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A peaceful, off-the-radar medieval castle near Abergavenny with stunning views and no entrance fee. Tucked away in the quiet Welsh countryside near Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, White Castle is one of those rare gems that feels like you've discovered a secret from the past. We visited as part of our Wales road trip , which included other iconic sites like Cardiff Castle , Conwy Castle, and Caernarfon Castle , but White Castle left a unique impression. This visit was extra special for us — partly because of the remote, winding drive with towering hedges that felt like stepping into a different realm, but also due to the name’s connection to Jennifer’s heritage. "Jennifer" is the Cornish form of the Welsh name Gwynhwyfar, or Guinevere, which made it feel almost fated that we ended up here. In this post , we share White Castle’s intriguing history, highlights, travel tips, and why it's a hidden gem worth adding to your Wales itinerary. In This Post... ● Our Highlights ● The History ● How to Get There ● Tickets, Hours & When to Go ● Tips for Visiting See More... ● Places to Visit Nearby ● Watch on YouTube ● 10 Interesting Facts ● FAQ: The White Castle ● Our Experience Rating Travel Resources ● Travel Essentials for Your Trip ● Get Travel Insurance ● Find Hotels in Abergavenny ● Book Transport ● Interactive Map ● Closer Lives Travel Hub Our Highlights from the White Castle Visitors explore the historic ruins of White Castle in Abergavenny, Wales, surrounded by ancient stone walls and lush greenery. ⪢ Quick-fire Highlights: ● A remote and peaceful medieval ruin with stunning countryside views. ● Accessed by a moat-spanning bridge — a dramatic entrance to a striking fortress. ● Massive curtain walls and circular defensive towers are still in place. ● Free entry and often quiet — perfect for those seeking a lesser-known experience. ● No facilities on-site , but plenty of room to explore. ● Ideal for a 1-hour stop on a scenic Welsh road trip. ● Photographer’s dream thanks to the natural light, reflections in the moat, and panoramic angles. ● Easily paired with Grosmont and Skenfrith castles nearby. Exploring the historic White Castle in Abergavenny, Wales, standing on the entrance bridge over the moat. Our visit to White Castle felt like stepping into the pages of a medieval legend. The road leading up to it was an adventure in itself — winding, narrow country lanes with tall hedgerows on both sides. At one point, we were convinced we’d taken a wrong turn, but suddenly the castle appeared out of nowhere, perched dramatically on a hill. It was incredibly windy when we arrived, adding to the atmosphere — the kind that makes your coat flap and your hair go wild. But the effort was worth it. The views were vast, the moat dramatic, and the bridge into the castle gave us total Game of Thrones vibes. We had the place mostly to ourselves, which made it all the more special. White Castle is the most well-preserved and impressive of the three Monmouthshire fortresses referred to as the 'Three Castles,' which also include Grosmont and Skenfrith. After this experience, it looks like we will have to add the other two to our castles-to-see list! 💡 If you’re heading to Anglesey or Snowdonia , Caernarfon makes for a strategic and scenic stop. For more castle routes, check out Discover Wales . The ancient stone walls of White Castle in Abergavenny, Wales, showcase the rich architectural history and enduring craftsmanship of this medieval fortress. History of the White Castle Despite its peaceful surroundings today, White Castle has a fiercely defensive past. Originally known as Llantilio Castle, it formed part of a trio of fortifications (along with Skenfrith and Grosmont) designed to defend the Monnow Valley from Welsh uprisings during Norman times. Visitors explore the historic ruins of White Castle, featuring a distinctive stone well within its ancient courtyard. The first motte-and-bailey structure was likely built shortly after the Norman invasion in the late 11th century. By the mid-13th century, under the reign of Henry III, the castle was extensively rebuilt in stone — the phase during which it likely earned the name White Castle, either due to its pale render or as a contrast to nearby “Red” or “Grey” castles. Stone interior of a medieval tower at White Castle in Abergavenny, Wales, showcasing arched windows and rugged masonry. White Castle served as a military stronghold more than a domestic residence, which is evident in its lack of elaborate living quarters. Its main focus was defensive: twin gatehouses, circular corner towers, a large moat, and curtain walls that still leave an impression today. Ancient stone walls at White Castle continue to stand resilient despite the passage of time, framing a small cross-shaped window that opens to a splash of greenery beyond. Though never attacked directly, its presence was a symbol of English dominance over the Marches. Eventually, as the need for defense faded, the castle fell into disuse and ruin — but not without leaving behind an atmospheric, historically rich shell of what once was. 💡 If you’re passionate  about Ancient Wonders  or Castles , this one should be high on your list. How to Get to the White Castle White Castle is located in Monmouthshire, southeast Wales, about 5 miles northeast of Abergavenny. It’s remote, so driving is the best option. By Car ● From Abergavenny: 15 minutes via B4233 and Whitecastle Road ● From Monmouth: 25 minutes 📍 Postcode: NP7 8UD (may take you to a nearby farm—watch for signage close to the site) There’s a small free car park with space for a few vehicles near the entrance. 💡 Need a car for your trip?  Rent one via Turo  for flexible, affordable options that suit every travel style. By Public Transport Public transport doesn’t reach the site directly. You can take a train or bus to Abergavenny, then cycle, taxi, or hike (2 hours) to the castle. Great for adventurous walkers using OS maps or route apps. ⪢ Get There From Cardiff: Guided Tour of Welsh Valleys Travel through the enchanting Wye Valley, stopping at some of Wales' most iconic landmarks such as Tintern Abbey, Chepstow Castle, and Caerphilly Castle, on a guided day trip from Cardiff. No matter where your travels take you, Get Your Guide offers the best way to connect with your destination. 🔗 Book Your Tickets Here ⪢ Contact Information for the White Castle ● Address: Whitecastle, Abergavenny NP7 8UD ● Website: cadw.gov.wales/white-castle ⪢ Easily Find Hotels in Abergavenny and Beyond Looking for a place to stay nearby? Browse Abergavenny hotel deals below to find great rates for an overnight stay. Our map offers a user-friendly interface that allows you to zoom in and out, providing a comprehensive view of the area and enabling you to identify the most convenient hotel options based on your current location or desired destination. Tickets, Opening Hours & Best Time to Visit ⪢ Ticket Prices White Castle is managed by Cadw, but it’s free to enter for everyone, year-round. There’s no ticket booth—just a gate and signage, making it one of Wales' best off-the-beaten-path medieval sites. ● Entry: FREE ● Parking: Free (small lay-by near the site or limited roadside space) ● Guided Tours: Not available—this is a self-guided visit ⪢ Opening Times ● Open daily: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (as daylight allows) ● Closed: Occasionally in extreme weather or for maintenance There are no gates or staff on-site, but the castle is generally accessible during daylight hours. ⪢ Best Time to Visit ● Spring and summer offer lush surroundings and clear skies—perfect for picnics and photos ● Autumn brings rich colours across the moat and countryside ● Early morning or late afternoon gives beautiful light and solitude ● Best enjoyed during dry weather , as paths can get muddy Tranquil landscape around White Castle, featuring lush greenery, ancient stone walls, and expansive views of the countryside. Tips for Visiting the White Castle ● Bring layers: it’s very exposed and gets windy fast! ● Wear proper footwear: There are grassy banks, uneven paths, and slopes—walking shoes or boots are ideal, especially after rain. ● Download info in advance: There’s no mobile signal in parts of the area. If you want historical context, download Cadw’s website page or a guide app before your visit. ● Allow about an hour max to explore the full site at a relaxed pace. ● No toilets or facilities: Plan ahead—there are no amenities on-site, so use facilities in Abergavenny or Monmouth before you arrive. ● Bring a picnic: With no café or visitor centre, White Castle is the perfect spot for a peaceful, scenic picnic inside the outer walls or beside the moat. ● Parking is extremely limited: Arrive early if you're coming in peak season. ● The castle is free to visit and dog-friendly if your pup is on a lead. ● The bridge and moat entry are particularly photogenic: Great for drone or GoPro shots. The massive twin-towered gatehouse and well-preserved curtain walls create an epic silhouette, too, especially under moody skies or at golden hour. ● Explore the full grounds: Don’t just stop at the gatehouse—the outer ward, ditch, and moat make for a full circuit walk with countryside views. ⪢ Safeguard Your Trip with SafetyWing For peace of mind abroad, we recommend travel insurance. SafetyWing's Essential plan covers travel and medical emergencies, with options for adventure sports and electronics theft. SafetyWing's Complete Plan  offers comprehensive health coverage with routine healthcare, mental health support, and maternity, anywhere in the world, including in your home country, on top of all Essential benefits. Places to Visit Nearby Make the most of your visit to this part of Wales with these nearby stops: Abergavenny Img: visitmonmouth A lovely market town with restaurants, cafés, and walks. Grosmont Castle Img: visitmonmouth Another of the “Three Castles” is located just 20 minutes away. Skenfrith Castle Img: castlewales.com The third sibling in the defensive trio, also nearby. Monmouth Img: wiki.org Historic town with links to Henry V and Roman roads. Brecon Beacons Img: trekfest.org.uk For hiking, waterfalls, and scenic panoramic views. Cardiff Img: cardiffcastle.com The capital is under 90 minutes away if you're heading south next. 💡 Use our Wales Travel Guide to plan your route through this beautiful country. Watch Our Wales Road Trip on YouTube Check out our visit to White Castle and the other fortresses we explored during our Welsh castle road trip. If you enjoy our video and want to follow more of our adventures, please like and subscribe ! Your support truly is invaluable to us, and we will always strive to produce the best content we can from around the world! 10 Interesting Facts About the White Castle ● Originally known as Llantilio Castle: The castle took its first name from the nearby village of Llantilio Crossenny before being renamed for its pale exterior. ● Rebuilt in Stone in the 13th Century: White Castle’s iconic stonework dates to around 1250, during the reign of Henry III, replacing an earlier timber motte-and-bailey. ● Its Moat Still Holds Water: Unlike many dry moats, White Castle’s defensive moat often retains water — a striking feature that enhances its atmospheric look. ● Part of the ‘Three Castles’ Defensive Network: Along with Grosmont and Skenfrith, White Castle helped secure the borderlands between England and Wales. ● Remarkably Well-Preserved Curtain Walls: The thick stone curtain walls remain largely intact, offering insight into medieval fortification design. ● Never Saw Battle: Despite its fortifications, the castle was never attacked — a testament to its imposing design and effective placement. ● The Name Comes from Pale Stone or Whitewash: Historians believe the “white” may refer to a rendered coating or the light color of the stone used. ● Once Managed by a Powerful English Noble: Hubert de Burgh, a key figure in King John's reign, was once the custodian of White Castle and its siblings. ● Visible Arrow Loops and Tower Stairs Remain: Climb the preserved stairwells to find arrow slits still in place — a rare opportunity to see medieval defenses up close. ● An Ideal Example of Norman Military Architecture: With its towers, moat, and double gatehouse, it remains one of the finest lesser-known Norman ruins in Wales. FAQ: White Castle – Discovering One of Wales’ Best Kept Medieval Secrets Where is White Castle located? White Castle is in Monmouthshire , South Wales, near the village of Llantilio Crossenny. It’s part of the historic “Three Castles” trio along with Grosmont and Skenfrith, all within a short drive of each other. Is there an entrance fee? No—White Castle is free to visit and open to the public year-round. It’s an ideal stop for budget-conscious travelers or families exploring the Welsh countryside. What makes White Castle special? This Norman stronghold features massive earthworks, twin-towered gatehouses, and a dramatic moat. Despite being lesser-known, it’s incredibly atmospheric, well-preserved, and offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding hills. How much time should I plan for a visit? You’ll need around 30 to 60 minutes to explore the site, climb the towers, walk the moat, and take photos. Add more time if you're combining it with the other “Three Castles.” Is it suitable for children or family visits? Yes! Kids can freely explore the ruins, run around the open grassy spaces, and enjoy imagining medieval life. It’s a peaceful and engaging stop with no crowds or ticket queues. Is there parking at the site? Yes, there is a small free car park next to the entrance. It’s a short, level walk from the car to the castle ruins. Spaces are limited, so arriving early is the best bet to guarantee a space. Is the site accessible for people with mobility issues? The outer path is relatively level, but the ruins have uneven surfaces, steep steps, and grassy terrain. It may be challenging for visitors with limited mobility. Are there facilities like restrooms or a café? No—there are no on-site facilities. It’s best to use restrooms or stop for food in nearby Abergavenny or one of the nearby villages. What’s the best time of year to visit? White Castle is beautiful year-round , but spring and autumn offer lush landscapes and fewer bugs. It’s often quiet even in summer—ideal for a peaceful stroll or a picnic. Is White Castle worth visiting? Absolutely. It’s a hidden gem with epic views, fascinating history, and an untouched feel. Perfect for anyone interested in medieval ruins, photography, or off-the-beaten-path exploration in Wales. Our Experience Rating: White Castle Despite the blustery weather, our visit to White Castle was one of the most memorable on our Wales road trip. The narrow, hedged roads gave way to an almost magical setting — a castle in the middle of nowhere, commanding the landscape in silence. We loved the peaceful atmosphere, the dramatic bridge entrance, and the sweeping views from atop the walls. It’s a short but sweet experience, perfect for history lovers, castle chasers, or anyone wanting a quiet detour off the beaten path. Travel Essentials for Your Trip to Wales Thinking of hitting the road like we did? Here are some resources we use and recommend: 🏠 Book Hotels: With ease on our Wales Map 📶 eSIM for Wales: Stay connected on arrival with GigSky  or Saily 🧳 Travel Insurance: SafetyWing Nomad Insurance covers full-time travel and short trips alike. 💱 Save on Currency Exchange: Use Wise to avoid hidden fees and get great rates 🚗 Rental Cars: Check Turo to rent directly from locals 📚 More Resources: Check out our Travel Hub  or Free Country Guides 🧭 Plan Your Route: See where we’ve been with our Wanderlog Travel Map Book Transport Taxis, Trains, Planes, Buses & Ferries in Advance Closer Lives has partnered with 12Go, a leading online travel booking platform for Southeast Asia and Europe, to offer a seamless transport booking experience. With booking.closerlives.com , you can easily compare prices, schedules, and book tickets for trains, buses, ferries, and flights. Interactive Map Wales Check out all of the places we visited in Wales courtesy of this interactive map from Wanderlog. Tap a number for more information, including our blog posts and links to reviews. Wanderlog  is a free travel planning app where you can create itineraries, organize flights, hotels, and car reservations, view places to visit, and collaborate with friends. Closer Lives Travel Hub Destinations, Tips & Essentials Head over to our Travel Hub – it’s packed with free country guides, helpful travel blogs, videos from the road, and tips to help you travel smarter (and cheaper!). Whether you're dreaming, planning, or already out exploring, we've got resources to help you every step of the way. Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Inspired by the transformative power of love, this piece looks at the way it rebuilds, renews, and elevates us. It's a tribute to the connection that can transcend stress, distance, and darkness, leaving us fused as one. Fusion explores the way love rebuilds us, piece by piece. It's a reflection of how, even in moments of chaos or darkness, love can be the light that carries us forward. "He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking." - Leo Tolstoy. Love always manages to find its way, even when you're feeling down. It's like a little pick-me-up that brings good vibes into your life. Whether you've met your soulmate or not, there's someone out there meant for you. Love has a funny way of showing up when you least expect it, no need to go hunting for it. That's just what I think! Fusion Tickle my senses Go on an offensive This love is relentless A treat for my synapses Constantly changing My nerves are tingling Lust intermingling This is a real thing It makes me nervous Sometimes I'm just stressed Often mindless Just the usual mess Yet your love shines through No matter what you do Be it here or across oceans You were always you You rang me Sang to me Supported me Cherished me You made me feel whole Reborn with a soul No longer a puppet A soldier to coin You rebuilt my peace Piece by piece You gave me hope Confidence galore Confiscated darkness Threw it to the floor Stomped on it Squished it Made it no more Even then I knew not What you had in store The reserves Of hope Of peace and love Warmth in your berth I can't get enough So beautiful you are From near or from far That is just you You are the star Like a rocket We launched And damn did we fly Fuelled by love My oh my We reached the sky Above and beyond Despite what is said The darkness was gone A universe sparked Atoms vibrating Sensationally charged Never abating Just two hearts Fused by the sun Two souls linked Bonded as one © Leon Gregori 2025 What does love mean to you? Have you experienced a connection so powerful it felt like fusion? Let me know in the comments! You Might Also Like... 🔗 Rise: Redefining Falling in Love Reimagine love in Rise. Explore the transformative journey of love as an ascent to new heights, breaking free from the gravity of past hurts. Leon Gregori I've been writing poetry since my mid-teens and find it natural to express myself through words. My writing is spontaneous and unstructured, following a freestyle approach. My long-form content focuses on themes of heartbreak and life. Closer Lives Poetry Poetry has been a lifelong passion for us, and the best part of our journey is that we found love through it! Here, we share pieces that are close to our hearts, hoping they speak to your heart too. We hope you enjoy our work and look forward to adding more!

