3 Weeks with our British Mates!

It's been a bit quiet around this ol' blog lately, but that's because we've been road tripping up the California coast showing our British friends this great golden state:)

When we lived in Nepal in 2013, we met Matt and Kate our first Sunday at the international church. They are from England (Matt from Manchester and Kate from Essex). We quickly hit it off and became  great friends, laughing about our language differences (who knew so many words in British English are different than American English!), playing games, and teaching each other our own cultural recipes. We were so sad to leave them when we moved back to the USA, but over the last 3 years we've skyped every few months and kept in great touch.

We were over the moon when they mentioned coming to visit us this year! They planned a 3 week trip in November, and hugging them when they arrived at the airport was surreal. And since we've last seen them, they've had the cutest little boy named Isaac which we fell in love with quite quickly! I made them a huge sign complete with American flags on it, haha!!

In the three weeks they were here, we did so much! We road tripped up and down the California coast, we introduced them to authentic Mexican food, they made us sticky toffee pudding and steak and ale pie (Kevin's favorites when we visited England), and Matt even got to live out his American dream of going to the batting cages, haha!

They just left yesterday to fly back to the UK, and boy did we have a lot of fun! They truly became like family to us, and I was so excited to see them every day. Since they've left, I've actually been quite sad, and even shed a few tears today hahah! That's the extrovert in me, always sad to see people go!

The next few weeks i'll be sharing pics from our road trip starting down in Laguna Beach, and ending in Yosemite with all sorts of fun stops in between!

{our steak and ale pie, one regular, and one gluten free for me!! So delicious, my first time trying one} 

{Kate's adorable sweater is from here} 

Off to Haiti!!

I'm in Haiti this next week, so this blog will be a bit quiet! But, follow my adventures on instagram @hopeengaged. I'm currently in Atlanta...spent the night with the sweet Jenna, and am now about to get on my flight to Port Au Prince, Haiti. I get to see my best friend Katharine, and her husband Ted, and learn about their life and work in Haiti!!! I cannot wait! Have a great week friends!!! xoxo

5 Reasons You Should Visit Ecuador in 2015

In all our research on South America, Ecuador kept coming up as a crowd favorite. And now having visited, I can attest to why this country makes such positive ripples in the travel realm. If you are considering visiting South America, I want to give you 5 reasons why Ecuador should be on your itinerary:

1. It's Cheap
{picture taken at the swing at the end of the world, here} 

If you are on a budget, this is the country for you my friend! Generally, meals cost us about $2-5 and lodging around $40-50. Transportation is incredibly cheap with taxi's around $2 anywhere in the city, and buses between major cities costing a mere $3.50! We bused from Cuenca to Baños, and then from Banos to Quito, all for $7 bucks a person!

You'll notice that in Baños, we were able to do a ton of adventure sports, only because the prices were so cheap! Zip Lining cost around $25, Bridge swinging was $20, thermal baths were $20 (for the resort style ones) and $3.5 (for the public ones). My hour long massage costs $25. Activities are cheap and fun...the perfect combo!!

2. They use the American Dollar

Since we're already on the topic of money, Ecuador uses the American dollar, making it very easy to get around. No need to exchange money or try to spend the last few cents before you leave! You can bring your money or get it out of the ATM in Ecuador. When you leave Ecuador, you just take whatever you have left with you and spend it in the US! So easy!

3. The Natural Beauty is Breathtaking
One of the most important reason to visit Ecuador is that you can relax and enjoy the most unbelievable scenery at your doorstep. Particularly in Baños, you will be surrounded by lush green mountains, rushing rivers, and waterfalls galore! While we didn't have time (or money) to visit the Galapagos Islands, i've heard there is no place in the entire world like it! You can't go wrong in Ecuador in terms of beauty!

4. It is Rich in History

I'm pretty sure the history of South America was overlooked by my elementary school teachers, besides the week we spent on the Maya, Incas and Aztecs. So reading about Ecuadorian history was new and fascinating! It was easy to see the influence of the Spanish colonizers, as the architecture paralleled Spain in so many ways. Quito {Part 1, Part 2} has some of the most beautiful buildings in all of South America, and Cuenca is a historical gem in it's own right!

5. It's less touristy

One of the things Kevin and I noticed about Ecuador is that it is way lest touristy than other countries. If you're looking for a bit of a hidden gem before the masses of people "discover" it, definitely consider Ecuador! There were plenty of places we were the only tourists around, and it felt divine!!

I hope you'll give Ecuador a shot in the coming year, I promise it won't disappoint!
And check out Caity in Wanderland's sweet interview she did with me last week {here}
Happy Monday Friends! 

