Today we began our morning with a leisurely trip out to the Craters of the Moon Geothermic Walk . There we completed the 45 minute boardwalk loop through craters, mud pools and fumaroles: an opening where pressurized steam and volcanic gases escape.

Vlog 5: Contiki NZ Grand Explorer, Taupo, New Zealand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWXKdnE6lAE

Huka Falls

Next stop was at Huka Falls, one of the most visited natural attractions in New Zealand. Water flows 8 meters over the Huka Falls at a rate of 200,000 liters per second; that is enough water to fill 5 Olympic sized swimming pools every minute!

Why view the falls from above when there is a perfectly good HukaFalls Jet Boat that can take us much closer to the action! So of course that is what we did.

To end off our evening our Contiki group had a dinner cruise out on Lake Taupo. And since it just so happened to be Australia Day, we decided to dress up in everything Australian to celebrate with all our new Aussie friends. I dressed up as a convict because one of the primary uses in the 18th century of Australia by Britain was to help clear out the over crowded jails.

I think our group dressed up pretty well considering how difficult it was to find anything Australian in New Zealand. What do you think?

Cheers and Happy Australia Day!!

Craters of the Moon and Huka Falls is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Craters of the Moon and Huka Falls |Hey Nadine

Today was so action packed I actually had to split up all the footage into several different videos. Like the Agrodome, which actually happened in the morning of this day’s video. That’s editing magic :) Besides, if I included everything we did in this day into the video, it would have been way too long and I would never have been able to upload it. So, I hope you understand :)

Vlog 4: Contiki NZ Grand Explorer, Rotorua, New Zealand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmn5aM_0BBo

An important thing to note is that with Contiki some of the activities I do are included, where as some are optional. So if you prefer a more action packed trip you can load up with options, but if you enjoy a more relaxed trip with lots of free time that is entirely possible as well.

I personally try to get as many of the optional activities in as possible to show you guys what you can do on the Contiki trips.

ZORB

One of those actives being Zorbing, which started here in Rotorua.

Yes I do wonder who thought one day that rolling down a hill in a giant inflatable globe would be a good idea. Regardless it was a very enjoyable experience.

Whakarewarewa Thermal Village

Another spot we stopped off at was the Whakarewarewa Thermal Village; a real Maori village where people use the thermal pools to cook their food and warm their houses. There also happens to be a geyser there as well.

Rotorua is really the Maori cultural capital of New Zealand, hence a lot of the hotels offer shows in which there are performances.

Near the end of the show the ladies were invited to come up onto the stage to learn a Poi dance. And the men followed soon after with a Haka. After a great night of feasting we headed to bed and reflected on our wonderful cultural experience in Rotorua.

Zorbing, Luges and Hakas OH MY! is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Zorbing, Luges and Hakas OH MY! |Hey Nadine

The most important part about being a video blogger is capturing footage. Footage of the activities being performed, the trip, the transportation, whatever it is we are currently doing at the time. So, what does a video blogger do when they cannot film? Well,  that is exactly what happened on our trip through the Waitomo Caves. Fortunately that is where text and this blog comes in handy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfi7Km_hJW8

Now this was my second time through the Waitomo Caves, so this time I chose to do Black Water Rafting over the Haggas Honkin’ Holes of last time. The major difference between the two being that this trip was a black water rafting trip consisting of floating on inner tubes through glow worm caves in the dark; where as the other was abseiling/repelling down waterfalls throughout the caves. Both were amazing trips, however, I personally preferred the Haggas Honkin’ Holes trip, but that’s probably because of my love for climbing.

My favorite part of the Black Water Rafting trip was when our entire group linked up all our individual tubes into one long line, laid back in the dark and admired the glow worms on the ceiling.

Yay for awesome fun adventures!

Next day we visited the Agrodome to see a world renown sheep show! The one thing I learned from this show was the incredible variety of sheep in the world. Crazy! Well, till tomorrow!

Black Water Rafting is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Black Water Rafting |Hey Nadine

Welcome!

So I have officially started my first Contiki Tour: New Zealand Grand Explorer, 15 days of travel around both North and South Island New Zealand.

Although I have traveled throughout New Zealand quite extensively, I never seem to lose that sense of wonder that only comes from visiting a place for the first time. Bay of Islands is one of those places that I was simply blown away by.

Referred to as the birthplace of New Zealand, Bay of Islands is where Captain Cook and the first European settlers landed in New Zealand back in the 1700′s, and, where New Zealand’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed between the British Crown and the Maori people of New Zealand.

