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Ronita Goswami is a writer by profession and by passion. She considers herself to be an introvert, a bookworm, a fitness enthusiast, a perfectionist who likes to have all her ducks in a row. Discipline is important to her. “Recently, more specifically over the last two years, I have been donning the hat of a traveler. I’m picking up a lot of traits from my journeys. Travel has converted me into a minimalist and has made me more aware of different cultures. It has had a huge impact on my personality, my lifestyle, and my creative interests.”

About 3 years ago, she discovered the joy of football (soccer) and has been an Arsenal fan ever since.

Ronita you like soccer (football), traveling, and food. We will get along well. You speak or shout at length in a wild impassioned way and are unpredictable as per erratic rantings. Haha, I love the name of your blog. Talk to me a little about it.

Erratic Rantings came into being in 2018. Before that, I had another blog in my college days where I used to write book reviews. But I hadn’t taken it too seriously back then. And then in 2018, my then fiancé (now husband), Tathagata, talked me into having a proper blog set up. I remember that I had asked him, “What am I going to write about?” He said, “Anything you want.” In fact, he chose the name Erratic Rantings since I didn’t give much thought into the name. That’s how it all began. 

We got married the same year and I wrote the first post on our marriage. In fact, I turned my marriage into a seven-part blog series. It felt good to pen the entire event down. I realized that this blog was like a memory bank where I could relive my experiences any time I wanted. And then I couldn’t stop. There were too many things happening around me that I knew I would want to look back at later in my life. In doing this, I started gathering up a handful of followers who have personally told me that they draw inspiration from my blog and are continuously looking forward to the next post. 

Ronita, walk me through the city you live in, the food, the culture, and some good restaurants?

I’m from, what is popularly known as, the City of Joy – Kolkata. I’ve lived here all my life and somehow have never felt the need to live anywhere else.

Kolkata is located in the eastern part of India. It is a city I hold close to my heart. It’s home and more. The city is famous for its literary inclination, its heart-warming food, and progressive culture. Kolkata’s charm lies in its bylanes, serpentine tram lines, intense ‘adda’ sessions (conversations) over searing hot tea poured into earthen cups, sweets, football, intellectual debates and protests, theatres, libraries, music, poetry, old buildings with a colonial past, sprawling chaos in roadside markets, love for sweets and deep-fried snacks and more.

Kolkata is also a confluence of a variety of cultures. That’s because the city is one of the major business hubs of the country and the cost of living isn’t too high compared to other cities. It’s laidback yet modern. One of the characteristics that are unique to my city is its open-mindedness. It encourages uninhibited and constructive debates instead of silent acceptance. I’m proud to be a product of the liberal landscape of my city.

Being a convergence of multiple cultures, Kolkata is a witness to numerous festivals. But Durga puja outstrips all of them. It’s a grand autumnal festival celebrating the victory of Goddess Durga over evil. It continues for five days officially, but we wait for it all year. In fact, the life of a Bengali revolves around Durga puja. Beautifully decorated marquees are put up to house the idols. The entire city transforms into an exhibition of art and creativity. Residents of the city from all over the world return to their homes and join in on the festivities. In essence, Durga puja is a celebration of togetherness. The end of the festival brings out the worst case of blues among us, Bengalis. That’s when we start the countdown for the next Durga puja.

One of my favorite restaurants in Kolkata is Oudh 1590. Not just for the food but for the décor as well. Oudh 1590 is a recreation of the Nawabi era to provide its customers with a period of the dining experience. Once you step inside the restaurant, you would truly feel like you have been transported to history in a time machine.

Tell me about your favorite place that you visited and why you like it so much?

It has to be Bali. Bali stole my heart from the moment I set foot on the island. 

On the first morning of our stay, we headed to the Git Git waterfall. It was deserted when we reached. The water was gushing down with ferocity, Nature has grown abundantly around it, there were tiny, naturally-formed cave-like structures beside the waterfall and the water was crystal clear. I sat down on one of the large rocks closest to the waterfall and felt the water-laden breeze washing over me. It had started to drizzle. The entire place looked magical. That’s where my mood changed dramatically from head to heart. I felt more awake there than I had all my life.

