March started out in India and I actually had to go back and check my calendar to see if this was true because that trip already feels like ages ago! I also thought I’d show you this behind the scenes shot of the trip back home. Travel can often be depicted as oh-so-glamorous, but long-haul flights make me look and feel like crap. There I am, sprawled across airport chairs in my husband’s oversized flannel, wearing brightly coloured fuzzy socks, and a baseball cap to hide the fact that I’m probably drooling in my sleep. We flew from Kolkata to Mumbai to London to Toronto, and phew, I don’t think you can blame me for being a major homebody this month.
Where I went
India: Kolkata
England: London (in transit long enough to stock up on chocolates and shortbread cookies)
Canada: Home!
March in review
MET: One of the highlights of being home – aside from spending time with family! – has been bonding with my parents’ new pup, Togo. He’s a lovable long-haired German Shepherd who loves to run, jump, and play. He’s already a furry giant of mammoth proportions and it’s really funny seeing people’s reaction whenever they ask how old he is and we tell them only 7 months. I can’t imagine what he’s going to look like a year from now once he fills out a bit more.
BOUGHT: It arrived! Sam and I finally bought a drone – we got the GoPro Karma – and we’re really excited to use it in our upcoming travels. We decided on the Karma because of its size, ease of transportation and the fact that you’re getting 3 tools in 1: the drone, the stabilizer, and the HERO5 Black camera. Full review to follow once we’ve been playing with it for a while.
WATCHED: I don’t watch a whole lot of Netflix when I travel, so most of my binge-watching happens when I’m home. This past weekend I started watching The OA and I finished it in less than 24 hours! The series revolves around Prairie Johnson, a blind girl who reappears on a highway bridge after being missing for 7 years. To everyone’s surprise, her sight has been restored, she bears strange scars on her back, a goes by a new name. Over the next few episodes, you get sucked into a strange, trippy story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you enjoy sci-fi, suspense, and mystery, this one’s one to watch.
EDITED: I’ve been a hermit all month unless it’s to walk the dog or run some errands, and you know what, it feels great – I really am a homebody at heart! The great thing about this is that I’ve been able to catch up on a lot of our Nepal and India video editing and I should be finished with that project in another week or so. If you want to see what we got up to, some of the Nepal videos are already up on YouTube.
JUICED: All the greens! Whenever I am home, I turn into the juicing queen. There are so many good recipes online, but I love anything with ginger, pineapple, and citrus, so I’ve been experimenting with that. I know some people don’t really enjoy juicing because they think you’re wasting all the fiber, but you can use it for so many different things: cakes, muffins, soups, sauces and more. I think I have an inner chef in me that’s just waiting to have a kitchen of her own…
Cool contests and travel opportunities
Win the Ultimate Dream Life Abroad (in Laos!)
How would you like to pack up your life and move to Laos? Well, that’s exactly what one woman is offering.Isabel came to Luang Prabang 16 years ago on what was meant to be a two day trip and ended up staying a bit longer than she was expecting! Over the past 16 years, she has built a business in the heart of the city; a space that combines a bookshop, a tea house, and an art gallery. Now that she has a family and spends more time in Canada, she wants to pass on her dream life in Laos to one lucky winner. She’s handing over her business, her home, $10,000, and giving someone the adventure of a lifetime.
Win a Sailing Trip in Croatia
Topdeck is giving away a 10-day sailing trip around Croatia. Entering is pretty easy, you have to tell them why you deserve a vacation in 25 words or less, so get creative and make your entry stand out!
Most popular Instagram
It seems I wasn’t the only one who loved Jaisalmer! I snapped the above photo while souvenir shopping inside the fort. It was a maze of yellow sandstone walls covered in bedazzled wall hangings, and you can be sure that I picked up a few souvenirs of my own.
What’s next?
I’m still in Canada and loving it! I’ll be spending another month here splitting my time between Ontario (with my family) and New Brunswick (with Sam’s family). At the end of the month, we’ve also got a trip to Nevada planned, but we’ll hardly be spending any time in Las Vegas since this trip is about road tripping around the state; we’re talking desert landscapes, small alien towns, and nothing but the open road!