Present day, the Bay of Islands is used by most kiwis as a summer home and as a very popular vacation spot.

Last time I traveled up north to visit Paihia I did a Horse Treking tour and I never got a chance to venture out onto the water. Big mistake! Please take my advice and if you ever find yourself in this part of the country take one of the many boats or trips available out into the bay.

So we spent a total of two days up in the Bay of Islands, and in those days I got a chance to parasail and swim with dolphins!

Day 1: Parasailing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJLe9abv_xA

 View from the parasail!

Day 2: Swimming with Dolphins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKSXX2M3o6I

Carino Sailing & Dolphins Boat Trip

On the second day I took a dolphin watching and sailing trip out into the bay. After 6 hours I am happy to report I swam with dolphins, captured stunning islands on film, and returned back to my hotel sans sunburn.

One of the little treats from our sailing trip was a stop over at Moturua Island, one of the 144 islands that make up the Bay of Islands.

Moturua Island

A national park, Moturua Island is government protected and hence gives us a wonderful snapshot of the raw, natural beauty that is New Zealand.

I hope you have enjoyed our venture up into Northland, Paihia and the Bay of Islands. Next stop Waitomo Caves!

Bay of Islands is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Bay of Islands |Hey Nadine

So if you read my last blog post announcing my partnership with Contiki, you would know that I’m going to be traveling for the next few months. Since my last venture to a foreign country left me in a mad packing daze in which I forgot socks, toothpaste, jeans and going out shoes, I thought I would actually make a packing list of things I wish to bring this time. That last trip was only 9 days, this one will be 3 months long.

First thing to remember, I will be packing mainly for summer weather; however, from my previous experiences in New Zealand I have learned to be prepared for everything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFpW6wD5SVU

90 day packing list:

Clothes

• 1 rain jacket
• 2 pairs of jeans/pants
• 1 pair comfy yoga pants
• 1 pair black leggings
• 5 shorts
• 3 tank top shirts
• 1 dress tank top
• 1 nice t-shirt
• 2 plain t-shirts
• 2 dresses( one beach one evening)
• 1 warm nicer sweater
• 2 hoodies/jumpers
• 4 pairs Socks
• Underwear (lots)
• PJ shorts + night t-shirt
• 2 bikinis
• 1 scarf
• Jewelry + rings

Shoes

• Hiking shoes
• 1 Sandals
• 1 Flip-Flogs
• 1 Pair going out shoes (wedges)

Toiletries

• Toiletry bag plus contents
• Make-up
• 1 face towel
• 1 regular quick dry towel
• 2x Suntan lotion
• Insect repellent
• Aspirins/meds/anti-diarrheal (MUST)
• Travel blow dryer
• Mini hair straightener
• Mini travel size perfume

All this will be packed into my Osprey Ariel 65 backpack, my JoTotes DSLR purse, and my Osprey helix daypack.

So there you have it, all three bags I am taking with me. Side note: After I filmed my packing video I actually removed one of the skirts and black shirts, I figured I was packing a bit much :P

Can you spot what doesn’t belong in my backpack here? Still, kitty, she wishes I could take her with me <3

Alright, see you in New Zealand!!

My 90 Day Travel Packing List is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

My 90 Day Travel Packing List |Hey Nadine

Hey Guys and Gals!

Did I not mention 2012 was going to be my year? Well, today I have the most amazing news to tell you guys about! I have partnered up with Contiki, the youth travel company for 18-35s, that if you recall I traveled down to South America with back in Sept, 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efk88iZhGSE

About Contiki

Contiki is a youth travel company that runs tours in over 46 countries and 6 continents with over 50 years of travel experience. They cater towards 18-35s only, and provide the individual or group traveler a hassle-free way to experience another country with help from an expert crew that are dedicated to you.

Contiki tours provide amazing accommodation, transportation, authentic dining, sight-seeing, free time, optional activities and many other exclusive experiences pre-planned so you don’t have to worry about anything! Well, almost anything, packing is still up to you :P

For more information check out http://contiki.com.

So for the next 3 months I’ll be traveling around with Contiki and filming all my experiences to share with you guys! It’s gonna be a long trip, with visits to: New Zealand( I cannot wait to go back), Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (all of which I have never been before).

