Travel Planning: Getting The Most Out of Google Flights

Planning travel can be fun, and over the years it has changed (remember calling each airline to ask for pricing when you wanted to book a flight?) However, now we almost have too many ways to do it!! So I am going to tell you one main tool I use and how to get the most out of using it. Obviously flights and accommodation are usually the highest cost items, so in this post I will talk about what I use to find cheap flights, and that is Google Flights. 

Google flights is part of the Google Travel suite, and you can also use it to find hotels and vacation rentals. However, I will just talk about flights for now. Before I start, one of the best ways to get good prices on flights is to use points! However, I will be talking about that on my Money Monday post next week so stay tuned! Let's assume you don't have any points. Here are a few ways to maximize your experience and minimize your cost for flights. 

First, if you have any flexibility around your destination, you can put in your home airport and put "Europe" or "Anywhere" in the destination field and then you can pick depending on price. I use this a lot, as you can easily get from one place to another using regional transport or trains once you are there (which I will discuss more below). 

Next, it may make sense to put in multiple airports in either the to or from field. To do this you just click the plus and add any airports you want to check. In my case, I could go from SFO, but it may make more sense to fly from LA (LAX) for some destinations. If it is a significant difference, you can get a cheap flight on Southwest or whatever the local carrier is and possibly save money without sacrificing time. If you have a lot of time, you can even use further locations and you may even be able to have a couple of fun days in a new place! You can also check "San Francisco area" instead of San Francisco and it will automatically search from San Jose, Oakland, SFO etc. 

Doing this for a trip to Berlin, it was $400 less to go from LA, and a Southwest flight from Oakland to LA is only about $200. If you don't have the time or the patience for this, I understand! However, if you do, it could work out well. Also if you live in a small town or city, it may make more sense to choose some larger cities and then get to the airport on a separate flight or drive. 

I recently looked into flying from SFO to South America. From SFO to Buenos Aires it was about $500-$900 one way on Avianca, but if you go from Miami, it is $300, and you can get a flight from SFO-MIA for $90 on Frontier or $84 on Jet Blue (including one carry on). That is a savings of ~ $110 - $510 each way depending on which one you choose! Sure, it may take more time, but you could go a couple of days early and experience Miami too. 

Speaking of carry on, when I search for flights, I always put a few things into the filters. First, put your luggage in; this will edit the price for airlines like Frontier, where if you do not put this in, the flight looks cheap, and then you add your options (choose seat, luggage, etc.) and it is not as great of a deal. Just beware, as this will add the cost of baggage for some, like Frontier or United, but not for others, like EasyJet. 

I also sometimes deselect some of the connecting airports. If you have ever transited through Chicago O'Hare or Washington Dulles you will know what I am talking about, as some airports are a pain to go through, especially for international flights. 

Speaking of that, for all flights, but specifically for international ones, a couple of other things I watch for are layover time and connecting airport. If you have to go through customs, I would suggest a minimum layover time of an hour and a half, just in case. I once had a 50 minutes in Frankfurt and even though I only carry a backpack (no rolling luggage) I was sprinting and sweating to get to my flight on time. I don't know why they do this, but I would check that closely! 

For connecting airport, here is the rub. Let's say you are flying from Berlin to San Francisco. If you transit in Frankfurt, you will have to go through the European exit customs in Frankfurt, so you will need extra time there. If you fly from Berlin to JFK and then to San Francisco, you will go through the European exit customs in Berlin, and the US entry customs at JFK. This can pose a problem as well, as you may have to retrieve your luggage and put it back through security at this point, so you will need extra time. This is yet another reason to only travel with carry on. Personally I would rather transit in Europe and skip a US layover, and go through customs when I get to SFO, so I plan my flights accordingly. Or even better, I buy a non-stop flight. Sometimes the extra cost is completely worth the decreased hassle factor. 

Speaking of non-stop flights, just as with the departure city, sometimes it makes more sense to get a non-stop flight to whatever major city is cheaper, for example, SFO to Frankfurt, which can be cheaper and saves issues with transiting and customs, and then taking a regional flight or a train or a bus to wherever you want to go. At the time of this writing, round trip flights in January from FRA to either Marseille, Krakow, Barcelona or Seville cost around $200. 

Last, but not least, if you have flexible dates, you can look at the price or date graph, and you can toggle the "track prices" button to get emails when the price changes. 

