1. My cat and I have started a new evening routine. I have started taking him outside (he has been strictly indoors aside from a handful of Houdini escapes for probably ten of his fourteen years of life), and it has been quite the sight to see. We are working on manners, because when we first started going out he would hiss at me if he was not ready to go inside.

The hissing has since stopped, and he runs up to me more, but I still have to watch him.

His behavior is respectful for the first ten minutes, and then he gets a bit shady. Going too close to gaps in the fence, or getting into the position like he wants to try to jump it – he knows what he is doing. Some days however, he is an angel the entire time and we go out for 15-20 minutes, and then I pick him up and we go inside. He even walks himself in the door after we’ve been out a bit.

All creatures deserve to enjoy nature, even when they sass their mom.

2. My anxiety has been off the charts lately. I have had a lot of things on my plate the last few months and my body has felt like a balloon about to burst. I took a weekend getaway a couple weeks ago and I was so riddled with stress my shoulders seized up. It took three weeks for my neck and shoulders to relax.

3. Duncan had the most wonderful day date idea recently. He said to me: “Let’s go to the nursery and each pick out a plant.” Be still my beating heart. We wandered the entire nursery (I chose the biggest one near us) and we both ended up choosing the same plant. I wanted one that would clean the air, and he agreed.

We then chose our own pottery to plant them in. I wasn’t sure if my pottery of choice had enough drainage capabilities, so I put some rocks from a nearby park on the bottom of the pot.

4. Drinking my morning coffee is like a spiritual practice for me. I have had such a long road with coffee, and I am thankful I have found a way to make this black beauty work for me in my life. Something about that first sip…I am so excited for the changing seasons, drinking coffee on a crisp fall morning is unlike anything else. Anytime the seasons change I feely myself shift and change too.

5. When I was living in Deutschland I would often bike through a town that had a Birkenstock outlet. I am not one to buy things that I don’t need, but I stopped in a few times to see what they had to offer. The prices were unbelievable, and I spent months trying to find a reason to justify buying another pair (I already had two.) Eventually I needed a new pair of work shoes, so I thought I would give the clogs that all the cooks were wearing a try.

I did not care for them. They looked like clown shoes and I had to go a size bigger than my sandals because I felt my toes hitting the inside.

I thought about returning them, but at the end of the day I figured I could just resell them in the states. Fast forward to working a job in a warehouse where my back is compromised. I have to wear closed toed shoes to work, so my sandals were out, but I thought I would try the clogs at work because the sandals always made my body feel good on the concrete. Low and behold the clogs have had their glory moment. They are the only shoes I have worn to work for the last year now.

These shoes are over $120 in the states, but I paid maybe 45-50 euros for them. Plus, I can’t live in Germany and NOT buy a pair of locally grown Birkenstocks, that would just be wrong.

6. My iPhone 8 is a piece of garbage. The battery sucks, and the charging port has started to give me problems. And yet, I cannot justify buying another one yet. I used the phone prior to this for a full year with an entirely cracked front screen because the phone still worked. The screen was annoying, but the phone worked. I will likely wait until I cannot charge this phone at all before I buy another one.

7. I have not been hiking nearly as much as I would have liked this summer. I feel like my time has been stretched thin, and when the weekend comes I either can’t find anyone to go with (I have adapted the whole “don’t hike alone” mindset in my old age), or I am just too tired from my week. I think fall will be my time to shine, it’s just too hot in the summer most days for me.

8. I have been trying to reprioritize my life again. I have been getting far too bent out of shape over things that happen at my workplace, despite the fact that I learned early on in my working “career” that I never wanted to spend more time working for someone than I did actually living my life. I am thankful I was given the tools on how to properly and effectively save money for my future, which has left me feeling like I can continue to work a job on “my terms.”

I no longer care how others perceive my way of life.

It helps that I don’t have a high rent to pay, and I have a very minimalistic lifestyle, but I truly believe anyone can make a life of simplicity work. It starts with a shift of priorities – life can be as simple as you want it. For me – I prefer simple. So on I float, wherever the wind takes me. I have shifted my perspective at work and have been working on letting things affect me less. The entire reason I choose to work the jobs I do are because I want a low stress environment.

9. I also choose the jobs I do because a requirement for my life is flexibility. I have been feeling unfulfilled in my daily life lately with thoughts of future challenges and daily stressors at home. Without a proper balance of what makes me feel alive I start feeling bluer than a fresh batch of gorgonzola. I haven’t been riding my bike much lately, but this past weekend I took her out for a 20 mile spin on a beautiful farm road.

It took me a while, but the gravel bike I bought back in March finally feels like a glove. I feel peace and joy when I sit on the bike, just like I did with my mountain bike from Germany.

10. I am going to Sweden next week. One of my friends has family in Sweden, and he is just as impulsive as I am. It was a whirlwind of a decision, ticket purchase, and itinerary planning process, but I am taking the entire trip with a grain of salt. I will only be gone for twelve days, but I already miss Duncan. And my cat.

Q: What’s your confession?

One of my favorite things to do is discover a hike (online), save a hike (to my AllTrails app), and complete a hike (with my feet.) Something about the progression, the build up of excitement, and the accomplishment of this process brings me so much joy. Bonus points happen when these hikes are international, but that doesn’t mean my home country hikes are any less stellar.

One of my latest discover it, save it, complete it adventures took me to my neighbor state of Oregon. I hadn’t been to Oregon in years, so Duncan and I took a mini getaway for the Labor Day weekend. I had wanted to hike God’s Thumb for a handful of months, and while trying to decide where we should go for his three day weekend (I take full advantage of these) he suggested Oregon.

Badda Boom Badda Bing, Oregon hear me sing.

In my 33 years of life I have never been to the Oregon coast. I didn’t realize this was a fact until after our trip, but my goodness is it beautiful. It felt so much different than the Washington cost. Each are beautiful, but Oregon felt to me like I was stepping onto the coast of Ireland. Maybe I just have Europe on my mind…

We spent two nights in the small town of Falls City at an adorable tiny house surrounded by cats and chickens and rabbits and a dog. Give me an Air B&B with cats and I am a happy human. The tiny house was adorable, and perfectly situated between God’s Thumb and another hike we wanted to do, but first up was God’s Thumb.

This hike is a goldilocks hike – not too hard and not too easy. It was steeper in sections than I expected, but we managed fine and the first chunk of the trail is in the forested canopy area. Perfect for a warm summer day. Eventually the trail opens to a giant field before coming over a hill to see the first sight of the “thumb.”

I think this was my favorite hike of the summer. The crashing waves, the blue water, the unique shape of the point we were walking towards made me feel incredibly warm inside. As did the sun, it was a mistake to wear a black shirt on this hike. We spent a decent amount of time on the thumb with a plethora of other humans, but I managed to sit in different spots for different views trying to soak it all up.

I could have sat there for hours.

We chose to do the loop part of the hike, opposed to the out and back. There are multiple places to park for this hike, but the main parking area on AllTrails worked out perfectly. The lot closest to the trail fills quickly, but we started later in the day and got a front row spot. Plus, there is plenty of parking lining the road further down. Overall we hiked around 5 miles and certainly worked up an appetite.

We made it to our Air B&B around 1830, and spent the evening relaxing before our next adventure. These weekend getaways are just the right amount of adventure to fill my meter back up after feeling like I have been in one place for too long. I don’t know what it is, but something about sleeping in someone else’s house in an area I would otherwise never see brings me so much joy.

It’s the little things.

Next up: second day in Oregon – trip to Silver Falls State Park.

Q: Have you been to the Oregon coast? Apparently the Oregon coast is called the “peoples coast”, because the entirety of it is public land.

My previous post highlighted Duncan and I embarking on a mini getaway to Oregon for Labor Day weekend, and after our first hike we crashed hard at our Air B&B. We both slept well, but I had some horrendous neck pains that had been lingering for about a week keeping me awake. When I woke up in the morning, I was in so much pain I was unsure if I would be able to go on our second hike.

This second hike was another one I had discovered, saved, and wanted to complete for a handful of months, and while the drive was only 4 hours from my house, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity when we were close. Anyone who knows me knows I am wildly stubborn, and I refused to lay in the tiny house all day. Duncan was amazingly supportive and helpful, he usually comes on these adventures with me because he knows how much they mean to me, and he did whatever I needed that morning to help me feel better.

I started with resting and stretching, and ended with some cat therapy.

This tiny grey kitten appeared out of no where, and was so incredibly friendly. I stepped outside hoping the fresh air would make me feel better (I was not doing well in my mental space), and like a gift from God there this tiny being was. I gave her a pspspspspsp and she came RUNNING to me. We cuddled for a while before I lured her into the tiny house (oops) to show Duncan.

I slowly started feeling like I could move a bit more (I also succumbed to taking an NSAID, which I never do), so we finished cuddle time and set out for our adventure.

Our second adventure was a visit to Silver Falls State Park to hike the very popular Trail of Ten Falls. I’m not normally drawn to waterfalls, but this trail name lured me in with the promise of ten. It’s like eating stale crackers – when you have just one they are lack luster, but the more you eat the better they become? The drive to the park was a little over an hour, and we passed through some amazing Oregon farmlands.

One day, my goal is to live in an area with miles and miles of farmland.

Once we arrived at the park, we made our way towards the trail. It felt a bit like a mini national park with how many humans were there, as well as the layout of the park. I knew going on a holiday weekend mid day would be bad, but my goodness there were a lot of people. Once we made it past the first waterfall the crowds thinned out. We started off with a bang, the first waterfall was one of four falls we were able to walk behind.

Those four were my favorite of all the falls we saw.

The above two photos are the first fall we saw from different angles. After this we were able to settle in a bit and I was able to relax. Duncan was a saint and carried the only backpack we brought because there was no way I would be able to sit a pack on my shoulders with my pain. We put both of our water bladders in his pack and his tube sat on one side, and mine on the other. Water breaks were so romantic, like one soda with two straws.

The pain was still there, but during the first three miles I was able to manage it. We quickly found the second fall and it was another one we could walk behind.

Each fall we could walk behind I wanted to stop at for a moment, but there were so many people we just kept walking. The trail was quiet in most spots until you found yourself at one of the falls you could walk behind. Like a Walmart on Black Friday. Around mile four I started to find myself in a lot of discomfort, but I did my best to put one foot in front of the other and continue on. We saw some waterfalls throughout that were just ok, and then found ourselves at another walk behind fall.

By the time we left the above fall, I was over the hike. Which honestly was more of a nature walk that went on for seven miles. We found ourselves at a fork in the road which would have cut off some of the hike, but I didn’t dare quit on the loop – even if I could barely move my upper torso. By the time we made it to the very last fall, I was done – I just wanted to teleport back to the car.

Despite being in pain and exhausted, the last fall was the best of them all. Well worth continuing on.

I think had I been less uncomfortable I would have enjoyed this more, and should I return in the future I would like to see this place in the fall. Everything looks better with colorful leaves. I’m glad we went, and overall it was worthwhile. I ended my day the same way that I started it – kitty snuggles. This time one of the other cats on the tiny house property came to say hello. The house had three cats on site, and sadly the one cat that was too scared to say hello was the black cat.

My heart has a special place for black cats.

The following morning my neck pain was less intense (of course) and we spent the morning lounging before making the drive back to Washington. The tiny house was home to a handful of very friendly chickens, who provided me some of their bounty for my breakfast. My farm to table heart was bursting at the seams for those eggs. After breakfast we cleaned up and packed the car for the drive home.

If you’ve made it this far, good on ya. This was a long one. A most wonderful weekend getaway with my best guy. If you need a place to stay for some Oregon adventures I highly recommend the Tiny House Farm Stay – even if just for that tiny gray cat (but really it was all great.)

