Author: Jessica Moy

10 INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS I LOVE

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Instagram is how I draw inspiration from every aspect of my life. What should I eat? Open Insta. What should I wear? Open Insta. How should I do my makeup tonight? Open Insta. How should I decorate this room? Open Insta. I had a bad day and need to escape. Open Insta. I wanted to break down my favourite Instagram accounts because I spend enough time on the damn app to know what I love, and maybe you’ll like them too? Sharing is caring. Here we go! @laura_made_it Laura makes bad ass art and I’m a huge fan of everything she creates. @society6 Some more art inspo because, I’m obsessed. Artists from around the world can sell their work though Society6 and there are a ton of art and home products (pillows, rugs, shower curtains, etc) that will soon fill my future condo. @wetheurban Social commentary at its best. @patrickta One of my fav makeup artists. He’s so talented and his creations are usually glowy, natural, and goddamn flawless. He’s also just a cool guy too. Be my friend plz, Pat? @streetartglobe I …

SUMMER LIST 2018 | ACCOMPLISHED GOALS

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How is it September already?! Fall is around the corner and on my street the schools (yes, plural) are testing their recess bells so, I guess the deadline has arrived to accomplish my Summer goals for 2018. I kept them short and manageable this year because I knew this Summer I needed to get my shit together, in pretty much all aspects of my life. I still don’t even have my health card back but, I’M WORKING ON IT OK! Living away from Canada for so long leaves you a little behind compared to others but it’s a slow and steady climb. Alright, summer goals, let’s see how I did.. JESSICA’S SUMMER GOALS 2018 1. Learn the flag of every country. Technically I didn’t memorize EVERY flag, but out of 195 country flags I know 173. In my world, that’s a pretty solid amount. To practice I used an app called Name The Flag, which gave me something to do when commuting to and from work. I have a 88.75% success rate so, I’M COUNTING IT! The flags that …

LAVENDER FIELD IN CAMPBELLCROFT, ONTARIO

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A summer goal of mine is crossed off! YUS! My BFF Katie and I went on a mini road trip to Campbellcroft, Ontario which is a small town east of Toronto, sort of near the Peterborough area. Aka, farm town. We went along the cow ridden, dirt roads for one reason – TO FROLIC IN A FIELD FULL OF LAVENDER! I used to despise the smell of lavender, but it’s currently one of my all-time favourite scents. It’s scientifically proven to relax and calm you and is a natural stress relief (I need allllllll of that in my life right now). We ended up going to the Laveanne Lavender Field instead of the one in Milton (Terre Bleu Lavender Field) because.. well.. it was free to enter, compared to $20 (!!) entrance fee at Terre Blue. At 9am we packed the car with snacks, went to Tim’s for an Iced Capp (obvs), and hit the road on our summer adventure. The field was simple to find and arrived around 10:30am. It wasn’t busy when we got …

SPENDING TIME WITH THE FAM

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Hey friends, I hope your summer is going well and that you’re embracing any and all awkward tan lines. I’ve been enjoying the warm weather with the fam jam as much as I can because I’ve missed too many birthdays and holiday celebrations the past two years, I need to make up for lost time! If you’ve never met the Moy gang before, then you’re in for a little treat. Check out my vlog below as I spend time with my parents, brothers, and precious little niece, Mila. I also chat about my experience thus far with condo hunting in Toronto and, to be honest, I have no idea WTF I’m doing.. but I’m on my way! A couple weeks ago my cousins from my mom’s side got together for a little quality bonding time, without the actual grown-ups (aka our parents who force us to talk to other grown-ups at family functions and none of us really care for it and we’d rather all just hang out without being forced to chat with long …

