Beating Lynna in Cozying Up Again

Finding More In Less

By Lynna - August 06, 2019

In the by few weeks, I have been playing more and more with the thought of living a more fulfilling life, while being bogged down past less (less consumerism, less waste, less worries, less stress, less "busy-work"). I am deciding to accept on a challenge... I want to try living my life with less of things that don't bring my life happiness, fulfillment, or dearest.

Less Consumerism & Possessions:

I realized that I've started this process a few years ago after I read Marie Kondo's book - The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Upwards (which now has become an international bestseller every bit y'all all know). After finishing this book, I immediately went through my belongings and spent the next week de-cluttering and purging almost 80% of my possessions! It actually gave me a lifestyle and mindset shift on physical items. It was because of this that I was able to motion my life across the land (from California to Kentucky) with ALL of my belongings fitting in my piddling Camry! I'grand then glad I did the purge almost a year before and then that I was able to make this big shift with a lot more ease. I was a shopaholic for years (especially during my college and few years afterwards higher) and I would literally have a budget of $200 - $300 every Calendar week but for clothes. How insane was that?! I didn't even bat an eyelash at this incredibly destructive addiction, though, and I kept on with it for years until my closet was literally falling apart and bursting open with so much stuff! Thank God for Marie Kondo; I really don't know where I'd be if I hadn't read that volume. Information technology actually was life-changing magic!

Less Spending Money

: While I have understood the importance of non spending and so much coin buying physical items and have really stopped / slowed down in partaking in consumerism as much, I still suffer from spending money on other things that aren't necessary and actually add upwards chop-chop over time - dining out and getting coffee are some of my favorite things to practise with friends and loved ones. I think I will have to devise other means to spend time with the people in my life without spending so much on food and coffee. This is a habit I definitely desire to break.

Less Stress, Worry, "Decorated-ness", To-do Lists, and Anxiety :
I besides want to gratuitous myself and my lifestyle of "keeping busy". I desire to cut downwardly as much as possible on my to-do lists and "busy work". While I am someone who naturally enjoys productivity and "hustling" and getting stuff washed (I'm an entrepreneur, become figure), I noticed that in the by few months I've let this mindset become a driving factor in my daily life and it'south caused me an insane amount of stress and feet.... to the point where I have feel my first truthful panic attack in my life just a few weeks ago. This was definitely a wake upward phone call to ease upward on my listing of things to exercise, and my ever growing listing of commitments. The funny affair is... if I removed fifty% of the things on my to-exercise lists, no one would even notice or care. I feel similar I am definitely inflicting this upon myself and it's time to gratuitous myself of these shackles. I want to live without shackles and guilt. I want to fly freely. I want to do things that feed my soul and uplift my spirits and nurture my heart, instead of doing things just to cheque them off of a to-exercise list just so I can feel a sense of misplaced productivity.

Here are my goals for the next year going forward... to discover more than of my self in doing, spending, and owning less:

• finish spending coin on items that are not essential (except for groceries and necessities) - upkeep meliorate and stick to it!
• spend more time in nature, creating, having fun, practicing yoga and meditation, running and exercising, writing, reading, and doing things I dear rather than stressing myself out trying to cross things off my to-do list or getting everything washed
• eliminate things from my to-do list entirely that don't affair consul tasks to others so that I accept less on my plate and so that I don't have to feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders
• practice things more slowly and ease into my days rather than rushing and stressing - just slow it down and have my time with things
• put more than money away each month into my savings business relationship and travel savings account pay off my business startup debt with all the coin that I'll be saving from spending less on unnecessary expenses
• travel more than, love more, smile more, express mirth more, take more time in my daily life, spend more time with loved ones and the people who thing, more self-care
• stress less, worry less, be less "busy" spend less time on my phone or with distractions; spend less time on things that don't matter like social media and mindless Idiot box
• pace more than into my higher self and my soul's calling

Merely writing this down makes me experience so much more centered and uplifted. I hope that I tin proceed to strive towards these goals on a daily basis. I shall update on my progress inside a few months! If y'all would similar, join me on this challenge and write a comment below to let me know! Let'southward find more pregnant in our lives with less.

