NEPAL ; THE TRIP THAT CHANGED MY LIFE. PART 2

The title says it all. When ever someone asks me what my favourite trip was I will never hesitate. Nepal will ALWAYS be my answer.

 

 

 

A Nepalese man holding the nation’s flag in front of one of their sacred temples. Nepal’s flag is so unique because it is the only one in the world that isn’t the generic rectangular shape that other countries have. This man held his country’s flag with so much pride and love. The Nepalese people are dedicated to keeping their traditions and culture alive and this was evident in every town and village I visited.

 

 

Local women in the streets of Kathmandu selling garlands of flowers which are laid at the front of temples throughout the city. The colours of the market place was out of this world.

 

 

 

 

 

More market delights. I wish I had had a kitchen to use while in Nepal!

 

 

 

 

 

We trekked for hours up to a farm stay at the top of a huge hill in the countryside of Nepal. Everything we ate was grown on their land and the animals were treated like family. My time here was one of the highlights of my trip. I fell in love with the animals there and my morning ritual was to visit my new mate, Stompy the kid (I gave him this name and received puzzled looks from the farmers.. wonder why haha). His mum wasn’t too happy when I picked him up for cuddles though! How could anyone want to harm these innocent creatures?

 

 

 

 

 

The Zero Waste Way of Life

During my time in Iceland I have had the pleasure of meeting two very inspiring fellow travellers. One is another Aussie who has been working overseas and travelling for several months and the other is a woman from Montreal. After chatting for a while about our adventures we discovered that we all had one huge thing in common..we are all vegan! I rarely meet other while abroad vegans but to be sharing a dorm with two others in Iceland of all places was incredible. We stayed up until midnight chatting about our experiences, sharing our transitioning stories and passion for plant based food. We exchanged recipe ideas and our dreams for the future.

Alice, from Montreal, shared her experience of adapting a ‘zero waste’ lifestyle. This means that she makes a serious conscious effort to produce as little waste as possible . Some ways she does this is by:

• re-using recycled grocery bags
• buy bulk grains, seeds, nuts and flour from whole food suppliers and storing these in mason jars
• only buying fresh produce from local markets and those that do not have any plastic packaging
• taking her own containers to restaurants so that if there is any of her meal left over that she brings this home. Plastic take away boxes are so harmful to our health if we keep re-heating them, as well as being harmful to the environment
• using re-usable, recycled containers for food and water
• making an effort to reduce the amount of products that are sold in plastic packets
• composting
• buying specific amounts of food to reduce any potential waste. Plan ahead!

It all sounds simple and achievable. Yet, why don’t we all do this? Is it laziness? Too much effort to be a little bit more organised and conscious of the waste we are producing.

I myself am no saint. Yes, I try to recycle. Yes, I try to re-use shopping bags. Yes, I donate unwanted clothes and goods to charity shops. Is it enough? Of course not! I buy cucumbers covered in plastic. I use plastic straws which then end up in our oceans. I don’t compost my food waste.

Yet another reason why I am so passionate about travelling and authentic human interactions. Alice has inspired me to take further steps towards adapting a zero waste life style, allowing me to contribute even more to our wonderful earth.

Below is a link to how this movement is spreading across the globe and even in my own home state in Australia. It can be done. All it takes is a little inspiration and education.

Zero Waste News Report

We can all do our bit, one little step at a time.

Reykjavik – Iceland

Iceland has been one of those bucket list places for me for years. The dream has been to see the naturally beautiful landscapes, sparkling glaciers and the mystical Northern Lights. When I decided to leave the UK I didn’t think I would have time to fit the trip in but I made it work.

So here I am, right now, huddled inside my hostel as the howl of the wind somehow seems to comfort and relax me.

My initial thought of Iceland was fur coats, whale meat and seafood. The idea of coming here as a vegan made me a little nervous but oh boy how naive I was. Iceland is a secret vegan paradise!! After only one day here so far I have been treated to so many vegan delights (lasagne, cookies, gelato… the list goes on!).

The lasagne from Kaffi Vinyl. 

I was recommended to check out Kaffi Vinyl in the town centre of Reykjavik. This fully vegan, funky cafe have a wide selection of meals on their menu to suit all tastes. I chose the comfort food favourite, lasagne. Hands down, the BEST lasagne I have ever eaten. I have grown up eating home cooked lasagne my whole childhood but (sorry Mum) this one nailed it! A nutmeg bechamel sauce made with cashews and nutritional yeast topped the dish, giving it that hearty flavour. The vegan pesto was an added bonus which I happily spread over the crunchy fresh bread. For $20 (AUD) I left so incredibly satisfied and nourished.

I wandered back to my hostel with a fully belly and as I became mesmerised by the beauty of the city at night, I got lost! However I feel this was fate as I stumbled across a piece of paradise in Reykjavik, Joylato. This gelato shop serves organic gelato using locally sourced and grown ingredients. They make each scoop as you order it using liquid nitrogen to create a creamy and airy consistency. There is a coconut milk option for vegans, with all of the extra toppings available being vegan friendly. I controlled myself (first time ever) and ordered a small serving of the blueberry coconut gelato. The shop owner informed me that these berries had been picked on the island during the summer months and then frozen to be used all year round. I savoured every single bite as I enjoyed seeing the delight in fellow travellers eyes as they too stumbled across this hidden gem.

Golden Friendships

The title of this post sums up how I am feeling right now. True meaningful friendships are like rays of sunshine, providing us with the warmth and strength we need to get through daily struggles. They are a part of us and no matter what life throws at us (work stress, awful break ups) they will be there to help pick up those pieces and bring joy back into our lives. I feel like the bond between women is something so incredible and to be cherished. We need to appreciate each other and show more love.