Actually, THIS is last, but I never book through Google Flights or Expedia or Orbitz; I always go to the specific website for the airline. I also don't book one leg with one carrier and another leg with another, as I have done this in the past, and when one flight is delayed or canceled, it can be a rescheduling nightmare. The good thing about Google Flights though is that you can click through their site to book the flight on the carrier website once you have decided which flight you want. 

I think that is everything! Let me know if you have any questions or want more information. If you are new here and you want to see where I've traveled so far, check out my Around The World page! 

Also, tell me: What website or method do you use to find good deals on flights?

This post is part of NaBloPoMo. You can find the rest of my posts for this challenge here. You can find the list of participants and their information here. 

By The Numbers: May

And just like that, May is gone. It treated me well, as in I probably got rained on a little at least 20 of the 31 days, but none of the rain was super heavy so I never had one of those cold and drenched miserable days, which is great! Also, I went swimming for the first time this year. Yay! Which is funny, as I have literally been waking up to temps around freezing most mornings recently. Here is a quick recap of the last month of travel, as well as the journey so far. All stats are up to and including May 31, 2024. *If you don't give a hoot about cycling, I have included some non-cycling stats at the bottom; feel free to go directly there! 

Kananaskis Trail/Hwy 40 is closed to cars until June! 

Mileage Stats (overall):

Total Days on Road: 69 *PS last month I miscounted. Oops. 

Total Days Ridden: 55

Total Miles: 2,690

Average Miles Per Day Ridden: 48.91 (vs 49.6 as of May 1; pretty steady!)

Total Hours (moving only): 329

Average (moving) Hours Per Day: 5:35 (vs. prior of 5:40) 

*like last time, I would say there are about two additional hours of drinking, eating, bathroom stops, sheltering from the rain, looking at maps, warming up by stopping for coffee and/or looking at mountains.

I am so happy to be on a dirt road!

Accommodation stats for May: 

Established Camp: 7 (↑ 75% from last month)

Friend: 2 (↓ 85% from last month)

Motel: 11 (↓ 15% from last month)

Warm Showers: 0 (↓ 100% from last month)

Wild Camp: 9 (↑ 13% from last month)

Verdict: Apparently, I know more people in CA, OR, WA and the west coast of Canada than I do in the interior! Also, I was on a lot of dirt and in more parks, so my camping as a whole increased over town stays. However, as you will see below, the lack of staying with friends/warm showers caused my costs to be higher this month. 

I had to stay an extra day in Fernie to get my bike fixed.

Budget stats for May: 

Accommodation: $1,093 (↑ from last month)

Dining Out: $246  (↑ from last month)

Groceries: $271  (↑ from last month)

Health: $234 (same - insurance premium)

Transportation: $0 (↓ from last month)

Phone: $81 (same - cell phone)

Entertainment: $274 (↑ from last month - bike repairs/camping supplies/bear spray/satellite messenger)

Misc.: $78  (↑ from last month - VPN, credit card fees, gifts)

Shopping: $120 (unfortunately, a new category, 100% increase from last month)

Total Spent: $2,405 ( (↑ 35% from last month, which was $1,767)

Verdict: Uh oh. Although this is still not super high and is still less than half of what I was spending at home, as I mentioned last month, my thought was that I would shoot for about $2,000 per month. However, I did know that I might have to tweak it a little as I got more knowledge about what I was actually spending. 

The main culprit is the cost of accommodation, which was about 35% higher than last month. I would say that I maybe stayed in more motels, but as we see from the accommodation stats, that was not true; they just cost more. I crossed the border into Canada at the end of April, so once again, I am going to blame Canada (so sorry)! Also dining out and groceries are both about 25% higher. I also had to buy a few things along the road:  a new pillow, some new dry bags, camping fuel, memory cards and a new charger. This inflated my entertainment cost quite a bit and added a whole new category of Shopping. Some of these costs, although not necessarily recurring, will probably be replaced by something else, so maybe $2,500 is a more realistic goal. We will see. 

Also, in the question form (P.S. You can still ask questions here), Nicole asked, "How long will you be biking for? How many kilometres do you bike a day on these adventures?" Well, as I mentioned above, my average is currently about 49 miles / 78 km, but my longest day so far for this trip was about 70 miles / 112 km. My shortest day was a day with my Dad, where we biked around Vancouver, and that was 20 miles / 32 km. I think for him it was his longest day ever, and he was very glad to get his butt off the bike, literally. 

