lesleymurphy

Moving On & Moving In: I Have A New Home!

May 1, 2018 by lesleymurphy 88 Comments

As of May 1, 2018, I have a HOME. ROOTS…KINDA. A PLACE TO PUT MY BAJILLION SUITCASES.

That feels odd to say, and I feel a strange reverse culture shock coming on…

I’ve become comfortable telling people I’m homeless as they gaze at me with suspicious eyes. “Where do you live?” they ask. “Well, nowhere really.” So many questions. I then go down the travel blogger rabbit hole.

Of course I’ve always had my parents’ home in Arkansas or my sister’s apartment in Dallas as a retreat between trips around the globe, but I haven’t carried keys of my own since April 30th, 2015 in South America.

For 36 months I didn’t pay rent, I haven’t taken out the trash, and I might just be the worst cook in America at this point. I’ve been without a kitchen but damn did I rack up some airline miles. I can’t tell you a more freeing feeling than that.

It was time to unpack the beat up suitcase and get a home…but where was the question. It’s kind of like the age old problem of what birthday or Christmas gift do you get someone who already has everything? My version of that is where do you tell a travel blogger to live when they’ve had a taste of so many amazing places around the globe? I remember being in this same mindset around the beginning of last year and then boom. Two big surgeries happened. Oh well. That’s a year of rent money saved and a life of cancer free boobs, a win in my book. Being this location independent and this geographically noncommittal proved a bit difficult to choose where to land. Not ONE specific place jumped out. I could just as well be in LA or Dallas or Barcelona. Nothing made sense to me and to be honest, it still doesn’t. My reasoning behind LA was work (my agency is based here and so are many other projects), direct flights from LAX (score) and having already lived here in a previous life (circa 2013 with my sister). But a gypsy soul is a gypsy soul. That’s why I signed a 5 month lease in a furnished apartment. Nothing is permanent, and I like it like that.

Today it’s rainy and gray here in LA, a very odd welcome to a notoriously sunny and 70something city. Perhaps that’s not such a bad omen, though. The day I moved to D.C. years ago, my car got totaled (love you, mom!). The day I moved to Argentina, the airline lost my luggage – but look how good that adventure turned out! I started an amazing career in travel and the rest is history. I have a good feeling about planting some roots for the time being 🙂

I will absolutely continue to travel, even with a home. For three years, I said ‘yes’ to almost everything that came my way. I think it’s imperative to do this in the beginning stages of anything…and I’ll always say that it’s important to say ‘yes’ more than ‘no’ in life. The amount of stories, contacts and memories that can come from it is invaluable. After trying my hardest to get as many experiences under my belt in three years, I’m excited to take on more meaningful trips instead of jumping on a plane just to jump on a plane (and don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing bad about that!). Reinventing yourself and evolving is a necessity, and I’m happy to shift gears and start a new lifestyle. My gosh – it’s just an apartment, right? I like to look at everything as an experiment. A new city? Experiment. A new home? Same thing. A new recipe? Definitely. A new baby? Damn sure gotta be. A new reality TV show? Mmhmm. A new boyfriend? Let’s just say some experiments are better than others.

Hotel life will always be there, but this is me giving myself permission to try on a new lifestyle, new projects and a new community. If I vehemently dislike it, LAX is only 5 miles away 🙂 There’s always Paris. Or Buenos Aires. Or Cape Town. Or Vancouver. Or Shanghai. Or Sydney. The list goes on and on…but I have a feeling this sun room is going to be hard to leave! I am already low-key obsessed with this lil one bedroom paradise…

The Road Les Traveled has been beyond exciting, sometimes bumpy, a little bit scary but always a hell of a time. I simply just turned right along the scenic route for a bit 😉 From surgeries to travel to The Bachelor, I’ve always loved taking y’all along with me. This sense of community has kept me going on the road for years and hopefully always will! I hope you’ve enjoyed this new update! Thanks for sticking with me along the way. Now feel free to sign off with your favorite recipes, cleaning supplies, bedding, or anything else remotely domestic because I’m a wee bit lost when it comes to this category. Love y’all to the moon and back!

15 Ways to Bounce Back After A Break Up

April 20, 2018 by lesleymurphy 21 Comments

If you’re all “Help! I suck at dating” like some people I know, consider these practices an aid if you’re going through some hard times. And even if you don’t suck at dating, you can apply these practices to other life events. Many of you sent in message after message about going through similar pain and asking for tips on how to heal a broken heart and move on. Here’s what I’ve been up to the past couple of weeks…

(Sidenote: this photo was too good/dramatic NOT to put here. Break up talk in the rain with an umbrella ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Perfect placement if I do say so myself. Gotta love Costa Rica in rainy season.)