Q: Have you ever had to power through discomfort while traveling? Silly question – this should apply to everyone. I want to hear your best stories. One time I was riding a stifling hot bus in Slovenia going back to my hostel after a long day at the lake, and I had to fight with ever fiber in my body not to vomit on the person next to me.

I have officially survived my first trip back on European soil since coming home from Germany at the end of 2020. This trip was a long time coming for me. I had no idea I would be going to Sweden for my first trip back to Europe, but I knew I needed to get myself back to that side of the world. The entire trip was a very fast, whirlwind of decisions, and overall I would say it was a success.

I have a coworker/friend named Derek who I know is up for most any adventure. These days it can be difficult to find someone who is: a.) up for the adventure, and b.) can afford the adventure, so I knew I couldn’t be picky if I wanted to travel with another human. I walked into our break room at work one day in late July and said to him: “do you want to go to Ireland?” He said yes, and we mulled over that for a bit before he said to me later: “what about Sweden, I have family we could stay with?”

Slap my knee and call me Sally, a brand new country to conquer and a free place to stay?! Sign me up.

I’d be lying if I said this was an easy decision. I wondered if Derek and I would be compatible travel partners, and I wondered if staying with his family would hinder my experience without having the freedom to come and go as I please, but I went into this trip with the mindset that it was strictly to rip off the bandaid of traveling so that I could potentially feel comfortable going alone again.

By the first week of August we booked our flights (which were only $650, unheard of), and by the end of August we had booked two Air B&B’s for some extra exploring down south as well as a rental car. I spent nearly an entire month wondering if I should go, and Duncan continually pushed me out the door knowing how much I needed to get out of America.

He and Derek are also friends, as well as roommates, so there was no weirdness about me traveling with another guy.

Dereks family turned out to be the most wonderful, welcoming, kind people who I hope to stay in touch with for life. More on that in later posts.

Our first three days in Sweden were dedicated to visiting Stockholm. Dereks aunt and uncle live just on the outskirts of the city, making it easy to take a train into the heart of Stockholm. I had forgotten how much I adore public transportation in Europe, the efficiency of the trains and subway systems are something I will forever long for where I live. We spent a “quick” five hours exploring our first day, just to get a lay of the land, as well as to honor the jet lag and get home before dark.

We wandered the streets of Gamla Stan (shown throughout this post), which is the overly touristy, but wildly beautiful old town. The cobblestone streets and tiny alleyways filled my soul more than I can describe. And the bikes, ohhh the bikes. Everywhere I looked I saw bikes and bikers and bike lanes. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss biking in Europe.

Just in time for lunch we managed to find one of the destinations I wanted to see called Östermalms Saluhall – an old market hall built in 1888.

Food sensitivities do not exist while traveling, so I made sure to try a few of the items that screamed “this is Swedish“, but I made sure to keep it to just one or two a day so that I didn’t completely crash. The splurge of this day was a piece of brown bread with shrimp on an egg, smoked salmon, and shrimp mixed into a sauce.

I have no idea what all was on this sauce wise, but it was delicious.

We spent the remainder of the day wandering and seeing as much of the old town as possible, with a bit of the larger area of the city as well. The following day we would arrive earlier and stay later to explore more of the bigger parts of the city. Day one highlights were seeing a black cat, seeing the colorful buildings in Gamla Stan, walking by the waters, and seeing an Ikea. When in Rome…

Jet lag hit me hard that night, yet I still managed to walk 8.5 miles around the city. We had a lovely wind down with Dereks family, and prepared ourselves for the following morning. There are few things I enjoy more than getting “lost” wandering a new city. Up next: Stockholm days two and three.

Q: Have you traveled internationally since COVID restrictions have lifted? The entire travel process, albeit long, was a breeze. I did not want to travel via airplane until ALL the restrictions were lifted.

The public transportation we used while traveling in and out of Stockholm could not have been more straightforward. Similar to the London Underground for those who have experienced it, I bought a card to preload “trips” onto, and each trip lasted for 74 minutes. What this meant was that once I scanned the card I could use any compatible travel system (train, bus, subway) within 74 minutes.

No separate tickets necessary.

Day two in Stockholm Derek and I already had our trip for the day loaded onto our cards, and we headed to the train around 0945. On day one we took the train to the east of the city, and immediately went down to the subway to spit us right into Gamla Stan – the old town. Day two we decided to get off at the train, skip the subway, and walk towards the old town to see new things.

Derek bought a 10GB cell plan for map access, but I was living the carefree life of zero service.

After wandering a bit we mapped our way towards the water where a lot of the tourist activities started. Our one tourist activity we partook in was a boat tour around the closest canal. This was a 50 minute tour for a whopping $21, and was worth the price. Headphones were provided for a very basic knowable of what we drove past, but I was more interested in seeing the city from the water.

One of the most notable thing about Sweden is all the different trees. October is one of my favorite months to travel because it’s not a popular month for tourists, and because I love seeing fall come to life in a new country. Sweden did not disappoint with their fall colors and temperatures. We had great weather the entire trip, it only rained once for about 30 minutes before the boat ride and we were able to stand under a cover.

After our boat excursion it was time to do some shopping. I am not one to buy people souvenirs, but I love buying people food items from the places I travel. My mom had her heart set on a Dala horse, a popular Swedish symbol that originated as a toy for children. I wasn’t stoked on buying a material item, but I ended up buying a medium one for her and a smaller one for me.

I also succumbed to a handmade house that resembled one of the popular buildings in the old town, plus some local made fudge and candy for my mom and Duncan.

I do enjoy finding something small when I travel, but often times I will find post cards or paintings that I can frame and put onto a wall. After shopping and walking, it was time to try the infamous kardemummabulle, or cardamom buns. Dereks mom is from Sweden, and he had visited a handful of times before this trip, so he forewarned me of the deliciousness that is the Swedish cardamom bun.

The cardamom buns were at every single bakery or coffee shop we walked by, but I wanted to find somewhere that was not a chain, and that looked extra cozy to buy my bun from. This was my splurge of the day and I wanted to make it as close to “from scratch” as possible. I found an adorable shop in the old town that I regrettably did not pay attention to the name of, but their kardemummabulle was fan-freaking-tastic.

Somehow this small, simple, bun of gluten and explosions of cardamom is one of the best things I have ever eaten. Similar to a croissant in France, sometimes less is truly more. The flavor was wonderful, and the chewy dough had my brain swimming in dopamine. Worth the splurge and then some. Day two we ended up walking just under ten miles, making our total mileage in Stockholm between the two days 18 miles.

Days one and two in Stockholm were fun, but day three was by far my favorite. Derek had plans to meet with more extended family for the day, and I had plans to go into the city alone to meet with a friend. I reached out to Cornelia, a Swedish girl I had met while traveling in Slovenia a few years ago. Slovenia is a trip I will never forget specifically because of the two girls I met.

Cornelia was free for the day and we met in the old town, because I was most comfortable navigating to a place I had already been.

She ended up taking me to Södermalm, an area of the city I had not been yet. I would have never found where she took me, I saw beautiful views, her favorite bakery, and an intercity “mountain” of rocks where people go to unwind. These tips from a local were a highlight for me. After a long walk we had dinner together at a vegan cafe (best smoothie bowl I have had in years) and chatted like old friends.

After dinner I had planned to head back to Derek and his family, but Cornelia invited me to church with her.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t panic after agreeing to go with Cornelia to church. Every part of me wanted to go, but I originally planned to stick near public transportation I was familiar with because I did not have cell service. Without easy access to data for map usage I became anxious of getting lost. I would also be navigating back in the dark, something I try to avoid as a woman alone.

Cornelia was incredibly patient with my mini panic and she helped me with the subway map which was actually very easy to navigate. When my anxiety goes into overdrive it can be hard for me to see how simple something is, because all I can see is the worst. I wasn’t able to fully enjoy the church service because of my anxiety, but I’m glad I challenged myself to go. Cornelia reminded me of all the solo travels I had done and that everything “always works out.”

I needed that moment. I have been living in a bubble of fear for the last two years, and I needed to put myself into the exact type of situation that causes me this kind of fear to remind myself I am capable of so much more than I give myself credit for. I have became so fearful of other people, of danger in the world, that I haven’t experienced life in the same way that I used to. I am immensely grateful for this day, allowing my independence to come back to life.

I ate a cinnamon bun from Cornelias favorite bakery on the train ride home, and relished in the small victory that was navigating my way home at night in a foreign country exclusively by relying on old school maps and verbal directions.

Stockholm is a beautiful city with the right balance of old and new. The people are friendly, the drivers are safe, and the architecture is stunning. Three days was the perfect amount of time to get a good lay of the land, and this was a great way to start the trip. I’m so thankful I was able to reconnect with Cornelia, and although this was only our second time meeting I still felt the soul connection we had when we met in Slovenia.

Day three wrapped up with 10.5 miles (including a 2 mile run before going to the city), giving me a total of 26 walked miles around Stockholm. I’d say I covered a good amount of the city for three days. Next up: Söderåsen National Park.

Q: Do you feel comfortable navigating a big city alone where you don’t speak the language? I’ve done this many times, but I usually prepare myself more by ensuring I understand my routes. The shift of plans when I chose to go to church in a new area was a challenge, but I have better navigational skills than I realize. If I had cell service it would have been a different situation, but this lack of a safety net caused me to panic. Alas, as Cornelia said – it always works out.

Whenever I travel to a new country I try my best to visit a National Park. Sweden has A LOT of national parks, which made it difficult to choose which one I wanted to see. I knew going north would not be an option on this trip, the weather would be too finicky and the drive would have been too far, so I focused my sights on the southern region of Sweden.

After scouring over the internet a few times, I finally chose to visit Söderåsen National Park, located in the southern most county of Skåne (it took me days to pronounce this correctly.)

Derek and I planned our Air B&B stays around this adventure, and everything else we did was extra. Our first Air B&B was in the municipality of Höör, a tiny little countryside filling all my European farmland dreams. We stayed in a tiny house on the property of a sweet Swedish woman and her husband, and while I adored the little space, I lost my marbles for the onsite green house.

The drive south from Täby where we were staying with Dereks aunt and uncle was about 6.5 hours. It was a surprisingly smooth drive (I drove), but by the time we arrived at our Air B&B we were ready to stretch our legs. We chose a spot that had two bikes we could borrow, and neither of us had to think twice about taking them out for a spin.

The bikes were rusted, too small, and looked over a decade old, but they were the most magical steeds to ride 10 miles of countryside on.

We stayed at this place for two nights, and I spent both mornings sipping my coffee inside the green house with one of the cozy red blankets draped across my lap. On our first morning the host offered breakfast, but I wanted to ensure I was in top shape for a day of hiking and couldn’t risk feeling like shit. Derek partook and our host brought him a basket of perfectly wrapped bread, vegetables, an egg, a cookie, fresh yogurt, cheese and salami, and fruit. It was adorable.

Meanwhile in the greenhouse…

After finishing our morning routines, it was time to head to the park. Our Air B&B was a short 25 min drive from the park, meaning we didn’t have to leave at dawn. Upon arrival we were one of four other cars in the lot. This National Park has a few different locations to start hiking from, and it was very low key. No passes, no crazy parking, no park rangers, just a beautiful piece of land for everyone to enjoy.

Our original plan was to hike through the center of the park, and turn around halfway giving us a 10 mile introduction to the area. We ended up going to a different location first per the suggestion of our Air B&B host, and we ended up staying in this area the entire day. There were so many options to explore.

My favorite thing about this hike was that the trail markers were painted onto trees.

Often times more than one trail would intersect, and then a tree would have multiple colored circles. We followed three separate colors at separate times until we clocked 10-11 miles (our Garmin watches had slightly different readings.) The area felt like something out of Jurassic Park, and we had long stretches where we saw no other humans.

