Jackie Doing Jackie

The Selfie Nobody Posts

We all have them. The windswept selfie. The half-a-face selfie.
The "what was I thinking?" selfie.

Years ago I never would have posted one.

Now?

They're becoming some of my favourite photos because they remind me of where I've been, what I've overcome, and the adventures I've had.

I wrote a blog about why the imperfect selfie often tells the best story. Link for the post is in the comments.

💗 And here's my challenge...

Post one selfie that isn't perfect - but brings back an amazing memory.

Let's celebrate real life instead of perfect pictures.

The hardest part wasn't the Zumba class... it was getting to the gym.
I almost talked myself out of going, but once I got there, I had a great time and left feeling so much better.

Sometimes all we have to do is show up.

Sometimes the best travel photos are the ones you'd never post... or at least that's what I used to think.

Looking back at my London trip, my favourite photos weren't the polished ones. They were the windblown, messy-haired selfies that captured real moments, unexpected adventures, and memories I'll never forget.

Bad hair can be fixed. Great memories last forever.

Read the full story on the blog! Link in Comments below

Copenhagen… you were absolutely amazing. Today was my last full day here, and I can honestly say I loved this city.

The food was amazing. The Danish pastries, the croissants, the cheese, the bread… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat a Canadian croissant again.

Tomorrow I fly to Iceland, and funny story… when I booked the flight, I somehow convinced myself it was only an hour and a half.

Turns out I forgot about the time change, and it’s actually a 3.5-hour flight. So instead of a short, quick flight, it's going to be a little bit longer. Oh well… live and learn.

Today I did Jackie Doing Jackie to the fullest. I played tourist on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus. Honestly? I’m glad I did. I saw parts of Copenhagen I never would have found otherwise.

Of course, I then decided I knew how to walk back to the hotel… except I absolutely did not. I ended up wandering much farther than planned, but that’s how I got my 16,000 steps today.

And the bikes here? Absolutely crazy. Everyone rides bikes, and very few people wear helmets. Parents pedal kids around in carts on the front - not just little kids, but older kids too. Such an amazing way to get around.

But the moment I’ll never forget? A young woman biking through town with grandma sitting in the front cart, singing away at the top of her lungs - I think grandma may have had a few too many. The granddaughter looked completely mortified, trying to get home. Those are the moments you remember forever. The museums, the canals, Tivoli Gardens - all fabulous. But grandma in the bike cart? That’s the memory.

So Copenhagen officially gets a 10/10 on the JDJ scale. I think the truth is… I just love Europe. ❤️

Tomorrow: Iceland.

Jackie Doing Jackie. Solo travel. Great food. Wrong turns. Grandma in a bike cart.Living life fully.

Fabulous couple of days at the CHRNet conference in Edmonton, Alberta. So many great conversations, learning opportunities, and connections. And I even had the chance to have dinner with my cousins - always great to connect with family.

And now… what a way to end it.

Air Canada sends me a message saying I can change my flight due to a wind warning with gusts up to 100 km/h and possible cancellations.

Normally I’d think:
“Great. A couple more days to explore Edmonton.”

But nope.

I need to get home because Friday, I’m heading out again for my cruise adventure starting in Copenhagen, Denmark.

So now I’m sitting here trying to decide:
Do I change to the first flight out and hope for the best?
Do I trust the weather forecast?
Or do I stay calm and stick with my 1 p.m. flight?

Travel definitely keeps you humble.

Not quite sure how tomorrow is going to unfold, but fingers and toes crossed I make it home - and back to the airport in time for my 8 a.m. flight to Copenhagen.

Stay tuned…

You know summer is coming when you can finally sit on the deck with no jacket and have your am coffee.

It started with a missing sock…Not a big deal, right?

But for some reason, it made me pause.

And it brought me back to something I once heard in Germany —
that storks use what’s left behind to build their nests.

That stuck with me.

Because sometimes things slip away…and they don’t come back.

And maybe that’s not a loss. Maybe it’s just making space for something new.

I wrote more about this here (link in comments)

Jackie Doing Jackie — living my best life in new shoes

There’s something about traveling alone that I didn’t expect…

It’s not the places you go. It’s the people you meet and the fun you have. Over the past few years, I have met a lot more people and had a lot more fun than if I had stayed home.

I posted a new blog about solo travel, unexpected friendships, and the freedom of doing things your own way.

The linkis in the comments below.

If you are someone who loves travel - you never know - maybe we’ll run into each other somewhere along the way.

What is a girl to do?

In 71 days I’ll be heading off on a 10-day cruise from Iceland to London (still can’t quite believe I’m saying that!).

Today I received an email offering a “special cruise package” for $500 CAD that includes:

Unlimited Starbucks coffee
Unlimited drinks
Bottled water
Unlimited Wi-Fi

Right now I get 150 minutes of Wi-Fi included and wine with meals.

So the big question…

Is it worth it?

Part of me thinks the freedom of not worrying about the bill might be nice.
The other part of me thinks that $500 could pay for a pretty fabulous dinner/theatre show somewhere in London.

Cruisers and travellers… what would you do?

Buy the package or skip it?

This sunshine has me thinking about spring clothes… and fresh starts. New season, new energy. Life in new shoes.