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It has been difficult looking at the highlight reels of other people’s lives on Instagram for the year of 2021. As I am staying at my grandmother’s house (stuck inside mostly and spending wayyy too much time on Instagram...) it makes me reflect on my own year. This year has been tough for my mental health. Even more so than the first year of the pandemic as I had to face some major personal challenges and changes. I want to try to pull out the moments where I did find happines within a second year of a global pandemic.
I didn’t take too many photos. I think this is because I usually document my travels and the year felt a bit empty without my usual zipping across the world. But when I look back, I actually did manage to document some moments. The pace was slower, with a empahsis on staying local (yoga retreat in Thrupp was pretty awesome), but I did have the support from friends and managed to make new memories.
The photos are in no particular order, but I think the most important trip to me this year was returning to Boston to spend time with Zoe and her family for Thanksgiving. This was my first American Thanksgiving in 7 years and being able to connect with Xenia was a definate highlight of 2021.
I somehow managed to make 2 trips to Wales a few weeks apart. It was always a place that I thought about going to, but who could have predicted that I would visit both Swansea and Cardiff? George and I took the train to Cardiff for a weekend away even though the country was still in lockdown. The second trip, I went with Taleen and her group to Swansea. We stayed by the seaside and drove to various places to take in the beautiful scenery in the region.
Spending time with people I love was an important part of 2021 as the world started to reopen (and close). Visiting Shea in Barcelona was so special. I loved being able to see her new life that she is building in such a wonderful city. Mother came to visit me in London and to help me settle into my new flat. I finally live on my own, without roommates.
Other important highlights of my year included getting the vaccine, going out to lovely dinners with the Supper Club Crew and dancing the night away at two of my friend’s weddings. Attending those weddings on my own helped remind me that I am funny and that people enjoy being around me.
In 2021, I put my mental health and safety first. I moved out of another chaotic living situation and was able to create my own nest. I met breaking point with work, took time off for burnout and then quit. I learned that no job is worth my mental health even if I once thought it was my ‘dream job’. I learned that boundaries are important in friendships and I deserve to be around people who like me for me. My gut is more often right then wrong and I need to trust it more.
For 2022, I don’t want to set far reaching goals that are unattainable. When it comes to creating coping mechanisms to be a high-functioning adult living with anxiety and depression, I’ve perfected that. So what I wish for myself this year is that I can start fresh with my new job and apartment. That I can build trust with myself and put my mental health first. I would like to surround myself with people who accept me for me and continue to set healthy boundaries because not everyone needs to know everything. People have to earn and prove that they are trusting to receive that disclosure. My hope for 2022 is that I focus more about doing what is right for me.
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Country 37 - March 2017 & November 2019
So much has changed between my two trips to Thailand. I was first brought to Bangkok because of work. I had conducted a lot of research and proposed the idea of hosting yield events in the region when I still worked in Admissions. Coincidentally, Mariko was also there on business! We made plans to spend time together. She very generously took me to the area of the city that had the palaces and temples, even though she had been there many times before. I also managed to squeeze in a day trip to the Floating Market. I have to admit though...it isn’t like the movies.
The opportunity to return to Thailand came about after I had been invited to a friend’s wedding in India. I researched round trip flights to Asia to see where the cheapest destination was before going to India as I wanted to add on a week for additional travel. Traveling to Asia was something Chris and I had talked about a lot. We were in a good place when I came up with the idea and I could tell he was excited. But as time went on, things became more difficult in our relationship. Perhaps we both knew that this trip would be our last...but I do think we made the most out of it. We even got upgraded to Premium Economy because of my flight status! Such a relief for a +10 hour flight. After the long flight, we checked into our fantastic eco hostel made out of shipping containers, The Yard Hostel. As the name suggests, it had a lovely yard where you could relax. One of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed in. After checking in, I was determined to go back to the massage place (Health Land) that Mariko and I went to. As expected, it was fabulous and I felt so relaxed after a long day of travel.
Our first full day in Bangkok was full on. We did did the palaces and temples all in one day. Thank goodness it wasn’t as hot as it was when I went with Mariko. I enjoyed going back as it was far less rushed. The next day we took a bike tour through the older parts of Bangkok that had not been touched by urbanization. It was so cool to see what Bangkok used to look like, with so many waterways and raised houses. It was like going back in time and was a part of Bangkok that I had never seen before as it is difficult to access.
Food was a big part of our trip. It was nice to go back to The Local for our first meal in Thailand. After this more expensive meal, we tried to eat on the cheap. Chinatown was a great location to try different foods and explore at night.
