travel Archives • Page 3 of 11 • The Bliss Movement

Sandboarding in Huacachina, Peru

After a month lazing away my days on the beaches of Ecuador, the change of scenery of Huacachina's desert oasis was a breath of fresh air. Surrounded by the sandy dunes of the desert, this is the only desert oasis in South America and is lined with restaurants, hostels and hotels. With very little else to it, visitors to are often eager to book up with one of the many tour companies to go sandboarding in Huacachina. So, that's what we did: hopping in a dune buggy with a few new friends, putting our lives in the hands of the driver that's about to rip around the d[...]

Ecuador, Guides + Itineraries, South America, Travel

The Quick Guide to Ecuador’s Beach Towns

My time in Ecuador was one of the highlights of my travels through South America and since I couldn't find very much information about the coastal towns, I decided to create one for anyone else wanting to explore this part of the world. This is it: a guide to the beach towns in Ecuador. My journey here was an impromptu decision and I knew very little about any of the stops along the way but I was needing the salty fresh air of the sea and that was enough to make me hop on the next bus out. I hadn't planned to spend very long in the country but once my toes hit[...]

Ecuador, South America, Travel

Banos: The Ecuadorian Adventure Town

The journey crossing the border from Colombia to Ecuador by bus - despite making me really nervous to do alone - ended up being a breeze. After spending a night in a hotel on the border of Colombia, I hailed a taxi to the border and before I knew it, I was walking across a bridge; out of one country and into another in under two minutes. A little chit chat with immigration officials, passport stamped and it was sorted. Soon enough, I was on a bus out of there. Sometimes I wind up in countries or cities without really knowing why I want to go there in the first p[...]

Mood and Mindset, NEW TO SELF-CARE?, Personal Development, Self-Care

How To Create Your Perfect Wellness Routine

Creating a wellness routine was something that evolved subconsciously for me, over time. I didn't sit down and think to myself, "OK, today is the day I start a wellness routine." Mostly what happened was that I would continue to be surprised by how much better something made me feel - whether mentally + emotionally or physically. As time went on, I started to incorporate all of those little things into my daily (or weekly - we aren't all perfect) life and since then, it's been a journey to figure out how to maintain my wellness routine even in the midst of consta[...]

Mood and Mindset, Self-Care, Travel

7 Steps To Get Over Travel Burnout

We've had a conversation about post-travel depression here in the past, but what about when you're actually on the road and feeling a bit.. bleh? Have you ever had the realization that the things you used to love about traveling were only weighing you down? Have you stopped feeling inspired and excited about the places you were going and instead, don't feel much of anything? Or you're feeling constantly exhausted and couldn't really care less if you were in that beautiful destination or at home? If so, you might have been experiencing something called travel burn[...]

Mood and Mindset, Self-Care, Travel

Traveling Is a Beautiful Chaos

I wrote this post a little while ago and have been going back and forth between wanting to share it and wanting to delete it because it's not that inspirational, it's not that informational, it's really not that exciting. It's mostly just a rant on a day when I was experiencing some crazy travel burnout. But, that's part of living a lifestyle of travel. There's good and bad, even in beautiful destinations. So, here you go. I'm going to forewarn you that I may sound a little ungrateful for a moment - but please know that I'm not. I realize how amazing the life th[...]

Colombia, South America, Travel

The Best Day Trip From Medellin: Guatape and La Piedra

The main reason people choose to jump on a 2 hour bus journey from bustling Medellin to the colorful pueblo of Guatape is for it's main tourist attraction: La Piedra del Penol - "the stone of El Penol" or "the rock of Guatape". Towering 1263ft. above the ground and 7005ft. above sea level, La Piedra is truly enormous. After putting off my visit to La Piedra for a solid week (Medellin has great nightlife that I couldn't help but experience for myself. Unfortunately, this meant that I continued to be too tired for the prospect of climbing up 740 stairs the next m[...]

Guides + Itineraries, Travel, United States

The Road To Hana: A 1-Day Adventure

The Road to Hana is one of those activities that everyone insists you need to do if you’re ever in Maui. With 64 miles of road from Kahului to the small town of Hana, you’re in for a long stretch of hairpin turns, narrow roads, one-lane bridges and impeccable views of the scenery along the way. From the lush jungle to the coastal waters, your eyes will be delighted no matter what direction you’re looking. While the road to Hana is best enjoyed over a couple of days, we only had a single day to explore. You have two options for experiencing the road to Ha[...]

Solo Travel, Travel

4 Solo Travel Fears And Why You Shouldn’t Let Them Stop You

If you had asked me seven years ago if I would ever get on a plane, fly across the world and proceed to backpack around without much of a plan, I would have called you crazy. I wouldn't have given solo travel a fleeting thought. Hell, I wouldn’t have even gone into my local Walmart alone and don’t even think about asking me to sit and have a coffee all by myself! Being all on my own was easily one of my biggest solo travel fears. Now, I tell my friends that they’re crazy not to. I get that it is a scary feeling to take such a huge leap of faith in yourself[...]

Canada, Guides + Itineraries, Travel

Tofino, British Columbia: A Drive To The End Of The Road

I woke up to a sunrise peeking out over the mountains - there's a reason I will wake up at 2AM to catch a flight. After dozing off in an uncomfortable aisle seat, you're rewarded with a view like that! I'm on my second airplane this morning, making my way to Tofino. People say it's Canada's surfer town; a little piece of paradise tucked away at the very Western point of Canada. The End of The Road, it's been called. It's a place that I've hoped to visit for the last few summers and now, it's time. *** People talk about great American road trips but they must not[...]

Barbados, Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

5 Things You Should Know Before Studying Abroad

Check The Boxes You’ve received your acceptance letter – now what?! First things first: the practical things. Book your flight, order some foreign currency to get you started over there and do some research. What does the weather look like at that time of year? Pack accordingly. Make sure you have the documents needed: passport, student visa, travel and health insurance, etc. Read up on the culture, customs and laws. If, like me, you have a practicum to work while there, figure out what the appropriate professional dress-code is! What was appropriate in[...]

Budget Travel, Tips, Planning and Packing, Travel

Travel More: 5 Steps to Afford More Adventure In Your Life

There is a misconception that traveling can only be for the top 2% of the world - that you need to have a lot of money or that travel is expensive in itself. I absolutely hate being asked how I afford to travel so much. Not because I don't like talking about money (I do), but because the people who are asking usually aren't the ones who are actually interested in making it happen for themselves. The question usually comes from people who say it as a backhanded compliment. I will say that no, it's not available to everyone but for the average middle-class person, i[...]