Here is the schedule so far:  (subject to change but I will update)

Grand Explorer (Auckland to Christchurch) : 15 Days

[Click for full daily itinerary]

Cairns Sunshine Trail (start Cairns) : 12 Days

[Click for full daily itinerary]

The Big Indochina Adventure : 25 Days

[Click for full daily itinerary]

Thai Island Hopper East – 9 Days

[click to view full daily itinerary]

I am absolutely ecstatic and I hope you are too! Bring on 2012.

Contiki Global Partnership Announcement is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Contiki Global Partnership Announcement |Hey Nadine

Hey Guys and Gals! I have two more episodes of Staples TechTV for you today! PLUS,

Enter To Win: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Contest Ends: Jan 13, 2012

Make sure you subscribe so you get all the new episodes!

Inkjet vs. Laser Printers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95UEM-SkdEY

How to Download eBooks to Your eReader

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0WIZRC6PfY

Check out the previous episodes.

Staples TechTV: Inkjet vs. Laser Printers + How to Download eBooks to Your eReader is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Staples TechTV: Inkjet vs. Laser Printers + How to Download eBooks to Your eReader |Hey Nadine

Yea yea I know it’s 2011 and I’m a bit late on this; however, since I am still a travel-blogger-in-training I know you will forgive me :)

So here is my 2011 Travel Roundup: A look back at last year’s travel adventures. (Inspired by A Lady in London).

This year was pretty quiet in terms of travel, it was more a year of reflextion, as mentioned in my Peace out 2011 post.

Check out my blogs posts on my 2011 trips below.

New Zealand

• The End – Mt Cook
• Tongariro Alpine Crossing- Tongariro National Park
• Titanic anyone?- Mt Cook
• Kaikoura- Kaikoura
• Magical Mystical Milford Sound- Milford Sound National Park
• Queenstown- Queenstown
• Adrenaline Rush- Queenstown
• Sometimes I wonder about my sanity- Queenstown
• Glenorchy- Glenorchy
• Destop Screensaver Country- South Island
• Ice Age- Franz Josef Glacier
• Wild Wild West Coast -South Island
• Abel Tasman- Abel Tasman National Park
• There And Back Again -Wellington

Peru

• Lima, Peru- Lima
• Lima to the Sacred Valley – Sacred Valley
• Dealing with Photo Taking Anxiety- Sacred Valley to Macchu Picchu
• Bucket Lists and why Machu Picchu was NOT on mine - Macchu Picchu
• Cusco, Peru- Cusco
• When things go wrong: travel delays and missed opportunities- Cusco

Canada

• Dinosaur Valley -Drumheller, Alberta
• The Canadian Badlands – Drumheller, Alberta
• The Canadian Rockies- Banaff, Alberta

USA

• Yosemite – Yosemite National Park, California
• VIVA Las Vlogas- Las Vegas, Nevada

Argentina

• What’s new, Buenos Aires?- Buenos Aires

2011 Travel Roundup is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

2011 Travel Roundup |Hey Nadine

Well 2011 has been a year of discovery for myself. I have spent the better part of the year in a sense of reflection. I discovered what I wanted in my career, my relationships, my mind and my heart. I turned 24 this year so I am now in my mid-20′s, no more early 20′s. And I had the first taste of a “mid-life-crisis”. All this reflection and discovery lead to a slower year but an important one nonetheless. So that’s why I cannot wait to begin 2012.

This is my year, I can sense it. I predict tons of exciting opportunities, countless adventures , numerous vlogs and blogs, and a completely transformed Nadine. A more confident, very interesting and super fun Nadine.

This is a gift my sister gave me for Christmas, 1000 Places To See Before You Die , a wonderfully inspiring desk calendar. However, if all my life goals go as planned, I won’t be home very long to flip each page on my desk; I’ll be traveling to see them in person.

So with that I wish you all a Happy New Year, take care and thank you so much for supporting me, following me, and coming along with me on my journeys.

Cheers,

-Nadine

Peace Out 2011 is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Peace Out 2011 |Hey Nadine

Boy do I feel like Santa today! Thanks to the awesome people at Staples Canada I have not one, but four different gadgets you can win just for watching my new tech web series!

Enter the contest via: http://www.getconnectedmedia.com/staplestechtv

Don’t forget to check out the latest 2 episodes of Staples TechTV!

Happy Holidays!

