Seattle Love

Hey Seattle, I love you! I realized that I never wrote about my former-home city. When this lil blog was born three and a half years ago, I was focusing on TRAVEL and my transition to Myanmar. Seattle did get an honorary mention as my road trip and travels began, but I think she deserves her own post; don't you?

As part of my USA visit, I booked two weeks in Seattle (note to self, and friends, please remind me, next visit should be 3+) at the beginning of December. No, that's not the most beautiful weather time to visit, but my friends look just as good in the gray. ;) When the clouds finally parted, as we descended, this was my first glimpse.

Seattle, impressive rain or shine

The first week I stayed at R's lovely home, visited a lot with Y and hit up some favorite spots. Araya's is an old favorite vegan Thai restaurant. My first meal in Seattle was at their Madison valley location; they had one restaurant when I first moved to Seattle (U-District), now they have three!

At Araya's with J, yes, I visited more than once. ;)

One of my favorite things about Seattle is the live music scene. It's also one of my most-missed aspects of living abroad. Seattle has small, medium and giant-sized music venues and there is something interesting happening every single night of the week. While living in Seattle I saw plenty of shows at the Paramount and I was amazed to see that another old favorite, the Pixies, had decided to visit Seattle on their tour at the same time as me. I managed to get a ticket to the sold-out show and they rocked as much as always. La la, love them!

A familiar landmark

As amazing as ever

Plum Bistro is an all-vegan restaurant on Capitol Hill. It's a cute, but tiny spot and they don't take reservations. Their mac n yease recipe is an experience (to die for!) and everything on the menu is delicious, whether you have dietary restrictions or not.

R and I visit Plum

It's an interesting experience to be in the states without a car. I spent a lot of money on taxis, Lyfts, Ubers, walked and got back into the bus system. I enjoy not having to own a vehicle, but that's something that is a lot harder to manage if you live in the US.

Waiting for my bus

In my first week, I also visited my beloved Eastside Prep. It has expanded and the physical layout and campus have changed a lot! Still, after visiting with former students, administrators and teachers, I would say that the soul of the place hasn't changed. Teachers: if you want to work in Seattle, apply here! Parents: if you want your kids to learn and grow in a supportive yet encouraged-to-stretch environment, apply here!

Another very vegetarian, vegan and gluten free friendly restaurant is Cafe Flora in Madison Valley. I love their tofu scrambles and coffee in the morning. Gosh, it's easy to have dietary restrictions and live in Seattle.

R, Y and I caffeinate and prepare for the day at Flora

After a week in the city I was whisked a little farther north for a couple of days to reunite with A and A (elementary school friends!). We chatted, chatted, joked and chatted one morning at the Skagit Valley Co-op in Mt. Vernon. They have a great natural market and lots of deli dishes too. My favorite was the turmeric almond milk latte.

Two old friends and one very new one.

My second week began back in Seattle, but West Seattle this time. Have I mentioned all the sunny days that Seattle shined on me? Maybe she was trying to woo me back... Too bad, during my stay here I signed a contract with would pull me south. 

Seattle skyline from West Seattle

I had my very own room at J and M's, J graciously let me use her car to attend Yoga training in Redmond at Sattva Yoga (I'm very close to finishing my 500-hour cert!), M made the best popcorn, J made the best vegan chilli, Bowie is the cuddliest kitty-company and J and I even had time to do a little touristing, too.

I was in town just in time for a show at the Skylark, featuring many friends and former colleagues playing their music.

One Sunday morning there was a reunion at A and V's new place in West Seattle. Everyone was moving too quickly for me to get any great photos (including the twins!), but here they are!

V oversees the prep

A in position barista!

J and I decided that our favorite spot for breakfast/brunch is Chaco Canyon Cafe. They have kombucha on tap and lots of delicious organic options!

Pike's Place Market, downtown is a not-to-miss spot on any Seattle tour and this trip was no exception.

Required photo shoot!

The last day was a walk along West Seattle with this one and lunch at my new favorite Thai spot outside of Thailand - Buddha Ruksa - before my airport drop. Time went super-fast and I hope I'll have time to see everyone next trip.

Thanks to all my friends for hosting me, treating me and driving (or letting me drive!) around! I've got such great memories of our time together. See you next time! Or, maybe... in Mexico???

My Trusted Housesitters Experience

In 2017 I decided to take some time off of work in order to travel, study yoga and contemplate future life options. It was a huge decision and an opportunity for me to grow, leaning into uncertainty. I was extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to save money while I worked and lived in Myanmar, but this blog is about one of my tips to make time off affordable, whether you are on your own sabbatical or simply taking a vacation: Trusted Housesitters.

