Much like our individual taste in music, a travel itinerary is incredibly personal to everyone. Just to give you an idea, our travel style is fairly laid back. We like to pinpoint a couple sights each of us really wants to see in every location and then just wander and eat/drink our way around those spots. We always prefer to get a glimpse of a city from a local’s point of view and tend to avoid crowded tourist spots whenever possible. We do our best to see the usual tourist attractions, but don’t bother wasting too much time there. Which, hey, really isn’t for everyone, but if you’re hoping for an alternative to Rick Steves, then here you go.
Venice can be VERY touristy. Which, if you travel like we do, doesn’t sound the most appealing. But if you search thoughtfully, you can absolutely find very genuine and special places in Venice. Adam and I wanted to share with you what we found in Venezia. Take a glimpse at our adventures, and be sure to leave any of your own recommendations in the comments below!
Leaving the Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia train station was like stepping out of a time machine. Staring at the hustle and bustle of the Grand Canal transported me into a movie scene of a busy port in the early 20th century. My moment of awe was quickly interrupted by the intense wave of summer heat. Just as I was contemplating ditching my luggage right there at the station, Adam looked up from his map and pointed across the canal. “There’s our hotel” he said defiantly, “the Santa Chiara.” Adam had been to Venice before and knew to book a hotel as close to the train as possible, something I was clearly unaware of until that moment. Thankfully, this meant I could keep my suitcase and even carry it over to our accommodations without fainting.
It’s no secret that I’m basically an 80 year old at heart. An old soul quality that is now being supported by my aching joints and terrible short term memory. I do also love crossword puzzles, episodes of jeopardy, and orthopaedic shoes. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that my love of Palm Springs is no surprise to anyone. The place caters specifically to the elderly and many of the buildings look like they’re right out of the 50’s!
It was so nice getting to spend a week in Palm Springs, even if it did mean sleeping on a couch for 5 nights (the only way I could arrange free accommodation was crashing at my parent’s rented condo). A week in such a gorgeous desert seemed like outfit photo heaven, so I packed an entire suitcase almost exclusively with photo worthy looks. I even got my mom to shoot this one – thanks ma! To my extreme disappointment, as my camera battery began dying, I realized that I didn’t pack the charger. Which, was extra frustrating when I’d wasted it on photos of myself and left no battery life to shoot anything at my cousin’s wedding. Thank goodness for decent iPhone photo quality, or I would have cried. I still can’t find the camera charger. I think it’s lost forever!
Roma. Where do I even start? The magic of this city hit me the moment I got my first glimpse of the Colosseum. I had fallen asleep in our cab, as the fourteen hour overnight journey hit me as soon as I sat on that worn leather seat. My eyes happened to flutter open and glance out the window just as we made a slight left curve around the amphitheatre. There it was, in all of its glory, right next to a busy street and across the way from a strip of tourist trap restaurants. It perfectly represented the way remnants of the old world and pieces of modern times exist harmoniously in Rome.
There was no particular reason why it happened. It wasn’t a specific turbulent flight, or a questionable landing. It was just that one day, about 14 years ago, I sat on a flight and felt every NO sense possible. My airways tightened, as the plane’s engines revved up and picked up speed for take off. I clenched my fists and my teeth, and my entire body. I prayed. I hummed. I opened my eyes and then shut them as hard as I could. I kicked my legs around in a desperate attempt to make this terrible feeling go away. My breaths became increasingly faster, which made my head feel lighter and my body warmer. I was having my first panic attack.
Thankfully, I travel with my inhaler, even though I have VERY mild asthma, which helped subdue the hyperventilation. I was also with my family, so my mom was near by to help calm me down. But it was so much more than those few minutes. It was a sense of fear that I would carry with me forever.
I don’t like to call it a phobia, as I can and will still go on an airplane. Heck, sometimes I even enjoy flights now! I like to refer to it as being a “nervous flyer” because I can now be okay 95% of the time, but there’s always that possibility of another episode.
Since air travel is such a common occurrence, I know that I’m probably not the only nervous flyer out there. That’s why I’ve compiled a few of the ways I make flights as comfortable as possible, without the help of drugs, in hopes that it might help you feel a little more at ease on your next trip!
