Have you ever dreamt of going to the airport without a ticket and just choosing the next departing flight on the board? It’s a bucket-list worthy travel adventure that I was somehow lucky enough to experience last week. Let’s start from the beginning.
Air Canada Rouge reached out with a really cool idea. They’d send me on a trip somewhere for just 24 hours, but there was a catch. They weren’t going to tell me where I was going until JUST before takeoff and I would use their in-flight Rouge Wi-fi to do research and figure out my itinerary while en route. My organized, planning self was initially hesitant at the notion of having zero control over, well, everything. This kind of opportunity isn’t one you can really ponder, though. It requires an enthusiastic “yes,” and an “I’ll deal with it when the time comes,” kind of mentality.
While I was in Chicago, the team let me know that I’d be leaving for my mystery adventure the day after returning to Vancouver, and so began this wild ride. The email revealing my destination came through just a couple of hours before I was set to leave my house and I was absolutely blown away. You can see my reaction in the video below, but as you can imagine, I was in a bit of shock about the location they chose: Reykjavik, Iceland.
This was, hands down, the most amazing travel adventure I’ve ever been on. I grew up inspired by shows like Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation, The Layover, as well as Canadian gem Departures. I’m so happy that I managed to VLOG my journey to Iceland, because this felt, in a small way, like my own little travel show for the day. Watch it all below!
I am absolutely, positively, obsessed with the Okanagan. It’s a gorgeous combination of lake and wine country, is accessible by a 4-6 hour drive from Vancouver, depending on where you go. Last summer, Adam and I explored the Naramata Bench and then had a separate trip further north to Vernon for my cousin’s wedding. This time around, our friends invited us to their family place in Osoyoos, so we set off to explore the Southern portion of the Okanagan in the Osoyoos/Oliver area!
We had so much great wine and food, and some really spectacular patio time. Read on below, as I’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite wineries, which you can see in our VLOG as well:
I’d wanted to buy a few new things for our recent Kauai trip, but didn’t want to break the bank. Which, I think is the case for a lot of us when it comes to tropical holidays. Hawaii is expensive enough! I love shopping online for summer items, so I spent months stalking ASOS for reasonably priced dresses that could double as either a daytime bathing suit coverup or a casual evening dress because I also wanted to pack light. This classic striped frock caught my eye and the $40 price tag was perfect. The best part, is that vacation me is far more relaxed, so I didn’t even wear a bra with this cotton dress! The low back was such a beautiful feature, so I just threw my hair forward and hoped that no one noticed. I ended up confessing to my girlfriends on our way to dinner, but they both assured me that they had no idea I was bra-less (though, not sure if that was actually the case, they could have lied like good friends do lol).
Unfortunately, there’s only one size left in this colour way at the moment, but they have a solid black version, or these stripes in a lighter mint combo. Shop the look below:
This trip was a year ago and I think I’m still full. On our flight home, I had to check my carry-on suitcase because it contained half a large loaf of sourdough bread and 3 jars of Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter. I even found a bonus little note from the TSA when I got back, explaining that they’d searched my bag (can’t imagine why).
Your obvious statement of the day: San Francisco’s food scene is incredible. IN-CRED-I-BLE (claps between each syllable for emphasis). When I was there last April with Saschie and Kate, we legitimately ate 5-6 meals per day. Which, was indulgent, yes, but then we got to try as many dishes as possible AND no one ever got hangry. It was a decadent and fun way to travel. Thank goodness for all those hills in the city. Makes SF the perfect place to eat all of the things!
They have more than just the famous ‘I Got Baked In San Francisco’ sign and cruffins. But, I mean, cruffins ARE a huge draw. All of their baked goods were so delicious, I especially devoured their donut…or two. Okay, maybe I had two of their donuts. Worth it.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Samsonite Canada. All opinions are 100% mine.
I’ve learned many lessons over the years when it comes to comfortable travel.
I was the queen of always overpacking AND over purchasing on trips. I’d bring impractical bags and always managed to wear the wrong thing on flights. I’ve dragged broken duffel bags across airports and worst of all, been absolutely freezing cold for an entire transatlantic flight!
Not only are airlines often charging extra for checked bags, there’s an ease and simplicity to travelling light. Getting ready while abroad becomes so much easier when you’re only armed with your favourite pieces. It’s great having to maneuver just one bag when you’re doing a lot of moving around on your trip, and especially within in Europe! There’s often no option of an elevator and an abundance of stairs.
Curious about my must-haves for comfy, but light travel? Be sure to read on below!
Are they really ‘cool’ if I have to tell you they are? Oh well, let’s go with it. Following my recently discovered San Francisco photos, I have so much to share! To catch you up, I went to SF last April with two girlfriends for 5-ish days. We stayed with her cousins for the first few nights, and they were not only kind, but they also had the best suggestions. Any time you can get insider info from locals, it can really take your visit to the next level (if that’s the way you like to travel). We did some really fun activities and I branched outside of my go-to travel itinerary in the best way. But, what good is this info if I keep it to myself? I’ve compiled a bunch of notable things to do in beautiful SF below for you guys, and I hope you enjoy!
My friend Saschie had texted us on a Saturday last March. She was heading to San Francisco for a work trip in April and wanted to know if Kate and I wanted to join her. Within a few days, we’d secured the dates and booked our flights. We’d never travelled together and it was all incredibly spontaneous, but plans came together as seamlessly as the trip itself went.