Much love,
Lynna

Why Nepal?

By Lynna - May 10, 2018

When casually bringing up in chat to my friends / acquaintances that I would be going on a trip to Nepal every bit my 25th altogether gift to myself... as asolo trip, no less...the three initial questions I would receive would be one of the these:

• "Why?"
• "What'south in Nepal?"
• "Where isthat?"

I would bristle slightly at the seemingly offhand, almost brassy questions but then find that I would struggle to answer the questions too (well not the last one, I'one thousand pretty decent with my geography at least, phew!), but not considering I didn't have a few ideas of what the reasons could be, merely considering those answers were not true to the existent reason I was going.

Nepal came to me through multitude of signs and synchronicities that were way too coincidental and way too frequent to be purely by chance. I would become nigh my day and I would run across random words / places / signs / objects related to Nepal / Kathmandu / Himalayas pop upwards everywhere, and I mean everywhere. This happened for many months and I finally promised I would put Nepal on my list of travel destinations even though it had never been on at that place in the kickoff.

I and then traveled to Colorado where at that place is a great community of Nepalese / Tibetan locals who live there and I had then much fun shopping there -- ownership gemstones and incense and mala beads. I was then advised by a local bartender to try the Nepalese cuisine at a nearby restaurant because it was really authentic and delicious (she was right). I then met and had a great conversation with one of the staff members at the eatery who told me he had moved from Nepal with his family and this was their family eatery. I told him, "Meeting you lot is yet some other sign that I must become to Nepal!" Trivial did I know just how truthful that was.

A few more than months passed; I kept seeing signs about every day or at least a couple times a calendar week.

And then came the dreams.

They were so incredibly brilliant, I was almost positive I had astral projected out of my body in that location. There is a particular dream that comes to mind: I am walking on a dusty dirt road amongst a huge oversupply of people, the dust floating in the air creating a kind of fuzzy brume. There are people milling about all around me, talking and chatting while children laugh and play nearby. I arroyo an aboriginal temple at a crossroads, and there are an innumerable amount of incense sticks lit all over the temple, the smoke from them clouding together and wafting lazily into the air; I can and so very conspicuously smell the incense and I can hear the prayer chants going on inside the temple, and the occasional ringing bong or gong. I could taste the dust in the air, feel the hot sunshine beating downwardly on my skin causing a sweat to intermission out on my forehead.

Suddenly, I awoke, near tears, feeling so absolutely torn from somewhere that I so conspicuously needed to exist. Somewhere I was probably literally just at. Somewhere I felt and then utterly at home, and filled with so much love and a sense of belonging it almost overwhelmed me. It was that moment I decided, I need to go to Nepal. As shortly as I possibly can.

And so the whole reason I struggled to answer those questions was because it was never a simple answer similar "because I want to hike the Himalayan mountains". It had never been that. It wasn't fifty-fifty that I wanted to get, it was more like I needed to go. I feared being looked at strangely, or being met with empty, dislocated expressions if I exposed the true reason that I have e'er known deep down all along: I was always meant to be there. In that location was never a moment that I did not belong in that location. My soul yearns so deeply to be at that place. I take never felt so much overflowing love for a identify before, let alone a place I had never even been, seen, or heard much virtually.

And as for that dream that I described to a higher place? I did in fact walk on a road that looked, smelled, and sounded impossibly exactly similar that dream; equally I approached the temple and heard the prayers inside, I promptly flare-up into tears in the centre of the street. I was finally abode.

What to Wear: Nepal

By Lynna - May 09, 2018

I've been wanting to write most what to wear for travels for a while now, peculiarly since my background is in mode, and so I'm excited to share the commencement of this type of post with you lot all!

