Health, Hiking, Reflections & Humor

Forest Bathing…Are You Kidding Me?

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shinrin-yoku japanese forest bathing
When someone first told me about “forest bathing” I looked at her with a stupefied face & could barely get out “say WHAT?” She told me it was “a Japanese thing” so I of course Googled it & lo & behold, forest bathing is a real thing. It is based on the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku, which translates to forest bathing or “taking in the forest.” The basic idea is that meandering through a forest has scientifically proven health benefits. Japan & Korea are so serious about this stuff, they supposedly cover it with medical insurance. I might just move to Osaka.
It seems to be trending in the US right now, so all you turmeric & Buddha bowl fans should jump on this right now!!!
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Hiking, Reflections & Humor

Leave the Diva at Home

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girl hair dryer

On an upcoming trip, I’m going to be roughing it.  I will truly be sacrificing some comfort.  I will be…

traveling without a HAIR DRYER!

Don’t judge.  This is seriously a sacrifice for me.  If my house were burning down & I had to choose between my hair dryer or toothbrush, I’d grab the hair dryer.  I have short, bi-polar hair & I just never know what mood it will be in from day to day.  I look terrible in hats, so I can’t cover up a bad hair day.  Hence my dependence on this large unwieldy tool.

I rarely travel with a hair dryer because I purposefully select lodging that has one.  Conversations like this can occur in my household:

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Hiking, Reflections & Humor, Trip Planning, United States

Let’s Go to Banff…or not

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Using Bear Spray Effectiveness
I might have mentioned at some point that I have a travel addiction.  That’s not an exaggeration.  I am truly a travel junkie.  You want to know how I know?  Because the first thing I do upon returning from a trip is…[you guessed it]…start planning the next one!  Eric is just as guilty.  On a recent drive home from Alabama, Eric said
let’s go somewhere for Labor Day!
Keep in mind, we’ve already got a 2-week trip planned to Germany & Austria this fall, PLUS a weekend getaway to Chicago in October.  But apparently we need our fix sooner than that.  So, I start looking at hiking options in Banff National Park.
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