All posts tagged: travel

TAIWAN | PART 3

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I can’t believe my Taiwan trilogy is coming to an end (part 1 & part 2). The last few days of the trip were certainly my favourite, perhaps it was because I was getting used to the extreme heat and the I-don’t-know-what-meat-this-is meals. In all seriousness, I love Taiwan and would go back in a heartbeat. The final few days we spent in the south so temperatures rose to a scorching 35 degrees. The heat didn’t stop us as we ventured off to the Buddha Memorial Center, the most visited place in Taiwan (25,000 visitors daily!). The place was stunning and Buddha was looking as ravishing as ever. We entered the memorial and attended a ceremony led by a monk. The ceremony was not in English so I followed what everyone else was doing (hands together, hands apart, kneel down, stand up, etc). If everyone started breakdancing, I probably would have followed suit. The best part of blistering hot heat? Beaches! We went to Cijin Island, a five minute ferry ride from Kaohsiung Harbour. I …

TAIWAN | PART 2

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HAPPY FIRST POST OF 2016! I am aware that I’m running a fair bit behind on my blog posts but I’m back/hoping to catch up with my own life/I missed you. Have you read Taiwan part 1? Do it, do it now. This outfit below was one of the comfiest I wore in Taiwan. The sun was blazing each day (average 30 degrees) so there is nothing like a good pair of Nike sneaks and a breathable, cotton dress from Urban Outfitters. First thing in the morning we made our way to a little community called, Jiufen. It’s a small town in north Taiwan and features quaint streets and the best view of the Pacific Ocean. I also made some furry feline friends along the way. Next stop, Taipei 101! Not only is it the tallest building in Taiwan but it holds the Guinness World Record of the fastest elevator, ever. It’s no joke. It took approximately 40 seconds to get from ground level to the 89th floor and when you reach the top you have …

TAIWAN | PART 1

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Fresh off a gloomy flight from Japan (part 1&part 2), the sun was luckily shining to greet us in Taipei, Taiwan! It was 30 degrees, breezy, and beauuutiful. We checked into the Liz Hotel, which had fantastic taste in headboards. The entire hotel was extremely colourful, our doors were a bright shade of fuchsia for goodness sakes! I felt like I was living in a dollhouse. The front desk ladies were English speaking and helpful when it came to questions about navigating the city, except for when they told us to take a cab to the grocery store, which was a seven minute walk away, the driver definitely judged us. I wish we would have taken a motor bike to the grocery store since they seem to be part of the culture in Taipei. I saw every type of person riding a moped – business men, ladies in flip flops and (my favourite) entire families. The dad would be driving, mom would be behind the dad eating a bowl of wontons, dog at their feet, son …

JAPAN | PART 2

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On the second day of arriving to Japan we said sayonara to the bustling city of Tokyo, even though we sadly didn’t party with robots or go to Hello Kitty Town. So much to do, so little time. Sigh. But, onwards we went and hopped on a bus toward Japan’s highest mountain, MOUNT FUJI! The mountain stands at 3,776 metres and is actually an active volcano. No need to worry, the last time Mount Fuji erupted was the year 1708. Even if it did erupt while we were there, HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE?! Destructive, yes, but to see a volcano erupt in front of you would be the cat’s pyjamas. Did I really just say cat’s pyjamas.. It’s currently 4:30AM and I’m jet lagged AF so let’s not judge my lack of better word choices. We took the bus up Mount Fuji, which was a couple hours of consistently going around in circles but the view the entire trip was spectacular. Mountains and clouds swarmed my sight, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Our heads were …

JAPAN | PART 1

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Earlier this month I boarded a plane with my dad, uncle, and aunt to fly 15 hours from Toronto, Canada to Toyko, Japan! It was the first time I’ve crossed the ocean to the other side of the planet (big things happening in the world of Jessica Moy)! Asia has always been my top travel destination, especially after taking an Introductory to Global Asia course in university. It opened my mind to the cultural diversity of the continent and their unique influences on the world. I told myself one day, I will travel to this wondrous place of historical significance and because, you know, I wouldn’t hate an endless supply of Hello Kitty paraphernalia and xiao long boa. First destination on my Asia trip = Tokyo! The morning after we arrived in Tokyo we made our way to the Sensoji Temple, a Buddist temple in Tokyo known to be the oldest, built in 645 C.E., and one of the most colourful. It was quite wonderful and home to every tourist who owns a selfie stick. Later in the afternoon …