My goal with dressing for this trip was to try to blend in with the colorful, vibrant streets of Kathmandu, Nepal.  Of course, my priority was keeping cool and being comfortable but I could not assist splurging on the most gorgeous pieces from the local shops (also it's not actually considered splurging when the prices are this low, is information technology?).  I found that I had a great fourth dimension dressing according to the cultural dress in Nepal (I suppose it helped that literally every single local I met told me I looked Nepalese!) and I call back from now on my goal will be to effort dressing similar this as much as possible, just as a show of respect and love for the culture itself, wherever I may be in the earth.

I would usually simply dress for functionality and condolement before but this feel definitely broadened my horizons on dressing for travel.

Delight note this post is solely for sightseeing / exploring / shopping around the city and surrounding areas of the Kathmandu Valley, and NOT advice for trekkers or hikers venturing into the Himalayas!  I'm sure those who are doing serious trekking already have a expert idea of what kind of gear they need, merely I just wanted to clarify that :)

With that said, here are my top favorite pieces that I wore during my trip:

1. Loose Flowy Tops (Cotton or Linen preferred)

   

   

   
   If you lot are going in a warmer flavour such as leap or summer, the temperatures can become pretty high so I recommend wearing loose comfy tops (preferably in cotton or linen) to keep cool but still blend in a chip since loose tunics / tops are the norm here.  This is also a very comfortable clothing item to wear,  particularly if you're going to exist walking around a lot -- shopping or sightseeing, etc.  Please notation that the norm for Nepalese dress relatively bourgeois, then shoulders / midriff are rarely (if e'er) exposed, which is why I recommend these types of flowy tops versus tanks or crop tops.

   Also: the more colorful, the better! I walked around looking like a rainbow threw up on me at all times! (I say this with absolutely no regrets).

2. Long Maxi Skirts / Harem Pants
   

   

   I am literally and then obsessed with this turquoise shawl and vermillion brim color combo!

   Long maxi skirts and harem pants are a wonderful option of clothing to habiliment with your flowy tops or shawls in Nepal as they are easy and uncomplicated to wearable and navigate in, loose and comfy, and you'll wait every bit a great as always in the vibrant, cute colors that are readily available around the locals shops strewn all about the city.  They are besides my favorite option for bottoms if yous're going to exist doing lots of sightseeing or walking effectually since they are and so functional and comfy.  If the weather is cooler when you are traveling, you can hands layer a pair of leggings underneath the maxi skirts or harem pants to go on you lot warm.

   

3. Sandals
   
   When I showtime arrived in Kathmandu I was empty-headed to think that I wouldn't take to whip out the pair of beat up Globe sandals I had crammed at the lesser of my suitcase merely piddling did I know how warm and humid the air was going to be and how horribly uncomfortable that would make my thick hiking boots experience!  Fifty-fifty though the basis is quite dusty, rocky, and uneven on most of the clay roads (non to mention the skies seem to only pour buckets of rain at a moment'southward notice on the daily) as long equally you lot have some sturdy sandals with a chip more coverage than just flimsy flip flops and as long as you are conscientious to lookout man where you're stepping, you should exist totally fine.  The start 2 days I dragged out my awfully heavy thick boots and wore them all over town just that soon wore on me. On the second evening in Kathmandu, I ventured out in my sandals and instantly loved how much easier I could navigate the crowded streets and how comfy and freeing the feeling was... I felt like I was just floating down the clay roads similar a weightless fairy compared to the clomping and slogging I was doing in my boots for the by two days.  Thank god I had packed those sandals!
   
