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Archive - November 2019

October in Belarus

October in Belarus: Wait…I Was Drinking Dirty Water?!

November 22, 2019

Time flashed before my eyes this month. I blinked, and my Belarus in October was over. I found my groove in Belarus this month. Naturally, I don’t have everything figured out, but I’m comfortably shopping, navigating, and living out daily life. Here are the defining moments...

eco-friendly travel

How to Avoid Traveler’s Guilt When the Environment is Dying

November 15, 2019

Last week on Instagram I asked for your eco-friendly travel questions (follow me here if you’re not already!) The following question stopped me in my tracks: “How do you avoid feeling guilty about travel since it contributes to environmental problems?” View this post on...

I’ve been quiet. 🤫 I had 4 days to pack up my life in Belarus and say goodbye to the friends I had made. And, to be honest, there was so much noise about the pandemic that it overwhelmed me. For 1.5 weeks I had obsessively checked for corona updates. I was burnt out from all the fear, uncertainty, and panic. Then, when I moved back in with my parents (which really hasn’t been “home” for me for nearly 5 years now), I felt...grief. Grief for my first apartment. Grief for my lesson plans never taught. Grief for the travel plans cancelled and unfulfilled Belarus bucket list. Grief for a sudden lost to the life I had worked so hard to build. Life in Belarus wasn’t easy. It’s very very different from my normal. I got through the hardest part and survived the long, dark, and cold winter. It was finally time for me to enjoy the warmer weather and reap the fruits of my labor. Life had a different idea. This past week I’ve been in self-quarantine and self-monitoring for symptoms after traveling through busy airports. It’s given me time to be negative, in denial, sad, angry, directionless, and all the other feelings I’ve felt. I’ve distanced myself mentally from friends. What I needed most was productivity and snuggles with my cat🐱 Now I’m starting to feel creative and motivated again. I’m slowly reaching out to friends. I think in another week, when my self-quarantine is over, I’ll be ready to jump back in. For now, I’m taking it slow and respecting what my heart and mind need. We’re all grieving the loss of something right now. It’s true—psychologists say what many of us are feeling is grief! I’m not a psychologist, so I can’t tell you how to get through this time, but I do believe I advise you to listen to what your body and mind needs💕 We’re all going at our own pace. And we’ll get through this together👭 One thing that has truly helped me is co-managing the Coronavirus Travel Support Group. It’s such a positive space and filled with travelers trying to do the right thing. If you’re looking for some positivity and reliable info amongst the madness, search for the FB group “Coronavirus Travel Support Group” ✈️
CORONAVIRUS TRAVEL SUPPORT GROUP Hello 👋🏼 How are you feeling during this pandemic? Wow, a lot has changed in the last week! Belarus has stayed pretty normal. No one seems concerned about Coronavirus. The rest of the world seems to be in panic mode. I’m somewhere in between. I’m trying to be smart by taking preventative measures, while also avoiding panic. I plan to stay in Belarus, which means I’m learning how to protect myself and others during a pandemic in a foreign country. Let me tell you...I’m having to adapt and learn a lot! Lots of travelers are facing difficult decisions right now. Plans are being cancelled and delayed. Maybe you’re trying to get back home, or figure out how to protect yourself in an unfamiliar place (like myself). This is why my friend and fellow travel professional over at @authenteco_travel and I decided to create a Facebook group and share reliable and up-to-date information as the situation rapidly evolves. Search: CORONAVIRUS TRAVEL SUPPORT GROUP to join! We hope this helps you make smart and safe decisions during this unsure time. Sending love, strength, and safety to wherever you are 💛 #coronavirus #coronavirustravel #travelingduringcoronavirus #travelduringcoronavírus #coronavirussupport #coronaviruspandemic #coronavirusoutbreak⚠️
One time my bestie, her boyfriend, another friend, and I went to New Orleans. It was the perfect halfway point on a 24-hour drive to Texas for spring break, so why not? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There’s a drink called Grenade in NOLA. The recipe is a secret! The bartenders pour the drinks from a pre-mixed hose so you don’t see them mix it. The drink is delish!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In the Uber home, the Uber driver said, “look at all those dumb tourists drinking those Grenades! Don’t they know it’s so dangerous!”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ My friends and I looked at each other like 😳. We told him “oh yea! How terrible! How dumb! We’d never do that!” (Even though we totally did)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The Uber driver proceeds to say, “I bet their names are Kendal and Becky...”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Y’ALL. MY NAME IS KENDAL. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ called. out. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ My friends and I busted out laughing. It’s one of my funniest travel memories!! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So, if you’re in NOLA, drink the grenade...but if your name is Kendal or Becky, be warned: an Uber driver may call you out 😝⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ NOLA was SO MUCH FUN. Can’t wait for another trip there! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #nolamemories #nola #drinkinnola #travelneworleans #drinkgrenade #bestiestrip
Taken with my 📱 and edited with @chelseajeanpresets ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You don’t need a fancy camera or crazy editing skills to capture beautiful photography and your favorite moments 💙 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ BUT if you want to up level your photography game, I have all my favorites under the Resources tab on my blog. Link is in bio if you wanna check it out! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #iphonephotography #lightroompresets #texassunset #southpadreisland #sailingsunset #texassunset #springbreak