Nature

I’ve been very drawn to nature recently. I don’t want to be inside a gym to work out. I don’t want to watch any sort of TV (except for binging Queer Eye because it’s THAT good and makes me laugh and happy cry all at the same time). I crave being by a body of water or amongst trees for a run. It’s no secret that nature is cheaper than therapy 🙂 When I had my surgery last year, one of the first trips I took was a solo trip to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. WHOA. Talking about healing powers. I came back healed and happy as a clam. (Are clams even happy though? Profound thoughts of the day…)

Gym

Run. Run. And run some more. I’m not saying run away from your problems at all, but get the endorphins going as they act as a natural “drug” that make people more energetic, more awake and, yes, happier 🙂 If you’re in the mood to hit something, may I suggest Title Boxing? Love that place. I was talking with a good friend last week who gave me some advice. She told me when she was going through a break up, she allowed herself to only think about her ex while on the treadmill. Don’t give him any more brain power than that.

Music

The lovely late poet John O’Donohue once said that music is what language would love to be if it could. It moves people in a way that simple words cannot. It can transport the listener and take them to another place entirely. It can bring out the greatest joy as well as the deepest sorrow, but the healing force is undeniable…whether it be fierce girl power by Beyoncé or melancholic music from Ruth B.

After loads of requests, I’ve complied some powerful songs that pack a punch to get you through hard times. It goes through the anatomy of a break up, and I call it Catching Flights Not Feelings.

Yoga

It’s been hard to be present recently. Some days I felt like I was just going through the motions and not fully aware of what was going on around me. This is something I’ve always struggled with, though, since I’m always writing about the past and planning for future travels. It’s hard to be truly mindful of where I currently am sometimes. Because of that, I’ve been able to find new meaning in yoga. I’ve been practicing for 8 years now, but it hasn’t been until the past few years that I looked at it as something more than just a workout. More on that later, but if you’re a beginner and want to get into yoga, I’d suggest finding a local studio and going to a Beginner’s class. If you aren’t near a studio, try out YogaGlo.com. I used this platform all the time while living in Argentina and fell in love 🙂 One of my favorite teachers is Katheryn Budig, but I’d suggest trying out many different instructors to see who you like.

Road trips

I went to Dallas the day of the break up. I cried. I yelled. I sang at the top of my lungs for 4 1/2 hours. It was all very therapeutic.

Friends and wine

Keep them. Love them. Cherish them. They are both good food/drink for the soul.

Dogs

They will always be excited to see you when you walk in the door. Affectionate, loving and comforting 27/4 and what’s better than that? Short answer: nothing.

Baths

Lots of them. With wine. Bubbles. Pizza. Anything can compliment a bath if you let it.

No alarm clocks

Self love is important, and proper self love is good sleep. I remember turning all of my alarms off last year while I recovered from surgery, and I did the same thing for a few days this April as well.

Writing

Oooh so therapeutic. Even if you aren’t a writer, try it. It might surprise you. If there are still loose ends you want to tie up, write him/her a letter. I was able to speak my mind and say every little last thing which was so cathartic, but I know that not everyone gets that opportunity.

Reading

Anything. Trashy romance novels. Self help books. Gossip mags. Cookbooks. Whatever floats your boat. I just started The Love Gap by Jenna Birch who was kind enough to send me a copy. She talks about millennial themes in dating and why smart women are still single…WHY JENNA? So.many.questions.

Travel

Ohhh Mexico. It sounds so simple I just got to go… James Taylor knew exactly what he was talking about with these lyrics. Visit Mexico sent me to Mazatlán for some beach time and travel conference time, but yeah, mostly beach time. Somethin’ bout the ocean ya know? Check out Skyscanner‘s ‘Everywhere’ option when typing inside the TO box. It’ll show you the cheapest tickets from your airport to anywhere in the world for whatever dates you put in.

Listen

Podcasts. Like blogs, they’ve been around for a while but they’ve recently really caught on. Lots of people have them, so it’s just about listening to finding out what sings to you.

Recommendations:

This American Life: Break-Up – Someone on Twitter suggested this episode to me, so I listened to it while on a long walk. The beginning part about Phil Collins and writing the perfect break-up song was pretty entertaining.

On Being with Krista Tippett: The Inner Landscape of Beauty with John O’Donohue – This may be my favorite episode of a podcast I’ve ever listened to. It’s pretty intense and gets super deep, so stay with it. Lots of goldmines in the last half of it!