Bali’s beaches are no doubt beautiful, its people are extremely friendly and the coffee is mind-blowing. Bali taught me humbleness through their uninhibited devotion to their Gods and their gratitude towards what they have been blessed with. I believe if there is any place on Earth where God lives, it’s in Bali.

I see you like Arsenal. Why? You talk that you have a lot in common with them. I want to know the commonality.

Like I said, I was introduced to the world of football and its fanaticism in 2017 by my then fiancé (now husband), Tathagata. He is an ardent Arsenal fan. I knew it the day I met him by the tattoo of the Arsenal crest on his left arm. It started with watching videos of old matches on the phone and then slowly I began to understand the power of ‘The Beautiful Game’. He taught me the different aspects of a football match, the significance of every move or sign in the field, and the true meaning of the sport.

As for the commonality, you have to read my blog post to find out.

What is your ideal romantic date?  How has married life changed your life? Any surprises?

My ideal romantic date would be at the beach at sunset with ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon playing in the background. Both Tathagata and I love the beach. We’ve witnessed countless sunsets at the beach together and it still gives me goosebumps thinking about it. The quiet roaring of the waves is relaxing and that’s when I find myself most calm and at the same time, most lively. I cannot thank my stars enough when I walk along the beach with Tathagata by my side. I feel on top of the world every single time that happens.

We’ve been married for a little over two years now and I have felt a lot of positive changes in myself through this time. A friend told me recently that marriage has brought me out of my shell. It’s true. I am exploring myself a lot more. Like I told you before, I’m donning more than one hat to discover new aspects that I can add to my identity. I’m experimenting more, I’m trying to stretch my boundaries and learning to step out of my comfort zone. I feel more confident and optimistic about life.

I married into a large family. We live with my parents, grandparents and uncle, and my aunt-in-law. Coming from a nuclear family, this was the biggest change in my life. Thankfully, we get along really well. More importantly, living with a large family has taught me some core virtues like patience, resilience, and being less judgmental. Luckily I married into a family that appreciates and practices creativity and art. 

I know you like the beach. What is it about the beach that you like?

It is the sound of the waves that pulls me to the beach. The sea makes me happy. It has a soothing and reassuring effect on my mind. It’s as if the waves tell me that no matter what happens, everything will be alright. I feel like I can draw strength from the ocean. Every time I’m at the beach I make it a point to take off my shoes and feel the sand between my toes. It helps me connect to the sea and relax my mind. It’s always an invigorating experience to sit down at the beach at sunset and just listen to the incessant roaring of the waves. Tathagata tells me, “If you respect the sea, the sea will respect you too.”

You are the modern-day Indian woman. How is that woman different from Woman in the ’80s and the ’60s?

I feel that the status of Indian women has radically changed in the modern-day since the ’80s or ’60s. There have been massive structural and cultural changes that provide equal opportunity to women in education and employment. I’ll give you an example.

My grandmother-in-law, who is now 85 years old, couldn’t complete her school-level education because she had to walk a certain distance to be able to board the school bus. And that wasn’t acceptable at that time. She regrets it to this day. She takes a keen interest in reading and has a brilliant memory. But she feels that no matter how much she reads, it can never compensate for the education she was deprived of and so immensely desired.

On the other hand, my late maternal grandmother who was a statistician by profession was a financially independent woman. Her sister was a headmistress of a reputed school, an ardent traveler, and an excellent swimmer even with a polio-affected leg. So you see, there were opportunities, but only for the extremely lucky ones.

Fast forward to this day, today’s Indian woman has ample opportunities to choose the education she desires, become financially independent, have a voice, and make well-informed decisions about her life. While a certain amount of social norms still govern a lot of Indian women’s lives, we have come a long way from how it used to be about four or five decades ago. But then again, the lesser privileged are still oppressed to the point where they have forgotten that they can have opinions. I think a large part of the cause is the lack of free basic education. But change is occurring every day. The idea is to manage the challenges and make adjustments according to the situation to be able to build a better tomorrow. We are getting there. At least we are trying. That’s what matters.

What does women empowerment mean to you?

