Day 2 was an early start with breakfast down on the beach that left us running to catch our shuttle off to our day of adventure UTV, camel ride, and boat to see lands end.
My husband had never done any of the above before. Up first was the UTV, think ATV, but 2 people sitting side by side. I let him drive. He drives like an old lady. Slow and super safe, also why he was driving and not me. Because I’d be jumping sand dunes and doing all kinds of crazy things that would likely end up in us needing to use that optional insurance we purchased.
From there it was off to ride the camels. Now last time I rode camels it was in Egypt at the Giza pyramids. It was a much different experience here. To start with I didn’t have to haul myself up on the back of a kneeling camel and try not to fall off when it stood up, I simply got on an already standing camel from an elevated platform. Sooo much easier! But, although the beach was a beautiful setting…the pyramids were much cooler.
After a beautiful lunch overlooking the beach we had yet another tequila tasting and then it was off to catch our boat to lands end. It was beautiful as always. But when we returned to the dock is when things went a bit off the plan. While looking for a bathroom in the marina I decided I was hot and thirsty and said “Hey! There is Senior Frogs. They will have a bathroom and even better…cold drinks!”
My husband has never been to Senior Frogs. It was not in the plan so he had no idea and figured it was just another place to eat. Well, several cold drinks and the famous shots poured into your mouth straight from the bottle and we stumbled back to our hotel to get cleaned up for dinner.
Dinner was on the beach to watch the sun set. I don’t know why, but sun sets just seem so pretty in the tropics. Don’t get me wrong, we get some stunning sunsets at home, but I just love watching the sun set over the ocean. Long story short… somehow we ended up with a sand problem in our room for the rest of the trip. The most annoying was all the sand in our bed. Yes, in the bed. Apparently our walk in the water followed by a walk in the sand created sand sticking to our feet that we apparently did not notice (probably due to the cocktails consumed waiting for the sunset)
Sand problem aside…it was a full day of adventure!
If you have followed me for a while you know that my husband and I try to get away every year for our anniversary. This year for #14 we went back to Cabo San Lucas Mexico.
Why go back when there is so much of the world to see? Well, although I have been here 20-something times, this is my husbands 3rd trip. But he kinda got ripped off on the first 2. Our 1st trip to Cabo was on a cruise for our 1st anniversary. I was big and pregnant with our 1st son at the time and waddling around. I couldn’t really do any of the excursions on the ship because I was pregnant. So, he kinda got ripped off.
Enter trip to Cabo #2. This was during Covid in an attempt to get away from CA that was closed for 3 years. Because it was covid there were still weird rules and not everything was open so we pretty much just stayed in the resort and lounged in the pool.
So trip #3…the real one where we are finally able to do it all, and do it all we did! The day we arrived we checked into our hotel then ventured out for something to eat and walk around the area after we ate. We ended up at the town square where it looked like they were setting up for something. So we hung out, did a tequila tasting and eventually joined the crowd of locals enjoying the beautiful evening with an art walk and street fair. My husband tried his 1st real churro. It did not disappoint. Then we ended up doing another tequila tasting. And finally wandering back to our hotel.
Take the trip. Time will pass anyway you may as well make it memorable.
I have 2 items today. Up first is “World News”. So I have a group chat on WhatsApp with several friends I made while in Tibet from around the world. I woke up to quite the chat on there about the earthquake in Tibet. Living here in the states I had not heard anything so I clicked their posted news links from their countries and read up. Wanting more I clicked the link for “World News” online when I got to work figuring it world be one of the top stories since it just happened and it was big enough to be felt in Nepal, India and Bhutan. I didn’t see a peep. But apparently McDonalds is extending their $5 meals and J-Lo is getting divorced. It seems the banner of “world news” is misleading since it does not actually contain any actual “news” from anywhere else in the world until you get 3 pages deep in it and find an article about the UKs new tourist tax that’s pretty much an online e-visa, when it starts and how to apply. I actually read this since I’ll be traveling there later this year and 5 pages deep into my search for any actual “World News” I gave up and just typed “Tibet Earthquake” into the search and found information finally. Aaaaand this is one of the reasons I have not watched American “news” programs since 9-11 when I was watching a “live” segment from the air force base near my home saying how everything is quiet there as I am watching fighter jet after fighter jet take off out my window. I was also late to work twice due to road closures from large military convoys moving large things on big trucks covered with tarps. All quiet my butt.