4. Scarves / Shawls
   

   I didn't pack whatever shawls or scarves for this trip because I was already planning to purchase and whole sleuth of them, they were definitely at the meridian of my shopping list!  Where else in the world would you buy these beautiful intricate Pashmina scarves for literally a fraction of the normal toll if not in Nepal?  I splurged on quite a few of them and I love them all so much!  The colors are just stunning and they are so soft and comfortable on the pare.  They are super like shooting fish in a barrel to wear and so versatile in office -- you can wearable them to only cover upwardly your shoulders before stepping into a temple, every bit an beautification for a splash of color, as a brim or sarong, or just every bit your height for that 24-hour interval's outfit.  I wore them normally equally my superlative for the day if I wasn't wearing 1 of my flowy tops.  I just casually wrapped them effectually myself with a camisole underneath, and voila -- I had the cutest outfit!  The shops all over town also sell yak wool and cashmere shawls if the season yous are traveling in is too common cold for a thin pashmina shawl.

   

5. Jewelry

   
   If you lot know me in person at all, you'll know that I have an unhealthy habit to wearing equally much jewelry as humanly possible at any given time then this was a seriously unsafe territory for me to wandering effectually because there are literally countless rows and rows of mala bead shops and handmade jewelry stores... enough to satisfy this jewelry lover for a lifetime.  Needless to say, I went totally crazy and bought mode likewise many pieces of jewelry here and tried to wear them all at one time.  I didn't feel unsafe wearing a lot of jewelry because it was very obvious that the jewelry was inexpensive and that I had bought them from the local handicraft shops, it wasn't like I was walking around wearing diamond earrings and rings or anything similar that.

6. Tanks / T-shirts
   

   This terminal detail - tanks and t-shirts - are merely travel basics that I ordinarily try to pack i-2 pieces of for every trip.  Layers are e'er skilful; you can layer on more if it gets chilly and remove them if the weather turns warmer!  I establish that I wore both of my camisoles the entire trip -- mainly every bit a base layer for my shawls and scarves, and then once again underneath my loose tops which were a bit see-through and non completely opaque as I would have liked them to exist.

I hope you enjoyed this new mail topic that I am trying out! Let me know if you have whatsoever tips of your own on what to wear in Nepal if you've been!  As well delight feel free to comment beneath if there are any other destinations you lot would like tips on what to wear!

If I had to pick merely one trip that I would relive over again in a heartbeat, it would hands down be my trip to the Caribbean islands -- it was chock full of misadventures and hilarious shenanigans and moments so beautiful and poignant in that location are no words to describe the feelings that overcame us.  There are enough memories from this trip to last a lifetime; needless to say, the islands will always take a slice of my eye, and the ocean will forever be calling me dwelling house.

The outset island we set human foot on was Puerto Rico... a mischievous identify full of life and vitality. Come here if you want to relax, chill on the sand, consume incredible food, and party all night!  Not to mention some other hidden gems like royal ruins steeped in rich history.

I retrieve one of my favorites parts about this trip was that we really didn't have an itinerary planned out, nosotros just kind of had avery loose list of items that nosotrospossibly wanted to see, only really naught was gear up in stone, everything was kind of upwards in the air and we didn't take any idea what to expect which was why the trip was full of spontaneity and serendipity which made it so fun.  We didn't come with any expectations at all which was why we were diddled out of the water past everything.  Nosotros just showed up, gear up to receive, and the universe surely delivered!

Day one - Ocean Park Beach, Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Quondam San Juan

Later on landing, we immediately hopped into a taxi and got dropped off at our Airbnb. The hot humid air that engulfed the states every bit shortly as nosotros departed from the air conditioned airport last told us nosotros were definitely in the tropics.

Nosotros checked into our Airbnb speedily, got fix, and without even having a clue about where nosotros were going to go, we traipsed out the door with just the thought of the beach on our minds.

The oh and then colorful streets of San Juan

The offset meal of the trip was an incredible Puerto Rican traditional dish - mofongo which is made of fried green plantains with a pick of filling (steak, chicken, seafood, etc.)  We tried information technology from a tiny mom and pop shop correct next door to the Airbnb.  Just absolutely incredible!

Go on the margaritas comin' please!

Succulent mofongo!

After a succulent lunch, we asked the waitress how to go to the nearest beach and she said it was literally simply a cake or two from where we were!  How crawly is that?!

