Today I turned 28 ...& it's the first time I’m exposing my vulnerable side.

August 06, 2015 by Natalia Anja

Today I turned 28 years old and am celebrating another wonderful year of life. It's a day where I like to set a community goal, watch people come together and refresh my heart on how we are all equal, loving and giving beings.

Prepare yourself...this is where I begin to talk about myself far too much and become vulnerable - A quality I struggle with most.

I have seen, I have been, I have witnessed...i .... i .... i...

Social media shows my highlight reel. "Life is perfect, I'm always happy, I love animals, I am healthy, I am having fun all of the time and everywhere I sleep and stay is glamorous and beautiful."

The reality is that yes, I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. I am experiencing an opportunity of a lifetime, with amazing people and going through the biggest learning lessons and self growth I may possibly ever go through. I'm also fortunate enough to have some of the most incredible people’s support in my life. I wouldn't change any of my experiences for the world, but I don't think my lifestyle is for everybody.

I have been asked by many people "Look's like you're having the time of your life, but what's it really like?"

The reality is...(and please don't misconstrue any of these as complaints, this is far from that. I'm just opening up about my personal experience that I have yet to post on my social media.)

...Most days are the best I've ever had and some, very rare days are unfortunately not the greatest and end up in tears... I am only human. I've experienced pain in my cheeks from smiling and laughing so much and also uncontrollable tears from seeing first hand how much help this world is in need of. At the end of each day I am extremely grateful for my fortunate life.

You have seen my highlight reel, so here is a glimpse into the behind the scenes of the past 4.5 months….

I have been to the most populated countries in the world and have seen children who have no home or food running around without shoes on. Their cute dirty faces, sorrow filling their eyes but somehow they still have the power to smile.

I have witnessed animals we consider family members being mistreated, over populated, sedated and sold on the side of the street from puppy mills and other times offered on food menus. Knowing that in some of these countries they are being eaten as the main course is hard for me to swallow.

I have had to wrap my mind around families left homeless because Mother Nature proved how strong she was and all they were left with was rubble, sever injuries if not death and less opportunity than they even had before. Standing helplessly as a collapsed home lay in front of my teary eyes. Families no longer having a safe place to sleep, eat, continue making memories in or to call home.

I have spent time with animals we love but selfishly want to ride not realizing how we're supporting an inhumane industry of torture because we're uneducated about the process. I have learned that because an animal looks like it's smiling doesn't mean that it is.

I have witnessed both women and men being objectified and used possibly against their will for peoples sexual guilty pleasures or for pure entertainment.

My heart grows and softens through experiences each day. Sometimes I wish I didn't see things because ignorance is bliss. Although, I believe that education is the most valuable asset we all need to make this world a better place. I’m not referring to the text book education... I’m referring to the real life experience through your own eyes where you can feel the emotion the situation has engraved into your heart. I have learned more in the past 4.5 months than I think I have in the last two years.

…and then there’s my first world problems…

I have days where my accommodations water doesn't work and I can't shower, or even flush the toilet which in a particular circumstance has led me to throw up in the sink from the unbearable smell and surprise I found in the toilet. (sorry for sharing)

Wearing flip flops almost every time I shower and changing beds every couple of days isn't necessarily ideal.

Changing locations multiple times to try and find half decent wifi can be frustrating and in some locations absolutely hopeless.

I have had a countless amount of days where my stomach can't handle the food it's taking in.Feeling defeated after a month of having a stomach infection and every thing I ate causing an excruciating pain in my stomach. Although, there are those memorable moments like projectile vomiting on a dirty bathroom floor in India during the heat wave…super hot, I know.

I have learned that I have a lot of hold ups with food I didn’t know I had. There are times where food smells and looks so unappetizing to me I settle for not eating at all or living off of chips and candy to fill my body with nutrient-less fillers to get me through the day, hoping there will be something delicious the next.

I have slept on mystery stained sheets of an 11 hour bus that smells like a porta potty pretending like it doesn't bother me too much so I don't come across as a diva.

I have learned that peeing on the side of the road In front of people is a luxury compared to stepping foot into some of the toilets I have been in.

I have also learned that vomiting may be an unintentional hobby of mine. Whether it's during a beautiful sunset yacht in Sri Lanka, a smelly bathroom or from getting heat stroke on a gorgeous day swimming with manta rays in the Maldives… Let's just say I don't do well with motion sickness.

I have a massive fear of being in front of the camera but I’m now in front of it daily. There’s something about video that makes me even more awkward than I usually am... Something I’m working on.

My fear of spiders quickly had to be transformed into a mentality that they are my friends because they're not going anywhere. As a matter of fact, they're only becoming more common and bigger by location.

