wildlyplanted

[wildlyplanted]

Life Itself

One of my favorite movies is, Life Itself and one of my favorite quotes comes from this 2018 film, written, co-produced and directed by Dan Fogelman.

“Life brings you to your knees. It brings you lower than you think you can go. But if you stand back up and move forward, if you go just a little farther, you will always find love.”

This quote has been resonating with me lately and I wanted to share, in case anyone out there is feeling the same. I pray we have the strength to go just a little farther. To me, the word "love" in this quote represents whatever it is we seek or need, whatever will answer our prayers.

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#love #life #soulfreedom #life quotes #life lesson #faith #hope

[wildlyplanted]

Is 2024 What You Expected So Far?

I expected 2024 to arrive in grand fashion, bringing with it excitement and the changes that I craved. I hope my expectations for 2024 are met, there’s definitely plenty of time.

For now, up to this point, 2024 has been more of a personal reckoning and spiritual journey, which I welcome because there is a reason it is this way, right? Right. There has been a great deal of digging deep, a lot of examining thoughts and patterns, loads of seeking answers to the whys and hows, and plenty of reanalyzing all parts of life.

Some days I feel at peace, other days I want a one-way ticket to the island of ‘forget my troubles’ but I can say that overall, I feel balanced on most days. I've been careful about the information I consume, and I've had to limit my time on social media by a considerable amount. I also find myself tuning out or changing the subject of conversations that I feel are unhelpful or unhealthy. Being careful about what I’m internalizing helps me stay in a good headspace.

I've endured painful and chaotic times in life, more than I’d like to remember, and I realized, just today, that this is probably the best I have navigated the rough tides. Rather than resisting, I choose to surrender to how life is unfolding right now. I’m practicing stillness more than I ever have and in a way that I never understood before. Feeling my way into alignment, allowing the internal to inform the external, rather than trying to force things to happen from a place of external pressure and panic.

So, here I am. Five months into the New Year, having a different kind of year than what I anticipated. In times like this, keep pushing forward, keep moving forward. We will get to the other side.

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#life #love #soulfreedom #writersoftumblr #wildlyplanted #stillness #spiritual #spiritualgrowth #mindfulness #spiritual journey #2024 #healing #journey #headspace #moving forward #bloggersoftumblr #blogger #writer #women writers #women bloggers

[wildlyplanted]

Snap back

Make a cup of tea or coffee because this is a long one :)

The other day, I was watching the YouTube channel of a couple I follow. They just welcomed a baby, and the latest vlog was the woman showing her 3 weeks postpartum body, which looked unbelievably great, and for some reason, I felt a little uncomfortable while watching.

I asked myself, "why?" as I thought back to all the similar vlogs I’ve viewed. I think the postpartum vlogs that make me uncomfortable are the ones where the woman seems to be having a quick “snap back.”

“But why?” I asked myself, again. Then it dawned on me. Most of the women I know didn't recover as quickly as some of the women I see in vlogs and on social media. I think this notion and perpetuation of "snapping back" is detrimental to women, especially while they’re in such a vulnerable state, having just given birth.

In this particular vlog, the woman mentioned (multiple times) how she still needs to lose weight, criticized and pointed out areas of her body, including her stomach, even though her body was recovering, remarkably. This blew my mind because I was thinking "Oh my goodness, you grew a baby in your uterus, of course it’s still swollen! You just brought life into the world! Stop!!”

In my sensitive opinion, I think the conversation around postpartum should not be focused on a mother’s body and how fast she is, “snapping back” and I don’t think women should offer up their postpartum bodies for debate. These “snap back” vlogs and social media posts can cause women to be subjected to unfair comparisons by their partner, causing feelings of inadequacy and stress. Comparison shouldn’t happen, but I can guarantee it does.

Instead, the focus should be on mothers receiving an abundance of support from their partners and the trusted people around them in caring for a new baby, eating well, getting ample rest, feeling ease and calm, feeling confident in expressing the status of their mental and emotional health, and overall feeling extra taken care of.

I understand that for some women, the healing process happens nicely, and they feel good enough to exercise as soon as they're cleared by the doctor, and they're in a good space. I also understand that many women who give birth for the first time have been shocked to find out that 6 weeks is not entirely accurate for how long it can take a woman to heal because the dominant narrative is the quick “snap back.”

