My Travel Adventures in Iceland

Iceland was a first time adventure for me. April felt like the perfect time of the year to go as the sun set at a reasonable time of the night and the temperatures were of course quite frigid under my California gal standards, but still doable. Therefore, seeing things like Northern Lights as well as the gorgeous blue ice caves was still an option. I did make sure we stayed in a different unique lodging every night during our 4 nights/5days there. So for those who want a reference/ideas of how to go about planning a first time trip there:

Day/Night 1: Reykjavik

Arriving early morning (a little past 6AM) did give us a whole day to explore the capitol, which is probably enough time for most people. There are buses that go from the airport to Reykavik and the Bubbble Tour we signed up for Day/Night 2 picked us up at our hotel in Reykjavik and dropped us back off at the same hotel the next day. However, we opted for picking up the the rental car from the airport on Day 1 upon arrival since we would need it for the rest of the trip driving along the southern coast.

Exploring Downtown Reykjavik

Although it was at the very beginning of the trip, we got most of our shopping done here for souvenirs and such since we figured the rest of the trip would be spent doing activities focused around enjoying the beauty of the outdoor nature. For a more economic option, try going in some of the grocery stores for snacks. I also purchased a loaf of the Icelandic bread Rúgbrauð in a grocery store to take home as a souvenir. And we did get to ascend to the 8th story of the tower of the iconic church hallgrímskirkja to overlook the view of the city (NOTE: It’s free to go inside the church but the ticket to go up the tower was about $8.50 USD/person)

Right across the street from the church is Cafe Loki where you can try different kinds of Icelandic food, including the ice cream made from the Rúgbrauð that I had been wanting to try, along with the Icelandic delicacy of fermented shark meat that my girlfriends managed to have by downing it with the Icelandic Vodka. I also tried it without the vodka and will say that I’m so glad the shark meat were cut into sample sizes that you pick up with toothpicks….

For the first night, we stayed at the Eyja Guldemeden Hotel in Reykjavik. I personally like to fit in a workout to help get rid of jet lag so I was happy to stay at a place that had a gym, as small as it was. The vibe of the gym matched that of the hotel overall, with everything made of wood and giving off a very zen feeling.

Day/Night 2: Golden Circle Tour + Overnight in the Buubble

Those of you who have been researching Iceland vacation ideas may have already come across advertisements for staying overnight in a clear bubble called “Buubble.” (Click here to watch the YouTube video of me entering my Buubble) I figured it would be the perfect way to see the Northern Lights — which we did! The reason why I actually ended up inviting my close girlfriends to come on the trip with me initially was because each of these Buubbles are double occupancy-based and if you are a solo traveler, you are charged a solo traveler penalty fee. Note that the tour is also canceled if there aren’t at least 3 people, so luckily we were a group of 3 and were given 2 Buubles to stay in between the 3 of us. I did place a white circle over the face of one of my girlfriends I photographed inside our Buuble (to the right)

By the time you read this, it is possible that the information on their website is edited. But contrary to what I had initially read on their website, they do actually have a refrigerator for you to be able to keep food in overnight as well as Wi-Fi and two bathrooms with showers in the communal area. It was about a little under $500/person which is not too bad, considering what is included in addition to the overnight stay there.

The Golden Circle Tour preceding the overnight stay also exceeded beyond our expectations since our guide was nice enough to take us to wonderful bonus stops that weren’t mentioned on the website itinerary, including our first stop at an ice cream shop where we got to watch [or be watched by] cows whose milk was used to make the ice cream we got to enjoy. He also had us stop by an Icelandic horse stable to feed them bread.

Northern Lights

While we got very lucky being able to see the Northern Lights due to a rare clear night sky, full disclosure: The naked human eye is not able to process the vivid colors you see in the photos taken of the Northern Lights. Therefore, when you hold your camera phone up against the night sky, you can see the vivid colors on your phone screen as you do, but when you look up at the actual sky you see what I would describe more as a milky white thing that reminds me of when you put milk in coffee.

<– So yes, this photo to the left was taken with a phone camera, as was the photo shown at the beginning of this blog post.