As for how long I will be biking for, I hope to get to the East Coast before the snow starts to fly. If I am tired by then, I will fly or take the train home; if not, who knows, maybe I will bike home. That is way too far in the future to decide at this point. So, to answer your question, somewhere between October and December most likely. After that, I think I will do some international (non-North American) travel, probably without the bike, but who knows. My friend Dr. G asked if I planned on doing any international cycling and I my answer to this question is yes, but I do not know if it will be right after this trip or if I will need a break from Bob for a while. Europe has a whole network of cycling routes called the EuroVelo and I would love to spend some time exploring that at some point, plus there are many, many other routes on all of the continents that have piqued my interest. 

Speaking of international trips, one of my inspirations for this trip was from a woman named Lael Wilcox, who got the women's record for the Tour Divide race (Canada to Mexico) and won the TransAm (west coast to east coast of the US) race overall. She is currently (right now!) trying to set a world record for fastest round the world bike tour (18,000 miles). She is very inspiring and is so cheerful and she will even respond to your comments on Instagram. If you are interested, here is her Ted talk about the TransAm race and how she got her start, and here is her Instagram, where you can follow her RTW FKT attempt. 

And now, some non-cycling related stats! 

This month, instead of ice cream by the numbers, I am just going to show you my new favorite ice cream: Two Scoop Steve's in Yahk, BC. Since it was in the name, I got two scoops! Mint chip and butter pecan. It was delicious, and was even worth sitting in the spitting rain to order it and eat it. 

Favorite new town: Fernie, BC. Although it rained the entire time I was there, this little town is nestled in the mountains, has a cute little downtown and has any action sport you may like, like skiing, hiking, mountain biking etc. Plus they have everything you need, including three bike shops, within about a five block radius! *Runner up: Nelson, BC, which sits on a lake and really kind of reminded me of Tahoe a little bit. 

Favorite new lake: There have been so many, but I would probably have to say Kootenay Lake. Not only is it next to my runner up, Nelson, but it is huge, very beautiful, surrounded by mountains, and not even that cold! Also nearby there are hot springs, skiing, hiking, and beautiful vistas! PLUS, there is a free ferry, the longest free ferry in the world apparently! *Runner up: Okanagan, which has great vistas but not as many nice green trees. 

Kootenay Lake at Nelson

Favorite hamburger: Little did you know this would end up being a category, but if it's not an ice cream, it's a hamburger (or surprisingly, a GF pizza!). I think it is a toss up: the birthday wiener burger at Clyde's in Grand Forks was good, but the GF bun was a little odd and the fries were not super crisp. The Royale with Cheese at the Royal in Nelson was great, the GF bun was better and their poutine was also GF, but they really skimped on the fixings (the burger looked so sad, just meat and bun). 

The Royale, a sad little burger

Favorite book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Facing The Mountain by Daniel James Brown. This one is near and dear to my heart, as it talks about the Nisei solders, the second generation Japanese Americans, who went to fight in WWII, even as their parents, the first generation, were imprisoned in internment camps in America. The reason it is so dear is that my good friend K's grandfather was one of them and I remember sitting with her grandma talking about being in the internment camps. Many of the Nisei died, as they were sent on suicide missions, but they were the unsung heroes (along with many others) of the war. However, we don't know much about them, and this book really can open people's eyes about some of the things they went through. 

Okay it's your turn!! What unexpected thing did you have to spend money on last month? Who is your real life hero or inspiration? What was your favorite book last month and why? 

What I Love: Snacks

I spend a large part of my day thinking about what I am going to eat next, what food I am going to buy, when I am going to eat it, how I am going to eat it and how much of it I am going to eat. I am not always hungry, but I am often hungry. I can eat a disgusting amount of food. Remember when Michael Phelps posted his 10,000 calorie per day diet? He said, "eat, sleep and swim; that's all I do." Now we know that maybe his pot smoking contributed to his munchie inclination, but still, 10,000 calories is a lot to eat in one day. I am not quite there, but I am trying to give him a run for his money. I would estimate that I burn between 3,500-5,000 calories per day, depending on terrain and mileage, and I am doing my best to put that many back in! 