I'm so thankful and appreciative that more mothers are sharing their childbirth and postpartum journey and showing how different it can look from what we see on social media. Showing that it can be a long way down the road before you feel comfortable in your body again, or before that favorite outfit fits the way it used to.

Additionally, I’m grateful to all the women who are bringing to the forefront, important conversations about healing after having a baby. As someone who has yet to give birth, I want to know as much as I can about the process, keeping in mind that each woman’s experience is unique to her. Something that I’m surprised to only have recently found out is that before a woman even thinks about any sort of working out, she should first take care to strengthen her core and pelvic floor, and only after that, begin working out again.

Hearing and seeing different narratives are so important, because for example, I had no idea that Pelvic Floor Specialists existed until a couple of years ago. I also had no clue that so many women experience Diastasis Recti and when that is the case, they should absolutely not do any typical ab workouts because it will make it worse and most definitely cause setbacks and issues. Working with a Pelvic Floor Specialist is the appropriate procedure.

I’m quite stunned that the medical community does not do women justice regarding postpartum. Why aren’t all mothers given a proper exam to determine if she has Diastasis Recti? Why aren’t all mothers referred to a Pelvic Floor Specialist as a place to start after they’ve been cleared for movement? I’m not sure if insurance would even cover the cost of the specialist.

If men were the ones to give birth, the postpartum period would be 6 months, not weeks and every sort of specialist would be offered up to them, along with insurance covering it all!

Not only is 6 weeks an inefficient and unreasonable amount of time, in my opinion, for a woman to heal– it’s definitely not enough time for a mother to even begin thinking about losing weight or “snapping back.” I would imagine, she just wants to be able to sit and stand without being in pain.

The last point I would like to make, is that I don’t think men truly know how painful and traumatic childbirth and postpartum healing is. Even though more women are sharing about the realities of childbirth and the aftermath, I think so many more don’t share because their journey doesn’t look like what we see on YouTube and social media.

Not enough women are talking about how terrible it feels (I can only imagine) to have swollen and painful private parts, a swollen uterus, hurting when peeing, bleeding a river up to 6 weeks, in some cases, pain during breastfeeding and experiencing issues like Diastasis Recti. Now add on top of that, being expected to perfectly care for your baby, knowing exactly what to do at all times, enduring sleepless nights with little help in some cases, leaking milk and standing in a body that you don't feel comfortable in and can hardly recognize. Then add even more on top of that, being the main person your baby clings to for survival and support and fighting unhealthy thoughts about how your body looks like or what it will look like weeks and months down the line. Imagine how mentally and emotionally taxing it is to love your child and at the same time not like what carrying and birthing your child has done to your body. It’s A LOT!

Welcoming a baby into the world will always be a heavier burden on the mother and just straight-up unfair to her in so many ways. The “snap back” narrative just adds more unreasonableness and should be done away with!

*Shout out to the loving partners who play an equal part in caring for the baby and who help alleviate some of the mental and emotional stress that women experience during postpartum.

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#life #love #healinggood #writersoftumblr #postpartum #mom life #motherhood #postpartum body #postpartum anxiety #postbirth #snapping back #snapback #snap back #mothers #newmom #newmoms #birth #giving birth #joy #postpartum healing #postpartumhealing #afterbirth #diastasisrecti #pelvicfloor #pelvic floor #core strength #baby body #babybody

[wildlyplanted]

Women Can Have Fun, Too!

Earlier today, I came across a YouTube video about Lupita and Joshua. The comment section was full of judgement, assumptions and just straight up sexism (mostly from other women) toward Lupita.

They are both recently single people who seem to be having a good time. Beyond that, only Lupita and Joshua know.

This made me ask myself a deeper question, "Why is it so difficult for people to grasp that women are free to have fun and enjoy experiences (momentary or not) just as men do?" As long as a woman has full agency over herself, fully aware, fully choosing and in tune with her choices, why should she be judged or scrutinized in ways that men would never be?

I think that our patriarchal society is offended by women owning their sexuality, and has trained women to be hypercritical of other women. Newly single men (and no doubt single men in general), can gallivant about, and are encouraged by everyone around them to play the field. On the other hand, a newly single woman like Lupita (and single women in general), even while being selective and conscious in the process, have to deal with all kinds of false and negative comments and assumptions.

