It’s so easy to let fear dictate the choices we make in our lives: fear of failure, of loss, or fear of being different. This past week, I reached a pivotal point where I was stirring over a decision that would determine my attitude towards they way I want to live my life:
Do I follow the path that is ‘easier’ but much less satisfying, or do I take the path that elicits excitement from my soul but will test me with more challenges?
Continue reading “To Follow Your Heart, or Societal Norms?”
Growing up as a three sport athlete, carbs and protein were a way of life. During her last year at university, my younger sister decided to go vegetarian and sparked my stubborn curiosity. Could I give up meat and still have enough energy? Would it make me feel better or worse? Is it really that much more sustainable for the planet?
Continue reading “I’m Going Vegetarian: Is It Worth It?”
Doe-eyed, like the animals we were hoping to see, we ogled at the park ranger in front of us. “There’s only one campsite available tonight,” she said to a line of four cars.
It was 7:30 in the morning and most of us had dragged ourselves from the warmth of our sleeping bags 3 hours prior just to secure a spot of dirt for sleeping – AKA camping – at one of the best national parks in the country.
Continue reading “Camping Glacier National Park: One Site, Nine People, and Huckleberry Jam”
The short answer: yes. But certainly not without my hesitations.
I had heard from many people just how spectacular Yellowstone National Park is. There’s Old Faithful, geysers galore, and heaps of wildlife like buffalo and even wolves. It sounded to me like something out of a Wild West movie.
Continue reading “Is Yellowstone Really Worth the Hype?”
We rounded the bend at the Grand Tetons, our loss for words quickly replaced by squeals and shouts of joy. It was early. We had the roads and mountains to ourselves and it felt like we had traversed hundreds of years back in time.
From the east coast we had pushed beyond the bustling big cities and high rise buildings to find ourselves immersed in another world. It was pure magic.
To be honest, I had never really heard of the Grand Tetons before our visit. On a map, they are located just below the wildly famous Yellowstone National Park. How different could the two be? Well, what are day and night like?
There is just no way you should ever pass up an opportunity to see the Grand Tetons. Here’s why:
The Tetons will absolutely take your breath away. Just driving into the park was our first staggering experience: we thought we must be close, but as we kept going and going, they weren’t getting any closer. That’s when we realized how truly massive they were.
Having visited a total of 7 National Parks on our trip, I feel very strongly in saying not only was this one of the most beautiful, but also the least populated for its grandeur. That’s not to say that there weren’t crowds at all, but it generally felt much more peaceful than other parks we had been to.
Going off of the previous point, this is a trail one of our friends recommended to us to avoid some of the crowds and it absolutely did not disappoint. The Emma Matilda Trail was interspersed with fields of wildflowers, rolling hills, and uninterrupted views of the Tetons. We got up early, and had the place entirely to ourselves, even stumbling across a deer (we think?) hidden in the fauna. Can you spot him in the picture below?
Crowded? Yes. Worth the visit? Absolutely! The magnificent peaks of the Tetons are reflected in Jenny Lake below, crystal clear water looking like it belongs in the Bahamas rather than out in Wyoming. The chilly water is refreshing and revitalizing. Definitely don’t miss the chance to dip in and feel like you’re floating in a postcard!
It’s safe to say that 2020 has thrown me quite a few curve balls my way, along with a few unexpected plane tickets…
Continue reading “Update: I’m Off to England”
One of the places nearly impossible to describe with black and white words alone, the Badlands most closely resemble a desert scene out of Star Wars: starkly shaped rock formations raggedly pointed from the wind and crevices carved from running water.
With only two nights in this space-like stratosphere during our cross country road trip, we wanted to make the most of our time, exploring every secret twist and turn.
After thousands of photos were snapped and many trails taken, thanks to the handy AllTrails app, the Badlands has definitely finessed its way to a high-ranking spot on my favorite national park list.
Continue reading “Best of Badlands National Park”
After my two weeks of Chloe Ting’s shred, I was feeling strong and invincible… that is, until I went home. It seems that old habits die hard. And those habits include over-sized bowls of ice cream, late night nibbles, and the all-too-often breakfast from my favorite local restaurant.
My family was never properly educated about food. In fact, I don’t think most of us are. Do you know how to read the food labels on the back of our packaged edibles? I certainly don’t. I just use my taste buds to tell me what’s good and what isn’t. Not exactly nutritious accuracy at its finest.
These habits, which dictated the first 18 years of my life, were easier to forget when living in my never-never land of Koh Tao, but being back in my childhood home seems to have instantly reverted me to tried and true habits.
Continue reading “Eating Healthy While Living At Home: The Struggle You Know All Too Well”What started as a ‘what if’ joke between my sister and I abruptly came to an end about five minutes into Chloe Ting’s Two Week Shred Challenge, when we were swimming in puddles of sweat and wondering if we could possibly survive another 13 days.
Are YouTube workouts usually this hard? Could we possibly be this out of shape? The workouts were relatively short, but boy does Chloe know how to maximize those seconds.
Continue reading “Yes, Just 2 Weeks of Working Out Can Change Your Body”
Today I saw a full body mirror for the first time in over three months. Since changing apartments in February, I have been living in a place without any mirrors besides my phone and a small hand mirror.
Initially, it was really strange – not because I particularly cared how my outfits looked, but because I was used to looking at my body everyday and analyzing it. It’s easy to get out of the shower and notice how you look, then decide if it’s ‘good’ or ‘bad.’
Continue reading “Self Love: 3 Months Without Looking into a Mirror”