A few weeks ago, I went on a cruise.

It was my first time on a cruise and like any first time traveler, it was an exciting experience and something I would definitely consider doing again in the future.

This trip wasn’t exactly planned and since a cousin was vacationing from Manila, she wanted to go on a relaxing trip and my aunt suggested that a cruise was the way to go. And so we booked the tickets a few days just before the sailing date.

Though I’m no cruise expert, I’ve jotted down some points that will be helpful for anyone who would want to add cruising in their travel wish list.

Here’s my review:

Destinations

The trip that we’ve chosen was a seven day cruise that sailed from New York to Florida and the Bahamas then back.

The ports of call were Port Canaveral, Florida, Great Stiffup Cay (Norwegian Cruise Line private island in the Bahamas) and Nassau Bahamas.

In the US, majority of the cruises sail from Miami or Fort Lauderdale area in Florida going to the Caribbean and South America. But there are also cruises coming from New York City, and this was one of the them.

Who is this for

Since we didn’t have much time for trip planning, we selected this cruise. It’s a long journey from New York and so for four days we were just sailing at sea. Depending on the type of travel that you prefer, I would say that this is a VERY relaxing trip.

Vacationers, families with young children, couples, people traveling with friends and love to party, seniors or people who just want to eat and relax, cruising is for you.

The Best Time to Book

We booked the cruise just a few days before the ship sailed and I believe that this is the best time to book for a cruise. Simply because most of the cruise prices go down before the sailing dates.

It just makes a lot of sense since the ship is huge and this particular type of ship can fit more than 2000 guests. I’m guessing that for some itineraries such as this one, ships are not in full occupancy so they drop the prices just to fill the extra spaces prior sailing.

Visas

For non-US citizens, depending on your nationality, a visa is required for going on this cruise to Bahamas and one would need a multiple entry visa too back to the US. The Bahamian visa can be easily obtained through the Bahamian embassy in New York City.

Stateroom/Cabin

There are different kinds of staterooms to choose from: inside, ocean view, balcony, mini suite, suite and the Haven (penthouse suite).

Inside our mini suite

For this trip so we chose the mini suite with balcony stateroom and we LOVED it! The room can fit four people and so the room was spacious enough for the three of us. The size was perfect, the bathroom was very clean, has a separate shower and it was just the right size. The curtains are dark enough to not let the sun in in the morning and we have a dividing curtain that made the room look like it had an extra room. There were also plenty of closet space and having a balcony, though not necessary is highly recommended.

Depending on your stateroom category and when and where you book your trip, an interior room can cost as low as $299 for a week’s trip. We paid about $2100 for our trip so it comes out to $100 per person per day. It can be quite a deal considering everything is included in the cost. Minus your tips and shore excursions. There’s also a steward/ess to clean your room every day. Think hotel but only it’s in a ship.

Staff

We REALLY enjoyed our stay on the ship, mostly because of the wonderful staff.

Majority (80%) of the cruise staff are from the Philippines. Meaning, the people who served our food, cleaned our rooms, took care of our room services etc. were Filipinos. One can easily see from their badges the flag and country where they’re from.

I’m so happy to have met such friendly faces from back home and so proud of these hardworking people, working every single day to make vacationers feel the best experiences a cruise has to offer. There were very few Filipinos traveling on that trip so most of the staff members know us by name by the second day of our trip. They constantly put a smile on our faces during the trip.

Food and Dining

The ship has plenty of places to eat from and are operating almost 24 hours. There are six complimentary dining options and you can choose whether you want a buffet or a la carte type of meal. Or you can also choose to dine at ten other specialty restaurants and pay an extra charge.

Though the food here didn’t have the wow factor, I particularly enjoyed the breakfast at Blue Lagoon, the salad bar and desserts at Garden Cafe and sit down dinner with panoramic views of the sea at Grand Pacific .

One thing that I highly recommend are the desserts. One of the things that I cut down dramatically this year was my sugar intake and I’m so glad that they offer sugar free desserts. They’re great and most of the desserts aren’t too sweet as well. I was also so excited to find out that they had a chocoholic buffet and went there too. I had a taste of the chocolate covered strawberries and they were heavenly!