Top Tech Stocking Stuffer Ideas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRCSQnucsqo

Android Tablet Overview – Which one is right for you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNpcnR0FJg0

Staples TechTV: Watch and Win! is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Staples TechTV: Watch and Win! |Hey Nadine

It has been awhile since the last music parody I’ve done, so I figured what’s a more perfect time than Christmas?

Now this was my first raping parody, and Pitbull turned out to be a bit more difficult to place lyrics to than originally planned; however, I think everything turned out in the end.

Here is Pitbull Feat. Chris Brown – International Love.

Tell me what you think - Happy Holidays!

ORIGINAL

International Love : Christmas Remix is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

International Love : Christmas Remix |Hey Nadine

If you guys are like me, you love free things and you love to win free things. So, I have a wonderful opportunities to do just that. For simply being a watcher of my new Staples TechTV web series, you get the opportunity to win a new Kindle 3G eReader!

What are you waiting for? Go win some free stuff!

P.S Check out the latest episode

Top 5 Tech Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc0xD4gdVyw

Staples TechTV: Top 5 Tech Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season + Contests! is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Staples TechTV: Top 5 Tech Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season + Contests! |Hey Nadine

I am very excited to announce the launch of my first hosted web series.

Welcome to Staples TechTV, a new web series to help you make the most of technology at home and at work.

Staple TechTV will be uploaded weekly to the Staple TechTV youtube page,  it will also be found on the Staples Blog. Plus I will be blogging, tweeting it out, and posting it on my various social media channels.

Make sure you subscribe so you get all the new episodes!

Now this web series is a bit different from my usual YouTube videos as it is being produced by Blink Media Works, not myself, and it is for Staples Canada.  The style is also more informative and less hyperactive than a typical HeyNadine video. And it was my first time trying a “hosted” style video.

Because it is a brand new web series I want to hear YOUR feedback! What do you like, dislike? What episodes would you like to see? The web series is about gadgets and technology, so if that’s not your cup of tea I completely understand.

I really hope you enjoy the first episode, till next time!

First Episode: E-Reader Overview : Which one is right for you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WasoneaZRbE

Nadine: tech web series host, CHECK! is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Nadine: tech web series host, CHECK! |Hey Nadine

Now I don’t attend award shows on a regular basis so when I was nominated for a 2011 Digi Award, I was pretty ecstatic. However, at the show I seemed to have mixed a bit of nerves with excitement and a glass of wine on an empty stomach. Which therefore lead to Nadine thinking certain things are funny when they sometimes might not be.

Like referencing Academy Award jokes on a live stage thinking people would get the reference and therefore embarrassing myself.

Yup, that’s what I did. Hopefully it wasn’t too bad or was it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUMuPHmsaso

My Digi Award for Canada’s Top Social Media Maven

Check out the rest of the 2011 Digi Award Winners. Big thank you to Achilles Media for putting on a wonderful 2011 nextMEDIA conference and Digi Awards.

Don’t forget to read my post on the nextMEDIA conference as well!

How to embarrass yourself in front of hundreds of people is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

How to embarrass yourself in front of hundreds of people |Hey Nadine

So this week I was in Toronto for the nextMEDIA conference.

nextMEDIA is Canada’s premier C-level conference and marketplace for executive level media professionals and technologists working in the digital space -nextmediaevents.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRcghlj2kiM

So now in quick note form here are some of the key things I learned at nextMEDIA:

• Branded content: A.k.a the new product placement. The traditional broadcast model is dead and branded entertainment is the new form of advertising media. And, by integrating advertisement the right way, you can add value to the content.
• Marketing budgets have gone social: The web was once read, now it’s read and write. Social is an integrated approach that can be used to have conversations with your audience.
• Word of mouth: It’s all about the people and the “voice of a friend”. This is the most trusted form of endorsement. Would you recommend my product or brand to a friend?

One of my favorite session was by Kevin Roberts. His talk was all about the unreasonable power of creativity and the importance of storytellers.

Great stories,

1. Introduce us to great characters.
2. Make us laugh.
3. Create a bigger meaning.
4. Surprise us with the obvious.
5. Touch us, move us.
6. Are contagious.

We live in the Age of Now: Participation, inspiration and interaction.

Day 2 lectures covered marketing in the digital age and how advertising is content and great content is creative.

I also learned that consumers can tell you everything you want to know. And that failure teaches you what success is. I am a huge believer in this because the best way to learn is through your failures.

Social Listening: I have to admit sometimes I neglect to do this. In my never ending quest to push out new content I sometimes forget to stop and listen to the feedback from my viewers. So, I promise I will try and listen to you guys more.