After two full days in Bangkok, we were ready for the next stage in our adventure. Island hopping!
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Thailand Highlights - 2017 & 2019
A few clips from my trip to Thailand. Starting in Bangkok and then headed to Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and finally ending in Koh Yao Yai.
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A small summary of my adventures with Chelsea in Porto.
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Country 26 - June 2019
I went back to Portugal somewhat recently with my friend Chelsea. She was travelling through Europe with her partner, and had reached out to me to see if we could meet up. Naturally, I took her up on the opportunity to travel. We settled on the idea of Porto. Mostly because the flights seemed to be the cheapest for her to return to Boston. I had been to Portugal before, but felt as if I didn’t make the most of it. I was still new to traveling when I first went, and the concept of doing research on a destination. This time I did a TON of research...perhaps a bit too much. I think the mistake of doing a lot of research is that you feel that if you don’t do everything on your list, you are missing out on crucial experience. I know this is a trap I often fall into and I need to learn how to let things go a bit more (not just on travel...).
Chelsea and I had a good time. I hope she enjoyed it at least...there isn’t a ton to do in Porto. As I am more of an activity driven person, it was hard to slow down. On the first day we explored the city and managed to find this gorgeous garden with statues in it. It was fun to walk around. One of the statues were angle wings that you could ‘wear’.
Another highlight was visiting the Graham Winery. Porto is famous for...Port! But you probably guessed that already. We did a lovely tasting and the winery looks over the whole city as it is on a hill.
As we walked the cities, I became enamored with all of the different tiles. I liked ‘collecting’ them. Poor Chelsea, I had to stop and take a photo of each one!
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The Treasury - November 2017
This was the exact moment I first laid my eyes on the Treasury. It almost surprises you as you round the corners toward the clearing. Based on what our guide told us, this was done on purpose so that you were struck by its beauty and impressed by the wealth of the community. Apparently, the inside of the Treasury is rather plain. The people of Petra seemed to be all about the show in order to impress their trade partners as the city was considered to be an oasis in a barren desert.
Although I am glad I captured this, I could have lived in the moment a bit better and put the phone away!
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Country 38 - November 2017
After hearing on a podcast that you could travel from Israel to Jordan, I got it into my head to make a visit to Petra happen. The perfect opportunity came when I was scheduled on a work trip to Tel Aviv. I decided to take a few days off in advance to arrange a trip to Jordan with Chris.
I found a 2-day tour through our hostel, Abraham tours. It was a packed schedule with the border crossing taking quite a bit of time (and money). Our first stop was Jerash to see the ancient Roman Ruins. It was rather incredible that we could walk around freely throughout the site.
We then had an overnight stop in a Bedouin campsite. Chris and I didn’t know what to expect when we booked the tour. We had originally thought that we were going to end up in dinky little tents! As we were driving up, we saw the rocks lit up with twinkly little lights. It was breathtaking coming up to the site. To our pleasant surprise, Chris and I got our own private little hut with individual beds heavily layered blankets. Before bed, we went to the communal tent for a bit of a chat and some traditional tea. The perfect wind-down to a long day.
We were up early the next day to be one of the first groups to Petra. I had seen pictures before, but I hadn’t realised how mystical it was walking through the tall caverns before rounding a corner into a clearing to take in Al Khazneh (the Treasury). I could have spent the whole day at Petra! But we only had a limited amount of time to explore. We decided to make the hike up to El Deir (the Monastery). Although the mornings are cold in the desert, the day gets hot fast. Chris and I wore too many layers and had to shed them off. Poor Chris was still stuck with a flannel shirt for the rest of the day. I still think it was worth the hike (not sure if Chris agrees...) to snap a quick photo at the Monastery. There is so much more to see on the ancient site. The theatre, tombs and carvings! I won’t describe them all but it is worth the long drive.
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I was really excited to travel to Scotland to visit where Chris grew up. I believed that it would help me get to know him better. Chris had planned quite a trip for us! Honestly, rather ambitious as it was a road trip throughout the entire country.
We first had a Glasgow day where we explored the city based on my research. I felt as if I was giving Chris a tour of where he grew up! We started with Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. It was the perfect way to start the day as it gave us the history of the city. We then walked around Glasgow University which was incredibly picturesque. The weather was perfect and made the photos unreal. We then booked a last minute tour of a super cool brewery called West Brewery which had the slogan, ‘Glaswegian Heart, German Head’. The beer was very tasty. It was then time for dinner and we thought we would give the Ubiquitous Chip a try in the West End of Glasgow. The wait for dinner was long and we drank a bit more than expected, which led to us stumbling to another restaurant for dinner, Cail Bruich. We were absolutely underdressed and too tipsy to process what we had gotten ourselves into. It was a set menu with multiple courses. But the food was undeniably spectacular, one of the best meals we have ever had! Especially that butter…worth every pence!