Day/Night 3: Fire Day

Being the land of fire and ice, I planned volcanic adventures for this day involving going to a lava tunnel (Raufarhólshellir, the 4th longest lava tube in Iceland) and then watching the one and only lava show in the world (in Vík) where actual molten lava flows in.

Lava Tunnel

We got geared up with helmets and were guided into the underground tunnels that had all kinds of color variations from the minerals like sulfur. You could also see the icicles that form from the traditional method we tend to be familiar with hanging down but also these upside down icicles that form from repeated drips of water freezing over to form these mountains that resemble icy phalanges, which were my favorite.

The Lava Show

The Lava Show is in fact an indoor facility where the owners have perfected a method of being able to get actual volcanic lava to flow in so that you can see the whole process of when it starts off molten hot to when it cools down to form lava rocks or black sand when coming into contact with ice. The cooled down lava rocks they give you to take home as a souvenir afterwards makes for a lovely keepsake.

You can have a lovely lunch or dinner at the restaurant there before or after the shows (they have two shows a day) as they are famous for their soups.

This was all along the way as we drove along the southern coast of Iceland, making our way out to Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon near the glaciers so we can be rest up and prepare for our “Ice Day” the next day. This was the longest stretch of driving we did on the trip and my advice would be to fill up the gas tank in the rental car somewhere between Vík and the Fosshotel when you see one, just because you won’t see one for a long time and will definitely to need to fill up by then.

Day/Night 4: Ice Day

Ice Day consisted of a tour via the company Blue Iceland doing ice glacier hiking and exploring the bluest ice caves in Iceland. The tour company provides you with a ride to the glacier, the helmet and crampons to gear up with and a guide that helps you with all that and takes you on the ice glacier hike & ice caving. We signed up for the 5-7 hour tour, which might sound long but it does take about 45 minutes to get to the glacier, which equates to about 90 minutes roundtrip. While ice glacier hiking is still an option during the summer months, April is the last month before ice caving no longer is an option for the rest of the summer months. So again, timing-wise if you want to make it to Iceland and be able to see/do things like the Northern Lights or the ice caving, this would be the time to go without having to worry about the daylight duration being too short or too long. While the Northern Lights phenomenon was a bit underwhelming for me personally because I couldn’t see it with my own eyes, the gorgeous blue of the ice caves is pretty much as photographed and not disappointing at all. You are also made very aware of how much of the glacier and ice caves changes and sadly disappears everyday, which is all the more why we should appreciate it when we get to see it.

The “Ice Day” concluded with a gorgeous snowy weather/landscape of the Magma Hotel, which I specifically chose for their unique grassy rooftop features and delicious food. The grassy rooftops are part of traditional Icelandic architecture that helps insulate heat.

Day 5: Blue Lagoon + Return Flight

While we were able to make a quick/spontaneous pit stop again at the Seljalandsfoss waterfall where we had just stopped by two days prior driving in the opposite direction. The first time we went to the back of the main/big waterfall so this time we stopped by the so-called “secret” waterfall, which is a smaller waterfall off to the side hidden deeper behind a narrow pathway. I emphasize the “spontaneous” and “quick” part of the pit stops because if you’re like me and want to make sure you don’t end up late or be close to being late to things especially when you had reservations like we did to the Lava Show or the Blue Lagoon on those days afterwards, you probably preplanned everything to make sure you have enough time to make it to things on time. Day 3 and 5 had the most driving and multiple reservation times to keep track of so if you want/need to still do other things like meal and bathroom breaks or pit stops along the way, preplan accordingly and let others traveling with you how much time you can all spend on these places) We did stop by the famous Blue Lagoon to relax one last time before getting back to the rental car drop off & airport. In comparison, the Secret Lagoon we had soaked in on Day 2 during the Golden Circle tour was a bit more rustic. So if you like that luxurious spa environment this one might feel more preferable.

The Journey Overview

Color Inspiration from Sweden: Purple

Before my trip to Sweden this year, I imagined the color blue (as evident from my Swedish-Inspired Dress blog post). But I ended up coming back with some purple instead!

I was so excited about packing my Swedish-inspired dress on the trip, only to be disappointed by the weather forecast that was consistent with the result of a rather cold summer there this year. So I didn’t get to bring the dress nor the shoes with me, unfortunately.