I had the best time with the girls in San Francisco. We stayed with Saschie’s cousins in Daly City for the first few nights and it was so special to get to meet her relatives. Attending a casual family dinner as an outsider is actually such a beautiful experience. It was also really helpful to have around for insider information on what to do and see and eat while we were there! They were so kind to let us into their home and host us, I’m still really grateful.
When it came time for Saschie’s work conference, we stayed downtown for a fun change of pace. We opted for a lot of touristy SF activities, opting for a hop on hop off bus as our means of transportation. It gave the trip a really nice balance of classic sights and also experiencing pieces of San Fran that I’d never explored before.
At the time, I had so much fun and it’s one of my highlights of 2016. And yet, for some reason, I’d convinced myself that the photos I’d taken weren’t any good or worth sharing. In fact, I forgot about them until I found them on a memory card last week. Which, I think is crazy because looking at them a year later, I am in LOVE with every photo! I’m a huge believer in meant to be, and maybe I was to discover these now to infuse some sunshine into our lives. There’s so much SF focused posts coming your way because it was impossible to capture my love for this city into just one or two posts. First up, here’s a visual diary of our 5 days in San Francisco!
Can’t believe Alex and I were in London and Ireland almost a YEAR ago! Where on earth does the time go? Instagram and photography are such a huge part of my travels (and life in general, really), so finding great places to explore and document can really make or break a trip. I was recently looking back at all the amazing snaps we took on our winter visit across the pond and decided to share a few of some of the best photo locations we shot at around the city.
Though, pretty much ALL of London is Instagram worthy, I’ve also included a few specific ideas for your travel itinerary. So, if you’re headed there soon, be sure to bookmark this one!
Whenever I’ve watched one of those movies where a series of silly and exaggerated events takes place over just one night, I always have to point out that, “yeah, that stuff just doesn’t happen in real life.” But, I’m here to admit that I was wrong. In fact, my year started out with one wild overnight Adventures in Babysitting-esque adventure. Let me start from the beginning.
Our New Year’s Eve was a quiet and slightly snowy one. We met up with some of our friends at their family cabin on Bowen Island. To give you an idea, Bowen is a small island, just a 20 minute ferry ride from West Vancouver. There’s really just one main road, one main street with shops and a very West Coast island feel. If you’d like, you can watch my Bowen VLOG to get a better sense (note in the video how outrageously tall all of the trees are). A real sign of the times (#thisis30), we were there with our friends Tessa and AJ, who have a 5 month old, Pia and Jim, who are expecting their first any day now, their friends who have a 9 month old, and then us with our pup. We rang in 2017 in our pjs with Cards Against Humanity while the babies slept, laughing at how much life has changed. Our running hypothetical scenario was about pregnant Pia going into labour on NYE while we were isolated on the island. A very probable scenario, we compared possible solutions, like doctors and midwives on the island, or a helicopter lift to the hospital. We all eased Pia and her husband Jim’s worries with these options, assuring them that her water likely wasn’t going to break anytime soon.
The next morning, I was woken up by Reg launching himself onto the bed and attacking my face with snuggles, as he and Adam returned from their morning walk. “It’s really windy out there today,” Adam pointed out, as I desperately tried to fend off our hyper dog. I hopped out of bed enthusiastically at the notion of a large pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen and followed my boys downstairs. The cooing of our youngest house mates echoed throughout the recently renovated open concept living area. The gorgeous oversized floor to ceiling wall of windows showed off that delicious winter morning light, covering the nearby Sunshine Coast in an almost reflective golden light. I grabbed my camera and decided to step outside, hoping to capture the stunning view for the gram. I’d barely turned the door handle, when it went flying open, nearly blowing me and the door away. I hesitated, thinking that maybe without shoes or a coat on, being outside in this wind wasn’t the best idea, but of course decided to just be quick. When I stepped back in, Adam turned to me and said, “Reggie won’t eat his breakfast. I wonder if he’s not feeling well.” I looked down at that scruffy little pup and pointlessly asked him what was wrong. You could hear his stomach gurgling and we chalked it up to be a sore tummy.
Everyone had a leisurely morning, and we started making breakfast around 10. Someone pointed out that since it was a holiday, the ferry times were noon and 3:10 pm and we all agreed that the later one was our best bet since we were mid cooking and still had to tidy the cabin. Reggie kept pacing around, stopping in the oddest spots to stand super straight, tail between his legs, then he’d lay down somewhere, only to become restless again. “Maybe something bad is going to happen,” AJ declared, “dogs know these things. People say that their dogs act strange before earthquakes and stuff.” We all looked at each other and agreed, but shrugged it off, saying that he probably just ate something weird.
As we were cleaning the place, I was overcome with anxiety, and noticed that Adam was as well. We just couldn’t figure out why we were so nervous about catching the 3:10 ferry home and decided together that we should leave extra early to ensure we got on the boat. We loaded our vehicle, helped tidy around, and then awkwardly left in a hurry before our friends had loaded their kids into the cars. Our drive to the ferry terminal from the cabin is always a winding one, but there were tons of extra obstacles on this particular afternoon. We had to go extra slow to swerve and avoid oversized branches and other debris that littered the road, as the huge trees exaggeratedly swayed from side to side above us.