Obviously, I cannot carry around Phelps' three fried egg sandwiches, half a kilo of pasta or large pizza, so I do rely a lot on snacks, and many of them are sugary. Funny enough, I am actually not a big sugar eater in real life. However, I am embracing the now and doing what feels good. Before you get all worried (hi Mom!), my favorite town meal is a huge bagged salad with a extra veggies and some protein if I can find it! However, here are some of my favorite on-the-bike snacks. 

Dried fruit: I would prefer non-dried fruit, but it is not really the season right now, plus I can only fit so much. I have bought an apple or orange or banana from time to time but I try to eat it fast so I don't have to carry it. What will last longer is something like Trader Joes dried coconut or mangos or WinCo dried apples (I love their bulk bins!)

Meat and cheese: For some reason I often crave protein, but I obviously do not have a fridge. My trick is to buy precooked bratwurst and a block of cheddar on an evening when I have a fridge and then try to eat them the next day. If need be, the cheese will last for a few days, although if it is warm, it does tend to get a bit slimy. However, the brats need to be eaten fairly quickly. I have been known to have two for breakfast and two for lunch to use them up! 

TJs Boba Mochi: I looked at this and thought that it was a bit strange, but then I thought I would give it a shot, since they are individually wrapped. They are good! So nice to have one of these for "dessert" after a meat and cheese snack! 

Fudge dipped coconut granola bar: As I mentioned, I eat a lot. In an effort to not spend $2 per bar and then eat 6 of them in one day, I tried to find a cheaper granola bar. These don't have the best ingredients for sure, but they are only $2.50 for a box of 10 and they taste pretty good! 

Chocolate covered gummy bears: I also like plain ol' gummy bears, but the chocolate covered ones are my favorite. However, these do melt, so as it gets hotter, I have to have the naked ones... 

Cottage cheese and tortilla chips: This is like my all time favorite snack, but I usually have to buy it on a town day, eat the cottage cheese with chips and then I can carry the remaining chips as a snack. There is nothing better than some salty corn goodness when I have just climbed up a big sweaty hill! Also, I don't care if they are tiny or smashed, they still do the trick! 

Yogurt and peanut butter: I only carried this once when my eyes were way bigger than my stomach and I had a lot of fridge food that I did not eat on the night I was in town. So I wrapped the yogurt in a plastic bag and planned to eat it for second breakfast (or elevensies). Then I sat down on the side of the road, put a couple of scoops of PB in it, stirred and ate while I watched the cars go by. It was great. This is one of my favorite snacks from home when I trying to pretend that I am eating ice cream, but I am also trying to be healthier. 

Speaking of Peanut Butter: This is such a versatile thing; you can just eat it right from the spoon, or on a cracker, or tortilla, or apple, or banana, or you can put it in yogurt or cottage cheese. I could go on, but I do not want to sound like Bubba. Peanut butter etouffee anyone? 

What is your favorite hiking/biking/road trip snack!? What is your favorite way to eat peanut butter? 

Gift Ideas For Active People

I hope that everyone had a great weekend and is getting in the holiday spirit! I made a wreath for my door; it looks like a five year old made it, but it smells so good! The weekend was a little chilly here; it was in the 30s in the Bay Area and it snowed about a foot or so in the Sierra last week. I guess winter is here. Personally, I like a white Christmas, but since this year Christmas is on a Monday and I have to drive home to work on Tuesday, I don't want it to snow too much because that means I may have to drive it it. Ideally it would snow on Sunday, be white until Monday morning and then melt off just in time for me to leave. 

Even though most of you have probably already done your shopping (right?), I thought I would give you some ideas in case you have an active friend in your life for whom you have no idea what to get. Never fear, here are ten ideas for you, in no particular order, based on some of my favorite things I use very often, and have tried and tested*! 

Solomon Hydration Pack ($140) - It took me a long time to get one of these, as it is a little expensive, but it really is the best one that I have had. I like it so much that I have actually rebought it three times now. The only thing I would say I don't like is that I had to rebuy it three times, mostly due to stretching of the netting/pockets. However, I would say each one lasts me about 2-3 years and I get a lot of mileage out of them! 

Altra Lone Peak Trail Runner ($90) - This shoe is good for hiking or trail running and has a nice wide toe for people with Flintstone feet like mine. It has a zero drop, which may take a little getting used to, but is very comfortable once you do. It is also very lightweight, which is good for use and also for traveling! 