So I put on my purple jacket with the pink piping accent and went on a solo tour of Stockholm. To help me fuel my energy to keep roaming around Stockholm that day, I lunched at a Swedish meatball specialty restaurant, which was on my list of things to cross off on this trip:

My Find at Lisa Larsson’s Second Hand: Purple Hat 

Going to Lisa Larsson’s was another item on my Stockholm List. The vividness of the purple hat I got there contrasted wonderfully against the orange bag it was put inside, reminiscent of the now full-on pumpkin-everything season. So I decided to do an orange dress base with the rich purple accessories to match the hat.

<Click here to buy the purple peacock feather pumps I’m wearing in the photo above>

The Unexpected Gift: Purple Bracelet 

On the trip, I received a shocking amount of gifts from those who wanted to show appreciation for my work as a translator & commentator coming in from the states, one of them being this lovely purple stones bracelet. The lighter purple in this one made me think of this pairing of a white dress base with similar-colored purple accessories like I did with the orange dress.

~Happy Autumn~

-M

Travel Adventures: New York & Canada

I attended a wedding in New York last month which was followed by a trip to Canada to visit a friend of mine who is expecting a bundle of joy soon.

Having become accustomed to living in the forrest, the honking and noise in general in New York City was definitely a bit foreign to me. I stayed on Wall Street and was awoken the first day while napping away my jet lag by the constant noise of the gonging church bells from the famous Trinity Church that I saw peeking out amongst the high rise buildings during a walk. I did get to appreciate great quality architecture in both New York in Canada on this trip and my fascination for interesting looking doors was fed.

In fact, the charming Victorian home I stayed in Canada had these antique doorknobs with keys and all, which was very much reminiscent of the charming wallet that I recently got that evokes a sense of  travel adventure of its own:

I did visit Niagara Falls for the first time on this trip. At first glance, when I saw a whole bunch of white things floating around on the water from a distance I was disgusted thinking that people had littered the water, but then realized when I got there up close that the white things were actually pieces of ice floating (it was that cold still).

It still felt like spring though when my friend took me to the Botanical Gardens by the falls. Another travel-appropriate purchase I had just made was appropriately enough a floral insulated lunch bag.

It was Easter so there were also adorable live chicks and other shops in the Old Town screamed pastel.

On this trip, I also became hooked on face masks and have since then decided to trade in my monthly facial memberships for this more economical [and possibly more effective] beauty regiment option.

While I believe in traveling in style, I also make sure I got my slippers and robe for down time.

Happy Spring!

-M

Museum of Ice Cream

This year, to celebrate my birthday one of dear my girlfriends agreed to go to the Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco with me. I had wondered what all the hype was about as the tickets keep getting sold out. NOTE: Even though we planned this a month in advance we still were not able to get tickets for the day of and settled for 1 of only 2 time slots that were left for the day after so I highly advise anyone thinking about going to this to REALLY plan ahead.

It was also my first time getting tickets to a museum for a reserved time slot so I had wondered what that was about. The tour kicks off with a sample of ice cream followed by a timed session inside a sprinkle pool, which made sense of the reserved time slots so that there would be a certain number of people inside the pool at any given time.

There were definitely plenty of photo ops during the tour and it was noticeable (as you could tell from the photo above) that many people came prepared by wearing pink (the staff members there were also dressed in all pink). I, on the other hand didn’t go quite pink all the way but committed to the ice cream theme and sported my ice cream cardigan + ice cream dress that I got for the occasion:

The whole place did have a girly version of a Willy Wonka wonderland feel to it and the other treats we got along the way like cotton candy or the activities at different stations made you feel like you’re at an amusement park (except on this one you’re doing all the fun things as you wait in line as you continue to move along the tour).

And even as I celebrate getting another year older, it’s a reminder of how important it is to keep that playful inner child and wonder alive.

M

The Morcom Municipal Rose Garden

Recently, one of my girlfriends and I had a lovely afternoon at the Morcom Municipal Rose Garden. We picked up bowls of gourmet mac & cheese from Homeroom on our way there (at their to-go location) and enjoyed the beautiful view of roses as we sat on one of their benches for lunch.

I did appropriately enough sport some rose fashion that day, including the ring my friend Leilani gifted me while I was on a trip to Seattle recently.