Activities and Amenities

There are plenty of things to do inside the ship: from swimming, to getting massages at the spa, jogging, rock climbing, exercising at the fitness center, shopping, reading at the library, or maybe dancing at night, there’s something to do for every type of traveler on board.

Here are some of the shots from the ship:

Pool and recreational area

Bar

Theatre

Shore Excursions

What I didn’t like: Port Canaveral

For this itinerary, the first port of call was Port Canaveral, Florida.

This part of Florida is closer to Disney World in Orlando. We have all been to Disney World in the past so we skipped it and explored downtown Port Canaveral.

Dear travelers, there is nothing to do in Port Canaveral so you can skip it. So for anyone who will pass through this port, you may want to visit Disney World instead

Hmmmm Meh: Great Stirrup Cay

The second port of call was Norwegian cruise line’s private island in Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas. Though it was a pretty nice beach, I think I’ve been spoiled with the beaches in Southeast Asia and found this one as an average kind of beach.

What I loved: Nassau, Bahamas

It was a short sail from Great Stirrup Cay to Nassau so we arrived at night and woke up to this view of Paradise Island. It was gorgeous!

We decided to opt out the cruise shore excursion and ventured out on our own. Downtown Nassau is a place for shoppers. It’s also a great place to buy your souvenir or gifts.

I wasn’t really interested in shopping so I walked around town, talked to the locals and hired us a driver to take us around the island. After negotiation, the driver agreed to drive us for $25 for two hours showing us historical places on the island. It wasn’t bad and it’s a great way to have a private tour of the island.

The trip to Bahamas was short and sweet. I’m pretty sure that there are fantastic beach spots in Bahamas that we weren’t able to go to since we’re only given a day on this port. I particularly loved paradise island and its beaches.

Other things to consider

Motion sickness: I was dizzy during the first few hours of the cruise. If you’re unsure bring medications or take a shorter trip.

Wifi: Also note that wifi onboard is crazy expensive- about $55 for 30 minutes. This is great for vacationers to be forced to disconnect.

Other health concerns: I suffered a skin allergy on my second to the last day of cruising when I sat on one of the public sofas at the sundeck. I have never in my years of travels got any kind of allergy like that and it was terrible. Thankfully it only lasted for a few days. My suggestion is to be careful of where you’re sitting down in public places and bring an anti-itch lotion.

Conclusion

Since this is my first time cruising, I’d say it’s been a good experience and something I’d consider doing again in the future. There are however a few things I would consider the next time.

This trip wasn’t exactly the type of trip for adventurer spirits like myself. I would rather do a cruise that have a lot more port stops to explore more islands like in the Caribbean, Hawaii or a trip like Alaska. Nonetheless, I still had a great time.

If you’re the type who would love not to do anything and simply relax, eat and chill this will be perfect for you. I highly recommend it.

Have you been on a cruise? What was your experience like?

-Anna

Summer has finally come to New York and in just a few hours I’m off to Florida and the Bahamas. Except for a few out of state trips, I haven’t been traveling that much since I returned from my long trip so I’m thrilled to announce that I’m  back on the road again, or should I say sea? I’m going on a cruise for the first time!

I’m feeling the excitement of a first time traveler all over again. I can just remember the first time I traveled and at the same time the kind of stress that any first time traveler can feel while packing.

Sometimes, even experienced travelers can still have this packing stress no matter how long they’ve been traveling.

Last night was surprising because it only took me a mere 20 minutes to pack everything I will ever want and need for my one week vacation. For the first time in my travel history, packing was such a delight!

While I’ve already written a piece about building your travel wardrobe and still travel light, packing is still an essential part of the whole travel experience. The most common question still remains: “How do you pack for your travels?”

In this post, I’m breaking down the list of what I’m bringing for the trip plus my packing tips that can help your next packing experience feel as good as possible.

Anna’s packing tips and recommendations:

1. Where are you going? What’s the climate of your destination?

Your packing list will depend on the time of the year and the destination that you’re going to. While there is no right or wrong way to pack for travels, the best advice still remain the same: pack light. Since this trip is a summer destination vacation, I’m carrying summer clothes so packing light is a lot easier.