Stance Socks ($15) - I also use these for both running and hiking; for running I like the ankle sock, but for hiking the crew is better. They have a compression function so are a little hard to get off and on sometimes, but they are really comfortable and I get no blisters! They are pretty expensive for a sock, but for that reason are a good gift! 

Socks!

Patagonia Houdini Windbreaker ($100) - This is a very lightweight windbreaker and it zips into its own pocket so that when folded up it is perhaps about as big of a deck of cards. I usually just keep it in my hiking pack just in case and it has come in handy on unexpectedly cold days. 

Yaktrax ($25) - These are little snow chains you put over your sneakers in the winter for added traction. Full disclosure --> they do not work as well on ice; they are better for softer snow, but there are some that have more spiky bottoms which are a bit more grippy. If you are going to really be in ice and/or climbing, microspikes or crampons may be a better bet. 

Snacks! ($5- $10) - When running, I usually eat squeezy applesauce, protein bars and dried fruit. When hiking, I will eat the two latter items, and some other great hiking snack ideas for your favorite person include beef sticks and jerky (these no sugar ones by Tillamook are my favorite), TJs dried mangos and coconut, TJs salted almonds and Think bars. Many hikers also swear by Snickers and peanut M&Ms! 

Fanny pack ($35) - I used to make fun of my Dad for wearing a fanny pack in the 80s and now he makes fun of me! Actually he doesn't but isn't it funny how things come back around? I got a fanny pack as swag for a race and I put it in a drawer with a sneer, until a few years later I needed it for something and I put it on and I was hooked. I gushed so much that broski and Dr. G had to get one for themselves too. When hiking or biking, it is so handy to have all of your things within reach: phone, sunscreen, bug goop, TP...it makes things so much better. Sorry Dad; you were right! 

Goodr sunglasses ($20) - My friend K's sister loved these and recommended them to me, as they are grippy plastic/rubber and they don't bounce when you are running. K decided to buy us both a pair and although I laughed when I saw the ones that she got me (they are pretty obnoxious colors), I really do love them. They come in various (obnoxious) themes and colors so you can really show your style, like maybe Nessie's Midnight Orgy or Donkey Goggles. 

Bright, eh? These are called "Everglades."

Hand Warmers ($1) - these are a great stocking stuffer and we actually used to use them for skiing, on both our hands and our feet. They are inexpensive and are a nice treat to have in your pocket when hiking on a chilly day. I gave one to my coworker and he used it at work one day when they had the AC up too high! I guess they are good for a lot of places! 

*I am not sponsored by any of these companies, but if any of them want to sponsor me, I would be happy to oblige! 

Have you tried any of these items and if so what do you think? What is on your Christmas wish list? What must have item would you recommend to me? 

What I Love

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is ready for December to be here! Here are a few more things that I have been loving lately, in no particular order. 

Shampoo Bars. My favorite one is this one by Body and Earth, but I also like the Love Beauty and Planet two-in-one, and it smells fantastic. If you are new to these, you may sometimes miss the foaminess of your regular shampoo, but people, that is just a tactile add on and does not do anything to get your hair clean! I have found these great for traveling, as they do not count toward your one quart rule, plus you can also use them as soap, so technically they are three in one. Some of the 2-in-1s are better than others with the conditioning part of the bar, so you may need two different ones depending on your hair type. I have thin hair so I don't really use a lot of conditioner anyway, so these are perfect for me. 

Tuesday runs. I have been running in the city before going home after work on Tuesdays and it has been great. If I go home, it is a lot harder to get back out of the house so I decided to do this, even if it is just a couple of miles, as a way to keep myself motivated regarding exercise. I always feel better afterward, plus my route goes right by the water, so if I had a bad or unmotivating day at work, it is a great way to clear the mind and focus on the beauty of the day. 

Tuesday Run Day - Fort Mason

Bertha. Since my car got broken into in July, I have not driven to work once and the old bag (Bertha) has really held up well! It is only about two miles each way, but I haven't had any issues and just like the Tuesday runs, sometimes the ride back home at the end of the day is just what I need after being stuck in the office all day. I highly recommend getting a cheap or second hand bike and doing a few mile loop a couple of days a week if you can; the feeling of the wind in your hair really is priceless sometimes. 