Who here took an epic spring break trip with friends while in college? 🙋🏼‍♀️ 5 of us crammed into my hybrid and drove 24 hours to South Padre Island in Texas a couple years ago! To be honest, drinking for a whole week isn’t really my style (as I leaned on this trip) but it was still a good time with friends by my side. I’ll take any excuse to be in a bikini at the beach all day 👙 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What is your dream spring break vacay? Let me know in the comments! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #springbreak #collegettaveler #springbreakvacation #southpadreisland #vacaywithfriends #collegebreak #beachbabes
Name this movie 😝⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (Yup, we’re cool)
Just kick your feet up, enjoy the big blue skies, sip on lemonade and beer, and watch men run around circles. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Usually it’s so hot outside that my phone stops working. It’s just me, my dad, and a thousand of our closest friends 🤪⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What do your summer weekends look like? Are you as excited for the warmer weather as I am? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #weekendsinsummer #cardinalsgame #oriolesgame #camdenyards #baseballgames #summerdreaming #sportsphotography
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (Save this post for summer)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1. Bring your own cup to be refilled with beer or whatever your drink of choice is⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2. Bring a reusable water bottle...because you’ll need lots of water to stay hydrated! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 3. Bring rain gear. Instead of buying one of those rain ponchos (that don’t really work anyway), be prepared! Bring a rain jacket and umbrella along! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 4. Bring plastic-free snacks and sandwiches. You can hide them in your bag if the stadium doesn’t allow outside food....Shhh 🤫 It’s our secret ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 5. Bring a handkerchief, reusable bag, stainless steel bowl, or some other food storage in case you do buy food! Ask the vendor to fill it up in your container instead. It’s usually not a problem since the cashier usually also fills your food order and the food rotates so quickly that there isn’t pre-loaded food anyway. If you have difficulties, try again during a less-busy time or another food stall. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 6. Use public transportation. Pretty self explanatory! My dad and I always drove to the closest metro stop and then took public transportation the rest of the way. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 7. Reuse previous fan gear. Those ball caps and jerseys are cool and all, but do you really need a new one every single time? Rewear your previous fan gear to save money and the planet! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 8. Skip the freebies and souvenirs. If you really want a souvenir, consider a framed picture of you at the game, baseball signed in-person (kids usually stand near the dugout to get players to sign their baseballs), or a flyer. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What other ideas do you have for a zero waste baseball game? Drop them below! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #summermemories #zerowastesummer #zerowastebaseball #sustainablebaseball #sustainabletravel #zerowasteliving #cardinalsgame #oriolesgame #camdenyards
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ For reference, I went to a private clinic for an EKG so that I can run a 10K. The race coordinators required this of all runners...but then didn’t ask for it at packet pick-up 🤦🏼‍♀️ But I experienced visiting the doctor in Belarus, so win-win I guess? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1. I scheduled my appointment two days ahead of time. I would’ve had to wait at least two weeks in the States to see my doctor. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2. I could see any doctor, even as a new patient. In the States, I would’ve had to have scheduled a new patient appointment....and waited a month for the appointment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 3. The receptionist needed to know why I was in the office. To check-in, I had to announce publicly that I needed an EKG. In the States, the reason why you’re seeing the doctor is confidential information, therefore you nor the receptionist are supposed to state your procedures or illness in the lobby. When checking in at the doctor, you simply give your name to check-in.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 4. No one escorts you to your room in Belarus. The receptionist told me to go to room 302 or 304. In the States, a nurse always walks you to your room. They don’t want anyone creeping around and trying to steal health information! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 5. There are doctor’s rooms, not patient’s rooms. Each doctor had their own office that also had a patient bed and all the equipment they needed for most basic procedures...including an EKG. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 6. Patients have to knock on the door to see their doctor. The door was locked, so I waited in the hallway for over 20 minutes thinking a doctor or nurse would let me into the room! Finally I knocked and realized the doctor was in there all along. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 7. There weren’t any nurses or PAs. I guess because Belarus has enough doctors, there isn’t a medical demand for nurses or PAs. I’m sure nurses exist in hospitals or for more specialized procedures, but for basic things at the clinic a doctor is the only medical professional I saw!