T.
Tokyo: 3-Day Travel Guide!
Ah, Tokyo <3. Admittedly, it wasn’t at the top of my travel list, but all it took was one visit for me to absolutely fall in love with its energy, cuteness, order, and all-around awesomeness!!Read more
T.
Two New Zealand Star Experiences That Drove My Love For Astronomy
Bright. Plentiful. Stars are just everywhere. Unfortunately, growing up in New York City meant that I really didn’t get to see all the stars that exist in our night sky. The highest I ever counted was about nine from my dining room window, though I am pretty sure that five of those ‘stars’ were actually airplanes because stars don’t usually blink red and white right near John F. Kennedy Airport, right? No, no they don’t.
Living in New Zealand, though, that number went from “nine” to nine-hundred (and quite possibly to nine-thousand) fairly quickly. I felt comfortable with the first one hundred, but the more they appeared at night, the more scared I started to become. I had, what you would call “astraphobia,” the fear of stars and space. And the feeling was real. It was like I was a cavewoman and someone lit a torch in front of me for the first time. You can’t process it. You feel threatened. You feel like you don’t know what to believe. Camping in the middle of farmlands and mountains and being surrounded by pitch dark and little lights in the sky was just scary. Read more
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Brave Series: Exploring New Zealand’s ‘White Island’– an ACTIVE marine volcano
According to Maori legend, White Island was formed when Maui first came in contact with fire, holding it in his hand, feeling the intense burn, diving deep into the sea and letting it go. What resulted was ‘White Island,’ New Zealand’s active marine volcano.
James Cook first saw it in 1769, it last erupted in 2001, and it rises about 1600 meters from the seafloor. As scary as it sounds, there are actually tours that take you out there for the opportunity to experience it yourself. In an effort to overcome fear and give in to my curiosity and intrigue, we booked a tour to the mighty, natural formation. That’s right, we voluntarily went on an active volcano and into its inner crater– and it was cray.
I can honestly say that I’m not the same person I was when I last left New York City earlier this year, already. We all grow and development is natural, sure. But, I can tell you this: New Zealand has put my love of nature and understanding/intrigue natural disasters on a whole different different level.
Volcanoes are scary, yeah? Especially if they are active. But that fear inside of me, is a fire of its own, driven by a cloud of bravery that peeks over, dodging the flames and wanting to experience and understand more of the world’s offerings.
We booked a trip with White Island Tours and I honestly couldn’t sleep the two days beforehand; I was shaking in my bed sheets, worried that I was surely going to die.
I remember eating my last meal the night before: pad thai. And I remember putting on my shoes one last time that morning: hiking boots. Sure, it seems silly to some, but don’t we all go through things like this?
We checked-in around 9am that morning and departed Whakatane on a boat; destination: White Island. We passed rivers, islands, marine wildlife and, 80 minutes later, we saw her. I turned for a quick photo, thinking: “Gosh, I’m okay with just cruising, do we really need to land?” Fear was present, but there was no turning back.
We were handed life vests, hard hats and a gas mask. Anchored just a few meters away from the volcano, we got into a little inflatable raft and landed on the beach. Read more
C.
Coral Reefs and Beyond: Your Guide to Cairns
Sunshine, beautiful corals and fish, learning how to throw a boomerang and spear, and walking amongst castle ruins– this is what I think of when I think of Cairns!
To be honest, though it may seem touristy, Cairns is such a fun little place in northern Australia that boasts subtropical weather year-round and is filled with tons of cultural activities! A perfect destination to catch some vitamin D (especially during the winter months (June-August)!), here are some quick stats before we get to the recommends!
- It is only a two-hour plane ride from the Gold Coast Airport (I must mention that we flew JetStar and, though it was the first time I used them, it was quite possibly the nicest budget airline I have ever been on; so, if you find a sale with them down around here, go on and grab that fare!)
- Cairns is part of the The Tropical North in Northern Queensland, which boasts subtropical weather year-round (with an average temperature of 84°F/29°C)– yes, please! (I learn more and more each day that I am so much more of a warm-weather kind of gal).
We spent about a week taking in the sun’s rays, fulfilling our need of relaxation, while injecting some fun activities, too. I’ve listed out our little excursions and what I would totally recommend; take a gander and let your travels lead way to memorable treasures! :). Read more
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9 Ways to Help Ease Anxiety on Long Flights
Seeing the world is a beautiful experience and I vowed to myself, even when I suddenly became afraid of flying from my first panic attack years ago, that the fear and anxiety would never stop me from exploring this beautiful, blue planet of ours. With some self-work and self-education, I was able to overcome my fear of flying and started with small 2-hour flights and grew to our most recent (total) 24-hour flight to New Zealand! Yay!
The key is to try new things and feel yourself out, all while moving forward. Throughout the years, I’ve experimented with ways to help soothe my nerves while in the skies and have found my own recipe for the tried-and-true. Check out my must-list below and don’t forget to comment what you think/your own ways of coping in the skies!
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