10% Happier with Dan Harris – This is actually my favorite book, but Dan has created a podcast with the same overarching theme of the book. He talks with various people to see if there’s anything beyond that 10%.

Watch

QUEER EYE. Low key obsessed and you should probably be too. Seeing these 5 men in their element and bridging the gap in a very divided America is e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. It’s on Netflix if you haven’t yet feasted your eyes. Do it.

Unfollow

Social media is a blessing and a curse. Some days it reinstalls my faith in humanity and how beautiful it is. Some days it’s a total drag from Trolly McTollersons. Haters gunna hate. Playas gunna play. F*boys gunna f.

Like Beyoncé once said – he’s probably the best thing you never had. Onwards and upwards, y’all.

Your turn – any advice on break up activities?

Happy Birthday Foobs! Life A Year Later

April 11, 2018 by lesleymurphy 22 Comments

Exactly 365 days ago on April 11th, 2017, I remember walking into the Cancer Institute in Little Rock, Arkansas around 5:30am. It was so early, but I knew I’d be comatose on an O.R. table soon. Cameras were following me down the hallways since Inside Edition was covering the story. I was led into a changing room where I put on compression socks and a chic blue hat. A nurse stuck an IV in my arm and handed me Marinol to swallow, sort of like an FDA approved form of marijuana, if you will. I started feeling really good about the whole process here. I kissed my parents goodbye and was wheeled into the operating room. The last thing I remember is laughing with my breast surgeon who was wearing a Hello Kitty cap. Good times, good times.

Lesley Murphy talks about her one year post double mastectomy

Seven hours later, I woke up.

It’s almost impossible to describe the pain. I could show photos that would give you a better idea, but they are more than graphic. Corpse-like or losing a bear fight are accurate descriptions of what I looked like, but having my chest detach from my body is what it felt like. It’s funny to remember the feeling of getting out of that hospital bed for the first time, but it’s almost as if my mind has since gone through this weird case of amnesia. Not that I’ve gone through child birth, but I feel like women forget about the pain as time goes on. We are badasses like that, I know, but it’s as if the magic outweighs the trauma. Some people get new babies. Other people get new boobs.

Isn’t the human body the most amazing thing? A year later, I’m back doing the same workouts, just in different sports bras 🙂 I remember being so frustrated with my yoga practice towards the end of last year, but I can finally do chaturanga again among other asanas, and I’m getting more comfortable spending time on my stomach. I can’t fall asleep in this position yet, but I’m determined to go unconsciously comfortable in it one day soon.

I didn’t realize how much work chest muscles do in order to preform little tasks. Opening doors and all sorts of bottles isn’t necessarily easy anymore. Nothing pisses me off more than a child proof pill container. When I exercise or stand in a weird position, sometimes my boobs ripple, but then I remember that I have a 1% chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in my life, and that’s pretty fucking cool. I think the two most important things to be aware of in this situation are support systems and a healthy body image/self love/acceptance. Nobody can walk through this alone, and with the help of amazing family, friends and social media strangers, I was able to bounce back quickly. I’ve also grown up with a healthy outlook on body image. My parents raised three daughters, and I never once remember a scale ever being in the house. Obsessing over numbers only drives insanity. The positive attitude I hold towards my own physical being helped me look in the mirror after the fact and continue to like what I saw. Cool scars. Battle wounds. Badges of honor. Really strange yet unique tattoos with a story 🙂

Spoiler alert – a close up of my foobs is upon you…

Now that that’s out of the way, this leads me to another important, yet awkward, realization.

Dating after a double mastectomy can be really weird. I can tell my story all day for advocacy and awareness reasons, but to tell a potential partner about what to expect is scary, no matter how confident you may be about your decision. Your partner should find you sexy because you are, not because you’re brave or because they feel an obligation to say certain words to your face. I’m low key obsessed with previvor Paige and her boyfriend Justin. It’s so important that the support and communication continue throughout a relationship, in and out of the bedroom, and on and off screen…

April seems to have morphed its way into a healing month for me. Much growth comes from pain, no matter if that pain manifests its way in the physical or emotional form.

You’re gonna be happy, said Life, but first I’ll make you strong.

Ohhhh how I love this quote. Suffering, of any kind, connects us all. It unifies humanity in a way that always gives us some kind of common ground. Every experience has the ability to shape us into powerful people if we allow it and most importantly, if we FEEL it. If we never process a change that’s trying to take place within us, we risk not being able to shift old habits and patterns. If we allow that growth and transformation to take place, beautiful things can blossom.

