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2021: The Worst… I Mean, the Best Year of My Life

March 31, 2022 36 comments

The Biggest Solo Adventure I’ve Ever Been On: I’m Having a Baby

December 21, 2021 61 comments

What is Love Bombing?: Warning Signs and How to Avoid It

Hot and Cold: What is Intermittent Reinforcement in Relationships?

This Is How Your Heart Breaks

Trust Me, Your 30s Are So Much Better Than Your 20s

On Ghosting (and what to do if it happens to you)

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    HighlightLifestyle

    2021: The Worst… I Mean, the Best Year of My Life

    by Brenna Holeman March 31, 2022
    written by Brenna Holeman
    March 31, 2022
    36 comments
    14 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Canada

    Winterlude 2022: Vote for Manitoba!

    by Brenna Holeman February 12, 2022
    by Brenna Holeman February 12, 2022

    Last weekend I had the chance to do something really cool here in Winnipeg: I got to witness the Winterlude Ice Carving Championship in action!

    A little bit of backstory: this year, in the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, 20 ice carvers across 10 provinces were given 4500 pounds of ice (15 blocks of ice weighing 300 pounds each). Over the course of 20 hours, they had to create their masterpieces! And now, voting is open to the public.

    6 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • HighlightLifestyle

    The Biggest Solo Adventure I’ve Ever Been On: I’m Having a Baby

    by Brenna Holeman December 21, 2021
    by Brenna Holeman December 21, 2021

    I suppose the title gives it all away, and, I suppose, if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ll have known the news for months. But yes… I am pregnant. In just a couple of months, I will be a mom. And I’m going to be a single mom.

    So… whew. Where to begin?!

    17 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Travel

    Visiting the Canadian Museum for Human Rights: A Story of Hope

    by Brenna Holeman October 20, 2021
    written by Brenna Holeman
    October 20, 2021
    8 comments
    5 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Travel

    Things to Do in Morden-Winkler, Manitoba

    by Brenna Holeman September 2, 2021
    by Brenna Holeman September 2, 2021

    Just like 2020, 2021 has been all about sticking close to home. It’s strange: I don’t even miss international travel that much, even though I haven’t left Manitoba since January of 2020. Part of the reason I’m more than happy to stay close to home is that I’ve been on a quest to see as much of Manitoba as possible, and I’ve been continuously blown away by just how much there is to do in this prairie province I call home. Missing from my previous travels? A proper visit to the neighbouring cities of Morden and Winkler.

    5 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • AdviceTravel

    How to See Beluga Whales in Churchill, Manitoba

    by Brenna Holeman August 18, 2021
    by Brenna Holeman August 18, 2021

    As a Manitoban, one of my greatest travel dreams has always been to see beluga whales in Churchill. While Churchill is often considered a polar bear destination – it’s often referred to as the “polar bear capital of the world” – I was always drawn to the idea of seeing belugas in the wild. And finally, earlier this month, my dream finally came true.

    6 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Advice

    The Best Independent Bookstores in Winnipeg

    by Brenna Holeman April 19, 2021
    written by Brenna Holeman
    April 19, 2021
    9 comments
    6 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • LifestyleWriting and Blogging

    Is It Time to Quit? 11 Years of This Battered Suitcase

    by Brenna Holeman April 12, 2021
    by Brenna Holeman April 12, 2021

    Today is the 11th anniversary of This Battered Suitcase. I’d be lying if I said that I felt OK about it all, and that I still have the confidence that things would go back to “normal”. It hits me like a ton of bricks a few times a day: the dream job I worked for for almost two decades is gone, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get it back to where it used to be. The last year has brought with it massive waves of anxiety, and on some days, I can’t even turn on my computer, let alone try to write anything meaningful or coherent.

    1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • AdviceLifestyle

    The Best Audiobooks on Spotify

    by Brenna Holeman April 6, 2021
    by Brenna Holeman April 6, 2021

    I’ve been a huge fan of Spotify for around five years now. In the last year alone, I listened to nearly 50,000 minutes of music (that’s the equivalent of about 35 days of nonstop music). I like to think I know Spotify well; I look forward to my Discover Weekly every Monday, I’m always checking our their suggestions, and I make many playlists. But somehow I have remained in the dark about audiobooks on Spotify, as I only recently discovered just how many books you can listen to with a Spotify account!

    5 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • AdviceLifestyle

    How to Read More Books

    by Brenna Holeman March 31, 2021
    written by Brenna Holeman
    March 31, 2021
    12 comments
    4 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
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About Me

About Me

Hi, I'm Brenna

My name is Brenna Holeman and I drink a lot of whisky. No, wait. That’s not how I want to start. After travelling to more than 100 countries over the past 16 years, many of them solo, I tend to write about travel a lot, but I write about other things, too: getting dumped, buying way too much jewellery, and yeah, OK, whisky (none of those things are related, I swear). You’ll find a mix of advice, opinion pieces, and stories on this blog, but either way, I hope to make you want to read more. And up next? I'm now a single mom to a beautiful baby boy, the biggest solo adventure I've ever been on. For more about me and what you'll find on This Battered Suitcase, click here.

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INSPIRATION

Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." - Jack Kerouac

About Brenna

This Battered Suitcase is not only about the where and the how of travel, it's about the who and the why.

Originally from Canada, all I've ever wanted to do is travel. After eleven years of solo travel and over 90 countries, I'm currently living in London and fulfilling my other dream of becoming a writer. If I'm not travelling, I'm writing about it, either for my blog, my job, or my book. I firmly believe there is adventure everywhere, so long as you keep your eyes (and your mind, and your heart) open. Join me as I continue to look for these adventures. Hopefully you'll find your own, too.

For more, click here.

WHERE AM I?

Last stops: Manitoba, Canada

Currently: Manitoba, Canada

Up Next: Manitoba, Canada (are you sensing a theme?)

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AFFILIATE POLICY

Please note that some links on This Battered Suitcase are affiliates (at no extra cost to you); I only recommend products I use and love. This Battered Suitcase is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

INSPIRATION

"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." - Jack Kerouac

Currently in

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

Last Stops: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Up Next:  Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

(AKA: STAY HOME)

Disclosures

This Battered Suitcase is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and links to Amazon.com. For the full disclosure/privacy policy, please click here.

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This Battered Suitcase
  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Around the Web
    • Contact
  • Start Here
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Kenya
      • Morocco
      • Namibia
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
      • Zambia
    • Asia
      • Bhutan
      • Brunei
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Israel
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Macau
      • Malaysia
      • Mongolia
      • Myanmar
      • Nepal
      • The Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Sri Lanka
      • South Korea
      • Thailand
      • UAE
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Bulgaria
      • Croatia
      • Cyprus
      • Czechia
      • Denmark
      • England
      • Estonia
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Latvia
      • Liechtenstein
      • Lithuania
      • Luxembourg
      • Malta
      • Monaco
      • Netherlands
      • Northern Ireland
      • Norway
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • San Marino
      • Scotland
      • Slovakia
      • Slovenia
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
      • Vatican City
      • Wales
    • North America
      • Antigua and Barbuda
      • Barbados
      • Belize
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Dominican Republic
      • Grenada
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Jamaica
      • Nicaragua
      • Mexico
      • Panama
      • St. Kitt’s and Nevis
      • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
      • USA
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
  • Topics
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