Five Things I Learned From Travelling for Two Months

Well, I’ve been there and back again: my two-month travels to Australia are over and I’m back home in Canada. Before leaving, I anticipated that the trip would be some sort of life-altering experience, providing me with all the mental clarity I was lacking in my everyday life. And although I didn’t arrive home full of shaman-wise knowledge about my future, travelling definitely taught me these five things.
1. No one’s going to be happy 24/7: I try my best to be positive and upbeat around others, and at the beginning of our travels, I was definitely of the mind-set that, hey, we’re on vacation in a beautiful country, what have we got to be upset about! But when you’re crammed in a van, spending 24/7 with the same people with absolutely no alone time, you’re going to get cranky. By the end of the trip, I was a snappier, foul-mouthed version of myself, and I saw the same in my travel companions. I learned I couldn’t expect myself, or my friends, to be in a good mood all the time, and those expectations weren’t fair to any of us.
2. Sometimes you need a vacation from vacation: When you’re travelling non-stop, getting up early and going to bed late, on your feet all day, it’s absolutely exhausting. Some of my favourite days on the trip were when we stayed in one place and just chilled out, and I especially loved the few weeks where we had a home-base in Sydney. It’s important to give yourself time to relax and rest when you’re constantly on the go.

3. Buy into stereotypes: What I mean by this is, our most fun experiences were when we were doing things that were classically Australian. For example, experiencing ancient Aboriginal culture at Uluru, led by a real Aussie bushman, or cuddling koalas and kangaroos at Steve Irwin’s zoo. These are things I will only ever be able to do in Australia, and I wanted to make sure I did them all, no matter how outside my comfort zone (such as eating crocodile or scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef!)
 


4. Treasure the little things: However, amidst all the big stuff like I just mentioned, I learned to treasure those small, quiet moments. Of course, I’ll always look back and remember snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, but I’ll also remember snuggling up in the van and watching Firefly or eating these tasty biscuits while we drove, or the time a frog jumped in our van and we all panicked. Those small moments are what built our trip and kept us sane between all the highlights.
5. There’s no place like home: As much as I loved Australia, I will admit, I will never tire of touching down in British Columbia. Being away from home always gives me an appreciation for what I have and how lucky I am to be from such a wonderful place.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for lots more Australian content on our vlog.

Five Ways to Generate Writing Ideas

If you’ve never had a bout of writer’s block, you haven’t been writing for long enough. Whether you love to outline and don’t know what happens next, or if your plot is lacking some pizazz, you may just need a little helping pumping your author juices. Here are our go-to solutions when we need a little inspiration!

1. Go for a walk with someone: Being co-authors, Leah and I have an advantage by having two minds to brainstorm, but mostly it’s just sprouting ideas back and forth that really gets us the best idea. Having a sounding board, whether it be your mom, best friend, critique partner, or even your dog, is helpful because it gets you spewing out ideas and hearing them out loud. Plus, grabbing some fresh air and getting your blood pumping is great to rejuvenate a foggy brain!

2. Take a nap: Don’t get too excited; you have to stay awake! But one of the most fun ways to work out the plot is to make a playlist of music that inspires you or fits your story and just daydream. If you find yourself replaying the same scenario in your head, you’ll know you have an enticing scene to write. I find this idea also works great in the shower or on a bus, too!

3. Play a game: This is something Leah and I do not only to generate ideas but for fun as well! We write the names of all our characters of our current project and put them in a bowl. Then, we write a bunch of settings, such as “On a bridge” or “In the rain” or “In jail” and put those in a bowl. Finally, we write down a bunch of verbs, such as “Kissing” or “Fighting”, and put those in a bowl. We draw one setting, two verbs and two characters, then put a ten-minute timer on. We both write a random scenario using our drawn cards! Even if this doesn’t generate a plausible plot solution, it’s a great way to get your writing juices flowing, get into character, and practice your voice! Plus, some of the stories come out HILARIOUS.

4. Experiment with a different medium: Sometimes it helps to put your story on a different kind of page; Leah loves to draw scenarios or characters from our current project, and often finds this helps her discover something new about the plot or character. If drawing isn’t for you, modify it. If you like making music, try writing a theme song for your book. Even a vision board on Pinterest helps you visualize your creations and can spark new ideas!