Going public with my preventative double mastectomy has taught me that being open and vulnerable not only aids in the healing process, but it can also save lives. I don’t mean for that to sound all Grey’s Anatomy dramatic, but I have never known the sheer power of social media and blogging until this experience. Having such a great support group is imperative in healing, and I know that sharing my story has helped other women with a similar story cope with the emotional and physical pain. To thrive. To rise. To survive. Cancer or no cancer. I believe that when we’re open, authentic, and portray the truest version of ourselves, our confidence has an opportunity to shine brighter than ever before. It’s approachable and creates a domino effect, giving other women who walk a similar path the strength they need to finish the drill. At the end of the day, we know that whatever we went through had a purpose(s). Bloom on, wild ones.

Happy bday, foobs 🙂

Puerto Rico, Past & Present

March 20, 2018 by lesleymurphy 18 Comments

Today marks six months since Hurricane Maria. Out of the seven times I visited, two were humanitarian trips. It’s crazy to think how I visited so often in the beginning, trying to highlight all the incredible things the island had to offer. From the pristine nature to the street festivals, I saw Puerto Rico at its best. After September 20th, 2017, I saw it at its worst. With destruction all over the news, I couldn’t stop thinking about the shattered island. I had to get down there. The problem with doing aid work is that you can’t just show up and say, “Hey! I’m here to help!” You must be involved with some kind of organization or non-profit. Volunteer work gets messy if structure goes out the window. I called everyone I knew with ties to Puerto Rico. I put up IG stories saying if anyone knew of anyone, PLEASE put us in contact. I even thought about trying to charter a plane there, but thankfully a friend of mine was one step ahead of me. I was way out of my league by that point.

One day in September, I received a DM from a woman in Miami saying she had just dropped off donations at a warehouse. All she gave me was an address, a name and a number. I called it that very day and in early October, I met with the founding partners of a coalition made up of Alison Thompson from Third Wave Volunteers, Michael Capponi from Global Empowerment Mission and Bethenny Frankel from B Strong (and amazing reality TV). I’m forever grateful for complete strangers and fine human beings willing to work together for the greater good. From sun up to way past sundown, this group met at a 100,000 square foot warehouse daily and managed logistics and made deals with donors and operated forklifts and packed first aid kits and wrapped palette after palette and attended fundraisers and ah. My heart swells when I think back on that crazy October. After years of traveling to unbelievable places around the globe, I fully realize how important it is to give back to those locations that have given me so much – memories, friends, work, adventure, a touch of home.

A few days before I had to depart Miami, we got a call that a someone had chartered a plane to Puerto Rico for a small group. The government had contracted all the cargo planes and commercial jets weren’t operating on normal schedules. With the money raised from his restaurant’s fundraiser in Denver, Juan Padro used the proceeds — more than $100,000 — to distribute aid on the island. We packed the plane with food, water filters and solar lights as Alison Thompson, world-renowned Humanitarian Extraordinaire, led the way. Read Juan’s raw and honest account of that period in time here.

I had never seen Puerto Rico in this state. As we pulled out of the airport, there were no swaying palm trees. Many were without palms entirely, only a bare stump to remain as a sign of calmer times. Hoards of people waited in desperation to purchase food from corner stores that began to operate again. Lines of people clogged the airport in an effort to get off the island. A maze of cars descended upon gas stations with fuel. There were far fewer locals with carefree grins along their faces, their lives having been turned upside down by Hurricane Irma and Maria.

During my first day on the island, I met a five-year-old boy named Eliam. He lived in a crippling house on Crash Boat Beach near Aguadilla, an area that experienced 215 mph winds during the hurricane. Eliam was very shy, and when I spoke to him in Spanish, he answered me in English. I kept on, asking him about his home and how he was feeling after the hurricane. He told me his family cannot cook, cannot bathe, cannot drink, and cannot turn on any lights. Nobody had been to check on them in weeks. I handed him a water filter and a solar light with a heavy heart, showing him the light’s different settings of low, high and emergency. He walked away from me that evening with a glimmer of hope and a lifted spirit. I can’t adequately explain to you how it felt when an elderly woman looked me in the eyes with pure elation after she was handed a light source and water filter. She’d seen zero aid until we showed up. Children were ecstatic because they could see through the darkness again. When the most simplistic features and basic needs become luxuries, humanity is stripped of egos, of status, of prejudice..

