Archives for February 2014

Turning a Negative into a Positive

February 28, 2014 by Kiki 48 Comments

First off thank you all so much for all the kind words and tips you all shared with me yesterday. Writing yesterday’s post and actually hitting publish was completely out of my comfort zone. I was beyond nervous to share those feelings but I am so glad I did. Big hugs to you all for the wonderful comments!

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I think its important to share the experience, bad days and all, because the truth is my life is not all beautiful travel photos and fun adventures. I have many of my own real life issues and sometimes you just have to talk about them.

So while I am feeling much better about things I know I am on this expat roller coaster and these emotions are to be expected from time to time.

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All of the positive energy sent my way yesterday boosted my spirits and made me rethink some of my negative thoughts I have been having lately. So to kick this funk and start the weekend off on a positive note I am taking some advice from my parents and finding the positive in the negatives. Lets get to it.

Negative: I miss my sisters
Positive: I don’t have to worry about any of my clothes going missing

Negative: Riding my bike to work in the wind
Positive: I get to have these views everyday on my way to work

Negative: I miss my girlfriends
Positive: Last night I met with my bookclub and I spent the night laughing away with some wonderful ladies. Meeting women from all over the world and building friendships with them is truly one of the wonderful things about living abroad.

Negative: I miss Azora
Positive: I don’t have to worry about any of my personal belongings getting chewed up. BTW Azora says she is really sorry about the shoes Mom!

Negative: No dryer
Positive: I never worry about my clothes shrinking in the wash

Negative: Grocery Shopping
Positive: The amount of impulse purchases has significantly decreased. And I am so grateful for little processed foods in the stores and more real whole foods.

Negative: Not talking to family back at home as often as I want
Positive: I know they are all going to start missing me so much that they will buy a ticket and come visit me:)

And to you all that are having similar feelings as me, I hope you can find some positives in the negatives! If not just put your party hat on and smile anyways because its the weekend!

Question of the Day?
What is some positive things happening in your life?

Homesick Rambles

February 27, 2014 by Kiki 39 Comments

Lately I have been feeling in a bit of a funk. I don’t know if its because I have been sick, overwhelmed with starting a new job or just over the gloomy winter days but this funk has been lingering longer than I would like.

Then last night as I was on the phone with my little sister I realized something. I am homesick. Like really homesick.

Certain little things lately have triggered these feelings of homesickness that I can’t seem to shake. Maybe by rambling them out I will feel a bit better, or not, but venting things out is always better than holding it in right??

Anyways, you know those times when you are getting ready to go out and you need someone to give you an honest opinion on how you look? Well for me my sisters are who I go to when I need an honest opinion on my looks. No one gives a more honest opinion than a sister.

Funny how something as small as having someone tell me how my hair looks can trigger such strong emotions but lately for me it has and I really miss my sisters.

Another thing that keeps triggering my homesickness, the wind. Since starting my new job I have been riding my bike the 2 miles to and from work. It is a beautiful ride all along the sea but some days the wind is just to much to handle.

It is these times when the wind is blowing me backwards as I petal for all I am worth that I can’t help but think how nice it would be to have the comforts of my car. Then I get sad and stressed even more thinking about what in the world I am going to do with my car sitting back at home. Being an adult is to stressful!

To help distract me on my windy bike rides I watch all the adorable pups people are out walking. One dog in particular is a beautiful golden that reminds me so much of Azora. Everyday when I see this dog I miss Azora even more. One of these days I am going to jump off my bike and give this dog kisses.

Of course H has been working late nights this week giving me more time to myself than I want. I wish I could just call up my old girlfriends and make plans. Instead I spend most evenings alone because I don’t have a solid group of friends yet that I am comfortable to call up at random. I really miss my girlfriends and all our fun girl nights.

Missing your family, dog, friends etc is normal but lately even simple things like laundry and grocery shopping have been homesick triggers. Seriously watching my clothes take forever to dry on our drying rack makes me more homesick than it should. I will never take for granted having a dryer!