2. What are you bringing? Consider writing down a list.

I’ll be gone for eight days so I need to have a wardrobe for a whole week. Before packing the stuff, think about the types of clothes that you have and want to wear for every day of the trip. Write them all down on paper and number them. This is effective if you wish to travel light because you will see how many items you’ll be carrying and you’ll know specifically what clothes you’ll be wearing for each day.

6 dresses, 3 tops, 2 shorts, 2 sleepwear, a sarong, 2 sandals, a kit of toiletries, kindle, journals

not pictured: underwear, swimwear and flip flops

4. Don’t forget the dress

Whenever a female asks me for my number one tip for traveling light my answer would always be to carry dresses. Every woman who is traveling should always, always have a dress. Not only is it a light and one piece of clothing you can use for a whole day, it also is the best attire to feel very feminine. Whatever season I may be traveling, I simply never go on any trip without a dress. To save yourself time and hassles in packing, bring dresses that are wrinkle free and iron free. This makes packing and drying them easier, should you need to wash them on your trip.

4. A note on jeans

There’s a big debate whether one should carry jeans while traveling or just leave it at home. I love wearing jeans and I carried one with me during my long trip even while I was in Asia. It does come handy a lot of times. But for this trip, I want to travel lighter, skipped it and took denim shorts instead.

5. But what about work out clothes?

Since this is just a short trip and I’m keen on traveling light, I decided to skip on these because it will take up a lot of space. As an alternative to my regular work out, I’m choosing to do light yoga (morning sun salutations), walking and swimming for this trip.

6. Packing cubes are magic

If there’s a secret weapon for traveling light, they are called packing cubes. Packing cubes are the ultimate clothes organizer. All you have to do is roll your clothes, put them all together in the cube and viola, you have a well organized compartment for your clothes. Avoid expanding them too much or they might tear. For my trips, I use Rick Steve’s packing cubes simply because I’ve had these cubes for years and they are still strong. 

7. Toiletries tips

If there’s something that I had the most challenge trimming down for my travels it would be my toiletries kit. I can’t count how many times I was questioned through immigration why I’m carrying such a big kit with a lot of toiletries. During my long trip, toiletries composed almost half of my backpack. But over time, I’ve come to learn to downsize my kit and still satisfy my personal hygiene standards and not check in any luggage.

Most women will have an issue with this especially when traveling by plane. The key is carrying travel sized bottles that you can just discard after use. Sure you can buy random items when you travel but sometimes, some countries (especially in Asia) won’t have the brand that you’re specifically using so I recommend you finding the ones you use but in their travel size.

Sephora has come up with amazing travel sized items for almost every brand they carry and is my number 1 go to resource for my personal needs.

8. Shoes and how many to bring

In fashion,  believe that shoes can make or break an outfit. I believe that the maximum number of shoes that one should be carrying for a week’s trip, no matter what type of travel is 3. The simplicity of having less to choose from is that you’ll always have something to wear for your trip. 

My tip is to select a pair of shoes that will match most of your outfits. Black and earth tones can be easily matched with most colors. My pick for this trip is nude shoes because they can match all of my clothes and are effortlessly stylish. I recommend carrying a pair of heels for dinners or night activities. I’m all for flat shoes and comfort but if there was one thing I missed during my travels it was wearing heels. Unless you’ll be backpacking, don’t skip the heels. And yes you can still travel light even with them.

9. Minimize gadgets

For this trip, I decided to bring three gadgets: my phone, camera and my kindle. This helped me tremendously to travel light because I don’t need to be carrying heavy gadgets and their wires. I brought my journals for writing instead.

Unless you’re on a business trip, I recommend leaving the laptop at home. When you come back it’s still going to be there. So instead of being in front of the computer, why not disconnect, enjoy the company of the people you’ll be traveling with and savor your trip.

10. Travel light

A shoulder bag and a small Longchamp purse is all I’ll be carrying for this trip

You’ve heard this before and you’ll hear it again simply because nothing is more liberating than traveling light.

I’ve used my gray shoulder bag for most of my weekend trips and since everything fitted for this trip, I’m so happy to be using it for a one week trip!

Whenever you get a choice to choose a smaller or bigger pack, choose the small one instead. Packing light really has tremendous rewards for your time, mental clutter, and enjoying your trip. Trust me that you will still have outfits for your trip.