My very first trip of 2018 was back to Puerto Rico with my favorite human in the travel biz, Brian Kelly, affectionately known as ‘The Points Guy.’ He, alongside See Puerto Rico, organized an amazing trip full of beach clean ups, house repairs, children hospital visits and a fun Three King’s Day celebration (one of the island’s biggest holidays) in Juana Diaz.

What a time to be alive. I loved everything about this trip, and even though we hardly slept, I think we did a good job of raising morale and showing the world that San Juan and other areas of the island are absolutely ready for tourism. This island has made a HUGE comeback since September.

If you’ve skimmed through this article, at least remember this: Don’t shy away from visiting Puerto Rico. I repeat: The island is ready for tourism! Some parts of the island still have rebuilding to do, but the locals are beyond resilient and won’t be defined by any storm.

Get ready to shop in its charming streets…

Bask in the warm sand…

Stay in its stunning hotels…

And take in its beautiful views 🙂

Keeping Up With Kerala: What To Do in South India

March 19, 2018 by lesleymurphy 2 Comments

South India is such a stark contrast to the north. English is known by 99% of people down here which makes things a bit easier. All states in India speak different languages making it impossible for people to understand one another if/when they travel outside of their comfort zone. Cows aren’t considered as holy down south. A lot of beef is consumed in Kerala, and Christmas is even celebrated. Seafood is plentiful. Palms trees are in abundance, which means coconuts rule the land 🙂 Every part of the fruit is utilized such as the fibers for ropes, milk for oil/cooking and shells for iron. Sarees are even worn differently here with a tube top addition. The higher the humidity, the less clothing. I support it.

Our first activity while in the south was a cooking class in a local’s home. I was EXTREMELY out of my element here since I haven’t had a kitchen in three years, but it was great to see what actually goes into creating these masterpieces.

In terms of flavors, I noticed that the meat or fish actually do the talking. They’re spiced just right without drowning in rich sauces. Flavors tend to be smoother here, not so much a northern hit-you-in-the-face kind of spice that’ll knock your tongue off. All in all, India loves its curry, an umbrella term used to describe foods with various spices usually prepared in a sauce. That’s a commonality amongst all states.

The lovely couple who welcomed us into their kitchen pretty much finished the cooking for us (I mean I had ZERO clue what I was doing in there besides wiping my sweat every 5 seconds with a tissue), and we ate and ate and ate like Indian princesses drenched in their own dried sweat, only ready to sweat some more because they couldn’y handle the teeniest ounce of spice to their bland AF palette. Feeling 6 months pregnant and ready for an ice bath, I rolled myself out the door, thanking the local couple kindly. Aren’t we quite the modern family?

Kerala seemed like one big giant retreat the entire week we explored. Out of the 10ish beds we slept in during our two weeks in India, some of my favorite hotels resided in the south.

The Best Vibe Award goes to Coconut Lagoon Hotel. Its coconut groves and backwater canals created a romantic element and laid back atmosphere that I adored.

Kumarakom Lake Resort gets my vote for Best Experience because there’s nothing more tranquil than spending three hours cruising through the backwaters of Kerala on your very own houseboat. Ahhhhhh.

Not all houseboats are created equal. One of the best parts was seeing all the shapes and sizes these things came in 🙂

We then drove 4 hours through small villages to a beautiful waterfront Relais & Châteaux property known as Niraamaya Retreats in Kovalam. This is where I did my one and only yoga class in all of India, and I couldn’t have asked for a better setting than overlooking the Arabian Sea.

Final Thoughts

Hannah, Trip Designer Extraordinaire from Curio Trips, planned North and South India perfectly. From authentic experiences mixed with luxurious settings in the north to ending in the most tranquil environment of the south, I know I barely scratched the surface in this magical country, giving us much to explore upon our return.

Where To Go in India: Rajasthan & Agra Itinerary

March 7, 2018 by lesleymurphy 11 Comments

Official Language: Hindi, English

Currency: Indian Rupee

Population: 1.3 billion in India

Region of the world: South Asia; Rajasthan is a northern state bordering Pakistan and Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located, is just outside of Rajasthan to the east

Religion: Diversity of religious beliefs, most commonly practiced are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism

Travel Partner: Hannah from Curio Trips, a boutique trip design business dedicated to helping travelers book unique vacations around the globe. This is one of Hannah’s Purposeful Trips meant for clients to travel with purpose and dive deeper into cultures with a greater understanding and a never ending quest for making a difference.