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#soulfreedom #healinggood #lupita nyong'o #lupita #dating #singlewomen #singlewoman #womenanddating #happiness #writersoftumblr #wildlyplanted #sexuality #womenandsexuality #womanandsexuality #womendating #womandating #love #loveyourself

[wildlyplanted]

Personal Legend

I recently began rereading The Alchemist. I'm on part II at the moment. I can't believe I let years pass before reading this life changing book, again. Nonetheless, I'm glad to have picked it back up. It helped me rewire my mind the first time I read it, and lately, I've been feeling like I need a reminder and a tune-up.

I needed to reaffirm to myself that I know my purpose, my personal legend and I shouldn't allow anyone or any circumstance to make me feel as if my dreams aren't possible.

In this book is one of the most impactful and magnificent declarations a person in the midst of pursuing their personal legend will ever read, "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

Giving so much gratitude for The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho.

Are you also in the process of following your personal legend? How do you stay on course, even when life becomes chaotic and the direction of the wind is constantly changing?

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#happiness #soulfreedom #writersoftumblr #healinggood #wildlyplanted #personallegend #thealchemist #universespeaking #universespeaks #joy #universe #purpose #lifepurpose #lifequotes #lifelesson #paulcoelho #paul coelho #life lessons #life lesson #life quotes #life quote motivation #life quote tumblr #life purpose #the alchemist #personal legend

[wildlyplanted]

Masterpiece or Work in Progress?

"I am allowed to be a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously." I saw this saying/quote on Iman's IG this week, and I shouted "yes" as I read it, because I needed this reminder. Sometimes we think that we need to have all the answers and everything figured out before we make that move or change, start that project or begin working on that idea, invite love in, etc. I'm guilty of this and I found that it only holds me back.

However we are, wherever we are presently is "perfect" timing for everything we want to invite into our lives. We can move forward in the state that we are in, continuing to learn and blossom, and stride toward our goals and personal development. The thing is, us humans will always be a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously. We never stop evolving (unless you choose differently), we'll never have it all figured out. We're redefining, reevaluating, recalibrating until the very end.

Does that quote resonate with you? How?

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#healing good #soul freedom #love yourself #joy #wildlyplanted #writersoftumblr #poetry #love #life #happiness #about life #selfconfidence #confidence #childhood memories #childhood #family #building confidence #self worth #self healing #self improvement #self impowerment

[wildlyplanted]

How Did You Get Your Confidence?

Confidence, self-worth and self-love are qualities that a person first learns from their family. None of these were instilled in me during childhood. Like other important ones, I had to cultivate these attributes over time, through my life experiences, and I'm still learning every day. I feel grateful that I wasn’t swallowed up by the world and I didn’t end up falling victim to some of the things that can happen to a young person (and even an adult) when they feel lost and overwhelmed and they lack that knowing that they deserve to be treated well, whether it’s in a relationship, by other family members, by friends and even at their job. Then once you know, you have to put confidence in action. Many people know they deserve better, but the lack of confidence keeps them on a path of accepting less than. 

Over time, I began to peel away the layers of fear and insecurity and I started moving through the world with a better understanding of who I was, what I wanted, what I refused accept. Year after year, I grew into expecting the highest for my life. Anytime I fell out of alignment with that, I observed how my thinking played a role and many times, it was because I let my confidence collapse and my self-worth tumbled with it. Those voices from childhood can creep up and attempt to sabotage how far we’ve come and all the time and effort we put into building a better version of ourselves. Don’t let those voices trip you up. They aren’t real. What is real, is regaining your momentum through ways like therapy, meditation, exercise, time in nature, journaling, time with people who help you feel hopeful and energized. Rebuilding yourself and your confidence, finding even greater clarity than before, and moving toward the highest vision you hold for your life. Every time I’ve had a setback, I came back with an even higher awareness and set my sights higher for what I knew I deserved, and my confidence improved.

Have you ever struggled with confidence at any point in your life? If so, did it stem from childhood, or was it something that developed later in life?