Anyway, I lost my faith in the news back then. I figure if anything big happens EVERYONE will be talking about it. Well, decades later, that is no longer true. You need to dig deep to find any actual news. But hey! If you want to know pretty much any of what use to be called “entertainment news” just pop open your browser and click on “news”.
Ok, news rant over…Up next is a conversation I had with my co-workers about chicken and eggs. Apparently they told me that they can’t buy chicken or eggs because of the outbreak of bird flu.
I work in healthcare. I asked them if they know how the flu spreads. They just stared back at me confused. So I explained that the flu is airborne and you get it from inhaling germs after someone coughs or sneezes or by touching a surface they touched then touching your face. With the bird flu you can also get it by touching infected birds then touching your face.
So, to keep from catching the flu don’t be nasty. Wash your hands and don’t touch your face. Problem solved. They then were confused why all poultry products were pulled because of the bird flu.
Yeah, I question that too. My guess…morons and hysteria. but just to be safe I said maybe the concern is Salmonella. Do you guys know how to keep yourselves from getting that? (Again with the blank stares) Cook your meats thoroughly. Wash your hands and any utensils before and after dealing with raw meats. Easy.
Apparently they just blindly believed the signs at the stores and news and no one took a moment to ask themselves if this makes sense. Not one single one of them until I said something. They just kept passing on what they saw/heard without taking a minute to question if it makes any sense and they work in healthcare. They should know these things.
I had a frustrating day where I seriously felt like I was the only human left capable of any sort of rational thought. How can “World News” 1. Not be from other countries around the world and 2. Not contain any actual news? Am I the only person wondering that? Am I the only person not blindly believing and spreading information that let’s face it…makes absolutely no sense?
I guess I’m old. I miss the days when the news was actual news and people washed their hands and understood how to prepare food without giving everyone food poisoning.
With my heart going out to the kind people I met in the remote areas of Tibet and their families in this trying time. I hope you are all well, find shelter to keep you warm and safe in winter and rebuild again. Namaste.
So you may be wondering what the plans are for 2025. It’s going to be a full year!
Starting out, my husband has decided to start running again with his old running group with a goal of doing a few half-marathons this year and moving up to full marathons again in 2026. I have agreed to do the half marathon when he does the full at races in fun destinations to make a mini getaway for us. I’m NOT joining the running group. I hate running. But I walk faster than most people jog so I’m walking them. I figure my triathlon training is enough to keep me in shape to do a half marathon without any extra work specific to those races. I may be wrong, but since I already have “running” as part of my triathlon training and I’m use to endurance races I’m just going to go with it. 😁
Now let’s talk travel… we are starting 2025 by taking the kids to Great Wolf Lodge. May the odds be ever in our favor while traveling with 2 kids with Autism and taking them away from their routine.
Up next is Cabo San Lucas sans-kids for our anniversary. This will be a different trip there for my husband who is ready to step out of his comfort zone and try some new things. Our previous trips to Cabo together started with 2 days there on a cruise where I was super big and pregnant with our 1st son. We made it back home with 3 days to spare before I was too far along in my pregnancy to travel internationally. I may have freaked him out a bit by doing pretty much all the stuff they tell you NOT to do on the cruise ship. But I was too big and too hot to care and have been to Cabo more times than I can count prior to that trip. The 2nd trip there was for our anniversary during Covid where we only left the resort once. But we left it and survived and I didn’t freak him out too much probably due to the tequila tasting I took him to first before venturing out. Liquid courage did wonders for his nerves.
