My Experience Staying In A Maasai Village For 3 Weeks

The Maasai tribe is one of the oldest tribes in Africa. They are known for maintaining their strong traditions. The Maasai are very proud of their culture and traditions. Even when you see them in the city, the majority of the time they are proudly in their traditional attire.

They are also famous for their dancing, which consists of a type of throat singing, various rhythms and jumping incredibly high. This traditional dance is something you will be guaranteed to see if you are in a touristy area where they are working, or if you go and visit a Maasai village.

To be honest, I have never been one to want to go on tours of peoples villages. I much prefer the more authentic experience of going and staying with locals in the village, that way, I can get the true cultural experience and really get to know them on a more personal level. I have spent time in remote villages in the jungles of Central and South America, as well as villages in Africa. It is one of my absolute favorite past times. You see the village, the culture and the people on a much more intimate level. Being invited to stay in a remote Maasai village in the Tonga region of Tanzania for a few weeks, was a dream come true, and right up my adventure loving alley.

This was the first time they had invited a foreign visitor to this particular village. Knowing that made it even more special for me. This was not a place that was commercialized in any way, and they had to discuss it with each other before the invitation was finalized. There is a massive respect in their community and patriarchy. The elders run the family and the village, along side the chief of course. The night I arrived it was already dark as I had about a 10 hour trip beginning in Dar es Salaam that day. The children were still up and very excited to help me carry all my stuff down the hill to the house. Nobody wanted me to have to carry anything, they immediately wanted to make me feel relaxed and welcome. I made sure to stock up with fresh food for myself and the family that was hosting me while I was in the last town. I could already feel the warm hospitality. This was especially exciting for the children as they never get to see a Muzungu(white person), and now they were elated to have a muzungu special guest. Really though, I was the one who felt so incredibly honored and privileged.

On the property there were 6 houses, and all were family members except for one household, however, even that household was still considered family. The traditional houses are made of mud and manure, with grass roofs. It is actually the women in the village who construct the traditional houses.

The house I stayed in was more modern, it was made of cement and it had a metal roof. The walls are not built to meet the roof, which means there is about a foot gap at the top. That also means there are plenty of creatures that make their way inside. There were no bug nets, and being fresh meat I was getting all kinds of bites. Not so much mosquitoes, but plenty of other bites. I think mainly mites, but whatever they were, they were incredibly itchy, at times very swollen and painful. Bites I have ever experienced in my life. Even my hosts were surprised at the bites showing up on my body.

Speaking of the women, they are total bosses, and they are pros at multitasking.

The children were so excited to have me there, they would show up at my door from the crack of dawn wanting me to play with them and go see the animals. There would always be 5 – 10 children eagerly waiting for me to come out.

One day I came up with the idea to set up a lawn bowling game, and having never bowled, it instantly became their favorite game to play with me. Maasai children are so unique, and I couldn’t help but notice how they live very amazing childhoods. They grow up in a healthy, supportive family environment, they work and have their duties, and they also play a lot. The older ones do go to school as well. Their always happy, and are gifted with a wealth of wisdom that is passed down to them.


The cows are kept right in front of the houses, in a pen that is made from local trees.

The trees are kind of spikey, which acts as a natural barbwire. In the morning, everyone goes out to tend to the animals together, before the men take them out to find pastures to graze in for the day, and the younger boys take the goats out. There is a kind of hierarchy with the animals. The men take care of the cows, the women take care of the chickens and then children take care of the goats. Animals are also currency, so they don’t slaughter them often. Cows are the greatest currency, that is how wealth is determined. If a man wants to marry a woman, he has to offer her family a certain amount of cows.

Because the animals are currency, for that reason they eat primarily vegetarian, and the main staple being ground maize, otherwise known as Ugali. Unless it is a special occasion in which case they will slaughter a cow or a goat. Breakfast is not eaten in the morning, instead we would have a chai made in fresh cow milk taken straight out of the utter, it was so spicy and delicious. I would look forward to it every morning. Lunch and dinner would be Ugali or Rice with a vegetable sauce.

I loved the food so much. Everything was cooked over the fire, and the flavors were always mouth watering.