Day 0

The 13 hours to Delhi were filled with people watching and horrid sleep, even though sleeping aids were running through my body at full force. It was 2pm in India when we landed, and even though I was all out of whack, our driver took us on a tour through the capital city chock full of almost 22 million people before arriving to the hotel. See also: Ambitious. My first glimpses of this place had my Ambien-hangover eyes wide with disbelief. Countless tuk-tuks were weaving in and out of traffic. Nobody minded the actual lanes. Horns sounded with each passing millisecond. Locals stared hard into our van. I smiled and waved a friendly gesture, to which it was almost always reciprocated. “I think I’m gunna like it here,” I thought.

We arrived to the Trident Gurgaon, a tranquil oasis set amongst the bustling city center, if you can believe it.

Day 1

Jet lag, my old friend, visited yet again on our first morning in India. 5am was met with a gym session, then breakfast and a flight to Udaipur via Jet Airways. A two hour delay due to record-breaking smoke levels had me trying to login to the Delhi airport wifi entirely too many times. I even called the help desk contact number out of desperation and sheer boredom, but to no avail. To all visitors, please note that the Delhi airport wifi is non-existent. Before visiting India, I received some good advice from a friend. Always have a book with you everywhere you go because life can be slow. They weren’t wrong. We eventually made our way to Udaipur where there’s less pollution, lots of mountains, copious amounts of marble and a different culture and way of dress entirely. After a sunset tour of the lake, it was time to check-in, receive our bindis (traditionally used as a sign of marriage but recently used in tourism as a welcome custom), and rest our heads at the Trident Udaipur.

Day 2

This morning, I was met with poached eggs and a tour of the City Palace, a truly majestic complex dating back to the Mewar Dynasty and built over a period of 400 years on Pichola Lake. Protein is necessary prior to visiting the Palace if you fall into the History Buff category. This place is massive and deserves a slow pace to take it all in, but we had lunch to get to.

My first Indian feast came at Oberoi Udaivilas. It should be noted here that India has a polarizing economy between the wealthy and the lower class. We experienced both sides on this trip which will be woven into the itinerary intermittently. I don’t think I’ve ever been so stuffed in my life. At what I can only believe to be about a 6-month pregnant level, I put the fork down. Between the curry and the sauces and the spices, my taste buds were spent. If you’re a foodie, definitely read through my Tastes of India: What to Eat from North to South. Disclaimer: it’ll have you dialing up your nearest Indian food joint in mere seconds.

During our short stint in Udaipur, one of my favorite regions of India, Hannah and I counted our lucky stars to able to put our bags down for one glorious night at the Taj Lake Palace Hotel, and what a dream it was…

Day 3

We woke up with the sun to see the floating hotel in its best lighting. This was one of those photoshoots that had me running around like a crazy person, tripod over my head, shoes thrown in some corner of the hotel, lens caps misplaced, etc. I was exhausted because India does that to you in the best way possible, but I wasn’t leaving until I captured every.single.corner here. Well, that, and then there was breakfast. I wasn’t leaving until I had tried every exotic fruit and pastry on offer inside this insanely beautiful eatery on the lake.

Built on rock in the middle of Lake Pichola in 1746 out of marble, the Taj Lake Palace may just be the most romantic establishments I’ve ever visited. I feel so fortunate to have been able to even lay eyes on it, and I’ll probably die and go to heaven if I’m able to return with a significant other one day. *Le sigh*

After check-out, we immediately went to see the markets of Udaipur. Hanging with the locals and seeing what they grow, gather and create on a daily basis had my camera going a million miles a minute. My favorite moment was buying Jalebi! NAME THAT MOVIE. Anyone? Lion is my jam (DROOL Dev Patel), and I couldn’t have been more excited to find this pretzel-shaped treat on the side of the road. It was sweeter than I could have ever imagined which made sense once I found out it was made from deep fried flour and sugar syrup. Nommmmm.

After some clean eating, we made the two hour drive to Kumbleghar, a badass fortress and UNESCO World Heritage site designed to protect the citadel from its enemies. The scenery was unreal and only locals roamed the grounds. I knew we’d come far enough out of where many tourists are’t willing to venture, a good sign of a local time. After basking in what felt like the Great Wall of China meets Game of Thrones goodness, we then embarked on a 3 hour dark and bumpy drive to Jodphur. I couldn’t sleep a wink, but the upside was I️ felt like we were on our own safari without the safari fee. Camels, monkeys, cows and bulls littered the roads to Jodphur. It was a scene out of a movie, probably Lion, and I made up my mind that I’d slap a GoPro to the rearview mirror next time because it was a sight that everyone needed to see.