Is life a carefully woven tapestry, or do we truly have control over our path? These are the questions I explore in this poem, Woven. It delves into the intersections of destiny, manifestation, and human connection. These are the thoughts, this is the poetry! Questions Woven into the Fabric of Life Is there a predetermined path for us to follow? Do our desires and aspirations materialize as we wish? Can we make things happen? Since my youth, I have sensed something... a whisper... an unseen communication. Is this reality? Is life a complete mystery, or is there room for understanding? Are events truly 'meant to happen'... does luck play a role in our lives? Can we shape our destiny, or is it merely fate that has always been set? Within our subconscious, are we influenced by the universe? Do we truly have free will or is it all preordained? Did we all originate from a single source? Whether through science or faith... the beginning or the smallest particle... without disregarding any belief system, are we all fundamentally connected? Interwoven? Our steps follow the paths of countless others who came before us... spirits traversing through past and future generations. We are continuously broadening our perspectives... pushing the boundaries until the thread unravels. Or is it simply handed down to the next generation? Woven Going about my daily business I am but merely a bespoke witness To this carefully choreographed plan I feel forced to be a fan To this invisible tapestry That feels like fantasy Yet it is truly a reality Working with destiny It has its way with me All of my decisions Choices and such They feel like freedom Like I have control I have my goals Moments and aspirations I work towards them Celebrate when I achieve But am I really doing this Is it really me Or is it just the plan That is 'meant to be' Did I take that chance Or did the chance take me Did I go because I wanted to Or was I just pushed to see The stitches The fabric Of what I am presenting The path I am following Winding through my mind All of the things The gifts of life Like magnets to my soul On the tip of a knife Pinpoint accuracy This is not a fallacy It is the truth I have known since my youth Maybe I can manifest My deepest desires Maybe I can hope for the best Possess what I admire Maybe I can own it Call out its name For all that I know It is only the same The same as it's written In invisible ink The same as I am told To do as I think Whatever I do I follow the path The instinct The gut The senses I have It can be altered I can force a change Add little moments But it ends up the same Who I meet What I foresee Where I am at What I can see All I know When my one becomes two Is the only truth That I was always going to Are we all just interconnected? I can't help but agree with this perspective My life is a directive It should all be expected All of the things With all that it brings This stunning, sweet symphony The people who come to me Those that I go to The voices I listen to This journey I am on Where I came from All interwoven In the threads of others Stitched in the fabric Of life and the universe So I document in words Write down a verse Detail my legacy For all to remember me Before it all ends Not a moment too soon Before the thread runs out And only the box looms So when all is done When the path is all trodden The tapestry complete The start is long forgotten My name will be carved My life in a box Lid on tight Sealed with a lock My vessel will vanish End up as dust All that I lived Gone as it must Only memories will survive Thoughts and mementos To those I had touched Or loved the same So my point is This is not a game We are all on a path Forged in our names We all have questions Of why, what, and who But that is just human It is nothing new Those questions will be answered Upon leaving this life Maybe the path remains One can only hope for an afterlife But in the meantime We are all interconnected This is my thought My only perspective I will wake up tomorrow And continue this journey Find what is next See what becomes of me Meet and greet Search and explore Follow my path Follow my tour I don't need a guide For my soul leads the way Just like these words And all that I say © Leon Gregori 2025 What do you think? Is life a predetermined journey, or are we shaping our paths every step of the way? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. 'Life is so short and the years pass so quickly, we live our lives like we're on a rollercoaster and before we know it many things are missed out, not done, and sometimes, too late to catch up on. You are in the prime of your life now, enjoy every moment of happiness you have, because that is the fruit of life and you are blessed' That was from my Mum, part of a message she sent to me after she finished reading my book (thanks Mum). I guess it is so apt to place it with this piece... it meant a lot to me. As writers, we are blessed with the ability to leave our souls behind on paper... but let us not forget to enrich our souls and keep feeding them every day, while we still can. Stay connected, guys! Until next time! You Might Also Like... 🔗 Fusion: When Two Souls Become One Fusion explores the way love rebuilds us, piece by piece. A reflection of how, even in moments of chaos or darkness, love can be the light. Leon Gregori I've been writing poetry since my mid-teens and find it natural to express myself through words. My writing is spontaneous and unstructured, following a freestyle approach. My long-form content focuses on themes of heartbreak and life. Closer Lives Poetry Poetry has been a lifelong passion for us, and the best part of our journey is that we found love through it! Here, we share pieces that are close to our hearts, hoping they speak to your heart too. We hope you enjoy our work and look forward to adding more!

By definition, conscience is our moral sense of right and wrong. A space where gut feelings, instinct, empathy, and compassion combine to (hopefully) point us on the right path. In this piece, I explore my own and its subterranean other, piecing it together in the only way I know how: through my poetry. “The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within me. And even though I have to face the prospect of being a minority of one, I humbly believe I have the courage to be in such a hopeless minority.” ― Mahatma Gandhi I love this quote because it does encapsulate the internal workings of our minds. There is the part that controls our body and its functions, then there is the part that is 'us'. The 'invisible' voice, which honestly I am not even sure sounds like my actual one. The one that questions, triggers, compliments, and critiques. That voice is productive, obstructive, and all the in-betweens. Two as one and one as the same... conscience and mind constantly working to balance feelings and decisions. When I wrote this piece I wanted to expose those inner workings, the swing of the pendulum that never seems to rest. So here it goes... welcome to the inner sanctum! Conscience Want to write all about me? Pick me? Fight me? Holding me back A stabbing attack Like a frenzy No befriending Just riled and foreboding You make it an ending Go ahead Lecture me Do your thing Enlighten me See what frightens me Entices me What stops me Sparks me Instant reactions Copious satisfaction Pitchforks swinging Whilst fires rage An open page Or a closed book Neither works Or even should Learn my lesson Through making mistakes Take in information Owning my space I know best You just detest That I don’t always believe Or consider Intrigued I have ignored Been closed Bored Distracted I’ve enacted A type of detachment So my action Decision Natural submission Is to stop Listen With pristine precision Conscience tell me For I want to be listening Deciding Debating Considering Doing our thing Synchronizing With conscience my King And Queen My power Personified Progress Intensified Mistakes Rectified With love I happily oblige I shall now believe my honesty The voice that corrects me The one that shows me My values within Though it can harm me Drain and extract me Fill my lungs With an air of uncertainty My conscience is paramount And will guide for eternity As it rinses me out And pinches my heart I have learned to respect And even in death Never shall we part © Leon Gregori 2025 For me, Conscience is about the dance between instinct and reason, between critique and compassion. It’s a conversation we all have within ourselves, whether we acknowledge it or not. What does your conscience sound like? Do you find it easy to listen to, or does it often conflict with your desires? I’d love to hear your reflections in the comments below. You Might Also Like... 🔗 Rise: Redefining Falling in Love Reimagine love in Rise. Explore the transformative journey of love as an ascent to new heights, breaking free from the gravity of past hurts. Leon Gregori I've been writing poetry since my mid-teens and find it natural to express myself through words. My writing is spontaneous and unstructured, following a freestyle approach. My long-form content focuses on themes of heartbreak and life. Closer Lives Poetry Poetry has been a lifelong passion for us, and the best part of our journey is that we found love through it! Here, we share pieces that are close to our hearts, hoping they speak to your heart too. We hope you enjoy our work and look forward to adding more!

When I met Jenn not only did I find true, epic love but I was also met with an incredible dose of inspiration, creativity, and energy. It was in full force when we met and it is just as strong now, manifesting in our art and our reality! This piece takes us back to the beginning, as we were crossing continents to see each other at every opportunity. Many nights we spent together, many nights we spent apart. I wrote this after an evening walk alone, amid a very empty feeling after Jenn had flown back to Canada . The distance was tough, but tough moments make you stronger and this was no different. " Distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold. It’s for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It’s for those knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they don’t see it nearly enough ." - Meghan Daum Thankfully for us, the 'distance only lasted for 6 months before I packed up and left England behind for Canada. It worked out amazingly well given 3 months after my arrival the country shut down due to Covid-19. I am so glad I was there when it happened because it was a good 12 months before they reopened the borders again! The Force was with us from the moment Jenn joined my poetry live on Instagram and sent me her poetry. We felt a tether and a connection immediately. That tether stretched not just from Canada to the UK but across previous lifetimes too! More on that in another post! It was all just part of the plan falling into place. A love greater than we even knew at the time. But we knew that we were meant to be together and we knew this was the right moment, the right place, the right time. Our love has been thriving ever since... The Force remains as strong as ever! The Force Born on a continent So far away Distance no match The force came our way It rode the tides Through stormy seas Under cloudy skies It found the cliffs Of our distant shores It climbed with no harness As it made it to land The force grew stronger As it searched for our hands When it made it to us It knew what it must What it must be Between you and me The force found us Through our poetry It gave us the key To know what to see We delved into our screens With unanimous security No apprehension Or insecurity We always knew The force was there Bringing us closer With vision and flair Ocean's divide Yet love flies There is no chance Or reason why I am yours You are mine Was always coming This is our time A single rhythm A passion A schism A moment written All is forgiven Unfurling the ribbon This present is a given The gift to our hand I finally understand An effervescent plan Because it can Our moment rises The gap closes A coming together We are chosen Reach for the stars Is not the phrase The stars came to us With our patience paid Sadness gone Our pasts laid Future set We are here to stay The sun has risen A new horizon It will never set In our infinite vision Distance no match There was never a catch Only the fact We were due to attach Fusing our souls Conjoining our goals Sharing our spirit Becoming one whole A force to be reckoned with It found its home We are the force And this is our tone © Leon Gregori 2025 The Force isn’t just about love; it’s about destiny, creativity, and the inexplicable tether that brings two souls together. For Jenn and me, poetry was our introduction, but love was our ultimate bond. You Might Also Like... 🔗 Rise: Redefining Falling in Love Reimagine love in Rise. Explore the transformative journey of love as an ascent to new heights, breaking free from the gravity of past hurts. Leon Gregori I've been writing poetry since my mid-teens and find it natural to express myself through words. My writing is spontaneous and unstructured, following a freestyle approach. My long-form content focuses on themes of heartbreak and life. Closer Lives Poetry Poetry has been a lifelong passion for us, and the best part of our journey is that we found love through it! Here, we share pieces that are close to our hearts, hoping they speak to your heart too. We hope you enjoy our work and look forward to adding more!

From my debut book, Out of the Shadows , The Game is a reflective piece from Chapter 6, Reborn. It explores the cyclical nature of modern life - eat, work, sleep, repeat - and how this relentless rhythm has shaped our humanity. Written after a long, exhausting day at work, it’s a poem born from the question many of us ask: 'Why am I doing this every day?' "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius For me, The Game is about questioning the systems we’ve built around us. It challenges the pursuit of material success at the expense of our souls and asks whether we’re truly living - or just playing along. The Game This life Our affliction Inhale it like addiction Our distinction Our reason It sets us all apart Different seasons Lands and kingdoms Association Relations Loyalty Respect It pulls us all apart Strangers rule us Whilst money blinds us Beats us down Controlled all around Lifeless Soulless Conscience not making a sound Love defines us Our spirit and our souls Our bodies and our minds Benefit in kind But our desires stretch us Can drive us crazy People like dominoes Our hearts doing the rounds We are superstitious Suspicious Ridiculous At times It's fictitious We are fortuitous To make it through at times Honesty Reminds us Of how we show and tell And it's torturous Tumultuous Binds us under its spell And just like a bell It jars us Disciplines us right Because try as we might Our only fight Is hindsight That's right All we get is hindsight It's not right But it's how we learn Because honesty and loyalty Only gets us burned So as we turn It becomes our blindside We learn to ignore And on it goes on This world we create We're regardless We are relentless Our pursuit of happiness Remorseless So release the stress Put to the test The desire to achieve Soulfulness The dream Less the mess No need to impress Happiness The extreme But the reality Is meaningless Mostly nothingness Emptiness Loneliness It cuts deep inside So in our pursuit In this desperate race We step on others Just to save face We try to deny it With rigour and valour But truth be told We know our true colors What will we do What we will hide How desperate we are To jump from this ride Complex souls We each are Our morals and ethics So so afar We try to hide it We try to agree But we all know that We all can't see So somewhere out there Something must be Must have a plan For all and me This life Our affliction This addiction It holds us We live for each day No matter what We might say We still get up Ready to play This game And we do Each one of you It's our reason Distinction It sets us all apart So no rhyme And no reason We are who we are We humans are a legion An army Of war Drowning in our sorrows Living in the burrows Sinking And sinning But living for tomorrow © Leon Gregori 2025 Do you ever feel trapped by the cycle of modern life? What do you think it takes to break free and live with more purpose? Share your thoughts in the comments below. You Might Also Like... 🔗 Conscience, Poetry by Leon Gregori In this piece, I explore my conscience and its subterranean other, piecing it together in the only way I know how: through poetry! Leon Gregori I've been writing poetry since my mid-teens and find it natural to express myself through words. My writing is spontaneous and unstructured, following a freestyle approach. My long-form content focuses on themes of heartbreak and life. Closer Lives Poetry Poetry has been a lifelong passion for us, and the best part of our journey is that we found love through it! Here, we share pieces that are close to our hearts, hoping they speak to your heart too. We hope you enjoy our work and look forward to adding more!