There was so much we loved about our first trip to Kauai. For a family vacation with grown children (according to numbers, not necessarily our attitudes, right Tav?) it was absolutely the right island for us. Far less chaotic than Oahu and even quieter than Maui, Kauai is a beautiful and relatively untouched island. It’s full of lush greenery (it’s where they filmed the Jurrasic Park) and absolutely breathtaking beaches. Everything on the island is fairly close by, with plenty of day adventures just a short drive away. We stayed in a house we found on VRBO that was in Poipu, which I cannot recommend enough. When they say it’s the sunniest part of the island, they aren’t kidding. It’s like Poipu has a forcefield against rain clouds – it’s kind of magical. The location is also within walking distance to Shipwreck and Poipu beaches, as well as great shopping and some amazing restaurants. We had one meal at Red Salt that we all still think about and obsess over!
Though we spent most of our two weeks relaxing, we did manage to venture out and see some of the island. There was so much we didn’t even manage to get to! Darn it all, looks like we’ll just have to head back to Kauai again soon 😉
Hike the Kalalau Trail
The day we went to the trail was slightly confusing. Typical family dynamics, my dad had in mind that we were going on this hike he saw in a brochure and the rest of us had no idea what this entailed. I thought we were just doing a short hike to a beach and almost didn’t bring my runners. It was about an hour and a half drive from Poipu and parking wasn’t the easiest, but definitely not impossible. I had my long mermaid hair down with NO hair elastic and my bathing suit on with a cotton romper over top (I felt like those ill-pepared people in flip flops and jeans on the Grouse Grind that everyone judges). At least I had those runners because this was quite the hike! We got up to the 1/2 mile mark, which doesn’t sound far but in the heat it was actually a great workout and provided stunning views like the one above. Serious hikers are able to go much further, but I can’t advise anyone on that – we barely made it a fraction of the way. Still, an activity that the whole family can enjoy as long as you’re prepared for a thirty minute uphill climb and decent.
Be A Beach Bum at Hanalei Bay
After that hike, we earned an afternoon of rest and relaxing on the North Shore. Hanalei Bay was certainly easy on the eyes and actually quite scarcely populated while we were there. It was nice for us to grab lunch in the area and check out a new spot to laze around before we headed back south, stopping at some viewpoint and the lighthouse on the way to complete this day trip.
Explore Waimea Canyon
They call it the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, so of course we had to go see it! We allowed a half day for this adventure and the driving warnings are quite intense, but we didn’t find anything too dizzying or difficult. Once you’ve done the road to Hana in Maui, everything else is a piece of cake! There are quite a few viewpoints once you reach the canyon, so it’s nice to stop and get some fresh air at the top. Each viewing spot was uniquely gorgeous and I’m glad we opted to visit them all. This is something that cannot possibly be described, you absolutely must experience it for yourself!
Snorkel and Turtle Watch at Poipu Beach
We spent the majority of our time at Poipu Beach. It was walking distance to our rental home and had lots of action during the day and jaw dropping sunsets in the evenings. If you’re into snorkelling, it’s quite busy but there are definitely lots of Honu sightings. The waves were great for boogie boarding and there was plenty of food and shave ice nearby. You’ll see lots of footage of Poipu beach in the video below.
A Portrait Session with Emily Helen Photography
As a thank you to my parents for bringing us along on this trip, I organized for us all to get some professional photos on the beach. I was so happy we found the BEST in Kauai, thank goodness for Emily Helen Photography. She was able to meet us near our accommodations at Shipwreck beach for a 30 minute sunset mini session (the exact amount of time we can all stay focused and relatively presentable). The photos are incredible and allowed me to take the pressure off us taking forced family photos during our entire vacation. It was one of our favourite moments from the trip and provided us with lovely imagery that captured that. Thank you again, Emily!Photos barely do everything justice, so I also spent the flight home making a little highlight video of our trip. You’ll see a lot of what is mentioned above, as well as some spots I didn’t even get to mention like Glass Beach and the Spouting Horn. Unfortunately, YouTube somehow messed up my editing a little bit (note to self, never opt to ‘fix shaking’ by a program like YouTube) but you can just ignore those bits. I must warn you though, this might make you want to book a trip to Kauai riiiight now!
