Onward...

Well, it's been a while since I've written an entry here. Mainly because I was swamped in work all of January and then off to the farthest reaches of the South in February and March with Sean. We tackled the Patagonia ranges, a great dream of mine (and another tick off the old "list of things to do before I die", how morbid!).

First off, we explored Torres del Paine in the Magellanes. We spent a week hiking, climbing, descending and walking along the Southern Ice Field. Fortunately the trail was fairly quiet and serene considering the high season for tourism! And we left not only with the beautiful picture of the towers in our minds, but also a well-deserved sense of accomplishment! We managed with no injury (and only a few tears)!

Next, we were off to the Carreterra Austral exploring little towns that have only recently been opened up to the public (6 years ago they were only accessible by boat or air), Pumallin Park (Thomson's dreamchild) and the mysterious Chiloe Island! For details, check out our travel blog at www.goingthelongwayup.blogspot.com .

And so now, it's back to th real world and I've decided to challenge myself with building a new strong digital portfolio! So many hours are being spent on that little project for the time being. HTML? PDF? Online Pre-fab format? Not sure which to chose yet, but I'm always ready for the challenge!

Lastly, I love working to that Cake song "Short Skirt, Long Jacket"! It's super motivational! (gotta love the brass)

Travel Clothing - A Backpackers Delight!

A quick sketch I whipped up the other day... Since travelling in South America (and consistently living on clothes/supplies one could carry over in a single suitcase and a backpack) I have been thinking a lot about multi-funtional, easy-to-transport, simple-care garments. A couple of quick notes...

-Should be in darker or "drab" colours (haven't met a washing machine that doesn't turn white to yellow-grey here yet).
-Must have hidden pockets! I hate wearing the money belt (and 3 pickpocket attempts thus far, you definitely don't want to carry money/ID in an easy-grab bag).
-Also, for those hidden pouches, keep them slim.
-Scarves were always really useful! (easy to coverup in more conservative locations, to hold back stray hair, protection from the sun).
-Convertible quick-dry pieces are absolute key on any trip, especially in areas where the temperature varies greatly day to night.
-Lots and lots and lots of pockets on the exterior with pickpocket deterrant zips, plackets, safe-hide welts...
-Leggings/longjohns have been THE most useful items thus far.

If you have any thoughts/extra ideas drop me a note!

Buy Nothing Christmas

While not exactly pro-retailer, I thought it would be interesting to bring up this movement based out of the US. By now I'm sure you've all heard about "Buy Nothing Christmas" as it's been advertised on several broadcast stations and online news sites (specifically MSN/Sympatico today!). It particularly caught my attention as Sean and myself will indeed be spending a "Buy Nothing Christmas" this year! Though not necessarily motivated by a political excuse, it will nonetheless be a frugal and "recycled/only what you need" kind of season. Actually, I'm pretty excited about the whole thing! In fact, from this point forward I will post our "Christmas budget" solutions on the blog to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas...coming soon!

Otherwise, check out the "Buy Nothing Christmas" website: http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/

Valparaiso Graffitti

A bit of eyecandy from the streets of Valparaiso.