Do we 'fall' in love or 'rise' to love? That is the question! Falling often feels negative, literally tied to bruises and pain from the impact. But with true love, like what Jenn and I are so blessed to have found, the experience is transformative. It’s about rising to new levels, together. It was a revelation moment when it seemed like a lightbulb was shining just above my head. I realized that I had been getting it wrong all along. I thought of all of the times I had encountered love, recalling sayings like 'fallen in love' and 'falling in love'. At this moment, I thought, why should love be subjected to gravity? Why would I fall when I should be going up ? So I did what I often do in these situations; I grabbed my phone and wrote a poem about it. As one does! Rise The first time our eyes met I knew you were the one Live Life love You are the epitome of fun The moment we met You had my highest regard Damn I fell for you And I fell hard Yet why do we say that ‘I fell for you’ Does ‘falling' end in blissful happiness? Soulful struts and fire and glory Electric connection Energy flying Tingles and sensation Without even trying Is 'falling’ infinite Or does gravity rule? Or do you catch me Before I truly fall? I like the idea Of you catching me For you protect and nurture Nourish and enrich I have always felt safer In the comfort of your arms But I think I shall change it This phrase has to go Maybe in the past I can say I have ‘fallen’ Many a moment I felt my calling I thought I knew The power of love Relationships came And I ‘fell’ Lessons learnt though Can't you tell? Many times I ‘fell’ hard And in hindsight, I see That the effective reality Was that I could never get up After my ‘fall’ I was always stuck It almost sounds negative Wouldn't you agree? If the 'fall' is not broken Caught or cushioned Only bruises form The foundation built On a base of pain I never want to feel that Ever again So with you, my dear My heart My joy I have not ‘fallen’ No no no I have RISEN This is the opposite The spectrum stretched The 'normal’ reversed Carved and etched Spun on a dime You are my rocket Blasted into the Universe There is NO gravity Just weightless endlessness Floating amongst stars With love as our oxygen This Galaxy of us Will never end This moment in time I rose from the ashes Soared through the sky Dove into the spark The twinkle in your eye Higher heights Limitless love The Galaxy and beyond There is no wake-up Just dreams Onboard This love express Endless flight Stunning impress Even with turbulence I am not shaken Merely stoked My heart is already taken High above My only station For I only look up I no longer look down There are no stops There is no ground © Leon Gregori 2025 For me, Rise is a celebration of love as a source of strength and elevation. It’s about breaking free from the gravitational pull of past hurts and choosing to soar with someone who lifts you. What do you think? Do you prefer the idea of 'falling' or 'rising' in love? Share your thoughts in the comments below! You Might Also Like... 🔗 Fusion: When Two Souls Become One Fusion explores the way love rebuilds us, piece by piece. A reflection of how, even in moments of chaos or darkness, love can be the light. Leon Gregori I've been writing poetry since my mid-teens and find it natural to express myself through words. My writing is spontaneous and unstructured, following a freestyle approach. My long-form content focuses on themes of heartbreak and life. Closer Lives Poetry Poetry has been a lifelong passion for us, and the best part of our journey is that we found love through it! Here, we share pieces that are close to our hearts, hoping they speak to your heart too. We hope you enjoy our work and look forward to adding more!

Have you ever looked at the marvels of ancient civilizations and wondered, ‘How did they do it?’ From the precision of the pyramids to the cosmic alignment of ancient wells, our ancestors achieved feats that still leave us in awe. But have we, in the age of technology, lost something profound in ourselves? These questions form the core of De-evolution - a reflection on humanity’s journey, our potential, and the powers within us. All the while I marvel at the brilliance of our ancestors and all they achieved, from the Sumerians to the Egyptians and all of the other civilizations that have advanced humanity. How did they achieve the things they did? Did they have help from the outside? Or did they tap into their INSIDE and use abilities we don't even know we have? Jenn and I have talked at length many times about these so-called 'abilities'. From manifestation to energy to vibes, there are just so many ways we can change our realities without any dependence on others. We are fooled into the notion that we need our governments and society to flourish, but the truth is that as a collective, we favor the few on behalf of the many. Yet there is something that can change the game. Something innate inside of us that once tapped into, can LITERALLY change, shape, and mold our lives into whatever we desire. Now THAT is something that the 'few' have learned how to suppress in us. From the outside! The Baalbek Stone [Photo credit - middleeasteye.net ] Is it possible to carve, lift, and shift a giant rock that weighs 300 tonnes like at Baalbek (Lebanon) as part of a construction project? Thousands of years ago? Could it be possible? Maybe the question is not HOW they moved it. More like why. For example, 3000 years ago, people constructed a well at Santa Cristina that is aligned with a solar event that occurs once every 18 and a half years. The Santa Cristina Well, Sardinia, Italy When the moon is at its highest point in orbit, it does so directly above this place, shining through a 2ft hole to illuminate a perfectly cylindrical well into a glowing white magical chamber. There are so many questions attached to the reasons this place exists, but back to my point. Like damn, they were using their MINDS to do all this stuff I could barely even do in my dreams. I can just about remember my PIN, and that's only 4 digits! Me? Move a rock? Manifest my desires? Somehow figure out how to build a place that could do who knows what? Well, that's a fantasy, a movie, a pipe dream. So they say. But perhaps there was once a time when these powers were unimpeded... Life begets life. Energy becomes energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich - Sarah Bernhardt So this piece is about the connection to our past, our connection with technology today, and how we can change our realities in the future. We have the power within us, and even if modern living does not encourage that, we can still find it if we search deeply enough! I hope you enjoy the read! De-Evolution Egyptians, Mayans The great civilizations Way back when Way back then Out of nowhere (Relatively) They start building pyramids (Literally) Moving gargantuan stones and rocks Calculating Maths And clocks Precise measurements Pinpoint precision Feats of engineering Innate intuition They changed the face Of humanity They set the bar Of who we are to be Prosperity Art Society Begin Build Legacy A beacon A light Of what we could become Planet masters The best bar none With no tech, they mastered this No help They started this Or maybe Who knows Hieroglyphs We know We've studied And wondered Marveled Reveled To this day we visit Their stunning legacy And so what next for us This new humanity What is next What shall we see Well, I guess the Egyptians Were the spark They were the start We learned And built Enhanced their teachings We built new empires Brilliant and fleeting For bad or worse For good or better We learned from their laws We still write their letters But for us Now maybe The de-evolution has begun For way back when Some dude pops up and says Hey Let's build a pyramid That will take over a thousand years Untold wealth Staggering masses of humanity Tremendously incredible engineering And a future-proof structural integrity For all of humanity To reveal and see Now I wonder What is meant to be Are we now losing our abilities Enslaved to technology Is this digital world The future story For have we left behind Our powers to compute In our minds, with no assistance Have we now embraced a time Where 'virtual' has no resistance Is this our new Shared existence AI is aligned And will only get stronger And the thoughts that we once thought Get less and less With less need to compute There is less need to think An even lesser need To use pen and ink So transfer your thoughts To the online device Free your mind From those stresses and vice Let the screen takeover This mini-computer It is what we need We need it the most So with my free mind I remembered to see A time I remember Of how it used to be Before the internet, you see We had no ability To be connected In any way I remember payphones Was the only way You would remember phone numbers Like it was your last day For you had to memorize To check in or seek help 11-digit numbers Etched into mind Now tech came along And freed that mind Tech came along Oh so kind And the friendly tech Can store and replace The friendly tech Can copy and paste Now I can't even remember A four-digit code That comes on a drop-down To be entered below I copy and paste For fear of forgetting And getting it wrong So I guess in some ways We have We have devolved Numbed down Just a little Subservient to our master Not the government But the tech pastors Preaching their desires Playing their worth We evolved out of nowhere Got whacked with the intelligent stick Time to pass on the baton We have run our race Let the tech takeover And take our place © Leon Gregori 2025 I believe we have powers beyond our wildest dreams that are vulnerable to being suppressed and dumbed down. I know that is no groundbreaking notion, but that's where the poem went towards the end! Tech, fluoride, haircuts, food, and water... so many channels into us that can dampen our powers (so I am told). Yet I have come to truly believe in manifestation and positive energy, and I genuinely feel desires coming into being every day. I am no expert and I credit these discoveries entirely to Jenn! I love her even more (if that was possible) for it. Learning to understand is the translation for POTENTIAL. Potential, because every moment has potential,l should have the desire to activate it and be uncovered. The process is only hard until it isn't! To this day, I often struggle to believe I have the life I do. Waking up to new vibes every day with the love of my life is a path I imagined in the far reaches of my mind when I was younger. A place like the Wizard of Oz walking hand in hand with my true love down some sort of yellow brick road with birds fluttering and crisscrossing above our heads as the clouds part to reveal a rainbow! That was some dream, but now it IS my reality with Jenn, and what's more, our traveling and path IS the yellow brick road! The more we reduce ourselves to machines in the lower things, the more force we shall set free to use in the higher - Anna C Brackett What do you think? Have we traded too much of our humanity for modern convenience, or does technology simply amplify what’s already within us? You Might Also Like... 🔗 Conscience: A Poem on Morality and Inner Struggles Explore the inner workings of the conscience. Delve into the balance between morality, instinct, and self-awareness captured through poetry. Leon Gregori I've been writing poetry since my mid-teens and find it natural to express myself through words. My writing is spontaneous and unstructured, following a freestyle approach. My long-form content focuses on themes of heartbreak and life. Closer Lives Poetry Poetry has been a lifelong passion for us, and the best part of our journey is that we found love through it! Here, we share pieces that are close to our hearts, hoping they speak to your heart too. We hope you enjoy our work and look forward to adding more!

In June 2020, Jenn gave me one of the most unforgettable birthday surprises of my life: an all-expenses-paid weekend at a 5-star hotel in Montreal . From incredible food to countless moments of laughter and love, it was a celebration that I will never forget. Inspired by that weekend, I wrote What She Means to Me as a tribute to her, to us, and to the love we share. It was a special surprise and I will never forget it. I can only hope my words can do justice to the love I feel, for the love we have, and the love we will have forever more! Sorry for the sap, but I can't help it! Jenn in Cyprus, where we got engaged! "The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love." - Henry Miller These words perfectly encapsulate how I feel about Jenn and our journey together! What She Means To Me Tell my brain No refrain Can’t strain Our domain This is my aim No need to explain She brings me fame Bells and whistles Sparkling and glistening Always listening My sign My symbol She even has crystals Sprinkles and sparkles Her berth is my castle Energy Synergy The things she does to me For me With me She holds me tight Treats me right Every day And long through the night The shadows are cast Far far away We are taken Now is our play Here to stay This is our way Mainstay Each way Anyway Both ways Today For many years And years beyond Will speak these words Our darkness gone Only light Shall shine here now Erase these creases No furrowed brow Our essence is phenomenal Partners complete There is no past That can compete © Leon Gregori 2025 Have you ever felt this way about someone? I certainly hope so... if not... I hope! Thank you for reading! You Might Also Like... 🔗 Rise: Redefining Falling in Love Reimagine love in Rise. Explore the transformative journey of love as an ascent to new heights, breaking free from the gravity of past hurts. Leon Gregori I've been writing poetry since my mid-teens and find it natural to express myself through words. My writing is spontaneous and unstructured, following a freestyle approach. My long-form content focuses on themes of heartbreak and life. Closer Lives Poetry Poetry has been a lifelong passion for us, and the best part of our journey is that we found love through it! Here, we share pieces that are close to our hearts, hoping they speak to your heart too. We hope you enjoy our work and look forward to adding more!

Sadness can feel like an overwhelming force, consuming and unrelenting. But as a poet and creator, I see it as a canvas - a space to pour emotion, process pain, and create meaning. The Artist reflects my journey through those dark moments, painting feelings from the canvas of my mind. We are all artists, painting our lives upon the canvas of reality. Mix the colors your own way and apply emotion liberally. Don't be afraid to let your brushstrokes show, and above all else, make sure your art has soul - Cristen Rodgers The Artist Sitting Surmising My mind is frightening Like a belt tightening Around my neck This isn't exciting There isn't any lighting The sadness is coming I feel like running Yet the dark is cunning My legs are heavy Like bricks on my feet I guess I'm going nowhere So it is time to meet The internal motors That spark and clash Rip and smash Here is my interpretation My deepest sensation My lungs are heavy There is no challenge And no expectation I sense I know why I keep feeling this way How I look to avoid The hardest thing I've ever had to do To lose my feelings Of love for you I've longed for what we had Dreamt of good and bad My heart goes begging I lusted for the emotion Desired the commotion The feelings that inspired That dizziness Isn't painless It's the torture of my heart Like an art This love It messed with my insides Like a tray of paint Mixed up and colourful Reds, greys, and yellows Blues and greens The joyous wonder The darkening screams All those hopes Laid to waste Time to be emptied Gone is the taste The potential The drama All things karma My spirits dampen As my heart fades to black The artist has left us Our canvas unfinished The picture is open But thought has diminished Printed forever We will no longer be Our pitch cut off From reaching its ending And whilst I think of this My heart is so torn It feels like my tapestry Just stopped in its tracks And the painting is there The structure and foundation But the sky is unfinished And the house is half built Like a bankrupt fighter It leaves much to be desired Everything it hoped for Deep in the mire The mess is clear The solution is not so The artist behind the painting Where did he go And so there we are Left unfinished The applicators broken There is no more to write Or paint Or glow Or reach its potential Just no And hard memories are plentiful The only hope now Is for a brand-new canvas To manifest itself Be born from life's atlas The world is still here Despite all my fears I must top up my ink Empty my tears Refill my pots Regain my strength If I can do that I can make more sense This sadness has owned me Thrown off my game I have to release this Or forever stay the same © Leon Gregori 2025 How do you process sadness or loss? Do you turn to creativity, or do you find solace in other ways? I’d love to hear your reflections in the comments! You Might Also Like... 🔗 The Game: A Poem on Life’s Relentless Cycle This piece tackles the cyclical nature of modern life - eat, work, sleep, repeat - and how this relentless rhythm has shaped our humanity. Leon Gregori I've been writing poetry since my mid-teens and find it natural to express myself through words. My writing is spontaneous and unstructured, following a freestyle approach. My long-form content focuses on themes of heartbreak and life. Closer Lives Poetry Poetry has been a lifelong passion for us, and the best part of our journey is that we found love through it! Here, we share pieces that are close to our hearts, hoping they speak to your heart too. We hope you enjoy our work and look forward to adding more!

