Travel

Who knew Whistler was so magical in May?

I was invited to experience the All About Me Women’s Retreat as a partnership with Fairmont Chateau Whistler. This is an honest account of the weekend and all opinions are my own.

I hadn’t realized how much I needed a few days away. This time of year always feels naturally joyous with all the flowers blooming and warmer, longer days. The social calendar fills up as everyone comes out of winter hibernation and the collective stress of tax season fades. We’ve been having the nicest weather and this sunshine has kept me in a near perpetually good mood. The problem is, that things tend to get busier and stressful without notice. That was until I reached that fresh mountain air and had room to breathe.

I picked up Alex at the crack of dawn on a Friday to head up to Whistler. We’d been invited to experience a women’s retreat at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and desperately needing a break, we both vowed to make it as recharging as possible.

Which is exactly why we were driving at first light toward Scandinave Spa. The outdoor spa is truly one of my favourite places on earth and it was such a treat to spend the entire morning in the pools, and then in a hammock, swaying with the breeze reading a romance novel to the soundtrack of nature and running water. Literally the perfect morning.

After a leisurely patio lunch at their Mallard Lounge, we were checked into our rooms and found ourselves each in one of the newly renovated Fairmont Chateau Whistler suites. I was completely blown away. The updates are modern but cozy, keeping the space bright and inviting. There are gorgeous mountain views, the familiarity and comfort of a Fairmont, but with a boutique hotel feel. My room had a dining area, living room, separate bedroom and two freaking bathrooms. I normally live in a 700 square foot apartment that I share with a man. You bet I used both bathrooms just because I could (though that did complicate the getting ready process, it was still worth it for extravagance). In all honesty, I could have spent my 48 hours just chilling in the hotel room alone.

Though we were post-spa zen and feeling the allure of napping on the plush bed, the afternoon was too beautiful to spend indoors. Alex and I set out on the short 10-minute walk to the village to wander around for a few hours before the retreat really began. We had a glass of wine on a patio in the middle of the village and soaked up that early evening sun.

I was admittedly a little buzzed (such a lightweight) and slightly nervous for the rooftop Weekend Kickoff, as this was my first retreat of any kind. But, it was actually a great way to start things off. A ton of the speakers took a minute to introduce themselves and that helped narrow down the itinerary for the weekend. There was such a variety of things to choose from like wellness talks, fitness classes, meditation, hikes, painting, etc. We then feasted on a delicious and healthy buffet, which I was really happy featured lots of vegetarian and vegan options for me. We met some lovely ladies and enjoyed the musician that played as the sun set.

Our friend Lynn was leading a candlelight Yin Yoga class that night and we had a much needed evening stretch. I love a good Yin to relax the mind and body.

They call this the Secret Season in Whistler. You can still ski a little, but it’s so warm that the likelihood of patio weather is high. The hoards of summer tourists aren’t here yet so you can avoid massive wait times and crowds. It’s honestly ideal.

We woke up on Saturday completely refreshed. There’s truly nothing that rivals sleeping in a Fairmont bed alone. I woke up feeling like a well-rested Kween.

Alex and I wasted no time, suited up and went straight down to the pool even before coffee. We snapped some pics and lounged around before grabbing breakfast. There was an early afternoon wellness talk and then we somehow ended up back at the pool for the remainder of the afternoon. It was just so warm for the beginning of May, how could we not? We had blended cocktails and talked about life and enjoyed the hot tub. As the theme of the ‘All About Me’ weekend is to make space for what you need in life, it was fitting that we were carving out a bit of time for ourselves poolside.

Realizing I rarely go out anymore, it sure was nice to get a little dolled up for the longtable dinner and soiree that evening. We had a great time getting to know the women we ended up sitting with and the live band was awesome! They gave out some prizes and after multiple courses of delicious food (more vegan goodness, I was so impressed) we got to squeeze in a bit of dancing before calling it a night.

After a patio breakfast, our last talk was about the pelvic floor, and adorably called ‘Kegels and Coffee’. Since my LEEP experience and joining the BC Women’s Hospital Foundation Young Women’s Council (more about both of these things very soon), I’m extremely passionate about helping women feel empowered about taking control of our health. Kim was amazing. Her talk was engaging, educational, and opened my eyes to the fact that I might have to visit a pelvic floor physio for slight correcting after my LEEP. Again, I’ll have a separate post dedicated to this soon.