So this trip he said he is ready to travel my way and try new things. I asked him if he was sure because once I book it he is stuck. He thought about it and the next day he said he was ready. I immediately booked us in a small boutique hotel with only 8 rooms with a great location. I had to book it all in Spanish. Thankfully, I speak “travel” in many languages and Spanish is my strongest. Up next was choosing activities. Since he apparently grew up under a rock he really has not done much so we are doing it all! ATVs in the desert, riding camels, parasailing, glass bottom boat tour, glass blowing, shopping, bar hopping, a cooking class, hiking to El Arco, a street food tour… it will be a trip full of adventure by day and relaxing evenings sipping margaritas and laughing the night away.
If you follow my blog you know my husband is NOT a traveler but very much wants to be one. Getting him to this point has not been easy. He slowly learning how to pack (although I can’t seem to get him to travel light as I do so every time we go somewhere I get annoyed waiting for him to 1. Check his bag and 2. Get his bag after the flight) I will occasionally need to check a bag because I have something that I can’t put in my carry on bag like when I had several knives to bring home from Nepal. Or when I have a bit too much to drink and go shopping and purchase bottles of booze that I need to bring home. (Or a case or two plus loose bottles) It annoys me when I have to check a bag or more too.
Enough about Mexico. Let’s talk about the couples trip for special needs parents that my husband and I are leading. We started out by hosting a monthly “parents night out” for the special needs parents group we are part of locally. It has gone really well for a few years now but have been asked for more. There is a Moms retreat. But not much else. It’s difficult to get away as a couple when you have typical kids but with special needs kids it is almost impossible. So with the success of parents night out, we are attempting a getaway for parents to be themselves among others who “get it”. We chose Catalina Island off the coast of California as our destination for a long weekend getaway. It’s far enough to be “away” but close enough that if things go really bad at home we can all make it back fairly easy. So far we have 7 couples excited about going with rooms already booked.
The day after we get home from Catalina I leave to go to the UK with one of my best friends to celebrate her 50th birthday. She watches our kids for us when we go out of town so we don’t have to pay a sitter to sleep and without her help, we would never be able to go anywhere overnight together. Going to the UK has been at the top of her bucket list for as long as I have known her. So as her 50th birthday approached I asked my husband if it would be ok if I took her as a thank you for watching the kids. I usually take her out somewhere for her birthday every year even if it’s just lunch but with it being 50 I wanted to do something big. He agreed *if* I could stay within a budget and not get crazy. Honestly, I think he thought I couldn’t make it work. But as an old school budget traveler and backpacker I got this! When I told her she cried she was so happy. I told her to stay within the budget she would need to pay for her own airfare (that may be as much as $1200, but I’ll look for the best deal I can find for a direct flight…actual total $662.81 each round trip from San Francisco to London 😎) but I got the rest. We are working on what to do with our week there now. I have a plan that I think she will love but told her to give me her top “must see” list soon so I can get started booking and fit in as many of those places as I can.
With 2025 plans looking good so far I was talking to my friend in Australia about our next meet up and when and where to go. My 2025 is pretty full but 2026 is open. We each looked at a world map and decided that we want warmer over colder and somewhere cheap and not too touristy that was not over 24 hours of travel for each of us to get there. Things always get weird when we try to get together since we live on complete opposite sides of the planet I don’t think we could be farther apart from each other. After a couple days of crossing off countries from our list we finally decided on Indonesia. (Yeah, we are both very well traveled and actually met in Egypt. So, while most people could not even tell us where Indonesia is we were both into the idea.) Today I approached my husband with the idea of me going solo to Indonesia to meet up with my friend from the land down under. Cringing because I’m already going to the UK…again with another friend this year and expecting a lecture about saving money and trying to pay off the house early…but surprisingly he was great with it. He said it has been too long since we got together and are well overdue for it. And apparently he was watching a video on YouTube recently that said Indonesia is a totally underrated and affordable travel destination (as apparently are several other places I keep talking about going to. Apparently I have good taste.) So, I sent her a quick message and told her “project Indonesia 2026 is a go”.