The highlight of this adventure for me was overhearing a German family as they walked past us. One of the women greeted us in German, so I said goodbye to them in German. The man at the end of their train turned around as we passed and asked me if I spoke German. I said to him (in German) that I try, but not much. He then asked if we spoke Swedish and I said we spoke English.

We then (in English) talked about where they lived in Germany, where I used to live in Germany, and how we were all enjoying our trip to Sweden. The entire interaction left a warm feeling in my heart.

After our hike we went into the tiny “visitor center” at the start of the trail and had a lovely chat with the woman working in the center. I wanted to buy a pin to add to my national park pin collection, and I was in luck. We then returned to the tiny house with souls full of joy and adventure where I made salmon and potatoes for dinner. Contentment at its finest.

The following morning we had a leisure start before checking out and heading towards our next destination. Just enough time for me to spend one more morning in the adorable green house of my dreams. Next up: Kullaberg Nature Reserve.

Q: What was your most magical Air B&B (or hotel) stay?

When Derek and I were planning our Sweden trip, we only spent one afternoon together looking at a few ideas. I did some research on my own, but we mostly just wanted to get out of the country. We were also visiting his family, and I didn’t want to get too wild by throwing too many ideas at him. While we were planning the trip I suggested we drive to the southernmost tip to see some popular stone formations, and I also suggested in that same day we drive slightly north east to see the Kullaberg Reserve.

I mostly wanted to see Kullaberg, but I had already suggested the stones and I thought Derek was interested in them, so I said perhaps Kullaberg could be a bonus if we were feeling the extra drive. Fast forward to the night before we left for our three day adventure south, and per the input of Dereks aunt and cousin he suggests we skip the stones and go straight for Kullaberg.

I am so thankful we chose to change the plan, because this was my favorite spot of the entire trip.

I was enamored by these jagged rocks and the crashing waves from the sea. I could have sat here all day. We didn’t have a solid plan, but we knew there was a lighthouse at the very tip of the nature reserve, so this was our first destination. We ended up walking around the rocks for a while because I wanted to get closer and closer to the water. We walked down to a tiny lighthouse of sorts which provided a better view of the large lighthouse on the hill.

According to the Google, this is the largest, and brightest lighthouse in all of Scandinavia.

After wandering the rocks for a short while, I noticed far off in front of us it looked like an arrow was painted onto the rocks. I then saw what looked like a cave, and sure enough there were arrows guiding a rocky trail to a cliffside cave fully equipped with drippy walls and critters. We walked over to the cave just as a tour was arriving, so we sat and savored the view until they left.

This was a wonderful wrench in the moment because I loved having to sit and wait.

After our cave diving (rather my cave diving, Derek wouldn’t go inside), we made our way back up the rocky precipice and back to the car. This area reminded me of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and perhaps that is why I loved it so much. I thoroughly enjoyed the hike we had done the day prior, but the Kullaberg Reserve felt so wild to me. It was quiet, there were little to no people around (other than the tour), and the waves showed no mercy to the rocks they crashed upon.

A beautiful adventure I shan’t soon forget. The second half of this day was spent exploring another area on the Kullaberg Reserve, unlike anything I have ever seen in my entire life. Next up: Nimis.

Q: Would you go into the cave? Full disclosure, I only went in enough to see the opening from the other side. Nothing gives me the willies more than a tight, dark space.

I don’t even know where to start with this post. This area of Sweden was unlike anything I have ever seen, and I likely will not see anything like it again. A few days before we were to depart for our mini adventure south, Derek had dinner with his cousins. One of them told him about a “local known” spot within the Kullaberg Reserve that had caused a lot of controversy over the years.

Naturally this was intriguing, and this was the main motivator behind Derek suggesting we abort our plan to go all the way south on one of our days and instead go visit the Kullaberg Reserve. I just wanted to see the coastal waters, so anything else for me was a bonus. I saw a photo of Nimis, where we planned to go after the lighthouse, but I didn’t quite grasp the magnitude of this place until I was standing in front of it.

Nimis, which is fittingly Latin for “too much“, is a maze like structure of driftwood built by a Swedish artist named Lars Vilks, and it is not easily reached. I had assumed this was something right off the trail, and while half of our mile long walk to Nimis from the car was on a man made trail, the other half split off the path and we had to follow yellow “N’s” painted onto trees.

This was not a dainty walk, it was a relatively steep drop down off the path.

I started off in good spirits. Google Maps told us it was a short walk and after the previous days of non stop activity my body was hopeful for a quick jaunt. My brain thought this was going to be one tower of driftwood, which would be cool to see, but nothing to bat my eyes at. Boy was I wrong. The trail starts off passing beautiful red and white buildings, and heads into the forest where the wind in the trees brought life to my soul.

The uncertainty of where we were going took the wind out of my sails pretty quickly. As I mentioned, this is not a well known area and it certainly is not advertised within the reserve. In fact, the construction of this maze structure began in 1980, was discovered by authorities in 1982, and was in a legal battle until 2004. The authorities wanted to tear down the structure (understandably so, it is within a nature reserve after all), but somehow Lars won the legal battle.

I don’t quite understand how this is possible, but there was a loophole of sorts where Lars was able to turn this plot of land into an independent nation named “Ladonia.” Today the structure is somewhat of a historic piece, and it seems to be one of those places people aren’t quite sure what to do with. The structure is made with 70 tons of driftwood, and while it was incredibly sturdy, there are certainly areas I can see to be unsafe.

Of course that did not stop us from walking inside.

Vilks is no longer alive, he was in a car accident in 2021 (the backstory on this is also controversial, and I fell down a Google rabbit hole), making Nimis all the more sought after by those who know of its existence. I’m glad I continued on the trail after loosing interest, because this was one of, if not the most unique things I have ever seen. This guy has a cool four minute video walking through the structure, with a little more history.

This day with the lighthouse (my previous post) and Nimis ended up being a wonderful introduction to the Kullaberg Reserve.

After gallivanting through Ladonia we made our way north a bit to Jönköping (another word that took me a bit to master, but I am now proficient), a city on the shores of Lake Vättern. This was our “halfway point” for our drive back to Dereks aunt and uncle’s place in Täby. For dinner I had salmon and potatoes (again), but I purchased sushi grade salmon from Norway and it was the best salmon I have ever had in my life.

I will forever dream about that salmon.

I had the most magical nights sleep in the Jönköping tiny house, and the following morning we walked along the lake for a while to shake out the legs before our drive back “home.” Our three day adventure south came and went quickly, as most adventures do, and I am thankful everything went smoothly.

Our Swedish escapade had a few days left, and our last few days were spent relaxing with family, walking around locally, and eating delectable Swedish waffles within the presence of beautiful cows. Next Up: Small Town Sweden.

Q: Would you walk through Nimis?

This is my final post covering my recent travels to Sweden. For those of you who have made it thought them all, thank you. This trip helped bring me back to life, and reminded me why I love to travel. We have all been in a weird place the last couple years, and it was so wonderful to take a step to the side and just live a little.

For our last two days in Sweden Derek and I spent time with his aunt and uncle, exploring locally and getting prepared to travel back home.

Anne, Dereks aunt, wanted to take us to a town called Vaxholm for a jaunt while we still had our rental car, but we made a quick pitstop at his uncles workplace to see what he does. In Sweden the drivers have to have regular checks on their vehicles to ensure the cars are safe to drive, and Ollie, Dereks uncle, gave us a rundown of what needs to be checked. He even let Derek and I into one of the cars to see how he checks the breaks.

I could tell Ollie was so excited to show us what he does, and that made this moment extra special for me. After this, we headed to Vaxholm.

The streets were quiet, but we wandered for a bit imagining how busy it gets in the summer months. Vaxholm is an archipelago island popular for fishing and littered with traditional red and white buildings. This quickly became a symbol of Sweden for me, as these beautiful buildings were everywhere. With this theme you can imagine my surprise seeing a pink house amongst the red and white, and while it definitely didn’t fit with the rest, it was beautiful in its own way.

We popped into a bakery to grab some kardemummabulle before we left, and on our way back home we stopped by Bogesund Castle which was a short drive from the city center. We could not go inside the castle, but this felt like a good spot to eat my kardemummabulle while walking around the crunchy leaves and staring at the beautiful building.

We kept it simple for the day, as we were scheduled to have dinner with Dereks aunt and uncle at 1800. I wanted to do something nice for them because they were such kind hosts, so Derek and I took them out to a restaurant of their choice. They chose a place called Melanders which is a restaurant, cafe, and also a storefront. They sell fish and other seafood at their storefront, while also making this fish for their menus.

Talk about delicious, my mom said this looked gross, but I had seconds of the creamy dill potatoes.

We came back after dinner and enjoyed an evening fika, where I decided to partake in coffee after dark. Not only did it not affect my sleep, but it allowed me to relax with the family while learning more about how Ollie and Anne met. Fika is a strong part of Swedish culture, consisting of coffee and usually some kind of treat so I had some oat milk ice cream with bananas to accompany my coffee.

What a magical evening.

The following morning we were scheduled to go to a nearby lake where we walked to a farm to have Swedish waffles. This area was adorable, a large lake that people were walking or running around, and the farm in the middle was like a cherry on top. If I lived here I would come run around the lake all the time, ending with an afternoon fika. WITH WAFFLES.

This waffle, just like the cardamom bread, is a prime example of how less is more. You don’t need much to make a dish taste good. I chose strawberry as my topping, as did Derek and his aunt, while his uncle chose blueberry. Paired with a dollop of whipped cream, I could have easily eaten two. Or three.

We spent a couple hours here walking around, playing with the cows, and enjoying the sunny fall day. The yellow trees in Sweden stole my heart, and I couldn’t not stop taking photos of them. These small towns are just as magical as the larger ones.

I have realized that there is a difference between the words travel and vacation. It’s not often that I take a true vacation, but rather I prefer to travel. At the end of traveling I think feeling tired is normal and expected. Seeing as much as possible while traveling is something I have grown to crave, whereas a vacation is somewhere you go to rest.

Vacation in my mind is visiting a resort, a beach, or a tiny island where you don’t do much movement.

This trip to Sweden was certainly to travel. I love the non stop movements seeing new things, and Derek and I certainly packed a lot into our stay. I suppose you could say these last two days were the vacation portion of this travel escapade. I was thankful to have a day to recoup before going back to work which is a must for me, and I am still trying to settle back into real life. Big thanks to Anne and Ollie for being the most wonderful, gracious, welcoming hosts. Anne went out of her way to buy food I could eat (I still splurged sometimes), and Ollie was always willing to drive us when we didn’t have a rental car.

We started as strangers and left as friends. I hope I see them both again someday.

Q: Do you prefer travel or vacation?

1. I have been home from Sweden for about a month now, and readjusting to regular life was hard at first, but I finally feel settled. Work has been slow, so hours have been cut, but I am not complaining. It gives me time to do more important things, like help my mom clean her house and look for other jobs. LOL.

2. I took my cat to the vet recently and it was the most horrific experience. He never does well at the vet, and I have to drug him before I go (which is very stressful for us both), but this most recent time was the worst. He could not calm down even with the drugs, and while they were trying to get his blood pressure I could hear him SCREAMING in the other room. I had a hard time keeping it together. The good news is that he seems to be “anti-aging” and all prior concerns are under control.

3. I have been enjoying too many late night fika’s since I returned from Sweden. Before I left I bought the gluten free pumpkin loaf from Trader Joe’s, and I am onto my fourth loaf of the season. It is SO GOOD. Even better with coffee…my anxiety doesn’t thank me for the excess caffeine at times though. Reel it in Brittany…

4. It felt like summer lasted forever here, and it was still smoky into mid October. I was ready and longing for fall, yet it seems we have skipped straight to winter overnight. It has been SO cold. I was lusting for fall, but now I would give anything to go back to my last hike to Mount Rainier with Duncan in the September sun.

5. Few things make me more uncomfortable than an overly stuffed fridge. I would not survive long in a food shortage because I hate having excess food. Food waste is one of my biggest pet peeves, and when I see a fridge stuffed to the brim I need to organize it. I like to eat what I have, and then buy more as I need. Pantry items I give a bit more leeway to, but I do not like having excess there either.

6. Back in 2015 I bought my second pair of Vibram Five Finger Bikila’s. I had a few other Five Finger models prior to the Bikila, but once I slipped my foot into the Bikila it was like Cinderella’s slipper. Naturally this shoe was discontinued relatively quick, and when I found that second pair I was elated. Fast forward to 2022 and that pair has been run into the ground. I have worn them despite the holes in the left shoe, but I recently found a pair on eBay for $35. Unheard of.

They fit like a glove. Literally.

7. My blog storage is nearing full capacity. I can either pay more money to have more space, or I can stop blogging. Orrrr I can start a new blog. New blog new me kind of thing. I have always sort of disliked my blog URL, it’s so corny. Someone once told me that it even sounded like a porn website. Yikes. However, blissfulbritt has been with me through aaalllll the up’s and down’s of growing up. Ohhh life dilemma’s.

8. The weekend before Halloween Duncan and I went to a murder mystery game night with some friends. I happened to choose the character that died first, but I soon discovered that there was little to no organization with the game. I ended up spending most of the evening alone. I was a bit salty, but I’m over it now. Mostly. I still had fun, and the next morning I went to a lovely coffee shop where I met my new family.

9. Last Tuesday our water heater shit the bed. Not only did the behemoth have to be removed ASAP, the entirety of the flooring surrounding it needs to be replaced (it was dripping for who knows how long.) We cannot get a new water heater until the flooring and dry wall is replaced, which is proving to take some time. I have been taking cold showers ever since, and I am officially a member of the Navy Shower gang. While this new method of cleaning myself has been an adventure, and I exit the bathroom feeling refreshed, I cannot wait for warm water again.

You have not felt discomfort until you have felt frigid water on your skin in the middle of late fall/early winter. I like to call this character building.

10. Duncan and I went to a new to us pumpkin patch this year before Halloween hit, and it was ridiculously expensive. Each day that passes I feel more and more like a crotchety old woman. We spent $50 for two people to walk through the corn maze and find a pumpkin (which was a separate fee.) Call me crazy, but that’s just too much. Thankfully, we found two small and fun pumpkins that did not break the bank.

We even wore matching forehead pimples, how sweet.

Can you guess who carved which pumpkin?

Q: What’s your confession?

In my last post I mentioned my blog space was nearing its max, and I decided a week or so ago to bite the bullet and upgrade to the next level. The irony is that I have hit a bit of the December slump, and while I have things in my brain I would love to write about, few of them are happy go lucky. The nature of this blog however is that I share the good, the not so good, and the sweaty. On Thanksgiving day I decided to start a run streak, where I run everyday until the first of the year.

The idea was not mine, I saw it in a Runners World article, but I had always wanted to do a run streak so I figured why not.

I am 27 days into the streak, and there have only been one or two days where I really struggled to get out the door. My basement is in the process of a looonnggg renovation, which means my treadmill was shunned to the garage. I spent 21 of these days running outside, until Duncan helped me maneuver the treadmill in the garage so I could use it. What a luxury that machine is.

I did enjoy running outside most days, but the snow days were a bit rough.

The goal is to run at least a mile, and I would say the majority of these days I have done just that – one mile. Workdays I don’t usually enjoy doing too much of a workout because my job is very physical, but one mile is always manageable. I find that I enjoy that quick ten minutes (and some change) of movement before the day starts. The day I struggled the most with the streak was a day I also went for a 5.5 mile hike.

I ended up running down the mountain some, likely not a full mile, but it still counts towards the streak in my book.

The intention of the streak is to keep your body moving during the winter months when temptation to be sedentary is high, however the streak is really whatever you make of it. For me, this streak is to keep my mental health on track. Running has become such a blessing of an outlet for me this last year to keep my anxiety at bay. The darker months I am visited by anxieties step sister depression if I am not keeping busy enough (or sometimes just because), and running has been very helpful there too.

I stopped running for a few years when I was first diagnosed with my autoimmune disease because I noticed running would cause my symptoms to flare up. This year I have managed to find a good balance with the sport, ensuring I can continue to run more frequently. My biggest concern this last year however was my chronic sciatica pain. For a full year I woke up every single day in pain or discomfort from a slipped disc issue. I truly thought the pain would never subside.

Thankfully I have been pain free since July/August. I still feel the nerve, as if it has been scarred by the pinching, but the pain is no longer. I sat in my favorite chair recently, one I could not sit in for a year, and realized the joy I felt sitting with no pain.

Side note: when running outside I am never without my GoGuarded handheld. This is not sponsored, this is just me sharing my must have while running. Highly recommend for all women. Go buy one. Or gift one. It’s a must. Sadly.

Running also helped me during the time our water heater was out of commission, as I briefly mentioned in my last post. I went 35 or so days without hot water, meaning quicker showers than you can say the word shower. Going for a run before showering helped me get in the cold water because my body was hot and craved cooling. Now that I have access to warm showers again, dare I say I miss the cold? What I don’t miss is strategizing taking a shower.

My mind appreciates the lack of thought going into showering. Another luxury I didn’t realize I had until I didn’t have it.

Going forward I don’t see myself continuing a run streak after the 39 days are up, but I do see myself chasing bigger goals. I would love to run another half marathon someday, and I think with realistic pacing goals and proper rest this could be a reality. The last 27 days have made me physically and mentally stronger. It’s been a special treat I have given to myself as a reminder that I am capable of difficult things, and difficult things have indeed arose.

The changing of the season moving into winter is a time for us to look inward. Finding outlets and tools to continue moving forward is essential for me. I recently turned down a great job opportunity because it didn’t feel like the right fit. After I made this choice I fell down the spiral of worrying how this choice would appear to societal standards – something I have continuously moved away from for nearly a decade. I choose a nontraditional lifestyle and nontraditional jobs because life is about so much more than money to me.

I felt momentarily weak after this decision, but running pulled me out of that pity party real quick.

All of this babbling is to say life is hard. Being a human is hard. There is no easy button, but there are ways to make the journey more tolerable. For me those things are typically physical (running, biking, hiking, traveling), and for you those things might look different. We are all on the same floating ball just trying to get by. I do my best to find small joys in my day to day life, and a dopamine hit in the morning sure makes that easier.

Q: What is your outlet of choice?

I am going to sound like a broken record by saying this, but I cannot believe Christmas has come and gone. Every year it seems to get a little worse, where I struggle to get fully into the spirit of the holiday. I know Christmas is meant to be more than what we have commercialized it to be, and as someone who dreads the whole gift giving aspect of things I try to find my joy in other ways.

I love the colors, the lights, the food, the treats, the time off, and the time with family. My family is small, and most holidays have been spent with my mom and my older sister. The three of us have found a good rhythm in life, but I often daydream of celebrating holidays with a large group of humans. The older I get the more I crave a solid community to lean on.

The last time I truly felt the spirit of the season was when I worked for Starbucks, there is just something about those holiday cups.

I indulged in one black coffee out of the above holiday cup this year, and it most certainly tasted better than drinking out of a traditional white cup. I often miss being a barista, but it’s around the holidays when I reaalllyyy miss it. Alas, I do not miss large corporations moving away from human connection and moving closer to people in people out. I must be destined for a small mom and pop coffee shop, or my own coffee shop…

I digress.

My Christmas was lovely, a low key day with family. Duncan and I enjoyed a mimosa with his mom and grandma before going to my moms for dinner. A salmon feast with plenty of Lindt truffles fueled the night, and for good reason. My small black cat escaped just as Duncan and I were leaving for the evening, leading to a good cop, bad cop like chase through the woods. I realize chasing is never the answer, and ultimately we had to wait for him to come back.

And come back he did, sauntering in like a drowned rat as if nothing happened. Little shit.

My run streak is still going, although as I get closer to the restart of my monthly cycle I want to run less. So most days during the week leading up to my cycle I will likely be running one mile. Anything to get the body moving? These days I appreciate the movement because I have been eating as if all hell broke loose. I try to give myself more grace this time of year to be a bit flexible with my diet, but as someone who is genuinely affected by the foods I consume I need to reel it in.

My anxiety has been off the charts this month and it’s no doubt because of what I have been eating. I have everyday background noise anxiety, but throw in some gluten, sugar, and dairy and it’s like opening a flood gate. Indulging here and there is one thing, but those holiday treats have kicked me down the rabbit hole. If you are someone who struggles with anxiety like me I highly recommend paying attention to what you eat.

I don’t have any regrets, I enjoyed the hell out of this holiday season with the good foods, but I am ready to feel more centered.

I briefly mentioned earlier I struggle with the gift giving aspect of Christmas. I have a strong aversion to clutter, and there is very rarely anything that I “need” these days. I am much more of an experiences as gifts type of person, as well as gift cards. You can never go wrong with a gift card. The irony is that I do enjoy GIVING gifts, but I like to think I am good at getting people things they need and perhaps would not buy for themselves. Like an electric toothbrush (one of the gifts I gave Duncan last year.)

This year Duncan and I agreed on skipping the gift giving, but then about a week before Christmas he let slip that he got me something small.

Last month when Duncan and I were driving to his parents house for Thanksgiving dinner, we began talking about my trip to Ireland in 2017. I mentioned to him how I visited The House of Waterford Crystal, and was able to go on a tour to learn more about the crystal making process. As I was leaving the tour through the gift shop, I noticed a pair of crystal stud earrings I fell in love with.

At the time I could not justify buying them, I already had a few souvenires, but it was something I had regretted to this day.

I told Duncan I wished I had bought the earrings because they would have been a great souvenir (something small) to remember my trip, and then we moved on to talk about other things. Lo and behold he took that conversation, and hunted down a pair of beautiful Waterford Crystal stud earrings. The package was literally from Ireland. These are the moments and gifts I will cherish forever.

I often feel that people don’t truly listen when I speak. I feel alone more times than not even when in a room full of people. I don’t typically feel understood and more times than not I feel like an outsider looking in. For someone to not only hear what I said in passing, but to act on what I said – I can’t put into words what this meant to me. It’s not the jewelry, or the shiny crystals, it’s the thoughtfulness.

Thoughtfulness far surpasses anything else in my book. Thank you Duncan, you really made my heart smile. And on that sappy note I bid you all adieu, until the next post. I wish everyone a happy and healthy transition into the new year.

Q: How was your holiday? If you don’t celebrate Christmas, did you get the day off?

My run streak officially came to an end on the first of January, and for that I am thankful. I ran everyday for 39 days, and while my OCD brain wanted to push it to 40, my body said nahhh. I stopped at 39, took a day off, and resumed running the next day. I had wanted to try a run streak for some time, but I now know I am much more of a “listen to your body” kinda gal. I never want to feel like I have to do something, because that takes all the joy out of life. I’m glad I tried it, and I might even do it again next year, who knows.

What I do know is that I learned some things, and I am going to share those things right now.

1. Running everyday kept me disciplined. Overall I looked forward to not waking up and wondering if I wanted to run, but knowing I was going to run. Taking the thought work out of this was great for someone like me who struggles with decision fatigue and overthinking. I even ran one day on a treadmill with socks because I forgot my shoes. Would not recommend.

2. Running everyday helped my Christmas cookie addiction. I say this half joking, but in all reality I ate more treats last month than I can even remember. While my skin, and my brain didn’t love this, some of the sugary goodness was helpful the following morning giving me a surge of energy. I will also admit I didn’t think twice about anything I ate while doing the streak.

3. Running everyday reminded me that listening to music during a sport is a luxury. I spent the first 22 days of this streak running outside, which meant no music. I no longer run with music when I am alone outside because I need to be aware of my surroundings. I ran the last 12 days of this streak inside on a treadmill, and this meant all the music. I found myself falling down a rabbit hole of rap music I used to listen to when I was in high school.

It’s bad. It’s so, so bad.

The lyrics sound like they are written by a child half the time, and a corrupt human the other half. I cannot believe I used to listen to it, and yet…some of it was so nostalgic. A few songs made my running playlist, where they will stay and never see the light of day. Apologies to my mom for giving her a hard time when she wanted me to shut the trash off.

These two paragraphs belong on an Early Morning Confessions post, because this is indeed a confession.

4. Running everyday reminded me how much I love walking. Since ending the streak I have enjoyed a few runs, and a few walks. Duncan and I went to a nearby neighborhood with a network of trails leading us to a beautiful pond. We sat and savored the silence for a bit, something I need to do more of right now. My brain has been a fiasco of chaos and while running is helpful, I need to find more time to be still. I had a nice holiday season, but per usual I am thankful the holidays are over.

5. Running everyday showed me how strong my body is. Long time readers will know I used to be an avid runner in my early to mid twenties. I stopped because of some health issues for many years and believed running would be out of the cards for me. This streak showed me not only is running very much IN the cards, but that I can push a little harder than I thought I could.

6. Running everyday gave me an amazing outlet during a stressful season. With the holidays, trip planning, and me just being me, I often looked forward to running each day as a way to melt my mind into mush. It’s hard to stress about life when trying to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. I like to believe running is the reason I was so calm when my Houdini of a cat escaped out of my front door on Christmas night.

7. Running everyday sparked the old me and gave me the itch to run a race. I would love to run a half marathon again in my time, and while I sometimes worry the distance might be too much, the idea of having a bigger goal again excites me. My last half marathon was in 2014, and by this time running felt like a chore. I will never allow myself to get to that point again, and if I don’t want to run on any given day, I won’t. However, short term goals like a run streak or a half marathon make pushing myself temporarily far more rewarding.

8. Running everyday showed me that a mile, is a mile, is a mile. There were 2-3 days during this streak I truly did not want to run. I work a physical job and there were a few mornings I missed my run, meaning I had to run after I got home from work. These days I told myself “just one mile.” I always felt better after my mile (aside from one day I ate too many Christmas treats – the cramps were very real), and I knew running for ten minutes wasn’t going to kill me.

This is my favorite lesson of the entire streak, and something I have come to adopt over the past year. It doesn’t matter how long I go out for, or how fast I run for, I am moving my body and that is all that matters. On the flip side, I learned I much prefer running less days of the week, with longer mileage on the days I do run. 3-4 milers are my happy place, but when running everyday I was typically running 1-2 miles.

Either way, getting outside with some air on my face, regardless of how long is a treat I cherish.

I’m not one for big “new year” goals or changes. I’m more of the mindset that small, manageable changes can and should be made at all times of our life rather than one time at the beginning of a year. I do however want to use this time of my life to really focus on my mental health and finding more ways to destress and calm down. I continue to get worked up over things that perhaps don’t need extra anxiety energy, and it’s strongly affecting my life.

Running will continue to be one of these main outlets for me.

I enjoy the ongoing journey of listening to my body and trusting what it tells me. For example, there are certain times in my cycle that running is not the best option for me, and that’s perfectly OK. I am thankful I have the ability to choose to run (and walk, and bike, and hike) when I know many people do not. I can safely say I will never take these abilities for granted. Thanks for following along, and I look forward to more movements and more adventures as this year unfolds.

Q: Did you have a good New Years Eve? I was in bed by 10.

1. It’s been a while and I have a lot to share, so we are doing an EMC explosion of words. Each number will likely be more words than a usual EMC post, consider yourself warned this will be a long read. Winter has been kicking my butt. We’re talking lifting me up, spinning me around, and dropping my on my head style. My motivation, my drive, and my cares have all flown out the window.

I don’t want to go to work, I don’t want to exercise, and I don’t want to eat well. Thankfully my discipline is still in tact so I am showing up to work, I am still exercising, and I am eating well…somedays, but man am I ready for spring. There is a reason animals hibernate in the winter months, and the older I get the better that sounds.

Humans need rest too.

2. My dear friend Sam got married last February, and she and her husband had a small ceremony with just a few close friends. The ceremony was lovely, but she wanted to have a reception the following year when Covid chaos calmed a bit more. Fast forward to this February and she had the reception.

I cannot remember the last time I put on a dress and went into public.

My favorite part of the entire evening was seeing Duncan in slacks and a tie (albeit the tie was a bit short, but we had a good laugh about it.) That was a sight I never knew I needed to see until seeing it. Insert drooling emoji. My mom and my sister are friends with the bride, and they came with us as well. My sister said Sam looked like a princess in her dress, and I would have to agree.

3. Back in January Duncan and I went to see The Whale in theaters. I have not paid to see a movie since I went to see Jojo Rabbit back in Garmisch in 2019. I don’t think spending money for a movie is typically worth the cost, however the moment I saw the trailer for The Whale I knew I would be spending my money to see this film. I nearly wrote an entire blog post about this movie because I had so many words. I cannot remember the last time I cried in a movie as hard as I cried watching The Whale.

I absolutely sobbed. I had to sit in my seat for a minute after the movie ended trying to compose myself before I could leave the room. I was also days before my period, but that’s beside the point.

The movie was hard to watch at times, and some reviews have given it flak calling it fat phobic, or grotesque. To these comments I would assume those reviewers have never personally struggled with the type of trauma that accompanies addictions. Or rather have not experienced addictions caused by trauma. The movie was raw, and painful, and while it might not be for everyone it was hands down the best movie I have seen all year.

A movie that can hit me on so many emotional cords will automatically climb to the top.

This is a movie about a broken family both collectively and individually, traumas of multiple varieties, and redemptions. It’s heavy, and it’s unbelievably sad, but I am crossing my fingers and my toes that Brendan Fraser wins the Oscar for his performance. That’s saying a lot because I normally couldn’t give two cares about those award shows. Hollywood sucks, but Brendan is amazing.

4. Moving onto something less heavy…while stuffing our faces at Sams wedding, Duncan fell in love with the bacon wrapped goat cheese stuffed dates (say that five times fast) they made. I knew we would have to recreate these someday, and then that societal pressure filled holiday known as Valentines Day rolled around. You don’t have to give me a reason to do something nice for Duncan, but I will happily take a “holiday” as an excuse to make food.

I picked up a handful of his favorite foods for a picnic style smörgåsbord. I got brie and crackers, smoked salmon, olives with garlic and jalapeño, and then I made the infamous dates. Ohhh man were they good. I also made chocolate peanut butter hearts, both of which took me far longer to make than expected. And of course, it took us all of 10 minutes to eat like pigs.

Don’t ask me how I felt the next day. Ooooph.

5. I am absolutely, positively, burned out at work. What was meant to be a transition job from Germany to America has turned into a two year and four month job with more ups and downs than my mood swings during my luteal phase. The job has been flexible, and I am working in an area I worked hard to get to, but I don’t enjoy the environment. I don’t align with the corporate values or goals, and I have reached a point where most days I struggle going to work. Maybe it’s the winter mood?

I have never shied away from talking about working jobs that fill your cup regardless of the pay, and this is no different. I have worked odd jobs all over the world in order to fulfill my need of adventure and learning new things, and I know it’s ok to close this chapter soon. I like my paychecks, and I have stayed longer than I thought because I get a decent pay, but I know I cannot stay somewhere just for the money. If only every job has similar flexibility…

Best thing I got out of my current job was meeting Duncan. He was an unexpected detour in my journey, but one I am thankful I took.

6. I turned 34 last week. A concept that boggles my mind, and has me turning inward as I do most years around this time. One because it’s winter and those are the times for us to rest more and be more present with our thoughts, and two because I am slapped in the face with the reality that I am not getting any younger. For my birthday most years I choose to do something outside. Usually that includes a hike, or traveling somewhere new, and this year was no exception.

Duncan took the day off (what a gem), and accompanied me on a Pacific Northwest adventure.

I had wanted to visit a coffee shop a handful of miles from where I live for over a year now, and what better time to do so than on a birthday. The Espresso Chalet has gained attraction for its quirky Sasquatch themed exterior, and its breathtaking views of the Cascade Mountains. I’m indifferent to the Sasquatch stuff, but I had to see the views. We had a chilly, but clear day and while the coffee was not good, the views made the trip worth it.

Duncan and I each got an Americano, but they tasted more like coffee flavored tea. Very weak – which is saying a lot coming from me because I am someone who waters down my coffee as it is. We both would come back, but would order something else. All was not lost with the crummy coffee though, our second plan for the day was to go for a hike in the area. I had wanted to see Wallace Falls for some time as well, so we threw on our wool socks and waterproof shoes and hit the trail.

The hike was about 5.5 miles, with just under 1500′ of elevation, and after the feast I’d had the day before (my birthday is the day after Valentines Day if you remember the food I made a few confessions up) I was struggling to put one foot in front of the other. I felt like the Michelin man trying to climb up a hill. The trail was beautiful and the waterfall views were gorgeous. 10/10.

I ended the evening with my first froyo in likely a decade, and a homemade gluten free chocolate cake courtesy of my mom. Needless to say I needed a few days of nothing but air to recover. My poor little autoimmune body.

7. In the summer of 2020 my dad and his family planned a Mediterranean cruise for everyone as a celebration of my younger sister graduating college. Obviously that trip did not happen because life as we knew it changed forever, but little did we know there were six cruise vouchers sitting nicely in the cruise voucher ether. For two years these vouchers sat, unbeknownst to anyone, until my step mom received a phone call at the end of last year.

We are all at different places in life, meaning a group cruise for all six of us was no longer an option. In December I was presented with: “you have a voucher and you can also use your sisters, but it has to be booked by the end of the month.” My anxiety and overwhelm went into overdrive as I realized I had to book a cruise within two weeks. My credit was significantly higher than my sisters, and while technically the credit was hers, I was given the option to transfer it to Duncan should he want to go.

After figuring out all the logistics, and getting Duncan on board with my plan, I settled on a 9 day cruise going through Greece, Turkey, Israel, and Cyprus. These are all locations I have been wanting to visit, but a few of them I would not feel comfortable traveling alone. Having Duncan with me will make me feel safer, and while I don’t love the fast paced travel a cruise offers, I think this is a perfect way to get introduced to some of these places. We are taking full day excursions on all but one port day, and I am equal parts excited and anxious. We leave in April.

While the credit did not end up covering the entirety of this trip, it certainly covered a LARGE part of it. There is no way in hell I would have booked this kind of vacation without it. My frugal blood would have been screaming and I would not be unable to fully enjoy myself. It took a lot for me to accept booking the excursions through the cruise opposed to saving money and finding a local tour, but at the end of the day I would rather pay for the peace of mind that comes with doing everything through the ship.

The last thing I need is to be left behind.

8. Duncan moved into a new apartment last week, and I am stoked because he is now significantly closer to me. We will have been dating for two years in April, and while we did entertain the idea of living together it didn’t feel like the right time yet for me. The biggest obstacle for me, which is going to sound silly, is my cat (I am also struggling to accept leaving my mom alone to take care of my autistic sister, but that is another story.) I cannot live without my cat and I wasn’t sure how it would be moving him (he is fifteen) into an apartment complex.

He has lived in a home for his entire life and all I could see was him getting out and getting lost.

Duncan has been nothing but supportive of me in all the decisions I make and all the things I do, and he understand and accepts my crazy when I sometimes take a long time to come over because I am struggling to leave my cat. I have an arguably unhealthy bond to my cat, but ever since I almost lost him in 2018 I am now obsessed with spending time with him. Especially since I left him for two years. My point in all of this is to share what Duncan got me for my birthday.

Once again, it’s not just the gift, but it’s the thought behind the gift.

