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Hello! Can you believe it's August already? On the one hand this has been the longest year EVER! And on the other, summer just slipped by us. IDK... So much has happened this week, and I've only just now had a bit of a breather to catch up and blog. If you are not part of my community here, then welcome! I'm glad you are here! Leave me a comment and let's get to know each other - On this site I blog about life, review books and products, post a few easy, vegan recipes and share my passion for art and traveling. This is actually a travel blog, but with all that has happened this year my travel has been VERY limited. But we can still plan for future adventures and dream boldly! What's on your current travel bucket list? I'm ready to see some new places and revisit some old favorites... And while we are dreaming and planning these new adventures we can make art every day. I invite you this month to try different types of art projects. Think outside the box and expand your techniques, open yourself up to creating. This is a month to step outside the box and open our hearts to love and new experiences.
This is a month to dream boldly. Do you miss traveling? I do! When you get stuck at home, you start appreciating everything that you can’t have. I am dreaming of being able to get out and explore the outdoors again; it’s spring after all! These are difficult times for a lot of people, but try to make the best out of the situation you are in. Enjoy the peace and the quiet; breathe, slow down, and reflect. Read those books you added to your stack, and take it slow. We don't have to be productive every moment. REST Have a snack and read... and know that soon we will be back out having adventures... Speak soon~ Hello, How goes it? October is almost over (insert scream here!) And while it almost feels sacrilegious to even think about Christmas, I am planning out my seasonal shopping and travel this week. I’ve already begun a gift list, started shopping & now its time to decide if we head to the snow or the tropics for the break. In my defense, because I know you’re all reading this post in absolute horror right now, it all started with trying to plan a holiday get away. I know, I should already have the shit locked down. To make it even worse, I have friends planning their 2020 holidays, asking me to rsvp to galas and crap, (damn overachievers!) Meanwhile I'm having trouble planning/committing to dinner tonight. Work has been good lately, but its left me too busy to even leaf through the many vacation advertisements I receive. So lets get planning now, because better late than never. According to CNN (As of last November) the 15 the best places to have a Christmas break are:
11. Salzburg, Austria - Love Austria and never get to spend enough time there. 12. Santa Claus, Indiana - How is it I've never been? 13. Strasbourg, France - Okay, we all know I will pick France. 14. Queenstown, New Zealand - On my list to visit soon. 15. Valkenburg, The Netherlands - Love the Netherlands, so a holiday visit would be cool. What do you think? What is your favorite holiday destination? Are you escaping the cold for a tropical vacation? I enjoy that myself - some years we have gone sailing to the tropics and others we have searched out the Christmas markets in Europe. Still not sure what direction we will go. I'd love to hear your suggestions Then a again, we may stay closer to home this year...
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... 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. 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. :( 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... 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 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! 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. 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. 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. 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. So I posted more about gardens and houseplants than ever before. It's not quite an obsession, but almost. 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- As I look back on this year, with the 4th of July just around the corner, I confess that 2017 has been a mild, mellow ride; I’ve celebrated wonderfully unforgettable moments but have also traveled far less than I normally do. This is a travel year for so many people, but for my family, it has been a year of healing and feathering the nest. Life has a funny way of doling out surprises — one day is never like another. Some days I feel as though I’m resting atop a beautiful mountain and others I am sitting at its bottom, the only view uphill. Work has been changing for me, evolving and growing, which is great, but it is taking more and more of my time. Don't misunderstand, I’m grateful and truly blessed. My family is healthy, happy and I’m doing what I love, but travel is taking a back seat. I’ve cancelled or postponed more trips than I have completed this year. But I did manage to go to Iceland and visit a couple of favorite spots so far. To read more about Iceland click here and here or hit the tag. Since I haven't left New Mexico much this year, most of my time has been spent learning more about the area via short day trips and weekend road trips. There are many cool parks, nature areas and events close by. I almost forgot... I did manage to squeeze some time out for fun in New York. Read about some of those adventures here.
I think next year will see us traveling much more and I know 2019 we will be leaving for Asia and MAJOR adventures there. #Excited So this time in New Mexico is much needed as we plan the trip and work out the details. I cannot wait to see what the next 6 months bring! See you at the airport~ Hi, How are things? Between work and adventuring it's been a busy year so far! I have managed to write a bit of the Iceland adventure up in multiple post and answer some of the questions you have asked. Here is a list of the top blog post for February 2017 if you missed any. I'm not complaining though - I like adventure and It’s been a busy year so far, both for work and travel. The trip posts in Februarys were of course, relating to my trips to NYC and Iceland. Here are the top, most clicked post for February, encase you missed them. Iceland Answers This post was mostly answering the questions people asked me most often about Iceland. "How Cold is it?" "What the hell do you eat there?" Etc. Mostly it was silly shite like that, with 31 random pictures of stuff in Iceland. What Are you Reading? Guess what this post was about? lol This post contains 7 pictures of the illustrations from the Japanese art book I was reading and a little information about the films/TV shows being filmed in my area. #OnPoint I was surprised so many people clicked it. Or gave a flip about what I was reading, although I do get asked often "off line".... Top 25 Travel Quotes Another Guess what this post was covering? LOL These are some of my favorite and most used travel quotes. I feel they convey, way better than I ever could, the joy, mystery and love traveling is for me. Instagram Explained This was a random catch up to explain some of the craziness I have been posting on IG. Eight (8) random images and sort of an explanation. Scared of Solo Travel This was just a dumb meme/short post I wrote in January. It's popularity shows me you want more posts about solo travel, or my fears or something scary. I will endeavor to do all of the above shortly. The Week After Christmas Random post with 15 random pictures. I was wine shopping for a New Year's Eve party and bitching about the cold. #GoodTimes Thank you for taking the time to read my silly little blog. I hope you enjoyed these posts and found them helpful or at least funny! March promises to be an amazing month!
