[MM]: Ring the Bells in Paris!
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Hello Reader, Welcome back to your Monday Momentum, my Fit Travel Tribe! Let's kick things off with a potentially controversial topic... β How would you spend 700 million euros??? β β CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE >>> Notre Dame's renovation will be completed next week!β I was personally in Paris about a year ago in October 2023 while Notre Dame was under construction (I also saw Notre Dame in 2016 years before the fire). Though they had barriers fully surrounding the cathedral, they showcased it as a "living museum" where they engaged the public in the process and history of the restoration. It was incredible! Can you imagine all of the brilliant minds, specialized in their fields, coming together to not just assess the ruins, but to meticulously piece together centuries-old craftsmanship and integrate modern technology to breathe new life into the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral? We're talking a collaboration among historians, artisans, engineers, and architects just to name a few. I was in awe reading the information including how they searched for specific trees in designated regions of France to utilize the same wood in the beams of the older building. It was a fascinating way to enjoy the sights since I imagine a lot of tourists could have been disappointed they couldn't fully enjoy the building itself. Furthermore, if you read the article above, it dives a bit deeper into this process (including insightful photos). So, you can begin to understand how expensive this would be especially to complete it in a relatively short timeline (5 years). Some might argue....could those millions of euros (millions of dollars +) have been spent elsewhere....? How about aiding disadvantaged communities or addressing urgent environmental issues? π€ This is...."just a building".....or is it? What do you think? Personally, I'm a little bit torn on this. As important as other pressing issues are, I think this is a prime example of what makes us innately human: The sense of community. And that's hard to deny. Monuments like this connect us. They spark pride, respect, and a shared sense of wonder. There are other reasons (rather than Instagram photos) that draw travelers to special landmarks - culture, design and innovation, history, and stories. This restoration is just one story of people coming together, no matter the odds, and showing the pure grit and determination of humanity. And THAT is powerful. It reminds us that preserving what matters isnβt just important; itβs extraordinary. β Greetings from New Jersey!!! I'm home for a late Thanksgiving with family π I had 3 flights to get here from Bulgaria (and my second flight was about 10.5 hours). What a long day of 30+ hours!!! On my first full day, I went to bed at 7:30pm haha Though I'm here for just one week, it'll be really nice to visit friends and family, schedule in some workouts as well as finish some strategic Black Friday shopping. β π₯Quick stressful anecdote: I was trying to get a Black Friday deal for renewing my website, made an error, and then my website got migrated over to another plan and migrated back over to my original plan... Basically it caused my website to be down for a couple of days! Thankfully my hosting platform is very good over the phone and we got it fixed with me having to do very little on my end. I'm still learning a lot about all of this tech-y stuff so *phew* I'm thankful for that to be over!! But the good news is that I got a Black Friday deal set for the next 3 years which is wonderful! I'm feeling very positive about moving forward with blogging which is why I felt confident making a longer commitment. Okay, moving on.... β Next up is Chicago for the weekend! Then SE Asia for a couple months βοΈβοΈβοΈ The next time I'll write to you, I'll be in Vietnam staying with a family in Quy Nhon on the coast. I'm volunteering with Worldpackers teaching English to some kids. I'm hoping to get in some relaxing beach time especially since Sofia and Jersey (and Chicago) are super frigid at the moment. I'm still teasing out my other 2 weeks in Vietnam where I'll be in Hanoi and Sapa (the past version of Heidi would be stressed that it's still up in the air). I'm planning to do a 3-5 trek among some villages and I hope the weather isn't too chilly and rainy. Since I've started my travel fitness blog and newsletter, it makes some of these adventures a bit more exciting since I can also eye them up as future content for my business. β Fast forward to the start of 2025... On January 1st, I fly to Bali where I begin my condensed (intense) 200-hour yoga instructor training!! π§ββοΈ I actually created a GoFundMe page for this training, so if you're interested in sponsoring me, I'd greatly appreciate it!
