Rachel
About me
All over…but the ‘Bondi Bubble’ is home.
Lake Tahoe, California.
Hedonistic, spontaneous, authentic adventure-seeker.
I attempted to negotiate a taxi fare (in my limited Spanish, holding up five fingers and nodding “Sí,” ) from Havana to Las Terrazas, Cuba. An hour later after a stunning drive winding through the lush green hills we pulled up to a Casa Particular, a lovely rustic farmhouse with a tractor out the front and rocking chairs on the veranda. I pulled out a $10CUC note (thinking I was giving a generous tip) and my driver looked at it and back at me and shook his head… we proceeded to drive around the village to find a lady who spoke English and explained that the fare was actually $50CUC… I guess the extra 0 was lost in translation.
No big deal except that so far, every ATM I’d gone to wouldn’t accept any of my three bank cards. Thankfully a nearby hotel was able to cash me out and I was all set to navigate the country like the old days before wifi, smart phones and google translate. Should have taken a Lonely Planet guide on that trip…
Black Rock City.
Own The Day by Aubrey Marcus.
A Pablo Escobar + crispy buffalo wings with saffron threads and blue cheese sauce from Mamasan. Stop it.
Get myself in the mood with a track that embodies my destination as the plane touches down. Boom, watch out!
Christmas in Moscow… thousands of twinkling fairy lights, lavishly adorned Christmas trees throughout G.U.M. (Moscow’s iconic department store)… Outside wandering the vibrant fairytale like Christmas markets selling toys and decorations galore and ice skating in Red Square, framed by the magnificently illuminated Kremlin and Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Everything dusted with sparkling snow like icing sugar making the atmosphere absolutely magical.
Snorkeling in the Maldives.
Travel storytime with friends who have been there, insider info from locals and then diving down the instagram rabbit hole searching hashtags for natural wonders, restaurants and cafes, farmers markets and neighbourhoods… as well as resident advisor for parties that are happening during the time I’ll be visiting.
Diving into a new environment to break your patterns of thinking, freeing yourself of the anchors, social conditioning, responsibilities and routine of your everyday life. Creating space and opening your mind to experience life through a new lens, chatting to locals, storytelling with fellow travellers, tasting the local flavours and dancing to a different beat.
My Bose noise cancelling headphones, eye mask and Qantas PJs to make the long haul flights from Australia as luxurious as possible. And my most recent purchase, which I am in love with: The Away Bigger Carry On with laptop pocket and battery – keeps everything organised and compact, and rolls like a dream when racing for the final boarding call!
Patagonia.
