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Nina Near and Far

How to have adventures near and far.

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Category: Packing Guides

Posted on January 12, 2020January 13, 2020

How to Prevent Leg Cramps After Flying (and Other Travel Soreness)

Leg cramps? Sore neck?

  • Packing Guides
  • Travel
  • travel tips
 by ninanearandfar0 comment
How to Prevent Leg Cramps After Flying (and Other Travel Soreness)
Posted on April 18, 2019April 21, 2019

What to Pack for Costa Rica

Wondering what to pack for Costa Rica?

  • Costa Rica
  • Packing Guides
 by ninanearandfar1 comment
What to Pack for Costa Rica
Posted on February 4, 2019January 30, 2020

What to Wear in Canada in Winter: Recommendations from a Local

Recommendations from a local.

  • canada
  • Canada Tips
  • Ottawa-Gatineau Winter
  • Packing Guides
  • travel tips
  • winter
 by ninanearandfar1 comment
What to Wear in Canada in Winter: Recommendations from a Local
Posted on July 19, 2018January 24, 2019

What to Pack for Iceland Travel

What to pack for Iceland, with recommendations and a packing list!

  • Iceland
  • Packing Guides
 by ninanearandfar0 comment
What to Pack for Iceland Travel

Hi! I’m Nina, and welcome to Nina Near and Far – the Ottawa-based travel blog for people pursing career and academic goals. Nina Near and Far is about making the most of your time off, weekends, and vacation days by exploring you own city and taking short, adventure-packed trips.