When I left Australia over a year ago I also left behind a spectacular group of friends who I considered family. These girls had been through the thick and thin with me over the years, enduring my melt downs and mini dramas. I was scared to leave them behind (obviously still holding them dear to my heart) and attempt to form friendships in a new city. Honestly it didn’t take too long to start meeting new people but it is the meaningful, long lasting friendships that are hard to discover.

The Fellow Aussie 

This beauty is one who I met through a situation of pure fate! I met a mutual friend through work and after being invited to a ‘welcome to London’ dinner party I met my dear S. She exuded so much positive vibrant energy. I knew straight away I wanted to get to know her more. We bonded over fitness and our occupation. Chatting for hours at a time, we kept meeting up for coffee and exploring London together. Before we knew it we were flat hunting together with another friend. Fast forward almost a year and she is one of my closest friends. When I was in the most agonising pain of my life she came over and looked after me, massaged my worn body and did all she could to make me feel somewhat better. We have explored so much of Europe together; sailed the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, conquered the stunning city of Barcelona, thrown tomatoes at La Tomatina and so much more! I know our friendship will last an eternity.

The Work Bestie

My work place is DOMINATED by females. I am fortunate to work with such a wonderful and inspiring group of women. They are all diverse and unique in their own way. I would say I have quite a few work ‘friends’ who I chat to during the working day but S is a one of a kind woman. We have a bond that is one that has developed and grown over my time in London. She is one of the most compassionate and kind people I know. She is driven, successful and so incredibly inspiring. I look up to her passion and independence as a strong female, able to break the gender and social stereotypes, particularly so as she grew up in a traditional Muslim family. S is the master of her own life, taking control and not letting anyone get in her way. She has an ongoing passion for her faith and Indian culture, yet holds true to her own beliefs. We can chat endlessly for hours about family, health (she constantly listens to my vegan related rants), relationships, work issues and so much more. Nothing is off limits and I can confide in her and seek such wise advice. Having such a strong and inspiring woman as a friend is something I am so grateful for. I know our paths will cross again.

So these are only 2 friendships that I have made while in London. There are many more I could write about but this blog post would be incredibly long! My heart has been full of love and joy the last few weeks, with me realising how many bonds I have made with different people this year. They may have been brief encounters, work mates passing through the hallways or mutual friends who I see now and again. But they all mean something.

A colleague gave me these flowers as a parting gift today. My heart is filled to the brim with love!!

 

Nepal ; the trip that changed my life. Part 1

My view of the Nepalese landscape. We hiked 5 hours to get the the top of this hill which was covered by strings of prayer flags. 

March 2015 I decided to go on an adventure as a solo traveller. I had done independent trips before but to more westernised locations like Ireland, France and the UK. But this time I wanted to do something different!

I researched locations all throughout South East Asia. Finally I came across a country I didn’t know much about; Nepal – the home of Mt Everest, rolling hills and mountains and the friendliest people in the world. As I always do, I spontaneously clicked ‘confirm’ on my flights for the next month and booked a small group tour through Intrepid travel (if you want to go on a group tour that isn’t a generic Contiki or Top Deck, this is the one for you!).

I arrived in Nepal with high hopes, a second hand back pack (which I bought from a lady who had used it for 30 years to hike all around the globe) and a stomach full of butterflies. I wandered through the busy crowded streets of Kathmandu with a purpose. To embrace everything about this country and have a trip of a life time.

When in Nepal I had previously decided to try eating vegetarian food the entire trip. I wasn’t a huge meat eater anyway so I didn’t think it would be much of a challenge. It certainly wasn’t and since I have been in Nepal not one piece of animal meat has passed my lips.

The food in Nepal is incredible! Indian flavours adorn most of their dishes along with their own unique creations like momos (Nepalese dumplings). I drank my weight in Masala tea after every meal, feeling so content and satisfied.

In Kathmandu itself I went to one of my favourite cafes called OR2K. Here I ate plates of falafel, humus and other veggie delights. Fresh produce and amazing flavours helped me to fall in love with vegetarianism. Each day I was in Kathmandu I visited OR2K without fail and met fellow like minded wanderers.

Part 2 of this post will include photos from my trip of the beautiful landscape and some of the life lessons that have changed my perspective on so many things.

OR2K (image credit from Trip Advisor)

London Calling Part 1

2016 has been a rollercoaster of a year. One of the best of my life for so many reasons, with tears, laughter and so many emotional hurdles. The previous year had been one of heart ache, misery and I felt like I truly didn’t know who I was. I was going through a vicious and self destructive cycle of partying, drinking and treating my body like garbage.

Bad habits and lack of self love was crushing my spirit and I didn’t see much point in what I was doing. So I decided enough was enough and I made the decision to move to the UK. It was something I had always wanted to do since I was younger. Having grown up as a bit of a gypsy child, moving overseas numerous amounts of times, this adventure was thrilling. A fresh start! Always a great way to solve your problems! Hmmm no, just mask them for a little while.

However, a combination of travelling and educating myself on the benefits of a plant based diet, I slowly began to heal myself in London.

 

I thank my year in London for many things :

-The beautiful, kind hearted friends I have made here (who I will cherish forever)

-The ability to easily and cheaply travel to the most incredible parts of Europe at my own leisure on weekends and during school term holidays.

-The incredible children I have been grateful enough to teach every day. No matter where you are in the world, children are children. They are full of love and have taught me so much.

-A stress free lifestyle that has allowed me to have the time to focus on my fitness and vegan journey

-BUT.. the number one thing I thank London for is the opportunity I have been given to appreciate what I took for granted. Australia will always be home. It’s sandy beaches, painted sunsets and glorious landscapes are a dream come true. I have a loving family and caring friends there too. Life back home isn’t so bad. It is what I make it really and that is the attitude I will embrace when I depart London and make the journey back home.