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Amy Chen

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Solo Trip 2016: Arizona (Part 4/4)

September 2, 2016

I nearly missed my flight out of Seattle (due to sleeping past my alarm by an hour) - but luckily I made it just in time! 

I had planned to sleep on the flight, but ended up having a great conversation with the girl next to me (who also almost missed takeoff). Her name was Chelsea, a Washington state native - and she told me that it was only her second time flying ever (which I could relate to - this being my first ever solo trip). She offered me a piece of gum, which I gladly took - because I certainly didn't have time to brush my teeth before leaving Amanda's apartment haha. We were both dying of thirst, and agreed we would definitely be taking up that free complimentary water once the flight attendants brought it around. When we landed, neither of us was prepared for the blast of 116 degree dry heat. (It was both of our first times in Arizona).

Immediately, I went to the bathroom to change into shorts and flip flops LOL. And not to sound like a sissy, but I also made a stop at the Starbucks in the airport because I desperately wanted something cold to drink. I couldn't believe how much cheaper my drink was (compared to NY). I found that over the course of the next few days - EVERYTHING seemed to be cheaper - and everyone was so nice.

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In wanderlust Tags solo trip 2016, solo travel, arizona, scottsdale, phoenix, grand canyon

Solo Trip 2016: Seattle (Part 3/4)

August 19, 2016

Seattle is the most popular connection for all domestic Alaska flights - so naturally, because I had never been to Seattle before - I decided to make the most of that inevitable stop. It was a similar experience to the one I had back in San Francisco because I was only there for a short time (1 day), and in that short time I tried to pack in seeing, doing, and eating as much as humanly possible. 

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In wanderlust Tags solo trip 2016, solo travel, travel, seattle, washington
amy_chen_design_alaska_1.jpg

Solo Trip 2016: Alaska (Part 2/4)

August 12, 2016

After San Francisco, it was off to ALASKA! Earlier, I talked about why I took this trip - and having this strong desire to stretch my comfort zone. Alaska did just that (and so much more). It was pretty ballsy (for me) to travel there solo, but it was truly a life changing experience.

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In wanderlust Tags solo trip 2016, solo travel, travel, alaska, anchorage, seward, palmer

Solo Trip 2016: San Francisco - (Part 1/4)

July 29, 2016

My first stop on my solo trip itinerary was San Francisco! I had never been to California before (this was my first time) - and I am SO glad I chose San Francisco to be my first "taste" of CA. I only had one day here, and I certainly packed in as much as humanly possible, (in true "amyventures" fashion). ;)

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In wanderlust Tags solo trip 2016, solo travel, travel, san francisco, california

Real Talk: Why You Need to Go On That Solo Trip RN (And Some Tips On How To Do It)

July 22, 2016

Hello... it's me! *cue Adele*

I know it's been quite awhile since you've heard from me on here, but I am BACK!! (and have so much to tell you!)

For the last couple months, I've been in quite a rut - feeling stuck and unsure what my next move should be. I felt uninspired, and lost my motivation / desire to write and generally create. Although for awhile I did stick to publishing one post a week - that trailed off when I felt I wasn't producing valuable content for you guys anymore. Instead of forcing myself to crank stuff out that I wasn't feeling or beating myself up for going off course, I took the time to acknowledge what my body needed - a damn break. I knew I was at the point of really needing to take a leap of faith of some kind. I took it upon myself to do something I've never done before: take a solo trip. It's been something I've been wanting to do since graduating over 2 years ago, and I finally scraped together enough money (and guts) to do it for myself. And I'm SO glad I did - because the experience was LIFE CHANGING.

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In real talk, wanderlust Tags travel, solo travel, solo trip 2016

AMYVENTURES

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Recess in Cape May
Recess in Cape May
about 2 months ago
Strawberry Picking, Peony Peeping, Park Frolicking
Strawberry Picking, Peony Peeping, Park Frolicking
about 3 months ago
Spring Things
Spring Things
about 4 months ago
Cemetery Season: Poetry Month + The Grief of April
Cemetery Season: Poetry Month + The Grief of April
about 5 months ago
Solo Day Trip to Seaside Heights
Solo Day Trip to Seaside Heights
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Reframing a "Mundane Chore" as an Adventure: Visiting a New Grocery Store
Reframing a "Mundane Chore" as an Adventure: Visiting a New Grocery Store
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Creating In Community
Creating In Community
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A Sunny Sunday for the Soul in NYC
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Christmas Cookies 2024
about 8 months ago
5 Life Lessons From The Garden
5 Life Lessons From The Garden
about 12 months ago

