2015 Means Big Things

I broke my promise.
The promise that I would blog again more.
But there's a perfectly good excuse as for why that promise was broken and it's something called life.

Lame excuse, huh?
I can't tell you how quickly the last year and a half slipped by. I know a blogged here and there during that time but not as consistently as I used to.

I started off 2015 though with several goals in mind and one of them was to start blogging again. Over the last year and half I've been on a journey of what some would say 'self-discovery'; learning about the ins and outs of myself and the wide, wide world out there.
While I haven't traveled much, except between the United States and Europe, 2014 was a pretty monumental year. I'll be honest and admit it was definitely not my favorite years and I'm VERY glad that it's over but the lessons I learned and the improvements I've made will stick with me forever. One of the major things that changed was my writing and my ability to express myself through my writing. So, I'm very excited to write more on TWW and share my thoughts with fellow wanderlusters!

I'm really looking forward to this year (and the years that lie ahead). Some big things are going to happening this year. I'll get those 'big things' in future posts but I'm positive that these big things will make for good blog posts on Traveling with Wanderlust.

I also hope that I can share with you all more than just travel, but also my passion for style and fashion, my (usually sad, pathetic) attempts at cooking and baking, my yoga and meditation practices, photos which spark something wonderful inside me and just daily thoughts/short stories/poems I write.

Another major happening which will occur this year is the release of my first book. I've been working like a maniac the last year or so on writing, editing and ultimately finishing my first fiction drama/mystery novel. I won't disclose anymore as I want to keep it as much of a surprise as possible but I hope that once it is finished and published, I can share some of my thoughts, reasons and what not behind the book with you all!

Here's to a New Year and new beginnings either with old projects/things or entirely new ones.
Happy traveling and a wonderful Monday to all you wanderlusters out there!

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for a post tomorrow morning- U.S. time, so afternoon for all my other global readers! :)

HAPPINESS

Lately, I have been obsessed with New Girl. You know, that show with Zooey Deschanel and the three guy roommates? It's genius. I cannot stop watching it- I watched about 10 episodes straight last night when I got home from work...and have been watching all morning.

I just wanted to make a post about happiness; how to be happy; why to be happy! Well, it's more of an article I came across the other night about 'How to Be Happy: 8 Ways to Feel Better About Everything'.

1. Perform random acts of kindness

2. Live in a home that's rented, not owned

3. Count your blessings

4. Be thrifty

5. Become a parent

6. Learn to savor positive experiences

7. Take baby steps towards life goals

8. Stay healthy and live long: Happiness peaks at age 65

You can find the article here. 

I also started a 'gratitude journal' after reading this, it's nice to write down 4 things daily that are going well in your life and things you are grateful for. I recommend you try it!

Good news is that I am just about done with the last Italy post so that will be up tomorrow morning for all of you wanderlusters! 

Off to work and the rest of Sunday's activities. 

Travel on wanderlusters! 

CONGO

Congo, or should I say, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over the last century, Congo has been on what some could call a roller coaster, with different names and leaderships. If we jump to present day Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country of about 75.5 million, the capital is Kinshasa with French being the nationally spoken language. Some other languages spoken throughout the country are Lingala, Kikongo, Swahili and Tshiluba. 

Some of the country's main tourist attractions include:

1. Lake Tanganyika

2. Mount Nyiragongo

3. Virunga National Park

4. Lake Kivu

5. Garamba National Park

6. Okapi Wildlife Reserve

7. Salonga National Park

8. Idjwi (an island in Lake Kivu)

9. Kahuzi-Biéga National Park

10. Maiko National Park

11. Lukaya River

12. Zongo Falls

13. Lola ya Bonobo

14. Ma Vallee

15. Musee National de Kinshasa (the National Museum of Kinshasa)

16. Mercato delle Stoffee Africane

17. Congoloisirs

Now, according to Lonely Planet, three things they list you absolutely must do when visiting this country is: 

1. Visit the Kinkole Fish Market- you can be paddled down the Congo River.

2. Chutes de Lukia- natural lakes to swim in and a chimp orphanage.

3. Kisanto Botanical Gardens- trees that are over 100 years old and rivers you can swim in.

When it comes to accommodation you can stay in a regular old hotel or you can try a B&B. Some of the best hotels in this country include: Hotel Royal, Grand Karavia Hotel and Fleuve Congo Hotel. For the B&Bs, try: Bougain Villa, Le Voyageur or Havre de Paix. For the travel foodies out there: Limoncello, Le Cafe Conc, Chez Gaby, Al'Dar, Patisserie Nouvelle (for the Europeans out there), Chez Maman Colonel, Le Palais Restaurant and O'Poeta all have high reviews from tourists. Just so you know, all of these are in the country's capital. Back to the food, the main dishes in Congo generally consist of fish from the rivers, fish, plantains, chicken in peanut sauce, a variety of vegetables and goat meat. 

I didn't want to get into the depressing stuff regarding that country because hey, who wants to read (or write) about such devastating things? Not me and I would hope not you! That stuff is for the news, this is for the fun and interesting stuff! In a few years once things have settled down a little bit there, I would love to visit the country and especially the more rural areas, i.g., the villages and mountains. 

Tomorrow's post will be on the beautiful New Zealand!

P.S. Some friends and I are looking into visiting St. Petersburg, Russia for our fall break this year! Have any of you wanderlusters been? What do you recommend doing there?

Travel on wanderlusters and have a wonderful Wednesday!

BOOK BLISS

I've always been an advocate to book writing. Hell, I even wrote one and sent it to some publishers. I haven't been home in several months so I don't know whether or not I received any letters. When I did come home for winter break, I had a letter from a major publisher thanking me for my submission but declining because it wasn't what they were looking for at the moment. I didn't let that get me down though, I saw it as motivation to continue pushing to get it published or just start a new one and start fresh with that. So, that's what I did. I'm writing another book, this one being a fiction novel. I won't tell you what it's about but I'll tell you the title: The Guiders.

Let your imagination roam free. Or just wait until it's on shelves in the future :) Positivity is key in trying to get your writing name out there right?

Tomorrow, I will post about my Alaska trip two summers ago. I love that place. It was my second time being there but it never gets old. Such a beautiful state with incredible nature and energy. I'm excited about this post! Bring on Thursday morning!

Travel on wanderlusters...my spring break has officially started!