I have discovered that I can very easily borderline have a panic attack if I'm in a confined space like tubing in a small cave watching the water level rise during monsoon season.

While carrying around 50lbs on my back and 30lbs on my front, my body develops weird pains from shock of so much excess weight. …(thankfully, I have now downsized)

Privacy has become a special occasion for me as sometimes I have shared a room with up to 40 strangers. ...anytime you have 40 strangers in a room weird smells can easily develop.

The weather is not always ideal. Monsoon season will usually never show you blue skies but I like to embrace and accept it because it's still beautiful and I'm one of a few that love the rain.

I can tell you that being immobile for up to 30 hours because we're on a bus or train and sleeping on airport floors during long layovers after two days of transportation by train can be draining.

We have gotten cut, bruised and hurt and sometimes I just want a good snuggle. I’m constantly surrounded by people but there are times when I get lonely. I want an excessively long hug from my mom, a great chat with my dad and to share unconditional laughs with my sister and loved ones.

I only show my highlight reel because I would do the above all over again in a heart beat. Some of my personally most uncomfortable moments have hands down been my best.

I think that the beauty of the world is that through many of our struggles and deepest fears and discomforts we learn we can over come many things we mentally set boundaries on. I find that I have created comfort zones because I'm fortunate to live in a place of mass opportunity, cleanliness and beauty... I'm usually not exposed to many discomforts and if I am, I can easily remove myself from the situation.

I base my discomforts on subliminal comparisons of what I'm used to and sometimes I'm unable to wrap my mind around why some countries do it differently. I go in with an open mind, set judgement aside and accept each culture as it is because I don't think there is a right or wrong, there are only differences.

I have surrounded myself with a community of people who look out for each other. Backpackers who care and want to learn about the world and experience it one day at a time. People who put themselves in uncomfortable situations because they are curious, open minded and are eager to learn.

I have stayed in some of the most beautiful resorts in the world and have met some of the most wonderful people.

I have seen people who In our eyes "have nothing" but are happier than some of the wealthiest people I know.

We have been taken in by complete strangers to sleep on the floor of their home because we accidentally booked our accommodations for the wrong night and had no where to sleep. On top of that, we were made breakfast in the morning and taken directly to our train to make sure we get there without getting lost.

I learned that two complete strangers, even though so different from each other can quickly become family...that people are looking out for each other and want to help one another.

I have learned that with the right people, romantic or not, I can maintain amazing long distance relationships. The key is to genuinely want happiness for one another and know that sharing experiences from afar is very special.

I have experienced a ton of new things and have had endless unforgettable adventures.

The older I get, the more life experiences I have and the more I grow. This is why I enjoy getting older. It's truly a blessing. I see my smile lines getting bigger each year and somewhere along the way society has brainwashed us to believe that these are ugly. ... I think smile lines are beautiful and a sign that you're a happy person. Each year I find myself becoming happier in life and more comfortable in my own skin.

We don't live in a perfect world but we do live in a compassionate one.

There are many things I am passionate about but my biggest passion and goal is to help others.

At a local wedding playing with the kids in Sri Lanka.

I love knowing that we as humans can very easily change another persons life…even if it's with just a smile. We can transform tears into a big bright smile, create opportunity for one another and inspire each other. I think it's beautiful. We are such powerful beings and some of us don’t even know it.

This is why each year I like to set a goal. This year, I want to raise $5800 to feed 500 kids in Trelawny, Jamaica for an entire year so they can have an opportunity to be healthy, happy and focus at school. (100% of the proceeds go directly towards feeding the children) Most of these kids families can't afford to put food on the table so these children rely on the Project Solution Jamaica Breakfast program for their daily meal.

So if I haven’t bored you too much about my personal ups and downs and you’ve made it in reading this far, I'm surprised and I applaud you. THANK YOU. If you are also passionate about helping others, please take a moment to view my campaign page: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/feed-500-kids-for-5800#/

I've met my fund raising goals for the past 3 years. This year I have challenged myself and trying to double my goal and I have no doubt that it's possible to reach. $5800 is a lot to ask of people but it's a very small amount compared to how much opportunity it will create and how many kids it can feed. Only $16 can feed a child for an entire year, that's HUGE!

I'm excited for another wonderful year of manifesting an unbelievable life. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of the journey so far.

x’s & o’s,

Natalia Anja

21 fun things to do in my favourite city, Vancouver

July 26, 2015 by Natalia Anja

I was chatting with a friend that recently moved to Vancouver, BC and I found myself bragging about how impressive that city is. I started bombarding him with so much information on what to do and what to see, that it inspired me to share some of my favourite recent and past discoveries.

