Tips

How To Stop Thinking About Writing And Just Write

July 12, 2016 by Marie 13 Comments

If you are a writer, you know that sometimes you just find yourself putting things off. The longer you go between your last piece and the next, the more difficult it can be to open up a blank file and get cracking. This has happened to me numerous times, and it can be frustrating. You know that once you start, it won’t be that bad. It’s the getting started that is the hard part.

With that in mind, I’ve put together some ways that I’ve overcome this writer’s block/procrastination/whatever you want to call it in the past and present (and likely in the future). If you’ve been overthinking the process of writing and just want to get down to it, these ideas may help.

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Tips To Build A Running Routine

June 7, 2016 by Marie 2 Comments

We’ve all been runners at some point in our lives. Maybe you ran track or played basketball in high school. Maybe you haven’t really been athletic since you were a child. Whatever the case, at some point in your life, you got enjoyment from running.

I gave up on sports after high school. In my first year or two of university, I really wasn’t active at all. Sure, I went to a cardio kickboxing class at the gym once in a while, but I wasn’t active on a daily basis. It wasn’t until I met a few avid runners that I really got interested in running again. That was about 6 years ago. Since then, I’ve been a fair-weather runner. I’ve had phases where I really concentrated on improving my speed, endurance, and form, but I’d often fall off the wagon and not go running for weeks at a time. It’s only been in the last year that I’ve gotten into training and running to be a better runner, not just to be healthy. I’m definitely still in the beginning stages of my journey to be a better runner, but here are some things that have helped me to build a running routine in my life.

Use Mobile Apps

Some people probably think that using apps to record your runs can take the joy out of running. For me, it pushes me to run longer and encourages me to keep a steady pace. I use Strava to record my runs on my iPhone. It also allows me to follow friends, which encourages me to run more often. You can set it to update you every kilometre (or half kilometre) about your total distance, time, and pace. There are also plenty of other fantastic running apps out there that will surely suit your needs.

Listen to Music or Podcasts

Lately, I’ve been leaning more towards listening to music on my runs. I feel like I run faster and have more willpower when listening to something upbeat. However, I used to exclusively listen to podcasts while running, and I feel that this gave me a good distraction while I was first getting into the habit. I do find I go a little slower when listening to podcasts. I’ve mentioned this many times on this blog, but Stuff You Should Know has been my favourite podcast for years. In terms of music, I’ve just thrown together a playlist of upbeat songs (in which Mother Mother are well represented).

Carb Up

My diet is pretty balanced in general. I don’t believe low-carb diets are healthy generally, but I really don’t believe that you should eat low carb if you are highly active. You need good fuel to perform at your best. In terms of meals, rice and potatoes are my staple starches. When it comes to snacks, bananas are always good before a run.

Concentrate on Endurance First

When I first started running 6 years ago, I began with a routine of two minutes of running and one minute of walking. I didn’t really pay attention to my overall speed and distance. Pretty quickly, I moved on to short runs without walking breaks, and now I can keep a pace that allows me to run longer distances without needing those breaks (though, my idea of a “longer distance” still isn’t that long — I’m working on it!).

My experience has been that when I worry about speed, I tire myself out and give up sooner, slowing down a lot towards the end. I’d rather learn to keep a steady pace that allows me to achieve a longer distance — that means still pushing yourself, just not to the point where you hit your limit. Of course, I’m no trainer and I’m no expert, but this is generally what has worked for me in terms of building a habit and a routine.

Stretch

I’m bad at this, though I do notice I get less cramps if I try a few dynamic stretches before I head out, and I feel less sore the next day when I do some static stretches after my run. At a minimum, I try to do some walking lunges and side stretches before I start my run, then I’ll at least stretch out my quads, hamstrings, inner thighs, and calves when I finish (sometimes, I’ll just throw on a video like this one).

Treat it as a way to get Outside

Spring (in Canada at least) is a time when the weather can be beautiful, sunny, and warm one day, and freezing and snowing the next. When it’s nice out, I want to get outside, though I don’t necessarily have ideas for how to spend my time outdoors. On the other hand, I have to fight with myself to leave bed at times when the weather is not so great. In both of these scenarios, running is a good default way to spend time outdoors. I never have to think too hard about what to do to get outside, because running is just an easy excuse to get outdoors.