Not to sound too dramatic, but we left the Fairmont Whistler feeling incredible. We relaxed, sure. But it was also about connecting with other women and taking the time to learn something new. The Women’s Retreat was much needed and I have a few girlfriends that are already plotting for us to all go together next year!

Be sure to go check out Alex’s recap over at To Vogue Or Bust and a big thanks to Fairmont Chateau Whistler for partnering with us! If you’re interested in attending the All About Me Women’s Weekend next year, there’s more information here!

Everything you need to know before visiting Thailand!

I was lucky enough to travel to Thailand with Contiki earlier this year on their Thai Island Hopper West tour, which included Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, and Krabi.  This was my very first trip to Asia and I completely fell in love.  Not only was it the beauty of my surroundings and the contrasted way of life, but it was also the kindness of the people.  Being half Chinese and having never visited anywhere in Asia, I really felt an odd sense of familiarity that I don’t think I could describe to you.  It was such a beautiful experience.

I have a few friends travelling to Thailand soon (shoutout to Anya and Sarah) and their questions pushed me to FINALLY publish this post.  These are the things that I think are good to consider before your trip, including what to pack, important cultural differences, and a brief description of each place we visited.

If you have any other questions, please let me know in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them.  Hope you enjoy!

WHEN TO GO

Thailand is a place you could really visit all year round, but it’s good to note that the rainy season is approximately from May to October (and if we’ve learned anything from that harrowing Thai cave rescue, it’s that the rains come in fast and furiously).  I was there in April and we did experience a few storms, usually at night, and they were incredible to witness. If you’re considering visiting in April, I highly suggest aiming to be there during Songkran. It’s their new year celebration and basically consists of a three-day water fight.  I know, it sounds a bit crazy, and it totally is. Check out my video of the trip for footage from the Songkran festival in Krabi.

Read More

A car accident of sorts, bachelorette fun, epic Chicago views, and so much food!

THURSDAY

My journey to Chicago started off well.  I was, for once, pleasantly surprised to be sitting in an exit row with extra legroom and next to a very handsome young man.  The plane was small but brand new and I was feeling relatively okay about flying that day (I’m a recovering nervous flyer).  Seems ideal, right?  Not quite.  We got all settled in and buckled up, only to sit at the gate for nearly two hours, without communication from the pilots.  I wasn’t too bothered by it, but people around me were losing their minds and it was bringing out the worst in everyone.  The handsome guy sitting next to me?  He turned out to be a super whiny jerk about the situation because “he had PLANS, you know!” I tried my best to stay zen with all the chaos around me, but it definitely was a trying start.

I was on this new but surprisingly small plane to Chicago to attend a bachelorette for my sister-in-law to be.  Anya is marrying Adam’s youngest brother, Ben, this October.  You can read a bit more about them in my recap of our visit last summer.  Once the plane was en route, I binge watched HBO’s Barry, which was most enjoyable and almost distracted me from all the in-flight tension.  If you like a dark comedy and/or Bill Hader, you should check it out. When we finally landed, later than expected, Ben and Anya texted that they were ordering Thai food for dinner and my desperation to get to their place increased.  Nothing can soothe a weary traveler like Pad Thai.

My plan was to Uber to their apartment, but in classic O’Hare fashion, a bunch of flights had all landed at the same time because of earlier thunderstorms.  Prices had surged and I was unsure of where to catch the Uber.  I decided to be basic and hop in a cab instead.  I was in no state to be making decisions, I just wanted noodles!  We sat in traffic for what felt like a lifetime and the driver and I passed the time chatting.  I was also starting to feel slightly motion sick, so when we hit another patch of traffic near the end of the ride, I was like, “are you freaking kidding me?” Turns out Ben and Anya’s new place is right by Wrigley Field and a Cubs game was just getting out, so there were hundreds of pedestrians and cars in this one concentrated area.  We spent like 15 minutes just trying to travel a few blocks.  I told him I’d just walk, but he said it he was stuck anyway and determined to deliver me to their front door as intended.  At last, we made a left turn, stopped in a line of cars and he pointed to their building. I thanked him and paid, threw my backpack on and reminded him that I needed to grab my suitcase from the trunk.  In what I can only describe as a total fluke accident and something that would, of course, totally happen to me, as I opened the door and started to exit the car, the driver tried to throw the car into park, except he accidentally accelerated instead of braking.  The car launched forward at great speed and the force of it flung me out the car door and started to drag me.  I let out an uncontrollable scream and was, for a brief second, convinced that this was probably it.  I managed to let go of the door handle, bounced off the pavement, and landed on my back in a daze.  Thank goodness I had put my backpack on, or I’d have seriously injured my back and head.  Once I realized that I was alive and relatively unscathed, I was overcome with immense gratitude to have survived and jumped to my feet with joy.  People around flocked and were asking if I was okay and I said yes, but could also see that I was bleeding and already felt sore.  I walked the 4 or 5 car lengths towards the cab (I know it was an accident, but how do you accelerate THAT hard and that far?) and the driver was absolutely distraught.  I’m pretty sure he must have thought he’d killed me.  Wasn’t my time though, and we both made sure we were okay and he asked my name and we hugged.  It felt like we’d been through a lot together, you know?  I now had my suitcase in tow and hoards of drunk baseball fans still crowded the streets.  Being in shock but trying to act like I wasn’t just thrown from a moving vehicle, I decided to call Adam before going to Ben and Anya’s, as I was on the verge of tears and quite shaken up.