Who else remembers the old magazines that promised you could learn how to: lose 15 pounds in 5 days, become sexier in 5 days, cook a meal to his heart, and all the old school how-tos that were aimed at superficialities (and for women to be ‘better’ for men)!? I certainly do. And who else tried and failed and felt like a failure because of it? Don’t be superficial. Don’t believe everything you read. And don’t judge a book by its cover! Search for truth, depth, and meaning in all things. Use your judgment and trust your intuition. Step into your power, but don’t abuse it. Glossy Written in February 2015 by Jennifer David She learns how to become a cook How to become a runner Promises on how to become a better lover All from skimming the cover... She falls for it She tumbles Stumbling on the shoestrings Of her sneakers That, in reality, just makes her meeker And shall I even say bleaker? Like a beacon of society that says Here I am... Look at me… I take notice I read the cover She takes all of the quizzes And wonders why Reality fizzes In comparison To the predictions She flips the pages Creating rage inside her Tormented with confusing desire For the quick fixes Creating instantly airbrushed wounds On her soul NO QUIZ NO TEST NO COMPARISON TO THE REST Will reassure her Of her Reassure her Of the beauty that radiates inside her Not created from airbrushed strokes Or trite words from know-it-all folks It’s the discovery she must find Inside her own mind And let go Of the societal precedent she knows To exude the light And fight for the plight Of discovering who she is Because no cover can truly Teach you to be a better lover Or to put others' needs before your own And if you claim you can attain It all starts with skimming the cover You need to discover The true meaning Of depth © Jennifer David 2025 Thank you for reading and your continued support! Please leave a like or comment if you enjoyed this piece, and let me know your thoughts on this subject... have you ever felt similar pressures? If so, how have you dealt with them? Closer Lives Poetry Poetry has been a lifelong passion for us, and perhaps the most beautiful part of our journey is that we found love through our words. Here, we share pieces that are close to our hearts, hoping they speak to yours. We hope you enjoy our work and look forward to adding more as inspiration flows. Grey Hair Blog Follow Jennifer David’s empowering journey of going grey and choosing authenticity over approval. A celebration of ageing boldly, living unfiltered, and embracing the silver within. Jennifer David Meet Jennifer David—writer, traveller, coach, and voice behind “A Broad Perspective.” Explore her journey through grey hair, self-expression, full-time travel, and radical authenticity.

There’s a sentence I heard for years—sometimes whispered, sometimes shouted: “But grey hair will age you.”   As if that’s the worst thing that could happen to a woman.   But let’s be real: I used to believe it, too. Before I decided to ditch the dye , that fear ran deep. I was always told I looked “so young for my age,” but was it just with dyed hair? Compliments like that can feel like currency for us women, especially in a culture that’s becoming more and more obsessed with youth.   But when I met Leon, who is 12 years younger than I, the fear got a little louder. Not that I’m new to the age difference thing, my ex-husband was 10 years younger than me as well. But as I have gotten older, I’ve been more concerned about those years becoming more noticeable . I worried about how I would look beside him. Would I seem “too old” to be with him? Would people judge me? Would HE stop seeing me the same way if I let my grey hair shine through? Would he still be attracted to me? 18 months into my natural grey hair grow-out journey with Leon in Hua Hin, Thailand, September 2024   Spoiler alert: he didn’t flinch. In fact, his support helped me find the courage to do what my soul was already calling me to do.  Embrace my authenticity. Leon and I on the Princess Regal during a transatlantic cruise in April 2025 celebrating 6 years together, 4 years travelling full time (44 countries together!) and 2 years into my natural grey hair grow-out journey all during this month! Facing the Fear: Grey Hair and the “Invisible Woman” Myth Let’s talk about what’s really going on.   The fear of grey hair isn’t just about color . It’s about our visibility. Our value, position, and our perceived identity in society.   So much of our conditioning tells us that as we age, especially as women, we fade. That we lose desirability. That our beauty has an expiration date , and it’s somewhere around the first sign of a silver hair, which is silly in itself because many women first notice a grey hair far under the age of 30 , we just don’t realize it because so many women choose to hide their greys from first sight!   But here’s what I’ve learned: Youthful energy isn’t something that you color in—it’s something you own. It’s in your fire , your freedom , your presence . NOT your pigment. 1 year into my natural silver hair grow-out journey, March 2024, in England I’m now two years into my grow-out journey, and yes—people do comment less often that I “ look so young for my age .” And yes, I AM actually two years older now than when I first started this journey—there are shifts that naturally start to happen especially around 48 to 50. But the biggest shift isn’t my appearance—it’s the societal association that grey = old, therefore I no longer look ‘young for my age’ and old = less. We can never truly look older or younger than our age because our age is what it is. It cannot be changed. Therefore, this is what I look like at 50 . Not older. Not younger, but MY 50. This is 50 ON ME. This is the narrative I’m passionate about dismantling. And friend, there’s so much work to be done.   The Liberation of Living Unfiltered! Since ditching the dye, something incredible has happened.   I feel more radiant . More confident. More authentic. More me. Not because grey hair magically fixed anything, because there was nothing to be ‘fixed’, but because choosing authenticity over approval set something free in me. I stopped trying to fit into the outdated mold of what a woman “should” look like, especially the ‘for her age’ narrative, and started showing up in my full, authentic design .   And here’s the beautiful twist: When you live authentically and unfiltered , your real energy starts shining. 2 years into my natural gray hair grow-out transition, and I couldn't feel more confident! Not despite your age, but BECAUSE of your lived experience, your presence, your power, and walking and owning that fully.   If You’re Wondering, “Will Grey Hair Make Me Less…?” To the woman asking, “Will grey hair make me less beautiful?” “Will it make me less datable?” “Will I lose something if I let go of dye?” 6 months into my grow-out, about to make my YouTube debut with THIS hair for the first time. I was still feeling very insecure about what OTHER PEOPLE might think about my grey hair.  I see you. I was you.   And my answer is this: Grey hair will not make you less. It will simply make you more. More magnetic. More rooted in self (see what I did there, ha!) More free.   This isn’t about going grey to prove a point, but it sure can be! The more women who embrace their natural grey hair, the faster and more normalized it will become for future women in society, and that’s a brilliant reason to say bye to the hair dye ! It’s about choosing your truth over fear.   So, if you’re standing in front of the mirror, wondering if it’s time— The wonder is your sign. Curiosity is your sign. This is your sign. Your beauty and evolving self don’t need permission, but sometimes it's nice to receive it. So here you go. Permission to let go of societal pressures and let it GROW! And you know, your bright sparkly silver light most certainly DOES NOT need a filter (aka hair dye).   Let THEM see YOU. Let YOU see YOU . Grey Hair Blog Follow Jennifer David’s empowering journey of going grey and choosing authenticity over approval. A celebration of ageing boldly, living unfiltered, and embracing the silver within. Jennifer David Meet Jennifer David—writer, traveller, coach, and voice behind “A Broad Perspective.” Explore her journey through grey hair, self-expression, full-time travel, and radical authenticity. Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

“The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.” – Neil Gaiman. If you’ve ever been called “a bit different,” take it as the compliment it is. A creative brain doesn’t always show up as straight A’s or a polished résumé. Sometimes, it arrives in mismatched socks, half-finished ideas, and a mind that builds galaxies in silence. Here’s the thing: real, spark-filled, wild intelligence often hides in quirks. So, if you resonate with any of these signs, you might be a creative genius in disguise. In This Post... 1. You're a Daydreamer 2. You Have a Wild Imagination 3. You're Intensely Curious 4. Comfortable with Ambiguity 5. You Love to Play and Doodle See More... 6. Highly Sensitive; Feeling Deeply 7. You're Not Afraid to Be Different 8. You Connect with Unrelated Ideas 9. Lost in Work, Hyper Focus 10. You Talk to Yourself (a Lot) 11. You Like to Stay Up Late 12. You Live In ‘Organized Chaos’ 13. You Struggle with Small Talk ● FREE Creative Brain Workbook 1. You're a Daydreamer Do you often find yourself lost in thought, even when you should be paying attention? Daydreaming isn't just a sign of boredom; it's a sign of a creative mind at work. Your brain is making connections and exploring possibilities that others might miss. You’re not “spacing out.” You’re time-traveling . You’re scripting new realities. Imagination is one of the most powerful — and overlooked — signs of intelligence. While the world tells you to stay grounded, you’re busy designing starscapes and story arcs. Embrace those mental wanderings – they might lead to your next big idea! Keep dreaming. That’s where revolutions begin. 2. You Have a Wild Imagination Creative individuals often possess a vivid imagination, able to conjure up fantastic worlds and scenarios with ease. If you find yourself constantly inventing stories, imagining alternate realities, or seeing the world through a lens of endless possibilities, congratulations! You're tapping into a powerful source of creative energy. You might dream in color, rewrite conversations in your head, or create whole narratives while washing the dishes. Your mind doesn’t just wander — it builds. It plays. It creates. That imaginative fire isn’t a distraction; it’s a creative engine that fuels your art, your voice, and your way of seeing the world a little differently than most. You're tapping into a powerful source of creative energy. 3. You're Intensely Curious A hallmark of a creative mind? Insatiable curiosity. You ’re constantly wondering why , poking at the edges of ideas, and tugging threads just to see where they lead. You don’t accept surface-level answers — you dig deeper. You ask better questions. You explore new subjects like they’re hidden worlds, and you’re the cartographer. That endless thirst for understanding? It’s not random. It’s fuel. It’s what gives your perspective its edge, your storytelling its richness, and your content its soul. You love to explore new subjects, experiment with different ideas, and never settle for simple explanations. This thirst for knowledge fuels your creative process and helps you develop unique perspectives. 4. You're Comfortable with Ambiguity While others crave certainty, you find magic in the unknown. You’re not scared of ambiguity — you breathe  it. Where there’s no clear path, you build your own. Where others see risk, you see room to create. That comfort with uncertainty? That’s your superpower. It’s what lets you break the mold, explore uncharted territory, and dream up ideas no one else sees yet.. You don’t need a map. You’re too busy drawing new worlds. You see it as an opportunity to explore new possibilities and create something truly original. Your ability to embrace ambiguity allows you to think outside the box and find innovative solutions. 5. You Love to Play, You Doodle on Every Surface For creative people, play is more than just a pastime; it's a way of life. You approach tasks with a sense of fun and experimentation. You enjoy exploring different possibilities, trying new things, and making mistakes along the way. This playful approach fosters creativity and helps you discover hidden talents. If the margins of your notebook look like a secret artist’s diary, your brain might be visualizing ideas before you even realize they exist. Doodling isn’t “spacing out.” It’s spatial intelligence firing up. It’s problem-solving with a pen. Let the ink flow — it’s brilliance in disguise. 6. You're Highly Sensitive & Feel Everything Deeply Creative individuals often possess a heightened sensitivity to their surroundings. You're acutely aware of details, emotions, and subtle nuances that others might miss. This sensitivity allows you to connect with your inner world and express your feelings through various creative outlets. Embrace your sensitivity – it's a source of strength and inspiration. Joy makes your whole chest expand. Sadness lingers like poetry. Injustice enrages you. A sunset can make you weep. That depth of emotion isn’t a flaw — it’s your intuitive intelligence speaking in surround sound. The world needs your sensitivity. It’s where your art, your connection, your message lives. 7. You're Not Afraid to Be Different You don't feel the need to conform to societal norms or expectations. You’re not here to blend in. You’ve never been drawn to the script — the one that says “fit in,” “tone it down,” “do what’s expected.” You live outside the lines, not in rebellion, but in truth . You express yourself fully, honestly, and unapologetically — even when it turns heads. Especially then. Because of your creativity? It doesn’t come from conformity. It comes from owning who you are — and letting that shine through every word, frame, and idea. You embrace your individuality and express yourself authentically, even if it means standing out from the crowd. Your willingness to be different allows you to break free from conventional thinking and create truly unique works. 8. You Connect Seemingly Unrelated Ideas, You See Patterns Everywhere Creative thinkers excel at making connections between seemingly unrelated concepts. You can see patterns and relationships that others might miss, leading to innovative insights and groundbreaking discoveries. Whether it’s in clouds, numbers, faces, or ideas, your brain links things others miss. You can connect ancient myths to TikTok trends. You recognize symbolic echoes in a stranger’s story. You’re a meaning-maker, a weaver of webs. That’s abstract reasoning, baby. That’s genius. This ability to connect the dots is a key ingredient in the recipe for creative genius. 9. You Get Lost in Your Work, You Hyper Focus and Forget to Eat When you're engaged in a creative project, time seems to melt away. You become completely absorbed in the task at hand, losing yourself in the flow of ideas and inspiration. When you're in the zone, time dissolves. Hours pass in a heartbeat while you're creating, building, dreaming. But you also might forget the basics — like water, food, or how to speak in full sentences. That tunnel vision? Classic sign of a brilliant brain that dances to its beat. This state of deep focus and concentration is a sign that you're tapping into your creative potential and unlocking your inner genius. 10. You Talk to Yourself (a Lot) Narrating your day? Rehearsing conversations that may never happen? Welcome to the Creative Brain Club. Self-talk isn’t weird — it’s your inner thinker working out life like a screenplay. Einstein did it. So did Frida Kahlo. So go ahead, chat it out. You’re just brainstorming with your favorite muse: you. 11. You Like to Stay Up Late (or an Inconsistent Sleeper) Creative minds are often fueled by moonlight and caffeine. Sleep is a lovely idea… until your brain starts building castles in the sky at 2 a.m. Whether you’re dreaming up travel routes or rewriting the universe in a voice note, that electric midnight magic is a signature of an overactive — and inspired — mind. 12. Your Environment is ‘Organized Chaos’ If your desk looks like a beautiful storm — piles of notebooks, seashells, tea mugs, wires — don’t sweat it. A creative brain often thrives in a controlled mess. You know where everything is (even if no one else does). Your space mirrors your mind: full of movement, layers, and treasures. 13. You Struggle with Small Talk but Thrive in Deep Conversations You’d rather talk about soul purpose, mushroom intelligence, or why humans cry at music than discuss the weather. Your brain craves meaning, not fluff. If surface-level chit-chat makes you restless, that’s a sign your intellect is wired for depth and discovery. Celebrate Your Creativity and Weird If you recognize yourself in these signs, congratulations! If you found yourself nodding along to this list, here’s your permission slip: You’re not too much, too strange, or too scattered — you’re just brilliantly wired for wonder .   You likely possess a creative brain with untapped potential. The world needs your wild ideas, your curiosity, your tangents, and your tangled metaphors. Embrace your quirks, nurture your imagination, and never stop exploring the boundless possibilities of your mind. So go ahead: talk to yourself, rearrange your furniture at 3 a.m., and sketch that weird dream you had last night. Because the creative brain doesn’t follow a straight line — it scribbles in stars. The world needs your unique perspective and creative genius. ⪢ DOWNLOAD your FREE Creative Brain Workbook: 13 Prompts to Spark Your Genius This workbook is designed to help you explore, deepen, and celebrate your creative mind. Use the following prompts, exercises, and practices to journal, reflect, and activate your inner genius — even if some of these qualities don’t come naturally (yet). Creativity is a practice, not a personality type. Prompt to expand! Try this to get out of your comfort zone! Grey Hair Blog Follow Jennifer David’s empowering journey of going grey and choosing authenticity over approval. This is a celebration of ageing boldly, living unfiltered, and embracing the silver within. Jennifer David Meet Jennifer David—writer, traveller, coach, and voice behind “A Broad Perspective.” Explore her journey through grey hair, self-expression, full-time travel, and radical authenticity. Our Lifestyle Blog Since deciding to sell our houses, let go of 90% of our possessions, pack up our remaining things, and head for the airport, we have learned a lot. We mean A LOT! This full-time travel journey is now entering its fourth year, and we are almost transitioning from travelers to alternative living. In our lifestyle blogs, we want to share our journey with you, along with everything we have learned, the ups and downs, the tips, tricks, and recommendations that can help you change your life if you are done with the 9-5.