Today, we talk a lot about women’s empowerment. But I think there are multiple aspects to it. I feel that the key to women’s empowerment is abolishing discrimination. This is where our society falls short most of the time. People make a lot of hues and cry over women’s empowerment on the surface, but the mentality of people would take a lot more generations to change. Women today, face a lot of adversities in the name of loss of culture. Even today, women are subject to gruesome violence. There are numerous organizations working towards the improvement of women’s status. There’s progress but the mentality needs to change before we can see any large improvement. This is where access to education is necessary. 

Discrimination against women exists in the different stratum of the society – some are visible, some not so much. And quite a lot of times, this discrimination becomes such a force of habit that people don’t recognize it at all. I think one of the most effective ways to empower our women is by teaching our sons about true feminism so that our women do not have to fight for it. We need to teach our sons from a very young age to view women as equals and engage them in abolishing gender stereotypes. Women empowerment is not the fight for women alone, it’s a fight for our men too. To stand as equals with women. Nothing more. Nothing less.

We will do another interview in 5 years. Where would Ronita be and what are your goals and aspirations for the next 5 years?

Hopefully, I would be able to make some developments with my blog, share more experiences, and inspire more people. I am working towards improving my English writing skills since it isn’t my first language. I hope to make progress with my career, try to push myself out of my comfort zone, and acquire more knowledge and skills along the way. Maybe I would be able to add some more beautiful destinations into my travel experiences, get to learn about different cultures, and create better travel videos than my first attempt. 

In the next five years, I see myself growing into a more mature version of myself. I expect to become calmer, more confident, and more in touch with myself. So let’s wait and find out.

The post Ronita Goswami: Blogger and Wanderlust appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

The Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa is a lavish, all-inclusive resort occupying a flourishing swatch of the manicured jungle with an enticing private beach, about a 45-minute drive from Puerto Vallarta. The 420 rooms have jetted tubs and furnished terraces and the master suites have outdoor whirlpools. The beach resort has activities from morning till night for singles, couples, and families to enjoy.

Before you read my review, I strongly recommend that you read my article on how to enjoy an all-inclusive vacation.

My review of this resort will be broken into the following sections:

Introduction

How to enjoy the food at this resort

The Chef’s table

Have a romantic day at the Palladium

Take in all the activities

Do a tour

Ali and Danilo will keep you fit and active from 10 am to 5 pm at the pool.

The activities on land include archery, basketball, dance lessons, fitness center, nature walk, paddle court, ping-pong, pool tables, soccer, Spanish lessons, tennis and volleyball. The multiple pool and waterslides are where all the activities take place.

The sports bar has a couple of pool tables and also a wide selection of sports t-shirts.

The kids will love spending time at each club designed for babies, little kids and even teens! There’s a playground and swings for little kids and video games and movies for the teens.

The water activities include aquafitness, catamaran, deep-sea fishing, fishing, kayaking, non-motorized water sports, paddleboard, snorkeling, surfing, and waterpolo.

At the pool, there is always a hawk to keep the birds away.

On the beach, there are many parties, BBQs under the watchful eyes of management.

The shows at nighttime include Viva Mexico, Time Machine,  Pirate Show, Magic Box, Time Machine, La Vie Burlesque, Rock Forever, White Party and I’d Do Anything.

If you still are not interested in doing anything you can lie by the beach or the pool or find an amazing hammock and relax.

The Palladium Hotel is committed to sound social and environmental policy. The resort was built to be 87% environmentally friendly. They have a marine tortoise protection program. In the last couple of years, water consumption has been reduced by 40% and energy consumption by 30%. They buy ethical and separate solid waste. They participate in park reforestation, beach cleaning and donate to communities. They participate in Planet Hour and work with several NGO’s.

Photo Credit: Ana Acosta

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The Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa is a superb destination for friends, couples and families to enjoy some time off. The resort has two buffets, four specialty restaurants and seven bars. Hemingway is an adult’s only bar after 6 pm. The four a la carte restaurants serve up delectable and appetizing cuisine. Viva Mexico serves authentic Mexican food, El Dorado has steaks and ribs, Portofino delivers  Mediterranean fare and Bambu takes over your palette with Asian cuisine.

