Three Things I’m Loving Lately: Week 7

It’s Friday, and I can’t believe that it is also almost April. I’m stopping short of lamenting the quick departure of March, though, since it brought so much snow and cold to my corner of the world. I’m ready for spring to make its long-awaited grand entrance!

I have just returned from a work trip managing technology for a conference in Miami, and while I was there I was able to put together some great content that I will be sharing on Full Life, Full Passport next week. I can’t wait for you to see it! First, however, let me share with you some things I’ve been loving lately to close out the week – and the month of March!

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1. ) The 2017 Smithsonian.com Photo Contest

I’m a sucker for a quality photo contest, and Smithsonian.com recently published the winners and finalists for their 2017 competition. The grand prize winner is a photograph of patrons eating soup at a market in Vietnam; you can almost feel the warmth of the steam on your skin and smell the rich aroma of the broth they’re enjoying.

Categories include Natural World, The American Experience, Travel, People, Altered Images, and Mobile, and there are some phenomenal captures in all of them. Check it out, and maybe consider submitting your own photograph for the 2018 contest!

2.)  Antarctica and the Traveler’s Ego

I LOVED this article from Adventurous Kate about her recent, life-changing trip to frozen continent. Her writing is superb, honest, humble, and so very relatable, and her words and photos are a love letter to Antarctica like I’ve never seen.

I have wanted to travel to Antarctica for a while, especially after my best friend Molly went a couple of years ago. The reasons behind my desire are many: the trip seems like such a great adventure; the opportunity for wildlife viewing is unparalleled; I’m worried about the effect of climate change on its wonders. Mostly, like Kate, I just want to be awestruck by the grandeur of the white continent.

I will admit, though, that I suffer from the insatiable thirst of wanderlust that compels me to travel to a place just because it’s there. I love checking off countries and cities and coloring them in on my “Where I’ve Been” map. I thrive on tallying experiences into a life achievement list, even if that list is valuable only to me. Through this article, I also came to recognize that a big part of me wanted to go to Antarctica just to be able to say to myself that I had been there.

I’m so glad to read that Antarctica exceeds the hype, that it overwhelms you with its glory and humbles you with its impact, that it’s bigger and better than just a seventh and final continent to cross off a list.

I can’t wait to experience it for myself. Seriously, give this article a read. It’s worth it.

3.) Rewatching ‘Downton Abbey‘

For an extrovert like me, working from home can get lonely. Over the past few months, I have developed some small coping mechanisms to prevent myself from going crazy spending long periods of time alone in a quiet, 850-square-foot apartment. For example, I tend to throw on podcasts while I’m doing chores around the apartment, and I usually watch short bursts of TV while I’m eating breakfast and lunch. These small breaks not only help me keep my sanity and focus but have also allowed me to check out incredible new content (I’m looking at you, ‘Godless’ on Netflix) and revisit old favorites a half hour at a time.

Lately, I’ve used this time to rewatch the lush, engrossing series ‘Downton Abbey,’ which is available in its entirety on Amazon Prime. I had seen most of the episodes but missed the final season, so it has been nice to go back and watch from the beginning and finally get the closure I’d denied myself!

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That’s all for this week! M and I are going to be spending the weekend moving to a new apartment, but I’ll be back on Monday with a week-long itinerary for a trip to Belize! You won’t want to miss it.

Have a great weekend!

XO,
Gwen

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What have you been loving lately?

Which of the Smithsonian.com winning or finalist photos was your favorite?

Do you have any fun strategies that help you effectively work from home?

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Read More:

Did you miss Week 6? Check out what I was loving last week!