When it comes to eating, the women eat with the women and the men eat with the men. In fact the women do not want the men to see them eating their meals, so they will go inside the house and close the door halfway. During meal times, the men know not to go in. In the day time, the women work together, and do their duties, and the men do their work and duties with the men. In the night is when the women will spend time with their husbands.

One of the days the women really got me dressed up fancy and were teaching me how to dance. I am not sure who was having more fun when they were dressing me up, them or me?

I felt so honored they wanted to make me feel so welcome, and I actually did feel beautiful how they dressed me up.

There are special occasions where the women will get together in their fancy dress and spend the afternoon dancing. This is another time where the men are not to come around, this is just a time for the women to enjoy and be free in their dancing. They would get very shy if the men were to come around. I was privileged enough to be invited to attend one of the ceremonious days with the ladies, and it was pure magic. The energy was so high, and I was pushed to get right in the middle of the circle and dance numerous times with them. I still have a long way to go before I can move my shoulders as beautifully as they do when they dance. There are other times of celebrations where the community comes together to dance and enjoy, males and females.

It is customary the women shave their heads, they keep themselves very natural, and use beaded jewelry to amplify their natural beauty. They are naturally very beautiful, the Maasai people in general are very beautiful people.

I ended up becoming very close with the women whom were in the family that was hosting me.

Even though none of them spoke English, with my broken Swahili, a lot of sign language and a little google translate(sadly google translate does not have the Maasai language, but it does have Swahili), we would be conversing all day long. They really took me in, and brought me along on to do daily tasks, which for me was amazing.

Every time we went and did something such as going to the water hole to get water, or go and wash laundry, they would always hand me a bucket of water, a bar of soap and they would tell me to go into the bushes and take a bath. It always made me laugh, as nobody else was doing it, but I didn’t mind the extra cool bath in the middle of a scorching hot day. My favorite shower was in the evening when I would get a bucket of hot water off the fire, and I had my bucket bath during the cool night, behind a tarp under the stars.

It is amazing how your appreciation for water grows when it takes work to get it. There are no faucets in the village. There is a donkey, some plastic water containers and a 30 minute walk to the water hole.

It was always a fun adventure going to collect water with the women. I love how in touch with nature they are, they are totally grounded, and I felt grounded just being there. Things are very organized when it comes to water supply. There was one watering hole for the animals and one watering hole for people. There is no mixing waterholes. That aside, they do still have to boil their water before drinking it.

To clean their teeth they use the twig of a plant.

Once cut, they fray the end, and proceed to brush their teeth and gums. This is done in the morning and the night. It clearly works, as they have the most beautiful teeth.

After three weeks of being here, it was really hard to leave. My life has been forever changed by this whole experience. Even they wanted me to stay. In a world full of fear and uncertainties, spending time in a Maasai village, immersed in their beautiful culture reminded me of what is truly important in life. They live a simple life full of happiness. They work together and are always supportive of one another. A very tight knit community. They are not living in fear, they are living in the moment.

There is so much more to this story, and I am so excited to share it in my upcoming book about my unexpected year abroad during the pandemic. Pre-sale will be happening soon, so stay tuned! While you are here, I invite you to watch my Youtube video about my experience.

Have you checked out my new nature inspired merch line? If not, here is the link my lovelies, and don’t forget to use discount code LOVELIFE10 to save 10%.

I Tried Six Forma Facial Treatments And Here Are My Results

Touted as a ‘non-invasive’ facelift, the Forma Facial is a favourite of many A-list celebrities. It uses radio-frequency to target deep in the layers of the skin to improve skin elasticity and help build collagen. Recently, I received 6 forma facials in Calgary, Alberta at Rejuve Your Body which is in Kensington. Rejuve is exactly as the name, the most amazing place to rejuve your whole body. Continue reading I Tried Six Forma Facial Treatments And Here Are My Results

Beating Anxiety, Inflammation And Insomnia With The Best CBD Oil

CBD oil is a hot topic right now. As is anxiety, inflammation, and insomnia. With so many brands popping up in the market, it’s difficult to find a quality one that we can feel confident investing our money in and that gives us the results we are looking for. Continue reading Beating Anxiety, Inflammation And Insomnia With The Best CBD Oil