So that wraps up 2025 plans and gives you a sneak peek at 2026 plans starting to form. I know 2026 seems far away but it will be here sooner than you think and I find that I do more and see more if I have a plan. So, with 2025 mostly booked it’s time to start my general outline for 2026.
Happy New Year to all my readers. I hope if you don’t have plans for 2025 and beyond yet that I have inspired you to make some. After all… life is what happens when you get off the couch.
This is the last item remaining from my original bucket list that I made back in high school of all the things I wanted to do after I graduated. Everest base camp. Given that I’m about to turn 50 let’s just say given the physical demands of the trek that I probably shouldn’t put it off much longer. So I planned. I trained. I went. I made it. I lived to tell the story.
I’m a big believer in bucket lists and setting goals in life. I’m always working toward something. I always hear how lucky I am to do things. Luck doesn’t have anything to do with it. I set a goal, came up with a plan and made it happen. I don’t have a genie in my house granting me wishes. I made it happen.
Everything takes work and a sacrifice of some kind to achieve. It does not matter what it is. You sacrifice your time for money. Your money for things. You get up an hour earlier to work out, you just sacrificed sleep for fitness. Little fairies didn’t poof you a fit body. You put in the work and made it happen.
I flat out refuse to be one of the masses just existing and going through the motions of living. Why? We only get so much time on this planet. Why not make it amazing? Why not accomplish your dreams? Why not see the world, run the marathon or climb the mountain?
So I went. It was hard, but I made it. I accomplished my last goal from my high school list. It took me a while to get there, but I made it.
Don’t be afraid to do hard things. Prepare yourself and make it happen. You CAN do it.
The highest pass in Tibet A lake on the wayMaking my way to base campAt base camp pointing at Everest. There was 13 of us in the group but only 5 made it to base camp. Here we are with our guide.
Wow! It seems so weird that the time is almost here! I started planing this adventure shortly after my 45th birthday. I wanted to do something EPIC for my 50th birthday. I knew something the scale of what I had in mind was going to take some work. I already had my plan to see the Northern Lights but wanted to start work on my epic adventure.
I started by reading some books on the Everest base camp trek. This was back in 2019 just before the pandemic started when I got back from my solo trip to the UK to see Stonehenge and Scotland.
Up next was going to see the Northern lights in Feb 2021… Lets just say that didn’t happen with the pandemic travel restrictions still in full swing. But I eventually got there. I saw the lights dancing accross the sky. I could then focus on my next goal… Everest.
The books I read were on the training and gear needed to make the trek. With all the pandemic restrictions I was watching things closely to see if I could even make it happen especially after my Northern Lights trip got bumped from 2021, to 2022 and finally happened 2023. I finally booked my trek WAY in advance since I was working so much overtime I wanted it to go toward something fun. I booked Everest. With all the overtime I also booked a trip to the UK with my husband as well.
I needed to make some changes. I picked 1 year prior to my trip and put my foot down at work. I started getting in shape. My family and friends freaked out as I told them of my plans. But one thing they all agreed with… You can’t get more epic than Everest.
Of course my Mom wanted to know why I can’t just be normal and go to Hawaii to celebrate my birthday or something. Mom, I have never been that person. You know that. If you want “normal” look at my siblings. I will forever keep you on your toes. What is “normal” anyway? Work, go home, watch TV, go to bed repeat ad-nauseum? Pass.
I want to go new places, see new things and try things I have never tried before. I want to experience other cultures. I don’t mind working hard to do those things either. I am fine with sacrificing some “normal” things for experiences. For example… I don’t have cable and I have not had it since 2005 when I left my ex-husband who cared more about booze, drugs and his TV shows than me. I make my own coffee at home rather than grabbing starbucks on the way to work. I pack my lunch every day. We make dinner at home rather than grabbing take out or going out to eat. Now, I’m not saying that I never go out because we do. It is just the exception rather than the rule.