O, Christmas tree! 🤩 The Lights at Landsdowne a O, Christmas tree! 🤩 The Lights at Landsdowne are absolutely beautiful and the skating rink at night is pure magic. I’m so glad they went ahead with the lights this year even though the Christmas Market wasn’t able to go ahead. It’s such a nice destination to enjoy some time outside! ⁣ I vote we revert to Daylight Time so it stops getting dark at 4PM and keep the pretty lights up until Spring! ✨ Who is with me? 🙋🏼‍♀️ ⁣ #ottawa #ottawalife #myottawa #facesottawa #topottawaphoto #christmasphotoshoot #christmasphotos
OTTAWA IN DECEMBER: HOLIDAY LIGHTS & VILLAGES ❄️ ⁣ It looks like winter is finally here to stay! And there is actually enough to do in Ottawa right now (following public safety guidelines of course) for a round up post. December is in just a few days but a lot of things start this weekend! Hit SAVE for when you need a fun activity this holiday season! ⁣ HOLIDAY LIGHTS & VILLAGES ⁣ ✨ Christmas Lights Across Canada starts November 30 throughout Ottawa. ⁣ ✨ @saundersfarmfun is hosting a drive-through Light & Sounds Show at night and a Country Christmas during the day. ⁣ ✨ @enchantedottawa is taking over an old go kart for their drive-through light show ⁣ ✨ Lights at Lansdowne kicks off November 27. Ottawa’s biggest Christmas tree is back! The skating rink will also be open ⛸ ⁣ ✨ Alight at Night is back at @uppercanadavill - bundle up and enjoy the lights in Bundle up for an evening stroll through this picture-perfect postcard setting! Over one million lights adorn the heritage buildings, ⁣ ✨ Magic of Lights Ottawa is on at @thewcparks (drive-through) ⁣ ✨ Visit the Christmas village at @stanleysoldemaplelanefarm - perfect for kids! Visit the elves and explore the village. ⁣ ✨ Step back in time at the Vintage Village of Lights at the Cumberland Heritage Village @cumberlandmuseum ⁣ ✨ Take the family to @ianschristmaspark for Christmas trees, rope mazes, and wagon rides. ⁣ Prefer to stay in? Check out 10 Ottawa Experiences to Have at Home for fun ways to support local businesses and have unique experiences in your own home 🥰 #myottawa #ottawa #ottawaphoto
Good news from my academic life! 😍 (From a virt Good news from my academic life! 😍 (From a virtual event for which I have exactly zero photos lol) ⁣ On October 23 I competed in a thesis competition among Masters and Ph.D. research students in my department. My presentation won 2nd place! 🥈 SWIPE for a snippet of my slides. ⁣ My work examines how leadership impacts the way that employees experience stress at work (positively as challenges or as something threatening and hindering). I developed a theory of how leaders might be able to do this - by promoting a few different psychological states or mindsets in employees - and I’m just about done collecting date to test me hypotheses! During the Q&A of the presentation I shared the story of my former co-worker passing away from depression last Fall as an example of a stressful experience that can not be construed as a positive (and therefore falls outside of the theory I explore through my research). I plan to donate 10% of my prize money to an organization that supports men’s mental health in memory of my co-worker ❤️❤️❤️
Remembrance Day 🖤❤️ I absolutely love the R Remembrance Day 🖤❤️ I absolutely love the Remembrance Day projections on the @nac.cna 😍 It’s a on a loop with some other neat projections so I had to wait a while between photos! I needed two photos for this final shot (foreground in focus and background in focus) and it took a few attempts to get the poppies where I wanted them. Glad I waited because I love how this turned out! ⁣ November is usually a prime fundraising opportunity for the Royal Canadian Legion through poppy sales. Unsurprisingly, poppy sales are lower than usual this year. The Royal Canadian Legion accepts online donations from $5 and up ☺️ I already made a donation and the link is my bio if you would like to do the same. #myottawa #remembranceday #remembranceday2020 #ottawalife #topottawaphoto
Reconnecting with the things that make me happy 🥰 📷 ⁣ I often tie photography to travel, events, and activities so with the big reduction in all of those things this year I sort of forgot how much I love being out with my camera!We are at the end of the outdoor cycling but still a ways off from skating and snowshoeing season. I decided that returning to photography for it’s own sake would be a good way to get out and about that feels purposeful and can be done safely with a friend. ⁣ This year more than ever I think it’s important to have a plan for movement and getting out; especially if you’re still working from home like me! Even with the hopeful news today there is a long winter ahead. What are you doing to keep moving and get out of the house? ⁣ 📸 @passportunities #myottawa #ottawa #ottawalife
