#ITS GORGEOUS HERE. last week my bus home was delayed for 2 hours

[luck-of-the-drawings]

when i was in highschool one o my biggest coping mechanisms was drawing all the kids i hated getting killed and eaten and killed. and well. time is a slowly ascending spiral. you will find patterns.(i work as a blackjack dealer. gamblers are FASCINATING

[aupairadventures]

The Nelsons Take Nantes (And Paris, too!)

Last month, my Mom, Aunt, and sister came to visit me here in France. Without a doubt, this experience was one of the top highlights of my year abroad. For months, I had been looking forward to this moment. In fact, from the second I landed in France last August, I couldn’t wait for my family to come to visit. I knew that they would fall in love with this beautiful country just as much as I have. The way that I feel about France is no secret, and couldn’t wait for my family to understand exactly why I feel this way. My mom and I talk frequently over the phone, and there’s always so much to share with each other and catch up on. During our chats (which are so very dear to me,)  I’ve described many different things to her; I’ve told her about the peaceful river in Vertou, about the majestic castle in Nantes, or the colors in last night’s sunset. I’ve told her about my host family, about my friends, about funny stories and embarrassing moments. During our phone calls, we’ve both shared laughter and shed tears, and been there for each other through all our days, both good and bad. After months of describing what my life here looks like, I couldn’t wait for my family to experience it firsthand and turn their obscure imaginations into reality.

I felt so excited that we would all be embarking on a new adventure together and so proud of my family, especially my sister, for doing something that they’d never done before; This was the first time that my Aunt visited Paris and northern France, the first time that my Mom visited Europe, and the first time that Trinity left the United States. I love being able to say that the first time that my Mom and sister ever crossed the Atlantic ocean was to come to visit me.  

To say that their visit was magical would be an understatement. When my family was here, I had one of the most perfect and happiest weeks ever. Every moment that we shared together was so special, and their presence brought a golden, rose-colored light to my world.

On Thursday morning, the day after I returned to Paris from Budapest, I went to Orly Airport to greet them. I was so excited and impatient that I could barely contain myself, and my excitement led me to practically jumping off the shuttle bus like a crazy woman, leading to me getting reprimanded by a French security guard. (Long story!)

I’ll never forget the moment when I went into the airport and found my mom’s face through the whirling airport crowd. I ran towards her at a breakneck pace and tackled her in a hug, feeling happier than ever to finally see her again. I’ll never forget how I laughed at Trinity’s reaction delayed reaction, either. We looked over to see her sipping a cappuccino at the airport Monop’ cafe, saying, “Oh! I didn’t even see you there!” before laughing and wrapping us up in a group hug. 

Our first day in Paris together was nothing short of spectacular.  The three of us explored the city, saw the Eiffel Tower, stood on the Trocadero, ate macarons, and saw Monet’s Water Lilies in l’Orangerie, (fulfilling a lifelong dream of my Aunt’s).  I felt so happy when I looked over at my family and saw the stars in their eyes as they gazed around them with a sense of childlike wonder. I loved experiencing the city through their eyes, with a totally fresh perspective. It reminded me of how I felt when I came to Paris for the first time, and reminded why this magical place is so dear to my heart. Seeing my family being so joyous in a city that I love so much made me happier than anything, and was the best gift ever. 

Thursday night, after going to the Eiffel Tower to watch the sunset and see the tower sparkle after nightfall, we went out to dinner together to celebrate our first night in France. Tucked away on a small, hidden street a few blocks away from the Eiffel Tower, we found the most amazing little Italian restaurant. While the outside might not have looked like much, the people there were so friendly and the food was absolutely to die for. The honey and goat cheese pizza, spinach lasagna, cheesy ravioli, Caprese salads, and tiramisu were so incredible that we came back a second time the following night! 

On Friday morning, we took a long walk around the area, enjoying each other's company and the beautiful blue skies and golden sunshine. Trinity’s dream was to find a Brandy Melville and go shopping there, so we did just that. On our way there, we wandered through a lovely fashion district filled with gorgeous little boutiques and extremely expensive designer stores. To be honest, I have absolutely no idea where we were or what the name of this neighborhood was; all I know is that this area was absolutely beautiful. 