Choosing to bring a smaller bag will force you to think of only the things that will fit there. I could have easily packed my stuff on my carry on luggage (first picture) but there were a lot of space left. If I was carrying my laptop, that would have been the option. If you have a lot of space on your bag, your tendency will be to pack in more stuff to fill those spaces. I noticed it even with this packing because my dresses are all so light, I ‘overpacked’ and added a few more dresses to my trip. It really filled up the space.

I’d love to hear from you! Is there any new idea that you got from my tips? How are you going to use it for your next trip? Leave me a comment.

-Anna

“If something is unladylike and fattening, it must be a lot of fun”- motto of my younger self.

I can’t believe that it’s already Valentine’s Day! This is quite a special day because it was on Valentine’s day of 2012 that I launched Annzventures. Wow, my blog is actually celebrating its second year and I’m still here and still inspired to write for you dear readers. Woohoo!

As a valentine’s day/ anniversary treat, I can’t think of anything better to write than the sweetest adventures I had, nothing else but my chocolate adventures in Europe.

In fact, I’m in love with chocolates so much that when I first came to America, all I ever wanted to see and go to was not Disney Land but Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. It was stepping foot in Hershey park where I had a dream of one day traveling the world tasting the best chocolates. So when I came to Europe in summer of 2012, I vowed that I will make that happen. I have indeed consumed an unholy amount of chocolate that can make me an expert in this field.

So without further ado, I’ll show you my own discoveries from my time in Europe from summer of 2012 to spring of 2013 complete with my recommendations for your sweet tooth.

Proceed with caution and enjoy!

Switzerland

Cities I covered: Zurich, Lucerne, Basel, Zug and Geneva

My first stop in Europe was in Switzerland. Of all the connecting flights I’ll ever get, it was Zurich.  And the only relative I have in Europe resides where else but Zurich. And it was summer. How luckier can I be? It was meant to be.

I spent about three weeks in Switzerland, traveling through various cities and of course doing my research and chocolate tastings.

You might say that you’ve already tasted Toblerone. But I tell you the taste is so much different than the ones outside Switzerland. It is where it originated after all. The difference is Swiss milk. So whoever is traveling to Switzerland should try their original version. I tried the white, the dark, the plain and the one with the snow capped white.

Laderach is a famous Swiss chocolate brand. I didn’t try it in Switzerland but at the border of Switzerland and Germany. I’m so glad that I didn’t miss it. It’s very popular with tourists as they have exquisitely fine chocolates that are so fine, you’ll find it hard to stop.

I’m a big fan of the milk chocolate. The taste is between white chocolate and dark chocolate. From too sweet to bittersweet to just right. Hmmmm.

And the one with pistachio nuts. That chocolate rocks!

Swiss Brands I love and recommend:

Lindt- if you just want to stick to the usual.

Frey- if you prefer not too sweet ones

Sprungli – they are known for their truffles and they have the most wonderful truffles! Dining at their restaurant in Zurich Bahnhofstrasse was also a delight!

Cailler- my most favorite among all the Swiss Chocolates I’ve tried.

Movenpick- ice cream is delish! I loved the pistachio flavored one. Can’t leave Switzerland without trying this.

Kambly- best cookies and biscuits in Switzerland and the best gift to give to sweet toothed friends. You’ll be their sweetest friend ever.

Swiss Air- possibly my most favorite airline next to Cathay Pacific, just because they give free chocolates on the plane. Their chocolates are delicious!

Belgium

Cities I covered: Ghent, Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp

Yes I was here too

Ok, let me address this picture first. This one was taken at The Old Chocolate House in Bruges. My verdict, nah. Not the best in the world. I’ll cover the best Hot Chocolate when we get to Spain.

For now, enjoy my research with Belgian chocolates.

I’m a huge fan of dark chocolate + orange combination

Chocolate covered pretzels and nuts

More Belgian pralines. I wonder who can say no to Marzipan?

The interior of the Old Chocolate House, where I tried ‘The Best Hot Chocolate’.

I will miss all the museums in the world but not the chocolate museums. In Belgium, they really made the chocolate with Love! Here are some:

The Queen dog in Antwerp.