Back to Everest… Here I am almost 100 lbs lighter. Now I still have a ways to go but I am better than when I started. Lets talk gear… I have needed to acquire some different things for this trip. A special duffel bag for the Sherpas to take from tea house to tea house in Tibet. A special sleeping bag for the tea houses. Water purification tablets, shots, anti altitude sickness medication and antibiotics just incase something gets through my water purification efforts. With my weight loss I have also needed a new coat and new pants. I have gone back and forth between my hiking boots or trail running shoes and I am more comfortable in my trail running shoes so I’ll probably take those. Many places have spotty power so they recommend a battery to charge your devices. I got a solar one just incase it is a while before we find reliable power in the Himalayas. I’ll charge everything up in Kathmandu before I head out to Tibet.
Overall, I think I am set. I will be going through my checklist and starting to pack this week so I have time to get anything else I need. I never pack this early, but when I am going to be so remote that power and clean water are hard to find and it is reccomended that I bring my own toilet paper for the squat toilets and body wipes since showers will be rare. I added in a really cool hand washing bag thing for laundry and my favorite travel clothesline so I can do laundry in the evenings if I have access to water. I like to travel light so I am hoping the laundry bag thing works good. It may come with me on all my trips that are longer than a few days if it works well.
On a training hike with my husband. I’m not sunburnt. I’m hot and hiking in a sundress. We picked the day and got a sitter for the kids. Then the weather was over 100 degrees. We should have just gone kayaking.
I’m back! Ok, I didn’t say I was actually going anywhere but I did. My husband and I took our annual vacation together for our anniversary and did the trip we didn’t get to do on our 10th anniversary (thanks covid travel restrictions). We went to the UK!
This was my 6th trip there and my husband’s 1st time there. We have only VACATIONED together and have never TRAVELED together before. So this was a learning experience. I have traveled a lot…solo. My husband has never traveled before. So I had to try to adapt my style taking someone else’s wants, needs and desires into account. He had to learn how to travel and not just lounge and relax. It was weird. But after a few days we fell into a groove and started to really enjoy it. We figured out what works for us and by the end of the trip we were really in a groove and had it down.
On the flight home we decided to alternate years and do a chill vacation followed by an active travel experience. Both options have merit and we enjoy both. For us 2025 will be local-ish and we are looking at a spa day and lots of lounging poolside. 2026 will be a couple weeks in Japan. We have barely unpacked and are already started trying to figure out what we want to see there and make a plan.
Travel has always been important to me. It’s really nice to be able to share that love with my husband. There are so many women who miss out because their husbands will not travel with them and they will not go on their own or their husbands are not ok with them traveling alone. Now, I’m quite a bit more adventurous than my husband but he is supportive when I want to go somewhere he has zero interest in going to. When I mention an idea that he doesn’t want to do he will often tell me either “yeah, have fun with that.” Or “That sounds like a good idea for a girls trip.” As in… there is no way in hell I want to do that and I’m totally supportive of you going without me rather than forcing me to go with you.
Thanks bud. I love you too.
So, my next trip is in the fall. I’ll be going to Nepal and Tibet. This is a “have fun with that” trip. I wanted to do something epic for my 50th birthday so I’m ticking off another item off my bucket list and doing the Everest base camp trek. I started getting in shape for it 8 months ago. I’m down a total of 69 lbs so far. I have been a busy girl. I’m still not where I want to be but I’ll get there.
Our first day in the UKMe on my anniversary trip in 2023 vs 2024
Ok, I don’t know if that is a real thing. If it isn’t, then it should be. This is the time after you have unpacked, edited your photos and returned back to your normal life with nothing special on the horizon and only your memories behind you. This is when people (even those who criticized you about your last trip) start to ask you ” What’s Next?”