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@AMYVENTURES
fall is in the air and chilly nights are here - which means tis the season for warm and cozy dinners again πŸ˜‹πŸ‚πŸ

I’ve been making this curry noodle recipe on repeat using veggies & herbs from the garden (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, zucch
the summer I turned (half the backyard) pretty πŸ˜†(and into a sunflower field) πŸ₯ΉπŸŒ»β˜€οΈ

why re-plant grass when you can have flowers instead? πŸ™ƒ I’ve loved studying the way the sun hits them throughout different times of the day and seeing all th
mid august abundance from the garden πŸ₯Ή I always love taking an annual bounty photo when the biggest variety of things are growing and that time is now βœ¨πŸ‘©πŸ»‍πŸŒΎπŸ…πŸ†πŸ₯’πŸŒ»πŸŒΆοΈ

extra grateful for it all this year because flashback to this spring I wa
been wanting to bake blueberry cornbread muffins for what feels like weeks and finally did yesterday πŸ˜‹πŸ«πŸŒ½ used @thefullhelping’s vegan recipe & topped with leftover crumb topping I had from a fruit crisp ✨ some things are worth turning th
hammered some of the flowers in my garden onto watercolor paper for fun 😍 new favorite way to preserve the season unlocked 🌼

#flowerpounding #flowerhammering #tatakizome #hapazome #ecoprinting #gardening #flowerprint #plantdye #naturaldye #summer
the most fun day πŸ₯Ή started off with the special TSOU blueberry matchas from @theelknyc and a couple treats from @libraebakery 🫐πŸ₯πŸ΅ (fuel for a crafternoon spent making our shirts for the night βœ‚οΈ) we finished them just in time πŸ˜… grabbed a couple
happy #nationalicecreamday πŸ˜šπŸ¦πŸ“βœ¨

#icecream #summer #jerseycollective #strawberryicecream #icecreamshop
summer arrivals @shopamyventures πŸŒžπŸšβ›΅οΈπŸβœ¨

#shopsmall #vintagehome #etsyvintage #summer
my last stop in cape may was @gooddeedsmarket to pick up a couple new @inciardi mini prints for my growing collection πŸ₯² regretted not bringing more quarters (and had to break a $20 πŸ˜…), but was so excited to see a different collection of prints avai
first beachcombing haul of the season 🧜‍β™€οΈπŸšπŸŒž

#capemay #capemaynj #jerseycollective #southjerseyadventures #jerseyshore #summer #beachcombing #beachcombingfinds
some more from @takearecess in cape may 🌞 (take me back) 

icymi: my code “amyventures” now gets you 25% off for a limited time thru June 27 πŸΉπŸ’¦πŸ“ (15% off after that)

** I make a small commission off of every purchase made through thi
took a recess to cape may yesterday in celebration of the summer solstice 😎

started at higbee beach (took some fun photos for @takearecess 🌾, had a picnic lunch πŸ“, and beach combed 🐚), stopped at the lighthouse (because I always have to say hi t
strawberry picking and everything I made with said strawberries now on substack βœ¨πŸ“βœ¨ (link in bio)

#strawberries #strawberrypicking #pyostrawberries #upickstrawberries #jerseycollective #longvalley #longvalleynj #northjerseyadventures #strawberryrec
fall is in the air and chilly nights are here - which means tis the season for warm and cozy dinners again πŸ˜‹πŸ‚πŸ

I’ve been making this curry noodle recipe on repeat using veggies & herbs from the garden (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, zucch
a beautiful night enjoying golden hour at @riamedefarm earlier this week πŸ˜πŸŽβ˜€οΈ 

founded in 1952, Riamede is the oldest PYO apple orchard in NJ with 54 varieties growing on the historic property (owner Ashley & her team work hard to preserve its
the summer I turned (half the backyard) pretty πŸ˜†(and into a sunflower field) πŸ₯ΉπŸŒ»β˜€οΈ

why re-plant grass when you can have flowers instead? πŸ™ƒ I’ve loved studying the way the sun hits them throughout different times of the day and seeing all th
some scenes from my favorite place to be in august… home in the garden with the dogs πŸ₯ΉπŸ‘πŸŒ±πŸ…πŸŒ»πŸ‘©πŸ»‍🌾🐾✨

