Snail Mail Collective Update: September

So literally the day after I wrote my Snail Mail Collective post for my partner Jenna, my package arrived! Just wanted to share a picture of the wonderful goodies I received from her!

If you did not check out my previous post, here's my Snail Mail Collective post that I wrote two days ago for Jenna: http://loveatraveler.blogspot.com/2013/10/snail-mail-collective-september.html

She sent me yummy Chocolate Covered Dates, a cute Bee Notebook that her students use, two UAE magazines, and a cool Camel Postcard with a beautiful written note!

I love my beautiful package from Jenna! It made my day. :-) I can't wait to read the magazines! We thought our packages would take a longer time to get here than usual so I'm pretty happy with how fast we received our mail. (She told me about the post office process over there!) I feel lucky to have met her in this way and we plan on continuing to stay in touch! Once again, Jenna is a wonderful lady and I hope you guys check her out!

I'm on Facebook!

I finally made the plunge.....and got a Facebook page for Love A Traveler! I can like all of my favorite blogs now! :-)

Please like and share my Facebook page to:

~ Keep up to date in my postings!

~ Travel opinions

~ Social Networking

~ Friendships

~ When I'm traveling and can't fit in a blog post, I can update what I'm doing on there!

~ ETC!

It's still in the beginning stages but will be dolled up shortly! Click on either Facebook tab I've put on both sidebars or search for me at www.facebook.com/lovetraveler (while signed in)

Thank you so much for your support!

Love,

Reima

Love A Traveler

Snail Mail Collective: September

So once again my September Snail Mail Collective partner Jenna and I are still waiting for each others fun packages from last months SMC, Topic: Back to School. We figured it may take awhile to receive our gifts and so we decided to post anyway and then post later with the pictures once they arrive. I love Snail Mail! :-)

So my partner last month was Jenna over at the blog: http://jennainabudhabi.wordpress.com/ 

I'd post her twitter too but she does not have one....yet. I'm currently pushing her to get one! :-)

I am so glad I got paired with her! We are like two peas in a pod. I remember the first email she sent me where she apologized to me at the end of it for 'writing a book'. I knew then I was going to like her! I can't help but write long emails too! Or long texts. Or anything! We also plan on skyping one day!

She is currently living with her husband and teaching in the incredible United Arab Emirates and I think that is amazing! She is actually trying to help me get a job over there towards the end of next year when I hope to meet up with her! (This would be the 3rd time I'd meet up with someone who I've met on my travels! Or in this case, first for SMC!) 

She has told me stories about her travels, her experiences in Tanzania, and what I can do, travel-wise if and when I make it to the UAE. 

I truly enjoy talking to her, her blog is wonderful (check it out!), and really love how open-minded she is about travel and life. If you ever get the chance to write to her or talk to her, I know you'll love her too!

Here are some questions I asked her throughout our emails and getting to know each other:

When did you start blogging and why?

I started about a year and three months ago to keep my family caught up on our travels. At the end of the day I really do all of my blogging for my mom – I know having the blog reassures her and helps her feel like she knows what’s going on. Calling from here is hard and the time difference and work schedule make skyping a bit hard (we work Sunday – Thursday over here because Friday is an Islamic Holiday).

Where have you been?

Africa: Tanzania

Europe/UK: Paris, Ireland, London, Scotland, Holland

Asia: Nepal and Thailand

Middle East: Qatar and Oman

What is your favorite place to travel to?

I think for my favorite place I have to give two – In terms of a place to go and explore and relax and vacation I’d have to say Thailand. That country is just endless in its possibilities – from jungles to beaches to cities – the people are so friendly and I feel like I could spend my life exploring it. In terms of a place I want to disappear and live forever that would hands down be Amsterdam, Holland. Both my and my husband were like “how were we not born Dutch?!” We love biking, museums, beer cafes, and the slow pace of everything. 

She'd also like to add: Oman and Scotland!

What are 3 items off of your bucket list?

Seeing the northern lights is #1, owning a home in the Adirondacks #2, and go to Argentina to Patagonia and take the trip to Antarctica from there #3.

What are the 3 countries you must go to?

Japan (sushi and Mt Fuji), New Zealand (nature), Germany/Belgium (I just love my beers!)

Where in the world is the best food that you've ever had?

Thailand probably has the best food of any place I've ever traveled. They have this dish (I don’t remember what its called in Thai) but it’s a spicy Papaya Salad and we’d get it from street vendors almost every day – amazing – spicy, sweet, lemony, peanut-y, awesomeness! Middle Eastern food is really delicious too – the hummus here is different and way better than in the states and the Fatoush salad with pomegranate dressing is gorgeous! Plus they know how to cook a mean kebab – yogurt lamb and spicy chicken – YUM! Another favorite dish – and I don’t think it’s actually Dutch – is a dish I had while in Amsterdam was really nice bread with goat cheese, slivered almonds, honey, date syrup, and arugula and for dessert a stroopwafel!

What's your favorite food?

At the moment my goat cheese sandwich! But really probably Buffalo wings (I am after all from Buffalo, New York!)

