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Spin the Globe Project

Inspiring adventurous souls and socially conscious hearts

Kenya

Home Blog Travel Africa Kenya

Showing: 1 - 2 of 2 RESULTS

A Day in the Kibera Slums

updated on December 22, 2020April 17, 20151 Comment on A Day in the Kibera Slums

2 Days Itinerary in Nairobi Kenya

updated on February 12, 2021November 30, 20140 Comment on 2 Days Itinerary in Nairobi Kenya

About Me

Welcome! I’m Anna, a nomadic storyteller with an appetite for adventure and a passion for social justice and sustainability. Hence why I backpacked around the globe solo, traveled in a tiny home on wheels for 4 years, and now I’m based out of a small off-grid house building a sustainable farmstead.

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Instagram

I’ve put a lot into this app over the years. I’ve poured my heart into my captions. I’ve invested hours editing pictures, and then later, stories, and now reels, as this space evolves and its algorithms demand new things.

I did it despite the fact that I could never quite crack the code to earning an income on here.

& this app, and the people on it have made me feel all sorts of ways. It’s made me feel untrendy, angry, sad, jealous even. Worst of all, it’s made me feel less than.

Granted it has brought me a lot of positivity too. I’ve gotten partnership and job opportunities, made friends, and found infinite inspiration.

My favorite part has been that it feels like a personal photo diary. If you’re old enough (or young enough) to know what LiveJournal and OpenDiary are, then you might understand, but I was a very active participant on those early social media like platforms.

I used to sneak onto our family computer at night, tip-toeing to the library so my mom wouldn’t hear me, wait for the internet to dial up, and log all my deepest thoughts and poems for the world to bear witness.

Then MySpace came around, and I loved curating my corner of the internet to various crevices of my personality. It made me feel heard to have a stranger in Oklahoma or London comment with encouragement.

Since then, social media has changed dramatically. For better and worse, it has become intertwined with our lives, blurring lines between likes and worthiness.

And now, finally, I’m getting offered a small financial compensation for my time on this app (of course it’s only if I produce reels, and they get a lot of views).

YouTube has paid their content creators from the start, but despite that, I have always gravitated to these squares to speak my truths in both written and photographic forms. And while I would rather get paid for THAT, if it must be reels, fine.

But I will have it my way too. I will still pour my soul into my captions, and post the photos that make me happy, and tell the stories I want to remember in the years to come. Wether the algorithm rewards me or not, I will use this app for me, & not just what Instagram wants of me.

📍Land of the Timbisha Shoshone

Once upon a time, Ryan and I were on our second da

Once upon a time, Ryan and I were on our second date (a 10 mile hike to a glacier), and as we were swapping stories and sharing dreams, we realized we both had a desire to build and live in a tiny house on some acreage where we could grow our own food.

Flash forward a year and some change, and we bought a not quite “tiny” but very small off grid house on 5 acres to plant some roots. Over the year we’ve had our little slice of earth, we’ve been plotting how we can turn it into an eco-glamping retreat with animals. So we could use it as a source of income, share our remote and beautiful high desert mountain views with others, and bring people to us (since we’re so far from them).

So when I stumbled upon this stunning luxury tiny house retreat on Airbnb, I jumped at the opportunity to soak up the inspiration and relax there.

This lovely tiny ranch style Shangri-La is situated on 10 acres of rolling green hills with a pond, horses and goats. Oh and as you can see, there is an outdoor bathtub in a little zen garden off the deck. This sunset soak was just the cherry on top of an incredible two days of petting goats, feeding horses, watching geese land on water, and unwinding in this paradise.

We filmed a tour of the tiny house and grounds, which we will be uploading to YouTube sometime next month, but I still wanted to share this place with you before then.

If you’re in need of a relaxing getaway, look no further than this idyllic and unique retreat in Ione, California.

📍@ravenbearranch

This last week has been filled with sunshine and s

This last week has been filled with sunshine and spontaneous adventures, and it’s been exactly what I needed. I feel so incredibly lucky to have this little family and be living the life we’ve created for ourselves. I’m on a bit of a high going through pictures of all that we’ve done so far on this road trip. I almost forgot about the mold, and the brakes breaking, and the battery charging issues we had.

I guess in this moment of what feels like some kind of perfection, I wanted to pause to say something that I think is vital.

Even in my happiest and most exciting times, I compare my life to other people’s (once when I was scuba diving with manta rays in Thailand, I saw a photo of someone in Antarctica encountering Emperor Penguins, and I suddenly felt this pang of jealousy).

I say this to say, that incase you ever look at my photos and feel anything close to that, I just want to remind you that I spent about a year and a half total from the age of 26-30 living at my mom’s house to save money while I built out my van, then remodeled my van, and worked on her political campaigns, and built the foundation that would lead to the freedom of my current life.

There were many “failures” that happened in that timeframe that I’m still not brave enough to broadcast publicly.