Plenty of travellers use running as a way to be active and to explore a new city or area. It’s a cool experience to run on a beach in Ecuador or through historic streets in Thailand. Just be sensible and stay safe wherever you are.

Looking for more health-related posts? Try these:

10 ways to stay fit while traveling

Get Outdoors: 5 Tips For Beginner Hikers

Get Outdoors this Weekend

Feature photo credit: Chanan Greenblatt

Life Update: Moving… again + Portland

May 25, 2016 by Marie 1 Comment

I’m moving… again. It seems that the only time I feel compelled to make these updates is when I’m changing my location.

I recently moved (or… attempted to move) to Calgary. I was excited about it. I thought it would be a good decision. Things didn’t quite work out, though I did get to spend some much-needed time in the Rockies. The economic slump has made it hard to find grounding here, so off I go back to Newfoundland. Honestly, the decision was somewhat of a relief. Newfoundlanders are always Newfoundlanders, and I think we’ll always be drawn back home.

A photo posted by Tim O’Brien (@timgobrien) on Aug 11, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

In other news, I’m heading to Portland in two and a half weeks! Tim and I decided to take a last-minute trip before heading back east. I’m a 27-year-old (as of 6 days ago!) Canadian who’s been on five continents and never been to the US. Time to change that. Expect to see budget/vegan/itinerary posts on Portland in late June and July.

The honest truth is that I’ve been drifting away from this blog. It’s been a stressful time with few plans and very few prospects. Since deciding to move back home and coming up with a couple of potential plans for the future, I’ve felt a sense of relief that’s allowed me to get back to doing things just for the joy. I’d been stopping myself because I was obsessed with productivity and figuring out life. As I said, I’m 27 now, and I feel like I fell off the rails of life somewhere along the way. Maybe everyone gets this dark sense of anxiety when they enter their late 20s.

It’s not that I haven’t been writing. In fact, I have been working on an ebook. It started as a mini-guide to minimalist living, but it’s quickly grown to over 50 pages… and I still feel like I’m just beginning. Maybe someday you’ll see it, maybe I’ll turn it into something else. What I can say is that having a project has helped me get through a tough time. So, if you’re struggling, consider stretching your creativity muscles and dedicating yourself to a bigger project that you may have been putting off for a while.

Feel free to comment or contact me (marie @ marieaway.com) if you feel compelled to do so. We’re all just living.

Ramble end.

Get Outdoors: 5 Tips For Beginner Hikers

April 28, 2016 by Marie 4 Comments

“Hiking” can be an extremely broad term. It can encompass leisurely strolls on a well-maintained path, pacing up and down rolling hills, and traversing rocky and uneven terrain with a constant uphill grade (though, perhaps that’s better put into the “scrambling” category).

I’ll admit that I used to greatly overestimate my own status as a hiker. I lived my first 23 years in Newfoundland — an island off Canada’s east coast with a high point of 814 metres. My hometown has points that are below sea level. When I did get into hiking in university, my biggest hikes were on the East Coast Trail. Now, these sections aren’t all strolls on boardwalks, but they aren’t exactly like climbing mountains in the Rockies. I thought I was getting pretty good at longer hikes, but my first big hike after moving to South Korea really put me in my place. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about being humble, preparing yourself, and how important it is to really push your own limits.

If you’re a beginner to hiking as a hobby, or just have never gotten past casual walks in the woods, then here are a few things that might help you get through some of your tougher hikes.

1. Keep a steady pace and take few breaks.

I have to start with this because it is probably the most common mistake I see hikers make. People push themselves to go fast, only to take constant breaks because their bodies can’t keep up.

On a recent hike in Peru at high elevation, a girl in my group, I call her the Sprinter, was constantly passing me, then taking a break so I’d pass her, and then passing me again — over and over and over again. I’m not exaggerating when I say this happened over 10 times in the first half of a 6-hour hike. The Sprinter was treating the trail like an opportunity for some high intensity interval training, meaning she was burning herself out to get there fast. And it was pretty irritating to have to constantly move to the side and interrupt my own pace to let her pass again and again. In the final two hours, she slowed dramatically and was one of the last of our group to finish the hike.

