We first met Candace 6 years ago now and have loved her ever since, it’s hard not to. She’s such a beautiful ray of sunshine, always sporting a big grin and open arms. Candy is an amazing mixture of playful and caring yet super motivated and we love seeing her travel jewellery company thrive. Currently based in Morzine, France with her partner and gorgeously fluffy mountain dog - Doug, we hear how Candy has been spending her days during lockdown.
‘My name’s Candace, I own a travel bracelet company called El Camino Bracelets and I’m based in Newquay, Cornwall. The El Camino concept is to collect the places that you’ve travelled to and add it to your bracelet, creating your journey from around the world and wearing it around your wrist. I’ve spent the winter working remotely on my laptop in France. And just as I was finally perfecting the work play balance between El Camino, snowboarding and just mountain life in general, coronavirus hit France and the mountain was shut down. I’ve been in lockdown for almost four weeks in Morzine, a little village in the French Alps, living in a chalet with my boyfriend, dog, and three other mates.
Since the lockdown, I still find myself working the majority of the day. El Camino, being an online business, has been lucky enough to remain open. The last few weeks have resulted in some big adjustments for us and all the uncertainty of the future has definitely caused some extra stress. As tough as it is, I know we’re not alone and that everyone’s in this together. We know how important it is to stay positive and will continue doing just that. It’s really made us smile seeing the spike in orders for our Home Steps (a bead that says Home). They’ve definitely gained a whole new meaning for everyone this year!
Candy is pictured here wearing one of our special editions, click here to see the range…
During the lockdown, when I’m not working, I’m most likely found eating, exercising or walking my dog. I’ve been lucky enough to be locked down with two very talented chefs. I really landed on my feet here, as I absolutely love food. Though unfortunately my love for eating isn’t complimented with an ability to cook. But when in Rome eh? So the last few weeks I’ve spent a lot of time learning about cooking from the professionals. We’ve been cooking meals from recipes from all over the world – Mexico, Italy, Guatemala, India, Sri Lanka, and even some experimenting with pancakes!
I’d have to say my favourite part about lockdown is all the time I get to spend with my dog, Dougal. No matter the kind of day you’re having, he’s always there for whatever you need. Our daily walks are probably the most exciting part of both our days now. My partner Luke and I love going on little adventures with Duggy, finding new routes through the forests and new rivers to get our feet wet.
I’m also taking advantage of any spare time to organise my past photos. This has been a task on my list of things to do for years. I’m hoping to put some photo albums together documenting my travels from over the years. As fun as it’s been, it’s really made me miss travelling. I find myself getting stuck into travel blogs, searching for inspiration of where to travel next once we’re free again. This time has also allowed to me to catch up with friends from all over the world too, chatting for hours on Facetime laughing about past memories. It’s something I will definitely make sure to make more time for even once this is all over .
We’ll all be back together soon, life will resume. I’m looking forward to being back in Cornwall and eventually flying home to Canada to give my family a big hug but for now I’ll keep enjoying the down time.
Stay safe everyone.
See you soon,
Candy xx
Follow Candy and her brand, El Camino, here:
