It’s been a while since I updated The Travel Hack every month. I love reading other bloggers’ monthly summaries, so I don’t know what happened to my own. I think things got busy, my priorities changed, and I forgot how important it is to share more personal and unstructured things on my blog.
I haven’t been traveling for the past few weeks (I’m currently 38 weeks pregnant!), so I’ve had a chance to relax and read your blog from afar. Any travel blogger will tell you that travel blogging is very hard work. Because I travel so much that I don’t have time to blog. It was a great time to spend time at home and catch up on all the loose ends with clients and projects.
So what’s been going on on The Travel Hack?
Elle is in the Yukon!!
If you follow us on social media, you already know that Elle is in Canada’s Yukon Territory, spamming us all with jealousy-inducing photos. Both Elle and I are big fans of Canada, and Elle even lived there for several years, so we plan to visit this beautiful country whenever we get the chance. However, things were a little different this time as Elle also took part in the royal visit.
Yes, you read that right, she tagged along with royalty! Elle closely followed William, Kate, George and Charlotte as they visited some of Yukon’s most beautiful locations. Elle will then stay for a few more days to do more adventurous things, and she plans to return home this week.
Check out Elle’s Instagram photos to see what she’s up to. There are many more to come!
The Travel Hacked Challenge has begun
We’re so happy to see so many of you taking part in The Travel Hacked Challenge. To summarize briefly, making small changes in your life is a monthly challenge that can ultimately lead to him saving a significant amount of money per month. In fact, we’re confident that if you follow this challenge, you’ll save enough money for an epic vacation or weekend. How can you not like that!?
Cut out alcohol this month and save an average of £65. It may not seem like much, but it’s enough to buy cheap flights to Europe and start planning your next trip.
Learn more about the challenge here. Or join our Facebook group here.
Edmonton, Edmonton, Edmonton
I started blogging about our epic team trip to Edmonton. Oddly enough, writing these blogs was just as much fun as the trip itself. It was so much fun going back through the thousands of photos and chatting with them and reminiscing about our wonderful trip. I love reflecting on my experiences, which is why keeping a travel diary is so important.
We had a great time in Edmonton. Here’s what we’ve shared so far.
Team Travel Hack’s first epic day in Edmonton, Canada
Edmonton, Canada Gourmet Guide
Farm to Fork: Edmonton’s Range Road Gourmet Dinner
Staying on an all-American dude ranch in Montana
This was one of those experiences that I never expected to like so much until I tried it. I don’t like horses (I’ll admit I’m actually pretty scared of horses after a bad fall as a kid), so the ranch wasn’t the ideal place for me. But hey, I loved it! It felt like an adult summer camp, and I felt like I had wandered into an American movie.
Stay at the All-American Dude Ranch in Montana
Two weeks to go!
In June, we announced that we were pregnant with our second child. Then I blinked a few times and wow, now it’s time to have the baby!
The second baby is very different from the first. That was all I could think about the first time, but this time I was so busy caring for a crazy toddler that I barely had time to calm down and think.
I’m not organized in the slightest, the nursery is still the shitty tip of the office for me, I suddenly panic that I’ve completely forgotten what to do with the baby, a little voice in my head says. Let’s forget that this is happening and go on vacation! It would be nice to spend a week relaxing on the beach…’
I’m divided into feeling extremely excited and feeling extremely scared. I can’t wait to meet my boy, but I’m also enjoying the calm before the storm. We have our hands full with two boys under 19 months.
Elle likes to say that was the case when I was pregnant with George. One day she’s calm and cool and the next day she’s like, “I’m not ready, I have too much to do!!” and she’s nervous!!’
Wanderlusting
Sam and I have been engaged for almost a year (we got engaged in the Maldives this time last year), but we haven’t made any wedding plans yet. We’ve been a bit busy with house renovations and having a baby, but I think it’s time to start planning. Our only problem is that we…well…have a “go big or go home” mindset when it comes to most things. We’re so passionate about each other that our “small, intimate wedding” becomes something ridiculously huge, insanely exotic, or ridiculously expensive. That’s why we haven’t been able to make plans yet!
We’re currently stuck with the idea of getting married in Thailand, but we’re really hoping to get married at the Four Seasons Luxury Tented Camp in the Golden Triangle. Watch the video for a bit and you’ll see why. Give me a little time to drool…
Then we went to Koh Samui and spent a week or two enjoying the beach and sunshine with friends and family.
Jain from Girl Tweets World recently shares her dreamy wedding at Sarojin and slams us for making us super jealous!
Family Weekender in Wales
At the end of August I went on a weekend camping trip to Bedgelart in North Wales. It was dreamy and just what we needed to enjoy the last rays of summer. If you’re looking for a fun, affordable and easy getaway with a toddler, I can’t recommend this enough!
Camping in Bedgelert Forest, North Wales
Insta of the month
The most popular photo on Instagram this month was taken by Luke, who joined Team Travel Hack to attend the epic Festival Number 6. Here’s a shot of the estuary filled with paddleboarders during the festival.
Check out Luke’s blog post from Festival No. 6 for more beautiful photos and to see what makes it so epic.
Travel Product of the Month
Camsafe Z16 – Pacsafe anti-theft camera and laptop bag
I had a really hard time finding a good camera and laptop bag. Because they’re either ugly or scream “There’s expensive equipment inside!!” Or you can’t rely on your expensive gear because it’s small and impractical.
We really like Pacsafe’s Camsafe Z16 because it’s comfortable to carry, keeps everything compact, has the right amount of pockets and space, has adjustable padded compartments, and looks pretty stylish. It’s still a little too masculine for me, but still one of the nicest ones I’ve come across!
What’s happening in October?
This month’s destination is Yukon Territory! Elle shares all about her travels. I’m so excited because I can’t wait to read it all!
I plan on tottering along for the next two weeks until my boy shows up.
See you next month!