I go pretty slowly when I hike, but the number of breaks I take is low. I might stop to take off my outer layer or grab some water, but each time is less than a minute, and often more like 10-30 seconds. I’ll take a break of several minutes at a peak or halfway point to refuel, but other than that I go steady. This means that I finish faster overall.

2. Bring carbs.

Hypoglycemia (or low blood sugar) can occur when you perform strenuous activities. Even if you don’t feel hungry, you need to realize when your body needs fuel. Physical activity and altitude can both suppress your appetite, so the trick is bringing something that you will actively want to eat. I’m not a trail mix or granola person, but I’ll certainly eat some chocolate or a sandwich, so that’s what I bring. A couple chocolate-covered almonds or espresso beans can be a wonderful thing when you start to feel a little shaky or lightheaded.

3. Don’t underestimate the handiness of trekking poles.

Casual hikers never seem to bring trekking poles with them on hikes. And, sure, many times they aren’t particularly necessary. However, they can take a lot of weight off your joints and come in handy when you’re dealing with uneven terrain and early-season ice patches. As someone with pretty bad balance, I can attest to the usefulness of having extra points of contact with the ground.

4. Learn proper trail etiquette.

There are a few things that are common sense when it comes to etiquette on the trails. Here are a few points to remember:

Don’t make a ton of noise. Talking is fine, but roaring laughter or playing music loudly can really take away from the outdoor experience for fellow trail-goers.

Stay to the right on wider trails and pass people to the left (that’s the way it is here, maybe it’s the opposite in other parts of the world — let me know!). If you meet someone while you are going downhill and they are going uphill, let them make the call about who stops (they may want a break, or they may want to push through a tough section without being interrupted).

Don’t stop on the trail. If you need to take a break, try to move out of the way. If you meet someone you know and stop to chat, definitely move out of the way. It’s very frustrating for anyone who comes along and needs to maneuver around you.

If you are hiking in a group on a narrow or busy trail, always hike single file.

Let people know what to expect. If you come to a section where the trail has been closed off, is ice-covered, or is just generally hard to get past, be courteous and let anyone who comes behind you know as you head back.

Stay on the trail. Leave no trace.

These are just a few of the common points. If you are really keen on practicing pristine path politeness (please forgive me), try reading a few articles and blogs before you head out. A quick Google search will yield plenty of good resources.

5. Push through until you get your next wind.

I go through phases when hiking where I feel just drained. Luckily, I know that the endorphins will kick in again and give me another boost in a few minutes.

Pushing your body is hard, but that’s what it takes to build strength and endurance. So, the next time you are about to call it quits and turn back, give yourself a few minutes and see if you get a resurgence of energy and motivation. You are an athlete, and if you give yourself enough time, you can finish any hike. Remember that.

More on hiking? Try these:

My experiences with specific hikes:

Share your hiking tips with me in the comments!

Scramble in the Rockies: Mount Baldy (video post)

April 12, 2016 by Marie 1 Comment

Quick Stats: Mount Baldy

Location: One hour away from Calgary, Alberta, in Kananaskis Country just outside Banff National Park.

Elevation: 2193 metres

Round-trip time: 4-6 hours

Difficulty: Moderate (due to the crux, which is about 2/3rds of the way to the peak and is avoidable)

Height gain: 788 metres

Round-trip distance: 5 km

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How To Cross The Border From Ecuador To Peru By Bus

April 6, 2016 by Marie 4 Comments

My days in Ecuador were pretty memorable. I climbed a mountain over 5000 metres high, did my first multi-pitch rock climb (and a 5.10 at that, something new for me), went snorkelling with sea turtles and did my own mini-tour of historic Cuenca. I visited ruins and drank at microbreweries and tried my hardest to keep my diet free of animal products, despite the huuuuge emphasis on meat in the region.

Of course, Ecuador was just the beginning of my trip in South America. And traversing South America by bus meant I would have to do something I’d never done before: an international border crossing over land. If you’re heading from Ecuador to Peru, here’s how it’s done.

