Southeast Asia

Anxiety Abroad: How Solo Travel Improved My Mental Health
Anxiety Abroad: How Solo Travel Improved My Mental Health
November 14, 2017 In Cambodia Explore Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam No Comment

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Skylines of Asia
Skylines of Asia
October 10, 2017 In Bangkok Ho Chi Mihn City Southeast Asia No Comment

After two years as a digital nomad and visiting six countries in Asia, I think it’s finally time to admit to something I have been struggling with for awhile now. I, Julie July, am hopelessly addicted to skydecks.

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Bangkok the Beautiful
Bangkok the Beautiful
February 28, 2017 In Bangkok Explore Southeast Asia Thailand No Comment

Though my Sak Yant proved to be quite the intense introduction to the country, I woke up on Monday to the sound of traffic outside of my hostel window and felt instantly revitalized. I had become accustomed to the slower pace […]

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Getting a Buddhist Charm Tattoo: A Guide to Thailand’s Magical Sak Yant
Getting a Buddhist Charm Tattoo: A Guide to Thailand’s Magical Sak Yant
January 29, 2017 In Bangkok Explore Southeast Asia Thailand No Comment

I arrived in Bangkok on a rainy evening after an uneventful plane ride. After spending over an hour in the customs line (apparently it’s super busy at 4pm?) I exhaustedly hauled my backpack over to the ATM where I promptly spend […]

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Ancient Wonders at Phnom Kulen, Cambodia’s Sacred Mountain
Ancient Wonders at Phnom Kulen, Cambodia’s Sacred Mountain
December 18, 2016 In Cambodia Explore Siem Reap Southeast Asia No Comment

With my head still spinning from the enormous amount of information that my eyes and brain were struggling to process, I entered my guesthouse at the end of my two-day temple romp with sore feet, a fresh sunburn and clothes […]

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The Marvelous Mysteries of Angkor
The Marvelous Mysteries of Angkor
November 26, 2016 In Cambodia Explore Siem Reap Southeast Asia No Comment

After the week I’d just spent being practically confined to my room while recovering from my stomach woes, to say I was itching to get out and finally explore was an understatement – but despite my excitement, it turns out I […]

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  • Let’s go on an adventure

    Hey, I’m Jules, a visual designer based in Denver, Colorado. When I’m not moshing at punk shows or playing the latest video games, you can find me getting lost in the great outdoors and working my way around the globe.

    This is my travel journal where I write about all things color, wilderness, and wanderlust. I hope it will give you the tools and inspiration you need to make your own travel dreams a reality. Let’s wander together!

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    I'm honored that you want to follow my adventures! Sign up below to to be notified by email when I make a new post.