It’s kind of funny now to think of how Ben and Anya must have felt opening the door to find me bleeding.  I had to tend to my wounds, wash my jeans, ice my elbows and knee and put a bunch of bandages on, but I was, at last, able to enjoy my comforting Thai stirfry – I’d earned it!  I’ll spare the internet a photo of the giant black bruise on my bottom that took up my entire left cheek.  Instead, you can see my bruised arms below, though this was 3 days later, so cuts looked much better.  The human body is quite resilient!

Read More

Hello, my name is Alicia and I have a serious case of wanderlust.  I’m also not rich, so there’s that.  Here’s how I was able to save money on my recent trip to Europe.

I was looking up personality traits of a female Sagittarius yesterday and the number one thing that is ALWAYS highlighted is the need for a Sag to travel.  This absolutely could not be more true for me, especially in the last few years.  Yeah, I’m a bit of a late bloomer on the travel front, but now that I’ve started these bigger adventures, I just can’t stop.  I want to see the world!

The problem with this, of course, is that I don’t have unlimited funds (HA! Not even close), so this requires some creativity at times.  When I went to Europe in November 2017, I’d booked my flights impulsively and decided that my goal for the entire trip was to budget as much as possible without compromising comfort.  At this stage in my life, I can’t do backpacking or sleep in bunk beds and share a washroom.  Just not where I’m at, ya know?  So there’s a balance for sure.

I’d consider my total budget for 2 weeks in Europe to be moderate to lower(?), but I’ll have a more detailed breakdown on the blog soon about how money was spent and how you can maybe book a similar amazing Euro trip that won’t break the bank!

Here are a few things that I did or kept in mind in order to stay under budget.

1. Go In The Off Season

If you’re open to it, I recommend considering visiting Europe in the shoulder season. I’ve been to the UK in November, as well as February, and both times it was cold, sure, but we had tons of sunshine.  Malta in November was wonderful, we still had quite warm, but mild temperatures in the daytime and we weren’t bothered with crowds anywhere.  What you gain when you sacrifice peak season weather, is fewer tourists and in turn, a better connection with the people and the places you’re visiting.  I really mean it.  You can also often find flight deals (see below) and reduced rates for attractions and activities.  Adam and I are booking our next trip across the pond for a wedding this fall and it’ll be the end of November and early December again.  I can’t wait!

Read More

How do I love Contiki?  Let me count the ways.

Last month, my friend Alex and I went on our very first trip to Asia on a Contiki tour.  We did their Thai Island Hopper West, which included Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, and Krabi and we had the time of our lives!  I am sad that it took me so long to have a Contiki experience, but I am definitely hooked!  I wasn’t even home yet and I was already planning and dreaming up my next tour with them.  Maybe South America or India.  There are so many possibilities!

I’m sure you already know them, but if you aren’t familiar with Contiki, they’re a travel company that does tours all over the world specifically for 18-35 year olds.  They have tons of different options based on your travel style and time requirements.  I have a complete travel diary from Thailand coming up soon, but for now, I wanted to spread some Contiki love and explain the obsession.

I also recorded our trip and my heart seriously bursts every time I watch the footage.  I cannot even tell you how much fun our Thailand Contiki tour was, you just have to see it for yourself!

Read More