Before you read my review, I strongly recommend that you read my article on how to enjoy an all-inclusive vacation.

My review of this resort will be broken into the following sections:

Introduction

How to enjoy the food at this resort

The Chef’s table

Have a romantic day at the Palladium

Take in all the activities

Do a tour

In this section, I will guide you as to how to enjoy a week here with well-prepared, pleasant food.

Palladium is aware and sensitive to the fact that we are eating away from home and it can be challenging and concerning for those with food allergies and a special diet. Palladium has a Palladium Dietary Card program. Please contact the front desk or guest services. You will be given a card that can be carried along to the different restaurants around the resort. When you show the card at various restaurants around the resort, the host will give you the required assistance.

Day 1 Breakfast

El Bosque   Breakfast 07:00 – 10:30 Hrs. Lunch 12:30 – 15:00 Hrs. Dinner 18:00 – 22:00 Hrs

This is your first day at the resort. Take your time and walk to El Bosque. After you are seated, start with a glass of fresh orange, papaya, guava, tamarind or beetroot juice. The waiter will also bring you a pot of tea or coffee.

Help yourself to a nice fruit salad.

Have a bircher muesli, different cold cuts or a whole assortment of pieces of bread.

The highlight of my morning was being greeted daily by Nancy and Daniella. They are the most outstanding employees at Palladium. Always a smile, always friendly, they know you by name and your room number. The epitome of service.

After a nice breakfast, collect your beach towel and head to the beach or the pool.

Day 1 Lunch

Las Terrazas 11:00 – 16:30 Hrs

The Terrazas is just across the pool. You will find a variety of juices, snacks, sandwiches, tacos, salads, and desserts.

Day 1 Dinner

Viva Mexico Restaurant

Hey, you are in Mexico. Start by having dinner at the a la carte restaurant Viva Mexico. You can sit inside or outside.

If you sit outside you are facing the Pacific, the San Madre Mountains and can hear the waves. The setting is gorgeous.

The menu is decent with lots of variety and the guacamole is made in front of you. You have a variety of wines and Tequila to choose from. You can get steak, fish, and seafood and every dish is delicious and tasty.

The dinner was delicious and the atmosphere is wonderful.  Elias and Marcos provide professional service and have a sense of humor.

It is 10 pm and now it is time to head to one of the many bars at the resort. The Sports Bar is the center of where everything happens. The theatre is in the front, the disco is on top, the sports cafe is next to it and you are at the center of attraction.

Every kind of liquor is available here and most beers on tap and bottle.

Russell was the outstanding barman.

Day 2 Breakfast

The Mexican food, atmosphere, water, and everything else is in your blood. It is time to have breakfast. You have already been to El Bosque. How about you start your day with a Mimosa? Go ahead. You are on holiday or try a Ceasar.

Go ahead to the bread and danish pastries buffet. Make it your goal to try different slices of bread and pastries daily.

At El Bosque, you have various stations. There is a station where the chef is making different kinds of eggs, pasta, slices of bread, steaks, fish, and Mexican food.

Day 2 Lunch

Once a week, Chef Esau and his team go fishing and the guests get to see the fish headed, gutted, dressed and steaks made. It was amazing to see Mahi Mahi brought from the Pacific and to eat it fresh. It is grilled in chili oil or garlic oil.

The fish is served with rice and a whole range of different salads.

Day 2 Dinner

On the second evening, have steaks and ribs at El Dorado. The steaks are done on a charcoal grill and are delicious.

After dinner head to the adult section, next to the Mexican restaurant, and have a drink there at the infinity pool is open till midnight.

Day 3 Breakfast

There is a whole section at the El Bosque where the Chef makes eggs. Have an omelet, a fried egg, a scrambled egg, or a Mexican-style Mango salad. Then choose from a variety of baguettes and taste the many kinds of cheese that are available.

Day 3 Lunch

For lunch try everything Japanese at El Bosque. I would start with the makizushi and Nigiri.

The cold yakitori is simply delicious.

Finish with tempura and edamame.

Day 3 Dinner

Portofino has a Mediterranean flair and you cannot go wrong with the carpaccio, the various wood oven pizzas, and the grouper.