Day 4

Rising above the city’s skyline is the impressive Mehrangarh Fort where you can see the sprawling blue city below. The most interesting thing about this fortress to me was the small set of handprints or sati marks left by royal widows who would throw themselves onto their husbands funeral pyres after death from a battle. Talk about dedication right there.

After such a history lesson, we then ventured to the ever opulent Umaid Bhawan Palace hotel, another jaw-dropping Taj property for a look around the grounds. I’ve never seen anything so palatial in my life except for maybe in Dubai, and I was stunned at the luxury that this place exuded. I didn’t want to touch anything, oh but I did. But I didn’t. But I did. We ended up leaving after a short gawk around and a few glasses of champs later.

A short visit to Jaswant Thada temple was next. I couldn’t get over the fact that this was a mausoleum. Talk about a lovely parting gift from son to father.

My favorite moment in Jodhpur came when we took a tuk-tuk into the thick of the blue houses. This was the real India where power lines were in a tangled mess above stacked housing developments and 50 shades of blue were everywhere I looked. School boys and a heard of cattle came barreling down the narrow passageway taking no prisoners as a women carrying a large basket on her head walked passed. Motorcycles and livestock and stray dogs seemed to outnumber the people, a group who was thought to be rough around the edges…but you can’t and shouldn’t always believe what you hear.

With our guide at our heels, I felt an immense sense of security roaming these streets. I felt alive amongst these people and this beautiful mess of a development. Our time ended in the region with a “conversation” between us and a young Indian boy who carried a notepad. We didn’t speak the same language, but we were able to talk through smiles, laughter and hand gestures. Love really is the international language 🙂

And then back to the van it was for a 6 hour drive to Jaipur. I️ remember thinking that one of those days, we’d definitely have a head-on collision. Driving here was insane. Nobody stays in their lane, if there actually is a lane on the road. It’s a free for all. My boobs hurt and I️ remember having to take my out my earrings because the roads were so bumpy and uneven. We were going over them at about 90km, so I️ couldn’t do anything but wonder if today would be my dying day. What a way to go, huh?

Day 5

Elephants, palaces and forts. That’s what today consisted of. The Pink Palace, or Hawa Mahal, is beautiful. And pink. Amber Fort is intricate af.

And here is where I have to be honest. At this point in my India journey, I was in history overload. Dates and rulers and dynasties were running together, and it was hard to separate one palace from another. I absolutely don’t say that to be insensitive or come across as aloof. I tried my best to be very present while in this beautifully complex country. It deserves that much, and it’s required out of all visitors. There comes a point in time, however, when my mind turns to mush and that’s what happened at the Pink Palace. So then we turned into tourists and got henna tattooed on our bodies.

A half hour drive from the hustle and bustle of Jaipur led us to a remote bush jungle full of adopted and rescued animals. Yay for nature and no horns. The elephants that reside here were rescued from the city where they had a torturous life taking tourists up and down the popular landmark of Amber Fort multiple times a day. Dera Amer Wilderness Camp seemed like a world away, and sometimes, isolation is the best kind of luxury.

I feel like there’s been a lot of fort and palace talk. That’s probably because there has been. And here we go again. My favorite fort of all is known as Nahargarh Fort above the city of Jaipur. I found it truly stunning at sunset while getting all kinds of (wo)Man of the Night’s Watch vibes (disregard if you’re not a GoT fan).

If you’re in need of a great restaurant while in Jaipur, Samode Havali is my jam. The food was good was the company was great. I sat down to dinner expecting not to know a soul besides Hannah in all of India. I looked to my immediate left and was shocked to see a friend of mine sitting next to me! (Crazy part is, last year we quite literally ran into each other on a bus in Vietnam.) I travel to feel small in this great big world, but I swear it’s actually shrinking ha! Lastly, if you’re in need of a bar scene, Bar Palladio is straight out of my dreams…

Day 6

For extreme opulence and tented luxury, may I recommend the Oberoi Rajvilas where we were greeted with bindis, sandlewood refreshments and a look around before driving as fast as our van would take us in order to make sunset at the Taj Mahal in Agra. What a TRIP that was. I live for moments during travel when my eyes widen, my jaw drops and my heart beats a little faster. Those keep me inside the adventure and this was one of those times.