For the past four years, we’ve been living life with a “no fixed address” stamp on our souls. Whether you’re answering emails from a beach in Bali , road-tripping with your WiFi hotspot, or hopping between European cafés, remote work is redefining how we live, work, and travel. From beachside workdays with sand between our toes or sitting seaside to chasing sunsets in far-flung corners of the world (think Chiang Mai , Thailand ), we think we’ve mastered the art of blending work with our biggest passion: wanderlust. But the big question is, what exactly do we call ourselves? Are we digital nomads ? Borderless adventurers ? Slowmads with a sprinkle of wanderpreneur ? Honestly, we get asked so many questions about our lifestyle and what our ‘job’ is it can at times be rather difficult to answer! It got us thinking about the topic. In this post , we’re diving into the fun and ever-growing dictionary and vocabulary of remote lifestyles. Whether you’re a laptop warrior on the move or dreaming of ditching the cubicle for good, you’re bound to find a term that fits your current style. With more and more people deciding to ditch the 9-5 grind and try alternative living lifestyles, we thought it was high time to explore this wide, wonderful world of work-anywhere wanderers! In This Post... ● OG Nomads & Cool Cousins ● Adventurous & Alternative Crew ● Global & Borderless Tribe ● Creative & Quirky Labels ● So, Which One Are You? ● FAQs More Resources ● Our Lifestyle Blog ● Closer Lives Travel Hub What Will YOU Decide? Perhaps you have already heard of ' location independent ' or ' alternative living ', which are awesome terms to describe ditching the 9 - 5 for the freedom of being wherever you want to be in the world. These terms may describe a lifestyle , but do they describe you ? We have used them plenty of times ourselves, but maybe they are too broad? Perhaps you will identify with one of the terms below... let us know in the comments below if you do! We cannot decide on one... can you? The OG Nomads (and Their Cool Cousins) These are the classics - but with a twist! Digital Nomad 🌐 The tried-and-true label for remote workers traveling full-time with a laptop and a dream. Slowmad 🐢 A nomad who takes it slow, spending weeks or months in each location. No need to rush when the WiFi’s good! 💡 Road-tripping with your WiFi hotspot? Check out GigSky or Saily  for flexible eSIM options that keep you connected anywhere. Workcationer 🌴 Blending work and play at dreamy destinations. Morning Zoom calls, sunset margaritas. Anywhere Worker 🌎 If you’ve ever worked from a hammock, a camper, or a train station bench, this one’s for you. 💡 Enhance your online privacy and security with NordVPN ! Enjoy lightning-fast speeds and access to global content while keeping your data safe from prying eyes. Flexpat ✈️ A flexible expat who hops between countries with no real home base. Think expat vibes but without the ties. The Adventurous & Alternative Crew For the wild, free-spirited, and off-the-beaten-path wanderers. Backpacker Nomad 🎒 Living out of a backpack while running your online empire (or freelance gigs). Minimalism = freedom. Vanlifer 🚐 Working from your decked-out van while chasing the next scenic sunset spot. Off-Grid Worker 🌿 Remote with no reception? No problem. These folks live and work in the wild with solar panels and satellite internet. Dirtbag Nomad 🏕️ Low-cost, high-adventure. Working from campsites, eating ramen, and chasing the next thrill. Green Nomad 🌿 Traveling and working with sustainability in mind—eco-lodges, low-impact travel, and reusable everything. The Global & Borderless Tribe For those who truly can’t be tied down by borders. Expat 🌏 Classic, but still cool. Living and working abroad, semi-permanently or for a while. Global Citizen 🌍 No borders, just vibes. You see the whole world as your home. Perpetual Traveler (PT) ✈️ Forever on the move, often country-hopping to avoid taxes or visa limits. Genius or madness? You decide. 💡 Don’t forget to protect your adventure. We recommend SafetyWing Nomad Insurance  – designed with global wanderers in mind. Nomadic Expat 🌴 A hybrid breed: half-settled expat, half-rolling stone. Long stays, but no roots. Borderless Worker 💻 Remote pros with no fixed address. Their office? The world. The Creative & Quirky Labels For the artists, entrepreneurs, and free spirits doing it their way. Wanderpreneur 🚀 Building a biz while wandering the world. CEO by day, explorer by night. Hometrotter 🚗 Exploring your own country like a tourist with a remote job in tow. Busker Nomad 🎤 Traveling musicians, artists, and performers earn their keep on the road while working online. Spiritually Rooted Nomad 🧘‍♀️ Blending travel with spiritual practices—yoga retreats, meditation sanctuaries, or plant medicine journeys. Burnout Escapee 🌿 You ditched the corporate grind to find your soul on the road. Hello, freedom. The Final Five Nomadic Titles WiFi Wanderer 📶 A true internet chaser — always checking the speed before booking the stay. If it ain’t strong, it ain’t happening. Cloud Commuter ☁️ No traffic, no stress. You live in the cloud — logging into meetings from rooftops, boats, and jungle huts. Base-Hopper 🏡 Part-time nomad, part-time nester. You rotate between 2–3 “home bases” around the world depending on visas, seasons, or vibes. Tap-Tap Traveler 💻 Your keyboard’s the ticket, and your browser’s the boss. You build websites, write code, or blog your way across borders. Zoomad 🎥 Zoom call in one timezone, sundowner in another. Your life is a patchwork of virtual meetings and real-world adventures. So, Which One Are You? Are you a slowmad, a borderless worker, or maybe a low-key dirtbag nomad? Or perhaps you’re inventing your very own label (bonus points for creativity!). Found your label, or invented your own? Drop it in the comments below and share your remote lifestyle! 💡 Don’t forget to explore our Travel Hub for Nomads & Remote Workers for essential resources, gear, insurance, connectivity, and more. FAQs Q1: What is a digital nomad? A digital nomad is someone who works remotely using technology while traveling to different locations, often living with no fixed base. Q2: What’s the difference between a digital nomad and a slowmad? While digital nomads often move frequently, slowmads prefer staying in one place longer—weeks or even months—to immerse themselves in the culture and enjoy a slower pace. Q3: What are some creative names for remote workers? Creative terms include wanderpreneur, burnout escapee, spirit-rooted nomad, busker nomad, and hometrotter, each reflecting unique remote lifestyles. Q4: Can I work remotely while traveling? Yes! With internet access, remote-friendly jobs, and tools like eSIMs and travel insurance, you can easily work while exploring the world. Q5: What tools do remote workers need on the road? Essentials include portable WiFi/eSIM (like GigSky or Saily ), international insurance (like SafetyWing ), a solid laptop, and task management tools. Our Lifestyle Blog Since deciding to sell our houses, let go of 90% of our possessions, pack up our remaining things, and head for the airport, we have learned a lot. We mean A LOT! This full-time travel journey is now entering its fourth year, and we are almost transitioning from travelers to alternative living. In our lifestyle blogs, we want to share our journey with you, along with everything we have learned, the ups and downs, the tips, tricks, and recommendations that can help you change your life if you are done with the 9-5. Closer Lives Travel Hub Destinations, Tips & Essentials Head over to our Travel Hub – it’s packed with free country guides, helpful travel blogs, videos from the road, and tips to help you travel smarter (and cheaper!). Whether you're dreaming, planning, or already out exploring, we've got resources to help you every step of the way. Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

In a world overflowing with material possessions, a growing movement is embracing the idea of gifting experiences over physical objects. More people are realizing that memories outlast any gadget, piece of jewelry, or trendy clothing item. Instead of another sweater that might be forgotten in the depths of a closet, why not give the gift of a breathtaking adventure, an exhilarating car road trip, or a tranquil getaway? Experiences tap into something far more profound than material gifts - they bring lasting joy, foster personal growth, and create stories that can be treasured for a lifetime. Whether it’s a concert ticket, a travel voucher, or a hands-on cooking class, experiential gifts have the unique power to create unforgettable moments. Photo by  Kit (formerly ConvertKit) In This Post... ● Science of Experiential Happiness ● Why Travel is the Ultimate Gift ● Rise of Experience-Based Gifting ● The Emotional Impact ⪢ Our Lifestyle Blog The Science Behind Experiential Happiness Psychological research consistently shows that experiences contribute more to long-term happiness than material possessions. A study conducted by Dr. Thomas Gilovich at Cornell University found that while people experience initial excitement when acquiring new items, that excitement diminishes over time as they grow accustomed to them. Conversely, experiences continue to bring happiness because they become a part of our identity and strengthen social connections. ●   Personal Growth : Experiences encourage self-discovery and expand one’s perspective. ●  Stronger Relationships : Shared experiences deepen emotional bonds and create meaningful connections. ●  Enduring Memories : Unlike material objects, experiences evolve into cherished stories that can be revisited and relived. This is why adventure trips, art workshops, and music festivals offer far more lasting joy than the latest tech gadget or designer accessory. Why Travel is the Ultimate Gift Among all possible experiences, travel stands out as one of the most transformative gifts. Whether it’s a surprise weekend getaway or a grand international adventure, travel introduces new cultures, broadens perspectives, and fosters personal evolution. A Car Road Trip to Remember For those who love the freedom of the open road, a car road trip  makes for an extraordinary gift. Road trips offer the perfect blend of adventure and spontaneity, where the journey itself is just as rewarding as the destination. Here’s why a well-planned road trip is a gift that keeps on giving: ●       Customizable & Flexible : Unlike pre-arranged vacations, road trips allow travelers to set their own pace, explore hidden gems, and curate an itinerary tailored to their interests. ●       Unforgettable Scenic Routes : From winding coastal highways to breathtaking mountain passes, the landscapes along the way enhance the adventure. ●       Quality Bonding Time : Road trips create opportunities for deep conversations, unexpected laughter, and spontaneous detours that lead to unforgettable memories. Imagine surprising a loved one with a weekend drive along the Pacific Coast Highway or a scenic autumn road trip through New England’s golden foliage. It’s a gift that blends excitement, relaxation, and exploration into one unforgettable experience. Cultural and Culinary Adventures For those with a passion for food and culture, immersive experiences such as cooking classes in different cities or countries can be incredibly rewarding. Picture learning the art of fresh pasta making in Italy or mastering the delicate techniques of sushi preparation in Japan. These experiences not only provide an exhilarating sense of discovery but also impart skills that last a lifetime. Similarly, cultural experiences - whether visiting ancient ruins, exploring world-renowned museums, or attending vibrant local festivals - offer an in-depth appreciation of history, tradition, and artistry that no physical item can replicate. The Rise of Experience-Based Gifting In recent years, experience-based gifting has gained momentum as people seek meaningful ways to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Instead of traditional wrapped presents, more individuals are turning to gifts that create lasting memories, such as: ●       Concert & Theater Tickets  – A night at a favorite artist’s concert or an immersive Broadway show can provide moments of pure joy and excitement. ●       Outdoor Adventures  – Thrill-seekers will appreciate activities like skydiving, scuba diving, or hot air balloon rides. ●       Subscription-Based Experiences  – From gourmet meal deliveries to adventure kits and travel memberships, these ongoing experiences extend the joy far beyond a single day. The mindset is shifting from “what can I buy?” to “what can I experience?” - an approach that enriches life rather than adding clutter. The Emotional Impact of Giving Experiences Photo by Nubia Navarro (nubikini) One of the most rewarding aspects of gifting experiences is the emotional depth they cultivate. Unlike material items, which may lose significance over time, experiences generate moments of joy, anticipation, and heartfelt gratitude. ●       Encouraging Quality Time  – Shared experiences bring loved ones together in ways that physical gifts never can. ●       Demonstrating Thoughtfulness  – A carefully selected experience reflects deep consideration and understanding of what truly matters to the recipient. ●       Reducing Clutter & Waste  – Opting for an experience instead of a physical item contributes to a minimalist lifestyle while supporting sustainability. ⪢ The Gift That Keeps Giving A simple car road trip can spark a lifelong passion for travel. A spontaneous surfing lesson may ignite an enduring love for the ocean. A single art workshop can inspire a lifetime of creativity. Experiences aren’t just fleeting moments - they often serve as gateways to new passions and interests. By choosing to give experiences over material objects, we offer our loved ones something infinitely more valuable: the thrill of adventure, the joy of discovery, and memories that will be cherished forever. ⪢ Experiences Strengthen Relationships Experiential gifts aren’t just about the adventure itself - they’re about sharing moments that strengthen relationships. Whether it’s a spontaneous car road trip with a best friend, a surprise weekend retreat with a partner, or a family getaway, these experiences create opportunities for deeper connections. Traveling together fosters teamwork, patience, and mutual appreciation, strengthening relationships in a way that material gifts never could. ⪢ The Lasting Value of Stories Over Stuff Material possessions may lose their appeal over time, but the stories crafted through experiences endure. Few people look back fondly on the day they received another gadget, but they will always remember the night they camped beneath the stars, the moment they witnessed the northern lights for the first time, or the exhilaration of navigating a road trip through a stunning mountain range. Experiential gifts become the stories that people tell for years, reinforcing the idea that life’s richness is measured in moments, not things. ⪢ Making Experiences More Accessible Some people hesitate to give experiences as gifts, assuming they must be extravagant or costly. However, remarkable experiences don’t require an extravagant budget. A well-planned car road trip, a thoughtfully arranged picnic in a scenic location, or an at-home movie night with themed snacks can be just as meaningful as a lavish vacation. The key is thoughtfulness - curating experiences that are personal, memorable, and tailored to the recipient’s interests. Our Lifestyle Blog Since deciding to sell our houses, let go of 90% of our possessions, pack up our remaining things, and head for the airport, we have learned a lot. We mean A LOT! This full-time travel journey is now entering its fourth year, and we are almost transitioning from travelers to alternative living. In our lifestyle blogs, we want to share our journey with you, along with everything we have learned, the ups and downs, the tips, tricks, and recommendations that can help you change your life if you are done with the 9-5. A guest post written by Luisa Acorsi for Closer Lives Luisa Acorsi is a passionate writer specializing in travel and lifestyle. She loves exploring new destinations, uncovering hidden gems, and sharing her experiences through engaging storytelling. With a keen eye for detail and a love for adventure, Luisa brings fresh perspectives on culture, food, and unique travel experiences. Whether it's a bustling city escape or a serene getaway, she captures the essence of every journey, inspiring readers to explore the world with curiosity and style.

