Summer is in full swing here in southern Saskatchewan. Every day seems to hit close to 30 degrees and I have been on an intense, yet accidental, tanning spree since I arrived July 1st. And while we are making small talk about the weather, It would be wrong to not mention the infamous prairie thunderstorms – of which there have been a few so far. Seriously, if you have even a little bit of storm chaser blood in you, come to the prairies. Look up a storm watch radar, grab a drink, and find a porch to sit on while you take in the majesty. It’s unreal.

July went by really fast for me, no doubt due to the incredible change of pace I’ve experienced since getting to my hometown in SK. What April, May, and June were for intense travel, July was for intense hermitting. I have been simultaneously working my butt off while keeping a very low profile.

My whole plan for this summer was to write like a madwoman, something that I found very hard to do while travelling full time. I have been successful in writing an article every two to three days for The Plaid Zebra, as well as keeping up with my own writing here on the blog. Additionally, when I’m not working on my writing, I’m helping my mom with social media, planning, and promotion for her business, Orenda Healing Health & Wellness in Esterhazy.

Phew, where has the time gone.

Where I Went

Canada:

Toronto, Ontario

Regina, Saskatchewan

Esterhazy, Saskatchewan

Favorite Destination

I’m going to skip this section this month, as everywhere I went this month I have lived in for at least a year. This month was more about work than tourism.

Favorite Moments

Having privacy

It’s true when they say, “you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.” And this adage rings true for even a smidgen of privacy.

Through most of my European adventure, I stayed in hostels. In Croatia, my friend and I stayed in Airbnb’s, and in Toronto, I crashed on a friend’s futon. So when I got to Saskatchewan and all of a sudden had a whole room to myself, not to mention was sleeping in a real bed again, I felt like I had hit Nirvana.

My Birthday!

On July 3rd, I hit the big 2-6. I literally just stayed home in my pyjamas all day, so it wasn’t one ‘for the books’ or anything, but there was cake.

Challenges

A frustrating delay

It was the first delay I experienced in my entire three and a half months of travel, and it happened in the Toronto airport with WestJet. Because of course it did.

My flight was set to depart at 9:30 PM on July 1st (Canada Day), so knowing that Toronto security can be insane at times, I decided to get there a little early – like 6:30 PM kind of early. Well, turns out my plane was coming in from London, UK before it was set to take me to Saskatchewan, and there were staffing issues onboard. I never got the full story, but we ended up taking off from Toronto at 1 AM. Add a three hour flight and a two hour drive to that, and it was a very late night.

It’s not like I was on a time crunch or anything, but after a long period of travel, all I wanted was home.

What I Read

Back in January I made the decision to participate in a reading challenge courtesy of The Girl Who Wanders. The challenge is to read 26 books over one year, which is roughly one book every two weeks. The challenge outlines different criteria for each book selection to help with book choices.

This month I read:

A Collection of short stories”

Runaway by Alice Munro

Having never read any of Alice Munro’s works previously, I didn’t quite know what to expect from her; which made this group of short stories a wonderful surprise.

Munro is eloquent in the way she takes you through the lives of her characters. There is tragedy abound in all these stories, sure, but Munro writes about such things in a very realistic, empathetic way. The way the characters rebound from tragic occurrences and grow from them was simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming to read.

“A book from your childhood”

The B.F.G by Roald Dahl

It was so much fun going back to this book from my childhood. As I recall, the last time I heard about Sophie, the B.F.G., the Fleshlumpeater, and the Bonecruncher was when my 3rd grade teacher read it out loud to the class. Reading this was fun, quick, easy, and a welcomed break from some of the heavier subject matter I’ve been delving into lately.

Most Popular Post

This month’s most popular post award goes to…

Five reasons why I’m in love with Porto, Portugal 

Most Popular Instagram Photo

A shot from Marjan Hill in Split, Croatia!

On The Side…

Like I mentioned above, I have been writing Plaid Zebra posts like crazy. Here are the ones I wrote in July that have been posted so far:

July 7 – Everything you need to build your very own roadside emergency kit

July 10 – 13 easy flight tips to make your next aircraft experience more enjoyable

July 11 – Six easy ways to have a more environmentally friendly flight

July 13 – 9 tips for how to pack and travel with only a carry-on

July 15 – 10 tips on how to book the cheapest flight possible

July 18 – 11 simple tips for flying with children to help you have a more enjoyable flight

July 20 – Do vision boards really work?

July 22 – Flying with pets: 9 easy stress-relieving tips for your next plane ride

July 25 – 11 easy tips to fly through the airport as quickly as possible

July 29 – How to stay motivated and productive as a digital nomad

Coming Up…

Many of you have been asking me what my upcoming plans are, so here’s a teaser.

I’m staying in Saskatchewan until at least September 2nd for a friend’s wedding, and then I plan to move to British Columbia. I’m aiming for Vancouver, but am open to a few options. West coast best coast, amiright? That’s all you get for right now!