There isn’t much that beats our annual trip to Mexico. Adam works his buns off all year and I get to enjoy the benefits of his company trip to the Mayan Riviera. Pretty sweet deal, right? I like to think that it’s because I’m SUCH a supportive wife and basically a driving force of his impeccable work ethic *takes bow*. We had a really great group of 24 this time around and it was all party party at the always incredible Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso. They seriously live up to their five-star status and really, we’ve grown accustom to their incredible service. It’s a resort that I cannot recommend enough! And I love the way of a Mexican resort vacation. Morning omelettes, longer days lounging poolside or by the beach. Slushy drinks, gorgeous sunsets, and then getting dolled up and going for dinner. It’s my kinda way to relax and kick start 2015! xo
Once upon a time, I met Brandon Stanton of HONY and he interviewed me.
Like many of you, I read Humans of New York every day. It’s something that brightens the often depressing time that I spend on social media. The power of HONY is incomparable. It opens our eyes and our hearts to those around us and gives us a unique chance to learn their story. It’s also probably the only place in all of the internet that I love enough to be genuinely excited to read the comments.
Since following, I am now far more aware of the times that I am quick to judge someone by their appearance. “But, they could be just like someone featured in Humans Of New York,” I think to myself. And that’s just it, we all have truths about our unique journey. Brandon somehow approaches strangers and in a matter of minutes can get stunning portraits and some of the most intimate details of their lives. So last week, when I was invited to Toronto for a speech by THE Brandon Stanton (as well as an amazing beauty preview, more details on that soon, promise), I was completely floored. I’ve never gushed so much in an email response. In fact, her first line in the reply back to me was: “I’m so excited that you’re SO EXCITED!” LOL. I couldn’t help myself! I adore Brandon and the work that he does.
After a series of emails back and forth, it was then decided that since I was such a big fan of Brandon’s, that I could be the one he pulls on stage to demonstrate his interview process with. I shook my head “No, no nooooo,” in paralyzing fear as I typed “YES, I’d be so honoured,” back to her. This was the kind of offer that I HAD to step outside of my comfort zone for. A ‘say yes now, figure it out later’ kind of situation.
Then tonight, in a beautifully decorated room full of fabulous strangers, I sat in a chair and realized that it was all happening – and it sure was terrifying! I’d spent the entire flight to Toronto trying to figure out what my biggest struggle right now is, as it’s a question that I know Brandon often asks. Unfortunately, I had overthought my response so much, that when the moment came, my answer seemed flat and rather rehearsed. I honestly started to think right there on stage, that I had no answers to anything at all and nothing profound to say, especially in front of a crowd. But a few questions in, under bright lights, with a microphone in hand, I opened up a bit. It was just Brandon Stanton and I having a conversation. I somehow shared a story about my Nana that I don’t even know if I’ve ever told. I wasn’t even nervous by the end. It was honestly magic.
Brandon has this gentleness and familiarity about it. It’s a bit of Southern Charm and an approachable assuredness that instantly makes you comfortable. I now understand how Brandon Stanton has excelled at what he does. If it had just been him and I on the street chatting, I would have absolutely shared something deeply personal. And I bet it would have been therapeutic.
After the public interview, I scurried back to my chair to down a glass of bubbly (hence my signature “I’ve had a drink” red face in the above photo) and was luckily able to snag a picture with Mr. HONY before the Unilever preview.
I’m still in shock over all of it, it was just beyond amazing. Thank you so much to Unilever Canada for an incredible experience here in Toronto and to Kelly Lynn and the Harbinger team for organizing. Of course, a huge thanks to Brandon for the chat and the inspiring Humans Of New York talk. It’s something that I will always cherish and well worth traveling across the country for. Now I’m off to catch some zzz’s before my last day of TO sightseeing! Goodnight, my darlings xo
Sometimes the best captures come from the iPhone! That being said, I’d also like to go back in time, Marty McFly styles, and re-live this vacation. Two weeks in paradise was exactly what the doctor ordered, I’m so thankful to my parents for bringing us on their anniversary trip.
We’ve been to Hawaii many times, but we all absolutely fell in love with Kauai. I’ll be sharing our recommendations soon, but these photos give you a glimpse at the beauty that is the island of Kauai! xo
