Taking Stock: Graduation season

Thanking: my family and friends for all the love they showed me over the past two weeks. Graduation season was awesome. (Yes, I’ve declared it a whole season even though I’m the only one graduating at this time of the year.)

Making : exciting changes to the blog layout and I can’t wait to share them with you all.

Cooking Frying: plantain for dinner tonight.  Here’s to my pending foodgasm.

Drinking  Eating: a good steak can turn any day around.

Reading: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari which I got as a gift from my favourite Uncle (Hey, Uncle J).

Wanting: a hot stone massage this weekend. If only I had the budget to match.

Looking: forward to sharing my recap of the past two weeks with you here. I enjoyed all parts of the trip but the Uganda leg gave me life everlasting!

Playing: Back to the Beach by Shekhinah X Kyle Deutsch. This song takes me straight to Camps Bay Beach in Cape Town.

Wishing: I could see my younger siblings more often.

Enjoying: the feeling of being a graduate 🙂

Waiting: impatiently to share my latest (and probably most awesome) idea with you all soon. Kampala, I’m talking to you.

Liking: how the year is going so far. So much growth. So much love. So much adventure.

Wondering: how I actually managed to zip line in Mabira Forest last week with my fear of heights.

Loving: the view from the Gadaffi Mosque in Kampala.

Hoping: that I can get through this month without dying from fatigue. Adventure is amazing, but exhausting too.

Marvelling: at how organized my sister is.

Needing: to eat a pumpkin pie soon.

Wearing: a sun dress today thanks to the early heat we’re getting Rome. Out come the legs 😉

Following: this page on Instagram as I prepare for my weekend in Venice. My excitement levels have reached their all time high.

(Still) thinking: of cutting my hair.

Feeling:  lucky to have found these happy chauffeurs in Malta. The energy your company brings to any trip is one of the most important things for me.

Noticing: that I hate looking at slightly tilted photos on the wall.

Knowing: myself is the most empowering thing I am getting out of 2016.

Giggling: at the house naming tradition in Malta. Paul (one of our awesome chauffeurs) named his Moonrakers.

Feeling: like I should start coming up with a name for my first house.

Taking Stock: February

 

Making : room for bigger and better things in my life. Specifically for better food. It’s becoming a big priority!

Cooking : my pasta like a proper Italian now (Ahem!). At least I no longer over cook it and that’s a step in the right direction.

Drinking : Blueberry muffin flavoured tea at the moment. Yes, blueberry muffin flavoured tea. (It’s divine!)

Reading: the recent news from Uganda is starting to take a toll on my spirit.

Wanting: to squeeze in one extra hour of sleep every night. If wishes were horses.

Looking: for Red Velvet Cake in Rome will bring you to tears. Trust me on this one.

Playing Dancing: like the gorillas in Adventure of a Lifetime by Cold Play.

Wasting:less paper this year 🙂

Sewing: why is this one still here?

Wishing: my next trip were starting tonight. Sigh!

Enjoying: the process of planning said trip.

Waiting: on two very important emails this month. Fingers crossed.

Liking: the under 25 discounts that seem to follow me around. Sometimes the world is such a lovely place.

Wondering: why everyone frowns when they are on the metro. They smile on bus but frown on the metro. WHY?

Loving: the smell of fresh strawberries this month.

Hoping: to make the most of my next stay in Uganda travelwise.

Marvelling: at the dense collection of art in the Vatican Museum. Check out my postcard-esque photo on my Facebook and Instagram pages.

Needing: some TV chicken for dinner tonight. (The one that is roasted in a little TV)

Wearing: blue today.

Following: my gut feeling more when it comes to this blog.

Thinking: about cutting my hair again. I miss my little ‘fro.

FeelingFREEZING: right now!

Opening Closing: the chapter of life in which I carry my regrets around.

Giggling: at the look of disappointment I get from my Italian friends everytime I ask for un caffè americano. 

Feeling: like I deserve a good ice cream after the past week!

My Travel Essentials

As I prepare for my next little adventure, I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the things that I think one shouldn’t leave behind on any trip. Enjoy!