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#healing good #soul freedom #love yourself #joy #wildlyplanted #writersoftumblr #poetry #love #life #happiness #about life #selfconfidence #confidence #childhood memories #childhood #family #building confidence #self worth #self healing #self improvement #self impowerment

[wildlyplanted]

Who Am I When No One's in the Room

Jessie Reyez's song "No One's in the Room" is the inspiration for this blog post. The first time I ever heard this song, I wondered, "Am I the same person when I'm alone, or am I a completely different person when someone else, or other people are around?"

My truth, what I believe, is that at my core, I am the same person when no one's in the room. When I'm alone, I'm pensive, I talk out loud as a way to process my emotions and thoughts, I like to sing (thank God, no one is around), dance, make myself laugh, do fun things, I get excited over the smallest things, I'm creative, and I procrastinate among so many other things.

While at the core, I'm the same, I do however think there are nuances to how we are when other people are around, and how we are with different people, if that makes sense. Who I am with my best friend will be different than who I am with a friend I'm still building a friendship with. Who I am with a romantic partner will be different than who I am with my best friend.

Something I can say for sure about who I am is that, I'm not a person who can mask, pretend or fake it. I can hold back my true emotion when it's crucial, to serve a greater good, etc. but generally speaking, it doesn't feel natural for me. Eventually, how I truly feel ends up spilling out, sometimes. Not all the time. This is especially true when it comes to liking someone. I enjoy showing and expressing affection, and while this won't change, I have however learned how to hold back a bit, while still being authentic. It's a delicate balance. Learning and growing is a lifelong process, and I'm here for it :)

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

Email: [email protected]

#writersoftumblr #soulfreedom #aboutlife #aboutlove #love #healingfeelsgood #healinggood #happiness #loveyourself #poetry #forhim #wildlyplanted #life #joy #whoamI #Iam #lovehim #poetsontumblr #whatmakesyouhappy #whatmakesmehappy #loveishappiness #abouthappiness #aboutme

[wildlyplanted]

Glorious

Somehow, your embrace stopped the movement of time. When my world was burning down, your touch extinguished the flames. You unknowingly helped me to start healing. I learned to open my heart again.

Our time together was short, but glorious. Sweet surrender. x

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#writersoftumblr #soulfreedom #aboutlife #aboutlove #love #healingfeelsgood #healinggood #happiness #loveyourself #poetry #forhim #wildlyplanted #life #joy

[wildlyplanted]

Baseline: Joy

Life will surprise and shock us in both the best and challenging ways. 

What was true yesterday, may no longer be real today. What is unclear or distorted today, may be our truth tomorrow. 

Wisdom comes from both the highs and the lows, the joy and the pain that this ever-changing life brings.

In the thick of the lows and the pain, I try to remain hopeful, I try to create even the smallest ounce of happiness for myself, even if it's only for a brief moment, to remind me of what joy feels like, to give me energy to keep pushing so I can get back to that feeling as a baseline for how life should feel, for how I want to feel.

If you're currently going through a low or experiencing pain, or life just doesn't look the way you want or need it to, right now, I hope you find the energy to give yourself a slice of happiness. No matter how small, and I hope that bit of happiness gives you exactly what you need to keep going.

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#soulfreedom #aboutlife #feelfree #followthesun #healingfeelsgood #thoughttoponder #thoughtsonpaper #thoughtsaboutlife #thoughtstowords #thoughtsandramblings #thoughtsoftheday #thoughtsinmyhead #loveyourself #knowyourworth #knowyourvalue #selfreflecting #selfreflect #writersoftumblr #poetsontumblr #poetsoftumblr #joyandpain #joy #pain #life #happiness

[wildlyplanted]

Can We?

What if we cherished one another and spent time appreciating connection and tenderness, and celebrating what we've found in each other? Not forcing or restricting, instead, allowing it all to flow freely and naturally.

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#aboutlife #aboutlove #healingfeelsgood #feelfree #soulfreedom #thoughtstoponder #thoughtsonpaper #thoughtsaboutlife #thoughtstowords #thoughtsandrambling #thoughtsinmyhead #thoughtsofyou #wildlyplanted #justlove #justbe

[wildlyplanted]

Where is the Light?

With all that is happening in the world, lately, I've been questioning, where is the light? Feeling our collective societal pains and challenges in addition to dealing with our own personal trials can be overwhelming. I recently had to remind myself that the light is within me.