Apparently there was a wedding there that weekend (there are two areas in the garden that get used for weddings). And when we were there, it was apparent that a girl was trying to shoot a scene for her music video there too.

I still have my rose phase going on with my weekly rose bouquets that I buy for myself so it was nice to be surrounded by so many varieties at once.

So here’s to remembering to smell the roses,

-M

My Watsonville-Capitola Day Trip Adventures

The day started off at the Roses of Yesterday and Today in Watsonville for a picnic lunch. To our slight disappointment, the roses were not blooming yet. It is free to go inside and look around. And the nice balance between a little sunshine showing through the shades of trees that surround the rose garden combined with the quiet serenity really made it for a relaxing spot. I am so going back when the roses are in bloom!

The second stop was at the Martinelli’s Company Store where we tasted soooo many different kinds of cider and juice flavors that we didn’t even know Martinelli’s made (some of them were exclusively available at this company store too). It’s really like wine tasting minus the alcohol and it’s also free *wink*wink*

There were some limited edition items in their store too since Martinelli’s is celebrating their 150th anniversary!

 

The company store also has a mini museum display of rare photos and artifacts:

 

We also got to pose in front of this former door that is now on display inside the company store (below). The staff person pointed out that “Watsonville” was misspelled as “Watsonvill” on the door:

The views in Capitola was just gorgeous no matter where we went. The weather made it so pleasant to be by the beach:

And the shops there were charming and unique. I spotted a very sensual display of women’s body parts made into these sculptured pieces inside one of the stores:

The day concluded with a delicious dinner at Shadowbrook Restaurant where I did not take any photographs but if you go to their website you do get a very good “picture” of how scenic and gorgeous their location is. The fact that you descend down into the restaurant via a gondola ride is another unique, charming touch — just like the town it’s in.

Thank you Watsonville and Capitola — for a wonderful time!

-M

Eco-Friendly Household Products Review: The Honest Company

I had heard about The Honest Company for a while now since Jessica Alba started promoting it a few years ago (upon her starting it). I spotted a few Honest Company items on a shelf in a Sprout’s grocery store several weeks ago and decided to give their hair conditioner a try. I then decided to check out their website and tried out their customizable 5 products bundle (to which you can have a monthly subscription to). This is what I decided to get:

Items #1, 2: Conditioner (My rating: A+)

Since I go through hair conditioner fairly quickly, I decided to order two bottles of it. And I am personally a fan of the thick-necked pump feature the lids of the bottles come in because it won’t break off easily and you can retract it to lay back flat if you want to with ease. This is what obviously got me interested in the rest of The Honest Company’s products and still ranks as my favorite.
Click here to buy Honest Conditioner

If my hair was finer I may need more intense conditioning (The Honest Company does have a detangling conditioner too) but their regular one works just fine for my hair.

Item #3: Laundry Detergent (My rating: A)

I also do laundry everyday because I need to launder supplies for my business so I wanted to try their laundry detergent. Prior to this, I’ve used Method as well as Seventh Generation and I definitely think Honest Laundry Detergent was better than Seventh Generation’s because a.) The laundry does appear to come out cleaner and b.) the amount I have to use to achieve the effect is considerably less.

Like a lot of their products, Method’s laundry detergent does come in a pump bottle which does make it easier to not have to measure out into a cup and is more compact. However, I’ve had a few accidents BECAUSE of the bottle being a pump since I walk over to a laundry room with it so it would probably be more ideal if I had a landry room where I could keep the pump bottle there. So for now, I would go with The Honest Company again though I’ve also gotten recommendations for Molly’s Suds laundry detergent so I’ll have to try that out and come out with another verdict.

Item #4: All Purpose Balm (My Rating: A)

The organic all purpose balm reminded me of the Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Cream I’ve been using and decided to swap it in for the time being since my foot cream supply in its tube was nearing its end. For people that prefer something unscented, the All Purpose Balm is preferable to the Coconut Foot Cream. As a bonus, the All Purpose Balm also meets the 3.4 oz. or less requirement for carrying liquids on airplanes which makes it a great travel companion too (though the thickness of it makes me wonder if it would even be categorized as “liquids”). So this one is a keeper.