Waterton National Park – A Southern Alberta Gem

The windiest place in Canada. That is what Waterton National Park is known as being. Having clocked winds of up to 170km an hour. It is also known for its mind-blowing beauty. Prior to this trip, I had no idea of either of those things. How on earth did I not know?! Surely I have been living under a rock. Continue reading Waterton National Park – A Southern Alberta Gem

Volunteering, Community and Connection in Tanzania

Giving back and supporting others – that’s what makes the world go round. In fact, I forgot just how much immersing myself in a different culture, giving back and working alongside the people sets my soul on fire. The sharing of energies in these situations amazing. Continue reading Volunteering, Community and Connection in Tanzania

Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro -The Trek That Changed My Life

Walking up a mountain. No big deal right?
At least one would think it was no big deal until you find yourself immersed in it all and in a very different reality. Continue reading Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro -The Trek That Changed My Life

Northwest Territories – The Land That Lures You

There are some places in this world that hold special places in our hearts. A place that heals us, rejuvenates us and sets us free. These places seem to hold an energizing power over us like none other. Perhaps it is because we match the vibration of the land. Or, perhaps it has been such a part of our life that it seems to be ingrained in our being. Continue reading Northwest Territories – The Land That Lures You

5 tips to simplify your life, live minimally, and feel free

Freedom feels so good. In fact, for myself, it is one of the best feelings in the world. One of the best ways to create more freedom in your life so to simplify your life, and live minimally.

Having and creating more space in your life means you will have more space for new and amazing things to come in. Such as more travel, flexibility to enjoy a little more spontaneity, more money, and peace of mind in general.

Over the years I have downsized more and more. It seems every time I would leave the country to go travelling, I would come home only to downsize even more. Bit by bit my materials became less and less.

Although it is not just about minimizing your materials, it is also about clearing the space in your mind. It all goes hand in hand.  But, by simplifying your life and all the various facets of it, you will free up your whole space, and welcome so much more awesome energy into your life.

By taking actions steps everyday to free up your life, it becomes easier and you naturally become in alignment within yourself. When you are in alignment, life won’t just give you lemons, it will give you the whole lemonade stand and a helper.

Here are 5 tips that have been tried, tested and proven true in my life to simplify and create so much more freedom.

  1. Reduce Clutter – I feel like this is self-explanatory, however, it can be so easy to let things build up, and before you know, there is just stuff all around you. I find that not only does meaningless stuff create stagnant energy in our lives, but it also blocks our creative flow. Anything that is just lying around and taking up space, can go. Unless something it has sentimental value, it is not necessary to keep around. Out the door, it goes for me.
  2. Think Before You Buy – ‘Do I really need this, or do I simply want it?!’ That is the question I so often hear myself saying. We have all done it, seen something shiny and pretty, and decided right on the spot that we had to have it, only to get it and have it accumulate dust. Never to be used, and only to be a space taker. When I come across something I like, that I wasn’t in the market to get, I always have a good think about it first. The majority of the time, I will leave and go think about it for a day or more. If a few days pass and I am still thinking about it, then I will go back and get it, and if it was still there waiting for me, it was meant to be, and if it is gone, then it wasn’t meant to be in my life. That helps keep the clutter down in my life.
  3. Choose Experiences Over Stuff – less stuff means more adventure. I don’t know about you, but I live for adventure and awesome experiences. It is so much more enriching then mass amounts of material stuff. My experiences that I have had around the globe are priceless, and if having less stuff means more of that, then I am in it for the long haul. Plus the less money you spend on stuff the more money you can spend on travel and adventure.
  4. Make A List And Be A Doer – accomplishing things just feels so satisfying. No matter where I am, I love being a doer. When you make a list, it helps you visualize exactly what you want to achieve, and will be a sure way for you not to forget everything, it also pushes you to be a doer. You get things done and don’t let things pile up in life. When you let things pile up, it wears a person down, as you are always in a stress state of having way too much to do. Placing those check marks beside the things you finished, feels so good.
  5. Forgive And Release – emotional clutter is a thing. When we hold on to negative feelings or resentment, it holds us back and stops the flow in our life. A lot of time it’s about forgiving ourselves over others. It is so easy to be hard on ourselves, blaming ourselves for our hardships, putting ourselves down for not being as far along in our pursuits as we would like. Also, when we feel others have wronged us, and purposely did negative things towards us, it is all too easy to point fingers and hang onto anger and resentment towards them. The reality is, these feeling are truly only hurting ourselves. By forgiving and releasing the situation, whether it is towards yourself or someone else, and doing it sincerely and from your heart, you open a massive space for amazing energy to flow into your life. That doesn’t mean you need to keep anyone in your life that is holding you down, but you can still forgive and let it go. Total freedom is what lies on the other side of holding on.