Another meltdown caused by clothes, missing my closet back in Oregon! I can’t even count how many times I have thought of something I wanted to wear only to remember that I didn’t bring it with me. I am talking about you black cardigan that I somehow forgot.

When your homesick the only thing you want to do is call home and talk with someone that you love. For me this only makes me feel even more homesick because the time difference makes it hard to communicate with those back at home. I miss my family and since I have been away I feel like I hardly talk to them anymore. Any tips you all have for keeping in touch with those back home?

So there is my random rambling of homesick thoughts. Amazing the power of just venting out all these random thoughts on my little blog here for people that I have never met to read. Blogging is a strange and wonderful thing.

And not to worry I am not turning all negative Nancey you. Sometimes though you just need to get those negative feelings out there because it is not all northern lights and magic up here for me.

The sunset last night was pretty close to magic though.

At the end of the day I have decided there is no way to solve the feelings of homesickness. They happen and you just have to know that everything will be all right. And I feel pretty lucky to get to live somewhere with such amazing sunsets, even if I do feel homesick.

Question of the Day?
How do you deal with homesickness?

Lessons Learned in Paris

February 26, 2014 by Kiki 41 Comments

I mentioned last week that after our fun hike to Glymur I left Iceland and headed back to Oregon. At the time H and I had no idea when we would see each other again, oh the joys of long distance relationships.

After just a few weeks back at home though H and I were already planning our next adventure together, a month long trip through 4 different European countries.

At the end of the summer I packed my backpack and headed back to Iceland to meet H. And after two years of goodbyes at airports it was so exciting to finally be taking off on a plane together!

We had a really early flight from Iceland over to Paris so by the time we arrived we were tired and ready to find our hostel. We were staying at the same hostel that I had stayed in when I visited Paris in the spring so I told H not to worry I knew how to get there.

After almost two hours of walking in circles ( I only spent one day in Paris so my sense of direction was a bit off) with our heavy backpacks I admitted I was lost. H took over the navigation and decided that my navigation skills were not to be trusted for the rest of the trip. Fine by me.

We were staying near Montmartre so after we (H) finally found our hostel we headed up to the church to snap our first photo together as proof to our families that we had arrived safely. This was a requirement by my Dad for each new city we arrived in so we have lots of these photos;)

From there we spent the rest of the afternoon walking all over Paris, literally! In all those hours of walking we learned some valuable lessons.

Lesson one, don’t attempt to walk the entire city of Paris in sandals in one evening, you will get blisters and achy legs.

Lesson two, don’t trust the pharmacist at the drug store near Moulin Rouge. The strength level of their “tums” is beyond anything you have taken.

Lesson three, when you see a public restroom use it. When the “tums” kick in you will be regretting not using the bathroom the entire hour you search for another one. Enough said about that.

Aside from those valuable lessons we had a great time exploring all over the city that night and I knew it was going to be a great trip together.

The next day I was woken up way to early by H who was ready to head out and explore. We were at the very beginning of a 5 week trip together so I was all about pacing ourselves but not H. When I saw this view from our room though I was reminded that I was in the beautiful city of Paris and quickly got ready to head out.

I gladly handed the map over to H first thing in the morning as well.

We spent our morning taking in all the sights and ended our day getting lost in the Louvre.

For any of you that have had the chance to visit the Louvre you know that it takes hours to walk through. H and I aren’t the biggest art fans but we had to stop and see the famous Mona Lisa.

People were going crazy over the painting, just check this photo out of everyone trying to get a glimpse of the famous painting.

We made sure to have a little fun as well

Visiting the Louvre was actually one of my favorite things we did in Paris. The art you see is just amazing! I could easily spend an entire day wandering around the halls in the Lourve, so if you get the chance don’t miss it!

On our last day in Paris we woke up to some rainy weather but didn’t let it stop us from getting out and exploring the neighborhood near our hostel.

Our rainy walk someone found us at the Eiffel Tower where H was determined to go to the top of.

Remember the whole I am terrified of heights?? Well H thought going to the top of the Eiffel Tower would help me get more comfortable with heights. It didn’t, at all, but it was so worth it for the amazing views!