After dinner, go for a walk on the beach, listen to a live performance, go for a show or head to the disco.

Day 4 Breakfast

How about a day of romance? Order room service for breakfast, head to the spa and have a light lunch and then head to the chef’s table.

Another suggestion I have is to have a Mexican breakfast at El Bosque. The pan dulce here is to die for. I ate three daily. The chilaquiles, migas, huevos rancheros, moletes, tamales, pozole, breakfast torta, breakfast enchiladas, breakfast quesadillas, breakfast tacos, and breakfast burritos are amazing. I would recommend having a michelada with breakfast.

Chef Jose is the ultimate example of someone who is always smiling, goes out of his way to say hello, comes to your table to serve, makes your food, and is outstanding.

Day 4 Lunch

Head to the sports bar. Watch a soccer game, play Xbox, play pool, play foosball, cards and have your selection of nachos, chips, hot dogs and hamburgers.

Day 4 Dinner

It is time to try Asian food at the Bamboo. Go ahead and enjoy soups, salads, Japanese inspired cuisine. After dinner head to one of the bars and then head to the disco.

Day 5 Breakfast

The Hemingway Bar is the best-kept secret at the resort. It took me a couple of days to find it and I thought it was for members only. From 9 am to 6 pm onwards it acts as a cafe with the best croissants, Danish and sandwiches. Betty serves up the best cappuccinos I have ever had. You can play cards, backgammon, chess, checkers and many other board games. A real classy place.

Day 5 Lunch

Today is a roast beef day with salad and potatoes. Head to El Bosque for that.

Dinner Day 5

Try some of the different grilled salads and have the chef at the station make you a grilled steak and a grilled fish.

Breakfast Day 6

Get up and go to the Infiniti pool. Ask Elizabeth to get you breakfast.  Elizabeth is the best waitress at the resort. It takes her 2 hrs to get to work. She is on her feet for 8 hrs a day. She is always smiling.

Lunch Day 6

Spend the whole day at the infinity pool. Just walk down to the beach and have a BBQ, Enjoy various burgers, salads, hot dogs and a variety of tacos.

Dinner Day 6

Let us make it fish teriyaki and an assortment of salads at El Bosque.

Day 7 Breakfast

Go ahead it is your last day. Try yogurt, corn flakes, bananas, french toast or an egg on a tortilla.

Day 7 Lunch

Head to the pasta section and have the chef make you fresh focaccia and fresh pasta with seafood.

Day 7 Dinner

Try the chef’s table.

Desserts

The selection of desserts at the buffet and the a la carte restaurants is huge. I am going to include some samplings here and you decide what you want to try.

I have given you a variety of food that is available at the Palladium. There is more. Enjoy and treat your service staff well.

The post Palladium Vallarta – The Food appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

The Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa is a lavish, all-inclusive resort occupying a flourishing swatch of the manicured jungle with an enticing private beach, about a 45-minute drive from Puerto Vallarta. The 420 rooms have jetted tubs and furnished terraces, and the master suites have outdoor whirlpools.

Before you read my review, I strongly recommend that you read my article on how to enjoy an all-inclusive vacation.

My review of this resort will be broken into the following sections:

Introduction

How to enjoy the food at this resort

The Chef’s table

Have a romantic day at the Palladium

Take in all the activities

Do a tour

Alejandra Sanchez Mendoza invites me to Chef’s Table, which takes place every Friday night at the Palladium Vallarta.

I plan the perfect romantic day with my wife. We order room service for breakfast. Later we go for a massage at the Zentropia Spa. We go for a walk down Love Street and head to Chef’s Table. Executive Chef Isau Zepeda and his team are waiting for us.

I am on a cliff, seeing the beautiful Pacific Ocean with the San Madre Mountains as the backdrop. The waves are hitting the rocks and the guitarist is strumming a romantic tune.

Christian the Master Sommelier and Mixologist greets me with a cocktail he has just made. I am not a big fan of cocktails. He offers me the Diosa del Mar. It means the God of the seas. I take a sip and I am impressed. The reposado tequila along with a hint of liquor 43 goes perfect with the puree of guava and berries and just the right amount of basil and sparkling wine.