I bought a saree, a traditional female dress, a few days prior and thought I’d throw it on in the bathroom outside of the Taj for such a landmark viewing. I was given a tutorial on how to dress myself in 9 meters of cloth, but a clueless foreigner just can’t quite do it like the locals do. A women in the bathroom found me struggling hardcore and so graciously tied me into my saree. She pointed to my skirt, asking where my pants were in order to tuck all the cloth inside for a stronghold, but alas, I’d just have to wing it. Well, “winging it” while surrounded by hundreds of thousands of pushy tourists (can’t exactly exclude myself here) and being in no less than 100 selfies with the locals (it was the blonde hair) had my saree coming off right around the time the guards told me to immediately put my mic inside my bag. No video allowed. Another friendly local came to my rescue to tied me back into my 9 meters of bedazzled cloth before the sun faded behind the horizon and the many thousands of us were shooed out of the gates. Phew. I remember being nothing short of exhausted as we only arrived JUST in time to get tickets before closing and had JUST enough time to photograph the masterpiece before the sun went to sleep. What a day, what a day.

Day 7

This was a LONG day, so stay with me. Day 7 took all of my energy, emotions and strength I had to finish the damn thing. I think, if my memory serves me correctly, we started at the Red Fort. It was beautiful and grand, but it didn’t make an impact like our next visit quite did.

Hannah has launched a new arm of her business called ‘Purposeful Trips‘ which aims at traveling with purpose, understanding the world and new cultures, and learning how you can make a difference. This particular day brought on such a powerful meeting with some of the fierce women I’ll never forget. We walked into Sheroes, a play on the words ‘she’ and ‘hero’, an initiative started by acid attack survivors in hopes to spread awareness and create jobs for women who’ve been victimized by such a horrible act. With acid attacks still prevalent in India, many victims are unlikely to marry, thus having to support themselves in mainstream society.

Meet Rupa, a young woman with a fierce ambition to be a fashion designer. She had acid thrown on her face at 14 years old by her stepmom who didn’t want her in the family. With the support of Sheroes, she has since launched her own collection called Rupa Design.

We were walking out the door, completely in awe of the women we’d just met and moving forward with an insane amount of appreciation for life when a few Spanish women walked into the cafe. We introduced ourselves and they did the same, saying how they had come to Agra after watching a documentary on Sheroes and the amazing work they put out in the universe. They then felt compelled to travel all the way to India, take the Sheroes women back to Spain with them, and introduce them to a new culture while educating people about acid attacks. Keep in mind some of the victims were left blind due to the acid. This would make a trip across the world a bit difficult, but both parties were willing and able to make it all happen. I left that day thankful for life, for health and for being able to witness random acts of kindness from complete strangers. Girl power forever and always. I will never forget that inspiring experience.

Next we visited a marble factory, which I’m going to graze over because this post is already 2500 words long, and that’s just stupid. We did stop at the Oberoi Amarvilas for lunch and a look around (every room here guarantees a view of the Taj – SWOON). I strapped myself into my beautiful saree again, because obviously, and off we went on a Taj Mahal mission.

Look. I didn’t know when I’d be back to see this astounding landmark again, and I knew I wanted a second glance. Call it greed, call it desire, call it crazy. We wanted to see this thing yet again, but this time, we wanted to see it from a boat.

We made it to the River Garden area on the opposite side of the Yamuna River and found Pooja, the sweetest girl who kindly tied me back into my saree when it came slipping off my body (I’m a shitshow and should not be allowed to wear one). We then realized that the traditional boats couldn’t even venture over to our side of the riverbank after spending an hour in traffic getting there. We eventually made the decision to go back to where we came from (other side of the river next to the Taj Mahal) in order to get on one of these boats that ONLY left from that specific riverbank. Oh, the joys of traveling. I was going to see the Taj from the water if I died trying. Like the previous night, it was a race against the sun and we made it just in time. It ended up being an amazing experience (and stark contrast to the first hectic visit) during an unforgettable sunset.

Taj Mahal Bits:

Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his favorite wife who died during childbirth, and he wanted so desperately for it to be a unique masterpiece without an equal.
To ensure it would be the one-and-only, the Emperor apparently severed the hands and gouged the eyes of the its craftsmen.
It took approximately 20 years to build and around 20,000 workers to complete. There were also about 1000 elephants used to transport the materials.
UNESCO has designated the Taj Mahal as a World Heritage Site and it is also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
The cost to build the Taj Mahal was about 35 million rupees, which would be about 1 million USD. In 1632 that would be an enormous amount of money to spend on a mausoleum.
Around 3 million people visit the Taj Mahal each year.

After the boat visit, we then had a 4 hour drive ahead of us to Delhi where we’d board a plane to the south. New post coming soon!

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