Keara Marion

Let’s talk Working Holiday Visas!🗺 Have you been dreaming of travelling long term, but have no idea how you would be able to afford it?💵 Working Holiday Visas are available to Canadian citizens for over 30 different countries!🌍 This allows young adults in their 20’s & early 30’s, to work & travel in another country for 1-2 years🧳 You do have to prove that you have sufficient funds in your bank account to support yourself when you arrive. This amount will differ for each country as will the total amount of time that you’re allowed to work & stay. Have you done a working holiday?✨

How to make friends as a solo female traveller💗🧳 One of the most common concerns I hear when someone is debating travelling solo is “how will I meet people?” In all honesty it’s pretty easy, & that’s coming from an introvert. There are tons of ways to make friends while travelling, & countless other women looking to do just that. Around 85% of solo travellers are women! Save this post for 3 ways to make friends as a solo female traveller! ✨Join Facebook groups✨there are Facebook groups for everything these days! All girl groups for au pairs are very common, I was part of one in Italy & met so many girls to go on day trips & explore with. There are also pages created by travel bloggers to connect like-minded women, female digital nomads, etc. ✨Stay in Hostels✨ hostel dorms, mixed or female, are a great way to meet people & are perfect for travellers on a budget. Spend time in the common areas, people are literally there to make friends! & sign up for any events the hostel might be hosting that interest you. Sometimes they do tours, pub crawls, theme nights, the list goes on. ✨Go on a group tour✨over 50% of travellers on group trips are travelling solo, & the majority of them are women! Often people join tours for the exact reasons of meeting people & not having to travel alone. You’ll be put in a room with another person/people of the same gender. I’ve never not made friends with my roommates on a group tour, some of which I still talk to! Have you been on a solo trip? Would you travel solo?

Did you know that Rome has one of the oldest drinkable water systems in the world?🏟💧 The tap water in Rome is completely safe to drink, so safe that you can walk up to any of the 2500 taps in the streets- also know as “nasani” & “fontanelle”- to refill your water bottle.⛲️ Not only is the water safe to drink, it’s also ice cold!🧊 This means there’s no excuse to be spending multiple euros on plastic water bottles every day. Do you pack a reusable water bottle when you travel?

How to spend the perfect afternoon in Riomaggiore🍨🇮🇹 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Save this post for your future travels!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨Start with a glass of Cinque Terre wine from one of the bars along via Columbo 🍷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨Grab a cone of Calamari from Tutti Frutti & make your way down to the picturesque harbour (the signs will make it easy to find)🦑⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨Follow the steps above the harbour for incredible views of the colourful buildings 🌆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨Avoid the seagulls- seriously those things are brave! They were grabbing calamari right out of my cone! 🐦 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨Venture out to the wave breaker for incredible views of both the town & the sea🌊 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ✨Hop on the trail or train & make your way on to the next town: Manarola 🚊 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Have you been to Cinque Terre?

Instagram vs reality 📷 🏔 Unfortunately the Instax Mini 8 cameras don’t pickup on the scenery very well when the air is smokey💨 Nothing a little photoshop can’t fix! I love the amount of creativity that photo editing allows, although I think it’s important to be transparent about what’s real & what isn’t! Swipe to see the original➡️ Do you alter your photos?

Hvar Island is one of the most popular places for young adults to visit in Croatia!🛥🇭🇷 It’s right off the Dalmatian coast and is known for its amazing beaches & nightlife, making it a great destination for a quick girls trip or for couples looking to have a party weekend. Save this post for 5 things to do during your first time in Hvar! 1. Hike up to Tvrdava Fortica🏰 2. Wander the streets of the old town🏘 3. Relax & go for a swim at one of the islands pebbly beaches🏝 4. Sunset drinks at Hula Hula🍹🌅 5. Dance the night away at Carpe Diem Bar💃🏼 Have you been to Hvar?

Are you planning on sailing around Europe this summer or next? Save this post for 3 essential items to take on a sailing trip! ✨Seabands or tablets✨coming in & out of port every day can get rough & seasickness is very common! I get nauseous easily as it is, so my motion sickness wristbands & gravol pills saved me & made the experience while sailing around Croatia so much more enjoyable! ✨Pool floats!✨some boats will already have these & in the busier months it can be pretty common for whoever was on the boat before you to leave theirs behind! Unfortunately this was not the case when I went, since we were the first group of the season, & I really wished I would’ve brought one. Plus, who doesn’t love a giant pink flamingo or avocado floatie?! ✨Snacks✨they serve meals on board (most included, some optional), & you can order food, but it’s not the cheapest & there’s not a ton of options. If you’re a snacker like me, stop at a local convenience store before getting on the boat or at one of your stops! You can never go wrong with paprika Pringles ✨Bonus ✨ @GoPro- An incredible camera for getting those jumping off the boat shots! Have you been on a sailing trip? Is it on your bucket list?

Budapest is a European favourite for weekend city breaks, & it’s easy to see why! Once 2 cities divided by the Danube river, it’s full of incredible architecture, tasty Eastern European food, amazing views everywhere you look, and rich with history. I can’t believe it’s already been 2 years since my trip to Budapest with @contiki ! Save this post for 5 things you have to do during your first time in Budapest! 1. Go for a sunset cruise on the Danube🛥🌅 2. Chill out at one of the famous thermal baths ⛲️ 3. Take a Hungarian cooking class 🥘 4. Check out the Ruin Bars in the Jewish Quarter 🍻 5. Do some shopping with the locals at the Great Market Hall 🇭🇺 Have you been to Budapest?

