#tbt Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

We met winemaker Wes while we were travelling in Bolivia (Expedition Bon Bon!). Knowing we were taking our trip up to the States, he invited us to come stay with him while we were visiting Niagara Falls – but to see it from the BEST side (his side!).

Not only was it a great time – floating around on the Maid of the Mist, eating Tim Hortons, hiking through beautiful waterfalls (and nearly stepping on tiny turtles), playing in the pool – but Wes and his partner were absolutely wonderful humans. It was Caitlyn’s birthday while we where there, and our hosts made such a fuss: they took us to get poutine, took us through the hilariously bizarre and delightfully tacky fun houses at Niagara, took us to Walmart (we’d never been) and roasted s’mores over the backyard fire.

Making new friends is one of my favourite parts of travelling – it’s such a special bond you make with them based on your shared, albeit brief, experience.

perfect inspiration.

“It is true that departures sadden and exhilarate me, and whatever I pass through—new countries, skies pure or cloudy, seas under rain the colour of a grey pearl—something of myself catches on it and clings so passionately that I feel as though I were leaving behind me a thousand little phantoms in my image, rocked on the waves, cradled in the leaves, scattered among the clouds.”

– The Vagabond, Colette. Via.

Q&A

Jane from Deluminators did a Q&A on her blog recently, and – despite not actually being tagged (is that sad?) – I’m going to answer the questions too! Below is a picture from my not-so-recent trip to South America. I realised I’ve never actually shared the photos from that 4-day hike to Machu Picchu, mostly because they’re hideous, but this was one of the happiest moments of my life. The hike was over! (Please don’t judge me for my appearance. You try hiking for 4 days in the middle of Peru without a shower and whilst suffering a gastrointestinal illness. Not pretty.)

1. What’s the last thing you took a photo of?
It’s an incredibly hideous picture of Rufus and myself from Sunday afternoon’s pub session. I wanted to take a photo of a cute duck swimming in a river next to my work this morning, but I was far too lazy to grab my phone.

2. What’s your favourite meal to make at home?
I like homemade pizza, or the Sprouted Kitchen pancakes. But sweet potato with kale sauteed in coconut oil and either baked beans or fried eggs is an easy, healthy, delicious meal to make.

3. Do you play any instruments?
I used to play the piano. I hated practice though, so I quit. I can still play a few little songs… (that’s a “no”).

4. Inside or outside?
Outside. Especially at this time of year – I can’t stand being indoors when it’s sunny.

5. Favourite season and why.
I like the transition seasons; autumn is probably my favourite. I love the feeling of change in the air, and I love the stark difference from the insufferable heat of summer to the cooler mornings and evenings of autumn (and, in contrast, the warmer temperatures and longer days of Spring after the darkness and misery of winter). 

6. How many hours of sleep did you get last night? Was that enough?
About 8.5… wow. Poster child for sleep health, right here. Yeah, that was plenty.

7. Current favourite TV show.
What an impossible question. The OC will always be my number one. Gilmore Girls is a close runner up, as is Friends.

8. What’s one thing on your bucketlist?
I want to travel everywhere. I also want to own a hobby farm with goats and chickens and dogs and sheep. Are they too broad? I want to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef before it’s gone.

9. Best way to cheer yourself up.
Grab coffee and sit on the beach. Or, if I’m at work, bring up some Dylan Moran stand up on Youtube and listen to that while I work.

10. Put your music player on shuffle… what’s the first song that plays?
Eek! I don’t have my iPod with me. The last artist I played on Spotify was Quiet Life though.

11. What was the last thing you spent money on?
Korres exfoliator from ASOS, and my weekly food box from Ceres. Typical.


I tag Lauren from Southern Strut! 

reminiscing, and travel.

2 years ago today… I know, I know. I’m living in the past (which has never been my vice of choice). This trip was just so life-changingly incredible, and while I’m disappointed that I didn’t share my experience while they were actually happening, I’m really stoked I get to re-hash the experience over and over again as I share photos 2 years later.









I don’t have my diary with me (in which I kept, in incredible detail, thoughts on our daily adventures), and I can’t remember everything, but here’s what I do remember:

We woke up fairly early with excitement, as we had a tour of the Everglades booked! Our hostel was oh-so-cool; just the right amount of dirty, colourful, and comfortable. I don’t remember what we ate for breakfast, but I do remember how it felt to see an alligator about 2 feet from me. I remember how loud the airboat was; how we had to wear earplugs. I remember how beautifully serene it was when our guide stopped the boat, and we floated; searching the water surrounding us for wildlife. It was absolutely stunning, and I would do that again in a heartbeat. After the tour we headed back to the gift shop (I’m pretty sure Rufus ate something with Alligator in it… I had an apple), and then to a small enclosure where we learned about how intelligent Alligators really are – that they can be trained – and to demonstrate this, the trainer put his head inside the mouth of the great big reptile. It was so damn cool.