After another delicious lunch, we took the metro to the Louvre, which is one of my favorite places on Earth. As I knew that they would, my family absolutely loved the Louvre and were totally in awe of its beauty and opulence. We spent the whole afternoon there, exploring all of the different collections, gawking at the impressive architecture and artwork, as well being up to no good and laughing a lot, as can be seen in the pictures below: 

That night, we decided to go to the Eiffel Tower to see if it would be possible to go up to the top. We got extremely lucky with the line and only had to wait about 30 or 40 minutes total. I’m so glad that I waited to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower for the first time with my family and that I saved this special moment for them. This memory was one of the highlights of our week together. I was especially proud of my mom, who’s scared to death of heights, but was so brave and conquered her fear. While I’m not particularly scared of heights, I am very afraid of elevators, so my mom and I clung on to each other tightly while my daredevil Aunt and sister felt no fear at all, even daring to try to lean over the edge of the fence, declaring, “Look! There’s a soccer game down there!”

We decided to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at the perfect time of day, as we got to see Paris in all her beautiful forms. We watched as the bright blue sky was lit up with golden sunlight before fading into shades of pink and purple as the sun began to set, and watched the glowing lights of the city below us come alive as the sky darkened and fell asleep. Seeing Paris from above was one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen, and made me love this city even more (If that can be humanly possible).  

We started out our last day in Paris by visiting a boulangerie-patisserie and snacking on some chocolate eclairs as we walked to Le Musee d’Orsay. This was my first time visiting this museum, and I absolutely loved it. This museum is actually housed in a former train station built in the last 1800s, making for gorgeously interesting architecture. My favorite part of the museum was the top floor because of the beautiful impressionist paintings and an incredibly photogenic clock tower. 

After spending the morning at the museum, we walked to the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore and Café, (one of my favorite places in Paris,) and gawked at the beauty of the Notre Dame Cathedral, savoring our last moments in Paris before taking the train to Nantes to begin the second part of our French adventure.

Trinity and I managed to turn the usually mundane 2-hour train ride into a fun occasion as we ate pizza together, watched our favorite John Mulaney comedy special on Netflix, and tried as hard as we could to not laugh too loudly.

After a long train ride, walk from the train station to the bus stop, long bus ride, and a short drive back home, we were all so exhausted and so overjoyed to finally arrive at my host family’s house. After all the traveling I had done, I hadn’t been home in almost 2 weeks, so finally coming home felt so lovely. There’s nothing like sleeping in your own bed after being away!

On Sunday, we had an absolutely lovely morning. After sleeping in late, we went to the Vertou farmer’s market together, where we bought lots of fresh veggies, salad greens, raspberries, and some impressive looking lavender goat cheese. After a delicious lunch together at home, we got in the car and headed to Nantes to spend the afternoon showing my family the city that has become my home. I took them to all of my favorite places: Le Jardin des Plantes, la Cathedrale, le Château, my favorite boulangerie, all the little shops in the Bouffay quarter, my favorite thrift store, Place Royale, and le Passage Pommeraye. My mom said that le Jardin des Plantes was her absolute favorite place in the city because all the nature, flora, and greenery reminds her of the Berkshires, where I grew up. (I think that she enjoyed feeding the goats there as well!) It felt so special to finally show my family around the city that has become so dear to my heart, and that I have told them about countless times. Seeing my Mom, Aunt, and sister in all of my favorite places in this city made me feel like my two worlds were colliding and made me realize that now,  in my memories, there would forever be a little piece of Lenox, Massachusetts halfway across the world in Nantes, France.

    At the end of the day, when we arrived back to the house, my host family had just returned home from their weekend trip. As I watched my family and my host family greet each other, introduce themselves, and exchange hugs, I felt a wave of happiness wash over me. Watching my two families, two groups of people that I care so deeply about, come together for the first time was such a beautiful and special moment to witness.

   That night, we all had the first of many amazing aperitifs and dinners together. My host dads (the absolute perfect hosts in every way,) went above and beyond to welcome my family and make them feel at home, for which I am so grateful. They showed my family such kindness and generosity, just as they have done for me since the moment that I met them. That week, every night during dinner, surrounded by lots of smiles and laughter, I could feel my heart glowing as I looked around the table.