I cannot deny that this mug looks moderately like a memorial to my fur child, but I absolutely adore it. Duncan said to me, “now when you have coffee at my place it’s like you are with Little.” INSERT CRYING EMOJI. While I adore that idea, I am not taking this mug to his place, it will live with me at mine so I can use it every single day until I perish. He did everything he could to find a cat clip art with a white patch, but he could not find one. Either way, this is my favorite mug for life.

I have thought about putting a blob of whiteout on his neck, not sure how that would go. Thoughts and ideas are welcomed.

9. For the first time in all of my existence I messed up on my taxes. I filed them far too early, and after they were filed I received a W2 I had completely forgotten about. My caregiving job (helping provide care for my autistic sister) switched companies at the beginning of last year, and it had slipped my mind. I filed with the W2 from the company we switched to, and then later received the W2 from the original company. I have since amended my return, and my anxiety has balanced back out.

10. A couple weeks ago I went for an amazing 5 mile run. The weather was lovely, but a bit crisp. I wore a vest because I was going to run by the water, and the wind is always brutal in that area. I tucked my keys and license in one pocket, and my phone in the other and off I went. Or so I thought.

I made the rookie mistake of putting my phone in the SAME POCKET AS MY ID.

I didn’t notice it was missing until I got home, so I drove my running route again to try and find it, but no luck. I had a gut feeling someone was going to mail it to me, but just in case I went to get a new one. I got my new ID on a Friday, and that following Monday my old ID showed up in the mail. A painful $20 lesson, but a wonderful run nonetheless.

Q: What’s your confession?

A handful of weeks ago one of my coworkers talked about a recent hike she had done, and it was a place I had never heard of. The photos she shared were beautiful, and I knew it was a trail I wanted to experience for myself. What I didn’t know was the backstory of this trail, and how I would find myself in some type of post apocalyptic looking landscape that fueled my spirit for adventure in more ways than one.

Get ready for a brief history lesson. Just a few paragraphs, bear with me.

The Glines Canyon Overlook provides a modern view of what used to be one of two dams providing energy for the Olympic Power Company – which in turn helped to provide energy for a pulp mill based out of Port Angeles, Washington. The dam was supplied by The Elwha River, which happened to be home to some of the richest runs of salmon outside of Alaska. This second dam was finished in 1927, and business was booming, but without a fish passage within the walls of the dam the salmon were left with just five miles of accessible habitat from the mouth of the river.

That doesn’t leave much room for baby making spawning grounds.

It took decades to make any kind of change, but by 1980 the salmon population was threatened all across the PNW, and by 1992 the issue was settled by passing The Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act. This allowed full control over both the Glines Canyon Dam and The Elwha Dam (the other of the two) to be granted to the US Department of Interior. They could then enact the necessary actions for restoration of The Elwha River fisheries.

The Elwha Dam was removed in 2011, and the Glines Canyon Dam in 2014. The previous lake like body of water held back by the dam is now a rushing river through an old concrete slab. The dam’s have been removed, but the restoration process is still ongoing. The National Park Service is continually working with a local tribe and other partners to ensure The Elwha River is fully restored. OK, history lesson over…

SO. What does all this dam salmon talk have to do with my hike? What was once a fully functioning and drivable road to view the overlook of the old Glines Canyon Dam – is now a skeleton of its former self. In 2015 a section of this road was washed out due to a storm, and while restoration attempts were made, this section of the road is completely inaccessible by car to this day.

If you want to see the overlook, you are going to have to walk (or bike.)

While I knew we would be walking on a road to get to the overlook, I had no idea it was because the road had been washed out. The hike starts at the Madison Falls parking area, and a short, moderately steep bypass trail took us around the washed out section. This is the only area of the hike within the woods adjacent to the road, but I enjoyed walking on the old road significantly more. Strictly for the abandoned buildings and overgrown brush.

Hence the apocalyptic vibes.

We spent some time wandering around the old abandoned camp ground and NPS buildings before continuing on towards the overlook. This felt like a minor step back in time, and while the washout and the dam deconstruction were relatively recent, this was a unique walk through some historical spaces. The river was beautiful shades of blue and green and the road went on for miles.

The road continues on past the overlook, most notably to the Olympic Hot Springs, but my old lady body was having terrible back pain on this hike, so we called it at the overlook.

Once we made it to the overlook we pulled out our camp chairs to sit and savor the view. There are still multiple interactive signs to read up there, as well as an old speaker box that plays the remnants of a womans voice giving historical information. The audio is chopped, and seems to repeat the same words, adding to the slightly creepy yet fascinating vibe.

This is an adventure that will stick with me for a while. The hike which could technically be more of a walk only covers around 800 feet of elevation and we walked 8 miles total, but the background and unexpected ghost town we were able to discover made this one of the most unique experiences I have had in a while. Either I need to get out more, or this was truly one for the books.

Next time, I want to bring my bike. I can only imagine what other discoveries I can uncover with two wheels. Getting it through the bypass trail will be my only hurdle. A challenge I will happily accept.

I am thankful spring has sprung, and I am hopeful with the warmer days I can embark on more of these new to me adventures in my home state. I wonder if and when the washed out road will be fixed, or if The Elwha Ranger Station will be used again in the future. I’m stoked I was able to see it in its current state, anything inaccessible by car is all the more worth seeing when you arrive.

Q: What’s your most recent unique adventure?

Duncan and I returned home from our 9 day Mediterranean cruise about a week and a half ago, and I am still experiencing the post vacation blues. Never in my life would I have imagined I would be a cruise girl, but we have already started looking at options for another one. This was my second cruise, and just like my last one everything on this ship was down to a science. Amazingly organized and I did little to no decision making other than what I wanted to eat each meal.

Don’t get me wrong, I will forever enjoy being on my own schedule, planning everything myself, and getting off the beaten track – but sometimes it feels nice to let other people take the wheel.

For those of you who don’t know, in December of 2022 (five months ago) I was advised I had a credit for Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) from a cruise my dad had booked back in 2020. The 2020 cruise was cancelled, but no one knew about the credits until recently. I was also advised in order to receive the full credit I had to book a cruise by the end of December 2022 (the same month I found out.)

I had about two weeks to choose a cruise and mentally digest what was happening.

I managed to wrangle Duncan into this fiasco with me, and I was thankful he was interested in the same cruise destinations I was: Israel, Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey. I had been wanting to see Turkey for years, and Israel also intrigued me. I was truthfully indifferent to Greece and Cyprus, but they were added bonus locations. I figured for someone with anxiety, the safety net of an organized group (a cruise) was a great way to first experience Israel and Turkey.

This trip was fantastic, and the destinations were awe worthy, but this post is going to focus on the ship itself and how we entertained ourselves. My future posts will give respect to each destination we visited in full. The planning process for this cruise was fairly simple, I had a point of contact I worked with and he took care of all the logistics. Then a few weeks before we left I did an online check in with further instructions, and before I knew it we were off.

Our flight left at 0600 on our day of departure, which is only slightly better than getting shocked by an electric fence. I slept maybe 45 minutes total the night before we left, which made for a very long 30+ hours of being awake before I made it to the bed on the cruise ship. I don’t sleep on planes, and our travel day was very long. The silver lining was that by the time I made it to sleep I was immediately on track with the local time. No jet lag.

A win is a win.

We arrived in Athens where handfuls of NCL staff herded us like cattle onto a bus, and drove us to the cruise port. We settled in easily, ate some dinner, and slept until 0900 the following morning. Our first day was an “at sea” day, which was perfect for acclimating to the time zone as well as resting after a long day of travel. This was also perfect for exploring the entirety of the ship. Our ship was moderate, with a 2400 passenger capacity it was easy to find pockets of solace aside from our stateroom.

We started our first day eating breakfast at the buffet, the spot we would eat every meal on board for the remainder of the trip. It was quick, it was easy, and overall it was good. It took me a few days to settle into which foods sat well with me, but ultimately I found a way to ensure I felt my best the entire trip. My one main complaint on this ship was the water. It was foul. I’m talking sewer water slightly filtered foul. It tasted so bad I eventually stopped drinking it.

I relied on watermelon and kiwi each morning to bring me back to life.

The free coffee was bad too, so I went against my rule of not spending any extra money (what can I say, I’m cheap) and I splurged on three venti Starbucks coffees for the 9 days ($10 total.) I only drink a small cup each morning, and I always have to cut the coffee with hot water, so I was able to stretch the coffees over multiple days. A worthy investment for a guaranteed expulsion of the previous nights dinner, as well as a bit of anti inflammatory assistance for my swollen face each morning.

After breakfast I went for a jog on the outdoor running track, which was a bit frustrating on day one. Too many people were using the track to stop and take photos which made it difficult to jog on. I managed my miles and calmed down with regard to gatekeeping the track the remainder of the trip. Later, Duncan tried to teach me chess on a large outdoor chess board, but if you asked me right now what each piece does I couldn’t tell you.

The ship had endless entertainment options, from the pool deck with live music, to cigar lounges, to live shows. We spent most of our first day lounging, listening to live music, eating food, and getting excited for the days to come.

Most of our days on the ship after our at sea day were spent eating quick meals at the buffet (there were also 4 complimentary restaurants, but neither of us wanted to sit down and wait), going to live performances in the theater after our daily excursions, lounging on the pool deck, walking laps on the promenade, and sleeping.

Our room was small, but neither of us complained. I chose the cheapest option and other than the shower not fully draining, and the toilets proximity to the wall (Duncan is over 6 feet tall and had to sit sideways), it was perfect. I’m not one to care much about my accommodations. As long as they are safe, clean, and the bed is comfortable I am set.

My main tips for anyone worried about being around too many people would be to choose a ship with a lower max capacity. Wash your hands AFTER you touch the buffet utensils to prevent germ spreading, and eat either right when the buffet opens, or close to when it closes. Duncan ended up getting a little bug towards the end of our trip and I guarantee it’s because he ate more foods from the buffet that required his hands to eat.

It’s absolutely possible to eat at a buffet and stay healthy, but washing hands multiple times is a must as well as using utensils. I managed to get by without getting sick, even sleeping next to him. There were a few times we ate when the entire ship seemed to be eating, and it felt like a fish swimming upstream. I was content eating at the buffet, but if this isn’t your cup of tea you can dine at restaurants where they seat you.

We also ate outside for each meal providing fresh air and less people.

So how much did it all cost? I’m a sucker for the numbers, let’s break it down.

The cost of this vacation was definitely higher than most of my travels when I sat down and did the calculations, but it was also nearly effortless. The cruise and airfare for two people was $4776, and that’s including port fees, mandatory tipping, travel insurance, and transfers to and from the airport. Divide that by two, $2388 for one person to pay for flights, all accommodations, all food, PLUS travel between four different counties.

The additional expenses for this trip were the shore excursions. I normally wouldn’t spend extra for these, I would find local guides on my own, or just wander, but ultimately I wanted the security of booking through the cruise ship to ensure I didn’t get left behind. We booked six shore excursions costing an additional $1660 for two people. Most of these excursions were worth the cost, a few were not, but overall it was nice to have everything planned and not have to think twice.

The shore excursion process was well organized each day, we would meet in the theatre and when our tour was called we would make our way to the gangway where our numbered bus was waiting. This was a wonderful experience with very little stress.

$4776 for cruise/flight + $1660 for (optional) excursions put us at $6436 before we left Washington. $3218 per person to fly, see four countries, have all the guess work taken out, go on excursions, and so on, and so on, and food, and a bed, and entertainment…I also spent $272 (I’m not calculating this into any of these numbers, just making note of it) for myself while on the trip and that included $60 of tips for tour guides, a few souvenirs, and some food.

BUT, if you remember what I said at the beginning of the post I had a credit. So this $6436 did not all come out of my own pocket. When it was all done and dusted I spent a total of $2617 for two. Split that in half and we each paid $1308 for a 9 day cruise around the Mediterranean. I would absolutely call that a win, and when it was all said and done I would have paid the full cost without a credit if I had to do it again. Absolutely worth it.