Oh and of course we opted to climb the stair to beat the lines. Talk about a work out.Has anyone taken the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower? After walking the stairs you take an elevator the rest of the way and it has to be the most terrifying elevator ride of my life! I still managed a smile at the top but I was already dreading the ride down.

After all that rainy day fun it was time for us to pack up and head off to our next destination, Zürich, Switzerland!

Note the clock in the background, this was us at the train station at 5:40am! We arrived at 4:30am thinking it would take us longer to get to the train station and instead we had a two hour wait out in the cold before our train would arrive. Yet another lesson of many learned on our trip!

Next week will be all about Swiss chocolate and pretzels, the adorable city of Zürich, and some sightings of the beautiful Swiss alps.

Question of the Day?
Have you been to the top of the Eiffel Tower? Any lessons you have learned from your travels?

Inside Tips to Reykjavik, Iceland

February 25, 2014 by Kiki 38 Comments

Today I am joining up with Travel Tuesday to share some of my tips for navigating around Reykjavik. I am still figuring many things out about my quirky city but here are a few tips that I hope will help those of you that have made the wise choice to visit Iceland.

1. In the city for the night and hoping for a glimpse of the Northern Lights? Your best bet is to head out to the light house in Seltjarnarnes. With few city lights its one of the best places in the city to try and catch a view of the Northern Lights. Be sure to head out to the lighthouse during the day as well, there is a small hot pool were you can soak your feet and enjoy the ocean view.

2. Visiting the swimming pools in Reykjavik is a must, just be prepared to walk into a locker room full of naked people. In Iceland you must shower first without your suit on before entering the pools. Covering up with a towel only makes you stand out more, just embrace it the pools are totally worth it.

3. Not sure what to wear for the day? Layers are key in Iceland, one minute it will be beautiful and sunny, the next a wind storm followed by snow, be prepared for all elements. And when in doubt black is a go to option, you will blend right in, or do as I do and wear neon to truly stand out.

4. Keep in mind that if you want to stock up on groceries most stores close between 6-7pm. Otherwise you are left with the very expensive corner shops, trust me you don’t want that.

5. Looking to try some Icelandic cuisine on a budget? Go down to the harbor and and order lobster soup from the Sea Barron. Ask for extra lobster and smile, you usually get it thrown in by the owner on the house and its one of my favorite meals in town! Or grab a traditional Icelandic hotdog from the stand near the harbor, get it with all the works and be prepared to wait in line, this place is always hopping!

6. Before you arrive in Reykjavik be sure to download these two apps to your phone:

Stætó.is- The ultimate guide to the local bus system.If your planning on using the bus system while in Reykavik this app is a life saver!

Appy Hour- This app tells you all the happy hours in the area, the deals you can find at what bars, as well as the times. Its a great app to get your pre-pre party started and still have money to hit the town later!

7. Want to party like an Icelander? Do your wallet a favor and grab some drinks at the liquor store to enjoy before heading out to the bars. You can expect to spend 10 USD/8 Euros for a beer and it will add up quickly! If you want a true taste of the nightlife don’t head out until after midnight, you will be the only one in the bars otherwise! And I highly recommend a pre-party nap, Icelanders get down until the wee hours of the morning.

8. Don’t be concerned about the funky smell of the water. I promise it won’t leave you smelling of sulfur after you shower and cold water from tap will be some of the best water you have ever tried!

9. Hoping to score on some Icelandic wool products? Before spending your savings on an overpriced shop head down to the flea market near the harbor and score handmade goods for half the price.

10. The best way to view the city is from the top tower of the church Hallgrímskirkja located in the center of Reykjavik. You have to pay a small fee around 4 USD/3 Euros to go to the top tower but the views are worth it, especially if it is a clear sunny day in Reykjavik!

Question of the Day?
What tips do you have for your city?

Linking up with Treasure Tromp, Glossy Blonde & Karly Kim

Turning a Negative into a Positive

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Homesick Rambles

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Lessons Learned in Paris

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Inside Tips to Reykjavik, Iceland

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