Item #5: Dish Soap (My Rating: C-) 

The first thing I noticed about the Honest Lemon Verbena Dish Soap is that it’s very runny compared to Method’s Ginger Yuzu dish soap I’ve been using. It does make it feel like the soap gets diluted faster (and if you’re not careful enough, you can easily pour out a lot since it comes out more liquidy). And in referring back to my review for their conditioner, I wish that The Honest Company would use a pump container also for their dish soap which is also something I do like about Method’s dish soap. So in the future, the Honest dish soap is not my first choice.

~Bonus Items I Purchased Outside of the Bundle~

The Lotion (My Rating: B+) 

Although I did not have it in my bundle order, I have started using the Honest Face + Body Lotion(also in apricot) as well. The scent is very subtle and the consistency is slightly on the runnier side compared to the Burt’s Bees one I’ve been using which does make it easier to apply but maybe a bit more runnier than my personal preference. Like most lotions, I add in a few drops of body oil (I’ve been using Trader Joe’s Argan oil) when I apply it on. The Honest Company does have their own body oil too, so I will most likely give that a try in one of my bundles order in the near future as well. 

The Shampoo/Body Wash (My Rating: B)

I know it makes me sound like a hater of runny items, but this was similar to my experience with their dish soap. Perhaps as a body wash this is a more normal consistency but it’s definitely one of the runniest shampoos I’ve ever used.

In comparison to the shampoo I’ve been using (Yes to Carrots) the container it comes in is a lot more preferable since it’s in the same style thick-neck pump bottle their conditioner comes in. I actually really don’t like the lids of the bottles the Yes to Carrots conditioner or shampoo come in because they don’t work very well so I always leave them standing upside down (lid side down) to make sure I can get product to come out. And the scents for both Yes to Carrots and the Honest shampoos are thankfully very subtle as I’m not a fan of heavy perfumes.

But the runny consistency may be bad enough for me to want to go back to the Yes to Carrots shampoo after I’m done using this one (and I may just fill the empty Honest Company pump bottle with the Yes to Carrots shampoo).

---

If I were to be completely “honest” about ordering products via The Honest Company’s website, it’s been trying. I’ve done it twice now and both times I’ve had to go through customer service to make corrections. And unfortunately, the second time around the order was placed over the weekend and no one was able to get back to me until Tuesday. So I am now waiting for an incorrect order to arrive so that I can go through their return/exchange process. Though their 5 items for $25 bundle deal for first time bundle orders is a pretty darn good deal.

The thing with The Honest Company products is that it’s very much marketed towards households with babies. I finally stumbled across them at a local CVS store recently. But again, they were in the baby products aisle. As a result, I feel like those who are childless end up missing the chance of noticing them. With or without a baby, there are people like myself out there who want to use household products without harsh chemicals and toxins.

Here’s to healthy living,

M
(Now an affiliate of The Honest Company)

My Travel Adventures in Arizona

As mentioned in my book, I have met so many wonderful ladies at the Matthew Hussey Retreat in 2015 and I had the opportunity to visit one of them in Arizona last week. It was my first time in Arizona and my second trip out to a dessert landscape this year. The trip included other first time experiences for me, including picking apples at an apple orchard:

The photo (above) was taken at Annie’s Apple Orchards in Wilcox.

In Tucson, University of Arizona (aka the U of A) is a big deal and I got to look at the gorgeous collection of beautiful rocks and gems at the UA Mineral Museum.

One of the gorgeous pieces I saw amongst the jewels an gems collection

I have yet to pronounce “Saguaro” correctly but did share lots of laughs trying and learned how long it takes for them to grow to the majestic heights they can become.

With Lilian of Roma’s

Some good eats I got to enjoy courtesy of my Tucson friend included Roma’s and Eegees. At first you get the impression that Roma’s is a charming Italian restaurant but they really do actually have a mix of different things from other cuisines (ie. I spotted dolmas in the deli counter).

With a watermelon eegee

Eggees is both the name of the local chain restaurants as well as the frozen beverage they are known for. Though it’s a rather dense beverage to enjoy via a straw so I would highly recommend trying it with a spoon. The flavor I tried was a watermelon eegee and it was thankfully not overly sweet.