Now I always recommend having a 3 trip plan. This is the trip that is booked, the trip that is being planned and the trip that you are dreaming up. I typically do not count weekend getaways in this even if it is a long weekend because I can toss one of those together pretty fast. I count this as big trips. Ones that involve more planning than a quick look at flights and/or hotels and involve taking more than 1-2 days off of work. Having just gotten back from a trip I am now in the process of turning my “planning” trip into a “booked” trip and trying to decide what is moving into the “planning” stage.
I do not having anything “big” planned for the rest of 2023. But 2024 will have 2 big trips. In the spring I will be going back to the UK with my husband for our anniversary. I have been there a few times but it is his 1st time. We are still trying to work out what we want to do. My requirements are low since I have been there a few times already and have seen most of what I wanted to. I have definitely ticked off all the big “to do” items. but I want to know what my husband is interested in so we can make sure to hit as many of those things as we can. For now, that trip although earlier than the fall trip is staying in the planning stage and I am booking my fall trip.
In the fall I turn 50. I want to do something epic and tick another item off my bucket list. So I thought about it a lot and finally decided to go to Nepal and do the Everest base camp trek. As with most of my solo trips pretty much everyone I have told about it thinks I am crazy. At this point, I am use to it and just ignore them. I am not getting any younger and have wanted to do the base camp trek since I first saw a documentary on climbing Everest back when I was in high school. I looked into it and found out that you don’t have to go to the summit, you can just make the trek to base camp. This is still challenging, but a much more obtainable goal. I have dreamed of it since then. I have decided my 50th birthday is the time to go.
I have not taken this lightly. I have read training programs and looked into options of making it solo or doing it in an organized group. How long will it take? How much will it cost? What kind of gear will I need? I put my deposit down a few days ago to secure my spot. I am going to Everest.
The excitement has started. I have decided to go with a group so that my bag will go along ahead of me and I will only need to take my day-pack. I will have an English speaking guide (even though I got a book to learn some Nepalese). I have a training plan as I get closer to going but for now I am focusing on overall fitness.
So what is next? I honestly do not know. 2024 will be a very full year. I have talked about meeting up with my Australian friend somewhere in the world (we have no idea where but Greece seems to keep coming up. I think we are pretty settled on “somewhere in Europe” but we can just as easily end up in the tropics somewhere.) If we don’t meet up in 2025 then I’ll need a backup plan. Maybe the Galapagos Islands or Machu Picchu for my solo trip. I think My husband is dreaming of a Hawaiian Vacation for our anniversary in 2025, but I have also heard Japan or a cruise. I typically let him pick where to go since I have been to so many more places than him. He is a much pickier traveler than I am as well.
Wherever I end up, I am sure it will be memorable. I hope this inspires others to dream up, plan and go have an adventure. After all… Life is what happens when you get off the couch.
I can now tick one more item off my bucket list. I came. I saw. I braved the cold. I struggled with the lack of sleep. In the end it was totally all worth it.
I say in the end because it did not start that way. The first night was underwhelming. All we could see of the lights was a glow above the ridge. I later learned that is all most people ever see…if that. I met people who have been chasing the lights around the world in hopes of a glimpse of them in all their glory. It seemed like most multiple time travelers give it 3 tries before giving up. Although I met one couple that was on their 5th attempt to see them. With night #1 I was underwhelmed, but excited to finally see them. (see photo below)
I was severely disappointed the next 2 nights with only a faint glow through the clouds I took photos of the tee-pees and explored the yurts just trying to stay awake since you are at the Aurora Center from 11:30 PM to 4 AM. I was still thankful that I got to see the bit of glow the first night because the weather forecast for the last night was not looking good even though the aurora forecast was looking awesome with a KP6.