We're thrilled to introduce the newly revamped Closer Lives Travel & Lifestyle Emporium! After careful planning and a lot of hours, we've completely transformed our store to enhance your shopping experience and showcase the essence of our collections. As your go-to destination for unique travel and lifestyle products, Closer Lives Emporium now boasts a fresh design, simplified categories, and improved customer-friendly features. In This Post... ● A New Look and Feel ● Refined Collections ● Why the Redesign? ⪢ More From Our Lifestyle Blog A New Look & Feel ⪢ Sleek New Layout We are thrilled to announce that the store has been upgraded with a brand-new store banner and a sleek, modern design! Our revamped layout is now even more user-friendly and welcoming for our customers. Excitingly, we have introduced a collections menu at the top of every store page, incorporated a currency converter, and completely revamped our gallery filters to enhance your shopping experience. Get ready for a seamless and enjoyable journey through our store! ⪢ Smoother Customer Journey Each section has been carefully redesigned to make browsing and shopping a breeze. From the moment you land on our site, we want you to feel at home as you explore our curated collections. ⪢ Enhanced Policies We've updated our store policies, making them more accessible and easier to understand. Now, you’ll find it simple to navigate through our shipping, returns, and other essential information with a brand new FAQ section . ⪢ Clearer Product Listings Our product pages have been revamped, too. Now, finding information on shipping and returns is easier than ever, ensuring you know all the details before you hit "buy." ⪢ New Live Chat Feature Got a question? We’ve added a live chat feature so you can quickly get the help you need as you shop. Refined Collections Get ready to say goodbye to the days of endless product categories! We've revamped our selection, streamlining from 17 categories to just 7 fabulous collections that perfectly embody our passion: ⪢ Bride to Be Collection The "Bride to Be" Collection  by Closer Lives is all about celebrating the bride in style. From chic accessories to festive decorations, this collection is designed to make the bride feel extra special. Perfect for bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and every pre-wedding celebration, these handpicked items add a touch of elegance and fun to the journey leading up to the big day. ⪢ Clothing  Collection Discover our Clothing Collection , where style meets comfort for every occasion. From casual tees to chic dresses, our unique designs celebrate individuality and flair. Enjoy free U.S. delivery on all items, and find the perfect pieces to elevate your wardrobe and express your personality. Shop now to explore a world of fashion that inspires adventure! ⪢ Gratitude is the Attitude Collection Embrace the transformative power of gratitude  with our collection of apparel. Wear your appreciation and inspire others to cultivate a positive mindset. Our designs are a reminder that gratitude is not just an emotion - it's a way of life. ⪢ Mexican Tile Style Collection A vibrant collection inspired by the stunning tile patterns we discovered during our travels through Mexico. Our line offers a unique range of products for your home, clothing, and travel adventures. From exquisite home decor pieces to stylish apparel and functional travel gear, each item is crafted with the same love for Mexican culture that inspired our designs. ⪢ Stuffed Turkey Collection Welcome to our "Stuffed" and "I'm Stuffed" Collection  - your go-to destination for fun and festive apparel and accessories that celebrate the joy of the holiday season! Whether you're getting cozy in our "I'm Stuffed" hoodies, making a statement with our Thanksgiving and Christmas tees, or adding some humor to your home décor with our playful pillows, each item is crafted to bring a smile to your celebrations. ⪢ Tees & Tanks  Collection Make a statement with our bold and fun Tees & Tanks collection ! Featuring playful and empowering sayings like "Cheers Mate," "Wear It Don't Compare It," and "Too Hot to Handle," these tops are perfect for adding personality to your wardrobe. Designed for comfort and style, they’re perfect for everyday wear, whether you're chilling at home or out and about. Plus, enjoy free delivery to the U.S. on every order! ⪢ Travel Time Collection Get ready to embark on your next adventure in style with our Travel Time collection! Featuring vibrant Mexican Tile Art designs, this collection brings cultural flair to all your travel essentials. From durable suitcases to stylish phone cases, each item is designed to make your journeys both practical and eye-catching. Travel with confidence and a splash of color—your next adventure awaits! These collections have become our customer favorites, and we can't wait to introduce even more thrilling products to them in the future! Why the Redesign? It’s been 2 years since we launched our Emporium, and we’ve come a long way since our humble beginnings. We started with virtually no experience in running an online store, and while we've only revamped it once since then, this redesign reflects all we've learned from our research and customer feedback. Our goal was to focus on the collections that matter most to us and you, and to give the store a more polished, modern feel that reflects the heart of who we are here at Closer Lives. Whether you're a longtime supporter or new to our community, we hope you enjoy the fresh look and feel of our newly designed emporium! Come explore our new collections and enjoy a seamless shopping experience with us! Our Lifestyle Blog Since deciding to sell our houses, let go of 90% of our possessions, pack up our remaining things, and head for the airport, we have learned a lot. We mean A LOT! This full-time travel journey is now entering its fourth year, and we are almost transitioning from travelers to alternative living. In our lifestyle blogs, we want to share our journey with you, along with everything we have learned, the ups and downs, the tips, tricks, and recommendations that can help you change your life if you are done with the 9-5.

Thinking about a big chop to embrace your grey hair?   Remember, it’s more than just a haircut. Just like it’s more than just grey hair. As I’ve learned from my amazing silver-haired community, the transition to shorter hair can be just as challenging as embracing your actual grey hair can be.  So, take your time and choose what feels best for you. In This Post... ● Are You on the Chopping Block? ● Common Growout Complaints ● Where are You in Your Journey? ● Revamp and Transform ● Things to Consider ● Will I Do the Big Chop? Grey Hair Resources ● Recommended Products ● Embracing the Silver Lining ● Jennifer David on Closer Lives Are You on the Chopping Block?   Ok so not only are you well on your way into your natural grey hair grow-out, it’s been approximately 6 months of walking in confidence and trust in what is to come. Ok yes and maybe we hid in hats, used root spray, headbands, and scarves, tried twisty cutesy hair twists and styles you’d normally never wear. Maybe you ‘gave up’ and dyed it again. Now you have tried it a second time. You’ve experienced the WT*  am I doing phase.  You’ve probably questioned how you ever thought grey hair was for ‘old people’ and that SILVER  was boring?! You’ve probably realized that you haven’t disappeared like you feared you would! You’re getting a lot of attention, good and bad. You’ve probably been questioned tons of times.  You got YOUR FIRST COMPLIMENT ! You’ve probably realized grey hair is NOT  wiry and all those flyaways on others weren’t broken old hair it IS NEW GROWTH  hair! Baby hair! You wonder how you ever thought this way about hair, age, and women? And then you start waking up. You’ve canceled plans because just NO  you can’t go ‘like this’!  You’ve documented your progress, you are adjusting to seeing this new color next to your skin and you’ve been keeping your eyes on the silver prize by finding inspiration from those in the journey just ahead of you.  Maybe you are already shorter and the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be nearing. Do you go a little shorter to get rid of the dreaded demarcation line (the harsh line between the new growth hair and the previously dyed hair, this can be very drastic and harsh for some people or much more subtle depending on how you were coloring your hair before ditching the dye. Your transition will be complete! Pixie cuts are super cute, you keep telling yourself, and go looking at shorter hair styles on silver hair. It could work!? It’s just hair, it’ll grow back, you tell yourself. After all, having been through this hair journey, I’m sure a change in haircut length or style should be a no-brainer, right?  WRONG. This is the second biggest pivotal time of the silver hair grow-out journey. The Most Common Grey Hair Grow Out Complaints Having now experienced and witnessed many a grey hair transformation, the 2 most common complaints  I have heard from other women, by a mile, are trying to color match, blend dye, or lighten or highlight the lengths . This causes more color confusion (initially or after a month or so), more damage and dryness to their hair, leading to more frustration with the process (and yes, some women are very satisfied with their results as well, the choice is yours I’m just sharing the consensus!) Next is regretting doing the BIG CHOP ! If I had a dollar for every time I thought about doing this, I’d be rich (well, maybe not rich if it was in Canada but... ha... ) Looking back at old photos of myself, the few times I had shorter hair in my life and thought ‘It wasn’t so bad’ (It was so bad I’ve never loved having shorter hair on me but I have always loved change). My hair grows fast . It’ll grow back in no time! (This 19 months of growout feels like a lifetime already, and I’m barely at the shoulders... I could try bangs?)  Bobs are cute and trendy.  This is where I think you should pause . Take some time to sit and feel the feels. No spontaneous decisions or actions are recommended at this time.  This can be such a challenging phase, but hear me out, it’s hard enough to transition into a new color, especially grey hair, but then a new drastically shorter cut too sounds like risky business to me ! And if you’re doing this hair transition in your late forties like I am, there are already so many changes happening to our bodies and appearance that are beyond our control that maybe it’s good to transition with ease.  Where Are You in Your Journey? It truly depends on where you are in your journey . I’ve chosen to embrace my grey hair, aging face and skin, sun spots, and wrinkles and to celebrate aging .  I want to control the narrative around my personal experience with it all. I believe we should boldly face our fears. Scared to show your natural, bare face in public?  Try it in baby steps, start by going to the post office with no makeup!  I refuse to allow anything or anyone to get in the way of me living boldly and showing up as I am in every phase of my life. Even more so as I get older. Revamp and Transform The very last thing you want to do is YOU WANT TO REVAMP AND TRANSFORM yourself and your look, which I am a huge advocate of!   I LOVE a GOOD REBRANDING both physically and philosophically! Heck, I chopped off all of my dark hair  and went for a short blond bob because I wanted a drastic change  so I was happy with it overall because that’s exactly what I wanted.  But this journey for me is a bit different. I am embracing my natural authenticity here with my hair journey. It's about accepting me as I was created and designed, so making massive changes isn’t what it's about for me. This time. It’s an unveiling. Your hair.  Your choice.  Your body.  Your voice.  Isn’t it wonderful that we have a choice?  Don’t you feel blessed that we have a voice? Things to Consider Before Deciding on the BIG CHOP   1. Evaluate Your Personal Style Preferences Think about how you truly feel about short hair vs. long hair on yourself. Do you love your long hair, or are you genuinely ready for a shorter style? Consider if a big chop aligns with your personal style and comfort level.   2. Understand the Transition Commitment A big chop may accelerate the transition to grey but also comes with its challenges. Ask yourself if you’re prepared for the immediate change, or if you'd prefer the gradual transformation with trims.   3. Consider the Texture and Maintenance Shorter grey hair may have a different texture; it could be more coarse or wiry (however, my hair has been softer and silkier like a newborn baby’s hair!), and it will require a new maintenance routine. Be ready to experiment with products to keep your hair healthy and manageable.   4. Prepare for Emotional Responses The big chop can feel liberating, but might also bring unexpected emotions. Embracing grey and a shorter length simultaneously can be a lot, so think about whether you’re emotionally prepared for both changes.   5. Acknowledge It’s Not Irreversible - But Takes Patience Hair grows back just as long and thick (we hope!), but a big chop is still a commitment that can take a while to undo. No ponytails, hair buns, etc. If you do decide to go short, know that it is reversible, but you may need to practice even more patience if you later decide to grow it out again. Will I Do the Big Chop? ✂️ I won’t be doing a big chop . I’ve had long hair for most of my life, and I prefer it on me. I also love watching the progression and having something to keep track of. It’s nice to have something to look forward to! Plus, sharing the journey here has been wonderful! After 19 months of growing out my hair, I’ll maintain trims and cuts, but I’m here for the full grow - out.  Yes, even though I just turned 50, I am keeping my hair super long because this is how I like it! Remember, embracing your grey hair is a journey , not a destination. Grey Hair Blog Follow Jennifer David’s empowering journey of going grey and choosing authenticity over approval. A celebration of ageing boldly, living unfiltered, and embracing the silver within. Jennifer David Meet Jennifer David—writer, traveller, coach, and voice behind “A Broad Perspective.” Explore her journey through grey hair, self-expression, full-time travel, and radical authenticity.