I have been focused on nothing but my career as a Professional Freelance Photographer for the past two years that I put traveling on the back burner. Although I absolutely love my job, I have too many hobbies and a 'comfortable' lifestyle with minimal change makes me cringe. I often think about what excites me... exploring, discovering new things, and meeting new people excites me. I altered my schedule a bit so I can take one day a week to keep my sanity and allowed myself to be a tourist in my own city. I made a vow to do something I have never done before in or around the Vancouver area. It not only brought so much fulfillment into my life but it made me have a greater appreciation for the city. I tied this importance into my life quite a bit over the past year.

I'm not a believer in it ever being 'the right time' but sometimes we're not mentally ready to take that first step. I have been wanting to go traveling for the past two years. Fortunately my mental unpreparedness actually led me to the 'perfect time', everything happening for a reason, and now I’m on an adventure of a lifetime and appreciating home more than ever.

I recently won a contest for a series called ‘Global Degree’ where I will be travelling for 7 months of every year for the next 5 years in attempts to achieve a Guinness World Record to be the first women to travel to every UN Nation (193 countries). I’m incredibly excited to take on this endeavour and I feel so grateful to call such an incredible city like Vancouver home. I'd love to give Vancouver the attention and praise it deserves for providing Vancouverites and tourists the ability to experience so much beauty, cleanliness and opportunity in and around the area I'm proud to call home.

Here were 21 of my most memorable adventures this past year:

Brandy Wine Falls

What's usually a quick-stop tourist attraction is one of my favourite discoveries to date. Brandywine Falls is located 15 minutes South of Whistler and takes approximately 1.5 hour for a round trip from the parking lot to get right to the bottom. Although finding the hidden trail was a challenge, we were walking over train track bridges, fields of soft moss and an incredibly different perspective of the waterfall where you don't have to stand behind a fence to view it from a distance. It seemed like a day out of a children's fairytale. Once we found the right path, walking through the beautiful forest green moss was so majestic. Because this waterfall is so powerful you can't physically get too close to it. As we walked up to the waterfall there was a gorgeous double rainbow. Now I don't know much about rainbows but I was adamant that I had to stand under it. Within 2 seconds I was drenched from the mist. I found myself standing in the middle of a rainbow circle. I'm not sure if it was the pressure of the waterfall or my excitement but I have yet to experience a situation that has physically taken my breath away as much as that moment did.

Garibaldi Lake

All I can say is that water colour is NOT photoshopped! Before I did the Garibaldi Lake hike, I felt like I would be disappointed that the colour of the water wouldn't be as vibrant as people's photo's make it out to be. I am entirely convinced that this is the source of Blue Powerade. The entrance is located 25 mins South of Whistler and it takes approximately 5 hours for a round trip from the parking lot. The area is filled with the cutest Whisky Jack birds so it seemed like an amazing idea to hold a piece of bread in my hand as I held my arm out. It was a failed attempt as it seemed like the birds were dive bombing at me in slow motion. This hike wasn’t challenging but it was beautiful and a great spot for a cold swim and lunch.

Eagle Bluffs

I hiked Eagle Bluffs a few times but my most unforgettable time was in the late fall where we experienced every form of weather from sunshine, a blanket of fog, torrential downpour and snow. We were soaked and loved it! The hike starts at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver and it takes approximately 3-4 hours round trip from the parking lot. The ravens are quite aggressive there so watch your snacks. You experience a gorgeous view of Vancouver from the top so pack a lunch and have a picnic.

The Chief

The Chief is a favorite. Located in Squamish and it takes approximately 1.5 hour roundtrip from the parking lot. It’s a place where you can go for a quick hike or rock climb, have a nice lunch at the top and make chipmunks work for their nuts by making them do yoga poses. Be careful if you’re sitting close to the edge, those little guys sneak up on you quick so if you're a jumpy person you may be going for a cliff jump. On the way down make a stop at the waterfall pool and go for a swim to cool down.

Quarry Rock

Ahh the busiest place in town on a beautiful day! Quarry Rock makes for a great walk in the forest or a nice trail run. I would avoid it on the weekends as it’s so busy. Do yourself a favour and stop to get a donut from Honey Doughnuts & Goodies so you can enjoy it at the top looking out at the gorgeous Deep Cove...talk about a guilty pleasure.

Pacific Spirit Regional Park

Create your own route in Pacific Spirit Regional Park from over 50km of forest walking, running cycling or horseback riding. I like to bring my bike here and go for a Golden Hour ride through the forest and see the light poking through the tree’s.

Wreck Beach

Whether you’re going to skim board, run the stairs for some exercise or practise freeing the nipple, Wreck Beach is amazing. Bring some cash for the guy selling Margaritas at the bottom.