Just as I look for the light of the sun, each day, I also need to look for my inner light; a light that requires nurturing and monitoring so it doesn't dim or go dark. 

It is a daily process of committing to (and when I flounder, recommitting to) looking after my mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness and being in alignment with actions and experiences that support that. x♡

How do you keep your inner light on and shining?

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#life #love #instamood #thoughts #thougt #words #writersoftumblr #writersofinstagram #bloggersoftumblr #blogger

[wildlyplanted]

Reflection on Healing

It feels like it has taken me forever to move through the various layers and phases of healing. Each time I concluded that I had finally resolved the lingering disappointment from a significant event in my life, which occurred several years ago, my behavior and/or thoughts, showed me that I was still carrying the hurt. I've looked up to the sky many times and asked, “will it ever go away?” The leftover pain, the hesitation in opening, the doubt in trusting, the fear in repeating. Although my process has been slow; slowly is how I needed to approach my circumstance. I feel proud that I took the necessary time and space to reflect, create new thoughts and patterns, and self-correct. More than that, it has been gratifying to relearn the parts of myself I had forgotten and discover new elements of who I am. I celebrate my healing journey - it has been remarkable in so many ways, as much as it's been challenging. By far, the hardest lesson I had to make peace with is, sometimes, the highest and best decision will result in loss. Although this particular loss has caused me the greatest heartache, it has also been my greatest teacher. My journey of learning and growing continues. x♡

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#love #selflove #life #PersonalGrowth #growth #growing #healing #reflection #reflect #journeywithinyourself #journal #faith #inspiration #dailyinspiration #dailyinspo #igersdaily #instadaily #blogger #bloggersofinstagram #feelings #instafollow #writersoftumblr #writer #writersofinstagram #bloggersoftumblr #gratitude #attitudeofgratitude #lifelesson #evolution #evolving

[wildlyplanted]

Submerging in Faith

Treading in low tide water feels safe, but I can't say that I've ever experienced profound personal growth and expansion in the safety of what I already know and can see.  It has taken faith (a lot of it!) to venture into the high tide, and move out of my comfort zone into unknown water, unable to see what's beneath me; unable to assess if I'll be submerged, or not, when my feet touch the bottom.  During those moments of faith is when I learned most about myself, when I evolved and released beliefs that no longer served me and nurtured the principles that made me a stronger and better person. This is when I witnessed the possibilities of who and what I can be, and, will become. x♡

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#faith #havefaithinyourself #love #life #happy #PersonalGrowth #growth #GoodVibes #GoodVibrations #inspiration #dailyinspiration #dailyinspo #selflove #instadaily #instafollow #feelings #writer #writersoftumblr #writersofinstagram #blogger #lifestyleblogger #bloggersoftumblr #bloggersofinstagram #bloggerslife #gratitude #attitudeofgratitude #lifelessons #evolution #evolving

[wildlyplanted]

Getting it Wrong Even When You Did Everything Right

Even if you do everything right, you can still get it wrong. Why? There are multiple reasons -- here are the top two that I’ve personally learned lessons from:

1.       Failing to listen to intuition, to my gut and making choices out of fear or expectations of others, and ignoring what is right for me and what feels the best to me.

2.       Going for what others are going for because it "seems" to be working for them -- forgetting that their path is theirs and my path is mine. You will not have the same exact experience as your friends, family or the next person, even if your paths resemble one another.

The best lesson I’ve learned from getting it wrong:

Choose for me and me only. Be authentic to myself and make the best and highest choices for my life. Why? Because I deserve to be happy. I deserve to have the very best in life (as do you). Be confident and never doubt that you know what is best for you.  x♡

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted

YouTube: Wildly Planted (this is a work in progress, but I’m finding direction)

Email: [email protected]

#life #love #growth #PersonalGrowth #writer #blogger #writersoftumblr #bloggersoftumblr #writersofinstagram #bloggersofinstagram #dailyinspo #dailyinspiration #inspiration #feelings #reflection #reflectingonlife #reflective #wildlyplanted #lifelesson #lifelessons #evolving #growing #reflections

[wildlyplanted]

Letting Go

As we're moving from the fall into the winter season, I find myself clutching onto denial. Denial that very soon we will be experiencing freezing temperatures here in New York City. This got me thinking about how as humans, we tend to hold on much longer than we should. We sometimes cling on to people, things and experiences until we're forced to finally let go. Wouldn't it be lovely if we learned to let go at the right time, doing it on our own, rather than as a result of someone, something being too painful to hold on to? Our intuition, that inner voice that ALWAYS tells us the truth (whether we listen or not) is our guide in knowing precisely when to unchain ourselves from the people and things that do not nurture and support us in living a happier, healthier life.