10 THINGS I NEED TO UPDATE YOU ON

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HI FRIENDS! I haven’t posted in a month.. and a few days.. BUT I AM HERE! ALIVE! It feels goooooood to be writing a blog post again. I know it’s been awhile and I definitely owe you a catch-up. So, grab a snack? While you’re at it, grab one for me too? Unless it’s a bag of baby carrots, celery or an apple. Then I’ll pass. Still love ya, even though you may have terrible taste in snack options. ANYWAY! While I was in the shower tonight, nicking my ankles while shaving, I thought about how this dumb little blog has been around for six years. SIX. YEARS. It has seen me through university, various jobs, questionable outfits, boyfriends, moving across the globe, traveling, etc, etc. All of this to say.. I love this space, a lot. Even though I don’t write on this blog as often as I would like, you my dear readers are ALWAYS on my mind. How are you doing BTW? Did you get a new haircut? You look great! 😉 10 …

WHEN LOVE ARRIVES

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When Love Arrives is a spoken word poem written and performed by Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye. I stumbled upon the video tonight and the words touched ma wittle hart. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Love is not who you were expecting, love is not who you can predict. Maybe love is in New York City, already asleep; You are in California, Australia, wide awake. Maybe love is always in the wrong time zone. Maybe love is not ready for you. Maybe you are not ready for love. Maybe love just isn’t the marrying type. Maybe the next time you see love is twenty years after the divorce, love is older now, but just as beautiful as you remembered. Maybe love is only there for a month. Maybe love is there for every firework, every birthday party, every hospital visit. Maybe love stays- maybe love can’t. Maybe love shouldn’t. Love arrives exactly when love is supposed to, and love leaves exactly when love must. When love arrives, say, “Welcome. Make yourself comfortable.” …

SAFARI & CAMPING AT CHOBE NATIONAL PARK IN BOTSWANA

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  Botswana is a country smack dab in the middle of southern Africa. Note: Botswana is not in South Africa but the countries do border each other and yes, South Africa is its own country (just clarifying for my mother). If you travel to Africa, Botswana is well-known for their epic safari adventures. The country is home to 150 species of mammals, 460 species of birds, and 200 species of reptiles/amphibians. Plus, national parks and wildlife reserves make up 40% of the land (!!). It is also the place where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle fell in love. All of this to say, it’s a pretty special place. The hostel I stayed at in Livingstone, Zambia set me up with Kalahai Tours, which offered a 2-day, 1-night boat/4×4 vehicle tour and camping at Chobe National Park (all food and transportation provided!). I can’t remember the exact price I paid for it all, but roughly $300 USD. When I arrived at Chobe National Park the only goal I had was to snap a glorious Insta-worthy pic of giraffes strutting …

MY SUMMER GOALS 2018

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As I’m writing this post, there is 5ft of snow outside my doorstep (LOL.. it’s April) so writing a summer goals list feels a little odd. If you’re a long time reader (bless your sweet soul), you know that I start my list in May and go until the end of August. The month of May is exactly two weeks away (!!) and I’m about to get crackin’ on my goals whether there is still snow on the ground or not. Plz note: If there is snow fall in May, I’m literally moving my ass to Mexico. Last summer I had 10 goals I wanted to accomplish, but life got in the way and my focus shifted, leaving the list unintentionally abandoned. *cries* I did cross off a solid 6 out of 10, which is a pass, but still disappointing. Now that I am back in Canada, a majority of my summer will be spent focusing on my career so, I’ve narrowed the list down to 5 goals. Still cute and fun but manageable, ya …

EXPLORING VICTORIA FALLS IN LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA

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I’ve been back on Canadian soil for nearly a month. Can’t say it’s been easy, but also can’t say it’s been hard either (bless Momma Moy’s home cooking). Part of me feels like I never left, but then I walk around the streets of Toronto and nothing feels familiar, not even the snow! Haven’t seen snowfall in a couple of years (I’m not a fan of cold weather so I never missed it, tbh). It’s hard to explain the complexities of reverse culture shock, but I won’t be focusing on that today because we’re talking about something SUPER EXCITING! MY DAY TRIP LAST MONTH TO VICTORIA FALLS! A NATURAL WONDER OF THE WORLD! If you haven’t read the first part of my Livingstone, Zambia trip, catch up plz. Victoria falls is the largest waterfall in the world. Not the tallest, nor the widest, but the largest. I don’t know the mathematics of it either, but I do know that the width reaches nearly two kilometers spanning across Zambia and Zimbabwe, and it’s hella beautiful. 3 things …