5. Make it history: One of the absolutely best ways to iron out plot snags or get ideas is to borrow from history. Our world and the people in it are fascinating and history has inspired many epic books. For example, Tolkien is famously inspired by Anglo-Saxon folklore, and George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice is a fantastical take on the War of Roses. Leah’s and my book Jane Unwrapped (Entangled Teen Crave) was so fun and exciting to plot because the Egyptian history of the time was dramatic enough for a book without our help making up new ideas!

If you have any secrets to generating ideas, let me know in the comments!

Five Things Canadians Miss When They're Abroad

With Canada Day just coming to a close, I thought it would be appropriate to write about five things a travelling Canuck misses when they’re away from home. Of course, these are just my opinion, but I think they hit pretty close to home.

1. The Wilderness: There are plenty of startlingly beautiful places in the world, but I would argue us Canadians are partial to the encompassing evergreen forests, the towering mountains and rugged coastline. When I travel I always appreciate the new sights I see, from the bustling cosmopolitan of a huge American city, to a historical chapel in Italy, to the sprawling Outback in Australia, but I find myself thinking of the beauty at home. For me, nothing compares!

2. Tap water: There’s just something so great about going anywhere in Canada and not having to worry about whether you can drink the tap water or not. And to top it off, it’s delicious!

3. Friendly strangers: Sure, it’s a generalization to say that everyone in Canada is polite and pleasant (I’ve worked in customer service, so I know this is not true!) but I can definitely say there’s a sense of openness surrounding Canadians that you don’t feel anywhere else in the world. Whether it’s asking a bus driver for directions or just grabbing a coffee, you’re more than likely to have a positive encounter with a Canadian.

4. The air: One of the coolest things about traveling is getting off the plane and taking a deep breath, inhaling the new scent. There’s even nuances between Canadian air; I could always tell the difference as soon as I stepped off a plane from Toronto into Victoria. But there’s nothing quite so sweet as being away from home for a long time and stepping off that plane and taking a deep drag of clean, Canadian air.

5. Hockey: Is there anything more exciting than being in a foreign country and seeing someone with a hockey jersey on? It’s like finding an instant friend…or a mortal enemy depending on the jersey! Having to endure other country’s national sports plastered on billboard and TVs just makes me crave coming home to watch the best sport on Earth.

But what’s the number one thing I miss when traveling abroad?

Tim Horton’s!

Do you agree or disagree with my choices? Let me know in the comments!

Five Ways Changing Your Hair Changes Who You Are

I was terrified. I sat in the chair, feeling as if it was made of daggers. My heart pounded and every inch of me screamed to get up, to run, to flee for my life. My captor held the sharpened tools to my head, the edges glinting in the glaring light, and said: “So, sweetie, what are we doing with your hair today?”

“B-bangs,” I choked out. “J-just bangs.”

As the hair stylist wrapped that black, choking frock of death around my neck, I closed my eyes, and thought, This is the end.

Why is changing our hair such a big decision? I don’t know about you, but even the slightest change, such as getting bangs, was a huge source of conflict for me. I’d always had long, brown hair. Sometimes I got highlights, or dyed it darker, but it had always been long and brown.

I think a big reason for this was because that’s how I was forced to keep it while I modeled; as a model, any physical aspect of yourself is not yours to explore, to style, to dictate. And as soon as I quit modeling, I began a new relationship, and lingering confidence issues from fashion modeling made me think I would be undesirable if I changed my hair in any way.

But after about six months of freedom from modeling and getting settled into my relationship, I realized something crazy: my hair didn’t define me. This realization didn’t come easily. Even as I sat down at the hairdresser, I had regrets. What would I even look like?

But getting bangs didn’t just give me a new look. It unleashed a floodgate of desire to experiment with my hair—and so, my identity—and a new-found sense of self-worth. I went on to cut my hair just below my ears, to bleaching it and dying it blonde (which you can find out more about on our Youtube channel), to growing my bangs out, to dying it bright pink, and finally, to having it red.

Throughout this hair journey, I’ve learned a lot, not just about my locks, but about myself. Here’s five ways changing your hair changes who you are.

1.) It’s liberating. I could not believe how I felt when I got all my hair cut off; I finally felt like I wasn’t ruled by my hair, like my beauty didn’t depend on if my hair was styled or not. I’ll fully admit I looked like a boy if I didn’t wear make-up, but it was freeing! When I change my hair, I can be anyone I want: a spunky red-head, a classic blonde, the girl-next-door.