See you at the airport~ We haven't done this in forever! Let's play "What the Hell have I been posting" okay? In no particular order here are a few of my latest posts on IG and a brief explanation. This was taken in Freshark in New York. I adore their fresh food and visited daily for the smoothies and Vegan burgers! (Read about it HERE) I was in New York in January and again a few days ago, so it would seem like this is going to be a good year for traveling! I have been blogging some about the recent trip to Iceland. Check here and here or just hit the Iceland tag here. Really pretty handmade jewelry in New Mexico. I may have returned ready to shop, lol. I actually have a ton of pictures from this trip I need to sort and write about. Isn't the jewelry amazing? The weather has been so, so crazy!
1st trip to NYC and it was snowing, and it was colder there than in Iceland! 2nd trip to NYC and it's spring like weather, until the day after we leave and a blizzard hits! OMG! #WTF?? I'm so glad for my cozy socks, and to be back home - let it snow! Catch you later- Hello! As promised, I'm answering some of the questions I have been recently asked about Iceland. Everyone sees things differently, but I find that if you are positive and open to new experiences, the results will usually be positive as well. That said, I am by no means an expert, but this was what I have learned from my most recent trip. These are the questions I have been asked the most: "1. How are you standing the cold???" We are doing fine, thanks for asking. We took too many clothes, but what else is new? The key seems to be layering. Once you understand the simplicity of layers, it becomes easy to stay warm and move back and forth from walking around along the shore line, to sitting in a cafe, comfortably. Question 2: "How many hours did it take you to get there? Did you fly or cruise? " The trip started HERE if you want to see some of what I did along the way. I think it took 4+ hours to get to New York. There are 2 time changes along the way and I slept some of the way. The flight from NYC to Iceland was right at 6 hours. It is actually a shorter trip from NYC to Iceland than NYC to LAX. #WTF? Reykjavik is on London time, so yes I did have jet lag. But it was okay, because so much here happens at night. People are up and roaming around, going on northern light tours and eating. #GoodTimes Speaking of eating, Question #3: "What gross stuff do they eat that you wouldn't touch?" Answer: Are you kidding me? I'm a mostly raw Vegan. I wouldn't touch what MOST of the world eats. So thats a mute point, but what a funny question, huh? Here are my findings on food: Question #4: "Is the airport close to town? Which airport did you fly into?" Answer: No, it's not close to town, we flew into Keflavík International Airport. From there we took a FLYBUS straight to the hotel. Buy tickets on line or at the airport. It cost around $82USD for a round trip for two people. They are also Reykjavik Excursions and run most of the tours. I found the bus company to be safe, clean and the best bet from what I saw and heard from other people. We took a couple of tours with them. (See more of my Iceland posts) Mostly everyone with the company spoke English and was helpful. Headed to the hotel. And speaking of the buses - you might wanna note: I only heard of one bus that had a restroom/WC. So prepare for that. I hope that answered a few of your questions. I really, really am enjoying my time here! Next time I'm sure we will stay longer and rent a holiday house and perhaps a car. Unless you take a tour bus thats the only way to see some of the sites here. There is so much unspoiled beauty! But you have to get out of town to see it. So keep that in mind when planning your trip. Traffic wasn't horrible, but is somewhat congested in the cities.
Oh! Did I mention my American cell phone worked here? I was going to purchase a sims card, but when I saw that I had service - I did not bother. The rate was 20cents (American) a min. to talk, with free texts and free internet service. #WIN! I'm using the new Iphone and couldn't have been happier. Ok - I'm off to explore more. Catch you later- Hello! How's your February going? I'm still in Iceland and loving it! I've really enjoyed this trip so much! It's just the break I needed. Work has been chaotic lately and thankfully busy, but it's so great to just be able to sleep in and then spend the day in nature. But that said, I'm actually staying pretty busy here, so I apologize for not posting more often. I have so many pictures yet to post (from other trips, too!) Some are all ready loaded up..so check back often to see more of New Mexico, England, France, the Caribbean and other random trips I have taken. And of course check Twitter and Instagram for fresh Iceland pictures. :D People have been asking me lots of questions about Iceland....From the cost to the food- to what the people are like. I will answer some of them in the next post. (promise) I think I may do a video too - so that you can "see for yourself" what it's really like here and why I fell in love the country.
Right now I'm late for a trip across the island to see more amazing natural beauty - so gotta run. Catch you later- |
Ms One~🌍 Welcome to My Adventures! 🌱 Foto Friday's
🗣️ Featured Blog Posts: Nature-Inspired Creativity: Overcoming Creative Blocks by the Bay: An easy way to overcome writers block. Plant-Powered Living: Raw Till 4 This an older post, but a great place to start it you want to eat healthier. "Life Lessons": Foto Friday: Glass & Light Join me in reflecting on the simple joys and lessons life brings our way. 🌟 Connect with Me: 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msoneworld4me/ 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/MsOneWorld4Me 📌 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/msoneworld4me/ Follow for Daily Inspiration 🚀 Upcoming Adventures: Stay tuned for my next travel destination and upcoming blog posts. Where should I go next? Share your suggestions! Share Your Ideas 📚 Book Nook:
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