When you create space in your life for more freedom, whether that is time freedom, mental freedom, emotional freedom, financial freedom, and so on – whatever it is that freedom is to you, you open up your energy space to many more wonders of life. When you are not bogged down by clutter in all it’s various forms, you then are standing up tall and reeling in the highest and most fulfilling life you can imagine.

For me, I love having the freedom to pack up at the drop of a hat and go explore the world. I love having the freedom to go and help people when they are in need, and I love to have the mental freedom to enjoy life to the fullest.

Freedom, feels amazing.

Easy, healthy, anywhere in the world – Flax Tortilla

I absolutely love nothing more than taking care of my body. Well, I actually love a lot of things in life, and that just happens to be one of the tops! It is so vital that we love and nurture our bodies, as they do so much for us, and the better we take care of our body the better it will take care of us. Especially in times of illness. If you love and nurture your body daily, it will bounce back from unforeseen illness so much faster.

No joke, travelling the globe I have experienced some seriously crappy travel illnesses. Something you can’t really get away from when travelling. Plus, just being home in the city also brings about some bugs. So, regardless of where I am, I prefer to keep my immune system in extra good shape, that way, in turn, my body is stronger and can naturally be healthy, vibrant and awesome.

Not to mention, when it comes to food, I like it to be easy, and tasty!! Something I can do anywhere and anytime. Travelling, camping, at home. You name it, I like to always have the ability to bring health and wellness to the table.

This flax tortilla is incredibly tasty and so easy to make.

All you need is 3 things.

  • Ground Flax Seed
  • Salt
  • Water

For this one tortilla, I used about 3/4 cup of ground flax seed, a dash of salt and about 1/4 cup of water.

You can also add any spices or herbs that you would like to change up the flavour. What can I say?! So versatile.

Once you mix it up, roll it in a ball, and let it sit for a couple of minutes while the pan heats up, then place it in the pan and use the back of a spoon to flatten it out gently.

I say gently as it will break if you are too rough, but if you are gentle, it will flatten super easily.

Cook both sides until golden brown, and then add your choice of toppings. Voila! You have an incredibly tasty morsel, chalked full of Omega 3’s, fibre and antioxidants.

I change my topping’s all the time. This time around I put, organic grass fed cream cheese, avocado, cherry tomato and fresh mint.

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It’s even better when combining it with a fresh smoothie.

So easy to make, and even easier to get addicted too. Here’s to glowing, no matter where in the world you are.

10 Truths About Solo Travel

Discovering new destinations and far-off lands. Immersing yourself in a totally new culture and language. Living every day as the new adventure that it is. All while on your own terms, on your own journey of discovery, which doesn’t only mean places, but it also means of ‘Self’. That is what solo travel is all about.

I personally love solo travel more than anything else. For me, it’s where I connect with myself and the world on the deepest level. It’s a time where you will be pushed so far out of your element, that you have no choice but to grow and transform.

My solo travels have taken me around Central and South America, across the Amazon, throughout Africa from South Africa to Egypt, all around Europe and on my own home soil of Canada.

Through it all, you do tend to learn a few things, and a bit more.

Here are 10 truths that I have learned from my life experiences of solo travel.

1. Booking The Flight Is The Hardest Part – yes you read that right. The majority of the time we can think too much about that solo trip that we yearn to take. The new destination that we want to discover. All while doing exactly that. Just thinking about it. Once you take that step of booking your ticket, you suddenly just solidified the trip. The rest is just details now. You’re doing it! You’re going on your solo adventure.

2. You Will Be Challenged – let’s be real here. If you are taking yourself completely out of your comfort zone, away from everyone and everything that you know, you will absolutely be challenged. It’s a whole new ballpark out there. Challenge is amazing though and is best received when welcomed. If you remind yourself that through a challenge is where you become a better version of yourself, then there is nowhere to go but up. To live boldly is to accept a challenge, and use it as a catapult to the next amazing step of your life.  With or without solo travel, life will be challenging. Plus, you can pick easier destinations for your solo trip. Ease your way into it. I chose the most difficult because I am always looking for a new challenge.

