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Recapping April
How is it May already?! With Mother’s Day here (Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!!!), it seems weird to be recapping April, but here we are! April was a fun & exciting month for Mac & I! Keep reading to see some of the fun things that happened!
Writing
Here’s what I posted on the blog in April. I am loving how gorgeous New Zealand is and can’t wait to share more road trip stories as we continue our travels into May & June!
Reading
April was a slow book month for me, but not for lack of effort! I finally started reading the frequently-recommended Century Trilogy by Ken Follett. I finished the first book, The Fall of Giants just last night. Those 800 pages were really enjoyable, but LONG!
Other book highlights included Unbroken (seriously a good book), and The Gratitude Diaries. I’m taking a break from my ereader for a little bit so that Mac can have a go, but I already have a few paperbacks lined up!
Listening
Here’s a new category! Seemingly endless hours spent in the car have led to many podcast episodes being played. One suggestion that came highly recommended was Serial – an investigative narrative about a 15 year old case with new information being discussed every week. I had heard of SO many people LOVING Serial, but to be honest? I thought it was just meh. The ending was a little lack-luster, and the episodes left me wanting more. There’s a second series that has almost finished now, so I’m debating giving that one a go, but we’ll see. Does anyone have any good podcast suggestions?
Doing
As I mentioned earlier, April was a fun month! Mainly because Mac & I had our last shifts at work and officially commenced our 2+ month-long road trip! We’ve been at it a little over 3 weeks now and aside from a few minor car issues, everything has been great! We camp with our tent about 40-50% of the time, and stay in hostels or backpackers for the remainder (mainly for showers, warmth, and our sanity!). I’ve been having a lot of fun putting together camping meals that are quick & easy, but filling & delicious. I’m hoping to do a post about it soon – stay tuned!
Learning
I read a bunch of cool articles this month (and watched an interesting TED Talk) that are definitely worth sharing. Check ‘em out!:
– Dr. Michelle McMacken dives into several common nutrition myths about eating a plant-based diet and this article summarizes her responses.
– Two B.C. women went a whole year trying to minimize their household waste. One year later, and they each have a just a tiny mason jar to prove it. This interview with these ladies reveals some great strategies for reducing waste, and also includes some great DIY options I’m keen to try once I have a place to live (that isn’t a car).
– Another reason I’m looking forward to coming home this summer is to get outdoors & enjoy some new camping places in Ontario. I’m eager to visit some of the places listed in this piece – camping + water = awesome!
– My flatmate Cristina told me about this video. It’s a TED Talk featuring Robert Waldinger and in it he talks about what makes a good life. The short answer? Your connections and relationships with other people. It’s really interesting and totally worth watching!
– Thinking about reducing your meat & animal product consumption, but don’t know where to start? Forks Over Knives has a great catalogue of 30 minute meals that look delicious. Additionally, this article has 16 recipes for one-pot meals!
Anticipating
Following our Milford Sound adventures, we headed even further south to explore one of New Zealand’s best kept secrets – the Catlins. I’ll have more details & pictures in my next few posts, but suffice it to say, the Catlins are gorgeous and amazing and I’d highly recommend them to anyone going to visit New Zealand!
We’re now back on the east coast in Dunedin and are trying to sort out where we’ll head next. We have a rough itinerary, but so far it includes partially retracing our steps from when we first drove down to Te Anau to see a few spots that we missed – namely Mt. Cook & Queenstown. We’d also like to do a few more hikes around that region before we hit the west coast and start to head north!
To all the moms reading, I hope you have a fantastic Mother’s Day. I’m sad I can’t be home to spend the day with my mom, but I love that technology allows us to connect almost everyday. I’m so looking forward to coming home in July to get one of those epic hugs that only moms can give 🙂
How was your April? Do you have any fun things planned for May?
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