Wow, it’s already almost the end of August, and I am finally finding the time to share one of the more unique experiences I had in Oaxaca, Mexico way back near the beginning of the year on January 24th.
This experience wasn’t like the normal ones some may have in Mexico that involve taking a party boat on the water or indulging in all the delicious food. Instead, I took the time to get away from all the tacos and tequila and experienced something that has been happening for many centuries and continues today. I got to spend the day with one of the local families still practicing the sacred art of creating Oaxaca textiles to learn about the rich culture and history of the state, and to experience the beauty of its textiles firsthand.
It is an unforgettable experience that I know I will cherish for years to come. The goal of this post is to tell you about the state of Oaxaca and walk you through my experience so that when you find yourself in Oaxaca looking to know more about what goes on behind the scenes of some of the amazing art you find, you too can get your hands busy and take this epic Oaxaca textile tour yourself.
This Wednesday, I’m off to Malaysia and Thailand in SE Asia! The purpose of the trip is to attend a travel creators conference called TBEX Asia (Travel Blog Exchange: Asia edition) which will take place in Phuket, Thailand from November 15th to November 18th, 2022.
I went to SE Asia in 2013, however, I skipped over going to Malaysia; so I decided a while back during my planning for this trip to Thailand that I would do what I could to visit this country I missed out on seeing all those years ago. I’ve been to Thailand twice already, but I know very little about Malaysia and I am excited to learn all I can over the few days that I’m there.
When planning a trip to Sayulita, Mexico, be sure you know some of the most wonderful restaurants in Sayulita! These are some of the favorites that I keep going back to over and over.
This afternoon, Jackie and I are heading over to New York for a couple of long days before we depart on another adventure together in Europe. We’re both super excited about making this trip that I had planted the seed for way back on January 9th when I bought two tickets from New York to Lisbon, Portugal in Europe. It’s now grown to include a few days in Lisbon, attending a wedding in Prague, exploring other villages in Czechia, and if all goes well, some time in Ireland or Greece before we head back to Portland. We’ve left the end of the trip open to allow us some flexibility, but things are beginning to fall into place as the trip unfolds.
There’s a lot to consider when traveling during this time outside of just booking flights and hotels. COVID is still very real and though we’re both fully vaccinated, we are still being cautious and following local guidelines around COVID as we all have learned that vaccinations aren’t always enough.
I will continue to update this post as the days go on over the trip, so please bookmark this page and stay tuned!
I’m going back to Oahu tomorrow! The last time I went to Oahu — or Hawaii for that matter — was right at the end of 2017 to visit my housemate David and his lovely girlfriend, Lynn. This time Jackie and I will be visiting them together, but this time David’s no longer our housemate and they’re married (we were supposed to be there last June, but couldn’t due to COVID)! Jackie and I are also super excited to go on another adventure to a place we’ve never been together. We’re not sure of all we’re going to get up to, though we know we’ll be in good hands with our friends making us feel at home. COVID is still happening at large, so we’ve had to do a number of things to prepare for the journey of going back to Oahu.
I wanted to give a follow-up to the Making Travel Plans in 2020 post I made in September. Specifically, our trip to Whitefish, Montana by Rail and give some more info while I’m at it.
With the way 2020 has gone so far, making travel plans in 2020 seems like it may lead to more disappointment as many plans will likely fall through, however, I’m happy to be making new ones again. Yes, everything originally planned for in 2020 was either postponed or canceled, but perhaps these new plans will come through!
With everything going on with regards to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have decided on postponing our trip to Catania, Italy. It’s worth saying that I am not afraid of traveling to Italy, in fact, I think it would be a wonderful time of year to go and probably much less crowded than normal (bonus!), however, I am afraid of it spreading further do to my want, not need, to visit a place that has been set to Category 3 by the CDC (Avoid Nonessential Travel). I really wanted to go to Catania and see Sicily, but it just isn’t worth possibly spreading this to my friends and family after I return.
Having a hard time saying goodbye to my new passport who I’ve been so far with over the last decade. Looking forward though to the next passport and decade though!
