My History Class Through Experience

One of the reasons I love to travel so much is because I believe it is the best form of education. At least it has been for myself. 

I'm not knocking down education because I believe it's truly important but I can hardly remember any of the information I read about in a text book, especially in history class. It's places like the ones in this episode below that have affected me the most. It's instances like going to Cambodia and learning about the Genocide, walking on peoples bones and clothes that were left in the killing fields and seeing a sign that says "killing tree against which executioners beat children".  

It's moments like going to Poland and walking through Auschwitz, a concentration camp where more than 1 million innocent people lost their lives. My eyes seeing rooms filled with suitcases, baby clothes, and shoes that once belonged to people... those lessons will never be forgetten.

Those moments leave chills on my skin and bring tears to my eyes. The places I can feel the history and I know I will never forget. 

I always saw beautiful photo's of Cambodia and it was one of the top 3 places I wanted to visit last year purely based on images.

When I arrived in Cambodia it was so much more than beautiful landscapes. I was in awe of the way people smiled and laughed when I wasn't even sure if some of them had a home or food to eat. I remember looking out the window on the bumpy bus ride as we drove to Siem Reap and embracing the way the locals live and how much love they have for one another. I remember thinking how grateful I am for being able to experience this country. How lucky I am to have the opportunity to be free, travel, and not have to worry if I'll be able to eat that day. 

I had no idea about what I was about to see and the amount of history Cambodia has. I was walking through S21 (Tual Slend Genocide Museum) which was a former high school, where I first heard of the mass executions and torture led by Pol Pot between 1975 and 1979 where an estimated 1.5 -3 million people had their lives taken. A place where we saw photo's of the faces of the innocent prisoners at the high school and where I had the opportunity to meet one of the survivors. 

What blew me away the most was how ignorant I was to all of this happening. It was only 40 years ago and this was the first time I had ever heard about the Cambodia Genocide. 

If you're unfamiliar with it as well, I highly recommend watching our Global Degree episode (below) and seeing a glimpse of the beautiful Cambodia we experienced. 

Angkor Watt at sunrise

S-21 - Tual Slend Genocide Museum

Killing Fields, Cambodia

Chongknease Village, Siem Reap

Angkor Thom, Siem Reap

“To travel, to experience and learn: that is to live.”

— Tenzing Norgay

Loads of love,  Natalia xx

Pardon the

 f o r e i g n . g r a m m a r

What's in my backpack?

Embarking on a long backpacking trip can be a little overwhelming when it comes to packing. Fitting my life into one bag seems a little unrealistic at times but I make it work. 

When packing for a long trip, I take the following into consideration:

- What’s functional

- What's lightweight  

- What will benefit my lifestyle 

- What's good quality

- What's cost effective 

- What will be comfortable but also looks good

I learned a lot about how to pack from our last trip filming with Global Degree where we travelled throughout 24 countries in Asia within 8 months. The trip itself was beyond incredible but I was sick for a long duration of it. Whether it was a stomach infection, bacteria infection, or a basic cold, I rarely felt 100%. My immune system was really weak and because of that it affected my exercise regime, which affected a great deal of how I felt and what I was wanting to taking part in. I was pretty stressed at some points that my hair started to fall out an abnormal amount, my nails were breaking really easily and because I wasn’t healthy, my body was struggling with all of the excess weight I was carrying in both my backpacks (One of them weighed WAY too much) Surprisingly my clothing bag weighed less than my camera bag.

I learned A LOT from last year so this year I set new goals which were mostly health based.  I wanted to share my experience with you and provide you with a list of the things I’m really excited about having in my backpack this year:

MEC backpack

Starting with the most important item...having a good quality backpack is key. I bought my 85L MEC backpack because of it's adjustable straps that make it really easy to walk for longer periods of time and the pockets are perfectly placed. I like to keep very organized and the versatility of this bag allows me do that. I also picked up a waterproof shell to keep the rain out and to protect the bag while it's on airplanes, trains and busses. 

RYU clothing

Dublin, Ireland

Clothing can be tricky when backpacking because I don’t have the option of steaming or ironing them and because of that I love fabrics that don’t need any additional care. I stumbled into the RYU store last fall and fell in love with their brand and culture.

