The Middle East

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ABU DHABI – WHERE THE OLD RESIDES PEACEFULLY BESIDE THE NEW

ABU DHABI – WHERE THE OLD RESIDES PEACEFULLY BESIDE THE NEW

Apr 15, 2018

As many may already know, the Islamic religion dictates everything from the way people worship to what they eat, wear and drink. Although the culture of the UAE is inextricably linked to Islam, Abu Dhabi is a truly shining example of Islam's commitment to hospitality...

MY EXPERIENCE WITH MUSLIMS IN DUBAI

MY EXPERIENCE WITH MUSLIMS IN DUBAI

Apr 4, 2017

Today, as I'm sure you're well aware, we are currently living in a world that is screaming constant social alienation and hatred to people that have particular religious beliefs. It's an extremely disheartening and deeply concerning climate that we're faced with, that finding positive stories...

DUBAI, THE CITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT

DUBAI, THE CITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT

Jul 11, 2016

Dubai is such an overwhelming place; a city in the middle of the desert with overlapping roadways, the highest building in the world and temperature that makes you sweat as soon as you hit the outside air. In the eyes of someone who has never...

Girl in red beanie looking at camera with mountains in the distance

Welcome to Travel for Difference!
Inside the mind of a compassionate, eco-conscious, environmental activist! Standing up for things that matter and inspiring you along the way. Come and join me ♡

