Thanksgivings Past

Hey, y'all! I've decided to make a post that doesn't exactly go with my blog normally is. But that's okay. I promise next week I'll go back to sharing our wonderful adventures.

We are now living the farthest I've ever been from my parents, over 6,000 miles. That being said, as you can imagine plane tickets home are quite expensive. So we won't be spending time with our family this holiday season. This will actually be my first Christmas without my parents.

So, let's talk Thanksgiving. I mean what's not to love? There are food and family.

I remember growing up, I would help my mom cook the food for dinner, barely able to see over the counter while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Then we would all gather around my parent's big dining room table (only used for the holidays). My dad would take one of the end seats and my papaw the other. We'd bow our heads to say grace and thank God for bringing us together again. Then we'd pass bowls, heaping with all sorts of delicious foods, around the table. We'd spend the next hour (or more, who really kept track) eating, laughing, and telling stories.I remember laughing until my cheeks and stomach hurt. Many years have passed since I was that little girl. My grandfather is no longer with us (but believe me when I say we always include him in our prayers). We no longer are all together on Thanksgiving. But I will always have those amazing memories of having dinner together and laughing.

It's a day to be thankful for all the things the past year has brought. It's time to spend with family and friends, sharing laughs and making memories. But so many people forget about that. They get caught up in the stress of fixing big dinners and then rushing out to shop for cheap gifts to give for Christmas. They no longer enjoy their time together. They no longer make those wonderful memories like I have from my childhood.

So, please. this Thanksgiving take the time to enjoy each other. Laugh. Tell stories. Reminence. That's what the holidays are about. I promise you can buy that TV later. You can't get this time back. Make the most of it.

What's your favorite Thanksgiving memory?

12 Things Most People Don't Think to Include in Their Travel Journal

If you love to travel as I do (obviously haha), then chances are you have a way to document the memories from your trips. If you're looking for a way to do so, let me recommend a travel journal.

Every person journals differently. If you look through Pinterest for inspiration, you'll see pages filled with beautiful drawings. My travel journal isn't like that. I can barely draw a stick figure (no really. They always end up wonky with uneven arms and legs). So as much as I would love to be able to draw exactly what I see and experience when traveling, I can't. But that hasn't stopped me from filling the pages of my journal until the spine seems like it's going to give up and just explode.

If you need some inspiration for what to include in your travel journal (especially if you can't draw), then you've come to the right place. Not to toot my own horn, but I like to think my travel journal is pretty awesome... Okay.. So maybe I'm tooting my own horn a little... Anyway, let's get to the inspiration!!

Plane, Bus orTrain Tickets

• A great memento of the route you took to get to all the different places you visit! I use tape runners to keep them in place.

Postcards

• Postcards are super cheap to buy, available pretty much anywhere in the world and are a great depiction of the place you're visiting. I mean, they are meant to send home to your family and friends to make them jealous... I mean... let them know you're thinking of them and want to share the view! I use tape runners to keep them in place.

Stickers

• I like to include stickers from the places I visit in my journal. If I go to a restaurant or bakery I really like and they have a sticker, I definitely get one.

Coffee Sleeves

• When I travel I always make it a goal to stop at a local coffee shop. Some of the best coffee I've ever had has come from these little hole in the wall places.  If the coffee I get comes with a cardboard sleeve on the cup that has their logo or the name of the shop, I keep it to include in my journal. I use washi tape  to hold them in place. 

Business Cards

• When I go into little shops, bakeries, etc I tend to grab business cards. It's a great (and free!) memento to add to my journal. I mean, if I ever want to go back, I have the address right there in my notes! 

Pictures

• Makes sense right? Include pictures of your favorite parts of your day. See a cool statue? Snap a picture and put it in your journal with some decorative washi tape! 

Stamps

• Both postage and ink. Are you in a foreign country? Grab a couple postage stamps. They're not expensive and they're different everywhere you go! Are you visiting a National or State Park? Most have an ink stamp with the date and place, in the gift shop that is free to use. 

What you ate or drank

• Every place has their own food and drinks. Why not write about them? You may never get the experience again. You can also include (clean) wrappers of candy, snacks or even teas in your journal. 

Smell, weather, sounds etc

• One thing I always do when I go someplace new, is stop, close my eyes and take it all in. Is there a smell of wood burning in fireplaces? Or maybe damp leaves? Write it down. Is the sun beating down? Is there a constant drizzle of rain? Write it down. Is there constantly honking horns? Or maybe it's so quite that you can hear the animals scurrying across the ground. Write it down. These are the things you are less likely to remember down the road. But these are the things that make up new places. 

People you met

• I know I meet some amazing people when I travel. I always include them when writing in my journal. I mean, I don't want to forget about them! 

Foreign Coins

• After your trip, do you have pokets full of random change? Add it to your journal. I mean you already have it anyway, right? 

Ticket Stubs

• What better way to show the tours you went on or the places you've gone? 

Whenever keeping a travel journal be sure to take the time to write at the end of each day. If you don't, it's very easy for the days to run together and to forget important details of your trip.

Most importantly, have fun. Write, draw, bullet, do whatever you want. It's your journal and a documentation of your journey. 

What do you include in your travel journal?

Disclosure:
This blog post may contain affiliate links or endorsements for which I may receive compensation. Your purchase helps me continue to bring you tips and adventures. But as always, the views and opinions are my own. 

Snorkeling at Sharks Cove

A couple of weekends ago we made our way to Sharks Cove, near North Shore. We had heard good things about the snorkeling there. Well, what we heard was completely correct.

Sharks Cove is enclosed by rocks, so there's not really any waves coming in (except at high tide) and the water is crystal clear (what else would you expect in Hawaii??) The water isn't very deep either, which is nice for those who aren't strong swimmers and for children.

We spent hours there. We saw so many different types of fish.

The best part is, these fish swim right up to you. 

In fact, none of these pictures are zoomed in at all. They were actually this close. 

I mean, look how close Cody got! Isn't that so cool?!

It was an awesome experience! We lost track of time, but that's okay. Completely worth it.

I do have some advice, though. If you visit Sharks Cove, wear swim shoes and always look where you place your hands and step down. There are sea urchins on and in the crevices of the rocks. It hurts if you step on one. 

Look how scary looking it is! 

Also, wear lots of sunscreen or a UV protecting shirt to prevent sunburn. 

Overall, our experience at Sharks Cove was awesome. We will definitely be going back!