2.) It gives you confidence. There is no better feeling than showing off a new ‘do. Take p
ride in the change and let the compliments roll in! Finding out you can pull of a new hairstyle can increase your self-assurance—and even if it didn’t turn out well (my super saiyan hair, anyone?), then getting over the initial shock and rocking a strange hair style definitely forces you to be confident!

3.) It’s fun. Honestly, it’s just plain awesome to see the reveal, whether it’s a hair stylist turning your chair to the mirror or stepping out of the shower to see your new colour. Watching your own metamorphosis is entertaining!

4.) Change is healthy. I was in hair purgatory, constantly afraid of altering my look. But like anything, change helps us grow, and a hair cut is a great way to trigger an emotional change. As Coco Chanel said, “A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.”

5.) It’s just hair! As terrifying as it may be to alter your look, it is just hair! You can always dye it back to its original colour, go to a professional, grow it back. Sure, sometimes I crave my long, brown hair, but I know I can always have that look again. As for my next style? Well, I’ll just have to see how I feel next week.

Anyone have any hairy stories? I’d love to see them in the comments!

5 Tips for Spending Christmas Abroad

Hi everyone,

Leah here. As many of you know, this year I am spending my holidays this year in Australia. It is my first Christmas ever away from home. (My mothers first Christmas in 25 years without me, as she so liked to remind me!)

Yes it’s a little sad, and the closer it gets to Christmas, the more those little homesick pangs come! (If I was at home I’d be doing this and this at home!)

However, there are a couple things I’m doing this year to really embrace being away from home during the holidays!

If you’re spending Christmas abroad please share your stories down below with me!

1.) Embrace the Difference

DO NOT spend your holidays picking apart everything that is different from home. Of course things are different, you're in a brand new place! I doubt you moved just to have things stay the same. . The differences can be as small as having apple pie instead of pumpkin, or as big as having a Christmas BBQ instead of a turkey dinner. Whatever it may be look at everything with a smile, and an open mind.

2.) Incorporate your own Traditions

So everything is super different abroad! Share some of your own Christmas traditions, whether its  with backpacking friends, or if you’re staying with a family like me, try and add in your own Christmas touch! Think about what really makes the holidays special for you and share it with the people around you. This can be anything from a holiday treat, favourite movie, or game. For example, every year my family does a Jack Horner Pie, and I made one for my host family.

3.) Connect with Home

Don’t try and NOT miss home. You’re going be a little homesick. Try and make it a little easier and plan some skype calls. My mother filmed my family putting up the Christmas tree and sent it to me. I found lots of fun Christmas cards and little souvenirs, so I made sure to send my family back an Australian Christmas package.

Even try and connect with home around you. Meet up with other expats,  take comfort in swapping stories from back home. Just searching facebooks groups, or couch surfers is a great way to connect with people. (Always remember to do it in a public setting!!)

I taped up all the Christmas cards I received and taped them up beside my bed to remind me of home.

4.) Take Ideas with Home

This tip goes hand in hand with the first tip. Once you really embrace your Christmas abroad you may really come to love some of these new traditions. Try and join in on as many of the new Christmas activities as you can. Your favourite ones you can take home with you, and make a truly wonderful and unique Christmas next year!

5.) Create memories

Try and many new things as you can! Takes lots of picture. Buy a special reminder. For me, I bought a special Christmas ordainment, that will always remind me of my Christmas in Australia.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


Just remember, this is probably going to be your only Christmas EVER where you are right now! SO MAKE THE MOST OF IT!

If you'd like to see my Christmas in Australia Video click the picture below!

5 Tips to Surviving Exam Week

Hey guys! Kate here.

I know you haven’t heard from me on the blog, Twitter, or Instagram in…welp, a really long time, but it’s been a pretty ridiculous winter. Between winning NaNoWriMo, working full-time, and finishing my semester of college, I have been crazy busy!

I’m on the tail-end of my exams, with only one more to go, and I’ll fully admit it’s been stressful. The pressure of wanting to excel (or just pass) an exam, coupled with all the other responsibilities in a student’s life can be overwhelming. As I look around at my friends and classmates, I see not only are some of them just stressed, but they’re cracking under the pressure.