This peeler. I know that a peeler seems like such a housewife thing to gush about, but this peeler is great! I am sure you have all had those moments where you wonder if the peeler you got is for left handed people, or if it was made for people without thumbs, because it is so much work to peel a potato or even a carrot with it. This peeler had a good handle, it peels without having to be manipulated and it has a sharp end to get rid of bruises or eyes if needed. It is the most I ever spent on a peeler, but (1) you get two so you can gift one of them and (b) it was totally worth it! 

The library. I know I have said this a million times but I would be lost without the library. I have had a card in pretty much every place I have lived in, including London and New Orleans, and have used it voraciously. Not only do they have books, but most libraries also give you free tickets to museums, but they have book clubs and Spanish classes and resume writing seminars. There are a plethora of things to use the library for and it is definitely something that I am happy to pay taxes for! 

How was your Thanksgiving? What are you loving lately? 

Looking Back: Books

Now that the third quarter is drawing to a close, I thought I would do a quick review on some of my favorite books for the quarter! In the third quarter I read a lot since I did a lot of hiking and bikepacking and driving. However, because of this, most of them were audiobooks. I also DNFed a lot of books, maybe because they were (mostly) audiobooks, and I don't always get hooked at the beginning and I tend to then lose focus and so I end up just giving it up. 

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. As most of you know, we reread this book as part of Engie's book club, and it was great to not only read it again, but do to so with a group of people who had so many different views. I had a great time getting into the details and discussions of this book and it was just as good this time as it was when I first read it when I was a child. (5/5)

Good For a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World by Lauren Fleishman. To be honest, I did not know much about Lauren except that she was behind Picky Bars, but I really enjoyed this inside peek into the world of elite running. Lauren not only talks about the difficulty of being a woman in a mostly male sport (or at least one where the males are more prized), but she also gets into some of the eating disorders that the young runners had and it was very eye opening. I also read The Longest Race by Kara Goucher recently and was appalled at some of the things that were done to some of the elite running women.  (5/5)

I Feel Bad About My Neck, And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron. This book was recommended by Nicole and Elisabeth (<---new blog link here!) and it did not disappoint! Thanks ladies! Ephron talks a little about her past in a very funny way, but a lot of what drew me to this book is that it is a very real glimpse into the things we (women) experience as we get older. She talks about menopause and how she feels about her purse, how she depends on coconut oil, and the conversations with her sister about combatting hair thinning. I know that some of these things are on deck for me and I appreciate being able to giggle about them rather than dread them! (4.5/5)

The Likeness by Tana French. I am trying to read and give away books on my bookshelf (as always) and this was one of them. Some of them are pretty crap (random thrift store buys or Little Free Library finds or free on the street finds - I can't resist) but this one was good. French writes detective novels and this is #2 of the Dublin Murder Squad series. I thought I had read another book by her and liked it, but I don't see proof of that on Goodreads, so it appears that I did not read #1 of the series, but this did not make me like the book any less! (4/5)

I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makaii. I went into this book highly doubtful, as I DNFed her other book The Great Believers. However, I really enjoyed this one. I would call it a cold case type of book, which I do think is right up my alley, so maybe that is why this one drew me in when the other didn't. Basically it is about a grown woman who goes back to her alma matter to teach a course and ends up getting tangled up in trying to solve a murder case that happened when she was at school there. It is similar to the show Serial, where they convicted one person but are now going back to review the details to see if perhaps the person they blamed is innocent. (4/5)

The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett. My favorite Patchett books are her essays: This is The Story of a Happy Marriage and These Precious Days. Similar to Ephron, she talks frankly but humorously about her life and how she got to where she is now. However, her fiction is sometimes not bad too! I do find her a bit hit and miss; I liked State of Wonder and The Dutch House but did not love the Magicians Assistant or Run. The Patron Saint of Liars is about a woman who goes to a home for unwed mothers with the plans to give up her baby, but after living there for a while starts to think of things differently. (4/5)

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth. Oh man, this one will make you cringe! It is about a woman who I would say is on the spectrum, Fern and her sister Rose, who is not. Fern's sister has been taking care of her for years due to having a difficult mother growing up. Fern is happy doing her daily routine, working out, working at the library etc. When Rose is having trouble getting pregnant, Fern decides to help her by getting pregnant for her. Things do not go as planned and we learn that a relationship between sisters is not always what it seems on the surface. (4.5/5)