Then I spent most of my 30th year hibernating, rarely leaving the house or changing out of my pajamas. A lot of that was pandemic related, but still, it was my reality.

Now, I finally feel like all those moments of feeling like a failure of sorts, have paid off. All those days spent depriving myself of vitamin D, exercise, and living a “glamorous” life, have led to this.

A life where I wake up next to my best friend and we can do whatever we want everyday, we get to travel to beautiful places, and have a little stationary home and land to grow food to go back to.

I have achieved stability with spontaneous adventure. Something I wasn’t even sure was possible until now.

But it didn’t happen overnight.

So if you’re in a weird place, and you’re looking at someone’s highlight reel, please remember that so much happens behind the scenes and before any person’s successes hit your radar.

It was this good girl’s first birthday yesterday

It was this good girl’s first birthday yesterday!

To be honest, the main reason we got a second dog, was so Nova could have a buddy. And every time I see them play together, it makes me smile inside and out.

Juniper was actually adopted and then returned to a shelter by another family, and by the time we got her, she was 3 months old and afraid of everything (especially men).

When we first took Nova to meet her at her foster house, they didn’t have a ton of interest in each other and Nova seemed a little freaked out that we were trying to trade her in for a younger model.

But since we brought her home, she’s followed Nova around everywhere, and even though Nova gets inpatient with her sometimes, she’s been a good mentor to her little sister, and I just think the bond these two have developed is the cutest thing.

And even though Juniper doesn’t seem to be interested in learning any tricks besides sit, she’s come such a long way in these last 9 months since she came into our lives.

She calmly interacts with other dogs and humans, which we were worried about because she was SO skittish when we first got her (and still is timid at first with new people).

She loves hiking and fetching (but not returning) things, and splashing around in water (but not swimming). And she loves wrestling with Nova and sitting on my chest until I wake up in the morning.

I’m so glad you chose us as your humans and decided to trust us. You truly bring so much joy into our days with your antics.

I don’t know how we got so lucky with two of the best dogs, but I’m eternally grateful! Happy birthday June Bug! 🥳

Swipe for some more pictures of June’s first year on earth.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember how I got here.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember how I got here. The older versions of me seem so distant now.

21 year old Anna had BIG career aspirations. They weren’t about money, but maybe more about status and proving myself worthy of the space I took up.

I was pretty set on building a career around “helping people” (with a lot of travel sprinkled in) and I thought the way to do that was through International Development work centered around education.

Separately, and perhaps, most profoundly, I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to tell stories that made young girls like me feel inspired, invigorated, and invincible.

But instead, I kept ending up in these roles that didn’t fit me at all. I justified them each as stepping stones. And I endured a lot of crap from misogynistic and egotistical male bosses. Crazy work hours without boundaries. Being dramatically underpaid. And becoming increasingly skeptical and jaded about the nonprofits I worked for.

Until one day, enough was enough. And I decided I was going to figure out a way to be happier in my work. But also, I vowed that my livelihood wouldn’t define me anymore.

I accepted that there was more to life than an illustrious career, and that I didn’t want to waste my youth saving for a big house, or a lavish lifestyle.

And that if I could get back to the basics, I would need less, and then I could simply work less.

Because let’s be honest, any work, even if it’s your “dream job” is still work. And as a second generation workaholic, I felt strongly that I needed to break this cycle.

And I guess, I’m realizing that I’ve stumbled into a life where my dream of having a healthy work life balance is a reality.

I mean I didn’t quite stumble, a lot of intention went into the choices that brought me here, but looking back, it all feels somehow smooth, the path now clear, the jagged peaks I climbed seem to have softer edges and clearly paved trails.

And even though I‘m not a NYT bestselling author (yet), my greatest measure of success by far is a message from a young girl or woman who tells me my words inspired them to take a risk. And the corresponding feeling I get reading that, is the closest thing to pride I’ve ever felt.

Your romantic partner doesn’t need to be your ev

Your romantic partner doesn’t need to be your everything.

I say this as a reminder to myself and anyone else who needs to hear it.

It’s especially difficult when the pandemic has changed the shape of the world.

When your job and free time probably look and feel different.

When social norms have shifted, and outings are precious coveted things that you vow you’ll never take for granted again.

When you’ve been forced to develop new hobbies and skills, and maybe questioned your life path.

When the air itself tastes different.

When your friends and support system may have so much of their own stuff going on, that you don’t want to burden them with yours.

When you probably spend more time than ever with your partner.

It’s easy to lean on them for EVERYTHING.

I know I’ve had impossible expectations during this time.

I’m trying to let go of things, to soften my edges, and breathe before I react.

It’s a never ending challenge, for me to properly balance my happiness and needs, and Ryan’s.

I also need to remember to go easier on myself. To be gentle during this strange time.

To know that the strangeness is not permanent, and that I am not set in stone either.

There is time. Time to learn, time to adapt, time to grow and do better.

We are resilient, adaptable, and capable of the impossible, all of us.