Grouse Grind

The name does not lie! Once you finish The Grind, Instead of stopping at the Gondola, keep going to the very top. Make a pit stop to visit with Grinder and Coola the resident orphaned grizzly bears. Keep going up to the highest point and check out the view. Have lunch on the patio over looking the city and it’s a perfect afternoon.

Seawall Bike Ride

Take your bike and cruise all around Stanley Park, around Science World and all the way to Spanish Banks. A great way to get some fresh air, exercise and see the city. There are plenty of fun bars along the way to get some lunch and/or drinks on a patio.

Carolin Mine, Hope

This one's a bit of a trek. It takes a couple of hours to drive to and you need a 4x4 to get to it. Carolin Mine is a no trespass zone, so if anyone asks, I didn't send you. This was one of the most terrifying situations I've put myself in. I love heights but there's something about the pitch black and being underground that screams horror movie to me. 8 friends and myself entered the abandoned mine that had 'danger' 'no trespassing’, and 'do not enter' spray painted on every entrance. We brought music, flashlights, and a go pro. If you're looking for a little scare don't bring music. The silence is terrifying. You can hear the rats running past your feet and the bats flapping their wings.

The abandoned conveyor belt was more up my alley. Two of us climbed and walked across the rusted up, squeeky beauty just as the sun was setting.

Buddhist Temple, Steveston

I had a meeting in Richmond so I made a morning of it. My first stop was the International Buddhist Temple in Richmond. Let's just say that it was the perfect place to inspire my mind and spirit before I took off on a 7 month journey to Asia. The colours are so vibrant, the architecture is exquisite and the energy is so peaceful and welcoming.

Historic Steveston, Richmond

Although I'm a city girl, I need my small town escapes. Step away from the city and go for a nice afternoon of amazing fish and chips in the port town that has a super small town feel in Steveston. Bring your dog or borrow a friends, grab a coffee and go for a walk by the water.

Go Karting (Indoor & Outdoor), Richmond

If you're a big kid at heart like myself, you might as well move to Richmond. You can play lazer tag, go indoor or outdoor Go Karting and finish it off at extreme Air park all in one day.

Extreme Air Park

Sometimes I question whether I’m an adult or a child, then I experience a place like Extreme Air Park and remind myself I’m definitely the later. 5000 sq ft of trampolines, need I say more? Dodgeball, basketball and backflips! I did my first flip and dunked my first basketball. This place not only makes you feel like you're a lot better at things than you actually are but makes you realize how much more energy you had as a kid. I suggest going late at night on a week day when it's not as busy.

Lazer Tag

Another place to take you back to your childhood. P lanet Lazer is the perfect place to challenge the kids and make yourself feel like you’re better at something than you actually are.

Indoor Rock Climbing

Grab a friend or go alone and challenge yourself to the different skill levels while getting a great workout at Cliffhangers.

Granville Island

Perfect place to go for a run, get some breakfast and people watch! Grab some lunch on Granville Island, check out a stand up comedy show or watch the street performers. On a nice day you can rent a paddle board and take it around the inlet, Jericho beach, Kitsilano and English Bay area.

Paintball, North Van

Get ready to get beat by a bunch of kids. I brought 10 friends to North Shore Paintball and it was such a blast playing outside on a hot summer day.

River Rafting, Whistler

Put on your wet suit, jump off the raft for a quick swim in the clear blue, cold water and go River Rafting.

Bungee Jumping, Whistler

If you're an adrenaline junky, this is your place! The Whistler Bungee staff is hilarious which is a great way to tone down the nerves before a jump.

Nairn Falls

This beautiful short walk to the waterfalls is worth the quick detour. Nairn Falls is only 20 minutes North of Whistler. We stumbled upon thousands of rock statues and built a few of our own.

Make sure you check out Groupon or Social Shopper for deals on activities. It's a great and inexpensive way to try new things.

I’m already looking forward to being back in the city and taking on some new adventures.

x's and o's,

Natalia Anja

f o r e i g n . g r a m m a r

All photos taken by iPhone.

f o r e i g n . g r a m m a r

June 24, 2015 by Natalia Anja

f o r e i g n . g r a m m a r

By no means do I consider myself a ‘writer’ ... English is my fourth language and I spent quite a bit of time in ESL. As I travel and immerse myself into different cultures, I like to write how the words fall into my mind, sometimes not making much sense and most times with horrible grammar and plenty of typos.

I'm currently on a 5 year mission to be the first girl to visit every UN Nation (193 Countries) with Travel Series "Global Degree" which is partnered with Discovery Digital Network and featured on their Adventure Network - Seeker.

I want to share my experiences, encourage others to share theirs and hopefully inspire a couple of people to step outside of their comfort zone.

I hope you enjoy my random stories, photo's and have a good laugh at my

f o r e i g n . g r a m m a r