Had I paid full price this would have been my most expensive vacation to date. I am typically one frugal traveler.

Final thoughts: We traveled light because we wanted to. This meant no waiting for baggage claim and no worrying about lost luggage. We washed a few outfits in the shower (I brought liquid detergent) which worked surprisingly well. We did not buy any drink packages or specialty meals, we had plenty to eat with the free options. Entertainment was free, I did not leave extra tips (everything was included in mandatory pre tip payments), we took zinc, vitamin D, and magnesium daily to help prevent sickness, wifi was extra money and that felt icky to me (I did not pay for wifi, my package included 150 min for each of us and we rationed those like each minute was our last meal), and we both slept well in our small cave.

For any future cruises I do I will likely go on them for vacation rather than for travel. Vacations are meant to be lazy, to move at slower paces and soak up the immediate surroundings. Travel is for fast paced, non stop exploring to see as much as possible. A cruise is different than traditional travel. There are comforts on a cruise that might rob you of experiences you might have if you’re on your own schedule. There is always a trade off.

There were moments I felt myself wishing I had more time to explore certain areas, but I tend to feel that way regardless. I like to have control over my time and maximize what I see. Ultimately these types of adventures are always what you make of them, we had a blast, and I need to get better at living in the moment! Stay tuned for a week of travel, starting with a day at the Dead Sea and Masada National Park!

Q: Have you been on a cruise? If yes where, if no would you?

The beauty of vacation, is that when my alarm goes off at 0500 I don’t wince and drag myself out of bed. I spring up like a slinky falling down stairs because I know a new experience is ahead of me. After a full day at sea exploring our temporary home base, Duncan and I woke up bright and early in our first port of the trip – Ashdod, Israel. We were to meet for our shore excursion around 0630, and we made sure to have enough time to eat breakfast before we left.

With bellies full of chocolate croissants and watermelon we made our way to the theatre to meet for our tour. The process was smooth – we were given a number and were sent to find our bus with the matching number. Before we could exit to find our bus, we had to stand in the longest customs line of the trip. We waited for what felt like an hour, but we made it through receiving a small passport-like paper allowing us to be in Israel for 90 days.

We were on bus number 7, where we met Eli (ell-EE), the most amazing tour guide I will likely ever meet. A tour guide is like a cup of coffee. The quality can make or break your experience.

Our excursion for the day was a visit to Masada National Park, and the Dead Sea. We drove from green grasslands to barren deserts in a matter of moments, and the drastic change was fascinating. These areas of Israel were unlike anything I have ever seen. We began our day at Masada, a new to me location, and this rugged natural fortress has a somber yet inspirational backstory.

What started as a palace for King Herod the Great, turned into a refuge after Judaea became a province of the Roman Empire. The refuge was home to the last survivors of the Jewish revolt who chose death by suicide rather than slavery when the Roman enemies broke through their defenses. The Romans built a ramp to climb up to an entrance of Masada, where they found the bodies of the Jewish refugees.

For months the defenders of Masada had to watch the approach of the ramp and the Romans. And I thought my anxiety was bad.

Today there are two additional ways up to the fortress: a cable car, and the snake path. Perhaps if you’re really brave you can take the old Roman ramp, but that has bad vibes written all over it. The snake path walks up the entirety of the mountain, and while I’d have loved to do this we were strapped on time and it was 90F outside. After patiently waiting for Eli to argue with the cable car operator on why we needed physical tickets, we made our way up the mountain where we got our first view of one of the many Roman camps below.

These camps are where the Romans organized the building of the ramp, and the attack on Masada.

Eli was a wealth of knowledge. His tour enthralled me to the point of forgetting how hot it was. Until he stopped talking and I had to find shade in any corner possible. We met another couple on this tour who was not only from Washington, but from the same town, and the four of us cowered away from the sun any chance we had. Us northwesterners don’t do well in the heat.

Duncan didn’t wear a hat and his forehead turned crispy like a piece of well cooked bacon.

After an amazing trip to Masada, we made our way to the Dead Sea for the final stretch of our tour. After walking and standing in the heat at Masada, relaxing in the salty sea was a great way to end the day. We went to one of the many hotels near the Dead Sea for a meal (included with our tour), where I quickly shoveled a plate of chicken, hummus, cucumbers, potatoes, and fish into my face.

We only had an hour and a half to eat AND to get our bodies floating – I didn’t want to waste a single minute. Thankfully Duncan was just as keen on turning himself into a human vacuum, and we ate quicker than anyone else on the tour. We made our way to the locker rooms to change, and found an empty spot of land away from the majority of the other people.

Floating in the Dead Sea is unlike anything I can explain by words. They tell you that you will float, you know scientifically that you will float, but you cannot fully grasp what it will feel like to float until you are in the water for yourself. Duncan was a fish in a past life and when you get that guy in the water he is the most content I’ve seen him (other than when he is in the safety of his own space.)

Duncan is to the water like Brittany is to the mountains.

We ended up having plenty of time to float, swim, and roll around like pool noodles, while actively ensuring our faces did not go under the water. Dead Sea salt in the eyes is not something I’d ever like to experience. The water was warm, but I was not uncomfortable despite how hot the day was, and despite wearing black. While planning for this trip I was unsure of what type of bathing suit I should wear. I wanted to be modest and respectful of Israel and their customs, so I chose a halter top suit with shorts to ensure I wasn’t too revealed.

Once we arrived, there were people in bikinis, and speedos. We were in a small, private beach area belonging to the surrounding hotels and I don’t think anyone would care what I wore. Ultimately I was more comfortable in this bathing suit so it all worked out.

I’m a sucker for anything holistic, and the minerals in the waters of the Dead Sea are said to be very healing. That, paired with the Dead Sea being the lowest body of water on earth made this visit bucket list worthy. I could have left the vacation and gone back home happy after day one with the experiences I had. This first day was the best day of the entire trip.

The bus ride back to Ashdod was about two hours, so we settled in for the ride and watched the desert fade back into green while Eli told us stories of his home country. Our tour started at 0800, and we made it back on the ship at 1830. A full day, back just in time for dinner. My souvenir for the day was a clump of salt I found while walking with my hands on the bottom of the sea near the shore. These clumps were everywhere, and my clump made it back home in one piece.

Duncan found a cool rock, and I am scheming a plan to steal it.

Before leaving for this trip I had a lot of anxiety about Israel in particular. The country continues to get attention in the media for protests, for unrest between Israel and Palestine, and more recently for missile attacks throughout parts of the country. These are all valid reasons of concern, but at the end of the day there is unrest everywhere in the world. Travel to Israel is currently only a level 2 out of 4 on the US Department of State website, and as long as certain areas are avoided this country is just like any other.

I am thankful for the experiences we had on our first day, Israel is a beautiful country full of kind people and rich with history. We were able to spend our second day exploring Jerusalem and Bethlehem, but more on that in my next post.

Q: Are there any places you were fearful of, but once you visited you were thankful you went? Are there any places you will not visit?

The first places that come to my mind when I think of Israel are the cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. As a wee lass I was raised in a Catholic Church where many a Sunday’s I was left with the other linoleum lizards to learn about Jesus. These days I don’t identify with the Catholic faith, but I will forever have the VeggieTales theme song burned into my memories.

Religion is a very individualized process, and I have always resonated more with the Christian faith, but I am by no means well versed on the Bible.

Regardless of where anyone is in their walk with faith I think it’s safe to say these two cities are worth a visit. After an amazing day at Masada and the Dead Sea, we woke up bright and early again for our second port of the cruise. We docked in Haifa, Israel where we had a much easier departure process while heading to meet our guide for the day, Igal. Our first stop was to Bethlehem – a two hour drive away. I immediately noticed Igal spoke much less than our guide the day before, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt because it was early.

Bethlehem is a Palestinian town located in the West Bank, one of the two areas (Gaza Strip and West Bank) advised against visiting. Tourists are free to come and go with caution, however Israelis are not allowed to enter into Palestinian Territories unless they receive approval. Our guide Igal is an Israeli citizen, and because of this he was not allowed to give us the Bethlehem portion of the tour. Thankfully he was able to enter with us, however we picked up a Palestinian guide before entering through the check point.

The first thing I noticed about Palestine after spending the previous day in Israel was the difference in how they treated their land. There were heaps of trash tucked in all corners around Palestine, while in Israel the streets were clean. It was a bizarre difference of two locations so close to each other. The conflict between the two areas was certainly felt more within Palestine, from needing a local guide to reading signs threatening Israeli people.

I still felt safe throughout this entire day, it helped being in such a large group of other tourists.

The Palestinian guide we picked up was very kind, and passionate about her job, but incredibly difficult to understand. She walked too fast at times, causing some stress on the folks who were slower moving. This day was a prime example of what happens when you cram too much into one day. I tried my best to understand her through our personal headset devices, but the best way to hear her was standing as close to her as possible.

Our first stop in Bethlehem was to the Church of the Nativity. This church is one of the most sacred sites of the Christian religion as it is said to be the birthplace of Jesus. Today this church is one of the oldest christian churches still in daily use. The interior was beautiful, but I could not tell you what I learned while inside. Aside from seeing the cave entrance where He was born, I had no idea what I was looking at.

The tour became comical to myself and some of the other guests at one point, because it was so all over the place that no one quite knew what was going on. I gave up trying to listen to the guide and instead focused on soaking in as much as I could. I knew I could read more about what I had seen when I returned home. After spending more time than necessary inside the church, we walked back to the bus to head towards our next destination.

We were headed to a local shop selling olive wood fixtures, jewelry, and other traditional religious items, where I bought my mom an olive wood cross. I was more interested in the sights along the way, and by this time my belly was screaming for food.

For lunch we ate in Bethlehem at an assembly like buffet station. The food was delicious, aside from the fact I decided it was a good time to try chicken liver. I was having a “when in Rome” moment thinking I wanted to try any of the local foods I could (while actively avoiding my allergens) and this was a drastic error of judgement. I am not one who can hide their facial expressions well, and my disgust was seen by those around me.

Somehow I couldn’t get Duncan to try the liver, I wonder if it was something I said.

After lunch it was time to say goodbye to our Palestinian guide, and we headed back to Israel to finish our day in the Old City of Jerusalem. We ended up having to walk part of the way into the city center due to traffic, but these mishaps are some of my favorite. There are few things I enjoy more than walking around new to me places. We entered in through the dung gate, the lowest part of the Old City where all the waste used to exit when it rained (according to Igal), and we were immediately met with music and a parade celebrating a bar mitzvah.

What an incredible way to enter into the city.

We first headed towards the Western Wall, the last remaining outer wall of the ancient Jewish temple, and an incredibly important site of modern Israeli history. People of all religions come here to pray either with spoken word or writing prayers onto pieces of paper to stick into the wall. Igal told us people often write questions on their papers and then place them into the wall, so I decided to participate.

Men and women are separated by a divider and there were far more women on their side of the wall than men.

After spending time observing the happenings at the Western Wall we moved on to walk through the narrow streets of the Old City. This is about when I lost what was going on. Similar to our Palestinian guide, it was very hard to hear Igal. I discovered they both had been talking right on top of their microphones making the sounds muffled. They both reminded me of Charlie Brown’s teacher.

I did my best to stay close to him, but eventually I gave up and tried to enjoy the atmosphere without the history lesson.

We walked the streets as we headed towards the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which I sadly had little to no knowledge of. This is where my lack of Bible smarts bit me in the butt. I think if I’d had a baseline knowledge of the significance of certain locations we were visiting I wouldn’t have been so frustrated by the lack of audible information. I now know the church is identified as both the place of the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus.