VOLUNTEERING FOR THE GIRL IMPACT IN LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA

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I have left South Korea! 안녕히 계세요! Departing from Seoul on March 3, 2018 I hopped on a plane, had a quick layover (and Burger King meal.. omgzzzz burgers and iced tea, I’ve missed you!) in Singapore, then Joburg, and before I knew it I was breathing in the sweet air of Livingstone, Zambia. Woo! Or as I actually said when I landed, “holy shit I’m in Africa.” Before settling back home in Canada, I wanted to go on one last adventure. A few months before my departure I researched volunteer opportunities within Africa and came across African Impact’s Girls Impact program in Livingstone, Zambia. What attracted me to this particular program was the fact that I could get my hands dirty and be immersed within a community that invests in adolescent girls. The Girl Impact initiative works with girls, boys, and women by hosting classes and workshops that range in topics from health, female health, safety, making a living, and self-confidence. The workshops I worked on specifically tackled subjects such as teamwork, leadership, hygiene, …

THE FINAL ONE: GOODBYE SOUTH KOREA

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Two years later, here we are. My bags are packed and I’m ready to leave South Korea, the place that has made me constantly crave spicy food, challenged me with language barriers and (many) cultural differences. The place I pushed my limits, challenged myself, fell in love, and battled loneliness. The place I found inner strength, discovered the power of my voice, and (most importantly) a place I felt safe and called home. Busan, will always be a special place for me. I’ll miss the mountains, beaches, prompt public transportation, cheap convenience store ice cream, and of course, my students. Leaving has been an extremely emotional and overwhelming process. I was not prepared for how much it hurts to say goodbye to people, places, and memories. But such is life. You grow and move on. Currently I am in Seoul, wandering around the city until my departure on Sunday. I’ve been taking my time to walk in and out of shops and discovering new places such as the COEX Mall‘s Starfield Library, which holds approximately 50,000 books and …

FANXY STUDIO: SUNMI (선미) HEROINE (주인공) DANCE COVER

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K-pop is a way of life in South Korea. If you ask any middle school girl in this country who her favourite K-pop band is, it will be answered in shouts, tears, and you being forced to watch the idol’s latest music video. On Get Up and Go Girl I thought it would be fun to be a K-pop star for a day! I signed up for not only a dance class, but to also star in my very own dance video. Oh yes, I feel your eye-rolls from here, but my K-pop dreams have finally come true! Heh heh. I found the experience on Airbnb (surprisingly!), and even though dancing is not my strong suit, I knew I would have the best time. After all, it’s about the experience, not perfection (as my mother would say to make me feel better at how uncoordinated I am). Myself and six other ladies (plus our wonderful choreographer, Kim Nyan) danced to SUNMI’s “Heroine”. In the video below you’ll see our sweet little routine plus, I explain in …

SOLO ADVENTURES IN TAIPEI, TAIWAN

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Have you ever been lying in bed at night and thought, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Because, same. Cue: Me booking a trip to Taipei, Taiwan FOUR days before departure. Initially I was going to stay at home during winter vacation but got FED UP with bone chilling winter weather. With the help of my brother and sister-in-law, they told me to book a ticket and fly to the land of beef noodles and red bean buns. This wasn’t the first time I’ve stepped on the soil of Taiwan. I travelled throughout the country with my father, aunt, and uncle two years prior, which you can read about by clicking HERE, HERE, and HERE! This time around I stayed at an Airbnb called The Comfy Cave which was perfectly located (quiet area but still central) and cozy AF, plus the host was an American living in Taipei and gave great suggestions on things to do, see, and eat. If you’ve never used Airbnb before, save $25 on your first stay by clicking HERE (dat self-promo doe). Since …