Angela Carson

11/05/2025

It’s Never Too Late ❤️ If 2 people were ever more opposite, it would be me and my sweet Mommy. This is true down to the base core of who we are. And it’s been our greatest challenge to overcome as time goes on.

The obvious is that I am tall and she is petite or she was born with a thick mane of dark hair, whereas I was born with thin, blonde hair. Then there’s who we are inside. I’m a liberal democrat, mom’s an ultra-conservative republican. Mom is amazing with money, an inspiration when it comes to responsibility, and enjoys stability. I skew in the opposite direction on all points.

Over the years, LOVE has been our bond. Beyond that, my mother ALWAYS SHOWS UP. She’s visited me in every country I’ve lived in except China and Pakistan. She makes me feel like I have a safety net to live my unstable life. If I am ever in a pickle and free-falling, she is always there and my parachute.

Yet our differences kept our relationship from growing. 

Without going into details, we grew up very differently (my upbringing was infinitely more stable and non-combative). That determined behaviours in us that you maybe wouldn’t expect. Like I am more empathetic and an open (honest) communicator. I’m also more chill and loving (but I suppose those are consistent with someone brought up with more freedoms and less fears).

YET I WANTED MORE
I wanted a closeness we didn’t have. So, during a family reunion in 2023, just the two of us, I invited Mom out for lunch at a nice spot. I ordered wine. I explained, calmly, how I would like to have a closer relationship and what that would look like to me. 

It sounds easy and uncomplicated but that’s not how it was.

My Mom loves me yet what to me was a request to have a deeper relationship, to my Mom felt a bit like an attack. Not because I was attacking her and not because she also wouldn’t like a closer relationship. It’s just that we communicate and think so differently.

But she said YES and we’ve been growing closer ever since. We’ve been on holiday that felt different to just “visiting” and know each other MORE. It’s wonderful.

Sometimes, all we have to do is sit down and gently share what we want. Or nothing will ever change.

07/05/2025

Living 3 years in India and 2 years in Pakistan DOES NOT qualify me to have opinions on what's unfolding between these two beautiful nations. But I’d like to share a few personal thoughts with you.

PEOPLE vs TERR@RISTS vs GOVERNMENT
I’ve road-tripped in Kashmir. It’s a breathtaking region full of kind, peaceful people. Just like the people of Balochistan, Kashmiris on either side did not ask to live in a region that would brew tensions. They also are not terr@rists.

You are kind to ME, able to separate the things my government does versus me … Angela. Please extend Indians and Pakistanis that same courtesy – especially to one another.

GLAD YOU’RE OUT
I was already tired of friends and family saying something like “glad you got out of Pakistan” before this happened. Today, I know it’s concern over the dangers of possible war. But before, it was meant differently.

I have people I deeply care about in both countries. But where I would still move back to Pakistan to live, India is the only country I would never live in again. I lost my personal freedom in India and was constantly groped in public. Neither happened to me in Pakistan.

Where the world perceives Pakistan to be dangerous, I never experienced it like in India, simply walking in a mall, 5-star hotel, or on the streets.

I loved my time in India, and can’t wait to see friends again. But unless you’ve lived in both places, please don’t spread media misinformation or bias.

GOOD P.R.
Like the US, India is amazing at public relations. Pakistan is terrible at it. So, please, no matter what you see online, unless it’s from a credible news source (Al Jazeera, BBC, The Independent), do NOT believe it.

I’ve seen Pakistani friends’ social media sharing misinformation all day today.

I’ve also seen Indian news channels spreading lies. It looks like real news yet they’re like Fox News and share “beliefs” as facts (not facts).

Please take a moment to know what’s true and what’s a lie.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Simply ... I hope this is resolved quickly. The people on both sides deserve that.

Friends in India & Pakistan, please stay safe ❤️

*If the comments get unkind, I’ll disable them

14/04/2025

Watch in HD on YouTube >> https://youtu.be/QQhNRu8cEFw

Best Western Quetta is ready for guests! Come explore DHA Quetta's excellent addition to the hotel scene in Balochistan. This 'new kid on the block' has everything discerning travellers are looking for: delicious food, 24-hour room service, NO single-use plastics in bathrooms, a fully equipped gym split for men & women, and friendly staff who'll make your stay perfect.

WHAT I LOVED
The colour and style of décor in my room was such a nice change of pace, it's both well-designed and pretty. The vibe in the cigar room was also very cool and a perfect spot to catch up with friends and make some business deals!

*Stay tuned, as I'll soon be sharing a video of everything to see and do in DHA Quetta to make your stay fun and unique.

BEST WESTERN QUETTA DHA
- Be sure to follow them on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bestwesternquetta
- To book your room or for more information, visit https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-quetta/best-western-dha-hanna-mall-quetta/propertyCode.76608.html

14/04/2025

NEW Best Western Quetta / Best Western Hotels & Resorts video NOW LIVE on YouTube >> https://youtu.be/QQhNRu8cEFw

Best Western Quetta is ready for guests! Come explore DHA Quetta's excellent addition to the hotel scene in Balochistan. This new kid on the block has everything discerning travellers are looking for, including delicious food, 24-hour room service, NO single-use plastics in bathrooms, a fully equipped gym split for men & women, and friendly staff who'll make your stay perfect.

WHAT I LOVED
The colour and style of décor in my room was such a nice change of pace, it's both well-designed and pretty. The vibe in the cigar room was also very cool and a perfect spot to catch up with friends and make some business deals!