Beautiful wallart photo op!

We walked through the neighborhood, found a couple of cute photo ops along the fashion, and arrived at Body of water Park Beach few minutes later to be greeted with i incredible view.

The water is but ever this crystal and aqua turquoise... and warm like a warm bath.... I was in heaven!!!  It was incommunicable to leave.  It was official, my dear affair with the Caribbean area Sea had begun and there was no going dorsum.

Afterward spending a couple hours playing and splashing in the warm waves, we decided to continue exploring the island since nosotros only had this one day and then we'd be hopping onto the next island.  (Only no worries, we would be returning to Puerto Rico at the end of our trip for a final hurrah!)

We hailed a cab (or rather, hopped into an Uber) which took u.s.a. to Old San Juan.

The bulldoze into boondocks was simply exhilarant, we sailed through the warm cakewalk, right along the seagreen declension.

Nosotros were greeted with some other surprise as we got dropped off right in forepart of the Castillo San Felipe del Morro which is a 16th century fort that guards the San Juan Harbor.  We had no idea that these forts even existed and so we were completely taken by surprise and in complete awe of this magical place.

View from the castle walls

The energy hither is so thou and magnificent, the enormous castle standing tall and imposing over the dramatic cliffs loftier above the waves crashing down below.  It was the perfect setting for a dramatic historical motion-picture show.

Completely enamored past this beautiful fort, nosotros spent the next couple of hours exploring its nooks and crannies and pranced all virtually the castle grounds, having the time of our lives.

Dancing on castle walls

I felt a fleck like Indiana Jones

Glorious sunset over the magnificent fort.

As the golden orange Caribbean sun set over the cerulean waters, we reluctantly left our honey castle and walked into Onetime San Juan, falling more and more in love with this urban center past the minute.  It is so rich with history, culture and character.

We window-shopped a bit, bought a ton of gorgeous gemstones from a hidden spiritual shop that nosotros randomly stumbled upon, and after that, we finally decided nosotros were ready for dinner.

To say that dinner was absolutely delicious would be the understatement of the century. I'll let the photos speak for themselves...

I got a wet burrito and Tiffany got tacos.... All of it was completely mindblowing.

Once our bellies were full and happy and our appetites satiated, we asked a couple of locals where we should go for a fun nightlife scene.

They told the states to go to the most famous bar on the island called "La Factoria" which plain is where all the cool kids hangout at.  Soon enough, we plant ourselves in a cab and on our way to this legendary bar.

The entrance was so hidden that we walked by it a few times, but we couldn't help noticing the expanse which we got dropped off in was practically swarming with young hip groups of people dressed to the nines!  It was definitely the hotspot of town and was and then crowded it was almost difficult to walk effectually at times!

Look how crazy crowded it was!  It looked like this on every single street....insane!

Alas, we establish the archway to La Factoria and went within .... to exist greeted with a cozy intimate room with dim lighting and atmospheric electronic music playing.  Nosotros were completely intoxicated with the vibe here.

The reason La Factoria is such a popular place is because at that place isn't just one large room. simply rather a serial of doors and doorways that lead you further and farther into the building, each leading into a different room.  Overall I believe there are around seven to viii different rooms, all with their own unlike themes and crowds. Imagine a cozy intimate wine bar in one room, then a door leading to a hip hop dance floor in the next, and the next beyond that, an arcade with a pool table.  Information technology was and so cool!  We had a really fun time here and could really go a meliorate guess of the Puerto Rican mode of life.

The intimate wine bar

Exhausted from our highly eventful day, nosotros retired to our Airbnb for the night after a few fun hours mingling and dancing at La Factoria.

This concludes our get-go day in San Juan, Puerto Rico (it was just the first day and we had already fallen head over heels for this place), but stay tuned for upcoming posts most the rest of our trip!  The very adjacent morning nosotros woke upwards early to hop on a airplane and continue our adventure to the next island!

Island hopping via mini seaplane!!!

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