Exams are, of course, going to be a time of exhaustion and anxiety, but there are ways to make them a bit more bearable. As a student, I will fully admit there’s no “Quick Cure to Exam Stress” or “Easy Way to Ace your Exams!” but these five tips definitely help me stay sane when I’m buried in notes and flashcards.


1. Make a schedule and stick to it. Man, this is so important. Exams are a huge portion of your grade, so telling yourself you’ll study when you have time just won’t cut it. As soon as you get your exam schedule, plan the one-to-two weeks leading up it around your study schedule. Fit in work, any important social arrangements you have to attend, and any last minute assignments, and then build your study schedule so you have plenty of time to review. If you can, give yourself an extra day for each exam to study; it always takes longer to get something down than you think.

2. Give yourself some downtime. While you're building your schedule, make sure you don’t fill it all up with studying. Yes, you need to know the material, but burning out or pulling all-nighters isn’t going to help you either. Make sure you give yourself an hour each day to digest by watching a television show, or going for a walk. Clearing your brain will help you remember the material and keep you from feeling overwhelmed.

3. Find a study method that works for you. Okay, you might not believe me, but if you’re not doing well on tests, there’s a really good chance it’s just because you haven’t found the right way to study. People learn differently. I, for example, am the hugest enthusiast of flash cards you will ever meet. Flash cards are amazing because they help you review the material while you write it down, but they also cause you to think about the material differently when you compose the questions. And then they train your brain to do exactly what it needs to do on a test: recall! But some people may find another method works better: re-writing their notes by hand, or studying in groups. Experiment until you find what helps you the most. Every test will get easier and easier once you do.


4. Trust yourself. You’ve attended the lectures, taken notes, studied, and yet you’re still telling yourself you’re going to fail, or do horribly. Why? If you’ve done everything you can do, then have a little faith in yourself. A lot more of the information will come back to you than you think. Also, I’m a big believer in positive psychology. I’m not talking The Secret stuff, but what you believe does have ways of formulating your thoughts and actions. Before the exam, stand in front of the mirror, raise your arms in a champion pose, and say: “I am going to ace this exam!” Don’t believe this will work? Listen to an expert.

5. Look to the future. When you’re in the blackest of black places, swamped with notes and facts and your hands are calloused from holding a pencil, remember: this doesn’t last forever. Look forward to what you’ll do as soon as exams are done, and also look even further and remember why you’re in school in the first place. Then buckle down and get to work.

Exams are stressful, and long, and they require huge amounts of mental energy. But keep in mind you’re willingly going to school, and you’re putting your money into this. Exam time is about you and your learning!

Good luck everyone!

The Five Stages of NaNoWriMo (Star Wars Style)

Hey guys, Kate here! Sorry for my absence, but I’m sure as many of you can relate, it has been a crazy month trying to keep on top of NaNo! I’m a little ashamed to admit that I am behind—between school and work, I’ve had a hard time getting in my daily word count. Nevertheless, I’m a fairly good sprinter, and I just got to keep utilizing my tips and tricks, so I know I’ll just have to put in some crazy days towards the end of the month!

Although this is my first year participating in NaNo, I have written over 50, 000 words in a month and witnessed Leah’s various NaNo wins, so I felt pretty comfortable writing this blog. We’re just over halfway through the month, so let me know if you’ve gone/are going through these various stages.

You don't know what you're getting yourself into, young one

1.) The Eager Padawan (Nov 1st-5th): you’re freshly plucked off the barren desert planet where you haven’t written anything recently, or been stuck editing, or just been working on the same thing. You see a new horizon: a huge challenge that you are SO ready for. You got your lightsaber…er, pen, at your side and you are ready to kick some butt!


2.) The Disgruntled Jedi Knight (Nov 6th-15th): Okay, maybe this Jedi thing is a little harder than you thought. Maybe you’ve fallen behind, or are just barely making your word-count. You’ve stared at a blank page for longer than you’ve been writing, and your fingers are starting to cramp when you first wake up. And the rest of the month looms like a desert full of Tusken Raiders ahead.

