Tag Archives: Travel Blog

Nothing Says Travel Decor Like PinkSky Co

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PinkSky Co

With a natural born love for travel and the fact that I’m married to a commercial pilot, it’s no surprise that we decorated the nursery in a travel theme. Prior to our baby’s birth, we didn’t know the gender. I couldn’t wait to have the greatest surprise of my life – even though the waiting was torture for my poor husband. For that reason, we wanted the nursery to be unique, yet remain gender neutral. As for the colour scheme, we went with crisp white, pale greys, various shades of turquoise, and pops of vibrant primary colours. I knew once the baby arrived, I could add more gender-specific colours and decor to the room if desired – although I’m not a fan of gender-specific anything. I knew my colour choices would work perfectly for both a boy or a girl. Continue reading →

Moving in Progress! See you on Social Media!

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moving in progress

Many of you may have noticed that I have me M.I.A. If you read my July blog post We’re on the Move Again|Moving with the Tides to Halifax then you know that we’ve left Toronto behind for another adventure–we’re heading back to the east coast and to my home province this time: Nova Scotia. I haven’t lived in Nova Scotia since I graduated high school some 15 years ago and I’m ecstatic to make Nova Scotia my home once again. We are moving to our FOURTH city in less than 12 months and with this new transition, I have been consumed with the move and all that it involves as you would expect, especially when relocating to a new province. Although I am not actively posting here on the blog, I am regularly posting on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest . If you want to stay up to date with what’s going on in my life reach out to me on social media as I would love to hear from you. Continue reading →

We’re on the Move Again|Moving with the Tides to Halifax

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Peggy's Cove

Peggy’s Cove

Peggy's Cove

Peggy’s Cove

My mother recently shared a saying with me she saw online (even before we heard the news): “Advice from the ocean: be SHORE of yourself, come out of your SHELL, take time to COAST, avoid PIER pressure, SEA life’s beauty, don’t get TIDE down, MAKE WAVES “, and it couldn’t be more true! We are coasting, seeing life’s beauty, and making waves along the way! Looks like we are meant be living back on the OCEAN. Well, as you probably expected, we are on the move again! Surprised? I’m not! I’m moving to my fourth city in under 12 months. The joys of being a pilot wife; everyday is an adventure! We have been transferred to…

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Thank YOU| Turquoise Compass Reaches 6000 Followers on Twitter

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Turquoise Compass

Still amazed and speechless that my Turquoise Compass Twitter account has reached 6000 followers! My blogging journey has been an incredible one where I’ve had the opportunity to connect with so many people from around the world and make amazing ‘online’ social friendships! Join in on the fun and connect with me on Twitter. Thank YOU for your support.

Logo designed by SB Hansen Art!

Turquoise Compass is also on: Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest

Jessica,
Good luck!

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What’s on Your Bucket List? Help me Develop Mine!

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Skydiving

What’s on your bucket list? Help me develop my bucket list in progress by suggesting new and exciting things you’ve accomplished or plan to accomplish! What’s top on your 2016 list? Check out the countries I’ve visited, my completed bucket list, around the world bucket list, and northern living bucket list to get a sense of what I’ve accomplished so that you can suggest something NEW! See my dilemma? I’m drawing a blank. Continue reading →

Northern Living Bucket List

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Dog Sledding

2015-2016

I had the incredible opportunity of living in Northern Ontario when my husband was -based in Timmins, Ontario when he worked for Thunder Airlines as a King Air 100 pilot. I made a commitment to myself that during my time in Northeastern Ontario, I would do as much as I could do and see as much as I could see. Since I knew living in the north wouldn’t be forever, I wanted to make the best of my experience and have as many adventures as possible. I immediately immersed myself in the community and found myself a job teaching at the local college half the time, while teaching vinyasa yoga at a local holistic spa, practicing yoga, traveling, and writing for Northeastern Ontario Tourism during the other half of the time. It wasn’t long before I was checking things off my northern bucket list. From snow tubing, winter fireworks, making s’mores over an open winter bush campfire, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, hosting yoga workshops, to dogsledding, I pretty much did it all. During my time in the northern regions of Ontario, I visited as many northern communities that I could reach–even as far north as Peawanuck on Hudson’s Bay, which is the second most northern community in Ontario only accessible by plane or winter ice roads (as shown on Ice Road Truckers). Although the arctic temperatures last 8-9 months of the year, I was able to create the life I wanted to live and live my life to the fullest–even if it meant I lived it in alpaca fleece and thermal wool winter wear. It’s an adventure I will never forget.

Here are the experiences I completed during my 8 months of living in Northern Ontario and my multiple trips and visits to the north. Continue reading →

Let’s get Social!

