Around the Austin area, okay - actually it’s closer to Pflugerville, there’s a 5.2 out-and-back hike called Gilleland Creek. It’s a completely paved trail, but I’d never been on it and I'm always game for a shiny, new hike. But also I'd like to reflect a bit about the self-development journey, and how that has impacted me (a bit).

Setting some goals for the new year, goals, not resolutions. I feel like resolutions are too easy to let slide by the wayside, but goals? They last much longer than that. So plan with me, for 2022.

This year started out with a bunch of goals (read: resolutions) but I was here, there, and all over the place. So this is just me reviewing what I did manage to accomplish, what I still need to work on, and what I’m not interested in working on anymore. Share your accomplishments too! And also your favourite books!

The plan was to travel to Iceland one week on my own, and one week with friends that were to join me. That turned out not to happen at all. I was on my own for two weeks in Iceland, but it wasn’t my first rodeo (travelling solo as a female), This is how the 14-day trip went in 30 seconds per day.

After the first few days of being in Iceland (training to scuba dive in a dry suit between tectonic plates), every other day of the two weeks was spent hiking. Some were smaller trails, some longer, some more strenuous, some full of tourists, some alongside waterfalls, and I am going to rank them all. At least all of the trails that I managed to hike.

After having visited Iceland a few weeks ago, and going through the dry suit course, I wanted to share the experience and the dive in the clearest water in the world, which also happens to be the only place in the world where you can dive between tectonic plates.

After having gone and returned from a two week trip to Iceland, I want to share the items I ended up packing, some things I forgot, and some things that I didn’t need but did end up bringing. Learn from my mistakes!

If you haven’t already been to Iceland, and are on the fence about whether or not it’s worth the money (because yes, it is an expensive country - or maybe just for me!), here are a few reasons why it’s worth the journey. It wasn’t even on my list of places to go because I did not know all of the wonderful things available there, but I regret nothing. In addition to being an incredible country, it’s commonly listed among the most safe countries for solo female travellers.

Well we were already in the area, being in South Dakota to visit Badlands National Park, so why not visit another national park? These particular parks are located in the Dakotas, probably one of the least visited states in the United States so I am not sure when I am going to be in the area again.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is separate, there are three units (technically), but we went to the north and south unit. It wasn’t the “best” weather being overcast, cold, windy, a bit rainy, and maybe that meant less people visiting the park. Jaron, the park ranger at the Visitor Center, assured us that there was not a big chance of rain. And it turned out still to be gorgeous and maybe just the right weather for visiting.

Our annual trip to a national park has come and gone, and this year we chose to visit the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. We did a few of the hiking trails, or tried to, and learned lots along the way. Come along as we share our experience, if you’re trying to visit the various national parks or if you just like to tag along in the fun.

AllTrails lists Black Elk Peak Loop: South Dakota Highpoint as the #1 hike in South Dakota. This rating is based on how other hikers have rated the trail. It’s a little surprising because, as an outsider, I would think the best hike might possibly be in the national park, the Badlands. Instead Black Elk Peak Loop: South Dakota Highpoint lies in the Black Hills National Forest. Join us as we trek up to see what the fuss is about and judge for ourselves.

I just finished all 5 units of Pimsleur Spanish, which comes out to 4500 minutes, or 75 hours of language lessons. But does Pimselur work? What even is the Pimsleur method? I wanted to share thoughts on my experience, and explain what Pimsleur is… and if I would even recommend it to other language learners. It’s just one of the many options that is available to those learning a language.

I’ve had a lot of fun creating content over the past year and wanted to share the bloopers, which are at the end of almost all of my videos. There’s a lot that goes into each video, but there’s enough time for goofing off and playing around, especially when working with family and friends. Here’s an ode to the past year and a giant thanks to everyone that I’ve worked with thus far.

There are plenty of people that really enjoy the art and history that is so popular in Santa Fe, New Mexico. But I’m not one of them. I appreciate that they exist and I appreciate that other people appreciate it, but I would rather find one of the many trails that are splattered all over the surrounding area. I’ve selected one to add to my travel vlog called the Atalaya Trail; it’s my mom’s favourite and I’ve done it only once before with my cousin. Hiking is one of the many things to do in Santa Fe, New Mexico, so join me as I embark on this solo adventure.

I made a mistake. I think it’s important to share my failures, as well as wins, to remember what has passed and what lessons I can take away from each experience. I can now see why history is so important to study. If we do not study history, it is bound to repeat itself. So after owning my drone, not even a few months, I crashed it. Woe is me.

If you like hiking, reading, and cafes, then we should probably be friends. But also, I want to share a few places to stop at, and things to do, if you’re visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico. I got the opportunity to interview a local, and she gave me all the inside scoops of a few great bookstores, some cafes, and a magnificent view.

There are three independent habits and four interdependent habits within the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey. If you want to work better in a family, or in a team, then these habits are for you. A few weeks ago I did a video on the first three habits of this book: be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first. But no man is an island, and these last four habits focus on what it means to be part of a team, and how to work more effectively in that team. One of my favorite ideas in the book is that you can be efficient with things, but don't try being efficient with people.

A clear combination of lists and growth would be a self care checklist. I thrive off of lists and checking them, so wanted to share a few steps to creating a relaxing bath routine. It’s an actual checklist, but it’s more of a guide so that when you’re in the bath, you can not stress about forgetting anything and just relax.

If you’re going on a trip, like to stay organized, and have a Google account, then you will want to know how to save locations, enable dark mode, view your timeline, and more with Google Maps. For your next trip, you will be able to save locations and much more. Why not utilize this free app?

It’s been quite a year! Not even the one that I was expecting, but reflecting on this past year, I’d like to share my schedule, how long it takes to make one video, the support that I have had, and earnings. I feel like I’ve grown a lot over the past year, and have gained a lot of insight into the people that I surround myself with (in a good way - thank goodness).