Sometimes I’ve felt pressure to make this account more “Instagram”-my, for lack of a better word. More manicured shots, more trending reels and photos to fit the algorithm. If I see a type of content I like and think will be useful, I will of course share similar things. But I feel like…there are so many beautiful accounts you can follow that have that IG “look”. It’s not what I want to do here, even if it means less followers or likes. I want to show travel, working in the creative industries, and life in general in a more unfiltered way. Don’t get me wrong, if I’m in a great photo shoot I will 100% share that occasionally because who doesn’t want to share “damn I look amazing done up like this” photos? But in a world full of increasingly unrealistic and unattainable seeming visuals, in a world where I see so many people, especially women, feeling like they will never live up to a projected or imagined life that isn’t actually real…I just want this space to stay this way. So here’s the truth: this has been an amazing trip, I also realized my back and my legs are hurting because I haven’t been working out and walking insane distances, but I highly, HIGHLY, recommend these cities. I’m starting to miss my dog. I also realized most of the time you’re walking around in cold, windy weather, you will look messed up and not your best because warmth and practicality wins the day up here in subzero temps, and snowy wind hitting your face is just never gonna go great for your hair and skin. And that’s life! Also, even though I’ve overall had an amazing time, the downside to freelance/creative work (even with all its perks) is that I still have trouble setting boundaries with work worries and time, and I let it affect me even when I swore I would give myself a week to relax. I wish I could get better at that, but it’s so hard when “work” doesn’t have definitive start and end times/l and specific locations. If you have tips that have helped you, please, let me know! #dametraveler #travelstoke #beautifuldestinations #latvia #wintertravel #realtalk #visitlatvia #riga #rīga