Final thoughts:

I would love to have typed up every note I took at this conference, however that would make this blog post ridiculously long. Regardless of all the amazing facts I learned this week, the most important thing I received from this conference was inspiration. Inspiration to make more engaging and more entertaining videos for you.

Don’t forget to check out my post on the 2011 Digi Awards and my win for Canada’s Top Social Media Maven.

What I learned at nextMEDIA is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

What I learned at nextMEDIA |Hey Nadine

I figure December is a good time to talk about this as holiday season is in full swing. Christmas is all about family, religion, and… presents/shopping. Which are you more excited about? Let’s be honest.

Not to quote a cheesy romantic comedy but, in Leap Year there is this motif that runs throughout the movie that goes.

If your house was on fire and you had 60 seconds, what would you take?

Assuming all the people and pets are out of the house, what would you take? There are three things I would grab: my wallet (including passports), my laptop, and my notebook. Even then, if I lost any of those three I could replace them , just not as easily as others. Fires cannot take my life away because my life is not built on objects. Anyways, here is a video about materialistic objects, minimalism and living the digital nomadic lifestyle.

Thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTgWy5zI1fM

Nadine the Digital Nomad is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Nadine the Digital Nomad |Hey Nadine

Something most of you might not know about me is that I used to be a student. I’m not talking about high school, I actually went to University and I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science and a minor in Business. Yes, I am a nerdy computer girl and not much has changed since I graduated. Anyways, back in September I made a short internet video to help out a friend with their new company, it’s called Footprint Living.

“Footprint Living is an organization that broadly supports Students. We endorse an off-campus living standard while supplying familiarity and local knowledge. We are a Community of Students, Schools and Accommodation Providers. And, people who support students, schools, and accommodation providers.”

Basically they help students find safe, affordable, and quality accommodations in Vancouver, Canada. Particularity for those students coming from outside of the Vancouver, BC area who don’t know the city very well. It can be very scary moving to a new city or country and having to deal with finding a good accommodation without being able to personally visit the place yourself. So that is where Footprint Living is here to help.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the video and tell me what you think! <3

Will Study for Food is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Will Study for Food |Hey Nadine

Occasionally when beautiful days happen, and when I am feeling exceptionally artistic, I like to head into my backyard and pretend I am a photographer. I whip out my Canon 60D DSLR with my 50mm lens that I don’t seem to use for anything BUT these little occasions. Then I go snap some photos of branches and trees, and since I am no actual photographer I feel like everything is a national geographic cover shot. Well, not quite, but the fact that I am finally feeling better about manual focus means something right?

Then of course, I post it on my blog thinking people actually care to view these photos. I don’t know why I do this, maybe it the”inner hipster photographer” inside me thinking I could take cool photos without the use of hipstamatic or instagram. But alas, I cannot, but I’ll still keep trying because how will I get any better without practice? So I apologize for this post and all future posts like this. I hope you enjoy trees.

Got any DSLR, Canon 60D, or photography tips? Let me know! I’d love to hear them!

The Anti-Instagram is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

The Anti-Instagram |Hey Nadine

So I have been doing some website renovations as of late, spicing things up. I like to add new features and functionality to my website from time to time, like a project I am trying to perfect.

This is nothing new to me since I have been working on websites since I was 11. It all started with a simple Sailor Mars fan site on Expage. Then I moved on to Geocities, Homestead and finally self-hosted . Continuing with my anime fan sites,  Digimon, first Mimi, then Rika, then a combination of the two, like Brangelina.

I became very proficient in teaching myself html design and the lingo of designing webpages. I wasn’t the most efficient nor the best, but I did enjoy it hence why I choose to study Computer Science in college.  However, I eventually stopped website design around 2003 during my last years of high school and didn’t start up again until the birth of heynadine.com in 2008.

HeyNadine.com is currently my only website and it is my first venture into WordPress, which is a whole other world to me. Most of what I learned back in the early 2000′s is obsolete now so I am back on the learning curve. Forever learning, ever perfecting, but I do enjoy it. It is the littlest snippets of satisfaction I get every time I add another piece of content, introduce a new feature, or finally get some bit of code to work.