We let go to create a more harmonious environment for ourselves, so we can experience positive personal growth, gain more clarity about our purpose and become more of who we are. x♡

What or who will you be letting go of as we enter the new season?

#life #love #happy #goodreads #GoodVibes #goodvibesonly #igdaily #igers #inspiration #dailyinspiration #dailyinspo #witer #Writerscommunity #writers of tumblr #seasons #gratitude #growth #change #surrender #selfcare #selflove #feelings #healthylifechoices

[wildlyplanted]

Part 3 of 3: “Leaving Prague, Berlin, I love you and Final Reflections & Tips” – Budapest | Prague | Berlin Travels

The next day as we were leaving Prague we saw a RegioJet bus parked inside the bus terminal and a sign above it that said tickets can be bought at “blah blah” window. That sign would have been useful inside the bus station ticket area because we would have loved to travel with RegioJet again. Flickbus got us to Berlin safely, but I would never ride with that company again. The outlets didn’t work, and the seats were not comfortable.

Moving on to our accommodation. Once again, we did not make reservations beforehand. Once we arrived in Berlin, we took the subway to Hauptbahnof station (Central Station), where we sat for coffee and browsed on Hostelworld for options. We knew we wanted to be within close distance to Hauptbahnof station because that’s where we needed to catch the airport bus (btw, we both ended up getting an uber to the airport) and we each had morning flights -- side note: My travel buddy had to leave Berlin the day before me. I was so sad, even though it was just a day without her. After traveling solo in Ecuador two years ago, it was nice to have someone to share in all the various experiences of travel.

We settled on Heart of Gold hostel, which is centrally located in Berlin Mitte. I loved that we ended up in a completely different part of Berlin than where we stayed before. This hostel is located in walking distance to a number of sites and attractions including Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag Building, Museum Island and TV Tower.

Heart of Gold is a 10-minute walk from S+U Bahn Friedrichstraße station and around the corner from S Bahn Oranienburger Straße station. Although this hostel didn’t necessarily feel like the atmosphere was that social, I feel like if we stayed longer, we may have had a different experience. We stopped in the kitchen a couple of times during our first evening and we found people cooking and enjoying themselves. They were friendly, but we didn’t have time to stay and socialize, as we wanted to go have dinner on our last night traveling together. Also, it was cold, so the lovely courtyard/beer garden just outside the main lobby wasn’t really being used by guests. The hostel sells beer and wine (I’m not sure if cocktails were available) in the lobby, and complimentary coffee and tea is available all day, so there’s a café type of vibe that was nice. I imagine that in the warmer months, the courtyard/beer garden is buzzing.

*I failed to mention in the first blog that there are vending machines with beer for purchase in the lobby of PLUS Berlin hostel. Comes in handy after the hostel’s restaurant has closed.  

Coming back to Heart of Gold, we arrived there in the early evening. Check-in was fairly easy; I had to use my phone to go online and fill out a reservation form that took all of five minutes (they have wifi of course). Once that was done, they were able to check us in and send us on our way. One thing I noticed is how secure the hostel is. There are multiple floors and your key will only allow you through the lobby security door, onto your floor and into the kitchen. You can’t access other floors (we tried). Another side note -- You must leave £5 per key at the front desk, which they keep if you lose your key.

We were in a 6-bed mixed dorm that was spacious with a view into the courtyard/beer garden. This hostel is comfortable and clean with full private bathrooms (toilet, sink and showers were nicely spaced out within one room, and the shower was very roomy with good water pressure).

We had dinner at Peter Pane (my food was ok, nothing special – I had a vegan burger). The atmosphere was lively, and I liked the vibe, so I would visit again and order something completely different next time.

The next morning, my travel buddy left me and I was on my own for my last full day in Berlin.