β Then I fly to another country for even MORE yoga...I'll be heading to the flavorful and tasty country of Thailand!!! Thai food is my absolute FAVORITE so, clearly, I'm very excited to eat lots and lots of Pad Thai (my partner jokes I'll eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Besides eating lots of food, I'm very excited to get more time to explore Bangkok. I've been here before on a group tour, but it was just a few days. I'm going to be doing another Worldpackers volunteer experience at a downtown, city-center hostel teaching yoga on their beautiful rooftop (CHECK IT OUT HERE!). For teaching 1 hour of yoga each morning, I get free accommodation and a yummy breakfast! That, plus all of my free time to explore is such a great offer! β πβοΈ Interested in volunteering with Worldpackers? βοΈπ Just reply to this email to ask me some questions. So far, I've completed 4 experience and y'all know I LOVE talking about travel (and saving money!!!). You can view all of their volunteer experiences without paying, but if you want to apply, you need to actually join. You can also use HEIDINIC to receive $10 off your annual membership! Okay, something exciting happened... It's my FIRST time doing a "guest post" which means I wrote the post, but it's featured on someone else's blog. In essence, writing guest posts helps me get some more exposure as a new blogger. More specifically, I was able to link back to my two blog posts on Yoga Retreats for Beginners and a related Packing List which live on MY BLOG (these are called "backlinks" since they link back to me). Basically it gets Google to say "hmmm, someone else featured Heidi's work....she must be cool...maybe we will show her off a little bit more" (which is good for me and my budding business). READ MY FULL GUEST POST HERE >>> Beginner friendly surf yoga retreat: Your hidden gem in Nicaraguaβ πππππππππ Another quick note: I'm in a travel community and when I shared my win that I got my first guest post opportunity, my friend asked me how I did that. I said....."because I asked" π It's not always that simple (they could say "no thank you"). I paid to join a blogging travel course (which was a godsend) and they said to email and provide research on why your specific ideas would be good for their business. But simply put, "if you don't ask....the answer will always be no" - Nora Roberts
TWO topics for this week!! You can catch the replay of me on a podcast talking with my travel friend, Anita Jackson. I'm sharing a bit more about my travel fitness story, blog, and newsletter. Anita's podcast is called "The BOOK IT List" where she encourages folks to take items from their "bucket list" and move them to the book it list. AKA - take action now and don't wait! Second topic.... Very briefly I'll share how much I love resistance band training... π Strength training is critical for developing muscle mass that will make us feel strong now as well as later in life when we age. Weights can be intimidating, but even for those who are eager to life, it can be a difficult routine to maintain while traveling around. I personally ALWAYS travel with my Les Mills Smartband (it's a specialized flat resistance band, rather than a normal rounded tube). I've been using it for my Les Mills Core class for over 8 years and I'm sincerely flabbergasted at how versatile it is. I'm constantly learning new exercises to strength my hips, glutes, shoulders, core, and more -- as well as using it for stretching! Besides being lightweight and compact (aka perfect for travel), resistance bands can also offer a safer method for building strength rather than lifting weights. In a nutshell, if someone's technique is off while lifting heavy weights, there could be more of a tendency to cause an injury. I'm planning to create some future content about it (at least one blog post), but I'd be curious to hear from you now....
Let's talk BUDGET airlines! βοΈ Budget airlines are a great way to save money if youβre flexible and know what to look for. In the U.S., think Spirit or Frontier. In Europe, Ryanair and WizzAir dominate, offering super-cheap fares. Asia has its own gems like VietJet in Vietnam, and Turkeyβs Pegasus Airlines is another affordable option. Maybe you've seen some funny videos of their no-frills cost-focused reputation haha Are they legit?β They're known for being "sticklers" like being super strict on having you check your bags in the little sizers to ensure it's not too large. Or again, hitting you with a gigantic fee for your carry on if you only technically bought your seat with just a personal item. β Personally... I LOVE THEM! They help you save money because you're not paying for baggage you don't need. I enjoy the challenge of "just a personal item" to not only ensure I pack lightly, but I also have used some "hacks" to squeeze more on board (here's my favorite that WILL save you tons of money). Fun fact: Ask me how I flew to Berlin with Ryanair for a fitness weekend with just a personal item, bought FOUR PAIRS of performance training shoes (that's 8 individual sneaker shoes, my friends) and flew home with....still just a personal item. How do you find the budget airlines?
π‘ Pro Tip: Flying midweek or off-season usually gets you the best fares. Always on my mind: More money for more travel! It's often worth a little homework for those savings πΈ If you've found this travel fitness content helpful, please consider some (or all!) of the following:
Please note that I never make referrals unless I truly believe this product or service is actually helpful π If you use my affiliate links included in the email, it is at no additional cost to YOU, but it does benefit me. It's a small "thank you" and continuous motivation for me to keep sharing this helpful content. Always know you can ask me questions since I'm a continued resource to you at all times. Thank you again so much for your support!! Feel free to always respond back to this email with any thoughts and questions you might have or content you'd love to see in the future. Happy travels and healthy living, Heidiβ β |