My website is my baby. I cherish it and nurture it and I want to see it grow and expand. That’s why I am always updating it, changing up the layout or adding plugins and widgets. Just the other night I started browsing themes again; if I changed this one over it would be heynadine.com theme number 8 I believe.  Mainly I change the themes up because I get bored with the current one, or I am looking for more functionality than what my current one offers. Either way, I am always adding, changing and hopefully improving things for the better.

heynadine.com banners over the years

My goals for my website are to have my content more easily searchable, scalable and consumable. I am a visual person and I like graphics and videos and lots of colour. There is honestly a wealth of very interesting and exciting blog posts and video posts from over the last 4 years on this website.

I always want to make sure that you, my readers are also enjoying my website. So I am looking for feedback:

• What features do you like?
• Which ones do you not care for, or find distracting or useless?
• What would you like added to my site?

Let’s have a conversation and not make these boring website update posts so, well, boring.  So please, I encourage you to spend a bit of time browsing my site and exploring all the posts. Tell me what you like so then I can add more!

The History and Makings of a Webmistress is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

The History and Makings of a Webmistress |Hey Nadine

Click here for: How I made my Daenerys Targaryen costume plus photos!

Winter Is Coming is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Winter Is Coming |Hey Nadine

It’s here! My annual postcard give-away, a.k.a , the clearing out of postcards till next year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQViu1cA4r8

How to win:

1. Leave a comment on a blog post. Doesn’t matter which one. NO SPAM PLEASE. Thoughtful comments are more likely to win you a card.  More comments = more chances to win. (TIP: Register as a user for easier commenting abilities) REMEMBER TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL IN THE EMAIL BOX ONLY! Not in the comment box.
2. Subscribe to my RSS feed, via clicking [here] OR entering your email address in the box provided.

Don’t like chance?

You can always purchase a postcard for a guarantee.
http://www.heynadine.com/postcards

2011 Postcard Give-Away! is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

2011 Postcard Give-Away! |Hey Nadine

So I just found out I have been nominated for a Digi Award for Canada’s Top Social Media Maven! Now I am part of “The List,” the definitive index of Canada’s digital elite. Say what? I am beyond excited right now. Last time I won an award was back in high school and that was for being the Most Outstanding Female Student (psshh, no biggie). That was high school, this is all of Canada!

I feel like this is my academy award moment, fingers crossed, acceptance speech ready. Even if I don’t win I feel honored to be listed among so many innovative and reputable new media producers!

I will find out my fate Dec 6th, 2011 at the award show during the NextMEDIA conference in Toronto.

Check out my fellow nominees!

• Erica Ehm from YummyMummyClub.ca
• Alfred Hermida from Reportr.net

Canada’s Top Social Media Maven. Yes, that could be me?! is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Canada’s Top Social Media Maven. Yes, that could be me?! |Hey Nadine

I am a huge fantasy buff and I LOVE making costumes. I don’t make them very often and I have no particular skill set that enables me to create them of any specific quality, but I do love stepping out of the box and attempting a challenge. So, since I have gotten myself obsessively hooked on HBO’s Game of Thrones, which is based off of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, for Halloween I decided to be one of my favorite characters: Daenerys Targaryen.

Khaleesi Daenerys Targaryen costume inspiration.

What do you think? Below is the final product. It took around 4 days to complete, not full days, but minimum 5 hours each day,  and I never ended up using my sewing machine (all hand stitching!).

Khaleesi- Daenerys Targaryen Costume/Cosplay

Details

And of course, being the video blogger I am, this costume wouldn’t be complete without two making-of vlogs. Enjoy!

The Making Of

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkmPdH-WMFM

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2IlL53anSk

Daenerys Targaryen (Khaleesi) Cosplay Costume is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Daenerys Targaryen (Khaleesi) Cosplay Costume |Hey Nadine

What’s new,  Buenos Aires? I’m new, I wanna say I’m just a little stuck on you. -Evita the Musical

So we have arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina and with no time to spare.  With only one day to spend exploring the city there is just so much to see.

Day 8: Contiki South America: Buenos Aires, Argentina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI4V43IdU5c

La Boca

First stop on our city tour, La Boca, a run-down part of town that has been transformed into a culture mecca and tourist feeding frenzy. Famous for lots of things, including one very good football team.

So colourful, so bright! I want it all.

I dressed appropriate.

Next stop, a mausoleum? Well, this wasn’t just any mausoleum; it is where Eva Perón, the most famous women in all of Argentina was buried.

Now I had never seen a mausoleum before, nor had I known what they were used for, so I was pretty excited for this stop.