#summer #august #garden #njgardening #njinbloom #jerseycollective #njisallgood #homegarden #home
ending summer the same way I started it (with @takearecess) πŸŒžπŸΉπŸŒ»πŸ’¦βœ¨

my code “amyventures” gets you 20% off through 9/2 for labor day weekend 🫢

https://app.devotion.club/brand/recess/amyventures

#takearecess #nonalcoholic #mocktail #
mid august abundance from the garden πŸ₯Ή I always love taking an annual bounty photo when the biggest variety of things are growing and that time is now βœ¨πŸ‘©πŸ»‍πŸŒΎπŸ…πŸ†πŸ₯’πŸŒ»πŸŒΆοΈ

extra grateful for it all this year because flashback to this spring I wa been wanting to bake blueberry cornbread muffins for what feels like weeks and finally did yesterday πŸ˜‹πŸ«πŸŒ½ used @thefullhelping’s vegan recipe & topped with leftover crumb topping I had from a fruit crisp ✨ some things are worth turning th
the most magical moment with a monarch butterfly this morning πŸ˜­πŸ¦‹πŸ§‘βœ¨ can’t believe it didn’t fly away and we got to hang out for a bit πŸ₯Ή

#jerseycollective #monarch #monarchbutterfly #summer #njisallgood #njisntboring #glimmer
hammered some of the flowers in my garden onto watercolor paper for fun 😍 new favorite way to preserve the season unlocked 🌼

#flowerpounding #flowerhammering #tatakizome #hapazome #ecoprinting #gardening #flowerprint #plantdye #naturaldye #summer the most fun day πŸ₯Ή started off with the special TSOU blueberry matchas from @theelknyc and a couple treats from @libraebakery 🫐πŸ₯πŸ΅ (fuel for a crafternoon spent making our shirts for the night βœ‚οΈ) we finished them just in time πŸ˜… grabbed a couple happy #nationalicecreamday πŸ˜šπŸ¦πŸ“βœ¨

#icecream #summer #jerseycollective #strawberryicecream #icecreamshop
take me back πŸ₯²

#capemay #capemaynj #capemaypoint #capemaybeach #jerseycollective #southjerseyadventures #summer
summer arrivals @shopamyventures πŸŒžπŸšβ›΅οΈπŸβœ¨

#shopsmall #vintagehome #etsyvintage #summer my last stop in cape may was @gooddeedsmarket to pick up a couple new @inciardi mini prints for my growing collection πŸ₯² regretted not bringing more quarters (and had to break a $20 πŸ˜…), but was so excited to see a different collection of prints avai first beachcombing haul of the season 🧜‍β™€οΈπŸšπŸŒž

#capemay #capemaynj #jerseycollective #southjerseyadventures #jerseyshore #summer #beachcombing #beachcombingfinds some more from @takearecess in cape may 🌞 (take me back) 

icymi: my code “amyventures” now gets you 25% off for a limited time thru June 27 πŸΉπŸ’¦πŸ“ (15% off after that)

** I make a small commission off of every purchase made through thi
the only way to survive the heatwave for the next few days is with this strawberry rose coconut mint mocktail πŸ˜ŒπŸ“πŸΉπŸŒΏπŸ₯₯🌹

blended up frozen strawberries with coconut water & a small sprig of mint, topped it off with @takearecess strawberry rose
took a recess to cape may yesterday in celebration of the summer solstice 😎

started at higbee beach (took some fun photos for @takearecess 🌾, had a picnic lunch πŸ“, and beach combed 🐚), stopped at the lighthouse (because I always have to say hi t
nothing more satisfying than a good matcha pour 😌 

thickened strawberry juices, vanilla soy milk, coconut whip, matcha, + ice πŸ‘ŒπŸ“πŸ΅πŸ₯₯✨

#matcha #matchalatte #strawberryseason #strawberrymatcha #summer #sweettreat
strawberry picking and everything I made with said strawberries now on substack βœ¨πŸ“βœ¨ (link in bio)

#strawberries #strawberrypicking #pyostrawberries #upickstrawberries #jerseycollective #longvalley #longvalleynj #northjerseyadventures #strawberryrec

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