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    • This life has been a wild, wild ride. Yesterday marked 30 years existing as a human on this beautiful planet, which seems both unfathomably long and yet nowhere near long enough. The past decade defined my entire life as I now know it - each time I forced myself to leap out of a comfort zone, what little confidence I started with grew and grew until it finally bloomed. From living my dream of working for Disney to graduating college and beginning my design career, from making memories with countless brand new, lifelong friends to solo traveling the world, from discovering a deep love of nature after moving across the country on a whim to Denver to marrying my absolute best friend (who somehow didn't get tired of me after more than a decade), my 20's changed me. Completely. My severely depressed, painfully shy, horrifically awkward teenage self would not even begin to recognize the person I became. My anxiety decided to skyrocket over the last decade but aside from that, I couldn't possibly be more thankful. For everyone in my life that helped me grow, and for whatever tiny spark ignited in me that brought me out of my shell on my first day of college and propelled me all the way to a point in life where I can say I am really, truly happy. And so, so, SO grateful to be alive. This next decade has an absolutely insane amount to live up to. And you know what? I. Cannot. Wait.
    • Sometimes when you can't see what is around the corner, all you can do is trust that the path ahead is leading you exactly where you need to be. When I left my job back in April and began my long, arduous journey of learning to place trust in the universe, one of the first things I did was write down a list of goals I wanted to manifest. I actually ended up writing them twice; I had prefaced the first list with "I want" and then realized that wording went against the entire point of willing something into existence. The second list, written much more confidently (and with a lot of added underlines and flourishes) started with "I will."⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Somehow, and I have no idea how because quite literally all I do is second-guess myself and doubt my abilities, almost everything on that list is now a reality. Today I start a dream job that ticks off every box (and more). Am I terrified? Always. But am I also genuinely happy and proud of myself, despite still reeling in disbelief that I managed to pull everything off? Absolutely. So trust the path, even if you can't see what lies ahead. Walk steadily, even when you're exhausted. Believe that you'll wind up exactly where you need to be. And you will. ✌️
    • In conjunction with meditation I have started a consistent, intentional yoga routine. I've always done yoga but never regularly and certainly not with any real intention past "how far can I stretch without pulling something?" It's been incredible to merge the mental and physical aspects of both - the energy that flows is palpable and I can see situations in my life with so much more clarity. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ "I am present" is my favorite mantra because it defies the constant focus that my anxiety places on the past and future, aka things I cannot control. It takes away all of the pressure I place on myself to be obsessively productive and allows me to simply "be." ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In the past I was only able to feel blissfully empty-headed when traveling or hiking. Now I've started to feel it doing small things like going to a local ice cream shop, playing video games on a Sunday morning or reading a stack of fiction books instead of design blogs. All things my brain would have screamed were wasting valuable time. But you know what? We as individuals are the only ones who get to decide what value we place on our time. It's up to us whether we allow ourselves to feel happiness or guilt for doing the things we enjoy. I'd be lying if I said I fully mastered that practice but the important thing is just that, to practice. Just like with yoga, just like with meditation. If you need me I'll be over here on my yoga mat pumping the room with lavender incense. Just being. And thoroughly enjoying it. 😊
    • Meditation is something I convinced myself I would never be able to do successfully. The second I close my eyes or experience the tiniest bit of silence, my anxiety kicks in and my thoughts go into overdrive. I've always tried to do it sporadically, usually quitting after becoming frustrated with my overactive mind. But by some miracle, after having thrown all of my energy into spirituality, healing arts and self-help books for the better part of a month, I have managed to sustain a consistent, daily meditation routine. It's hard. It takes so much practice. But I can honestly say it has already drastically improved my mental health in ways I can't adequately describe. My heart feels lighter and I have a sense of clarity that I haven't had in ages. I feel kinder and more present, instead of placing all of my energy into past and future scenarios I have no control over. I'm still no closer to figuring out my life, but I'm now enjoying the process of trying instead of being frightened and intimidated by it. I'm now exploring yoga nidra (yogic sleep) and that's been great as well! So in conclusion, if you are feeling mentally blocked or exhausted, try meditating. I mean really try it, CONSISTENTLY. Here's to a weekend of happy hearts and clear minds!✌️
    • Purpose. It has eluded me for years, no matter how hard I try to define it. Most of the time I feel as though I'm aimlessly drifting through life; trying new things, seeing new places and meeting new people, but doing all of it without any sense of direction. I saw a leaf fall on the ground the other day, and the wind immediately swept it up, swirling it violently in the air until it came to rest. Then another gust of wind lifted it up and the process repeated, over and over, and it hit me: I'm the leaf. I should clarify that I don't necessarily find lack of purpose to be a bad thing. It's mostly just perplexing. I've been on a book kick - "You Are a Badass," "The Universe Has Your Back" and "Finding Your North Star" have given me some valuable insight, in conjunction with deep meditations that I have been doing a few times a week. I still haven't found something concrete to latch onto, but at the very least I am slowly learning to do what makes me happy; what makes my essential self light up and thrive. I think it's the right direction. I just wonder if purpose can even be found externally, or if it is buried deep within each of us, waiting to be unearthed. Have you found a purpose in life? How did you find it? Or did you wake up one day and realize you already knew what it was the whole time?
    • Sometimes you just know, unequivocally, that it's time for a change. To quote Paul Coelo: "If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It's lethal." ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Rather than let the fear of the unknown keep me locked in my comfort zone, I've taken the first step (leap?) towards a new and exciting future. @jobadder was a fantastic place to grow my career, not to mention the catalyst that allowed me to travel the world. And I won't be stopping anytime soon! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But after four years, new creative challenges are calling and a whole new journey is on the horizon. I can't wait to see where this roller coaster of a life takes me next. Onward to new adventures. 🌱
    • There was a time when you would never catch my adult self in a photo without makeup and perfectly straightened hair. There was also a time when I was too fearful and ignorant to have ever considered traveling to Mexico. Now, after traveling solo all over the world and overcoming my obtuse worldly biases, I find it exhausting that I still have to contend with other people projecting their fear and prejudice onto me. I got told far more than once that I would get kidnapped and murdered by drug cartels if I went through with this trip. Well, spoilers, I'm still here. I know what it's like to be frightened, sheltered and naive. I also know what it's like to push myself out of my comfort zone and discover that the world isn't half as scary as I thought, and that more humans are inherently good and kind than bad and only out to get me. Mexico is beautiful, and so are the wonderful people who call it home. If we believed everything the media shoved down our throats, we wouldn't travel anywhere. Using our voices as a means to dispel ignorance is why, if we are fortunate enough to have the privilege to travel, it is our duty to speak. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📷: @mollybobolly
    • 25 years of friendship and entering a new decade definitely called for a celebratory girl's trip last month - our first ever vacation as a trio! Three days of blissfully escaping the frigid Midwest, gorging ourselves on guac and laughing our heads off in the warm sunshine was a much needed break from reality. Saying I've been to Mexico is a lie considering I didn't see any of the actual country, just the perfectly curated confines of an all-inclusive resort. Everything about this trip was so far outside of my normal style of travel, and while I'm grateful for being essentially forced to relax for once, this just reaffirmed that daily adventuring and living locally is definitely more my thing. More to come, but for now, here's to exploring much more of your beautiful culture and country in the future, Mexico. 🇲🇽
    • Thank you for the adventures we've shared, the countless adventures to come, and for all of the solo adventures you have supported unconditionally. I truly could not ask for a better love than this. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📷: @adventureinstead
    • As I prepare to journey back to the frigid Midwest this week, I'm reminded that at least it is always summer somewhere - even if I have to go halfway around the globe to find it. The Bronte-Bondi walk is my favorite thing to do every time I visit Sydney. The water never ceases to be a brilliant cerulean blue, and the scenery has never once failed to completely take my breath away. Despite an innate desire to explore the unknown, deep down I am a creature of habit. If I find something I truly love, it becomes a secret pleasure to experience it again and again, analyzing it from new angles and new perspectives. I adore how familiar things become new again with time and personal growth. Except for Chicago winters. That's one familiar thing I could do without experiencing again forever. 🤷