Chef Isau has written the menu in the form of a score with the notes that are played by each different ingredient. Christian has set the perfect note with this cocktail.

The table is set with white linen and I feel like I am in heaven.

The professional waiter brings some warm bread and butter.

The first course is the Arugula Salad with Apple.    It is marinated with oregano on top of an emulsion of goat cheese with chipotle and caramelized walnut cilantro perfume. Christian serves the Casa Madero V Rosado Cabernet Sauvignon, Valle de Parras Coahuila. Apple with Arugula is a marriage made in heaven. The caramelized walnut is like the perfect honeymoon.

The rose just goes perfect with the salad.

The deep salmon color rose shows on the nose and the notes of rhubarb and the dry finish go perfectly with the salad.

The next dish is the Lobster Cream with Crispy Dried Chili. Christian serves it with the Casa Madero Chardonnay, Valle de Parras Coahuila.

To me, nothing is more luxurious as well as comforting and delicious as a silky gorgeous bowl of lobster bisque. Chef Esau has pulled all the classic techniques to make this amazing soup.

The soup is light and stimulates my palate and the white wine is the perfect complement.

The Jamaican Sorbet with Mezcal and a touch of Tajin is the perfect palate cleanser. The mix of dried and ground red chilies, sea salt and dehydrated lime juice mix give the sorbet the right amount of seasoning.

The main course is the Surf and Turf  Beef fillet stuffed with flower and lobster with mashed Castilla pumpkin and a bed of mole of almonds with a caramelized coffee.

Will Christian decant the red wine? Yes, he does.  The master takes the bottle and pours it in the glass decanter and lets it breathe.

The best surf and turf I have ever eaten. The lobster is seasoned with tequila and it shows. A piece of art. The Casa Madero 3V, Valle de Parras, Coahuila is smooth.

For dessert, we get the Corn delight with vanilla ice cream guajillo chile sauce and red berries.

I am expecting a dessert wine, a sherry something sweet to drink. Christian shocks me and gives me a Gavilan Reyes. Mon Dieu. He has broken the cardinal rule. The Mezcal Negra, anchos Reyes liquor, lime, grapefruit, and salt comes as a shock to me. However, I try it and it is the ying-yang of food. Bravo, Bravo.

The Chef’s Table has pizzaz, swagger, bold flavors, outside the box thinking with the perfect ambiance to end an amazing romantic day. When I go out for dinner, I want my thinking challenged, I want to be surprised and shocked at the same time, I want the umami delivered, I want something unique and different and I want the meal made from scratch, sourced ethically, using sustainable methods and have a unique setting. Chef Isau delivered on all points.

For 40 U$  per person, this is the best meal I have ever had.

The post Palladium Vallarta – Chef’s Table appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

I am surrounded by lush and opulent gardens, on a cliff nestled in the gorgeous, natural and innate setting of Riviera Nayarit.

In front of me is an incredible and stunning view of the Pacific Ocean.

The Sierra Madre mountains provide an awesome drop to stunning sunsets.

The beach is private with transparent waters.

These prodigious surroundings give me the tranquility and comfort along the Bay of Banderas.

The only noise I can hear is the waves caressingly assaulting the beach.

Am I in heaven? Am I dreaming? I am on vacation at the four-star Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort and Spa.

Before you read my review, I strongly recommend that you read my article on how to enjoy an all-inclusive vacation.

My review of this resort will be broken into the following sections:

1. Introduction
2. How to enjoy the food at this resort
3. The Chef’s Table
4. Have a romantic day at the Palladium
5. Take in all the activities
6. Do a tour

Getting to Puerto Vallarta Mexico

Visitors to Puerto Vallarta fly into the Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport or Puerto Vallarta International Airport is located in the municipality of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. The British, Germans, Americans and Canadians book a 7-day all-inclusive package to Puerto Vallarta by choosing their hotel and vacation provider. The airport transfers are included. I used WestJet Vacations for this trip.

The flight time from Toronto to Puerto Vallarta is 4 hours and 50 minutes. From the time you land to passing through customs is about 30 minutes. After you get your baggage go straight to the terminal and to your representative. Pass through all the timeshare sharks who will say anything to get you to their booth.