Your options for crossing the border

You’ve got a few options when it comes getting from Ecuador to Peru. The first decision is whether to fly or take the bus. Flying, obviously, has a much greater upfront cost. However, if you do manage to get a good deal and are planning to jump a large distance (like from Guayaquil all the way to Lima), then it might be a reasonable option.

If you’re traveling slow, like me, the bus is always the standard option. There are ways to cross the border incredibly cheaply. But, if you get super anxious about traveling like I do, better to pay extra for a quality international bus service. While there are a couple, the one I went with (and which seemed to have the best reputation) was Cruz del Sur. I paid 145 Peruvian Soles, or about 45 USD, for a VIP seat on an 8-hour ride from Guayaquil (Ecuador’s largest city, just a few hours from the border) to Máncora (a beach town on Peru’s north coast). Of course, you can head all the way from Guayquil to Lima if you choose to do so, for a higher cost and a 24-hour bus ride. The VIP seats are pretty plush with lots of space. They are just 5 USD extra, but seem to book up fast. If you know when you’ll be leaving in advance, book early. I booked before I left Canada because I wanted to have a ticket out of the country in case I was asked at the airport en route to Ecuador.

Catching the bus

Cruz del Sur buses leave Guayquil every Tuesday at 2 pm (or, at least, that appears to be the schedule at the time of writing). But, you need to check your bags at the office first and head to the gate at 1:30 pm. If you are rushing to grab lunch at the bus terminal, don’t worry about it. There are a bunch of stands selling empanadas, humitas, and other snacks right next to the spot where you’ll be waiting to load the bus.

The bus ride

From Guayquil, you’ll drive for about 4.5 hours. They play movies in English with Spanish subtitles, but don’t depend on the idea that there will be sound. Instead, make sure you load up with audiobooks and podcasts for the journey. An attendant will come around with your immigration papers for Peru. Fill them out early so you aren’t rushed later.

After those 4.5 hours, you’ll come to the first stop. You need to bring your passport, your Ecuadorian immigration card that you should have from when you entered the country, and your Peruvian entry papers that you filled out on the bus. First, you’ll get in the line to exit Ecuador. Very straightforward, just pass up your passport and Ecuadorian card and they will be stamped. Next, you’ll get in line to enter Peru. Same process, but you will likely be asked if this is your first visit to Peru. We automatically were granted visas for 90 days, but you might be asked how long you are planning to stay in the country.

There are bathrooms right next to the doors you’ll leave this room from, if you don’t like going on a moving bus. There’s also a little shop across the road to stock up on drinks and snacks.

After this, you’ll drive for another half hour or so until you come to a second stop. This is a meal stop. You’ll get going for another couple of hours before reaching a third stop. This time, you have to get out and have your passport checked again. There are bathrooms here as well. The stop here is only a few minutes.

The next stop, in about 10 minutes, is Máncora. There will be mototaxis waiting at the bus stop to take you to your accommodations (if you choose to stick around here for a few days). The attendant on the bus let us know when we would arrive in Máncora, and on a bus service like this, I’m sure this kind of notice is standard.

Travel within Peru

Bus travel in Peru is far different from in Ecuador. There are still budget buses to travel on, but there are more luxury bus services that are worth the extra cost. My favourite bus company to travel with in Peru was Oltursa (if you can get the seats right in front of the window on the top level, these are even better than VIP seats for the views alone) . Their buses were new and clean and service was good. I also had a decent experience with MovilTours. Prices depend on the distance, but these companies average around the same. No, this is not the cheapest option, but it was worth the price to me. I booked most of my tickets online and then used my phone to show the confirmation to an attendant at the booking counter to check my bags and get my tickets printed around half an hour before the departure time.

Enjoy your time in Peru!

How To Effectively Use The Word “No” In Your Life

April 4, 2016 by Marie 2 Comments

I’ve said “no” a lot over the years. Sure, there have been plenty of “yes” moments along the way, but those tend to get all the credit for who I am already. The truth is that everything I’ve said no to or decided not to do has had a huge impact on where I am today — and it’s probably the same for you.

It’s not all about the word, though, it’s the intentions behind the word. It’s why you say it. It’s why you decide whether or not to follow through with something. In my mind, there are two major reasons why you decide against something.

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