Kobox, London

Before I took off for Europe I went to town on their gear. Their brand is extremely practical for my lifestyle and I LOVE the look. When I travel, I’m always outdoors so having comfortable, good quality clothes is very important to me. I stocked up on sports bras, shirts, pants, hoodies, a hat and a warm jacket. I try to run at least 4 days a week so having easily accessible, almost hidden pockets is really important for me while travelling and their clothes offer that. You can tell that every article was very well thought out when designed. 

Dish & Duer Denim

Reykjavik, Iceland

I love the look of jeans but I can't stand the uncomfortableness of most of them. I discovered this amazing brand,  Dish & Duer that has maximum performance denim that's sweat proof, fade proof, and is ridiculously comfy. They also apply silver ions to prevent bacteria growth. I picked up a couple pairs of jeans and joggers so if you see photos of me hiking with jeans on, now you will understand why. The first day I wore my joggers I managed to spill coffee all over them and it immediately wiped right off which made me love the brand even more. 

Nike runners

Zlatni Rat, Croatia

I do everything in my Nike's and I wear them with everything!…seriously. I take them to the mountains or even wear them with my leather pants or a skirt. I just love them! They're comfortable and extremely light.

(Odd but great travel tip) - A friend taught me to travel with dryer sheets. He puts one in each shoe to keep them smelling amazing - and it works. 

Roo Rain Gear 

I said it last year and I'll say it again, my rain gear was a life saver! We backpacked through Asia during monsoon season and the Roo Rain Gear was big enough to covered myself, my camera equipment bag and my 85L backpack. To top off an amazing product, the whole poncho is made from recycled plastic bottles. I don't know what I would do without it, this poncho never leaves my camera bag.

Ray Ban Transitional Lenses

I'm too scared to get laser eye surgery so I usually fumble between contact lenses, sunglasses, prescription glasses, and prescription sunglasses on a daily basis. (What a nightmare and waste of space). I may have been the last person to hear about this but I recently discovered the world of transitional lenses. I picked up a pair of Ray Bans that I can use as prescription glasses and as soon as I get into the sun they turn into sunglasses. (So magical) 

WithinUs TruMarine Collagen: 

Lagos, Portugal

I told a friend about my health experience from last year so she had recommended WithinUs TruMarine Collagen - 100% Hydrolyzed (fish scale) Collagen. It replenishes your skin, hair, nails, bones and joints. I really support this product and brand because it's organic, non GMO and perfect for traveling. I picked up 200 sticks to take with me which each include 3g of collagen. I add one stick to my morning water or coffee and let it dissolve. It tastes and smells like nothing. I'm really excited to share the results I've had.

Hyperbiotics

I was sick so often last year that my main priority is to keep as healthy as possible so I stocked up on Hyperbiotics, probiotics. I travel so often and usually don't have access to a fridge so these are great because they use a specific manufacturing process that increases stability without refrigeration.

Kobo ereader

I love reading books but they're inconvenient to pack while travelling. I was always nervous to use ereaders because I have sensitive eyes and I thought it would hurt them but my Kobo is perfect for me. It's easy to change pages, it remembers where I left off, allows me to take notes, I can store a lot of books on it, the battery life lasts a really long time and I can adjust the brightness. English was my third language so I have a really bad vocabulary. I love that I can highlight a word and it defines it immediately opposed to pretending like I understand it. 

Toiletries

There’s nothing like opening your bag to a liquid explosion... This is why I love the Lush liquid-less products.  My personal favourite is their body butter that keeps your skin feeling incredible and also leaves you smelling delicious.

I bring a very minimal amount of makeup while traveling and when I do, I store most of it in contact cases. They’re so small so it’s nice to get rid of all the excess packaging.

Lagos, Portugal

I've had an amazing time in Europe so far. Eating, exploring and learning lots!  

If you have any travel packing tips and tricks feel free to comment below. I'd love to hear them. :)

Please note I am not paid by any of the brands listed above. I only recommend and suggest products I love and believe in. 