The Palladium is a 40-minute drive from the airport.

The Lobby

The entrance to the hotel is lined with palm trees on both sides.

We were welcomed with a nice cocktail and cold towels. The lobby is huge and welcoming.

Our room was not ready and I told the timeshare salesperson we were not interested in an upgrade or attending a seminar. We headed straight to the restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we had our baggage delivered to the room and unpacked. After unpacking we hit the pool.

Photo Credits: Ana Acosta Debbie Godinho

The post Palladium Vallarta appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

Sharon Mendelaoui is a travel writer, passionate photographer, and graphic designer. She is the creator and publisher of dailydream360.com, a travel and lifestyle website featuring travel destination guides, fashion and beauty tips, and a selection of lifestyle articles to help her readers live a balanced dream life.

I met Sharon more than 15 years back as we both worked for the same company on Bay St. Sharon has been super friendly in answering a lot of my questions about blogging. A couple of months back, we sat down again and talked about life, our own path through the corporate world, where we are, and where we are heading. I told her I would send her some questions and to put that in writing. Sharon is real, vulnerable, and a lot of wisdom is shared here.

Sharon, it is a pleasure knowing you for the last decade. Please tell my audience a little about yourself.

I’m a dreamer born and raised in Toronto, Canada. I’ve had a passion for writing and art since I was a young girl, but the responsibilities of school and career took me away from that passion. I am a graphic designer and have been doing this for over 15 years, mainly for financial firms, one of which was where I was lucky enough to meet you!

I know you were in the corporate world for a while. Why the change and how has blogging helped you and shaped you?

Working in crazy corporate offices was stressful, and I was always dreaming about leaving and working for myself. I started blogging in hopes of finding ways to make money online. I had built at least 4 websites, all trying to do this as I worked in jobs that really didn’t inspire me at all. Google crushed my dreams with an update known in the web world called Panda.

The premise was that bad sites geared to getting traffic without good information were removed from search ranking. The updated hit all my sites except one, my hobby travel blog. I kept working on this hobby which I devoted my weekends too. It was like taking a vacation every weekend and made having to go into work during the week a little more bearable.

I don’t know why but I was surprised when I started to notice brands take notice of me. I didn’t quite believe that this hobby could somehow really be a business. I dreamt about it constantly, but it just didn’t sink in.

By 2012, I was on many Ontario Tourism Boards’ radars. On my very first press trip, we went treetop trekking. It was a hard course and after two obstacles I realized I wasn’t going to be able to complete it. I swallowed my shame, disappointment, and fear as the crew set up a high angle rescue. I had to lean back and let the harness carry all my weight as they winched me down a tree. About halfway down I had this overwhelming moment of pure joy. I knew I was the only blogger on the trip with this story and also, I knew in my core, this is what I was meant to be doing. I found my passion.

That was when I really started to take the website seriously. I also spent every spare second at work learning about running a business, planning my business and figuring out how I was going to take the plunge away from the corporate world.

In 2014, I was downsized from my corporate job. I took this as a sign. I could find another job that made me miserable and pays the bills or I could take this opportunity to chase my dream of running my own graphic design business and do the things that really inspired me. It was the scariest time of my life, but the combination of fear and joy was something I can’t even describe in words and it pushed me to share that dream in my website Daily Dream 360.

What is Daily Dream 360 all about?

Daily Dream 360 is the evolution of a hobby travel blog into a travel and lifestyle website built to inspire women over 40 to transition through big challenges with a 360° approach to their life.

What I discovered in my travels was that facing my fears and doing things that challenged me and then conquering those fears was a powerful feeling. That combination of fear with sheer joy that comes from accomplishing it was something that fueled me in my life. The smallest dream moments could add fuel to this little fire inside of me which inspires and moves me to the next moment.

What is unique about it and why should we read it?

There are a million places online to get inspiration, life coaching, travel advice, etc. Some of these sites are good and others are just nonsense. My goal with Daily Dream 360 is to really create a community where women like me are going through a big transition maybe divorce, being downsized, or chasing a dream-like starting their own business. My end goal is to create a place (maybe a Facebook group) where we can help one another with information, support and just knowing that we are not alone in this.