   That week, my host kid Mathilde, my family and I, embarked on many other adventures. We returned to Nantes to visit L’Ile des Machines, see the gigantic robotic elephant and ride Nantes’ huge, three-story carousel. On a sunny, blue-skied day, we took a lovely road trip to a little seaside town called Pornic, which is about 45 minutes away from Vertou. We had a little picnic by the ocean, walked around the charming town and visited the little shops along the way. 

During our last day together, we went on another little road trip to Clisson, one of my absolute favorite little villages. I wrote about Clisson last October when I visited it for the first time with my friend Ellie, but I’ll write about what it’s like again, just because I love it there so much! Between the cobblestone streets lined with lovely shops, the creperies and ice cream stands, the picturesque river and stone bridge, the beautiful hiking trails, all the little vine-covered houses with terracotta roofs and brightly colored shutters, and the ruins of a medieval castle, Clisson is one of the most adorable places I’ve ever seen. On that sunny Wednesday, we saw the sculpture covered ground of Garenne Lemot, strolled through the forest, and walked through fields of yellow and purple wildflowers. We ate crêpes for lunch and basked in the sunshine as we ate gelato and explored the ruins of the castle. The five of us spent a magical day there, and it was a great way to bring my family’s first adventure in France to a close. 

   Early on Thursday, it came time for my family to take a train from Nantes back to Paris, and then catch their flight back home. We left the house before the sun had even come up and drove to the train station, my heart feeling heavy the whole time. I’ve always hated saying goodbye, and never been good at handling the emotions that come along with it. As we stood on the train platform before they boarded, I hugged them all fiercely as tears ran down my cheeks. I felt so heartbroken to have to say goodbye to them and was missing them before they had even left. However, I felt comforted by the knowledge that we had all had the most incredible time and had created so many beautiful new memories together. I am infinitely grateful for this experience and will cherish them forever. I’m looking forward to seeing my family again soon in just a few months, as I know that any more adventures lie ahead, and we have many more memories to make.

[loansinghfinanceblogme-blog]

There is something exciting and blissful about monsoon travelling. Even though you know there will be rain, puddles, delays and soaked feet, you cannot ignore the beauty, rainbows and garam garam chai. In today’s post we look at 9 places around the world where monsoon plays an important part in adding to its allure and sheer beauty.

Click here to read about an online medical personal loan

Monsoon Travelling

The concept of ‘Monsoon Travelling’ is nothing new. Monsoon is the advent of rains and a change in weather, from the harrowing summer. That is why, embarking on a new family adventure or solo travel trip during monsoons, actually makes you get out of your home and go see the world.

Although you need to carry rain protective gear when embarking on a monsoon trip, the other aspects of travel remain the same – such as choosing the destination, planning for the trip, making lodging arrangements and arranging cash for the entire holiday.

Your travel holiday can be focused on a particular event, such as the World Cup happening in Russia, the Berlin Fashion Week or the London Comic Con. Some of you might want to go on a world tour perhaps. Whatever the reason for the travel or whichever destination you want to visit, you will need funds. It is not easy for salaried individuals to keep aside some form of travel funds when there are so many priority expenses to cater to. So, what do salaried individuals do in order to go on a holiday? Apply for a travel personal loan of course.

Click here to know why used cars and used car loans are still relevant

9 Places To Visit During The Monsoons

Although any destination, whether a beach or a mountainous hill station, would look dreamy during the monsoons, we have a list of 9 places you can visit especially during the monsoons. So let’s get started.

1.Mossy Forest, Malaysia

The Mossy Forest, located at Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, gets us started. The forest is a paradise for greenery lovers. It can best be accessed from the town Tanah Rata. You can spend your time exploring the gorgeous mountains and reward yourself with a cup of hot steaming local tea. Hiking would be a great choice for adventure seekers. The highlight of the trek is the iconic slippery boardwalk. The alternative to that is the root-ridden dirt trail. All this would take you close to an hour.

Do be careful of carnivorous pitcher plants along the way, with rain also bringing along its friend, the mist. There are delicate orchids standing out among the green moss. Getting to the forest is an experience in itself. Winding roads take you through green tea fields before making its way to the misty mountaintops. Travel tip here would include boots, which will be your best pal against the moss filled footsteps.

The travel loan amount required to visit this place is INR 2,00,000.