The next day we set off on our road trip with stops in Glencoe, multiple lochs and ending in Aviemore. The drive took over 7 hours, but Chris was a trooper getting us there. The next day we were then supposed to go to St. Andrews, but with me leading navigation, we ended up in Stirling instead. We made the most of it with a detour to Stirling Castle. We also managed to fit in a visit to a whisky distillery called Blair Athol, which gave us a new appreciation for whisky.
This was one of my favourite trips with Chris as I really felt that I was able to learn more about him and where he came from.
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I was really excited to travel to Scotland to visit where Chris grew up. I believed that it would help me get to know him better. Chris had planned quite a trip for us! Honestly, rather ambitious as it was a road trip throughout the entire country.
We first had a Glasgow day where we explored the city based on my research. I felt as if I was giving Chris a tour of where he grew up! We started with Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. It was the perfect way to start the day as it gave us the history of the city. We then walked around Glasgow University which was incredibly picturesque. The weather was perfect and made the photos unreal. We then booked a last minute tour of a super cool brewery called West Brewery which had the slogan, ‘Glaswegian Heart, German Head’. The beer was very tasty. It was then time for dinner and we thought we would give the Ubiquitous Chip a try in the West End of Glasgow. The wait for dinner was long and we drank a bit more than expected, which led to us stumbling to another restaurant for dinner, Cail Bruich. We were absolutely underdressed and too tipsy to process what we had gotten ourselves into. It was a set menu with multiple courses. Bu the food was undeniably spectacular, one of the best meals we have ever had! Especially that butter...worth every pence!
The next day we set off on our road trip with stops in Glencoe, multiple lochs and ending in Aviemore. The drive took over 7 hours, but Chris was a trooper getting us there. The next day we were supposed to go to St. Andrews, but with me leading navigation, we ended up in Stirling instead. We made the most of it with a detour to Stirling Castle. We also managed to fit in a visit to a whisky distillery called Blair Athol, which gave us a new appreciation for whisky.
This was one of my favourite trips with Chris as I really felt that I was able to learn more about him and where he came from.
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Chris and I went to Scotland for his birthday last year (2018) over the long weekend. We did quite a bit of exploring in Scotland! First we went to Edinburgh where we took a beer tour that Chris organised and climbed up Arthur’s Seat. As I was leading the way up (bad idea) I took us completely in the wrong direction. We made it to the top eventually! But probably took about twice as long. Chris honestly shouldn’t trust me with directions.
We then did a day trip with Chris’s parents to the Isle of Mull and Iona. What a cool experience and the weather was unreal. It felt as if I was in the Caribbean with the crystal blue water. We took the ferry (with a ton of Americans!) to the Iona Abbey and Nunnery. It is one of the oldest Christina religious centers of Europe. The crosses were my favourite part. You can get an audio guide and walk throughout the entire abbey taking in the history and there is a museum attached which explains the depictions on the various crosses.
We ended our time in Scotland with some time in Chris’s village talking to the cows. I am the cow whisperer by the way. I moooo and they want to hang out!
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Welcome to New York!
I’ll be here in the US for the next few days for work. But had to put in a bit of holiday time too to catch up with friends and family.
It was about a +7 hour flight (which means a lot of movies). The flight was fine...it was just JFK that was crazy! The line for immigration made no sense and took about an hour. People everywhere and a real lack of organization. A real shock after all of my travel...the US is very behind on their airport organization. It felt like being home because through the chaos, Americans are overall friendly. One gentleman with a small family, looked at my banner bag and asked, ‘Fishing rod or bow and arrow?’. Providing no context beforehand for the question. It took me a second to figure out what on earth he meant!
By the time I made it out, I was feeling pretty exhausted. Luckily, Max had walked me through how to navigate the AirTrain and subway. I had to take the elevator...there was poo in it. Again...welcome to New York. It took about an hour and a half but I finally made it exhausted.
These photos are from yesterday. The first is my ultimate breakfast at AppleJack Diner. I didn’t really hold back as you can see. I was on a mission for pancakes at a diner, and I believe I accomplished this successfully. When I asked the front desk where to go, it turned into quite the debate! I got about 5 different suggestions.
The second photo is from the Boat House in Central Park. I had never been, but had seen it in movies a dozen of times. Including When Harry Met Sally which is my favourite.