These fishes are just too fabulous to look at the tourists

But this bee was excited to see me

And so was this giant frog.

Belgian brands I enjoyed and recommend:

The Chocolate Line Antwerp- the chocolate museum I visited

Godiva- for the non adventurous, you can’t go wrong with this

Leonidas- loved the dark chocolate

Guylian- for the super sweet toothed

Dumon- popular with the tourists for a reason

Cote D’or- unique taste, uniquely Belgian and just yummy!

Galler- perfection, you might just fall in love

Spain

Cities I covered: Barcelona, Stiges, Madrid, Toledo, Avila, El Escorial, Segovia, Salamanca and Granada

Gretel and fans in sunny Barcelona (not pictured the Magnum she ate before this was taken)

I admit that after spending ten days in Barcelona, I still wasn’t able to get myself to Picasso museum. But, I was able to get myself to the Museu de la Xocolata. It’s a long walk to get there but walking all day long in Barcelona was what I did everyday. I wouldn’t miss it for any museum in the world.

Here are my findings:

There is nothing more exciting than the history of Chocolate

Or the smurfs made from chocolate.

Even Tom and Jerry was there

As well as Minnie

And a lot more of these people.

With my hot chocolate + brownies partners in crime in Madrid, Feb 2013

My recommendations:

Museo de Xocolata in Barcelona

Valor- authentic Spanish chocolate brand. Verdict: Amor

Cola Cao- the yummiest chocolate powdered drink, great for hot chocolates at home. You haven’t been to Spain if you haven’t tried this

Nestle Extrafino Dulce de Leche- extra fine chocolate that I always have in stock at home in Madrid

Nutella Crepe in Papizza, Sol, Madrid- is the crepe I always crave in Madrid for a midnight snack.

Chocolateria San Gines, Madrid- Chocolate con churros. This is a classic and historical spot. Every tourist in Madrid comes to this place.

Marzipan in Toledo- you cannot leave Toledo without trying their marzipan

Authentic Spanish chocolates in the small town of Avila

Embassy Madrid- is one of Madrid’s oldest restaurants and they have the best hot chocolate in the world.

United Kingdom

Cities I covered: London, Birmingham, Brighton, Bath, Bristol and Canterbury

The smile of someone who has just gained five pounds in an hour

“There is no way I’m leaving England without going to Cadbury world.”- the line I told my friends during my stay in London. Because I never really had any plans with my stay in the UK except to go to Cadbury world. I didn’t make it the first time because I was late and we missed the bus. It was my only goal and I didn’t even reach it. I almost cried chocolate tears.

I knew that if I’m not going to Birmingham, my chocolate adventures won’t be complete. Luckily, my friend and I are such great travel buddies that he agreed to come back with me the following week to Birmingham and how happy we were.

Leaving my mark  with chocolate in Cadbury world. I waited for this my whole life.

After sampling some chocolates, it was here in this factory where we watched how the chocolates were made. I was just too happy that day!

We also hopped on a ride and this was one of our views from the ride

“This is so exciting.”- my friend tells me in the most boring tone during one of the rides

“What do you mean? You don’t like the view? I’m loving it!”

I can assure you that the best way to annoy your gay friend is to force him to ride with you in one of the rides inside Cadbury world. You will be the only one smiling on your pictures. I know, I’m so lucky with my friends.

Recommendations:

Visit Cadbury World

Cadbury Crunchie, Bubbly, Twirl, Flake and Fingers

Okay so I chose all these 5 chocolates because all of them are not available in the US. Even if Cadbury is available worldwide, there are only specific Cadbury chocolate types that are available in the US. There were times in the past that I would have to go to Canada to get these types but no other country will have the best selection of Cadbury chocolates than their home country.

I’ll also add Divine Chocolates because they are truly divine and are fair trade certified. It was introduced to me by my tour guide in London and they remain to be one of the best chocolates I tasted.

And there you have it. This concludes my chocolate adventures and I hope you find it as sweet as my adventures in Europe were.

Do you have any recommendations for me? Leave a comment!

