Copy of Copy of Copy of Fourth and Ivy - Long.png

Check out the latest inspirations by clicking a category or scrolling below:

Travel Tips: How to Travel Light
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

Travel Tips: How to Travel Light

I’ve done enough travel with carry on and backpacks to really understand the value of packing light and how to do it well. Do I always take my own advice? Not always, but when I do, I usually follow these.

Read More
Halfway done, what I’ve learned.
Travel, Life Michaela Brownlee Travel, Life Michaela Brownlee

Halfway done, what I’ve learned.

It both feels like yesterday that I left and I also feel like I’ve been gone for ages. I feel like I’ve already grown so much and my perspective on the world, much like every trip I take, has changed. It’s a beautiful feeling to know that you’ve grown and been able to see so much. Here are 7 things I’ve learned so far.

Read More
January Inspirations
Travel, Life Michaela Brownlee Travel, Life Michaela Brownlee

January Inspirations

Even though I’m traveling right now, I’m still feeling so inspired by the decor around me. I can’t wait to have home again! In the meantime, I put together a few things that are inspiring me this January including a few travel tips and things I want to learn this month.

Read More
Travel Tips: Staying Healthy
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

Travel Tips: Staying Healthy

This is something I can definitely talk and write about. It’s a bit brutal, but the key is preparing yourself, especially if you’re traveling. Here are a few tips on staying healthy while traveling and what to do when you are ill!

Read More
New Year’s Resolutions 2018
Life Michaela Brownlee Life Michaela Brownlee

New Year’s Resolutions 2018

December is over and your Christmas season is coming to a close. If you’re like me, you have friends that are scrambling to find NYE plans and find the best way to celebrate with others It’s that time of year again to create resolutions and find ways to improve your next year. Here are a few of mine that I set last year in my New Years Resolution post from 2017 and what I actually did.

Read More
What to Do: Hoi An
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

What to Do: Hoi An

What started as a three day stop quickly turned into almost two weeks in this amazing place. I fell in love with the beach, the waves, the pedal bike rides and the laid back lifestyle of the Old Town. I fell in love with the people, the walks through town, my morning coffee, and the waterfront lunches. By far, my favourite place in Vietnam, here are a few things that I recommend when you go!

Read More
Spending Christmas Abroad.
Michaela Brownlee Michaela Brownlee

Spending Christmas Abroad.

This isn’t my first year celebrating my Christmas abroad, however it’s the first time I haven’t had a Christmas at home. I’m somewhat sad about it since I do love Christmas, but I did prep for it by writing Christmas cards before I left, and wishing everyone love before I left. Here are a few ways to celebrate the holidays when you’re abroad

Read More
What to Do: Sa Pa
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

What to Do: Sa Pa

First off, Sa Pa is this city/town, with surrounding towns that make up a northwestern part of Vietnam. Laying very close to the Chinese border, this place takes a bit to get to from Hanoi, but it’s well worth it to escape the city and be immersed in a bit of culture.

Read More
What to Do: Ha Long Bay
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

What to Do: Ha Long Bay

Now, after arriving at my hostel in Hanoi, I was overwhelmed with the amount of trips that were offered, everyone from your front desk, to tour company, to shack by the side of the road had tours they could book for you, and they promised they had the most exclusive deal. I’m going to start off this post with a few tips on finding the right tour and what you can expect to pay!

Read More
What to Do: Hanoi
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

What to Do: Hanoi

I don't know about you, but I love hostel travel. I've been spoiled in meeting great people and hanging out with them during my stays and I end up becoming long term friends with a lot of them. I lucked out in Hanoi, staying in the Old Quarter at the Old Quarter View Hostel, right in the heart of the happenings of Hanoi and right where all the food and activity was.

Read More
Long Term Travel Checklist
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

Long Term Travel Checklist

So you've booked a long term trip and you're excited to leave. Now what! There are probably a million and one things that you have to do and think about before leaving, especially if you're considering not coming back, or there are other options out there for you that you want to take advantage of!

Read More
Visas in SE Asia
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

Visas in SE Asia

In preparation for my trip out to SE Asia, i've been researching which countries I'll need a Visa for and how long can you travel around those countries before requiring a visa if possible.  Please keep in mind these might change and fluctuate, so click on the countries included to go to their government sites!

Read More
Loss of a Friend
Life Michaela Brownlee Life Michaela Brownlee

Loss of a Friend

As I write this, I have just found out a close friend of mine had passes away suddenly. I’ve been told “you’ll get used to it”, “things will get better as you get older”, “you’ll eventually get used to it when people you know start to pass”. This isn’t my first friend to pass away suddenly at a young age, and it hasn’t seemed that it hurts any less. Here is a personal post with just a few thoughts on young loss.

Read More
Long Term Travel: Budgeting in SE Asia
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

Long Term Travel: Budgeting in SE Asia

Although I love to travel, I've only spent 2-3 weeks here there and everywhere, but I try and go somewhere far off once or twice a year. Budgeting for both is difficult. You have to take into account the cost of traveling often, flights, whether you splurge because you're only somewhere for a few weeks, or need to stretch out your savings over a long period of time, and so many little things. 

Read More
Turning 27
Life Michaela Brownlee Life Michaela Brownlee

Turning 27

This year I'm turning 27, and I'm not going to lie, it scares me. I'm entering into my late 20's and I feel like I still don't have anything figured out. I don't have long-term plans and I don't have any short term goals. 

But I really thought about it, and 27 is a year to really figure out what I want in life. It's a year that I can spend really figuring out what I want to do, where I want to live, where I want to go and who I want to surround myself with.

Read More
Long term Travel: Choosing the right backpack
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

Long term Travel: Choosing the right backpack

You have many options when you're traveling depending on how long you're going for, what type of travel you're doing, where you're going and the weather. Since I plan on being gone for 6 months through rain and sun, cold and warm, I need to make sure I have enough room to have clothing to fit these options as well as enough shoe options for all of the above. Here are my favourite options for Long Term Travel!

Read More
Planning a Trip: Seattle
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

Planning a Trip: Seattle

After missing our flight, we ended up stuck in Seattle for an 8 hour layover. I had never been before and the opportunity to explore made me excited. With 8 hours and counting, we wanted to make sure that we maximized our time there and got a chance to see a few sights. We managed to cram a few things in, but given a weekend here is what I would have liked to do!

Read More
April Inspirations
Life Michaela Brownlee Life Michaela Brownlee

April Inspirations

Now that April is right around the corner, we've rounded up what we are loving right now, from new clothes to DIY's. I am in love with springtime as it means I can break out the flats and the boyfriend jeans and experience a bit of Vitamin D on the skin. Here are a few things that are inspiring me this April!

Read More
Traveling to NYC: Part II
Travel Michaela Brownlee Travel Michaela Brownlee

Traveling to NYC: Part II

Here’s the second part of our trip to NYC in February and all that we saw. Some highlights included the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Central Park, wandering around the city and just exploring. Check out everything we squeezed into two days in NYC!

Read More

Most Popular Content