Or: The Story of How I Overcame My Anxiety/Mild Phobia of Highway Driving with DIY Exposure Therapy (i.e. just driving, no escape) by Splitting an 11 Day Road Trip with My Ever-Patient Girlfriend! JK, I’ll save that riveting story for another time! But suffice it to say, when we planned this trip, I wasn’t ONLY thinking about all the food we were going to eat in Portland and the dramatic coastal landscapes we were going to see, I was also thinking about passing trucks at high speeds on the I-5 while remembering to focus on the MILES, not kilometres, on my speedometer, and lots of other things to do with driving. Obviously, I didn’t die, and I didn’t FEEL like I was going to die for at least MOST of the trip. Plus, it was so nice to have the flexibility to choose where we wanted to go and how long we wanted to stop. In conclusion: successful DIY project, and also: successful road trip.
K so back to Oregon: Here’s a guide to an excellent (IMHO perfect) Oregon road trip, based on a compressed version of our trip (we started in Vancouver*, spent an extra night in Portland, and had to stay the night in Port Angeles on the way home to catch the ferry to Victoria). Next up is the coast!
We only had a day and a half in Havana, so we squished a lot in! I found that it was completely possible to have a great time on a short trip to Havana, without it seeming stressful!
Photos of me taken by Kyla.
I lived in Seoul for 2 years between late 2012 and early 2015, and it’s one of my favourite cities in the world! I feel homesick for Seoul all the time. Sometimes I miss the little things, like the subway system, or staring confusedly at the grocery store shelves, trying to make sure I was buying the right kind thing. (Really, I miss that!) Sometimes, it’s the big things. Entertainment at all hours. The food. My lifestyle. It’s always nice to look back on that time, and I was inspired to write a Seoul megapost for anyone heading that way for the Olympics or otherwise. Here are some things to see, do, and eat in the winter**. Of course, this is not a comprehensive list! Do you have a favourite Seoul food or activity that’s not included? Let me know in the comments!
Jump to:
- Food (hotteok, samgyupsal, kim bap, dakgalbi, green tea latte, pajeon and makgeolli, yeoltan bulgogi, galmaegisal, somaek, chimaek, shabu shabu, fish bread, tteokbokki)
- Neighbourhoods (Myeongdong, Insadong, Hongdae (lesbian bars), Itaewon (queer bars), Gangnam)
- Sights/Activities (Namsan, palaces, jjimjilbang/spa, parks, noraebang/karaoke, dog/cat cafes, hiking, markets, temples, amusement parks, museums)
- Day Trips (DMZ, temple stay, toilet museum)
For a warmer weather itinerary, check out this post: 2 Nights in Tofino.
Kyla and I spent the November long weekend in Tofino, a surf town on western Vancouver Island. I’d only heard amazing things about Tofino since moving out here, and it lived up to the hype!
Lots of people who visit the town choose to enjoy it the active way… surfing, hiking, that kind of thing. While it’s a fantastic place to do both of those things, and while I’ll definitely do more activities next time I go, we went the more… lazy relaxed route this time! Not only did we need a break, but we were both sick, so you could say that taking it easy was what the doctor ordered. And I mean… it’s not really that hard to chill out in a surf town! Here are 5 relaxing ways to explore Tofino:
Continue reading “Hygge Holiday: Tofino Hot Springs and Other Relaxing Things”
Day 4: Payzant Creek (km 40) to Botanical Beach Trailhead (km 47)
Read about our hikes from China Beach to Bear Beach, Bear Beach to Chin Beach, and Chin Beach to Payzant Creek.
Our last day on the trail was a short one: we only had 7kms to go! We woke up to misty treetops, and quickly packed up all of our gear, not minding that it was wet and muddy. Off we went!
Continue reading “Juan de Fuca Trail Day 4: Payzant Creek to Botanical Beach Trailhead”