Loads of love, Natalia xx

Pardon the

 f o r e i g n . g r a m m a r

8 things to do in San Diego

*Watch the video here

It was the night of Christmas eve and time to open our gifts. When it was my turn, I found a massive hand made card under the tree with my name on it. That itself was the best tear jerker gift ever. Inside the card there were photo's of Mark and I and two tickets to one of my favourite cities - San Diego, along with 3 nights stay at the Bahia Resort Hotel in Mission Bay… I was stoked! 

It was our first flight together as we’re usually meeting each other half way across the world. Flying with someone you love is so much better than flying solo. ...No one likes a stranger drooling on their shoulder. 

Once we arrived, we used Uber as the most efficient and convenient way to get around town. The Bahia Resort Hotel was a perfect location for us because it’s situated on the peninsula on the west shore of Mission Bay with endless amounts of activities, which we love.

I had been to San Diego a few times in the past but never explored Mission Bay which quickly became my favourite area of San Diego. 

Heres a list of 8 things I recommend doing around Mission Bay:

Hike Torrey Pines: 

I had to take Mark to one of my favourite spots in San Diego, Torrey Pines. It's a very easy walk where you can see gorgeous layers of unique rock formations right beside the ocean. This is a great spot to watch people soaring through the sky while paragliding. My heart dropped every time I saw someone running off the edge of the cliff and into the sky but I was also very enveous. I'll have to save that one for next time.

Kayak:

Mission Bay and Mission Beach are incredible spots for water activities such as sailing, surfing. boating, and jet skiing. We chose kayaking when we were there in January and it was amazing to see hundreds of jelly fish in the water along with beautiful wildlife in the area. 

Tennis: 

There are a few public courts and Bahia Resort Hotel has great ones so we played tennis after dinner and then hit the hot tub. The video shows how badly I need to invest in tennis lessons.

Bike Rides:

I strongly suggest renting cruisers and riding along the beach. We grabbed lunch on the boardwalk and made our way to bike on the sand in the shallow areas of the water. (don’t forget to get your feet wet!) 

Wave House: 

Whether you're a surfer or a spectator, the Wave House is a great spot to check out. The 10 foot wave machine pumps 100,000 gallons of water per minute creating an endless barreling wave. If that doesn’t sound entertaining enough, the machine is surrounded by tiki bars, cabanas, and fire pits.

Belmont Park: 

Be careful, you can forget your age and get very lost and excited in this beachfront amusement park and entertainment centre. 

JRDN Surf: Sky: Spirit Dining:

The JRDN restaurant is located at the Tower23 Hotel. It has a focus on local ingredients and is a must try! The atmosphere is very upbeat and we lucked out with a gorgeous spot on the patio right next to the beach. We're used to delicious beef in Canada but this was one of the best steaks I've ever tasted.  I highly recommend trying the 10oz. American wagyu skirt steak and the roasted brussel sprouts. 

Beach Treats: 

We saw people walking with these monster cones all weekend so we made sure to indulge at Beach Treats with some monster cones and shaved ice before we headed back to Vancouver.

The trip was fully loaded with activities and we had a blast. We’ll definitely be back to San Diego soon. If you have any other recommendations on things to do in the area please comment below. If you’ve never been to SD get your butt over there! 

Stay smiling, 

Natalia Anja xox

(pardon my f o r e i g n . g r a m m a r )

*All photo's are taken on a GoPro

Game Changer - Samantha Skelly

How would you define a "Game Changer" ?

To me a Game Changer is someone who inspires people to think outside of the box. Someone who is making a positive shift in society. Someone who without intention, naturally encourages people and inspires them to grow into even better human beings.  

Although there's a lot of positive and useful information, I find social media to sometimes be overwhelming with negativity or gossip. So I wanted to highlight people who I look up to and share their message. 

This week I sat down with Samantha Skelly, founder of "Hungry For Happiness". We talked about her journey with the relationship she had with food and loving her body. Samantha shares her one message she would leave with the world. Watch the full interview here:

If you're interested in Samantha's 6 month coaching program that takes people on a journey back to their bodies, you can sign up Here! 

Thanks for watching :) 

Sending loads of love, 

Natalia xo