On this International Cat Day, I’m celebrating my own fur babies 🐱 (I’ll celebrate the lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, pumas, and all the others on their own days 😉).
I have two cats, both boys, and both rescues. We always had rescue cats growing up and I seem to be carrying on the tradition of that.
First up, there’s Rio. He’s my black and white, grumpy home boy. He knows what he wants and he’s vocal about it 😂 I rescued him 7 years ago from the RSPCA; they had him for 4 months and he was still a bag of bones when I brought him home, which makes me sad to think of the state they found him in.
He’s a fuss pot, doesn’t like most nice food but loves carbs and will happily try and knock a sandwich out my hand 😂 he also loves to snuggle into my neck for cuddles 😍 he’s about 10 years old, and finds a lot of daily life stressful.
Rio will only enjoy going out when the sun is shining, such a diva 💃🏻
Then we have Marco, my chunky orange flavoured horror. I rescued Marco from a local shelter just over 18 months ago, and at about 3 and a half years old, he’s still a baby with a lot of growing up and learning to do.
He was terrified when he came home and totally shut down in the first 24 hours, but over time he’s embraced cuddles, tummy rubs, head scratches, and is currently learning how to open doors (not by the handle btw 😂).
Marco loves to play, whether that’s with cats, dogs, or a clump of grass - he’s easily amused 😂 he will choose to sleep in a plant pot over a bed any day, but loves to come and see me in bed on a morning, chirruping as he goes, and leans into my hand for strokes 😍
Both boys are so different, but so funny, playful and loving in their own ways.
Fun fact: Rio came with his name and because he responded to it, I didn’t change it.
Marco was Leo at first, but I couldn’t have Rio and Leo 😂 so to carry on the travel theme which is my passion, Marco was named after Marco Polo, the
I dunno about you, but I love having the window seat on an aeroplane. Some of you will know I’ve recently had a trip to the Arctic Circle. On my way home, I was blessed with beautiful views in three different locations 🗻 I love the harsh wilderness of Svalbard with its icy blue waters and snow-capped mountains 🌿 I love how luscious and green Oslo looks in the afternoon sun 🌅 How beautiful does London look at sunset? Nature is amazing ✨
What makes you feel alive?
For me, it’s:
✨ pushing my body beyond its limits
✨ exploring somewhere new
✨ feeling the cold wind or the warm sun on my face
✨ being surrounded by souls who love and appreciate me
✨ taking in everything that nature offers
✨ achieving something I didn’t think I could
✨ feeling utterly content with who I am and excited about where I’m going
So tell me, what makes you feel alive?
Happy World Ocean Day!
As some of you may already know, I adore being by the ocean. It's calming, good for the soul, and so important to our daily lives.
I went scuba diving for the first time when I was 18, and it blew my mind seeing all the marine life I encountered (so did being able to breathe freely underwater 🤿).
It also made me so incredibly sad to see the amount of litter and plastic that pollutes our oceans.
That's why I am actively reducing my plastic consumption, making better choices everyday for non-toxic living, and helping others do the same.
I recently affiliated with a company that is passionate about the health of our planet and its inhabitants, which obviously include you and me but also the millions of species of wildlife that we get to share this planet with. When we're making healthier lifestyle choices, our oceans and wildlife benefit.
I don't want to live in an age where single-use plastic is acceptable or the key stomach contents of deceased whales 🐋 and turtles 🐢 do you?
Make a positive change for your life, but also for theirs.
DM me "ocean 🌊" if you want to know more about how I can help you make these changes and reduce your plastic consumption.
Good deed of the day 👇🏽
I saw this little bee crawling along the floor in the house, clearly exhausted. I took it out to the porch, gave it some sugary water and left it be (pun intended 😉).
I purposely left the door open so that if it felt more energised, it could easily get out. After about 20 minutes, I went to check on it and it was nowhere to be seen.
If you ever see a tired bee, please try and help it - either put it in some flowers and see if it feeds or offer it some sugary water.
We need bees, and sometimes they might need us 🐝
#SaveTheBees #GoodDeed
Happy International Hyena Day!