Stealing by Margaret Verble. This book was highly praised by Lisa, and it was a good one! It is about a Cherokee girl growing up in the 50s (?) in the Louisiana bayou. Things were difficult for Native Americans then (even more so than now) and she was taken away from her family and sent to live in a Christian boarding school, where things were not better than they would have been had she stayed with her family. It is disturbing and it will make you mad. One thing I did not like about this book was the abrupt ending. I wanted a resolution or a solution, and I did not get it. For that, I am docking .5 stars. (4.5/5)

The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin. This one is all about sex, drugs and rock and roll. Okay, maybe more like drugs, jail and redemption. I am not going to lie; I had no idea who this woman is, but she was the ghostwriter for Desmond Tutu's book and The Sun Always Shines, which I enjoyed. The first chapter had me railing against her, as she dragged her three year old from place to place in an effort to score drugs. I wanted to slap her! Then she gets arrested, and chronicles life in jail, which I do find fascinating. When she finally gets out, it is a struggle to manage life, try to find a job, not break parole, find housing, and stay clean. She finally does all of this, becomes a successful writer and even gets to meet Oprah and the Dali Lama in the end! So yes, it is a feelgood "rags to riches" kind of story, but I enjoyed hearing the ins and outs and some of the struggles that people face in a world that I am not part of. (recommended by Beckett - thanks!) (5/5)

DNFed books -- China Rich Girl by Kevin Kwan (paper), The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy (audio), The Boys From Biloxi by John Grisham (audio), The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates (paper). 

What were your favorite books of the third quarter? What books have you DNFed lately? 

What I Love

Earlier this year I did a list of gadgets that I use all the time and I thought it was time for another one! Here are a few more things that I either gained a newfound love for recently or have cemented my existing love for in 2023. 

Miso Soup: This one may seem a little strange, but if you have the right ingredients, this is an easy, fast and simple dinner item that you just can't beat. You can supplement it with rice or salmon or just eat it alone, but either way it is delicious. I even love it so much I have made a camping version! Here is what you need to get started: miso paste, dashi, tofu. That's it! If you want to have fun,  you can add: green onions, wakame or any meats or noodles (I like these). For camping, I use the instant version and add rice noodles for a quick two minute dish while on the trail. To top it off, you can add furikake! (I have put links to Amazon, but you can get all of these ingredients at your local Asian food store, or even Whole Foods has them now). 

Reusable Sandwich Bags: I started using these when I was hiking because I felt like we create so much trash with single serving items. There are cloth, washable versions of either sandwich bags or snack bags and these are great for dry snacks like granola, peanuts or dried fruit. There are also silicone ones that are supposedly leakproof. I use these for wet items or things I want to keep fresher or put in the cooler (like carrots or grapes etc.) but have not tested them on any real liquids. I gave a set of these to a few friends and one of them uses the cloth ones to keep her toiletries in check! 

Dry Wet Wipes: These are a game changer. How many of us carry around bulky wet wipes in our purse or car? However, if you have a smidge of water, these expandable wipes are great! They literally only need about a capful of water and then they are large enough and strong enough to wipe down your entire body. I am not just saying this; I have tried it! I usually use them for camping but also have some in my purse for everyday use. I like them so much that I told Santa to give them to all of my family members a couple of years ago. 

Audiobooks: I have to admit, over the last few years, I have moved strongly into the team audiobook camp. I used to listen to a lot of music or podcasts when I ran or drove, but now I am audiobook all the way. Doing this has upped my reading game by probably roughly one book a week and if I am hiking for multiple days or doing a lot of gardening, it could even be two or three! I have gotten to where I do listen to them at 1.75 speed most of the time, but an average book at normal speed takes about 10 hours to finish. 

Gallon Sized Hydroflask: I have a knock off version of the Hydroflask in the gallon size (roughly 4 liters) and it is awesome. I can fill it up with water and ice on a Friday when I am headed out the door on a weekend trip and if I do not drink it all, it often still is about half ice when I get home on Sunday. This has been great for weekend hiking trips when it is really hot and we get back to the car hot and sweaty and parched, but it is also great for long road trips; when I drove to Washington last summer, I kept it right next to me in the car the whole time. It is a bit hard to drink from while driving but I imagine you could get a straw top instead of a screw off and the problem would be solved. 