About a year ago I learned about Trusted Housesitters, a site that matches traveling home and pet owners with sitters. It's an interesting arrangement because no money is exchanged; you get a great place to stay and fuzzy company and they get great petcare and home security. I investigated a bit more and decided to go ahead and sign up, even though there is an annual fee (of about $100 US). I figured that even if I only got one sit of a few days that the membership would pay for itself.

I have had a fabulous experience with the Trusted Housesitters organization and with the homes and pets I have looked after. 

Place: Bangkok, Thailand
Dog: Toby the Corgi

Who could resist that face?!?

This was a very sweet gig. Toby's home was a huge, modern top floor apartment in the trendy Thong Lor neighborhood of Bangkok. I had my own guest room, a gorgeous kitchen and a roof top with a view to enjoy.

Toby was a busy little dog, and still a puppy, but my main task was to take him up on the roof (pictured in the video above) or outside for a walk, twice a day. I spent extra time with him, playing, brushing, even doing a little training, but I had lots of free time to explore the neighborhood, Bangkok and relax in a fantastic apartment, cooking my own food, doing yoga homework, reading and enjoying Netflix. The cleaner came three times a week, which was another perk!

He did spend time chilling, too. 

Place: Taos, New Mexico, USA
Cats: Tennessee and Button

This sit allowed me to explore another part of New Mexico. I know Santa Fe well since my parents have lived there 15+ years. I secured this sit when I was still in Spain. Here is the house:

I fed these two cats their very fresh meals (raw chicken livers for breakfast and dinner and sardines for lunch), read, did yoga homework, wandered around town and spent quality time with these felines. 

I enjoyed fires in the evening. Button did too!

And slept in this princess bed.

These owners were very kind; they sent me a personal thank you after the sit!

Place: El Dorado, just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Cats: Skaaget, Nauset and Graham

The owners of these three cats needed a sitter who could commit to a "maybe" because their plans were up in the air. Since I was already staying with my parents in Santa Fe, this it was easy for me to stay flexible. It worked for me and it worked for them! And in the end, I did get the sit. These owners had a special request: that no gluten be brought into their house, as one had a severe allergy. I'm 8 years gluten-free; it worked for me!

Meet the three kitties! Three is the most pets I have ever looked after. Two were very friendly and the third totally warmed up to me by the end of the week. The new skill I learned with this sit was how to give a cat pills, as Graham needed daily medicines. He was really good about my efforts and I can say I am confident doing this now!

The house was a lovely, very Santa Fe style kind of home. There was a woodstove, walking trails, a patio and I even got to use the car to zip into town for an errand or yoga class (or to visit ma n pa). 

My cozy room.

And those southwest sunsets...

---> Okay, so now you want to housesit, right? Here are a few tips. :)

Building Your Trusted Housesitters Profile:

• Take the time to build your profile! Pretty much the rest of the tips come down to this. It is a project, but your investment of time will pay off when you get some great sits. I broke up the task, working a half hour or an hour at a time until I got it where I wanted it. 
• Consider what title captures you as a sitter - this is the first thing viewers of your page will notice.
• Include photos of you and animals you own/know and some that show your personality and hobbies. Homeowners want to know you... you are going to be staying in their house!
• Be honest about your experience and what you can/can't do. There are all types of animals and sits and you want to make sure you can look after the critters you sign up for. I've seen farm animals, cats that need injections and rescue dogs that require special patience and love. Sometimes the sits require, but don't provide, a vehicle, which would mean committing to renting a car. Carefully consider what you can take on.
• Get external references from your boss, landlord and anyone you have petsat for in the past. This helps create your profile and shows you are responsible. 
• Go through the external verification. You pay a fee and Trusted Housesitters runs a background check on you. Having this on your profile gives petowners peace of mind. 

Applying for a Sit:

• Check the site often or set up email notifications. It does pay off to be the first person to apply for a sit, especially in popular areas or at peak travel times. 
• Always include a personal note that shows that you have reviewed the sit and include why you are interested and a good fit! Some owners get a lot of interest so make your note stand out.
• Offer to talk on the phone or over Skype as well as via email. This helps them to see you are a nice person. And take the "interview" seriously!
• Follow up if you don't hear back, but know that sometimes homeowners do get bombarded with offers or change their travel plans...

During the Sit:

• Follow through and have fun! Most petowners will walk you through the details about the home and animals when you arrive. They may provide you with a manual with all the info (love it when they do this!); if not, ask questions and take notes!
• Communicate often. It's easy with technology to send photos and videos, showing them that their fur-babies are happy. This keeps them happy too.