Wishing you a day filled with sweetness, laughter and a lot of fun,

Anna

Maybe a lot of you have already set your new year’s resolution. Or maybe you are like me and you don’t have any. I’ve never been good at setting or keeping resolutions so I dropped it years ago. I even went goalless in 2012, which ironically happens to be the biggest year of my travel adventures.

Now that I’m back in the real world and I’m no longer doing long-term travel, I’ve started a new chapter of my life and knew it was time to set new goals. However, while I was working on them, I felt that most goal-setting systems are too rigid and too boring.

That was until The Desire Map fell into my lap. The concept of which all comes down to this:

Ahhhh….. YES!

When Danielle LaPorte, the author of The Desire Map said: “You’re not chasing the goal, you’re chasing a feeling you hope reaching the goal will give you.” , I knew it was a game changer. It is the goal-setting book for all the status quo rebels and truth seekers.

A sample of questions that I constantly ask myself:

How do you want to feel when you choose what to wear this morning?

How do you want to feel when you send that email?

How do you want to feel when you say yes or when you say no?

How do you want to feel when you write that blog post?

Because really, what’s the point of reaching a goal if you don’t feel good?

Feeling good is the whole point.

Mind blowing. Simple. Less Doing. More Living.

So this time when I was asked what’s my word for 2014, I said J O Y.

Joy also happens to be one of my core desired feelings, an anchor on which I make my decisions.

So in the spirit of declaring my intentions this year, here’s what I’m doing to feel JOY this year:

Be Kind

It’s easy to be kind when you’re traveling, living everyday with a huge smile on your face and living a free spirit life. I’m very lucky to have lived that kind of life. However, the real challenge comes to the times when life throws you curveballs. It’s so easy to get into a negative state of mind. I consider myself a work in progress so this is something that I’m still working on and for sure will be working on for many years to come. We cannot choose what happens to us, but we always have an option to choose to be kind. First and foremost to ourselves, then to others.

Sit Still in Silence

Last month, I joined a one month 1 hour a day meditation challenge. The first few days were a blast. By the fifth day, I already want to pull my hair why in the world did I join such a challenge. Not only do I have to wake up a lot earlier, it was also so freaking hard… But I did it!

Last month wasn’t the easiest time of my life but it also happens to be the happiest time of my life. Sitting in silence has given me so much joy that a couple of my friends who saw me last month told me I was glowing.

Here’s what I noticed after a month of sitting still an hour a day:

- I think before I speak. That little pause before I say something made a huge difference.

- It’s not about being perfect.

- It’s all about the commitment to the challenge and keeping the practice.

- I am willing to let go of things that don’t serve me, including negative thoughts.

- I am not my thoughts.

- One can never be lonely if one loves the company of the person she’s alone with.

Be More Present

I believe that one of the major causes of unhappiness in this world is wishing things were different from what it really is. We all undergo a series of ups, downs, great and messy moments in our lives but the truth is now is all we have and we’re given a brand new day everyday to be who we want to be. We can either allow our past to hurt us or our future to make us feel anxious. But if we permit ourselves to be more present, the more we can see how beautiful life really is.

Say NO often

I have a simple policy in life to keep my sanity and positivity to the highest levels: if someone lifts me up, I say yes and welcome them in my life with heart wide open. If anyone pulls me down, I politely stay away, say bye bye and leave their lives. Trying to please everyone is a sure way to failure and living a life of unhappiness. I’ve been there and here’s what learned- a woman on purpose doesn’t chase people to be in her life. Sure she will lose some along the way and she’s okay with it because she knows with certainty that she will gain new ones and attract the right kind of people who deserves to be in her life.

More Spontaneous Travels

People are too open with their lives and travel plans, and there’s nothing wrong with it. I just don’t belong to that group. I didn’t tell people, not even my parents that I was quitting my job to travel the world even if I bought tickets six months ahead of my departure date. You see, I’m extremely good at planning. The virgo woman in me requires that everything in my life has to be organized. But I spent all my life planning so many parts of my life. My travels are that part of my life where I don’t plan but I surrender and play.