That and I am a huge fan of the musical Evita. Gotta love Antonio Banderas and Madonna.

Evita Peróns grave. Duarte was her maiden name.

After our city tour we had a bit of free time to shop. So for three hours I ran around the finest shopping districts in Buenos Aires, desperately trying to find a suitable outfit for tonight’s farewell dinner and tango lesson. But alas, I failed in finding any sort of ensemble. I have never had so much difficulty finding womens clothing shops,  but after careful observation it became quite apparent why.

Argentina is full of good-looking, well-dressed men.

I concluded my shopping complains after realizing this.

Our evening consisted of a wonderful Argentinian Tango lesson, show and dinner.  Thanks Argentina,  now I have a burning desire to take up more tango lessons. Partly due to the factthat I love the music.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and so does this trip. I hope you have enjoyed coming along with me on my adventures, watching my videos and reading my blog posts.

Thanks Contiki, for the trip of a lifetime!

What’s new Buenos Aires? is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

What’s new Buenos Aires? |Hey Nadine

Day 6 & 7: Contiki South America

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKeLywLtDv0

I was suppose to be in Brazil overlooking the stunning Iguazu Falls. Instead I am stuck in an airport.

This is travel. It is enviable and it always happens; your plans get changed and things you wanted to do get cancelled. It’s sad and it sucks but what can you do? C’est la vie. I’m still lucky to even be in South America.

Now is the part in the blog where I might give suggestions on what to do when your bored waiting in airports, but honesty, I don’t have many. Being a video blogger I always have work to do, so when there are delays or spare time I usually open up my laptop and edit away.

So in my bored editing time I have combined two days together and instead of breath taking Brazilian falls you get a video of airports, toilets and food. Or to some, my best vlog yet.

Cheers!

When things go wrong: travel delays and missed opportunities. is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

When things go wrong: travel delays and missed opportunities. |Hey Nadine

Day 5- Contiki South America

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GQcTaXK480

Today we started off with a walking city tour of Cusco, Peru. Once capital city of the Inca Empire, Cusco was invaded by the Spanish in the 1500′s leaving a mixture of Spanish influenced buildings with an Inca architecture style.

Koricancha or Santa Domingo Church, the original Inca temple devoted to the sun god.

Unfortunately, I was not able to take any photos of the insides of the churches.  Still, a lot can be said about the interiors which containes walls covered in paintings, vaulted celings, and gold and silver alters dedicated to the various saints.

One very amusing and fascinating part of the interior of the cathedral was that even though it was built by the Spanish, they hired the native Incas to paint the artwork. The paintings the natives produced included various hidden Inca religious symbols such as: a lama in place of a horse, mountain and moon shapes in the women’s dresses, and my personal favorite, a guinea pig for The Last Supper.

Speaking of guinea pigs, yes, I tried one.  It tasted like a very chewy mix of pork and chicken, not very much meat on it as well.

In conclusion, I rather enjoyed Cusco. It’s a very modern city with tons of character and a wonderful night life.  I highly recommend.

Cusco, Peru is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Cusco, Peru |Hey Nadine

Ah the bucket list; a manifest of things we wish to do before we die. I’ve never created one because I am still so young with so much time left, why should I be thinking about the end?

Machu Picchu is no stranger to the bucket list. It’s no stranger to any lists. It’s one of the worlds top tourist destinations and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

It’s quite an unexpected surprise to cross off such a big item like Machu Picchu, a place I never thought I would end up visiting. There are just so many things in this world I thought I would see first, like Europe. Ever since I was a little girl I have been fascinated by my family’s history and my nationality. I am half Slovakian half Slovenian and I actually have a dual citizenship with Slovakia. Yet I have never been to Europe or seen the country I have citizenship from.

The problem is that when I have a list I feel like those are the things that I must visit first. I prioritize these experiences because they are on my list and I feel disappointed if I do not achieve them. Alternatively, if I don’t have a bucket list, I can treat every trip and experience as a surprise. Add them to the only list that does count: the list of things I have done.

Day 4- Contiki South America: Machu Picchu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLbcw4YIOGI

I know way too much about Machu Picchu. I’ve watched countless specials on it, seen hundreds of photos and yet it still took my breath away. Nothing can prepare you for what you will see, the grandeur of it all.

Today was a day I will never forget. The clean crisp air, the mist winding around the peaks of the mountains giving us small glimpses of what to expect. Machu Picchu is a magical place. The Inca’s knew this, our guides tell us this, and if you get up early enough, you can experience it.

