Uncategorized – Two Wild Tides

Phi Phi Islands Excursion

March 25, 2019 | Leave a Comment

The Phi Phi Islands are a touristy but incredibly beautiful part of Thailand. I highly recommend venturing out on a day trip. However, I wouldn’t recommend the speed boat option. That’s what we chose to do and it felt very rushed the whole time. The boat was quite cramped and we didn’t have much time to take in our surroundings. If I had the opportunity to visit these islands again – I would do it a little differently. I would opt for the pricier alternative and a smaller group.

Regardless, it was still a blast. The beaches were exquisite and the sights, although short-lived, were spectacular. Below you will find a photo diary of our day.

xoxo,
linds

Check out the next leg of the adventure: Mae Rim Elephant Sanctuary

Fighting the Flu: Our Best Tips for Beating a Cold

September 27, 2018 | Leave a Comment

Cold and flu season is upon us. No matter how hard we try to nourish our bodies to have the strongest immune system, we all catch a common cold once in a while– and we all have tried-and-true remedies that we swear by. Today we’re sharing our best tips in the hopes that we can help you kick your cold to the curb and be back on your feet in no time.

Eat all the oranges. This one my Dad taught me– and it works! As soon as I feel a cold coming on I start eating as many oranges as my body can handle. Freshly-squeezed OJ works too.
Neo Citran. Also a habit inherited from my Dad. I drink two mugs of this a day when I’m sick with a cold and it makes me feel better every time. It’s also great to put you to sleep when a cough is keeping you up. This stuff is powerful.
Sri Lankan Ayurvedic tea. When I was traveling in Sri Lanka earlier this year, I came down with a nagging cold. There was no sign of Neo Citran and the oranges couldn’t battle it off on their own, so I thought: “might as well try to cure it the local way!” Some of the locals I talked to recommended this tea, which is a blend of herbs and spices, and it worked pretty well. I brought it home with me and now I use it every time I have a cold. It might just be the placebo effect or the natural course of the cold, but I really do believe it works. It doesn’t taste great (I think it tastes like my hot yoga studio…) but it works. Like Buckley’s, but healthier. You can get it on Amazon!
Hot showers or baths. I find the steam really helps with sinus blockage. Diffuse some essential oils while you’re in there.
Sweat sesh. Don’t do this too soon– you need to rest when you’re sick. But, I always find that if I go to hot yoga on the tail end of my cold, it really helps to sweat it out and keep it from lingering. Going hard at the gym or visiting a sauna might work too.

What are your holy grail flu hacks? Let us know in the comments or share them on social media (@twowildtides), we would love to try them!

Feel better soon!!
char

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Sri Lanka Diaries: The Day I Was in a Sri Lankan Tourism Commercial

August 20, 2018 | Leave a Comment

It’s my second weekend in Sri Lanka. My friends and I are in Sigiriya for the weekend, staying at a small hotel and taking in the sights. Go back and read that article if you want before you proceed. We arrive at the hotel Friday night and the very kind owner knocks on our door about 30 minutes after we checked in. He says “I have a guy downstairs wondering if any of our guests would be interested in being in a travel video. You just have to ride bicycles for a few minutes.” My friend and I look at each other, shrug our shoulders, and said: “f*ck it, why not?”

The next morning, we went downstairs at 8:30 am thinking we’d just be walking out to the street in front of the hotel to ride bikes for this guy’s video. Nope. There was a driver waiting for us in a very nice car. He got out and introduced himself as being a tour guide for the Sri Lankan Tourism Board. Turns out that we were about to be a part of a very legitimate ad campaign.

We drove to a lake with a breathtaking view of Pidurangala and Sigiriya. There was a full film crew waiting for us and we were given bottled water, juice, and packs of cookies. We were truly treated like stars. The guys were so funny and friendly, all we did was laugh and laugh. We took more selfies than I’d ever taken in my life. I think they really thought we were celebrities. They gave us the cutest bikes with big baskets and rode up and down a dirt road a few times while a drone filmed us. It was a lot of fun! I also happened to be wearing my Figgyduff Dory shirt with a giant puffin plastered on the front. A typical Newfoundlander right here.

We were so grateful to have had this experience. We felt great because it was spontaneous and unique and a hell of a good story. We would have never gotten such an incredible view of Pidurangala and Sigiriya had we declined. We were treated like stars and got to meet some really friendly and talented locals. Then they asked if they could use us for more scenes because we ‘fit the image.’ We accepted, partly out of politeness and partly out of interest to see what else was in store.

Our driver, who by this point we knew by name, took us to a King Coconut stand where he would also be in the video. This scene was a lot more staged and scripted. We did multiple takes and laughed through it all. I learned a lot about acting– by that I mean I gained a lot of perspective and respect for the hard work and long hours actors and actresses put in. It’s exhausting! We had fun nonetheless. Plus we got to sip coconuts and eat fresh fruit. Yum.