1. Toiletries

Allow me to start by stating the obvious: you don’t want to be that person who everybody dreads picking up from the airport. Even after a short journey, we all need a little freshening up. I’d say the toothpaste (yes, I’m loyal to my  Close Up from Uganda) and lotion are the most important. I have no idea why traveling is such a drying experience but I literally finish the little cream bottle in three or four journeys tops.

Let’s take this one seriously.

2. Comfort

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a young man’s smile turn into a frown as he watches me transform from ‘that nice girl next to me on the plane’ into his grandmother. With the upt combination of my silk hair scarf to protect my natural hair from the cushion (you may or may not relate to this struggle), my favourite deep red blanket and my mid-calf socks, I have managed to turn any not so comfy bus, train or plane ride into something bearable at least.

3. Vanity

Everyone needs a little vanity case for any trip. I don’t care too much for makeup but I always have at least mascara, eye liner and three lipstick shades on deck. I usually go for a deep matte purple, a matte red (because you never know where you might end up on your trip) and a neutral tone like a brown or a baby pink. This is not that kind of blog so I won’t get deep into detail but a little vanity never hurt nobody.

4. Technology

If I ever forget any of the three items above, the trip is completely ruined. Apps like Google Maps  and Visit a City have saved me many hours of frustration and confusion. My Kindle continues to save me from those awkward and/or boring strangers that just won’t stop talking and without my camera, I wouldn’t be able to save the great memories of my trips.

Essential is the word!!

5.Your best self

A free mind and your biggest smile are the best and most important things that you need to take with you on any trip. There is no point in going to see a new place if you plan to block yourself from new experiences. Leave any intolerance, racism and negativity at home, please and thank you!

I read an inspiring book whose main message was that one should be aware of the energy they bring into a room (in this case, into a country).  You don’t necessarily need to be a light, but you certainly shouldn’t dim anybody else’s. Take your smile with you, somebody just might need it there!

And being the young adventurous travel blogger that I am, I never leave without my notepad and Pencil!

As always, thanks for reading.

Bisous!

Taking Stock: January

As you may or may not know,  I’ve decided to take my blog very seriously this year.  It’s been one month so far and I’m already learning so much about creating great content and finding a proper brand.  The other day I was looking at one of my favourite blogs thisisess.com and decided to borrow the idea of a monthly series where I take stock of my thoughts.  First try,  here goes!

Making : time to read at least two books a month (I know,  I’m a slow reader- and proud).

Cooking : Chapati on a weekly basis now.  Not bad for someone who couldn’t do it last year B-)

Drinking : Orange juice every morning,  as per usual.

Reading: ‘El secreto del bambù’  and ‘La femme sans peur’ this month.

Wanting: to visit Malta in the very near future.

Looking: outside this bus window at the less picturesque parts of Rome.

Wasting: no time making plans for my graduation this year.

Sewing: no thank you.

Wishing: I were half an inch taller.

Enjoying: my own company a lot more than ever before.

Waiting: for my Johnny!

Liking: my new energy for blogging this year.

Wondering: if I’ll ever see snow in this lifetime.

Loving: Chelsea boots of all colors and  heights this winter.

Hoping: for a warm and sunny February.

Marvelling: at my colleagues who speak at least 4 international languages interchangeably everyday.

Needing: the concept of Aperitivo to be exported out of Italy.

Smelling: the man next to me in this bus…Let’s just say I don’t know if hygiene is a priority for him.

Wearing: a lot of brown today.

Following: more travel bloggers on Instagram.

Noticing: that I’m less and less worried about the future.

Knowing: that adulting is not as attractive as previously assumed.

Thinking: about taking a zumba class.

Feeling: grateful for the personal growth this blog gives me.

Bookmarking: visitacity.com. It’s a great site that creates itineraries for short or long trips to most cities that turned out to be very useful during my recent trip to Athens.

Opening: up to new possibilities for guest posts on Shirabo and guest posting for other blogs.

Feeling: exhausted after finishing this long list. Next month’s might have to be adjusted.