I had the best lunch at Cappuccino Grand Café which was a five-minute walk from the hostel. The ambiance was beautiful, and I sat facing the large front window, which was great for people watching. I had a delicious cappuccino, a lovely tuna salad and fresh pressed cucumber juice to finish off.

I spent the rest of the day exploring Museum Island, I passed by Brandenburg Gate, Berliner Fernsehturm (TV Tower) and Alexanderplatz, and finished my day at Checkpoint Charlie.

In the evening, I was hoping to have dinner at this small cozy restaurant I spotted near the hostel, but they were booked with reservations, so I ended up at the lackluster Grand Bar Café Restaurant.

With all that said, I’ll be back in Berlin very soon to explore more of the city and to see some of the sights, like East Side Gallery, that I didn’t have a chance to visit this time around.

That’s the saddest part about traveling, not always being able to see it all. I continue to pray for opportunities to travel slowly and for longer periods of time so I can have a more authentic experience and feel like a local.

Final Thoughts:

For this trip (all three cities) I had no concrete plans. Although I looked up the main attractions and skimmed through recommendations from some great blogs, I was not tied to things I needed to absolutely do. The only thing I wanted, was to walk a lot and see as much of the cities, and their architectures, as possible, which I did.

Before leaving New York, I set positive intentions and I knew in my heart I was going to love all three cities. I was very much going with the flow, and that attitude really helped because right at the beginning of our trip, the unexpected occurred – our flight NYC to Berlin was delayed 6 hours so we missed our connecting flight to Budapest the next morning and we ended up staying in Berlin overnight (do not regret). Getting through security and check-in for our flight to Budapest was a bit of a disaster, but despite that, I was determined to navigate through it and guide my experience and choose my reaction rather than allowing the experience to guide me. I would not have been able to do that if this was several or a few years ago. My life experiences over the last several years have had an impact on how I perceive and receive life (more about that in another blog). That morning was a calamity, but our first night in Budapest was epic and made up for the non-sense we experienced.

Travel can bring out the worst in people, because there are so many factors that can alter plans and there is the potential for unwanted experiences and outcomes, and I know it’s easier said than done, but your attitude and thoughts really does play a factor in your experiences; in how you observe the experience, and how you move through the event.

Hostel Tips:

*The kitchens in three out of four hostels, we stayed in, were stocked with cooking supplies and utensils so you can purchase groceries and cook your own meals. I think this is fairly standard, but it’s something you can ask before booking if this is important to you.

My Personal Tips:

Pack flip flops for the shower and to walk around in while inside. I would never go barefoot at any point. Some people have no problem with walking barefoot or not using shower shoes, but I’m not one of them. I do the same for hotels, since they are not any cleaner than a hostel would be. If anything, some hostels are probably cleaner than hotels.

I pack 2 non-cloth reusable bags. One for my toiletries and everything I’ll need to shower, which I hang next the shower or in some instances, I had to hang it inside the shower stall with me (wrap one handle in the top corner of the shower door, close the door and let the bag hang inside. I do this to easily access everything I need while keeping them all inside my bag and off any surfaces. If water gets inside the bag, I drain it out at the end of my shower. When I get back to the room, I remove my things and hang the bag to dry.

I use the second bag for my clothes and everything I need (moisturizer, deodorant, etc.) once I’m done in the shower.  

*It may be a good idea to stop at the front desk and let the person on duty know you’re going out for the evening. Having an emergency contact on file is also a good idea. In Prague, our hostel’s office closed in the evening so sometimes this isn’t possible. If you feel comfortable, let a hostel mate know that you’re going out and where. In our all-female dorm in Budapest, we shared where we were going with each other, so we kind of all had an idea about where someone could be. I remember our first night when one of our roommates who also arrive that same evening didn’t reappear, we kept it in mind to ask about her if we didn’t see her the next day. She did return and turned out that a friend of hers was also in the city and she was with them.

*Travel is meant to be fun. Just remember that being smart and safe is also a part of travel. Never do anything questionable just for the heck of it, or just because you’re on vacation.

*Respect the culture and people around you (I hope this goes without saying).

Where you can find me/how to contact me:

IG: wildlyplanted (check out photos)

YouTube: Wildly Planted ( I uploaded short video and photo reels)

Email: [email protected]