Picture this: You're drowning in a sea of contracts, each one a potential minefield of legal jargon and hidden clauses. Wouldn't it be great if you had a super-smart assistant to help you navigate all this paperwork? Enter artificial intelligence (AI) for contract management . It's like having a tireless, lightning-fast team member who can read through thousands of pages in seconds, spot potential issues, and even help draft new agreements. Sounds amazing, right? Well, it is! But as with any new technology, bringing AI into the world of contracts isn't all smooth sailing. Let's chat about some of the speed bumps companies hit when trying to make their contract management smarter. In This Post... ● Data Ducks in a Row ● Playing Nice with Other Systems ● Keeping Secrets Secret ● Winning Hearts and Minds ● Trusting the Robot Lawyer ● Wrapping It Up ⪢ More From Our Lifestyle Blog 1. Getting Your Data Ducks in a Row Imagine trying to teach a child to read using a mix of books, handwritten notes, and ancient scrolls - in different languages. Sounds tough, right? That's kind of what it's like for AI when it looks at most companies' contract archives. The problem is that contracts come in all shapes and sizes. Some are neatly typed up in Word docs, others are scanned PDFs (maybe with coffee stains), and there might even be a few handwritten ones lurking in a dusty file cabinet. For AI to work its magic, all this needs to be cleaned up and standardized. It's like trying to organize the world's messiest closet. You've got to sort everything, maybe digitize old paper contracts, and create a system that makes sense. It's a big job, but think of it as spring cleaning for your contract collection. Once it's done, not only will your AI be happy, but you'll probably find it easier to manage contracts even without the AI's help! 2. Playing Nice with Other Systems Now, let's say you've got your AI contract whiz up and running. Great! But wait - it needs to talk to your customer database to pull in client info, and it should probably update your accounting system when a new deal is signed. Suddenly, your cool new AI tool needs to learn to play nice with all your other business software. It's like introducing a new friend to your existing group. Sometimes they hit it off right away, and sometimes... well, it can get awkward. Your shiny new AI might speak a different "language" than your older systems, or they might not want to share information easily. This is where your IT team earns their superhero capes. They need to figure out how to get all these different systems chatting happily with each other. It might mean updating some older software, creating some custom connections, or even rethinking how your whole IT setup works. It's not always easy, but when everything's humming along smoothly, it's like conducting a beautiful digital orchestra. 3. Keeping Secrets Secret Contracts are often full of stuff you don't want the world to see - kind of like your diary, but for business. When you bring AI into the mix, you need to make sure it respects that privacy. Think of it like hiring a new employee who's going to handle sensitive information. You need to set clear rules about what they can and can't do with that data. Can the AI store contracts in the cloud? Who gets to see what the AI finds? How do you make sure the AI doesn't accidentally spill the beans on your top-secret business deals? This is where your legal team and IT security folks need to put their heads together. They'll need to set up strong protections, like digital locks and alarm systems for your data. They'll also need to make sure your AI system follows all the rules about data privacy (and there are a lot of them these days). It's a balancing act between letting the AI do its job and keeping your business secrets safe. Get it right, and you'll have a trustworthy digital assistant that knows how to keep a secret. 4. Winning Hearts and Minds So, you've got this incredible AI system all set up. It's secure, it's connected to everything, and it's ready to revolutionize how you handle contracts. There's just one tiny problem: your team is looking at it like it's an alien that's just landed on their desks. Change can be scary, especially when it involves trusting important work to a computer. Some folks might worry the AI will make mistakes, others might fear it's going to take their jobs, and some might just prefer their trusty old highlighter and sticky notes. This is where the human touch becomes super important. It's not enough to just plonk the new system on people's desks and say, "Here, use this." You need to show them why it's awesome, how it can make their lives easier, and most importantly, how to use the darn thing. Think of it like introducing a new recipe to a picky eater. You might need to start small, let them help in the "cooking" process, and show them how tasty the result can be. Offer plenty of training, be patient with questions, and celebrate the wins when the AI helps someone save time or spot a tricky clause in a contract. Remember, the goal is to have humans and AI working together like a dream team, not to replace people with robots. 5. Trusting the Robot Lawyer Last but not least, there's the million-dollar question: Can we trust what the AI tells us about our contracts? AI has gotten incredibly smart, but it's not perfect. Sometimes it might misunderstand a weirdly worded clause, or it might not catch the subtle implications of certain terms. And let's face it, in the world of contracts, those little details can make a big difference. It's a bit like using a GPS. Most of the time, it'll get you where you need to go. But sometimes it might try to send you down a road that doesn't exist anymore, or it might not know about that shortcut all the locals use. The key is to use AI as a powerful assistant, not as a replacement for human expertise. Have your legal eagles double-check the AI's work on important contracts. Use AI to flag potential issues, but have a human make the final call. And always be on the lookout for ways to improve the AI's accuracy over time. Wrapping It Up Bringing AI into contract management is like upgrading from a bicycle to a sports car. It's faster, more powerful, and can take you further than ever before. But it also requires some new skills, careful handling, and regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly. Yes, there are challenges along the way. You'll need to organize your data, connect your systems, keep everything secure, get your team on board, and always keep a human eye on the AI's work. But with some planning, patience, and perseverance, the payoff can be huge. Imagine being able to review hundreds of contracts in minutes, spot risks before they become problems, and free up your legal team to focus on the big-picture stuff. That's the promise of AI in contract management. So, is it worth navigating these challenges? If you ask me, absolutely. Just remember, the goal isn't to replace humans with robots. It's to give humans super-powered tools to do their jobs better than ever. And that's something worth working towards, don't you think? Our Lifestyle Blog Since deciding to sell our houses, let go of 90% of our possessions, pack up our remaining things, and head for the airport, we have learned a lot. We mean A LOT! This full-time travel journey is now entering its fourth year, and we are almost transitioning from travelers to alternative living. In our lifestyle blogs, we want to share our journey with you, along with everything we have learned, the ups and downs, the tips, tricks, and recommendations that can help you change your life if you are done with the 9-5. Guest Blog Written by Loida Mckinnon for Closer Lives

We have been traveling full-time now for over 4 years, and have tried and tested several apps and websites along the way. Traveling can be a challenge even with the best preparation, so we have put together this list of essentials to help you make your journey easier. Unveiling our Ultimate Travel Toolkit: 4 Years of Full-Time Travel Hacks in Must-Have Apps & Websites After three incredible years of globetrotting adventures, we have amassed a treasure trove of travel knowledge. And we want to share it with you! We've navigated bustling megacities from Tokyo to Rome , chilled on secluded beaches like Isla de la Pasion in Mexico , and traversed breathtaking mountain ranges like the epic Rockies in Canada. All with the help of some incredible travel apps and websites that we want to share with you in this post. With the sheer volume of travel resources available online, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. We certainly felt like this when we began our full-time travel journey all those years ago. But fear not, our fellow wanderlusters! This post is your one-stop shop for the crème de la crème of travel apps and websites we've relied on throughout our full-time travel journey. With this list in your arsenal, you will have a diverse mix of tools to plan, book, navigate, document, and connect with your travel experiences, whether you're a first-time traveler or a seasoned explorer. So, grab your passport (metaphorically, for now!), buckle up, and get ready to dive into our ultimate travel toolkit – a compilation of the apps and websites that have been instrumental in making our full-time travel dreams a reality! In This Post... 1. Google Flights 2. Booking.com 3. Expedia 4. Airbnb 5. Kiwi See More... 6. Grab / Bolt / Uber 7. Turo 8. Klook 9. 12go 10. Trusted Housesitters 11. Wanderlog 12. Wise 13. Curve (Samsung) 14. GigSky eSIM 15. Cambly ⪢ More From Our Lifestyle Blog 1. Google Flights Google Flights is a comprehensive online flight search engine developed by Google. It allows users to search for and compare flights from various airlines and booking sites to find the best deals on airfare. With its user-friendly interface, travelers can easily input their travel details, such as destinations, dates, and preferred airlines, to quickly access a list of available flight options. Google Flights also offers features like price tracking, flexible date searches, and insights on when to book to help users make informed decisions when planning their trips. Overall, Google Flights simplifies the process of finding and booking flights, making it a valuable tool for travelers seeking convenience and savings. ⪢ Why We Recommend Google Flights One of our favorite features of Google Flights is how easy it is to compare prices, in particular being able to see prices on the date calendar 6 months in advance. We tend to use it to do our initial research, and then go on to compare it with other booking sites that we use. It is super easy to navigate, and if you are like us and like to plan, it can help to make this process smoother and more manageable. 2. Booking.com Booking.com is a popular online platform that allows users to search and book accommodations, flights, rental cars, and other travel services worldwide. With a user-friendly interface and a wide range of options, Booking.com provides travelers with the convenience of finding and booking their desired travel arrangements quickly and easily. The platform also offers reviews, ratings, and helpful information to assist users in making informed decisions about their travel plans. Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly hostel or a luxury resort, Booking.com is a go-to website for all your travel booking needs. ⪢ Why We Recommend Booking.com You can usually find a host of last-minute deals on hotels on Booking.com , and it also has a ton of unique experiences, for example, staying the night in a docked cruise ship room. We particularly like its reward system where you can go up levels, gain points, and get money, discounts, and perks. While this is not our exclusive travel site, it is one we use frequently when planning and booking our adventures. 3. Expedia Expedia is a global travel company that operates an online travel booking platform. It offers a wide range of services, including booking flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages, and activities. Expedia provides travelers with a convenient way to plan and book their trips all in one place. The company aims to make travel planning easier and more accessible for people around the world. ⪢ Why We Recommend Expedia Tried and true, we have been using Expedia since before we started traveling full-time. It is generally our go-to website/app, as it offers a bit of everything. We love Expedia's reward scheme, which offers bonus points on cars, hotels, flights, and package deals. Plus, when you reach gold status like us, you can get first picks, amazing discounts, room upgrades, and often special treatment such as welcome drinks and late checkouts. Expedia also offers excellent customer service and is a long-standing, reputable company. ⪢ SAVE CAD 30 when you spend CAD 230 Book your first trip with Expedia as a NEW USER, be it for a hotel, car rental, or flight, and get a $30 discount, no strings attached! 4. Airbnb Airbnb is a popular online marketplace that connects people looking to rent out their homes or properties with travelers seeking accommodations. Founded in 2008, Airbnb has revolutionized the hospitality industry by offering a wide range of lodging options, from private rooms to entire homes, in various destinations around the world. Users can easily list their properties or search for unique and affordable accommodations through the platform, providing a more personalized and authentic travel experience compared to traditional hotels. ⪢ Why We Recommend Airbnb We have used this platform almost exclusively in the last 3 years, with over 30 bookings, and have had fantastic experiences almost every time. We highly recommend the safety and security that Airbnb offers, with protection for renters that you will not get with private rentals. We also enjoy the choice on offer and the fact that they offer substantial discounts for monthly bookings. ⪢ Pro Tip Be sure to use the refined search options, read house rules, and check about sections and cancellation policies as they can vary. You do want to make sure there are no surprises! Check out our top Airbnb Safety Recommendations blog for more tips. 5. Kiwi.com Kiwi.com is an innovative online travel agency that offers unique flight itineraries by combining flights from various airlines to create the most cost-effective and efficient routes for travelers. With a user-friendly interface, Kiwi.com allows users to seamlessly book flights, accommodations, and transportation all in one place. The platform also provides a range of travel services such as virtual interlining, price alerts, and 24/7 customer support to ensure a smooth and hassle-free travel experience for its customers. ⪢ Why We Recommend Kiwi.com Known for unique flight search features, Kiwi is a great follow-up to Google Flights. It is super easy to use and navigate, and more often than not, we find that Kiwi offers better prices on shorter flights, in particular. That being said, be aware that prices do bump up a little if you choose to opt in to insurance and upgrade options, which they do push fairly aggressively. If you are a budget traveler looking for the most affordable flight options, however, Kiwi is the place to be. 6. Grab / Bolt / Uber Car-sharing apps have revolutionized the way people commute, offering a convenient and efficient alternative to traditional transportation methods. Grab, Bolt, and Uber are three popular car-sharing apps that provide users with on-demand transportation services. Here is a brief overview of each: ⪢ Grab Grab is a Southeast Asian ride-hailing app that offers a wide range of services, including car rides, motorbike rides, and food delivery. It operates in several countries across Asia, providing users with a reliable and safe transportation option. Grab is known for its user-friendly interface, multiple payment options, and various promotional offers. ⪢ Bolt Bolt , formerly known as Taxify, is a European ride-hailing app that has expanded its services to other regions, including Africa and Australia. Bolt focuses on providing affordable transportation options with transparent pricing. The app is popular for its quick response times, professional drivers, and environmentally friendly initiatives, such as carbon offset programs. ⪢ Uber Uber is one of the pioneers of the ride-hailing industry and operates in numerous countries worldwide. Known for its extensive network of drivers, Uber offers a variety of services, including UberX, UberPool, and UberBlack. The app is recognized for its user customization options, real-time tracking features, and integration with public transportation services in some cities. ⪢ Why We Recommend Ride-Sharing Apps Whenever we land anywhere, pretty much our first go-to is any one of the above, depending on which is available. Often, you will find that local taxi services charge more, are less secure, and are less reliable. Using ride-sharing apps provides us with the safety and security that we can track where we are going, are covered by a major brand, and also by licensed drivers. 7. Turo Turo is a peer-to-peer car rental company that allows car owners to rent out their vehicles to others. Founded in 2009, Turo provides a platform where users can list their cars for rent, setting their prices and availability. This gives renters a wide variety of vehicle options to choose from, ranging from economy cars to luxury vehicles. Turo offers a convenient and flexible alternative to traditional car rental services, allowing users to book cars for short-term use directly from local car owners. ⪢ Why We Recommend Turo Turo is a much more affordable option than traditional car rental companies, with a vast array of vehicle options. You can find luxury or economy vehicles, along with great meet-up/pick-up spot flexibility. Sometimes you can even pick up your ride without even having to see anyone! Another benefit is that with traditional car rental companies, you are not allowed to book a car for more than 30 days, whereas with Turo, you can rent for up to 6 months at a time. This is a game-changer if you are looking for long-term rentals and can save you money and time! ⪢ Sign Up and Save Get 30% off your first private car hire booking with Turo with Closer Lives! 8. Klook Klook is a popular online platform that offers a wide range of travel activities, tours, and experiences for travelers around the world. With Klook, users can easily discover and book unique experiences such as sightseeing tours, attraction tickets, food tours, outdoor adventures, and more in various destinations. The platform provides convenient access to a diverse selection of activities, making it easier for travelers to plan and enhance their trips. Klook is known for its user-friendly interface, competitive prices, and reliable customer service, making it a go-to choice for travelers looking to explore and make the most of their travel experiences. ⪢ Why We Recommend Klook When it comes to booking activities and experiences, Klook has been a complete game-changer for us! While we are not typically big fans of tours in general, we do find that in many cases they are the only solid option to explore places, such as Korea's DMZ or Thailand's islands. Klook offers safety, security, and efficiency, giving us peace of mind that not only will everything be organized, but that we have excellent customer service to fall back on if things do not work out. They help to eliminate language barriers, offer licensed and knowledgeable guides, and operate in pretty much every country we have visited. They do offer plenty of other handy essentials such as rentals, hotels, and even SIM cards too, making them a valuable must-have travel tool. ⪢ Save 5% on Your First Booking Get 5% off your first booking on anything on the Klook app with our special promo code BetterOnApp. Plus, get 5% off your first hotel booking with our special promo code HotelOnApp. 9. 12go 12Go is a platform that provides online booking services for transportation and travel options across various countries. Whether you are looking to book flights, trains, buses, ferries, or other modes of transportation, 12Go offers a convenient way to compare schedules, prices, and availability all in one place. ⪢ Why We Recommend 12go While 12go specializes in Asia, they are rapidly expanding their reach across the globe and operate in over 12,000 destinations. With a super easy-to-use website, we are using 12go more and more to find the best flights, and in particular, inter-city transport options for coaches, trains, and transfers. We like the ticketing system, which exclusively uses QR codes, and the members' area, which keeps track of all of our bookings. 10. Trusted Housesitters Trusted Housesitters is a platform that connects homeowners with trustworthy individuals who are willing to look after their homes and pets while they are away. Homeowners can find reliable house sitters to take care of their property, plants, and pets, providing peace of mind during their absence. House sitters, on the other hand, get the opportunity to stay in unique locations around the world for free in exchange for their services. Trusted Housesitters offers a safe and secure way for both parties to connect and build mutually beneficial relationships. ⪢ Why We Recommend Trusted Housesitters Trusted Housesitters is a great accommodation option, especially for countries such as Canada , the U.S., Australia , and the U.K. This is mainly because there are so many options available, and these are typically quite expensive countries to visit if you are looking for an Airbnb. It makes countries that seem out of reach more affordable, but do keep in mind that there is an annual sign-up fee, and it can be a challenge to align the dates and times to match what you are looking for. Sometimes the locations can be quite remote and may need a vehicle (which sometimes can be offered by homeowners). With the proper research and some good luck, this can be a way to make your monthly accommodation cost similar to the likes of South East Asia if you average out flight and food costs, given that there is no rent to pay. Most options do include pets, so this may be something to consider if you are not comfortable looking after animals. ⪢ Get 25% Off Sign up to Trusted Housesitters and receive 25% off your annual membership! 11. Wanderlog Wanderlog is a versatile travel planning tool designed to help users organize and manage their trips with ease. Whether you are planning a weekend getaway or a month-long adventure, Wanderlog offers a user-friendly platform to create itineraries, save important information such as flights and accommodations, and discover new places to explore. With features like interactive maps, collaboration options, and the ability to access your plans offline, Wanderlog is the perfect companion for travelers looking to make the most out of their journeys. ⪢ Why We Recommend Wanderlog Wanderlog has been a game-changer for us, and we do enjoy using this platform! With Wanderlog's all-in-one hotel search, you never need to switch tabs again. You can compare results from trusted booking sites like Airbnb, Google, Expedia , Hotels.com , Booking.com , and more all in one place, and we are yet to find anything that works as well. As a bonus, Wanderlog will notify you when hotel prices drop, and it easily synchronizes with your Google calendar to keep you organized. It can even detect bookings directly from your email! Aside from all that, you can create guides, plan routes offline, check reviews, and even create an interactive map of where you have been around the world. Brilliant! 12. Wise Wise is a digital banking platform that offers a range of financial services designed to make managing money easier and more efficient. With Wise, users can open a bank account, send and receive money internationally, get a debit card, and access other banking features all from their mobile device or computer. One of the key features of Wise is its low fees for international money transfers, making it a popular choice for people who need to send money across borders frequently. The platform also prides itself on transparency, providing users with real-time exchange rates and showing exactly how much money will be received by the recipient. ⪢ Why We Recommend Wise An essential tool for us, we have found Wise to be a great tool for avoiding international fees and transferring money. Wise is free from hidden fees and exchange rate markups and has made moving our money around so much easier. We never thought moving money between our British and Canadian banks would be such a hassle, but it is, and Wise has helped eliminate all of that stress. The app is super easy to use, has never failed us, and is an essential part of our toolkit! ⪢ Get a Fee Free Transfer of up to 800 CAD Get a fee-free transfer of up to CAD 800! You can always transfer more, but Wise will waive the fee on that first amount! 13. Curve (Samsung) Curve is a fintech company providing a banking app and a Curve Card. Through the Curve Banking app, users can conveniently oversee all their bank accounts, conduct transactions, monitor expenses, and more. The Curve Card is a tangible debit card that can be associated with various bank cards, enabling users to alternate between them for payments. The Curve Card is designed to work seamlessly with Samsung devices, allowing users to make contactless payments via Samsung Pay. This collaboration offers enhanced convenience and adaptability for Samsung users seeking to simplify their payment options. ⪢ Why We Recommend Curve Curve has been a revelation for us in how we spend our money when we travel, with a whole raft of key benefits, including 1% cashback with many retailers. One of the biggest features is that Curve stops your debit and credit cards from charging you foreign exchange fees, saving you up to 3% on every transaction abroad. You can link all of your bank cards to ONE Mastercard, which you can easily interchange on the app. It is also the ONLY mobile wallet app that comes with a physical card. Using your Curve card is also FREE from ALL ATMs, so you don't have to get out cash or convert currencies before you travel. You will always get the market-rate exchange rate, no matter what debit or credit card you use. As if those features were not already enough, Curve is the only app on the planet that gives you the power to switch payments from one card to another, up to 120 days after you've made a purchase. We love this feature, which can make a huge difference to how you manage your finances, especially if you accidentally charge the wrong card or account. 14. GigSky eSIM GigSky is an eSIM provider that offers a convenient and flexible solution for travelers looking to avoid the high costs and hassle associated with traditional SIM cards and roaming charges. An eSIM, or embedded SIM, is a digital alternative to physical SIM cards that allows users to download and activate mobile data plans directly on their devices. GigSky, one of the pioneering companies in the eSIM space, allows users to stay connected seamlessly across 190 countries and even on 200 cruise ships and 30 airlines. Unlike other eSIM providers, GigSky operates as a "heavy" Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), meaning it provisions its SIMs, ensuring a stable and high-quality connection by partnering with multiple networks. ⪢ Why We Recommend GigSky eSIM GigSky stands out due to its ease of use, reliability, and extensive global coverage. You only need to download one eSIM from GigSky, which can be used across multiple plans without the need to constantly switch or download new eSIMs, a feature that sets it apart from competitors. The GigSky app is user-friendly, allowing you to download data packages before your trip so you're connected the moment you land. Additionally, the app remains accessible even if you run out of data, providing peace of mind. GigSky's network operator status, global partnerships, and unique offerings like offshore and inflight data plans make it a top choice for travelers. While not the cheapest, GigSky offers competitive pricing, superior service, and the added convenience of exclusive discounts and promotions. ⪢ Save 10% on Your First Order Try GigSky for FREE! Get a FREE 100 MB plan to almost anywhere. No credit card is required. ​Plus, SAVE 10% on your first order over $4 with our special discount code CLOSERLIVES10. 15. Cambly Cambly is an online video teaching platform that connects English language learners with native English speakers for real-time conversation practice. Students can access Cambly's network of tutors 24/7, allowing for flexibility in scheduling study sessions. The platform offers personalized learning experiences, instant feedback, and a casual environment conducive to improving language skills through natural conversation. Cambly is a convenient and effective tool for individuals looking to enhance their English proficiency from anywhere in the world. As a tutor, Cambly offers you the flexibility to set your schedules and work as much or as little as you prefer. Tutors are compensated per minute of tutoring, with weekly payments made via PayPal. Unlike traditional teaching roles, as a Cambly tutor, you do not need to prepare lesson plans, as the sessions are primarily conversation-based. The platform's diverse student base allows you to engage with learners of varying ages and backgrounds, enriching the teaching experience. Additionally, you will receive feedback and ratings from students, which will help you improve and attract more students. ⪢ Why We Recommend Cambly Not only can you earn money as you travel, with a flexible calendar and schedule that you can open and use anytime you like, but also as a couple you can double up and work simultaneously if you have the space. You can close your calendar and come back whenever you like, with no pressure from the platform at all. We took 11 months off last year! With most classes conversations based as mentioned earlier, Cambly also offers great value to learn about different countries from students, and different places to visit as a traveler. It is a way to build friendships and connections, and even as a social outlet, when living in extremely remote locations. The pay rate may be low, but the perks are high, and this has been one of our main sources of income over the last 3 years. ⪢ Earn a USD 30 Cash Bonus Sign up for Cambly, teach 10 hrs, and receive a USD 30 CASH bonus! Our Lifestyle Blog Since deciding to sell our houses, let go of 90% of our possessions, pack up our remaining things, and head for the airport, we have learned a lot. We mean A LOT! This full-time travel journey is now entering its fourth year, and we are almost transitioning from travelers to alternative living. In our lifestyle blogs, we want to share our journey with you, along with everything we have learned, the ups and downs, the tips, tricks, and recommendations that can help you change your life if you are done with the 9-5.