What things do you use all of the time or have you discovered recently? What does your go to road trip car kit look like? 

What I Love: Gadgets & More

You know how sometimes you buy something and it slowly migrates from the counter to the cupboard to a shelf in the garage? I know we all have these things. I have a huge canning pot / pressure cooker which was very cool when I was gardening more and was using it to pressure can multiple quarts of vegetables every year. Now it holds empty jars in the garage, because I am not using them as much anymore either. Or how about those wired earphones that got stuffed in a running drawer after someone gifted you wireless earbuds? Or remember when you went through that air fryer phase? 

On the flip side, sometimes I have been pleasantly surprised by some of the things I have. I just want to say that this is not a sponsored post. These are things I have paid for or was given and I have really appreciated and I feel like I have gotten my money's worth. However, if any of these companies do want to sponsor me, I am game! 

Instant Pot: I must confess, my instant pot is a Pressure Pro, but I love it just the same. I would guess that I use it on an average of at least once a week, and probably more, as some days I even use it more than once! I know it may seem like a gimmick, but it does so many things. I have always been a soup and stew lover, but also one of my favorite things to do is to get home from a run, toss a frozen pork chop and a potato in there with some salt and pepper and by the time I get out of my shower, I have lunch!! You can't beat that for efficiency! My second favorite, and this one I poopooed for a long time before finally trying it, is hard boiled eggs. They just slip right out of the shell when they are done. They have come up in price a little bit, but if you put a price alert on them, you could maybe get one for around $60.00. I also noticed that the new ones have all kind of fun things -- dehydrator, air fryer etc. It may be worth spending the $100.00 plus at some point! 

My baby

Grandma's blankets: I have quilts made by both of my grandmas and I use them every day! I love snuggling "on top" of my bed in a quilt and reading a good book. These are obviously priceless. 

Lap desk: I often will use my laptop in bed or on the couch and I bought a lap desk like this one about five years ago when I was studying approximately 20 hours a week for the CFA. I spent so much time on the computer at home that this was a life saver! However, it is also very handy now and sometimes when I am working from home I set it on the counter and use it like a standing desk. 

Ninja: It took me a LOOOOOOONG time to bite the bullet and pony up the dough for a silly blender. However, this blender is a rock star and I use it several times a week. Whether you are making smoothies or soups or salsas, this thing will get it done in no time. I bought the one with the side smoothie cup and the food processor and it was worth it. I probably use the smoothie cup the most out of all of the attachments. As a side note, I also got a Magic Bullet as a gift and I thought that one would make the other obsolete, but I actually like to blend up my coffee (or I used to do my scrambled eggs, but I have not been buying eggs lately) every day and I use the bullet for that, so I am getting a lot of use out of both gadgets. 

Kindle Paperwhite: I don't think I really need to say much about this! Actually, I would have been team paper books all the way but my brother got me a Kindle about 12 years ago for my birthday and after realizing I could put multiple library books on it quite easily, I have been a convert. My first gen died only about a year ago and I am loving the Paperwhite so far! Aside from gifts or using gift cards I have been given, I have not spent money on books for a few years now! 

Nothing better than a book and a beer...

The Red Rocket: This is my car. For a long time I did not have a car, and living in the Bay Area that was working out just fine. I took the bus to work, I can run straight from my house into the trails and I would rent a car if going away for the weekend. However, I started going away more for weekends and it was getting more expensive to rent a car, so I decided to buy a used car with good gas mileage to have in case I needed it. The rocket has served me well and during the pandemic, I would have been stuck at home (I never really went to working from home, even during the lockdown, since technically, we are "essential") without it. To learn more about the rocket and what the parking is like around here, go here. 

Buffs: This is kind of random, but it is an item that is very versatile and doesn't even cost much. In fact, if you run races, you may even get one for free. Some people call it a neck gaiter. Whatever you call it, it can be used as a hat, a headscarf, an ear warmer, a neck warmer, a wristband, and during the pandemic, a mask. In fact, my mom even put one around her and called it a skirt and another friend used it as a bandeau. I also use mine in a pinch as a pot holder, snot rag, pee rag and dishcloth (not the same one!) when camping. 

What item do you use the most in your household? What item have you thought you would use is now gathering dust in the garage?