Welcome to Beyond Ordinary Guides, where we curate gorgeous imagery, locally cherished spots, and accessible stories. We hope you enjoy!
All in Stories
In the second Chronicle, Fran talks about the beginning of school, what it's like to work out in rural Africa, and the complex issue of foreign aid in developing countries.
In other words, 12 reasons to push you over the fence on why you need to visit this Scandanavian country. Flowers, berries, and sheep didn't make the list, but we love those things too.
In this first chronicle, Fran Daniels shares the start of her five months in Africa: getting to the remote village in Tanzania that she'll be teaching in.
I will start by saying that Vancouver Island is truly worth your money + efforts. You'll find free spirited hippies throughout, ready to send you love + happiness; endless coffee shops full of entrepreneurs planning their next big gig; countless beaches dotted with sun lovers; and an abundant amount of surfers restlessly fighting to catch the perfect wave. The Island is a place to completely lose yourself in the natural state of wonder, constantly being in awe of what surrounds you. I've spent most days outside exploring my surroundings, trying to capture the beauty of it all and the Island has taught me to appreciate where I am, to take one day at a time, and to enjoy the simple things. Growing up here was truly a privilege.
Tony Bennett knew what he was talking about when he sang, "I left my heart in San Francisco." For us, there's no place quite like San Francisco. Wherever we go, our hearts will always be in the city by the Bay.
Traveling can be a bit of a pain sometimes, but we've learned over the years that we'll schlep ourselves to destinations far and inconvenient if it means experiencing a peek of gorgeous scenery.
When things go the opposite as planned.
Happy Father's Day! Stories from the road while traveling with my dad.
Playa Guiones is a small town, if you can even call it a town. There are no street names (and therefore no street signs), the roads are made of dirt, and it seems that everyone knows everyone.
There are still a lot of unknowns about Zika, so it's hard to decide where the (if any) "safe" places to travel are. We've got you covered (spoiler alert: you should still travel!)
On Friday we leave for Costa Rica. I’m looking forward to finding pura vida through massage, hot springs, yoga and surfing. My expectation is that any cellulite I might currently have from crawling the craft brewery scene on weekends (and the occasional weeknight) will magically disappear through a lack of stress and daily fresh juices. To prep for my new zenned out lifestyle, I started going to yoga...