*Stay tuned, as I'll soon be sharing a video of everything to see and do in DHA Quetta to make your stay fun and unique.

Best Western Quetta is ready for guests! Come explore DHA Quetta's excellent addition to the hotel scene in Balochistan. This new kid on the block has everyt...

08/04/2025

Big thanks to the whole team at Directorate General of Sports Balochistan 🙏 🙏 🙏

16/03/2025

Lasbela, Pakistan ❤️ Hingol National Park & beaches aren't the only things to see and do in this diverse and beautiful district in Balochistan!

What I thought would be a day of hanging out with camels on my 2nd trip to Lasbela turned into something quite special. Visit my YouTube channel to go on a road-trip from Gwadar to Lasbela to explore the 100-year-old Bela Bazaar market. Then, walk in the footsteps of Balochistan's ex-Chief Minister Jam Kamal (now Pakistan's Federal Commerce Minister) as I retrace the historic sites of the noble princely Jam family, including their family home. And do not miss the spectacular Gondrani Cave City of Bela!!

The beaches of Lasbela are some of the prettiest in all of Pakistan (Gwadar's are #1 for me, sorry....) AND there are wonderful places to explore in Hingol National Park.

But Lasbela is much more than that.

Next time you are on a road trip from Karachi, consider spending a couple of days retracing history in Lasbela.

Link in bio to my YouTube channel 🎥

09/03/2025

My TOP 5 Pakistan Hidden Gems to add to your 2025 travel bucket list 🐪🏝️
1 & 2. Derawar Fort, Cholistan Desert, Punjab
3. Pir Chattal, Jhal Magsi, Balochistan
4. Shrine of Sheik Hussani, Noshki, Balochistan
5. Masjid Samwal Sharif, Mirpur, Kashmir
6. Astola Island, Gwadar, Balochistan

It takes HOURS to reach any of these wonderful locations from where most of us stay when visiting Paksitan. Even curious travellers who venture off-the-beaten-path and explore more rural spots.

That makes these 5 HIDDEN GEMS some of the least visited places in Pakistan — and truly worthy of your time to explore them, trust me ❤️
the-beaten-path and explore more rural spots.

***thank you to for the shots of me at Pir Chattal last year. On my 1st trip there in 2021 my drone ended up swimming with the fish 🐟🤭

08/03/2025

Wishing Freedom for Girls on International Women's Day ❤️

Not every young woman can do as she wishes in life so I was lucky. The first time I travelled solo on a proper international adventure I was only 20 years old. As a Californian, I was brought up to believe that girls were equal to boys and that we could do anything they could. My mother never once told me that I was expected to get married or live any particular kind of life … just that I was expected to be able to take care of myself and to be a good person.

That isn’t something that girls from all countries can say. In China, for example, there’s huge pressure to marry young and “right”. When I lived in India, I saw that well over 90% of girls are taught that their value and “worth” is judged heavily by the calibre of husband they secure.

SETTLE vs. SETTLE DOWN
It wasn’t until India that I understood the tragedy between “settle” and “settle down”. Girls (or boys for that matter!) often have no control over their destiny. They are not free to plan their life. Parents dictate the future. And the parents NEVER ASK things like, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” because free will doesn’t exist there.

In my head, I know that cultural differences are not “right or wrong” but are simply different by country. Yet it’s hard not to judge when a girl's freedom is what is weighing in the balance.

FINAL THOUGHT
In 2025, more girls will attend university than ever before in history. I would like to believe that'll give them the chance to discover what they love to do. And with that knowledge, give girls the courage to fight for it before having to "settle down".

A girl's life should be her own ... since she's the one who is going to have to live it day after day.

05/03/2025

❤️ We each have a story. One that only we can tell. A life that – when taken as a whole – could only be lived once. Like fingerprints, each of us is unique.

Today, more and more people are choosing to share their stories. Some only share the good stuff. Others tell it all – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

While both are valid, the person who allows themselves to be TRULY SEEN and for their vulnerability and raw emotions to be EXPOSED, they are always the most relatable.

WHY BE HONEST?
In opening up and sharing genuine truths from our lives, a message can be shared to someone halfway around the world who needs to hear it. A FEELING can be transmitted to let them know they aren’t alone and that someone else is going through the same thing (shining light on a path forward that was previously unknown).

Knowing that someone else has felt emptiness or struggled, failed, been invisible, lost freedoms (or never had them) … or any of the other million nuances a life can have, it helps us feel less alone.

Elements beyond our control like where we are born, if we’re a woman or a man, our parents, and the acceptance of the world around us all factor into who we become. That’s great if you’re happy where you’re from and living the life expected of you.

But it takes courage to be different and fight for a dream. These are traits we’re either BORN with or GAIN OVER TIME by being encouraged or by knowing you’re not alone in this quest.

If any of that made sense and you aren’t already living the life of your dreams, I hope you’ll find your path. Joining a tribe with others going through what you are truly helps, and the Internet is a wonderful place to find those like-minded souls.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Since starting my 1st blog in 2011, I have strived to show my unconventional life in balance – the exciting bits & the harsh truths that stop most people from living like this.

I’ve been living overseas for 25+ years. “FAKE” would sum it up nicely to portray my life as Instagram-perfect. Because I promise you, it dips into messy-TikTok very quickly! 🤣