The crowds are a bit of a hassle, I hate complaining about tourists because I am one of them.  However, something about the endless snake of visitors winding through the ruins takes just a bit of the serenity away from it all. The sun does so as well. Sometimes mountains are better kept in the clouds.

Regardless of everything, we had a perfect day, a magical day and a bucket list check off day.  I know that these photos do not do any justice to this site so hopefully you’ll just take my word for it. Machu Picchu is undeniably the most amazing thing I have ever seen.

Bucket Lists and why Machu Picchu was NOT on mine. is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Bucket Lists and why Machu Picchu was NOT on mine. |Hey Nadine

Day 3: Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu Pueblo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWIfY6zx21s

Being a travel vlogger I sometimes get a bit too preoccupied when filming that I forget to snap photos.  Usually, this is not the case. When I travel it’s like this wave of psycho camera OCD engulfs my body forcing me to film and photograph everything or else I get panic attacks thinking that I might miss something. If you have ever traveled with me you know this is true.

Yes, I am that annoying Facebook friend with millions of pictures of herself from her travels. Somehow I feel like those photos are my memories and I ALWAYS go back and revisit them, scroll through my photos and relive my trip like it was yesterday.

I don’t know why I feel this way since even if I don’t photograph everything, I still film it so you can always watch the video. However, I still feel like I am missing something whenever I do not snap a photo or, heaven forbid, forget my camera.

This blog post is one of those panic attacks. I suddenly realized I only have photos from two of the seven places I visited today. I think I am going to faint!

So let me sum up what I do NOT have any photos of: We spent the night at the Sacred Valley in this amazing lodge that I have no photo of. Then we went white water rafting, again, no photos. Onwards to Ollantantambo for lunch, WHICH, I actually do have a photo of.

Ollantantambo

Then we hopped on the most scenic train ride ever, towards Machu Picchu. Took a dip in the hot springs and finally spent the night at Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of the Machu Picchu mountain.

See, it’s not nearly as exciting as if there were more photos. But, I guess it is not all that bad since I do have this amazing video from it.

Aguas Calientes

Are you an OCD photo-taker too?

Dealing with photo taking anxiety : Sacred Valley to Macchu Picchu is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Dealing with photo taking anxiety : Sacred Valley to Macchu Picchu |Hey Nadine

Day 2: Contiki South America

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D239Q5JEY2E

Peace out Lima! Today we head into Peru’s mountain region towards the Sacred Valley. Our first stop is a Llama and Alpaca farm where I got the opportunity to ride a Llama. Well not really ride, I just sat on one and got to pet a lot of them.

After our South American petting zoo experience, we continued our drive via some very sketchy mountain roads and through a mini monsoon towards the Pisac Ruins . One good thing that came from our bipolar weather bursts was this gorgeous rainbow that appeared across the valley.

Pisac Ruins

Each individual person when visiting a new place has preferences to things they wish to view and spend time at. For some, the most exciting thing about travel may be: the local people, experiencing culture shock, the nightlife, shopping, wildlife or simply food. I  prefer nature, landscapes, architecture, history, ruins and engineering marvels. Does that make me a nerdy science geek? Yes it does, but that’s what I love about travel.

I especially love ruins, something about buildings that have stood for hundreds to thousands of years is something that leaves me speechless.

Does anyone else feel the same?

Lima to the Sacred Valley is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Lima to the Sacred Valley |Hey Nadine

Day 1: Contiki South America

So today was the official start of our 9 day Contiki South America tour.  Today we took a bus city tour of Peru’s capital and its most populated city, Lima.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLHfVp0j_7w

Our wonderful tour guide explained to us about many tidbits of Lima and Peruvian culture, including the massive amount of Spanish colonial influence and its numerous vast public squares.

Our guide also told us about the different areas of Lima, how the drivers are crazy and how there is no public transportation only private ones. Crazy to think, when you come from a country like Canada where public transportation is so accessible and relied upon.

One really cool thing I learned was that the reason why the buildings in Lima are so colourful is because the majority of the year is spent in a grey overcast and therefore to liven up the town they decided to paint everything in bright colours.

I’d say it works !

Not quite what I was expecting when I first thought about South America and Peru; however Lima was a very pleasant surprise and I cannot wait for more!

Lima, Peru is a post from: Nadine Sykora | Hey Nadine

Lima, Peru |Hey Nadine