What stood out to me most was the Stone of Anointing, and a small window viewing into Golgotha. There were people on all side of the oiled up stone rubbing their personal belonging over the top of it. This is said to be where Jesus was laid after his death, but I have read conflicting information. Golgotha is the rock where Jesus was crucified, and there is an area within the church you can touch the rock, but the amount of people inside made me want to move through the area as quickly as possible.

The viewing point was more than enough.

We made our way from the church back through the streets towards the bus to begin the long drive back to the ship. What I enjoyed most in the Old City was all the narrow streets, the architecture, the alleyways, and the local hustle and bustle (not to be confused with the tourist hustle and bustle.) I would love to return someday and wander these streets, get a little lost, and have more time to soak in what I am seeing.

Maybe if I am lucky I can find my orange and white friend again.

If this post felt chaotic in anyway, then you are getting an accurate representation of how the day felt for me. Large tours in larger cities are hard to execute well. It wasn’t Igal’s fault (though at times he was more interested with his phone than with providing information), and I did my best to enjoy the city for what it was. No regrets were had, without this tour I would not have been able to see as much as I did.

The trade off for a rushed tour is the ability to see a lot of things at once. While this is not normally my cup of tea, the day was good and I am thankful to have seen the sites regardless. Two days in Israel was just enough to get an idea of all the beauty to be seen and history to be learned. Perhaps one day I can return to see these cities again on my own terms.

Next up: our half day in Cyprus.

Q: Have you ever been on a less than stellar tour?

When I chose the destinations for this vacation, Cyprus was a bonus spot. It wasn’t until AFTER I returned home that I learned Cyprus has MORE cats than humans on the entire island. This fact alone would have been enough for me to book a trip exclusively to Cyprus. My first impression was fast and furious, I enjoyed the latter half of our day, but I didn’t feel the need to go back.

Until I discovered the cat fact.

Our day in Cyprus started early and ended early. We only had five hours to explore, and we booked a tour to show us a few spots near our docking port in Limmasol. I will spare you all my true thoughts on how bad our tour guide was. She did her best, but the woman was not fluent in English and her lack of enthusiasm sucked the excitement right out of me.

It was so hard to listen to her I eventually stopped all together.

I fully understand that when I am in these foreign countries I am the minority. I never expect locals to speak my language, and I think it’s rude to speak to someone in English without attempting to learn a bit of their local language. However, when booking an English speaking tour I do believe the guide should be fluent in English. This goes for any language, if I book a Spanish tour I would hope the guide would be fluent in Spanish. Alas, this is the last you’ll hear of my grievances with these guided tours.

Thankfully Cyprus is not a place I felt a need for endless information, and I instead used the tour as an opportunity to be transported around with ease.

We started our day with a very quick visit to the archeological remains of Kourion, a city with evidence connecting it to the Greek legend of Argos of Peloponnese. We sat down with our group in this large amphitheater, before deciding to stray off on our own. This decision was half fueled by the fact I could not understand anything being said (wasting time sitting in one spot), and half fueled by my overwhelming need to get away from the small child who was sitting behind me on our tour bus.

Was it the broken English that caused me not to hear our guide, or the child who would not stop talking at the top of her lungs? Jury is still out.

I’m thankful we broke away, because there was so much more to this site than what our guide was showing us. I would have loved to wander this area on my own with endless time, but even the short bit we saw was beautiful. We didn’t wander too far, we only had about 30-45 minutes total at this place, but we wandered just far enough to get a view of the water and more of the ruins.

From Kourion we drove to the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates. I wasted no time deviating from the group once we arrived, and I was immediately blessed with my first friend of the day. A small black and white feline with a tick on his head. I did my good deed for the day and removed the tick with a piece of paper. I then proceeded to pet him regardless of the tick sighting.

What can I say, I like to walk on the wild side.

This area was small, but without the struggle of trying to focus on someone speaking I was able to enjoy myself more. I wandered the ruins and soaked in the history, but truth be told these types of sites don’t really tickle my fancy. Unless I have time to read more about what I am looking at. Ruins are fascinating, and I do enjoy history, but as one of the couples we met on this trip said: “once you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all.”

I don’t entirely agree with that, but there are certain ruins I feel more connected to. Either way this site was a sight to see.

I said goodbye to my new friend, and we hopped back on the bus for a 30 minute drive to our final stop of the day. We drove to the small town of Omodos, and this was my favorite part of the tour. We parked the bus and walked as a group towards the city, passing by some cats in a small park. It was as if the Greek Gods sent us good vibes after visiting the sanctuary.

We aggregated as a group in front of a church where we were given the green light to break off and meet back in an hour and a half. I couldn’t go inside the church because I was wearing shorts, and both Duncan and I wanted to wander as much of the town as possible. We beelined back to the cats before weaving in and out of the small narrow streets.

I quickly discovered Duncan is just as keen on wandering European streets as I am, and we covered as much ground as possible in our short time. We passed a man watering his plants who asked us where we were from. We exchanged a few words before moving on to find more cats. I eventually lost count of how many cats we found, but the amount of dopamine I received after each sighting was enough to keep me at a forever high.

We saved just enough time to sit in the center of the city while Duncan enjoyed some ice cream, and I enjoyed some honey covered cashews I bought before we started wandering. The shop claimed they were locally made, and one sample was all it took. My only regret was not buying two bags. I ended up eating these cashews as my dessert most nights after dinner.

Before we knew it we were back on the ship with the entire second half of the day ahead of us. I enjoyed having a half day in Cyprus, it was just enough to see some new places, while balancing rest after the two previous longer days. The morning started a bit rocky with the tour guide and the linoleum lizard behind me on the bus, but the afternoon in Omodos ended with relaxation and my cup filled with joy.

Give me cats and candy cashews and I’m a happy gal.

We spent the rest of the day eating, walking the ship, enjoying the views, and watching the onboard entertainment before slipping off into a slumber. I didn’t think I needed to go back to Cyprus, but now I imagine how many more cats there are that I could say hello to. Thankfully my cat quota was filled again the very next day…Next up: the back roads of Rhodes.

Q: If you saw the stray cats of the Mediterranean would you say hello or avoid them? They were all so friendly.

Call me crazy, but Greece had never been high on my list of places to visit. I really don’t know why, maybe because I associate Greece with beach vacations and those aren’t really my thing, but upon arrival in Rhodes I was shown that Greece is so much more than just a pretty beach. Ironically, the second I saw the beach I wanted to sit and stare at the water for hours.

The waters of the Mediterranean are truly mesmerizing.

Our previous port destinations required some type of transportation into the city centers, either through a tour or through a shuttle provided by the cruise, but once we pulled into the Rhodes port everything was right there. It’s a good thing too, because this was the only day we didn’t book any tours or have any plans. I am so thankful we kept this day free, this was likely my second favorite day of our trip.

Our plan for the day was to wander, and as fate had it right before we entered into the Old City we saw a Hop on Hop off bus. I am A SUCKER FOR THOSE TOURIST BUSES!

The full rotation of the bus was about an hour. Our plan was to ride the loop in full and decide where we wanted to get off and explore more. These busses provide an affordable option for getting a lay of the land, some historical information, AND transportation for a full day. I love walking as much as I can, but I also love maximizing time with the option of location hopping by bus.

As we started our tour Duncan and I decided to count the cats we saw for the day, and I was already up to 12 by the time we chose our first place to explore.

After one full rotation we decided to get off at the Acropolis of Rhodes. Here there are many old ruins including the Temple of Apollo, the Odeon (small marble theatre), and the Stadium (what we came for.) As we were walking towards the Stadium my cat count shot up and I officially lost track of how many I had seen. I was loving the old Stadium, but I was enamored by the cats.

Our original plan was to spend some time here and then walk down to the beach where we would catch the bus and ride back to the Old City where we started. I was trying to maximize time while also wandering by foot, but we spent just enough time at the Acropolis to warrant waiting for the bus. This gave me the opportunity to find more friends.

I wonder if these cats were around when the Stadium was in full swing, lounging on the benches like they do today.

As we walked back towards the bus stop, I saw my future as clear as the shallow waters of Hawaii. A woman speaking in Greek was summoning the cats in the above photo, with a bag of cat food in her hand. She splayed food out in piles along the flat stone and it was here I learned the way in which humans and cats coexist in these Mediterranean locations. She was such a sweet older woman, and I have never been more certain of my purpose.

We decided to skip the beach and go straight to the Old Town. If time permitted we could walk to the beach, but we wanted to ensure enough time in the Old Town and some of the surrounding locations. We entered into the city through the Gate D’Amboise, one of the many gate entrances, and it was my favorite of them all.

We wandered the bustling streets inside the Old City, but eventually found our way towards the quiet residential areas where we both enjoyed the solitude.

We walked, and walked and walked, petting as many cats as we could. They were everywhere within this city. They were everywhere on the entire area of this island and it was pure paradise. While we were inside the Old City we climbed some stone stairs providing a view of the water as well as a view of a spit of land leading out to the Windmills of Mandraki (once used to grind grain that was brought to Rhodes via the ships), and the Fort of St Nicholas (designated as a place for guarding the entrance to the harbour.)

A vantage point to show us where we would wander next, off we went!

Our walk towards the spit was not without reward, the views of the water were stunning and we eventually stumbled upon the most adorable catuary I have ever seen. A small piece of the old fort was filled with cats. I only wish I’d had more Euros on me, but I spent most of what I brought on water earlier in the day. I gave the only change I had to the cats, anything for the cats.

As we got closer to the fort we tried to climb on the rocks to get a view of the front facing the water, but the rocks got a bit sketchy. Instead we stopped to soak up the view for a bit before walking towards where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood. There is much debate over the true original location of this giant statue, but what seems to be accepted by all parties is the earthquake causing the statue to fall only a handful of decades after it was built.

I like to believe the statue was standing over the entrance to the Mandraki harbor, where today you’ll find two deer statues standing atop pillars.

We spent the rest of the day wandering more within the Old City. The entire day was full of winding in and out of new streets, getting “lost”, and finding cats. It was one of the most enjoyable days I have had throughout all of my wandering travels. I was thankful to have spent the day with Duncan, we walked around 10 miles this day, and he was loving it just as much as I was.

We did not end up riding the HOHO bus again, but we also didn’t need to. We saw a larger area of the city thanks to the bus, but we managed the rest by foot. It was nice to have this mode of transportation at the beginning of our day to maximize time, as the Acropolis would have taken over an hour round trip to walk to without having GPS.

If you’re short on time, or if you want an idea of places to visit I highly recommend any of the HOHO style city bus tours.

As the day came to an end we stumbled upon a community of cats, where we were surrounded by over ten at once. All of them wanted pets and love, and I so badly wanted to take all of them home. Duncan was such a trooper with all the photos I wanted to take. I never want my photo taken, but put me next to a cat and I become like a D list celebrity lusting for the paparazzi.

Rhodes is a beautiful, relaxing city. History abounds for those who enjoy it, and for those who don’t there are endless shops, cafes, and beaches to satisfy your needs. There is quite literally something for everyone here. If I have the opportunity to visit Rhodes again I will likely rent a car because there is so much more to the island than this tiny port area near the Old City.

The Old City is a must see of course, but I would love to drive the entirety of this island one day.

We left no stone unturned in Rhodes. I felt we saw all that we wanted to see for this particular day, and we made it back to the ship with empty bellies ready to devour the dinner buffet. We chose to predominantly eat on the ship for this vacation, while I love experiencing cultures through food, I also love saving money.

Food was already included with our trip, so we ate as much as we could on board.

My opinion of Greece was changed after this day. I look forward to an exclusive Greek vacation in the future, spending at least a week touring a handful of Greek Islands. I have some food to eat, and more cats to pet. Our next stop of the cruise brought us to Turkey where we visited an amazing ancient city, with even more cats. Go figure.

Q: Would you eat the food you already paid for with a vacation package, or splurge on extra local foods?