Later in the day, Caitlyn and I decided to go exploring while Rufus had some solo time. We walked to the beach, and I was absolutely blown away. I had expected a dirty tourist trap, but the water, the sand, the beach-goers, were absolutely pristine! It was stunning. We weren’t wearing our bathers so we took our sandals off and splashed around in the shallows (I remember how warm that water was – how much it frustrated me that I didn’t have anything to swim in). We wandered up to Wet Willies for frozen cocktails, and sat for an hour or so – laughing our heads off, talking and drinking, until we didn’t make sense anymore.



I find myself travelsick more often these days. I have itchy feet. That’s the term, right? I’m planning trips in my head – shall we go to Spain? Morocco? Vietnam? New Zealand? – but without a solid goal, saving just seems so hard. We have plans to go to Indonesia and Singapore with two of our favourite people in 2016, but my God, that seems like a long time to wait! I have three weeks of Uni holidays in the middle of next year, and want to get out of the country – any destination ideas for a 3-week getaway?

In the mean time we have camping trips, Gold Coast adventures, and Great Ocean Road-trips planned for the next few months. I am so freaking excited and so, so thankful.

austin.

Because I am a terrible human being, I only managed to get halfway through our American Adventure posts before I gave up. We visited some of my favourite places after Chicago – New York, Charleston, Austin – so I’ve decided to share now, in no particular order. Better (two years) late than never, right?

Austin was such a cool city. Both Rufus and I agree, we could have spent a lot more time here. However, by this point in the trip – just to give you some context – Caitlyn had already gone home, we were both so tired (it was our last stop before we flew home from Dallas!), and our patience was wearing thin; especially as the roof at our hostel collapsed on our bed on our first night! The weather was starting to cool down by this point in September, and so I had discovered the magic that is a Starbucks Pumpkin Latte. Life was pretty sweet.

These photos were from the first non-rainy day in Austin; spent exploring the city in our favourite way – by foot. We ate at Gourdough’s, wandered through Lucy in Disguise, meandered through so many cool homewares stores, and stopped in at the first Wholefoods in America.

The day before was spent eating at Thundercloud Subs (amazing) and dodging raindrops on our way to the rightfully hyped-up Alamo Drafthouse.

chicago.

I’ts been over a year since we got back from our American Adventure. While heartbreaking and depressing (slightly masochistic?), I spend a lot of time looking back over photos from that four months – letting nostalgia reign. What I wouldn’t give to live through that again! One of the best things I did during that trip was keeping a diary. Every single night I’d crawl into bed and jot down the day’s activities, a few thoughts, and (as you can imagine, I’m sure) every damn thing I ate. I love reading back through those journals now and being able to re-live those moments; they bring back specific memories that couldn’t be captured on camera.

Back in August of 2012 (I know.), Rufus, his sister and I visited Chicago. The first few days we spent there involved plenty of walking, pizza, museums and sweat – it was ridiculously hot and humid! Caitlyn and I spent hours in Victoria Secret while poor Rufus dozed in the company of other bored men (that was a highlight!). We underestimated the size and… depth of the deep dish pizza and accidentally ordered one whole pie each at a restaurant. Rufus got his beard trimmed – so emotional. Explored Chicago on foot; particular highlights are the Field Museum (which I absolutely adored), the Museum of Science and Industry (which I also loved, and which had a Mythbusters section that was a lot of fun), the Art Gallery (for its Lichtenstein exhibit), and the bean.

We also spent three very sweaty days dancing our little hearts out at Lollapalooza! What an incredible music festival! It was huge – there were tens of thousands of people everywhere, so many stages across the whole of Grant Park, so many food and art stalls… and all so environmentally aware! Apart from all the wonderful live music we heard (some favourites included Animal Kingdom, Die Antwoord, M83, Doomtree, Macklemore, Sigur Ros, Florence and the Machine, and Justice), it was really just a wonderful festival with the happiest vibe.

Only one slight hiccup; on the second day the whole festival was actually evacuated! A huge storm rolled in, which sent thousands upon thousands of young (drunk) people into the streets of Chicago. Luckily our hostel was incredibly close at hand, so we (along with some newly formed friends) scampered up to the hostel kitchen and snacked while we watched the storm wreak havoc on the city.

Yes, I ate grilled cheese on a stick. And it was so very, very worth it.

the first weekend in Spring.

This weekend was the most perfect start to Spring. Market wanderings, a food truck festival, first iced coffees of the season, board games with friends, and a long alfresco lunch (with homemade sangria).

On Saturday morning, Rufus and I headed to the Adelaide Central Markets for some foodie inspiration. I love the Central Markets, and, I admit; haven’t been there in months. We grabbed some coffees and meandered past fruit and veg stands, bakeries, stalls filled with spices and grains, and new modern charcuteries. Although we couldn’t buy anything, we nibbled at a couple of gluten-free cinnamon donuts and made mental notes for what to buy next time.