2.Madagascar Park Forest

The Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park can be easily accessed from Morondava, which is an 8 hour drive. The forest hike will take you through the national reserve’s Big Tsingy section. A guide will accompany you, to prevent you from getting lost in the mega forest or worse, getting impaled by the spikey rocks. It is more of a rocky forest, with Tsingy’s limestone formations cover up to 230-square miles. It is an UNESCO heritage site.

The trek can last for a whole day, taking you through crevices, rickety rope bridges and allow you to witness chameleons, lemurs and a wide variety of birds. Again walk with heavy boots, instead of Paragons. The travel loan amount required to visit this place is INR 2,75,000.

3.Great Otway National Park, Australia

The Great Otway National Park can be accessed by the Great Ocean Road, that begins from Melbourne west in Torquay. The park offers hikes which are short and easy, passing through the lush landscape of Otway’s rainforest. They are home to huge tree ferns, swaying eucalyptus trees, koalas and kookaburras. The gorgeous Henderson and Erskine waterfalls add to its beauty.

The travel loan amount required to visit this place is INR 3,50,000.

4.Amazon Rainforest, Brazil

The most illustrious one on this list, the Amazon Rainforest can be accessed from Iquitos, Peru. This is the perfect place to start off a trek. The treks or tours are organized over the river, with lodges located at Iquitos letting access to a canopy walkway. The rainforest is the world’s largest rainforest, spanning over eight countries and approximately 1.4 billion acres.

The forest is fertilized by dust that seeps in from Africa’s Sahara Desert. It shelters pink dolphins, jaguars, sloths and toucans, among others. Isolated tribes still live in the forests.

The travel loan amount required to visit this place is INR 3,75,000.

5.Redwood Forest, California

The forest can be best accessed from the Avenue of Giants, which is a 32-mile drive through massive ancient trees. A great hike option would be the Rockefeller Loop at Bull Creek Flats, which is less crowded. The forest is popular for its iconic tall trees, with three of the world’s ten tallest trees located in the park’s Bull Creek Flats area. You can also drive through one of these huge trees. Hugging them completely is however impossible.

The travel loan amount required to visit this place is INR 2,50,000.

6.Cloud Forest, Ecuador

The cloud forest can be best accessed from Quito, which is the Ecuador’s capital city. The forest is located on a misty region, within lodging offered by a number of occupants. You can embark on the hike offered near Mindo, Casa Amarilla. You can witness colorful birds and a plethora of insect species. Hummingbirds and toucans are common sights. Birdwatchers with their binoculars can have a ball. The travel loan amount required to visit this place is INR 3,00,000.

7.Bamboo Forest, Japan

The Bamboo Forest can be accessed via Kyoto’s bus or train station. The hike trail leads you straight through the iconic bamboo grove. The bamboos grow really tall and towering. The sound of bamboo stalks bumping with each other will keep you company through the hike and rain.

The travel loan amount required to visit this place is INR 2,50,000.

8.Black Forest, Germany

The forest can be accessed from Baden-Baden. The hike trail is quite long, spanning almost an hour and covering up to 200 miles. You also pass the Hohebaden Castle on the way. The forest has inspired numerous fairy tales by Brothers Grimm, so you will special being there in the first place. You can also gorge on some local delicacies along the way, such as Black Forest gateau and Black Forest ham. You can gulp it down with a pint of German beer after all.

The travel loan amount required to visit this place is INR 3,00,000.

9.Sian Ki’an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Tour companies located at Sian Ka’an will help set up hiking tours. Public transport is the easiest way to get there. Although you can go on short treks through the jungle, you can also hop on to a boat tour through submerged mangroves along the ocean. There are plenty of crocs, sea turtles and dolphins to behold.

The travel loan amount required to visit this place is INR 3,00,000.

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Travel Personal Loan at Loan Singh

The unsecured aspect of a travel personal loan in itself makes it a potent financial solution in times of travel cash crunch. Suppose you remove the offline paperwork, delayed verification, repeated trips to the bank and delayed approval, from the travel loan availing process.  And then you turn the process online, with only 3 documents (to be uploaded), an approximately 5-minute application process and doing all this from the confines of your home. These features, my friends, make an online travel personal loan even faster to avail.

An online travel personal loan is a fantastic option during times of sudden travel plans. Sometimes, your savings might not cover the cost of a complete travel holiday. You might sometimes need to supplement your emergency travel fund with a shot of cash from other sources.