And together in pairs, we can accomplish so much. If we can just remember that a partner is there by choice, to share in life’s waves of triumph and tragedy. But they do not need to be the only one filling your cup.

You yourself, possess what it takes to complete you. Don’t ever forget to tap into that.

Living in the bus these last few months has been a

Living in the bus these last few months has been a test of both patience and persistence.

We haven’t spent more than 3 nights in a spot (and usually only 1 or 2). And we haven’t seen one entirely sunny day in almost a month.

I can feel the speed of our travels and the weather getting to me. Wearing me down (ever so slightly).

It feels like so much has gone wrong. But it also feels like we can handle it.

The 400 watt solar panel has been incapable of sufficiently charging our batteries in the cloudy conditions in the PNW. Fortunately, Ryan was able to install a DC to DC charger so we can now charge our batteries off the vehicles alternator while driving, which has made a world of difference. We also got a propane camp stove, to give our batteries a break from the induction stove.

Then the brakes gave out and the closest auto shop quoted us $3400 to fix them, so we opted to be towed 100 miles, where my lifesaver auto mechanic cousin replaced them for a much more affordable rate and allowed us to camp in his driveway for a few nights. We also lucked out on having roadside assistance, which covered 99% of the tow.

Then there was the mold we found a few days ago that had taken over our overhead storage compartment. But we were near a Home Depot and were able to buy supplies to clean it all out and kill the mold. Now it’s a matter of waiting for a dry day to patch up some leaks in the fiberglass roof and fingers crossed the moisture absorber works to trap some condensation.

There have been other smaller “hiccups” too, but I don’t want to focus on any more negative elements of this trip.

We are so fortunate to not only be able to travel like this, but to also have a home base to go back to.

I sometimes have to pinch myself that I also have a wonderfully handy and loving partner in all of this. It’s not just me against the world having to create solutions to every problem that arises, by myself anymore.

I haven’t had much stability in my life, but now that I feel its steady and calming embrace, I’m just overwhelmed with gratitude.

📍 Originally land of the Tolowa Dee-Ni' and Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

It was October 2017, and my dog Cagney and I had b

It was October 2017, and my dog Cagney and I had been on the road for a few months in a self converted low top Ford Transit. We had just finished up a month of harvesting and planting veggies on an organic farm in Oregon, and we were making our way south to Arizona for my cousin’s wedding. We were also on a bit of a high. Life was going better than could be anticipated, despite the Fall chill and not having a clue what we were going to do after the wedding.

I was still living on savings and hadn’t grown my YouTube channel, my blog wasn’t making any money, and I hadn’t had any profitable partnerships or freelance gigs yet.

I was still on a lease for an apartment in NYC and I was pretty sure I didn’t want to go back, but I also couldn’t quite commit to the instability of living in a van.

Things changed pretty quickly after that. A friend from high school passed away and my priorities suddenly felt askew.

I entered a relationship with another old friend from high school, jumped into my mom’s first political campaign, then a 3-month backpacking trip around Central America with an attempt at filming a documentary. By the time I got back to the U.S. my relationship ended, I was planning a remodel of the van, and gave up on Manhattan.

But, this day (picture 2, 3, 6,7 & 8) really became solidified in my mind. Cagney and I stared at this lake for a good long while, and then enjoyed the fresh air, and natural benches we found as we romped through the woods.

I remember feeling like we were really lucky to bare witness to such beautiful scenery. It made me forget about the fleas Cagney had brought into the van a few weeks before, and how cold we got some nights when the weather snuck up on us. It was as if, we could conquer anything.

So, when Ryan and I just visited 4 years later (almost to the day), I couldn’t help but ponder how strange life is. To come full circle to this spot, with the man I’m going to marry, and our two rescue dogs in our new (to us) camper, was beyond special.

All 1,943 ft. of lake depth, couldn’t quite contain my emotions, but the waves of clouds and random bursts of sunshine seemed to do a decent job at synchronizing themselves to my heart.

This cutie turned two today or yesterday (her exac

This cutie turned two today or yesterday (her exact birthday is a guess) because she was rescued from a garbage bag in a dumpster with her siblings when she was about two weeks old. We adopted her when she was 2 months old from the @highcountryhumane in Flagtsaff, AZ around New Years of 2019, and what a wild ride it’s been since then.
~
We’ve been on so many hikes, kayaking trips, bike rides with your dad @ryanthompsontravels, runs with your grandma @ffrench711, a couple of backpacking trips, we all quarantined together with my mom while you were teething (good times), put down roots in Colorado, and done a lot of van living around the south west and now the PNW.

You can be a stubborn pain in the butt, but you’re also the sweetest little angel who loves cuddles and pretty much all people. You helped me heal from the loss of my dog Cagney, and words can’t really express what that means to me.

I’m so grateful you came into our lives and that you accepted and welcomed a second dog into our family like a champ too. I love you Nova girl 💛

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