I've talked about loneliness, finding friends while travelling solo + how to find social circles while travelling in past newsletters Reader. It takes effort, to meet people, to maintain relationships, to put the effort to see one another again when you're 7,000km away. And this applies to family, friendships, romantic connections + business acquaintances. You have to be the driver if you want relationships to flourish + develop. 1.5 years later this effort has paid off. Let me tell you the...
10 days agoย โขย 2 min read
Hi Reader, Thanks to those of you who voted in my poll last about interest in a pop-up coliving, it was great to receive feedback in the brainstorming phase. I need your help again. I've been working behind the scenes to enhance the "Your Travel Friend" brand + online presence + I need your vote on which colour palette of the YTF logo you like the best. VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE LOGO COLOUR It's helpful for me to understand what colours bring you joy, evoke emotions, or you simply just like...
19 days agoย โขย 1 min read
Hi Reader, My last couple of months have been interesting + polar opposite to my 2024. I've been stationery in Canada for a few months itching to have a change of scenery so I took up my sisterโs offer to visit her in a different province + take my first flight for 2025! Which reminds me to tell you NOT to buy an expandable suitcase when purchasing your next carry-on. Why? One of my flights was on on a small dash 8 plane + thankfully my Samsonite just barely fit in the carry-on overhead. If I...
25 days agoย โขย 2 min read
Hey Reader, Sunday really refilled my energy battery + left me smiling. I host a monthly Community Call + it always brings me such joy to see people from around the world connect. We had people calling in from South Africa, Spain, Italy, America, Canada, Brazil + Germany representing nationalities of French, Canadian, South African, American, Austrian + English. WOW what a cool global bunch to engage with. As the Community Calls grow, there will be a limit of how many travel friends can join...
about 2 months agoย โขย 2 min read
Hey Reader, The cold front in Western Canada does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon with a hovering average of -17โ in the daytime. That won't stop a group of Calgarians from doing possibly one of the most Canadian things this weekend - the Skijordue. I thought it would be fun to showcase a little bit about Canadian culture, + how we entertain ourselves on weekends even if the expected high is going to be -15โ without windchill. The Skijordue is like wake boarding except the boat is a...
about 2 months agoย โขย 2 min read
Hey Reader, It's day 5 of a self-assigned hibernation here in Canada as the weather has been around -25 โ + honestly why turn into a popsicle when you don't need to ๐ฅถ This week has reinforced how lucky I am to work remotely + from anywhere, including inside โบ๏ธ That being said...I am an extroverted introvert overall + as much as I love my retired roomies, I'm itching for a change in social conversation + a change of environment. My three go to locations to find focus whether that's for remote...
2 months agoย โขย 2 min read
Hey Reader, There's one thing about solo travelling, moving to a new location as an expat, remote working + being in your own hometown after nomad life, that all have in common. You're looking to make new friends as an adult. ๐๐ผโ๏ธ There's a few ways I've found (slow) success to meet new folks when not directly integrated with other travellers or a digital nomad community: Join Creative Lunch Club for less than โฌ10/month you get paired up with 2 other creatives to have lunch (or coffee). I've...
2 months agoย โขย 2 min read
Hey Reader, Hello if you're new to the newsletter + hello (again) after I took an unplanned break from weekly updates! Although January is almost over (where did the month go?!), I want to take it back to highlights of 2024, so you can get to know me better! By far the most countries I have ever been to in one year! Bulgaria, Poland + Bosnia and Herzegovina were for sure surprises in terms of how much I enjoyed being there. The city of Ljubljana was a gem that took my breath away! Inspired by...
3 months agoย โขย 2 min read
What's Going On Hey everyone, Happy Halloween to those of you celebrating! ๐ Here in Turkey, it's not a big deal. I don't think the little ones will be trick-or-treating, especially when most of the homes are apartments, however I may be pleasantly surprised tonight, seeing them in costume which was such a highlight from my childhood. Instead of Halloween, there were big celebrations for Turkey's Republic Day on Tuesday - think of their version of July 1 for Canada + July 4 for USA. There...
6 months agoย โขย 2 min read