3 easy ways you can reduce plastic while you travel! This past year while most of us have been stuck at home, the world has had a chance to recover a bit from the pollution that tourists cause. With the travel industry finally starting to pick up again, we as travellers need to do what we can to minimize the negative impacts that we have. Save this post for 3 tips for reducing plastic during your future travels! ✨Bring a reusable water bottle✨ if you’re travelling to a country where the water isn’t safe to drink you can always get one with a filter ( the @contiki water bottle is fantastic) or get purification tablets! This will save you money in the long run since you won’t need to buy water bottles every day + you can fill up after going through security & avoid that pricey airport water! ✨Get a reusable liquids bag for your carryon rather than using ziplock bags every time✨just make sure it’s see through & is within the proper dimensions since security can be strict! @Sephora sells a simple low cost one, or if you’re looking to be a bit more stylish I’m obsessed with the En Route Clear Case from @hudsonbleecker ! ✨Metal or silicon straws✨ these have almost become trendy over the past few years, & I can see why! Straws are one of the easiest single use plastics for able bodied people to avoid, & there’s so many different ones to chose from- I even have colour changing ones. Plus then you don’t have to worry about being stuck using the nasty paper straws that a lot of companies are transitioning to, or have ice flying at your face through the sipping hole! Have any more tips for ways to travel more sustainably? Let me know in the comments!!

Can you believe it’s already May?!✨🌸 The weather was beautiful in Winnipeg today! There were some light showers but it ended up being such a nice day compared to what we’ve been getting lately. There were some food trucks set up close to where we live, so my boyfriend & I went & grabbed beaver tails & lemonade, & had a spontaneous tailgate date! Getting beaver tails made me think of our trip to Banff in September, since I make sure to get one every time I go!🦫🏔 How are you spending your weekend?

Happy #EarthDay 🌎 Here’s a collection of photos of mother earth just doing her thing, being beautiful✨ I can’t wait to get back to discovering all of the incredible things she has to offer!🌲🌳🌴 How are you celebrating Earth Day? This morning I went for a nice long walk with my dog, & I’ve been enjoying the warm weather, working on my laptop outside on the deck ever since! #worldearthday2021

Have you ever woken up to catch the sunrise while traveling?🌅✨ During our time in Koh Phi Phi, we woke up at 5 am one morning to hike to the viewpoint. We took the first turn from our hostel when we saw the viewpoint sign, which ended up being a huge mistake. We hiked up a long, steep, winding gravel road for about 45 minutes in the dark. It was hell. I felt like I was dying the whole way up. When we finally made it to the top a woman turned around, took one look at us and asked us if we’d taken cowboys curve to get up there, which I guess we did! She told us she’d made the same mistake her first time, then pointed in the opposite direction & told us there was an easier way to get up. The stairs.🤦🏼‍♀️ The view overlooking both of Phi Phi Dons beaches was still well worth the hike. Sunrise was the perfect time to go, since it was still a bit cooler out, and the Phi Phi party goers were still fast asleep. We spent about an hour & a half up there, just enjoying the view. & we took the easier way back down. It ended up being a lot faster & brought us pretty close to where we had originally started. If you’re not a fan of hiking, I’ve now learned that there are motorbike taxis that will also take you up & down for a fee! Would you wake up & hike before sunrise, or would you rather sleep in?

Have you ever been upgraded on a flight?✈️💺 I was actually upgraded on my very first solo trip! My flight route was supposed to be Winnipeg-Toronto-Rome-Milan, but my flight out of Winnipeg ended up being delayed, causing me to miss my connection to Rome. Getting off the plane in Toronto, an Air Canada agent handed me a completely new ticket: Toronto to Milan non-stop!✨ When I got to the gate to board the plane, they let me know I had been upgraded. I assumed this would mean premium economy, but the flight attendant took me to a business class pod. I was ecstatic, this was the first time I’d ever flown anything other than economy & let me tell you, it was amazing! The lay flat seat makes all the difference in the world on a long haul flight. 💤 The food was the best I’d ever had on a flight, unlimited drinks are included, & @AirCanada gave out a bag of toiletries, an eye mask & socks. 🥂 Swipe ➡️ to see some low quality photos from my first class experience Have you had the chance to fly first class?

Happy #IronAnniversary to the best show ever! Can you believe it’s been 10 years since the premier of #GameofThrones ?! I am a total Game of Thrones nerd and it was completely surreal getting to walk the real streets of a fictional city that I had watched burn to the ground just a few days earlier 🐉 I was actually in Dubrovnik- the shooting location for Kings Landing- on the night the finale episode of Game of Thrones aired. Ironically I wasn’t able to watch the episode at that time, since none of my streaming services would allow me to watch outside of Canada 🤦🏼‍♀️ This photo was taken in Pile Bay, which is next to Pile Gate- the main entrance to the old town. This is where Sansa sits with Shae watching the ships before Lord Baelish comes to discuss escape plans with her, and where the Starks say their final goodbye to Jon Snow at the end of the 8th season. Are you a Game of Thrones fan?

How to spend 1 day in Banff town🏞🇨🇦 Save this post for your summer 2021 travels. Perfect for anyone with or without a vehicle! ✨Start with a tea or coffee from @evelynscoffeebar ☕️ ✨Walk down Main Street & visit some of the touristy souvenier shops🍁 ✨Grab a @beavertails - a Canadian classic! Delicious fried dough with a variety of toppings. My favourite is cookies & cream🦫 ✨Take a walk across the river & make the short hike to Bow Falls🌊 ✨Explore the grounds & interior of the beautiful @FairmontBanff Springs hotel- you might even see a ghost👻👰🏻 ✨Ride the @banffgondola to the top of Sulphur mountain for a stunning view of the Banff town & the Bow Valley ⛰🚠 ✨Relax at the Banff Upper Hot Springs💧 ✨End the night with dinner, drinks & games at @highrollersbanff 🍕🍻🎳 Have you been to Banff?