Self-care Sundays are the perfect way to recharge and prepare for the week ahead. Image Source: Mart Production By incorporating fashion and fragrances into your routine, you can create a luxurious and rejuvenating experience. This article will walk you through the steps to make your self-care Sundays both stylish and fragrant. In This Post... ● Importance of Self-Care Sundays ● Creating a Fashion Ritual ● Fragrance Rituals for Self-Care ● Enhancing Your Self-Care Routine ● Embrace the Rituals ⪢ More From Our Lifestyle Blog The Importance of Self-Care Sundays ⪢ What is Self-Care? Self-care involves activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It's about taking time for yourself to relax, reflect, and rejuvenate. Self-care Sundays provide a dedicated day to focus on these activities, ensuring you start your week feeling refreshed and energized. ⪢ Why Fashion & Fragrances? Fashion and fragrances play a significant role in how we feel about ourselves. Wearing your favorite outfit or fragrance can lift your mood, boost confidence, and create a sense of well-being. By integrating these elements into your self-care routine, you can enhance the overall experience. Creating a Fashion Ritual ⪢ Declutter & Organize Your Wardrobe Start your self-care Sunday by decluttering and organizing your wardrobe. This not only makes it easier to find your favorite pieces but also creates a sense of order and calm. Donate or recycle items you don't wear, and neatly arrange the rest. Image source: Cottonbro studio ⪢ Choose a Relaxing Outfit Select an outfit that makes you feel comfortable and stylish. Consider soft fabrics like cotton or silk that feel gentle against your skin. The goal is to wear something that allows you to relax while also making you feel good about yourself. ⪢ Incorporate Accessories Accessories can elevate any outfit and add a touch of personal style. Choose a few favorite pieces, such as a statement necklace, a cozy scarf, or an elegant hat. These small additions can make a big difference in how you feel. Fragrance Rituals for Self-Care ⪢ Selecting the Right Fragrance Fragrances have the power to influence our emotions and set the tone for the day. Choose a scent that aligns with your mood and the environment you want to create. For a calming effect, consider fragrances with notes of lavender, chamomile, or sandalwood. For an energizing boost, opt for citrus or peppermint scents. Image Source: Bảo Phúc ⪢ Applying Fragrance Applying your chosen fragrance can be a mindful and soothing ritual. Spray it on pulse points such as your wrists, neck, and behind your ears. You can also lightly mist your clothes or a cozy blanket to surround yourself with the scent. ⪢ Fragrance Monthly Subscription Consider joining a fragrance monthly subscription  service to explore new scents and keep your routine fresh. This way, you can try different fragrances each month without committing to a full-sized bottle. It adds an element of surprise and excitement to your self-care Sundays. Enhancing Your Self-Care Routine ⪢ Create a Relaxing Environment Set the scene for your self-care Sunday by creating a calming environment. Light scented candles, play soft music and dim the lights. This will help you unwind and fully immerse yourself in the experience. ⪢ Pamper Yourself Take time to pamper yourself with a luxurious bath or shower. Use fragrant bath salts, oils, or bubbles to enhance the sensory experience. Follow up with a moisturizing body lotion or oil to keep your skin feeling soft and hydrated. ⪢ Enjoy a Mindful Activity Engage in a mindful activity that you enjoy, such as reading a book, journaling, or practicing yoga. These activities help you relax, clear your mind, and focus on the present moment. ⪢ Try a DIY Fashion Project Get creative with a DIY fashion project. Whether it's customizing a piece of clothing or creating new accessories, this can be a fun and rewarding way to express your style. You might try tie-dyeing a shirt, sewing a patch onto a jacket, or making your jewelry. The process can be both relaxing and satisfying, and you'll have a unique item to show for it. Image source: Mart Production ⪢ Incorporate Aromatherapy Aromatherapy can enhance your self-care routine by using essential oils to promote relaxation and well-being. You can use an essential oil diffuser, add a few drops to your bath, or apply them to your skin (diluted with a carrier oil). Popular choices for relaxation include lavender, chamomile, and eucalyptus. For an uplifting effect, try citrus oils like orange or lemon. ⪢ Indulge in a Spa-Like Experience at Home Transform your bathroom into a spa sanctuary to enhance your self-care on Sunday. Invest in plush towels, a soft robe, and spa-quality skincare products. Begin with a gentle exfoliating scrub, followed by a hydrating face mask. Don't forget to play soothing music and light aromatic candles to create a serene atmosphere. This spa-like experience can help you unwind, nourish your skin, and leave you feeling pampered and revitalized. ⪢ Savoring a Gourmet Treat Treat yourself to a gourmet snack or meal as part of your self-care Sunday. Whether it's a decadent chocolate, a beautifully crafted pastry, or a delicious homemade dish, indulging in a culinary delight can elevate your day. Pair your treat with a favorite beverage, like a glass of wine, a cup of herbal tea, or a freshly brewed coffee. This small act of indulgence can bring immense joy and satisfaction, making your self-care routine even more special. Embrace the Rituals Incorporating fashion and fragrances into your self-care Sundays can transform an ordinary day into a luxurious and rejuvenating experience. By dedicating time to these rituals, you not only enhance your mood and confidence but also create a sense of well-being that carries into the week ahead. Remember, self-care is about prioritizing yourself and finding joy in small, meaningful moments. Whether it’s through a relaxing outfit, a favorite scent, or a gourmet treat, make your self-care Sunday a celebration of you. Enjoy the process, explore new rituals, and let each Sunday be a reminder of the importance of taking care of your mind, body, and soul. With these practices, you'll start your week feeling refreshed, revitalized, and ready to take on whatever comes your way. Our Lifestyle Blog Since deciding to sell our houses, let go of 90% of our possessions, pack up our remaining things, and head for the airport, we have learned a lot. We mean A LOT! This full-time travel journey is now entering its fourth year, and we are almost transitioning from travelers to alternative living. In our lifestyle blogs, we want to share our journey with you, along with everything we have learned, the ups and downs, the tips, tricks, and recommendations that can help you change your life if you are done with the 9-5. Written by Tana LaPierre for Closer Lives. Tana is a passionate explorer and writer who loves capturing the world's stories and sharing them through her writing, bringing diverse tales to life for others to enjoy.