Alesia McNeal
An outdoorsy girl with a spooky side
22-year-old blogger and photographer
Follow along with my adventures - Instagram: @livinglikealesia
My Top Ghost Hunting Bucket List Locations - Part 2
Well, you all seemed to really enjoy the first part of this, so I thought: why not do another! I’ve had an interest in paranormal and cryptozoology since I was a child and have developed quite the list of places I’d love to investigate if I ever got the chance! I’d love to be able to visit some of these places eventually, so maybe consider tipping so I can start a paranormal investigation fund! Or, better yet, share this story with your friends so I can share the fascination that these places bring to me, and hopefully bring to you!
Alesia McNealPublished 4 months ago in Horror
Why Try? A Take on the Modern Obsession With the Paranormal
Why try? I remember being asked that question as a teenager. My parents would walk in on me watching my favorite ghost hunting show and scoff. They’d ask me why I focused so much of my time and energy on such a pointless topic. They used to say that the interest would pass and I would move on to more important passions.
Alesia McNealPublished 4 months ago in Horror
Scared out of Your Skin - Legends Come to Life
I’ve come across some terrifying things in my life. Ghosts and spirits, beasts and monsters, a failing grade in chemistry. I’ve avoided one topic, however, for most of my life because of the anxiety and fear it stirs in my subconscious. They call it the “yee naaldlooshii” translating to “he goes on all fours”. But in most societies its name is something simpler, more blood curdling - the Skinwalker.
Alesia McNealPublished 4 months ago in HorrorA Return 15 Years in the Making
The same doll lay on the same headstone. Covered in more moss than I remember. Leaves litter the grass, each step I can feel myself sinking into that sacred ground. Rustling from the bushes only unsettles me more. Was it the wind? A mountain lion or bear? Someone not happy with my presence? The ideas got more terrifying as my brain is sent into an uncontrollable spiral of anxiety. Walking along the non-existent path, just trying not to step on someone, I can feel eyes on me everywhere I go. I’m in their home, and while I’m welcome, they want to make sure I keep within my rights as a guest.
Alesia McNealPublished 4 months ago in Horror
Cryptozoological Beasts of North America
Cryptozoology. What is it? Well it’s defined as “the search for and study of creatures whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated.” Think things like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster or the Chupacabra. These creatures have cemented their places in local legend, but have yet to find a place in the scientific community. Cryptozoology is commonly thought of as pseudoscience, but the researchers and investigators who have made it their life mission to prove the existence of these creatures would likely beg to differ.
Alesia McNealPublished 4 months ago in Horror
My Top Three Ghost Hunting Bucket List Locations
Whether or not you believe in the paranormal is your prerogative. Personally, I find it hard to believe that in our world where strange occurrences are frequent and so many things are left unexplained, that there isn’t something supernatural residing alongside us. I’ve had an interest in hunting the paranormal since I was a child and began to watch the TAPS team in Ghost Hunters. Since then I’ve researched and been fascinated by how many places in the country hold supernatural energy, and how many researchers and hunters have been able to communicate with spirit beyond their grave. Contacting the other side has been a dream of mine to do for so long, and while I don’t currently have the resources to do it, I have a list for the second I have the ability!
Alesia McNealPublished 4 months ago in Horror
InstaPot Beef Stroganoff that Would Disappoint my Babushka (But Tastes Really Good)
Growing up, I had three large influences in my cooking. My nana, who taught me to cook. She taught me the basics and taught me recipes her mother, my Oma, taught her. My dad, who taught me absolutely nothing about how to cook, but taught me I cannot live off of barbeque and spaghetti like some believe. Also my step-mom, Jessi, who came into my life at ten-years-old. She tried her hardest to get me to like vegetables, but was ultimately unsuccessful. So now, at 22, I have an interesting mix of flavors I find nostalgic. I love curries, eggplant parmesan, barbeque flank steak, but ultimately, one dish surpasses them all - beef stroganoff.
Alesia McNealPublished 4 months ago in Feast
A Pumpkin Roll a Day Brings the Family Your Way
Leaves on trees are changing, the temperature continues to fall and nothing says Autumn quite like a moist, delicious pumpkin roll! I was raised in a single parent household, with a dad who truly gave me and my siblings his all. And while he was successful in the cooking and home-building aspects, there was one part he wasn’t particularly skilled at - the baking! Most of my childhood birthday desserts were store-bought, or so graciously made by my Nana. But as I got older, I wanted more from the treats on my special days, so I began learning to make them myself!
Alesia McNealPublished 4 months ago in Feast
