All posts filed under: Travel

TAMARINDO, COSTA RICA

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Somewhere within the last two weeks of 2019 I woke up one morning and felt terrible chest pains. When the ache didn’t go away after 24 hours I went to a walk-in clinic. The receptionist led me to a small room where I sat on top of a plastic bed covered with that weird parchment paper that crinkled as I waited for the doctor to tell me WTF is wrong with me. A blonde lady in her mid-50’s quickly burst into the room with a clipboard, barely looking up. She asked me 100 questions, checked me out and asked, “are you an anxious person? Are you stressed?” Yes, to all of the above. She recommended I make an appointment with my family doctor, whom I visited a week later. He set up an appointment for me to get a blood test done and when the results came back, I was very low on white blood cells. As you may already know, white blood cells protect the body against infectious diseases. If you’re low on these …

AVEIRO & ÓBIDOS PORTUGAL

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First post of 2020! Woo-hoo! If you haven’t seen my first Portugal blog post, you can read about my adventures in Porto, here. After a few days sipping coffee and reading on cobblestone stairs until sunset, I said good-bye to the magnificent city of Porto and hopped on a train to Aveiro. This vibrant town is commonly known as the Venice of Portugal because of the pretty canals and gondolas. You only need a couple of days to explore Aveiro and if you get a chance I highly recommend renting a bike and peddling to Costa Nova Beach. I rented from Biclaria for 10€ and was given a bike (with a basket!), helmet, and security lock. I was also given a map to how to get to the beach but it was a little confusing so I used my phone to navigate. Costa Nova Beach is an hour ride away and when you see the colourful houses, you have arrived! The beach was a little cloudy the day I went but it was still so …

PORTO, PORTUGAL

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I got back from my Portugal trip in October and here I am in December writing about my adventures. It’s not a Jessica Moy blog post unless it’s a couple months late, AMIRITE!? *sigh* In early October I arrived in Porto, Portugal and was in awe of how beautiful the people were.. not just kind and helpful but, FLAWLESS ON THE OUTSIDE! Airport security lookin’ all fineeee and here I was after a six hour flight with bags under my eyes and hair disheveled. Cool. From the airport I hopped on a bus that took me right into the heart of Porto and was amazed by the beautiful architecture, cobblestone, artwork, and sculptures! OH, AND THE TILES! The famous blue Portuguese tiles properly known as azulejos (Arabic meaning small polished stone). These gorgeous pieces of art are built into most buildings, used as decoration in public spaces, and can tell stories about Portuguese history, religion, and culture. My favourite part of Porto was crossing the bridge and entering Vila Nova de Gaia. I sat beside …

COZUMEL, MEXICO

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This blog post is WAY overdue, by almost three months. My bad. The last I left you I was in Flamouth, Jamaica and you should read that post before this one so go, right now. Done? Cool cool. Mexico was the last stop on my Royal Caribbean Cruise. I explored Cozumel mostly on my own and took time to walk along the colourful streets to appreciate the outdoor markets and street art at every corner. Fun fact: Cozumel in Mayan language translates to “Land of the Swallows” because during the months of April and May pretty little swallows can be seen in abundance during migration. The small city used to be a quaint fishing village but has now turned into a popular cruise ship port. You can’t go to Mexico and NOT have guacamole! Living my best basic life. A couple night prior we signed up for a fun excursion which included speed boating, snorkeling, and ATV-ing. It came out to be around $189 CDN each, not too bad for a full day of activities. It was an adrenaline rush …

FALMOUTH, JAMAICA

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Before you read this post, have you read part 1, Labadee, Haiti? GO! All caught up? Great. Time to talk about the next destination on my Royal Caribbean Cruise: Falmouth, Jamaica! Our second pit-stop on the cruise had us walking into a gated community with a plethora of souvenir shops and restaurants. I don’t love being confined into one place while on vacation so I ventured into town. I was immediately taken aback from the bustle, countless fruit markets, and colourful buildings. It made my travelling heart happy. Jamaica isn’t perfect, no country is, and I was advised numerous times to be safe and should not walk alone. I was with someone as I explored Falmouth but in the four or five hours we walked around, there was no moment I felt threatened or in danger. Locals were kind, did not ever try to force us to buy anything, and if we did have a question they would stop and help us out. My suggestion is to take time to walk around the city, try the …

LABADEE, HAITI

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After years of hearing my mother rave about the cruising lifestyle, I finally bit the bullet and joined her (and some of the fam) on a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Last month we all flew from YYZ to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and boarded one of the world’s biggest ship, Harmony of the Seas! If you love staying in resorts you’ll equally love being on a cruise ship. It’s not necessarily my style of travel because you are confined to one place for a period of time with a schedule of when and where to eat. But when it came to eating, I LIVED for the endless amount of American style buffets – mac & cheese, steak, curry, and brownies all on one plate. All. Damn. Day. After a full cruise day our first stop was Labadee, Haiti. This northwest corner of the country is leased to Royal Caribbean so it does resemble an amusement park filled with zip lines, water slides, and souvenir vendors galore. The best beach in Labadee (from what I could tell) is Columbus Cove. It is a …

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 freely …

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! I 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! 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 I learned on my …

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, …

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. Since this was …

GIRL POWER IN GAPYEONG, SOUTH KOREA

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Hello lovelies! Quick blog post for ya! I wanted to fill you in on my latest trip to Gapyeong, South Korea for a pleasant Woman’s Empowerment Retreat organized by The Seoul Chic. Myself and 20 other ladies met up at Garang Pension (an hour or so away from Seoul) which was S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G, especially since it was in the middle of autumn and leaves were changing on the surrounding mountains. We had a jam-packed weekend filled with fun activities such as pear picking, cooking/eating homemade meals, face masks, and personal chats about life, dating, and sharing stories about the pros/cons of being a foreigner in South Korea (we had A LOT to say..). It felt nice to unplug for a weekend and fill the soul with lessons/life advice from supportive, ambitious women. Check out my video for mooore!  

WEEKEND TRIP TO CHUNCHEON, SOUTH KOREA

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Before I get to Chuncheon, I want to rewind a bit and chat about last month when I went to Seoul for Hera Seoul Fashion Week. My last one, ever. WAH! I am incredibly lucky to have attended four wonderful seasons of SFW, and each time I am amazed by the creatives in this city. I only had time to attend one show and invited my friend Dev to sit front row with me at NOHANT. The mix of prints and textures made me miss spring/summer already, not to mention the designer chose the best looking models in the game. One model from the show stood out the most, Han Hyun-Min. Born and raised in Korea, Han Hyun-Min is ethnically half Nigerian, half Korean. Stunning look kid, eh? I couldn’t imagine the struggle this 16-year-old (YES! 16!) had to/probably still goes through growing up in a homogeneous country. I have no doubt that he is going to make international waves in the fashion industry. This season at SFW I stopped every human who either had glitter on their face …

TAKE A RIDE AT THE NAKDONGGANG RIVER RAIL PARK

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For the first time in a long time, I’ve been published in print! PRINT IS NOT DEAD! Kidding, print is definitely dying.. ever.. so.. slowly.. *sigh* But! Let’s keep things positive and hopeful! You can physically touch and smell my latest article in the November 2017 issue of The Daegu Compass and read about my time at the Nakdonggang River Rail Park. If you live in the city of Daegu, pick up a copy and flip to page 32. If you’re not a reader and more of the visual-type (you’re the reason why print is becoming extinct..), I made a vlog about my time at the rail park, which you can watch by clicking HERE.