The last night made up for all the cold and lack of sleep, but it didn’t start out that way. It was dark like the previous two nights and exhausted and frustrated I told the people I was hanging out with “Screw this! I am going back in the cabin and getting warm. When I write my review of this trip it is going to say Northern Lights…one star…Do not recommend” Then I snatched up my camera on the tripod and turned to go back to the cabin. As I did the sky cleared and a giant green light shot across the sky like a giant bright rainbow and started to dance. Everyone there started to cheer, some prayed, others sang. It was amazing. The sky then cleared up over the next 5 minutes and we had about 90 minutes of amazing lights to the North, South, East, West and directly above us. It was hard to know where to look and put the videos I have seen online to shame. Needless to say I put my camera back down and joined in with the excitement.
I came all this way. I wasn’t going to miss a minute of this glorious show despite the freezing temperatures. Finally as the clouds started to move back in I went back to the cabin to defrost. I had completely lost feeling in my right foot up to the ankle and the toes in my left foot. When I got into the cabin and stripped off my boots and saw the mottled skin I knew I had frostbite. I couldn’t move my toes at all. I had the right gear… What happened? Well, remember how hot I was with all those layers? Well, my feet got sweaty. The sweat froze. My feet then froze. Thankfully we were about to head back into town so I could start the painful process of defrosting. (It is actually my 3rd time getting frostbite on my right foot. Been there, done that)
I got my feet defrosted and with the circulation restored I could wiggle my toes and I didn’t have any blisters or waxy looking parts so I was so thankful. I left for home the next day. My feet were sore when I put my boots back on to go home but it was tolerable. After my 1st flight they were really sore. I finally could not take it and stripped off my boots only to see the blisters starting to form from the frostbite. After the 2nd flight I could barely walk and the blisters were even worse. Then after my 3rd and last flight I took off my shoes and just stayed in my socks as soon as I got to the car.
It was pretty painful for the first 4 days in both feet. The right was worse and took about 10 days for the blisters to go down so I could walk comfortably again. Friends and family asked me if it was really worth it. Yes, it was. Even with the frostbite. The pain only lasted 10 days, but the memories will last me a lifetime.
The biggest challenge for me has been food, not the cold on this trip. I know it sounds odd, but I am here in the off season so roughly half the places are closed. The places that are open have odd hours. So every time I want something to eat I need to walk 15-30 min each way in the snow in search of somewhere that is open to get food. This has made me not very picky. I don’t really care what it is as long as it is hot… Ok, so maybe the cold is a factor.
Speaking of cold, It is warm inside and cold outside so I find myself stripping off layers like a horny teenager because I am sweating so bad as soon as I get inside and bundling up the Ralphie’s brother in A Christmas Story when I go outside. IT has taken me a bit to get a system down. At home the last thing I put on is my shoes. But my first day here I thought I might get heat stroke before I got my boots tied. Also, I learned that you can’t leave garments out side for any length of time. I took off my gloves to eat a bison sausage that was cooked over a campfire and they froze solid by the time I finished eating and I could not get my hands back in them. I also learned that temperature is all relative to what you are use to. Now I usually acclimate to the climate in a few days. I never acclimated to Whitehorse. I also thing the people who live there may be crazy since it NEVER got above freezing or even close to it while I was there but they were all talking about how they are enjoying the great weather and the early spring. One guy went camping with his girlfriend over the weekend. Camping. In the snow. Now I went camping once on the California coast in November and decided it is too miserable to go camping when it was that cold out. It was still above freezing…even overnight.
One of the things I love about travel is experiencing other places and cultures. This was just Canada so I was not expecting culture shock. But the people living in the Yukon are sure a different breed of human. I fully believe that these rugged, outdoorsy people will absolutely survive the zombie apocalypse should it ever come around.
There was a lot of beauty there with fresh snow covering the ground and I enjoyed seeing the wildlife. I can see how it would be a summer destination for hiking, camping, white water rafting and well, for pretty much any outdoor sports. This place was made for hunting and fishing. In California terms I am pretty outdoorsy, but in Whitehorse terms…I am a city girl. I am ok with that. The difference in perspectives is part of what I love about travel.
Working Mom - Travel Dreams 