I understand that this is not going to work for everyone. Heck, this will freak out most people add to that if you are a solo traveler, but this is the type of travel that I absolutely love. I love booking last minute tickets, saying yes to invitations, not knowing exactly what I’m going to do in a place and not telling people what I’m doing and where I’m going next. I love mystery. I find it fascinating when people tell me that I’m too adventurous with my travels, when it’s actually the most natural thing to do in the world for me. I think people need surprises. That’s what makes life exciting. I love surprises and surprising people. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Let Go

My travels taught me to let go. After planning every detail of my six month travels, and nothing happening exactly as planned except for the dates of my flights, I knew I had to let go. This is one thing that gives me an immense feeling of joy. Control is one of life’s biggest illusions. Once I accepted that truth, stay physically, mentally and emotionally healthy and started the practice of letting go, the more I can see the magic of life and everyday miracles. 

Choosing Love over Fear

People often tell me that I’m so brave to have done what I did with my travels. Majority of the time, I’m pretty fearless. But if there’s one thing that really scares me, it’s writing here. Writing here makes me happy but at the same time it takes a lot of courage for me to write my thoughts publicly. If given the choice to travel solo to Iraq or expose a part of myself here, I would choose the former every given time. That’s how scared I am to write here.

But why do I choose to write this? Because I believe in courage. Every great thing that happened in my life was a result of taking courage. I believe that every time I choose to inspire, I’m choosing love over fear. I trust that somewhere, somehow, I’m inspiring someone to live a more beautiful life. This is how I give back and why I live my life the way I do. I have no words to describe the joy I feel when I get a reader’s email that I inspired her life. It’s the same reason why I still write here even if I’m afraid. I have to be brave with my life so others can be brave with theirs.

To a year of magical feelings and creating a life you love,

Anna

“The point of life is happiness.”- The Dalai Lama

In just a few hours we are starting a new year. As I spent the past few days celebrating on how this year has been with my travels, life and personal goals, I can’t help but be so very grateful. I’m grateful to know that people like you take time to read what I have to say. It is a joy to be writing here for all of you.

This year is a very special for me as this was the year that I fully committed to discovering myself. A big personal project that I have been working on ever since I set out to venture the world on my own is my personal happiness project. While traveling is one of my life’s passions, my biggest passion is and will always be my personal life.

The places I traveled to, the people in my life, the inspiring books written by amazing people living on this planet  and my life experiences are constant sources of inspirations that make my inner world rich. An inner world that is so rich that even my around the world travels would pale in comparison. I’m quite a happy woman.

It is my New Year’s wish that all my readers have the best that the coming year has to offer both in travels and in life. And as you set goals for the coming year, I want to inspire you to do one thing you can do more to be happier- read more.

In here I share with you few of the most amazing books that you can add to your reading list for 2014. They all were transformational to my growth and helped me live my best year yet. I wish you the same for the coming year. Enjoy!

1. Strengths Finders 2.0 by Tom Rath

If you have 30 minutes to spend to get to know yourself better and learn your key strengths that you are actually born with, are you willing to invest the time to take a test? The Gallup Institute conducted a study and found that people who focus on their strengths are more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life compared with those who do not. Three times!

After taking the test, I can’t help but agree. It’s so accurate. It’s important  to know your key strengths so you’ll be a more effective person whether at work, business, relationships and life. Knowing my specific strengths combination helped me to be much more effective in my everyday decision making. It actually felt a lot more natural since taking the test.

2. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

When Susan Cain said on her amazing TED Talk that when she was writing this book for seven years, she was in absolute bliss, I knew that every other introvert would fully understand this. This book is a gem.

As an introvert, I could relate so much to this book. I also liked the fact that she expanded on one whole chapter about the Asian culture together with societies trying to ‘correct’ naturally born introverts to fit in the so-called extrovert ideal. The book is backed up with research and also featured powerful influential introverts including Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Gandhi and Warren Buffett.

Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert or both, you will get to understand yourself better and also how you relate to introverts, which actually makes up a third of the population. If there’s a key takeaway that one could get from this book is to not live a persona the way you think you’re suppose to be. Because claiming who you really are is where your greatest gifts can shine.

3. Choose Yourself! by James Altucher

This book is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. Not only because James Altucher is an excellent writer and an incredibly funny man but most of all because he speaks the truth. He speaks from the heart.