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Twitter

How many of you use social media? If you’re anything like me, I’m quick at posting news on my social media accounts because of how easy it is to post pictures and updates with a couple of clicks. My social media posts are almost always different than what I post on my blog. In an effort to share more intimate and detailed updates of my travel, lifestyle, and yoga adventures, I tend to gravitate to social media. My social media accounts display a more informal and personal perspective of my escapades to give my followers a better idea of what my turquoise inspired lifestyle is like! Can you relate to this? If you want Turquoise Compass news as quick as possible, then join me on social media! There is nothing better than seeing updates from the blogs I follow on social media before the news is even posted on their website. Be the first to like, share, re-tweet, pin, or comment on my colourful social updates! Connect with you there. Continue reading →

Bucket List in Progress

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Mexico

My in progress bucket list will probably never be as adventurous or extensive as my around-the-world bucket list, completed bucket list, or my  northern living bucket list. It’s hard to top the year I traveled to 22 countries, while checking endless items off of my bucket list from skydiving, hang gliding, sand boarding, body boarding, SUP, kite surfing, scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef, and beyond. Not only that, it’s hard to beat my 2015-2016 adventures of living in the north, while experiencing the best adventure travel tours anyone could hope for from snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, yoga in the snow, snow tubing, seeing polar bears, wildlife tours, hiking, winter bush fires, to dog sledding. How can I compete? I can’t! I just keep on living. Even though I’m not traveling full time anymore, I’m still traveling locally, within Canada, and sometimes abroad, but now just half the time. I’ll never stop trying new things, visiting new places, and adding items to my ‘loving-life-list’. With each item I check off my bucket list, I find another thing to add to it. Here’s to living life to the fullest, dreaming a new dream, and enjoying this beautiful life we have been given.

My mantra is to live, dream, travel, and do yoga. I’m doing just that.
C.S. Lewis says it best: “you are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

Here is my in progress Bucket List:

1. Get engaged  (sneak peak, engagement photos)
2. Wedding Expo
3. Plan a turquoise inspired wedding (wedding shower & bridal shower)
4. Find my dream dress (wedding dress shopping)
5. Tasting tour in Maine, US
6. Makeup lesson with a Professional Makeup Artist 
7. Complete my Yoga Teacher Training
8. Dominican Republic wedding ceremony on the beach
9.  Marry the man of my dreams 
10. Trash the dress
11. Start my 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training
12. Teach yoga
13. Adventurous honeymoon in Mexico
14. Hideaway at Royalton Riviera Cancun 
15. Best kept secret: my husband is now a Porter Pilot
16. Be flown by my husband on a major airline
17. Move somewhere new (again)
18. Get a new job
19. Teach kids yoga
20. Ottawa, Fury FC Game
21. Boston 
22. Thunder Bay   
23. Kingston
24. Be a bridesmaid
25. Attend a national yoga conference
26. Host a yoga & wellness weekend retreat
27. Complete a yoga teacher training abroad
28. Teach yoga abroad
29. Attend a yoga retreat
30. Buy a paddle board
31. Buy a home on the water
32. Buy a body board
33. Visit every winery in Nova Scotia
34. Surf the tidal boar
35. Visit Chicago

***As always, travel somewhere new!

Any suggestions of what I should add to my list? Check out my other bucket lists to see what I’ve done and recommend something NEW: countries I’ve visited, completed bucket list, & around-the-world bucket list

*I’ll be adding items to my in-progress-bucket-list as I think of new and exciting things I want to try and unique places I want to visit. I may adjust/change experiences as I travel to new destinations.

Jessica,

Turquoise Compass is on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

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Countries Visited

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Countries visited:

Hawaii

  1. Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia)
  2. United States (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Washington DC, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, California, Nevada, Michigan, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii )
  3. Bahamas
  4. Cuba
  5. Jamaica
  6. Dominican Republic
  7. Trinidad and Tobago
  8. Mexico
  9. Belize
  10. Honduras
  11. Nicaragua
  12. Costa Rica
  13. Guyana
  14. Brazil
  15. Puerto Rico
  16. Australia
  17. New Zealand
  18. France
  19. Monaco
  20. Switzerland
  21. Italy
  22. Vatican City
  23. Greece
  24. Albania
  25. Croatia
  26. Montenegro
  27. Germany
  28. Czech Republic
  29. Slovenia
  30. Netherlands
  31. Belgium
  32. England

Check out my other bucket lists: completed bucket list & around-the-world bucket list

Turquoise Compass is on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

Jessica,

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Completed Bucket List

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Skydiving

I started completing items on my “bucket-list” when I was in high school. Even though I have no intention of kicking the bucket anytime soon, I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of having a rolling adventure to-do-list. Each year, I add new items to my list and try to accomplish them before the year is done. Often times, I find myself experiencing an activity I didn’t even know existed!  I get anxious with excitement just thinking about the next journey I will take or new thing I will try. Until I can’t think of another place to visit or another activity to do, I will continue to live my life to the fullest by checking off items on my ‘loving-life-list’. There is still so much more for me to see and do.