After the Sit:

• Of course, leave the house in tip-top order! I've heard that some sitters even stock the fridge or prepare a special meal and leave it as a thank you.
• Send a thank you note/text to express your gratitude for the time in their house. 
• Ask that they review you on Trusted Housesitters so that you can get more sits! This is so important as reviews and trust fuel what this site is all about. 

If you are curious about signing up for Trusted Housesitters, feel free to post questions! You can get a discount off of your membership by using this link when you sign up! (Full disclosure: I get a discount when you use it, also.)

Happy traveling and happy petsitting!!!

Cambodia: Kampot

After a few days at the beach, it was time to continue my Cambodian adventure. I took a tuk-tuk to a "bus" stop and then caught a van to Kampot. A couple of travelers in Siem Reap had recommended this town to me. The best recommendations always come from fellow travellers.  

Kampot as a town has some great spots to just hang out and enjoy a relaxed pace. However, the real charm to this place is that it is a great jumping off point for other activities. Once again, I felt crunched for time and I could easy wile away more days here.

Wandering along the river.

Activities that I didn’t do, but will get to next time: visiting the nearby mountain and beach, biking through farms and seeing the salt and pepper cultivation process and floating on the river!

So what did I do? I took yoga classes (Banteay Srey and Simple Things), got a traditional Cambodian massage, wandered the town, spent a day rock-climbing, hiking and rappelling with Climbodia (highly recommend them).

Here I go!

View from the top

Hiking

Inside the caves

Reclining Buddha in the caves

Pretending like I know what I am doing...

Yoga space above Simple Things.

Riverside lounging at Banteay Srey.

Where I stayed: The first room I booked was much different than advertised and had a broken lock and shower. I stayed the first night, but ended up changing to the very lovely La Java Bleue for the rest of my stay. Traveling in off-season lets you get good value and I loved my room, its view and the hotel's location.

A comfy home for a few days.

What I ate: There were a lot of vegetarian, healthy and gluten free options in Kampot. 

Veggie Curry

My favorite restaurant, hands-down, was Simple Things and the following pictures are from there. 

cute, cute, cute

Barbecue tempeh salad

GF vegan raw cheesecake

Stay tuned! There is one more stop before I leave Cambodia!!!

Cambodia: Ream National Park (aka: The Beach)

After too few days in Siem Reap it was already time to pack up my bags and make my way to my next spot... So, what about my luggage? My bags were bulkier than I prefer. But, with hiking boots, a raincoat and fleece for cooler spots and laptop for yoga homework I had a lot to be prepared for! And it still all fit in a tuk-tuk. 

On the way to the airport.

Window seat for my one hour flight.

I flew from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville and it was an easy trip. It’s a small airport and a little beach town; you absolutely have the feeling that you are going somewhere special. I actually didn’t spend any time in Sihanoukville, though I hear it has some good nightlife, especially for the backpacking adventurer type. It’s also a jumping off point for Cambodia’s islands, which I only heard amazing things about, but I did not get to experience on this trip. I'll save those for next time!

Not an island, but I was very happy here.

Where I stayed:
A tip from a friend in Yangon pushed me on to Ream National Park. This is a gorgeous, and as of now, undeveloped area. I stayed at Monkey Maya, the only option around. Accommodation is quite basic (dorms and a few private rooms, no wifi, electricity only a few hours in the evenings), but the charm of this place is it’s chilled-out vibe and proximity to nature. The jungle is nearby for hikes, the terrace is wide for taking in the view and the beach is long and sandy. My favorite part was the bioluminescent algae. The beach was downright magical at night and swimming with these glowing beings was a trip highlight.

My basic bungalow

Million dollar view.

Looking up at my spot.

My new friend. :) Hey, I said it was in the jungle!

What I ate:

Where I stayed and where I ate was the same! There is only one option here! Monkey Maya - there was no reason to leave this paradise at all. The restaurant offers many options, both Western and Asian, caters to gluten-free and gluten-loving eaters and vegans or carnivores. Lots of drinks and a daily happy hour as well.

My favorite meal - gluten free pancakes with peanut butter and maple syrup and an iced coffee.

What I read:

As I mentioned, the lure to this place lies in its remote location. I walked on the beach, swam, worked on my yoga sequence and essays, stared at the sea and read. I decided to read a book about Cambodia and settled on the memoir: First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung. This is a well-written story and an incredible firsthand account of a young girl’s life under the Khmer Rouge takeover and regime. I highly recommend it.

Netflix is going to release the film version of this story in September. The author wrote the screenplay and it's directed by Angelina Jolie. Here's the trailer. 

Ah.