This book is not your typical self-help/ business book, it’s an inspirational guide for the times that we are living now. The foundation of which is as the title implies- taking care of ourselves in all areas of our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health. Ignore one area and everything suffers.

After reading this book, I’ve started choosing myself and aligning the four pillars of living a healthy life. Don’t be deceived by this simple book. It’s backed up with wisdom, beautiful insights and humor that will make you literally laugh out loud as you read it. I have no doubt that it will inspire you to choose yourself too.

4. The War of Art: Break Through The Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield

If there was a book that slapped me in my face to wake up too many times while reading it, it’s this one. It’s an absolutely brilliant book that every adult should have.

Steven Pressfield says that we have two lives, the life we’re actually living and our unrealized life- the unique calling of our souls and where our true potential shines. However to get to the other side, we have to deal with resistance, a very strong force that comes in many different forms. If you have a pulse, you are not exempted from resistance. We all face this enemy and how we can deal with it, he shows us how. He wrote about how he did it with his, and inspires us how we can handle ours.

5. Crazy Sexy Diet: Eat Your Veggies, Ignite Your Spark and Live Like You Mean it by Kris Carr

Kris Carr was diagnosed with cancer at age 31 with only a few months to live. After ten years, she writes a book on how she fought the cancer through a vegan diet and shows in her book how you can heal your body and have the optimal health you want by employing a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle.

Though I’m never going to convince anyone to become a vegetarian, I’m here to tell you that you too have the power to consciously choose what you eat.  While I’m already a vegetarian, after reading this book, I was so inspired to lean more towards a vegan diet. In two weeks of going mostly vegan, I lost the extra weight gain from my travels. But it wasn’t the weight loss that I was after. I was after the feeling of vitality in my mind and body and that’s what I got. As a bonus, my skin became clearer, my hair shinier and I’m overall happier. Healthy minds reside in healthy bodies, it really is as simple as that.

6. Money,  A Love Story by Kate Northrup

I’ve always liked learning about money so when I was in college majoring in finance was a no brainer. But here’s the honest deal, you don’t have go to school in order to be financially literate. In fact 90% of what I learned about personal finance was not in business school. I learned it on my own by reading tons of books and applying it in my real life. This has allowed me to have peace of mind and self-finance my long-term travel. 

I thought I probably won’t need another personal finance book to read but even the most financially literate ones have areas to improve. I’ve read tons of books on the topic of personal finance yet I have to find something that will be as close to going from the inside out approach that this book examined. This book shows a wonderful way to re-examine how you deal with finances.

What I also loved about it is that this book was that it was written by a woman. A woman who has freed herself financially and is living an quite an inspired life. I loved how she also touched on women’s bodies and how it relates to our relationship with money. I dare you where else can you find one with both chakras and money in one chapter? Yep, money affects your chakras. This book is just fabulous!

7. Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence by Rick Hanson

If I tell you that you can actually train your brain to program happiness, will you be interested? Well, this year I found the book for it. In this wonderful book, Dr. Rick Hanson shows us how we can turn simple and ordinary experiences to lasting happiness and inner strengths. This book is no woo-woo type as the the author is a neuropsychologist and this book is backed up with the latest findings in the neurosciences. And in just a few minutes a day, we can actually have greater happiness, peace and well-being in our daily lives.

The thing is, I haven’t finished reading this book yet I’ve already been applying the techniques here and it works.  When I started training my brain to take in the good, I even learned to love every season. I found that even a simple breeze brushing over my face on a cold winter day can actually make me feel deliriously happy. This book is a miracle.

The cultivation of happiness is one of the most important skills anyone can ever learn. If we can learn how to take in the good, we can then see the good in ourselves, the good in other people and the good in the world.

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I hope that you read the ones that interest you and find the learning experience as enjoyable as I did. If it means you’ve got to stop reading my blog to make time to read more books, do so. And if you want to read more, here is a list of my favorite books on travel, personal finance, business, simplicity and spirituality.

Whether you use my suggestions or not is always your choice. This is your life and I hope you spend your time on things that matters to you most- doing things you love.

Thank you for being a part of my 2013 and I wish you the happiest and most wonderful adventures for the coming year ahead!

With Sparkling New Year’s Love,

Anna