What do you like to do for fun?

Writing, hiking, photography (not professional or anything I just love taking pics), reading, and canoeing.

What is the most daring thing you have ever done?

I can think of two things – moving here (I still can’t believe we actually did it!) and drinking cows blood in Africa with the Masai tribe – still surprised I didn't get sick!

What's your favorite drink? 

Homemade honey-ginger tea

What's your favorite dessert? 

Carrot Cake!

What's your favorite candy? 

Caramel filled anything!

What's your favorite movie?

Midnight in Paris.

What kind of music do you listen to?

Anything folk or alternative (love Bob Dylan and currently falling in love with Wilco!)

What's your favorite color? 

Orange

Check out Jenna's blog and get to know her too! She is a great friend and I hope to continue staying in touch with her. :-)

Postcrossing

I'm a huge fan of snail mail, making new friends, keeping in touch with old, and learning about different people and cultures in this world. Always have. Always will. I guess I'm one of those people who loves living with the past in mind! And I'm probably the only person who has yet to succumb to a smart phone!

I just love the idea of expressing ones thoughts and feelings through writing. To me, that's what makes things feel more special. I also love sending positive notes to others, whether I know them or not. Lately I have been looking for ways to connect to others whom I've never met before through my blogs (Love A Traveler and my food blog: Peace Love And Blueberries) while I'm still living here in the states. I'm currently figuring out my expat plans for the very near future - December/January. It's my way to do more good deeds and still feel connected with other travelers while I'm at my home base.

So when my new friend over at The Female Tramp: http://thefemaletramp.wordpress.com told me about this postcard idea, I had to take a look at it. 

http://www.postcrossing.com

This project is here to send surprise postcards to anyone in the world and to keep our world connection strong. It's also for those who really do enjoy sending letters and receiving real mail. Postcrossing is all about getting to know one another and spreading positive cheer throughout this world.

Why I also love this idea?

Because it's affordable and looks like so much fun! It doesn't cost a lot to send a postcard. I also believe my home isn't in one place. It's this whole world. I get to write a little about me and send inspiration and I will receive a postcard in return and learn about someone else, their lifestyle, and inspiration back as well. 

The cost of sending an international package: $19-50 and up! The cost of sending a postcard: under $2. 

How it works:

For every postcard you send, you receive one back.

Make a profile

Request an address

Mail the postcard

Receive a new postcard from someone else

Register* the postcard

And the cycle continues!      

*When you request an address to send a postcard, they show you the address with the persons profile and give you a code. You write that code on the postcard and mail it to the receiver. When they see the postcard in the mail, they register the # on the website. Once they register the # on the website, it puts you in the system to receive a postcard from someone else. To learn more, visit the website (above)!

This project gives you the opportunity to either send a postcard to a new person each time or the opportunity to do a direct swap** with someone you are interested in sending postcards back and forth or both. I like this chance of writing back and forth with the same person if you feel you both have things in common. But I also enjoy sending good vibes and inspiration to others without expecting anything in return. This suites me just fine. :-)

**Basically with postcrossing, you send a postcard to someone else in this world, they register your card, and someone else sends you a postcard, not the person who received yours, unless of course they do, I believe. I'm still figuring out this project since I am a newbie at this! With direct swap, you can choose to put yes or no down on your profile. This means if you are open to exchanging postcards back and forth with an individual on the site, you select yes. If not, it's just as fine. Either way, I'm open to both ideas.

I originally was going to post the link to my postcrossing page but I think I'd like to leave it to chance to see if anyone randomly gets my address. 

If you'd like to do a direct swap with me, comment below or email me! I'd love to direct swap, but you must be a member on the site and follow their rules before we proceed! It's more fun that way. :-)

As of today, I have 5 postcards in the works to send out!

Will you join Postcrossing?

Photo of the day - Argentina

Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ah the beautiful and seductive tango. Possibly my favorite dance to watch and attempt to learn. So passionate and full of fire. To fully get this experience, I highly recommend you head on over to Argentina, among the plenty other reasons why you should go there anyway! Watch the street performers. Go to a tango show. Take in the passion that the Argentineans had for their dance. 

My friend and I got a great deal in Buenos Aires for a night spent falling deeper and deeper in love with the dance. We learned the main steps of the tango, had an amazing Argentine dinner, and learned about the history of Tango in Spanish through the dancers themselves. 

Towards the end of the night, the professionals jumped off the stage and picked unsuspecting audience members a chance to put their newly learned steps to use and it was just wonderful to see. One of the dancers quickly got off the stage and asked for my hand and if I'd like to dance. Dancing the tango with a professional was on my bucket list but I never thought it would happen. A dream come true! He was so darn good looking too, another bonus! ;) We danced, which felt like awhile but more like a minute or 2. He kept whispering in my ear that I was so beautiful and of course I was melting! I'm a sucker for that sort of thing. :-) Felt pretty romantic even if it was just a fun little dance. What kind of girl doesn't like a little romance? It's just nice to hear these things once in awhile.

This is a must experience if you ever make it to Buenos Aires, Argentina.