Looking back on beautiful Fall days! 🍁 Here’s Looking back on beautiful Fall days! 🍁 Here’s a safe day trip idea for the beautiful weekend of sunshine and warm weather ahead: make your way to Wakefield, QC. Park in town and walk to the covered bridge. On the walk back, stop at the Wakefield bakery and get a treat to enjoy by the water! ⁣ Other ideas: ⁣ ☀️ Visit an @ncc_ccn trail like Jack Pine or Mer Bleue and take bird seed! ⁣ ☀️ Enjoy the final weekend of @oneworldbazaar and mention Nina Near and Far for 10% off your purchase (on purchases up to $500) ⁣ ☀️ Enjoy Afternoon Tea at the now-reopened Zoey’s restaurant at @fairmontlaurier ⁣ ☀️ Support a local restaurant with a patio. Inside dining also returns this Saturday, November 7! ⁣ ☀️ Shop local. The weather is perfect for bopping between local shops. ⁣ What are your plans for the weekend?
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canada friends 🦃 Voila Happy Thanksgiving to my Canada friends 🦃 Voila, the pumpkin pie that Nick stayed up super late to finish while I went to bed because it turns out that after the crust spends two hours in the fridge and the pie bakes for an hour... then you wait 2 more hours for it to set. But, I got up in the morning and collected leaves for a pie photoshoot, so obviously I did my part. ⁣ Things look a little different this year, but I hope everyone is still finding ways to enjoy the holiday 🧡 as always, one of the things that I am grateful for is all of you!
Fall day idea: pick up some local Fall harvest and Fall day idea: pick up some local Fall harvest and then make delicious meals, snacks, and sides! Miller’s Farm in Manotick is one of my favourite places to go in the Fall - and I come home with a ton of yummy fall harvest! 🍂 ⁣ What to do with your harvest haul? SAVE THIS POST of my go-to squash recipes! ⁣ 🍂 Delicata squash: cut a slit and scoop out the middle. Slice it (sort of like onion rings). Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and then roast at 425°F until it’s crispy. ⁣ 🍂 Acorn squash: cut in half, scoop the middle. Baked at 350°F for 40 minutes. On the stove, cook ground turkey with a can of diced tomatoes, garlic, and some Chile powder. Scoop the mix into the acorn squash and drizzle with cheese. ⁣ 🍂 Celebration squash: scoop the middle and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove, coat with butter, a bit of brown sugar, cinnamon, and fill the bowl of the squash with walnut bits and a little more butter. Return to the oven (about 10 minutes) until walnuts and squash are soft. ⁣ 🍂 Spaghetti squash: cut in half, scoop out, and roast at 450°F for 40 minutes. Prepare your favourite meatballs. Scrape out the spaghetti squash and use it as... well, spaghetti! ⁣ 🍂 Butternut squash: I love butternut squash soup! Peel and cut your butternut squash and make a soup with a carrot, onion, and apple, a can of coconut milk, 4+ cups of vegetable broth depending on your desired thickness of soup, and all the garlic, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg you want with juuuuust a little pinch of cayenne pepper! Cook in a pot until everything is soft then blend or purée. ⁣ 🍎 Apples: apple crisp, of course! Slice up 6 apples and toss with a bit of white sugar, a little bit of lemon juice, and cinnamon and spread them in a baking dish. Mix a cup light brown sugar, 3/4 cup old fashioned oats, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, and a bit of salt. Put the mix over the apples and put in the oven at 350°F for 40 minutes. ⁣ 🍂 Pumpkin! We’ll be attempting pumpkin pie this weekend ourselves... I’ll let you know how it goes 😍 ⁣ What’s your favourite Fall recipe?
Fall days are here and the colours are beautiful! Fall days are here and the colours are beautiful! 😍🍁 Snapped this quick Fall photo on a ride with @passportunities tonight. ⁣ Here’s a quick list of some of the Fall posts you’ll find on the Nina Near and Far blog and day trip guides that are perfect for the season! ⁣ 🍁 Ottawa Fall Colours: The Best Places and Day Trips (it’s not all Gatineau Park!) ⁣ 🍁 The Top Things to do in Ottawa in the Fall ⁣ 🍁 Gatineau Park Guide (updated today) ⁣ 🍁 Guides to Brockville, 1000 Islands, Westport, and more! ⁣ 🍁 14 Day Trip ideas that are less than 2 hours from Ottawa. ⁣ It’s all linked in my bio! ⁣ What’s on your Fall bucket list? I’m hoping to get out for a day trip or two for some leaf-spotting.
Ottawa Fall Date Idea! 😍 SAVE for the next time Ottawa Fall Date Idea! 😍 SAVE for the next time you want a night out or to treat yourself... ⁣ @zoes.ottawa reopened this week with an incredible fall menu. Thanks to @fairmontlaurier for letting me be one of the first people to try it! ⁣ The signature cocktails include Fall flavours like pumpkin spice, apple, and ginger. SWIPE for a smoky surprise! ⁣ Their Perfect Pairings menu matches a signature cocktail with a cold or hot plate for a delicious experience. ⁣ My favourite pairings were the Cauliflower Pakora & Crushed Coconut, the Beef Tartar & Henry of Pelham Estate Baco Noir, the Roasted Beets & Phony Negroni... realizing that I am just listing off everything I ate 🤔 because it was all spectacular. ⁣ Stay for dessert; the homemade pumpkin ice cream is a must-try for Fall! 🍂 ⁣ What are your favourite Fall flavours? ⁣ #myottawa #ottawalife #apt613 #facesottawa #topottawaphoto #ottawa #yowcity #ottcity #ottawaphoto #ottawafoodie #ottawafood
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