3.) The Desperate Dark Apprentice (Nov 16th-25th): Calling it “overwhelmed” is saying the least. You’ll do anything to make the first half of the month worth all the hard work, even join the dark side. You hate this book, this month, the world. Now, the rest of your life starts to slip away as you realize your daily word count is only getting bigger and bigger. And yet, a dark pride rises in you. As the dishes start to pile up, the book is the only thing that matters,

4.) The Dark Sith Lord (Nov 26th-29th): Sun…what…what is that? You’ll do anything to complete your word count, even kill younglings if you need to! You’ve truly given yourself to the power of the NaNo. There’s so much writing that needs to be done, and yet life wants to get in the way. Sweat pours down your neck at every moment, for every second away from your laptop is a second wasted. Your eyes are bloodshot, your hands tremble, and the end gets closer and closer.

My allegiance is to my word count, to the completion!

5.) The Redeemed Master (Nov 30th): You did it. Yes, yes, possibly at 11:59pm, you did it. You wrote your 50,000th word and finally the Force is brought into balance. A sense of relief, pride, and exhaustion hits you. It’s been a long journey, and possibly you weren’t always at your best, but you wrote like the true Jedi master you are.

Good luck NaNoing everyone! Let me know how it’s going in the comments!

5 Tips to Surviving a 15-Hour Flight

Hi there! Leah here. Recently, I traveled from Vancouver to Sydney. The flight is 15 ½ hours, one of the longest non-stop flights in the world. It travels over the Pacific Ocean, passing over Hawaii, before landing in Sydney. Now, I HATE flying, so spending that long on a plane is not ideal. However, the flight turned out to be okay—and here’s how you can also survive a 15-hour flight.

1-Select your Seat Wisely

Choosing the right seat for your flight can make a world of difference. Know your plane and check out seatguru.com. Know the kind of flight you want to have. If you like looking at the scenary, chose a window seat. If you want to get up and move around, choose an aisle. Also, you have to play your odds. It’s very unlikely you can get an entire row to yourself, but you can make it fairly likely that no one will sit in the middle seat. When selecting your seat, go for one that has someone either on the aisle or window already. It’s far more likely that no one will choose a middle seat, as opposed to a couple choosing the two empty seats beside you.

2-Stay Hydrated

I know you’ve probably heard this a million times, but planes are very very dry and staying hydrated will even help with jet leg. Don’t reply on the little cups of water they bring. Bring your own empty water bottle and fill it up once you pass security and ask the flight attendants once you’re on the plane. You don’t have to just drink water; have some juice or herbal tea. Keep your lips and face hydrated too by bringing travel-sized lip balm and face moisturizer to apply half way. It’s a really great pick me up during the flight.

3-Get Comfy

Select your clothes carefully; there’s going to be no runway shows up in the air. Layers, fuzzy socks, and an infinity scarf are my must-haves every time I fly.

 Neck pillows may not look glamorous, but they sure keep your tired head supported.  I like the blow up ones because they fold up so easily.

Take off your shoes. I recommend doing this early in to your flight, so you don’t have stinky feet! If you’ve been traveling all day before your flight, consider a new pair of socks just for the new flight.

4-Sleep

Sleeping is the best way to pass time on a flight.  Now it can be tricky to sleep when you’re 30,000 feet in the air, but there are a couple tricks. Take some medication. If you’re an anxious flyer a doctor can prescribe an anti-anxiety medication that usually can ease in fears and make you a little drowsy.  Use this in moderation once you consult your doctor. You can buy sleeping pills at your local pharmacies. Personally, I like ZzzQuil Nyquil because they don’t leave you feeling drowsy. If you’re not into medicated help, you can use some natural methods, such as herbal tea, limiting caffeine and maybe putting a dab of lavender oil behind your ears. 

Also, don’t forget to pop in some ear plugs to block out the sounds of the plane.

If you absolutely can’t sleep, just close your eyes, get as comfy as you can, and listen to some music. Creating a sleep playlist can help you relax and rest.

5-Keep Busy

Load up electronics. Buy a new DS game just for the flight, or do what I did and weed your entire Animal Crossing village! You can always load a new television series on your iPad, or read that steamy new adult book.  Audio books can be really convenient on a plane. Or you can even try to learn a new language with fun phone apps like Duolingo! Don’t count on getting as much important work done on a plane; there’s usually not enough room for your laptop.  Use this time to relax with your guilty pleasures.

Want even more tips? Check out our vlog!