3. You Will Develop Your Intuition – it’s true, you and that little voice that you often ignore in your day to day life, will suddenly become best friends. As the way, it should be. Your intuition knows what’s going on, and it will never steer you wrong. When you are navigating through new and foreign lands, you will learn very fast that you best be listening to your inner voice. It is your built-in compass. Developing your intuition will continue to be a tool that strengthens the rest of your life. This is a massive gift you will receive from solo travel.

4. You Will Get To Know Yourself Very Well – when it is just you and the open road of adventure, you have no one to lean on but yourself. At times things will be amazing, other times tough, and regardless of what situation presents itself, you will only have YOU to get on with it. Celebrating the highs and lows. You will come to know yourself very deeply. How you feel, how you react, what you truly like and dislike. It’s incredible. It is also a gift you will receive from solo travel. The gift that will keep on giving.

5. You Will Not Be Lonely – as opposed to what a lot of people think, travelling solo is not lonely at all. In fact, when you are alone, you are so open to everything, that you easily meet people. So much easier then when you are travelling with others, as when you are with others, you tend to get in your bubble and meet a lot fewer people. When I am alone, I meet not just other travellers, but so many more locals. They always invite me places, show me off the beaten track things, and I find I get the real cultural experience of the country in this way. I have so many more opportunities that present themselves when I am alone. Funny enough, you meet so many people when you are solo, it can be hard to get time to be SOLO.

6. Hostels Are A Great Place To Stay – let’s just say if you ever do find yourself actually feeling a tad lonely, then just go check into a hostel. You will make new friends immediately in any hostel. There are dorm rooms for the tight budget or private rooms if you prefer your privacy. I have stayed in plenty of stunningly beautiful and immaculately clean hostels in my time. Travel books and websites will always rate hostels, just as they do hotels, so you will have a good idea of what you will be arriving at. Many times over I have met amazing travel buddies at hostels, who are going in the same direction as me, so we team up to travel together for a bit. I have actually met some of my lifelong best friends in hostels.

7. When You Are Alone, People Will Go Out Of Their Way To Help You – that is after they question you if you are crazy for travelling alone. I have had that questions posed to me SO many times, particularly in third world countries where even the locals feel unsafe a lot of the time. Always, you will have people looking out for you when you are solo, making sure you are safe, that you get to your destination, that you are not getting ripped off. It’s truly amazing the beauty you will see in humanity when you are on a solo trip.

8. Single Supplement Costs Are Higher – yes, yes they are. If you are travelling with people you then are able to split costs of taxi’s, rooms, and get group costs on excursions. However, if I am craving ‘me time’ and just wanting to bask in my own company, then that is priceless and worth every extra penny so my vibes get recharged and remain high as heck.

9. If You Are A Solo Female, You Will Receive A lot Of Extra Male Attention – this is also depending on what continent you are on. Europe and North America are generally fine, but the catcalls in Central and South America can be a bit much, and the attention in Africa, will for sure become mentally exhausting. If you just take it all with a grain of salt, keep alert and level-headed, with a positive demeanour, and just remember it is truly just all part of the experience, then you will be just fine.

10. It Will Be The Most Freeing Experience Of Your Life – it’s like spread your wings and fly baby! Seriously, solo travel is a whole new realm. It’s all about you and what you want. Where you want to go, what you want to see, and what you want to eat. Sometimes in life, if only for a brief moment, it is so important to just DO YOU. That is what you get when you travel solo. A nice chunk of time where nothing else matters but you and spreading your awesome high vibes everywhere you go. You will get a taste of freedom like none other, and your eyes will be opened to the importance of finding and creating a bit of freedom in your everyday life. Soul food.

If you have never taken a solo trip in your life, then I highly recommend doing so.  Potentially you will find solo travel isn’t your thing, and you will decide that in the future you will only do group trips. Or perhaps like me, you will be feeling like ‘this is your jam’. Either way, I can guarantee you will come back from it with a stronger mindset, a deeper connection within yourself, a friendship with your intuition and some darn good stories.

The truth is, no matter how solo our trip may be, we are never truly alone.

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