I spotted this inside a boutique lingerie shop and couldn’t help but share as an homage to my modern vintage-ness:

The day I get told I’m old, I will own it and embrace my vintage charm! *with a wink*

Yours truly,

– The Modern Vintage Woman-

Seeing Dots

I decided to buy a new pair of brown pumps as they are considered essential in my wardrobe. And of course I decided to get a few other pieces that coincidentally seemed to all work together  (the red hair band and grey dress I was wearing underneath the coat were not part of the new purchase):

Click here to buy the coat

Though I will not be keeping the coat (the buttons were placed in places that made it a bit tight for active movement) I am definitely not disappointed in the quality of the tights. When it comes to patterned tights I do prefer subtlety and the polka dots thankfully did not make me look like a purple dinosaur (although you may beg to differ). As you could tell from the full body shot, you can’t really tell until you take a look at a closer up photo:

Click here to buy the shoes
Click here to buy the tights

And secretly, there are red polka dots on the inside lining of the pumps too 😉 It might be because I generally prefer to wear shoes that have rounded toes rather than pointed toes, but there is something about round buttons and dots that are timeless and classy when done right. If it starts raining again, this would be an adorable look to pair with an umbrella. But it has been sunny again here in northern California, so perhaps I’ll be alright with returning the coat after all.

La tee dot, dot, dot ….

-M

On Figuring Out What We Really Want When You Feel “Stuck”

In about a week we will be welcoming a new year again and it’s that time of the year when a lot of people start to think of New Year’s resolutions and goals. If you’re reading this you might sometimes feel like you’re the only person in the world who doesn’t seem to know what your calling is, whether you ever want to get married or have kids, or just that feeling of being “stuck.”

Your rational side knows that you are not the only one who feels these things, as alone as you may feel in the moment. That thought alone was enough to comfort me recently when I was having a moment.

I was having a conversation with a girlfriend who decided to make the very brave decision of temporarily living in a foreign country where she knows no one and does not speak the language in order to take time to figure out what she would like to do with her career upon returning to her home country. Understandably, she too was feeling very “alone” and needed someone to talk to.

In talking to my friend, it related back to all these other things in life that often seem uncertain. I said that I agreed with Steve Jobs’ school of thought on how people don’t know what they really want until they are shown what they want. I think a lot of us – even many of those who claim they know what they want – have ideas of what we want/don’t want.

Like when we make lists of qualities we look for in a mate – I’ve done it too, and I’ve written a whole book on lists! And when we do meet someone we end up falling in love with, that person may possess some of or many of the qualities we thought we would like. But then he/she may have all these other things about them that we didn’t even think to put on our list. Or if we thought we never wanted a mate – but then someone wonderful came along and changed our mind about the whole thing …

You might have to  go through several career changes before we find something we truly love to do. Or date and kiss a lot of frogs before we find a prince. Or move thirty times before we find a place where we truly feel at home. Even then, some people never get there. But I think the important thing is that we keep trying and believing that we just might get there at some point. At the end of our lives, isn’t better to know we at least did something or anything about it?

So if you feel stuck even after all the trying, give yourself a break. Giving yourself a break doesn’t mean to stop trying. But things often take time and patience which can be trying. Even if you’re feeling frustrated because you feel like you’re not getting any solutions as you’re thinking about what you should do, you’re still doing something. There are many people in this world who never even stop to think or question these things, ignoring their gut feelings or not even acknowledge them.

One of the reasons why I am a prolific journal writer is because it is one of the ways I process my emotions and thoughts. So if you haven’t tried it yet perhaps write it all out, whatever it is that is on your mind and see how your thoughts flow out. I believe sometimes solutions become more evident when you write out the problems because you are also able to examine things like the cause(s) of the problem(s) and organize your thoughts. This is why some people go the route of writing a love letter to profess their feelings to someone because it gives them a chance to think about how they want to say what during the process of scribing it.

If it’s of any consolation, I have many times over written about the same darn things over and over in my journals. You don’t have to show anyone else what you have written so don’t be so judgmental of yourself. Just let yourself write, cry, laugh, smile, and then write some more.

As Ellen DeGeneres would say, “Be kind to one another.” And if I may add, be kind to yourself too.

-M