After the coconut scene, we had been out filming with these people for more than three hours! We were pretty tired. They asked us to do one final scene. This time, we accepted purely to be polite. This final scene was so corny– and intense. We had lines to say, marks to hit, and two co-stars. It was hot and we were tired. But we did it, and they dropped us off safely at our hotel FIVE HOURS after they picked us up. What we expected to take 15 minutes took way longer than that. The crew understood that we were tired and that they had asked way more of us than was expected. Even though my friends and I were a little irritable by the end, it was so worth it. It was a really fun day and an experience that we could have never paid for or planned. Plus, we have this cool memento of our trip:

All three of my scenes are featured. Can you spot me? Comment if you can!

What are your unique and/or unexpected travel experiences? We would love to hear your stories!! Comment them on this article, reach out to us on social media (@twowildtides), or send us an email.

sorry, no autographs 😉
char

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What We Eat in a Week: Healthy Lunchbox Inspiration

January 18, 2018 | Leave a Comment

Hi everyone! We hope 2018 is treating you well so far. I know everyone is a little groggy getting back into the work/school routine after an exciting holiday season, so I want to share a few packed lunch ideas to help get you back on track.

Honestly, these meals are exactly what I had for lunch over a week of work– I just snapped a picture before packing up my lunch bag.

Day 1
Leftovers are my life, so on Monday, I packed pasta from supper the night before. It is simply sundried tomatoes, asparagus, chicken, pesto, and goat cheese tossed with brown rice pasta.

On the side, I packed fresh strawberries and chopped celery.

Since it’s Monday, I can’t forget my coffee in my favourite reusable mug.

Day 2
On Tuesday, I wasn’t feeling making a big meal. I threw in a bunch of snack foods, including roasted chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, pomegranate seeds, Krave beef jerky, and homemade chocolate chia seed pudding (find our recipe here!).

Krave beef jerky is guilt-free because it is all-natural, gluten-free, and contains no preservatives.

Day 3
For Hump Day, I whipped up some omelette cups paired with fresh blueberries and City Snacks freeze-dried pineapple and strawberries, which are scrumptious and nutritious!

Day 4
Leftovers again! I used components from taco night to make an easier-to-pack burrito bowl. Essentially it is rice, chicken, and a bunch of fresh veggies. I packed two little containers of salsa and guacamole for extra flavour.

I also tossed in fresh mixed berries and a Kind bar.

Day 5
For a day when you’re not feeling super hungry or if you’ve had a big breakfast, I recommend a huge bottle of water and some healthy snacks.

You can’t go wrong with fruit and nuts, so I packed a Kind bar, trail mix, a clementine, and fresh strawberries.

Day 6
For the last day of the work week, I made a mixed berry smoothie with hemp hearts and chia seeds.

On the side, I tossed in carrots and cucumber with hummus, Hungry Buddha coconut chips, and some clementines for a big dose of vitamin C.

We hope this article gave you some lunchbox inspiration and motivated you to scrap microwaveable meals and take-out. This article also features some packaged snacks that are actually good for you that we definitely recommend you try out.

Share your lunchbox pics with us on Instagram, @twowildtides! We love hearing from our readers.

xoxo,
char

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A Letter to My Hometown

January 16, 2018 | Leave a Comment

To the town that raised me:

Thank you for being the vessel for a wonderful childhood.
Thank you for raising my parents and my parents’ parents.
Thank you for being safe and supportive.
Thank you for giving me the best friends a person could ask for; friends who I’ve known since birth that still stand by me two decades later.

Your roads are etched in my brain; I could walk them blindfolded. I can remember countless nights wandering around with friends, which eventually turned into driving around with friends– loitering at whichever hangout was popular at the time and talking about everything and anything. You have made even the simplest activities into some of my best memories.

You gave me the space I needed to flourish; to grow into a confident, creative, and capable young woman. You gave me free reign to make mistakes and raise a little hell– which ultimately shaped me into a leader. I never realized until recently how much impact you actually had on my personality. I am me because of you.

Although I can’t picture myself staying with you forever, I can picture myself coming back to visit for the rest of my life. How could I ever forget the town that raised me? You taught me to ride a bike (and to not use the front brakes!), you had shortcuts in case I was running late for curfew, and you instilled some of my most important values. You showed me tragedy, triumph, and trying. You hold all of my favorite memories.

Even though growing up in a rural community has many drawbacks, it certainly has its advantages. How about being able to walk two minutes to see your friends and family? Knowing everyone around? Learning the value of hard work at a young age? Learning to appreciate the littlest things in life? Even when I live somewhere else, you will always be home. I will always be grateful for what you’ve given me. Sure, there is a lot out there I want to see and experience that you can never offer me, but there is nowhere in the world that could have given me this life that I love, but you.

I am sorry that I took you for granted. Sorry that it took leaving you to realize how lucky I was. Sorry for ever calling you lame, bland, or boring. It isn’t until now, in my twenties, that I’ve realized even being bored with you was a blessing.

xoxo,
char