I wish I had taken a photo, but last night I met up with Laura and Kelsey to go to Ivan Raman. Lovely to see my ladies!
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We made a lovely little charcuterie board on this hot summer Saturday. It hasn’t cooled down for ages in London, I haven’t experienced a summer like this here until now.
This board had a lovely little collection of tasty items from around the world. The Limoncello was from my travels to Cinque Terre last year with Abby and Kelsey. The Gruyère cheese is from Tante Suzette. I also got Tete de Moine (head of the monk) which is a Swiss cheese.
The real special addition was the balsamic vinegar. When Chris and i visited last year, I got the idea to go from this New York Times article. We went on a free tour in Modena of the family owned balsamic producer Acetaia di Giorgio. It was such an interesting experience. I had no idea that you create the vinegar from barrels in order to get a special distinct flavor. If done right, it is more like a syrup rather than a liquid. Doing the tastings, I grew a new appreciation for balsamic vinegar. I actually like it now! Pairing it with the cheese and meet was super tasty.
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Country 14 - February 2009 & September 2015
Before I signed up for the Alternative Spring Break program at Northeastern, I decided to follow the crowd of freshmen and go with a group to Montreal, Canada in the warm months of February. You know...where the legal drinking age is 18 and the temperature is below freezing. This was not exactly a cultural experience, stuffing 7 teenagers in a hotel bedroom meant for 2 after an eight hour bus ride. The highlight (and possibly only sightseeing we did) was visiting the Montreal Olympic Stadium for the view of the city. Other than that, the week consisted of food poisoning, taking care of intoxicated people and color painting at an art bar. Needless to say...I think I should try to visit Montreal again.
Luckily, I had the chance to visit Canada once again through work! This was tied alongside my first recruitment trip to Toronto. I had a chance to go with my amazing co-worker Alessandra, who generously did most of the research and arranging. After our Info Session, we hosted drinks for alumni at the top of Trump Tower for a view of the city. Other highlights included a drive to explore Niagara Falls and venturing to the top of the CN Tower.
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Country 18 - March 2012
This was my third Alternative Spring Break and I had a chance to travel to Treasure Beach, Jamaica to volunteer at a local primary school called Barbary Hall Basic School. The first day we arrived, we visited a local resort where we swam under waterfalls and I went ziplining for the second time through the tropical jungle.
For the week we were at the primary school, we would spend the mornings rotating volunteering through the 3 different small rooms that made up the school and each of us would lead a lesson plan for that class. The school was incredibly small with no separation between classes, and since the kids were so excited to have us there we ended up bringing all of the children together to play. Our preplanned lessons would only entertain them for a few moments before the kids would get distracted and ask to go outside. Although we didn’t have a chance to practice our teaching skills, we had a lot of fun playing with the kids. They had so much energy! Not only did we work with the kids, but we assisted a carpenter in building a slide for the school (he built most of it but we had a chance to paint it yellow and blue).
After volunteering, our team would visit a nearby beaches. Our last day of the trip, we took a boat trip through the mangroves and traveled to ‘Pelican Bar’ which was a restaurant in the middle of the ocean only accessible by boat. A great way to end the trip with a great team.
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Country 23 - November 2013
My trip to Πάφος, Κύπρος (Paphos, Cyprus) was during my time in Greece with N.U.in. This was my one weekend away during the program and I had the chance to travel with my coworker Christian. I was lucky that he had planned the majority of the trip and I just got to tag along.
As it was off-season, there were not many people, open restaurants or activities in the city. So that afternoon, we decided to explore a bit and stumbled upon Saint Solomon’s Catacombs. The catacombs date back to the 12th century and at the entrance of the underground caves is a pistachio tree with tied bits of clothing that is believed to hold mysterious powers. We also had a chance to walk along the water to take a selfie in front of the Κάστρο της Πάφου (Paphos Castle) and walked to the Ayia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa Church with Saint Paul’s Pillar.
The next day, we visited and walked around a large necropolis called the Tomb of the Kings and Kato Pafos Archaeological Park. The park showed many different archeological digs still in progress but showed excavations of intricately tiled floors of ancient Roman houses.
Our last excursion was to Agios Neophytos Monastery, which is just outside of the city. It took us a bit of time to first learn that we needed to take a bus and that there are no buses on Sunday to the monastery. We managed to get a taxi. The paintings in the monastery were detailed and beautiful.
Something that impressed me about Paphos is that the historical, archeological and religious sites we visited were open and you were able to walk very close to the sites.
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