At the moment I categorize posts on the site into Dream Travel, Dream Life, and Dream Home. My focus is to talk about these as a Dream it, plan it, and live it approach, which is the way I live my life today. Every dream starts with an idea or pleasant thought, however, you have to make a plan and set an intention to fulfill that dream and then be aware when you are actually living it out.

This past year I focused on rebranding the site with this focus, a huge undertaking where I had to face the fear of breaking the travel site or losing my audience by trying to build something bigger and more balanced with Daily Dream 360. Thankfully the site is doing great and the response has been terrific, so now I’m focusing on building a Facebook community and connecting more to my audience so that we can inspire one another to dream every day!

Name some of your favorite places you have visited and why?

I have such a hard time with my favorite questions because I’m always looking for places that inspire me, challenge me to do something new or outside my comfort zone, and continue to add fuel to my dream flame. I have been so fortunate to find this in just about every trip I take. The memories and experiences add up and it is so hard to choose just one but here are some that just really wowed me.

Horseback Riding at Painted Bar Stables in Finger Lakes NY: The stable is run by a woman named Erica who has a passion for all things horses that just lit me up. I had never been horseback riding; I was absolutely terrified, and she just made this the most amazing experience ever. Never in a million years would I have imagined riding through a forest with water running down a creek on horseback – but I did it thanks to a woman with her own dream and business plan. An area is a great place for a woman’s road trip, wine tastings, little boutique hotels, great parks with hiking trails I highly recommend it.

Quebec: I have discovered a lot of the province and I have to say that every trip I took in the province had some crazy dream moment in it. From hugs with Bonhomme Carnival in winter carnival, a soak in a Scandinavian spa in the dead of winter, visiting the ice hotel, walking the white sand beaches of Iles de la Madelaine or a helicopter ride over Charlevoix – there was always a dream, a challenge, and amazing food and people.

The last time we had coffee you told me you found your faith through traveling let us talk about that?

This is a hard one to answer. I have had a lot of challenges in my life growing up. Being the redhead, fat kid, with braces and the ugliest headgear you could imagine you’d think was enough – but being that kid in a private Jewish school of rich kids who took it upon themselves to remind me that I was not like them every day of my childhood life was a lot. I was born into an immigrant family, my mom was a teacher and my dad a contractor. My parents wanted me to learn about my faith and to learn to speak Hebrew a language we spoke a lot at home.

When you are in a private Jewish school and you have no faith in your religion because you are miserable all the time, well that is a very hard thing for a child to go through. When my father later got diagnosed with a brain tumor and left us, I didn’t get any comfort from my religious faith. I just felt empty and really angry at God.

It was Oprah that brought me out of my anger believe it or not. I discovered later in life that God or the universe or that energy that seems to be flowing through us and dictating things that happen in our lives is not something you can be angry about because it is inside you. If you are angry at it, you are angry at yourself. When I let go of that anger and started chasing the joy that was when I found my faith.

In a way the traveling was me chasing joy – a walk on a beach, sounds of the ocean and other sounds of nature all fuel that dream and that joy.

If I do something out of a place that starts with feeling good – it usually leads to fulfilling a dream. Travel is a great place to find that joy feeling which at home and during the crazy in our day to day lives is just harder to find.

You have been blogging for a long time. Give some advice to those who want to become a blogger?

I can’t believe it, but I just started my eighth year of blogging. As a graphic designer, I have a lot of clients that want to start blogs on their business websites or to make money as my site does. The problem with this is they don’t realize the technical side of blogging and just how many things you have to do just to maintain and run a website – before you even start writing an article.

This is a loaded question because if you want to start a blog or website my best advice is to make sure it is set up correctly, is updated and maintained, and that you have plenty of security measures in place. An out of date plugin on a WordPress website can lead to a disastrous hack. Back when I started, we just wrote, and no one worried about algorithms and plugins and site speed and mobile-friendly. So, making sure that you either have a great web designer to help you with the technical side of things or that you are willing to learn all about this is going to be very important – before you even start writing your blog.

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