The Oaks at Ojai // Mother's Day Spa Retreat

This past  weekend all the ladies in my family (mom, sisters, aunts, cousin) drove from different parts of California to reunite in sweet little Ojai, California. Ojai is nestled in between the coastal mountains, surrounded by idyllic orange groves and avocados. It's an artists haven, and has maintained it's old world charm:) {ie: it's an extremely wealthy and swanky place where a ton of celebrities live! I heard rumors Channing Tatum frequents the farmers markets, and Anne Hathaway is sometimes seen walking the neighborhoods! I may or may not have been on a celebrity look-out! ha} 

My mom has started a tradition of brining all the ladies together to attend a spa called The Oaks at Ojai. They have a special mother/daughter weekend over Mother's day, which is awesome {and gives a discount!}. Now...this isn't your average "spa" resort where you lay around and eat bon bons and get massages and facials. No, this little gem was founded by the grandmother of aerobics, Sheila Cluff. And at this spa, you eat healthy, work-out like crazy, and have all sorts of hilarious activities at night! 

A typical day included waking up for a 6:30am hike into the mountains {which was just gorgeous!}, then coming back for a yummy breakfast at 8am. This was followed by 3 work-out classes, then lunch, and then 3 more work-out classes! {Are you feeling tired just reading this? haha!}. The work-out classes ranged anywhere from yoga and Pilates to dance classes and hoola hoop, to boot camp, interval training and water aerobics! They were so much fun! Then we'd shower, and have a lovely dinner feeling so good about how healthy we were all day! 

The first night we were there it was pajama bingo, with 'I Love Lucy' trivia, haha! My mom ended up winning the grand prize, and I made off by winning a dozen gluten free muffins (score!). The second night was Karaoke...and let me tell you, we were off the hook! My sisters and I sang "Shake it of" by Taylor Swift, a little "Roar" from Katy Perry, and of course "Call me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepson. We literally are the world's worst singers...but we put our heart and soul into dancing. When we finished, the bougie karaoke guy told us that's the first time he's seen people lose weight while singing {ie: we were killing it in the dance department...apparently to make up for our lack of singing on key!} The finale was when my whole family got up and sang love shack...watching my mom and aunts dancing was a site to behold:) 

Late at night we'd all pile into the room together, tell stories, laugh, and giggle like small children. I'm so grateful that my family values being together and making sweet memories! 

If you are interested in visiting the Oaks, i'd absolutely recommend it. You get to choose what you do, so if work-out classes aren't your thing, there are plenty of relaxing opportunities! Ojai is a gorgeous little haven, you'll love it! Hope your Mother's day was grand!! 

Isla del Encanto, Cartagena // Colombia

If you are visiting Cartagena, a day trip to a surrounding island is a must. Here's why:

We had assumed Cartagena had beautiful beaches right off the main walled city. While we were correct in assuming it has beaches, I wouldn't necessarily call them beautiful. Boca Grande, the main strip (fashioned after Miami Beach in Florida) houses the longest stretch of beach closest to the historic city center in Cartagena. The beach is windy, overcrowded, and teeming with salesmen and women selling you everything from mangos, to massages, to worthless trinkets. I'm generally not very critical of any place we travel, but I have to say... Boca Grande was not really my cup of tea.

Fortunately for us, we had heard there were many beautiful excursions to the surrounding islands. We walked to a local travel agent, and shopped around for prices and options. The most popular beach is Playa Blanca, however it was going to be quite crowded the week we were there (as it backed up to New Years). Wanting a less crowded option, we booked a day trip out to Isla del Encanto.

This ended up being a fantastic option for us! Kevin and I paid a reasonable price for the all-inclusive tour. Included was round trip boat transportation out to the island (it took about 45 minutes each way), use of all beach chairs/cabanas/umbrellas, a delicious lunch (with lots of gluten free options, I might add!), a lovely beach with great facilities, and just really pretty grounds. I'd say the beach only had around 80 people on it, so it felt small {especially since many of the people chose to add other excursions to their day like snorkeling or scuba diving, taking them away from the beach!}. Kevin and I spent the whole day reading, swimming in the ocean, eating, and lounging on our beach bed!

I'm so glad we chose this fun adventure!! Happy Wednesday friends! xoxo

Castillo San Felipe de Barajas // Cartagena, Colombia

Remember how I mentioned that Cartagena made me think I was on set in a "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie? Well, this fortress is one of the reasons why. Our very first day in Cartagena we walked from our hotel in Getsemani all the way to the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas {about a 20 minute walk or so}. 

Castillio San Felipe de Barajas is an iconic part of the Cartagena city scape. The fortress was built by the Spanish during the colonial era, construction beginning in 1536. It is built up on a hill, securing a strategic location to defend both sea and land attacks. 

When you arrive at the fortress, you'll purchase a ticket (around $7), and climb the multitude of stairs up to the top. What I really loved about the fortress was the many tunnels connecting different parts of the castle. This guaranteed that the soldiers could be hidden while defending the fortress. Kevin and I bought popsicles at the store at the top, and just enjoyed the amazing view of the city! The colorful buildings down below are the outskirts of the old historic city center, and the white high rises are the beginnings of the Boca Grande strip. What a contrast, right? 

I'd recommend visiting the fortress. It felt like such a part of the city and it's history. But, like many places in Cartagena, English exhibits are slim to none. Make sure you bring a guide book and read about the interesting history once you get to the top, or you can purchase an audio guide for an additional charge. 

If you missed our first day in Cartagena {i.e.: the most colorful city i've ever walked through!! } check it out here. Happy Tuesday friends!