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  • Magic moments with the world’s most beautiful deer 🦌 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Wildlife photography is an aspect of my life that I find deeply fulfilling; it reminds me of how lucky I am to share this Earth with so many diverse species, how privileged I am to be able to capture such special moments, and how vital it is that I do my part to protect and preserve what I can. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Wildlife photography is what fills my heart and drives me to be creative. I’d love to know what it is that fills yours... 🥰
  • AMAZON FIRES, VEGANISM AND PRIVILEGE 💭 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Over the last few days, social media has been hammered with one particular call to action in regards to saving the Amazon rainforest... “Go Vegan”. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’ve written about this before, but it’s important to say it again... Before you speak about the topic of food, you have to (and I mean really REALLY have to) recognize the privilege you have in being able to pick and choose what you put on your plate. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I don’t eat meat and I eat locally grown + seasonal food because I’m privileged enough to have the time, money, health, location, ability (etc) to make that decision. But for millions, food isn’t a matter of choice, it’s a matter of access. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There’s literally an entire system based on racism, inequality, exploitation and white supremacy blocking people from having the choice (among other things), and screaming that their actions are killing the planet isn’t going to help. Words matter, action matters, but finger pointing isn’t it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Encouraging people to reduce their impact is incredible (don’t get me wrong here, it IS important) but it’s only effective if you clearly put “IF YOU HAVE THE PRIVILEGE AND ACCESS TO” somewhere in the mix. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our activism NEEDS to focus on dismantling the factors that cause there to be barriers, otherwise I’m afraid it’s totally missing the point. Remember, THINK HOLISTICALLY! Nothing is black and white, and there’s a bucket load of systematic and structural issues that need to be addressed first and foremost. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you are privileged enough to be conscious of what you eat, by all means do what you can and I will be right there with you. But please don’t belittle people without taking other circumstances into account (or just don’t do it at all)... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s harmful, unethical and deeply ineffective in this messy long-term fight. Keep being kind and let’s get to work ♥️
  • Pondering life... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I like to think that if this wise monkey could speak our language, he would tell us to “stop trying to find the forest and just enjoy the trees” 🌳 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Trying to calm my overthinking mind isn’t always an easy task, but through difficult times I’ve learnt how to always move forward with a very full (but privileged) heart. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ No matter whether you’re anxious about the climate crisis, dealing with personal struggles, or just trying to figure out life... Always remember that when life throws dirt at you, you have the ability to turn it into a garden 🌸 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Take a deep breath, step outside, look up at the stars, and fill your heart with love. I’ve got this, you’ve got this, we’ve all bloody got this ♥️
  • HERE’S WHAT I’VE LEARNED THIS WEEK: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ♥️ We need 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 hugs a day for maintenance, and 12 hugs a day for growth... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🐅 India’s tiger population has doubled in the last 12 years - a #wildlifeconservation win! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🐢 Sea turtles can hold their breath for up to 7 hours. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 💪🏼 I am strong; so much stronger than I often believe myself to be. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🌳 Ethiopia has planted 2.6 BILLION trees in just over 2 months! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🌊 Oysters are the natural cleaners of the sea! One oyster alone can filter toxic chemicals and pollutants from more than 200 liters of water per day. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🙏🏼 The world is filled with nice people, if you can’t find one... Be one. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What did you learn this week? Learnings inspired by @ethicallykate as always 💫
  • BEING A RESPECTFUL TOURIST 🌎 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A reminder from me to you... Take the time to learn about other cultures WITHOUT putting your views into the mix. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Open your mind, remove your ideologies and strip it right back to the core. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Even if it makes you uncomfortable, even if it’s totally different to everything you’ve been taught in the past, and ESPECIALLY if there are aspects that you don’t necessarily agree with... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In order to connect, you need to understand. Listen, learn and ALWAYS be kind. Diversity is the most beautiful thing, you just need to open your heart to see it ♥️
  • Animals will teach you one BIG valuable lesson: LIVE IN THE PRESENT! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ From climate change to my personal life, overthinking is basically my middle name... But observing animals encourages me to throw all of that away 🌱 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ They don’t dwell on the past or fret about the future, they just live simply and deeply in the present. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Sometimes I think so hard about life that I forget to live it... But hey, I’m working on it, and I hope you will too ♥️
  • IF WE WANT TO SURVIVE WE NEED ALL SPECIES TO THRIVE 🌎 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @allconsidered shared a beautiful quote today that goes something like this - “Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife, are in fact plans to protect man” 🌱 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We are ALL connected; the birds, the bees, the flowers and the trees (😜)... And human kind too! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Each species plays an important role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem, and if we don’t have that, nature itself will crumble. So remember, if YOU want to survive, we need all species to THRIVE 🌟 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ PS. You guys know how much I love #wildlifephotography... And I think this might be one of my favourite photos yet ♥️
  • HERE’S WHAT I LEARNT LAST WEEK: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 💤 I do not function well on little sleep. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ♥️ My FAVOURITE thing about social media is being able to maintain human connection from opposite sides of the planet... Life is beautiful! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🦷 Leeches have 300 teeth. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🌲 City life will NEVER be for me; I’m my best self when I’m surrounded by nature. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🛳 One cruise ship produces as much pollution as an entire city - and your carbon footprint triples as soon as you step foot on one... (Thank you for sharing @hazaarthebazaar!) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🌎 It would take 1.75 Earths to sustainably meet the current demands of humanity. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🌱 Sustainability will never be sustainable unless it comes with holistic thinking. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🐟 Some fish eggs can hatch AFTER being digested by a swan. Then they get pooped out alive... 💩 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🥰 It takes strength to be kind and gentle in a world that pressures you to be ‘tough’. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What did YOU learn last week? Learnings inspired by @ethicallykate as always! 💫
  • Sustainability is a big part of my life, but recently I haven’t had the urge to share it... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’m still an activist, I’m still being kind to the planet, I’m still participating in #plasticfreejuly, I’m still aligning my actions with my beliefs... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But I’m just not constantly posting it on social media, and it feels pretty fab ♥️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I have no doubt that my love of sharing my knowledge will come back soon, but right now I’m enjoying living in the present, planning amazing adventures, focusing on myself and human connection, being an activist behind closed doors, and sharing when I want to... NOT because I feel like I have to. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you ever have this urge, please listen to it! Put your phone down, follow your heart... In this digital world where we share so much, there’s so much beauty in having moments that only YOU experience! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Enjoy it friends, life is even more beautiful when you look beyond the screen 🥰
  • YOU ARE THE PRODUCT OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT 💭 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “Your diet is not only what you eat. It’s what you watch, what you listen to, what you read, the people you hang around. Be mindful of the things you put in your body, emotionally, physically and spiritually” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A message from me to you friends... Be conscious of what you consume! Surround yourself with people that make you feel good and do things that make you feel alive 🌟 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Change your ‘diet’ and you’ll change your life. Remember that ♥️
  • I went to Nepal with one mindset, and returned home with another. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I feel DEEPLY, and sometimes things hit me when I least expected it. Before I went to Nepal I thought I was clear on what I wanted out of life, but now I’ve learnt that you can really never be certain. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Things change and life throws curve balls, but there’s one thing I know for sure... The mountains are calling 🏔♥️
  • IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE ☀️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ My heart is filled with so much love and gratitude at the moment; for dreamy sunsets, for new friends, for new adventures, and for this beautiful Earth I’m so lucky to call home. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Life seriously is so beautiful, and I don’t think enough people take the time to recognize it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So today (and everyday), I want you to stop and think about what you’re grateful for... We’re wandering around on a spinning planet, sharing it with so many different species and being treated to countless magical moments. My list is endless ♥️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Go outside, feel the earth between your toes, feel the sun on your skin, connect with new people, smile, embrace the present moment... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s the little things in life that are often the most beautiful 🥰

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