I’M GOING TO ASIA & EUROPE

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Hey friends, I’m well aware of my lack of blog posts this month. It’s almost 3PM on a Sunday and my eyes are half closed. I could use a nap right about now but we all know “nap” really means knock-out-and-wake-up-around-5AM-just-in-time-to-go-to-work. It’s happened before.. I wanted to give you a life update because for the past few months I kept mentioning exciting things happening but kept it pretty hush, hush. Until now.. First off, topic related to nothing, I’M TURNING 25 SOON! Crazy! I will have an entire blog post talking about that whole transition but.. not right now.. ok where was I.. discussing upcoming travel plans. Yes. They are insane. For the longest time I’ve wanted to experience the world and see things I’ve never seen before and envied from the pictures on Instagram of the lucky people who travel the world for a living (what is your job/how do I get it). I’ve talked about my lust for traveling countless times, such as HERE and HERE and NOW MY TIME HAS FINALLY COME! I’ve worked full-time …

NEW BRUNSWICK | PART 3

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This is the final post in my New Brunswick travel series but before you begin, go ahead and catch up by reading PART 1 & PART 2! On the last few days of the trip we visited yet another lighthouse, this one was decked out in Acadian pride and lobster cages (classic). Beside the lighthouse was a nice boardwalk where we spent a lovely afternoon roaming. Favourite part of the trip = I COOKED MY VERY FIRST LOBSTER! We bought them fresh from a local seafood market (still alive..eek). The first thing my aunt told me was not to name them or else I’d get attached, a hard task for me to follow. When the lobsters hit the boiling water they did not scream like I thought they would. After 45 minutes the lobsters were ready. They tasted so sweet and fresh, totally worth the physical labour to pull all of the meat out from the shells.  One of our neighbours had cute artwork on their house. I loved it! Below is a photo of my …

NEW BRUNSWICK | PART 2

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Before we begin, have you read part 1 of my New Brunswick adventure? If not, go ahead and catch yourself up. If you’re ahead of the game, good good, welcome to the sequel. Summer in New Brunswick is simplicity at its best. The ocean is cool, the sun is hot, and living is eaaaaaasy. The below photo is a great depiction on how everyone lives in small town NB. Acadian flag? Check. One floor house? Check. Pick-up truck? Check. Massive lot with dog house, lawn chairs, and a trailer? Check, check, check. New Brunswick is the epitome of white picket perfection, the type you only hear about in a Tim McGraw or Blake Shelton song. All that’s missing is sweet tea and a porch swing. Adventures from the next couple days included classic tourist activities, such as going to the beach and drawing where you are in the sand (that’s a crab, btw). I captured my little cousins, Cora and Evan (Cevan, as I like to call them), playing on the beach. Eeek, look at …

NEW BRUNSWICK | PART 1

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For the past week I was situated in the land of lobsters, blueberries, lighthouses and Acadian pride: NEW BRUNSWICK! My family and I packed a car and drove for 16 hours to Four Roads, which was the town we stayed in. I’m convinced it was named after how many roads there are in the area (#SmallTownCharm). We ended up at a cozy cottage that overlooked the ocean and the view could have been from a Nicolas Sparks movie. I was waiting for Zac Efron to appear but, I guess he was busy. The pictures were captured on my first day, included a dirt road because country life wouldn’t be the same without one and lobster cages, which were placed outside our cottage. Too bad it wasn’t lobster catching season, not that I know how to use one, I assume you plunge it into the water and wait for dinner to arrive. Or, you just purchase the lobster from a local seafood store. That works too. Below is the gorgeous sand trail that lead to the …

BREAKFAST LECTURES & I GO TO AMERICA

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Hi friends, What time is it? Time for an exciting life update (woooooo-zz). I added the z’s at the end because I’m exhausted, and right when this post goes up I’ll be tucking myself warmly into bed. LEGGO! Last week I went to CreativeMornings at the offices of Shopify. CreativeMornings are breakfast lectures by creatives, for creatives, where you listen to a speaker discuss career advice and valuable life lessons they have learned to get them where they are today. I had the privilege of listening to Jacqui Oakley, a freelance illustrator who spoke of fear, anxiety and how to not let it consume you/steps to incorporating it into your daily life. Sometimes, you can’t help feeling scared or anxious and most of the time it can attack you unexpectedly. Oakley broke down how she dealt with moving to different countries when she was younger, her artwork being constantly judged and being confused about what to do next when it comes to progressing in her career. The best advice she gave was the steps to take when you’re anxious about starting a …