Hyenas have a terrible reputation (probably not helped by The Lion King 🤔), and I wasn’t a fan of them until I had the pleasure of volunteering with this beautiful girl last year.
This little lady is a spotted hyena. She taught me that hyenas have personalities, are charismatic, and deserve love and respect, just like all the other animals on this Earth 💛
It made my day seeing her, providing care for her, and hearing her laugh still makes me laugh to this day.
Have you had the chance to volunteer with hyenas? Did it change your perception of them?
#HappyInternationalHyenaDay #Hyenas #Conservation #Volunteer #SpottedHyena #Africa #Volunteering #AnimalLover #NatureLover #AmazingAnimals #InternationalHyenaDay
❌UK legends, I need your help!❌
This week (11th-17th March), GreenPeace has teamed up with Everyday Plastic for The Big Plastic Count.
You sign up as an individual, household or school, and make a record of every single piece of plastic you throw away. This is submitted online, and once the data has been gathered, you get your plastic footprint report and it tells you where the plastic ends up.
This initiative is to apply more pressure on the Government and companies to do more about plastic packaging use.
Did you know:
❌ The UK produces more plastic packaging per person than almost any other country in the world.
❌As of 2021, takeaway hot drink cups couldn’t be recycled in the UK because we don’t have the facilities to. Instead, they get shipped to Portugal.
❌ Almost 2 BILLION (2,000,000,000) pieces of plastic packaging are being thrown away EACH WEEK in the UK - only 12% gets recycled.
That means that approximately 1,760,000,000 pieces of plastic packaging end up anywhere in the world except recycling plants PER WEEK. And that’s just from the UK.
These stats are utterly disgusting. We need to do more, be more aware of our plastic footprint, and reduce our usage as much as possible.
Our oceans are drowning in plastic. It’s killing turtles, whales and an endless list of marine life. It’s skewing the ecosystems and killing wildlife on land too. It’s been found in the human food chain as well.
I recycle as much as I can, and in more recent years have tried to make smarter choices about what I buy and what material the products I purchase are encased in. Starting this today has made me realise just how much plastic we use and how we have such a long way to go to replace it with more suitable eco-friendly alternatives.
Do your bit. If you’re in the UK, please sign up. The more data The Big Plastic Count gathers, the more pressure can be applied to make a change.
👉🏼 https://thebigplasticcount.com/
#TheBigPlasticCount #PlasticPol
✨ Happy International Women’s Day ✨
Today is all about celebrating the matriarchy, our fierce, brave and bold sisters, the motherhood and the sisterhood.
When I think of this, I think of elephants. Grandmothers, aunties, cousins and siblings all help with raising and protecting newborns and young ones. They rely on each other to survive and thrive.
Why wouldn’t we be any different?
If you don’t have women in your life that you can lean on when you need to, find your new tribe. A place where women want to help you grow, succeed, and live a life you love.
Today is for the Queen’s. Be gentle, caring, and delicate, but also be brave, bold, and fierce 💃🏻✨❤️
#InternationalWomensDay #WomenEmpowerment #Matriarchy #Sisterhood #Queens #Tribe #WomenSupportingWomen #Elephants #Support
Whilst I am a sun worshipper and love nothing more than sunbathing on the beach, feeling the sand between my toes and going for a dip in a warm ocean, I genuinely love walking along the beach in the UK in winter (not in my bare feet though 😂). The waves are more dramatic, it’s usually really windy and oh so cold, but it is so refreshing.
I find it puts things into perspective. You’re a tiny dot next to a vast, deep, wonderful, powerful ocean. Those troubles weighing you down? Listen to the waves and let them wash away. The sky reflecting off the water as the tide is going out? Simple but so beautiful. Little birds playing and having a wash? A tiny creature enjoying and living in the moment.
Leave the beach lighter, calmer, and rosy-cheeked (and cleaner - it desperately needs our help!). Find joy in the little things, and be awestruck at the beauty of Mother Nature 🤍
#Beach #Waves #Birds #Calm #Beauty #MotherNature #Power #Travel #Nature #Ocean #Wilderness #BeautifulWorld #MotherNature #SoloTraveller #IntoTheWildWithAlex #JoinMeOnTheJourney #WhereToNext
