Hello there! Welcome to a new series on Free Candie, in which I share with you everything I’ve loved these past few weeks because maybe you’ll enjoy them too.
I’m a sucker for these round-ups myself. It’s all part of my ongoing self exploration. Wait, does that sound dirty?
Anyway, some things I’m into.
366 Days of Wanderlust
I’ve only recently gotten back into Pinterest. I was using the boards to help with the design for this blog, and so I got hooked again.
Anyway, years ago I started a 365 Days of Wanderlust board, which was enormously popular but I never finished it. I’m a slacker. So I’ve started another, if you’re so inclined to join me. It’s 366 Days of Wanderlust, because this year we have a leap year. Woo!
I mean you should follow my other boards too. I discovered a really great cream of celery recipe last week and surprisingly, it tasted delicious. I’m not much of a cook, but I can pretend to be with Pinterest.
Adult travel colouring books
I picked up my first adult colouring book back in August while I was in Sligo. There were birds. I enjoyed myself immensely.
But my friends Katie and Geoff put together this awesome collection of colouring pages for travellers, and it’s the best thing since Hotline Bling (see feature photo). I wanted to colour the page with Brandenburg Gate, but as my roommate said, “Just colour it grey.”
You can buy your own copy of Travel Between the Lines here.
(Note: Affiliate link.)
(Also note: I didn’t realize I was colouring the same image as the cover image. Now my colouring looks like a three year old did it, and I’ve graduated way beyond that.)
MEGAN KENNEDY has won the colouring book! Wooohoo!
Being asked to be a groomsmaid
You can imagine my sheer delight when I tore open an envelope last week to discover a cigar and an invitation to be a groomsmaid at my friend Matt’s wedding. Imma be one of the boys!
This is all relatively new to me, but I’m pretty gosh darned excited about it. I mean what do I wear, a suit? Dress? Do I attend the bachelor party? Do I get a lap dance?
One of my other good friends is also getting married in July, so it’s likely I’ll cut my Berlin trip a little short to get back to Newfoundland in time for shenanigans.
Berlin Refugees
One of Berlin friends, Cheryl, is a fellow blogger from Canada. She’s working on a book about Berlin Refugees, and she’s recruited me to help with transcribing the interviews. I’m pretty stoked to be a party of this project! Her first interviewee is Bahjat, a Syrian who fled his country after he defected from the military.
My Moleskine day-planner
I can’t resist a good Moleskine. I once won a Moleskine at a travel conference and it quickly became my favourite brand for journalling. I don’t know what it is about them — the books are so pliable and sexy. Like me.
I mean.
I picked up this weekly day-planner from an adorable bookshop around the corner. It currently houses my weekly freelance work. And my dreams.
(Also shown: the glorious soup as mentioned above. I was so proud, I took a photo. Unfortunately I did not have any spare vases full of pink flowers floating around for perfect Instagram-worthy lifestyle shots.)
GirlyGoGarter
This sexy little ingenious piece of garb is a garter for your thigh…with a TWIST! The GirlyGoGarter holds your goods. I mean like your wallet goods. Interior pockets are big enough to fit your cell phone, credit cards, and some cash as well.
Mine’s a size large, because I have thunder thighs. It fits really well. I haven’t had much of an opportunity to wear it in Berlin yet, but it’s ideal for when summer rolls around and I don’t want to carry a purse around. Its original appeal to me was being able to wear it at a concert or festival when having a purse is both irritating and potentially theft-worthy.
Also it’s big enough to hold a GirlyGoGarter flask. Which is the real reason I have one.
Coffee Camera Travel
My friend Bevan (whom I met recently in Berlin) recently launched his own travel website called Coffee Camera Travel, with an emphasis on photography. (His Instagram is huge.)
He’s a seriously talented photographer so I highly recommended checking out his work.
Favourite Thing I’ve Read This Week
This piece titled “For Refugees, Home is a Place Called Never” is one of the most heartbreaking, beautifully written pieces about the world’s current state of affairs I’ve ever read. Dragana, the author, was once a refugee herself. She fled Sarajevo during the siege, and came to the USA under much the same conditions that Syrians are facing today.
It’s a gripping read, right from the start.
Meet-Ups
I’ve been involved in meetup.com groups for ages but never really worked up the nerve to join in on any events.
But with Camino coming up, I thought it’d be a good idea to join some hiking groups in Berlin. So yesterday I got up bright and early and walked 25 kilometres with a bunch of strangers on the outskirts of the city.
The result was lots of good exercises (and permission to binge-eat whatever I want today), a handful of new friends, and even an abandoned castle.
A lot of people use these groups while travelling, so, check it out for yourself. It comes with the Candice seal of approval.