We caught the tram a few stops out of the city for Fork on the Road food truck festival! Adelaide’s first attempt at food truck festivities was a huge success. There were some really wonderful, creative trucks with absolutely delicious cuisine on offer. We opted for a hot dog and a vego burrito (respectively) and nibbled on some cheese balls while we drank beer and listened to live music in the sunshine. A few more tram stops saw us playing totem tennis and wandering through That Dapper Market – an indie market for local artists and their cute wares. In the evening, we caught up with friends over some board games and red wine. We spent five hours wandering around in the sunshine on Saturday, and sleep came easily.

After my solo walk early on Sunday morning, Rufus and I grabbed some iced coffees and headed out for the day. We wandered through the sunshine at the farmers market – marvelling at how the nicer weather improves everyone’s mood – before heading to his parents’ house for a Father’s Day feast! As always, his Mum went all out on nibbles, salads, vegetarian bean burgers, and homemade sangria. For dessert, the others had cheesecake while I had homemade tropical sorbet and chocolate-covered strawberries. After we’d feasted, we sat in the sunshine while Rufus’ Dad played the squeezebox.

Weekends like these fill me with gratitude for just about everything in my life. I’m feeling revived and optimistic, though I’m also deeply nostalgic for our adventure to America last year (the beautiful weather evokes bittersweet memories of our trip), and as always, just a little sad to see the weekend end. With tired eyes and slightly-sunburned skin we saw a sneak-peak of summer, and I couldn’t be more excited.

road trippin’ in california. part ii.

(Continued from) It was far too cold to go running when we woke in Mammoth Lakes. Instead I ate a bagel with cream cheese, some delicious fruit, and my newest favourite beverage (Iced Americano with a dash of soy) before piling into the car and heading toward Yosemite National Park. I could not believe how big that place is!







We stayed in a little place called Curry Village, in a simple canvas tent. We were incredibly amused (and somewhat frightened) by all the warning signs about bears… We became quite pedantic about locking all of our snacks and toiletries in the bear-proof locker on the outside of the tent. After we arrived and unpacked a little, we loaded up on Saltines with Vegemite, bananas, and trail mix before heading off on a little hike! I loved it. We marveled at the beautiful scenery and spotted squirrels and deer as we hiked towards a big, gorgeous waterfall.


We finished the day with a huge buffet dinner at Curry Village, and slept soundly.

road trippin’ in California. part i.

The last time I posted about our American Adventure was here, back in November – about adventures we had back in July! For shame. While I do hope you’re not drifting off, please let me indulge and continue to share photos from our trip! If you’re enjoying the photos, please let me know; I’d love to hear some feedback.

In late July, 2012, Rufus, Caitlyn and I embarked on a little road trip across California – from Las Vegas to San Francisco. We departed early (after a McDonalds breakfast of fruit, smoothies and iced soy lattes), and hopped in a cab to pick up our car. They didn’t have our car. Thankfully for us, they decided to upgrade us instead of turning us away (smart move) and we drove off in our pretty, premium Chevy. Road trip win!

Rufus did such a great job at driving on the opposite side of the road! We passed the time dancing to the radio (when it was in range), snacking on bananas and saltines, and – despite the beautiful scenery – trying really, really hard to keep our eyes open.



We arrived at our first stop mid-afternoon. Mammoth Lakes was such a gorgeous, picturesque, quintessential American mountain town – it still has a little piece of my heart just for its beauty. We ate subway and bought snacking supplies, bounced between the Jacuzzi and the pool with unbridled glee, and did boring things like washed our clothes (which, as anyone who has backpacked for any length of time will tell you, is a necessary evil – to be cherished when the opportunity arises). We walked the streets during the magic hour; our bellies rumbling. We settled on CJ’s Grill on the main stretch for dinner, and I downed my peach salad with raspberry dressing and a side of sweet potato with gusto.

Not a bad place to stop for a night, that’s for sure!

Christmas.

Last night, while I was sitting outside in the glow of my fairy lights, listening to the crickets chirping, I reflected on what an awesome Christmas just came and went. The things we did were great – so much delicious food, lots of laughter (as always at our family events), wholesome grown-up dinners with friends – but something small really struck me this year. I sent out Christmas cards from Rufus and myself for the first time ever, and that was nice. We sent some cards to friends we made overseas, and that just made me feel so incredibly… cool. I know, I know (“oh, you know so-and-so, the ones we met in Bolivia”… I never get tired of saying that). But thinking about these people reminded me of the adventures we had with them – the vulnerability that we shared and used to create these bonds; reminded me of the four months out of this year that were the most crazy, surreal,confronting, amazing months of my entire life. 





I think about the gatherings we had with friends and family before leaving back in May; about how many people stood up, with tears in their eyes, and told me they loved me – that they wished nothing but wonder and excitement – that they looked forward to seeing me come home safe. It makes me feel empowered and it makes me feel so small – like a tiny piece of a huge, beautiful jigsaw puzzle – all at the same time. How do you explain to people that they make you feel infinite? How can you thank someone for that?





I’m babbling. Christmas was a success this year – I ate a lot of food, I laughed with people I hold dear, and I was reminded that I am loved beyond comprehension. What a wonderful world, indeed.


2012 was hard, and fun, and probably my favourite. I have a few musings on 2013 I’d like to share too… do come back soon, won’t you?