but after the busy ass year I've had it sounds like heaven to me. Okay, I'm off for my morning walk and then to work. See you at the airport!
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AuthorWelcome 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. I'm just an average woman in the world. Follow my journeys as I travel, shop, and meditate my way through life... 
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