White sand beaches, crystal clear waters, pinks and purples glittering through the sky... wanna come? Let's go! =D

Happy birthday to ME! I have this life-rule that since I was born in January which is actually impossibly cold in Canada (where I grew up) and after suffering through years of snowsuits, indoor parties and frozen-over eyelids, now that I’m all grown up and in control of my destiny and stuff ;) I make sure I’m relaxing on a beach, sun shining on my face, ocean waves flirting with me to come join them in play all day long…

Source

Yes, it’s one of the better rules I have for myself ;) Pssst: I definitely recommend it!

My mom raised me on the belief that birthdays were this one magical day a year where everything stopped and it was just this special gift from the stars for you to shine (I believe that’s true every day but I never stop making this one day of the year as special as possible!)

So, even though I live in a beach balmy climate all year round now, I asked myself… “Where on this beautiful Earth do you want to go for your birthday?” and originally, my answer was without hesitation, Greece! Well Greece ended up being more complicated to get to from Bali than I was into so I then decided it would only make sense to also incorporate surrounding countries in the mix... It very quickly cascaded into being this 2 month-long, travel thing (I just got back from another 2 month-long, travel thing) so I cut the cord on that pipe-dream and randomly searched for flights to Male, Maldives.

Maldives has never really been a country that's come up in conversations in my life (until just). Coming from Canada it would be a lot of effort to get to I think. I don’t even think I know anyone that’s been to them to be honest. I want to make that part known because it’s kind of a huge piece to this wild puzzle I’m now putting together (the whole not looking before leaping bit!)

I was talking with someone a couple of weeks ago and he said “Where is that really beautiful country that people go on honeymoons and stuff, you know, the expensive one?”

I thought for a minute and ended up retorting with a chuckle “I am literally the last person to ask. I would have no idea! I guess, Bahamas?”

That wasn’t the answer he was looking for and after a while of a very perplexed face my buddy finally came to his EUREKA moment where he announced the wondrous place he was talking about was the Maldives. I didn’t even feel it affect me at the time but it was the crux of my googling and booking later.

Source
This is not me yet but will be, just wait for it!

So, here I am searching flights to Maldives not sure why or expecting anything to come from it…

WHAT $100? I pressed book NOW. That was the end of it. I didn’t even care. Just book. Yes. Done. I’m going to Maldives for my birthday! Yee-haw!

Haha, welp…

Yeah so, Maldives are expensive, guys.

Source
But, I’m all for a challenge when it comes to exploring on a budget and I’m kinda already doing it so, it’s going to be epic stretch of my resource power. They say you only live once and all that so, might as well just go for it!

Can Maldives be done on a budget? We shall see. I’ll be reporting back to let you know!

PS: Not to make ya’ll too excited or anything but I’m terrible at secrets and I happen to have the largest announcement to date that I’ll be sharing with you when I get back. I’m just going to go ball out whilst not actually ‘balling out’ in these gorgeous islands off the coast of Sri Lanka so, stay tuned for tons of content on my travels there!

OK! Wish me luck! I leave on Friday so we have a couple of days left together before I ditch my computer for paradise! (Just kidding, you’re coming with me!)

Sending you love as always,

XO,