It is true that a number of traditional lending institutions provide travel loans. But, isn’t an online travel personal loan synonymous with quick, instant and requiring less paperwork?

So, what’s the best source of travel funds to plan a sudden ‘zindagi milengi na dobaara’ travel trip? How can you travel the world with the least of hassles and no tension? How to apply for an instant travel personal loan? Are there any online travel personal loan providers in India? The single answer to all these questions is Loan Singh.

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Travel Personal Loan Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for an online travel loan with Loan Singh are:

Salaried (receiving a monthly salary directly into your bank account)

Indian and above 21 years of age

A credit-worthy repayment history

No collateral needed

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[adamandbrittanyinhawaii]

Australia: Day 14/15

As mentioned yesterday, our hostel is right in the heart of it all overlooking Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House.  It is actually up on a hill making it a perfect overlook while still being central. This morning since we are in the midst of marathon training we went for a 10 mile run around Sydney to both see the area and get a workout in.  There is a gorgeous walking/biking/jogging path that runs all along the water providing us with amazing photo opportunities of the Opera House, Harbor Bridge, Botanical Gardens and so much more.  It is interesting how something that on the surface sounds a bit mundane like going for a multi-day hike or a 10 mile run can yield the best photos from our entire trip. Just check out some of the shots I was able to get while being covered in sweat:

Towards the end of the run we stopped for breakfast on the edge of town at a western harbor.  It was perfect time to rest because my IT bands had been giving me issues for the last several weeks and was flaring up again on the run.  I had ramped up my running recently to 60 mile weeks to get ready for the Honolulu and it was taking its toll on my legs.  This vacation was a chance to rest the legs relatively speaking so that when we get back I could go hard for the last 6 weeks of training.

We headed back and got cleaned up but not before stopping at a street fair to try kangaroo kabobs.  

We hopped on the public transit boat (how cool is that?!?!) over to Watson’s Bay. I’m sure locals probably aren’t impressed by getting a scenic water view of their city but for us it was super cool. We took it to the eastern edge of town at Watson’s Bay where we went for a Cliffside walk and enjoyed the path less traveled.  After about a quarter mile we were out of the main tourist gathering area and firmly in local territory.  It is interesting how little people explore outside of preordained tourist spots.  We had a gorgeous walking path to ourselves along the water passing kid’s cricket games (we aren’t in America anymore!), lighthouses and picnics.  

Eventually we hopped on a bus down to Bondi Beach which was, super crowded!  It was a bit overcast and not warm by Hawaii standards so we weren’t tempted to get in the water.  Instead we opted for fish and chips and strolled through the outdoor art walk they had at the beach.  I have no idea what the majority of the art was supposed to represent but if you can figure it out let me know.

We then caught the next bus to Westfield Mall, home of many shops but most importantly, it was home to Aldi!!!!!! As you can tell we were so excited to be there our excitement rubbed off on the employees.

Being back at Aldi was a nice treat, and not just because we could buy boxes of Tim Tams for ~$1USD. We have a list of things we wished existed in Hawaii and this is near the top but I guess paradise can’t be perfectly created for our every whim and desire.

After loading up on goodies, we took our wine, cheese and crackers back to our hotel and enjoyed them while overlooking the views of the city.  After that we tried pulling an all nighter around town by hitting up the bars in Sydney but alas, we could only make it to about 2am.  It was Halloween night so costumes were abounding everywhere making it more entertaining than usual but outside of your own city and a group of friends, going out all night just doesn’t hold the same allure it used to as 21 year olds.  

After 2 hours of sleep we took an Uber to the airport and used our lounge pass benefit one last time to load up on free food.  The return trip would fly through Fiji unfortunately though which meant Fiji Airways got a chance to disappoint us and they did just that.  When we arrived they closed their lounge even though their posted hours said they would be open.  With a 6 hour layover the last thing we wanted was to sit in a noisy food court but they insisted that they needed a mid-day siesta.  The collective laziness of that country is truly staggering.

We finally did make it home after Fiji delayed the flight an hour for no known reason.  It was quite a trip and we still have much to see in Australia but it whet our appetite for more adventures in the future.  And when we arrived in Hawaii, wouldn’t you know it, Halloween was just wrapping up which meant we got to see all the ridiculous costumes a 2nd time.  

If you want to see the rest of the pictures from our travels to Australia, go here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/rA6z3h8vITobU0up1