This is what I have been able to complete thus far in no particular order:

Experiences:

  1. Snorkeling
  2. Scuba Diving
  3. Surfing
  4. Whale Watching
  5. Swim with Dolphins
  6. Swim with wild whale Sharks
  7. Swim with wild sting rays
  8. Catamaran tour
  9. Deep Sea Kayaking
  10. Canoeing
  11. Wind Surfing
  12. Water Skiing
  13. Tarzan Swing
  14. Canopy Tour/Zip lining
  15. Rappelling  
  16. Visit an active volcano
  17. Swim in the only lake in the world with fresh water sharks
  18. Drive-In Movie
  19. Christmas & New Year in NYC
  20. Back Pack throughout Mexico & Central America
  21. Travel by myself
  22. Stay in hostels
  23. Ride on the back of a motochonco
  24. Hitch Hike
  25. Downhill Ski & Cross Country Ski
  26. Snow boarding
  27. Ice Skating
  28. Snow Shoeing
  29. Ice Climbing
  30. Rock Climbing
  31. Cruise
  32. Stay at a resort
  33. Hiking
  34. Visit the Mayan Ruins
  35. Swim in a Cenote
  36. White Water Rafting
  37. Horse Back Ride in the mountains
  38. Parasail
  39. Visit the aquarium at Atlantis
  40. Camp on the beach
  41. Boogie Boarding
  42. Body Boarding
  43. River Boarding
  44. Drive on the left side of the road
  45. Ride in a horse and carriage
  46. Tent Camping
  47. Drive a jet ski
  48. Disney World
  49. Live in a big city
  50. Visit Hollywood
  51. Fishing
  52. Ottawa for Canada Day
  53. Watch the Canada Day fireworks from the roof top of the Chateau Laurier
  54. Helicopter Ride
  55. Fly an airplane
  56. Caving
  57. Sailing
  58. Driving Range
  59. Buggy Tour
  60. Parliament
  61. White House
  62. Drive a Mustang
  63. Hotel Hop
  64. San Diego Zoo
  65. Lazy 5 Ranch

Life Moments:

  1. Start a blog
  2. Become a teacher
  3. Book a flight and just leave
  4. Dye my hair Rihanna red ombre
  5. Fall in love
  6. Road trip with friends
  7. Study Abroad
  8. Study at a private School
  9. Meet Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers
  10. Mom and daughter trip
  11. Bachelor of Arts
  12. Bachelor of Education
  13. Master’s in Education
  14. Volunteer
  15. Meet new friends
  16. Learn Spanish
  17. Tutor second language learners
  18. Try new things on each trip
  19. Train at a Crossfit box
  20. Try a new class
  21. Learn to make my own jewellery
  22. Buy a house
  23. Pay off my student loans
  24. Plan a vacation for someone
  25. See my favourite band in concert
  26. Sing in front of thousands of people
  27. Sing in a band
  28. Fly first class
  29. Travel with carry-on luggage only (a big deal for me)
  30. Visit a new place in my home province
  31. Remain pen-pals with childhood friend
  32. Reunite with old friends
  33. D.C. & L.A. Holocaust Museum
  34. Fly in Diamond Aircraft across 4 provinces
  35. Run a 5km marathon
  36. Play varsity rugby
  37. Coach high school soccer and rugby
  38. Principal’s Certificate
  39. Throw a surprise party for someone
  40. Fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child
  41. Go to the movies solo
  42. Teach at a college
  43. Move to a new city
  44. Try different jobs
  45. Stay in touch with a childhood pen-pal

In every city that I visit, I try to experience as much of the culture as I can by visiting as many of the iconic landmarks, monuments, museums, parks, restaurants, markets, sporting events, and festivals as I can. My fast-track travel style enables me to see much in a short amount of time. Although hyperactive traveling can be exhausting, it is also rewarding. I always make an effort to try something new in each destination that I visit. I would rather have memories of experiences had, rather than souvenirs.

I’ll continue to add to my bucket list in progress by creating yearly goals for myself; there is no better way to look forward to each new year!

Check out my other bucket lists: countries I’ve visited & around-the-world bucket list

Jessica,

Turquoise Compass is on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest

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