Arrivals Day 12/26

Today was a stressful and busy but successful one. No ones flight was delayed and everything went relatively smoothly. There were a few minor hiccups, but none that were our fault so all in all a good day. We even made it the Park Guell on time! Though I had to literally run to get us scanned in by 5 which was our hard deadline. It was a 4 minute walk and we had 3 minutes to get in, ha. But we made it! All was good with the world. We got to look out over the city and it was just magnificent. I love to travel and places like this makes it so worth it.

My ipad is not the best at adding pictures but I assure you I will go back through and add tons from my nice camera :)

After Park Guell, we came back to the hotel for a lovely dinner and then time for bed! Well almost... I had a meeting to attend where we finalized everything for the next day. Tomorrow we are off to FC Barcelona stadium, Placa de Catalunya and finally to Lloret for the tournament!

Malena

A Unique Christmas 12/25/2014

First let me start by saying that I am very very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life and such wonderful friends that even on a Holiday when I have to be away from my family, I still found some amazing people to share it with.

I woke up in Rotterdam nice and late, just as a relaxing day should start. We threw in some laundry (OK Coletta did it... did I mention she's great?) and then went on a nice long stroll around the city. I had so much fun taking pictures at all the iconic places in Rotterdam! I even wore my shirt from the radio station I work for so they can get an international shoutout (pictures to come once I have a spare second, ha!)

Coletta's son came over and we had a declicious meal! It was a bunch of small dishes but they were so. good. It was a really fun time - we even played some Mario Kart!

Eventually I had to leave for Spain so Coletta and Erwin (And Pepper too!) drove me to Amsterdam Schippol and off I went. I had to get searched (both me and my bag, ha) but I had no real trouble catching my flight. I bought some impusle stroopwaffels because why not, man? The plane was for sure a budget flight...  no TP. NOT COOL. Luckily they had some paper towels, but ya know. I also sort of enjoyed the kareoke bar singer-song writer music they played for like 40 minutes (20 minutes each on take off and landing). I actually started laughing it was so bad. I tried to tune it out and read my book so the flight wasn't too bad.

When I landed I had to wait a bit for the shuttle, but it wasn't too long and I wasn't worried. There are always cabs! I got to the hotel no problems and met with my boss for quite a while. We finalized things and I headed up to bed!

The hotel is pretty nice. Very typically Spanish... except the shower is what I imagine standing in a hurricane would be like. Very chaotic with water seeming to come from everywhere...

Anyway, I'll update more tomorrow!

Malena

Christmas Eve 12/24/2014

December 24 (Christmas Eve)

Today was nice and relaxing. I wound up sleeping until after 11... oops. Coletta had to wake me up even! I was so. tired. But the good news is I did really well today! I was tired, but not too terribly bad. Coletta and I went shopping in Rotterdam and it was great! It was really nice to just wander around and explore the city. I managed to find a few presents for my Dad's birthday at a really cool market place that was domed and had apartments above it! I'll add pictures when I have time :)

We stopped for a bagel and some juice then headed home! Oh and Pepper came with us so that was neat. I like that dog's can tag along to the city center.

Then we settled in and relaxed in the afternoon. We played with Coletta's wii and had pizza with creampuffs smothered in chocolate for dessert - YUM! I'm so so so glad I get to spend the holidays with friends rather than alone in an airport/hotel room. Yeesh.

Time for bed!

Malena

Travel Day - Holland Bound!

Dec 22/23

Travel day = done! Hooray! It wasn't too too bad as far as travel days go but it was still a super long day/ 2 days. I got to the airport with plenty of time and I'm glad I thought ahead and bought water and food for dinner while I had time because in Philly I had to SPRINT to get to my flight. I was sure my bag wouldn't make it, but it did! It got sent to a weird part of the Amsterdam airport because its a box not a bag, but still!!

Anyhoo, on the flight to Amsterdam I was in a middle seat...no bueno. However, it was between two twenty-something girls traveling alone. What are the odds? We had a nice time chatting and generally got along. Not a bad flight situation. 

After the debacle trying to find the box of Christmas presents I checked, I found Coletta! we had a quick bite to eat and then we drove to Rotterdam. She was nice and had a pillow and blanket waiting for me in the car :) I did probably nap at least a little... ha.

Then I got a tour of Erwin's (Coletta's husband) job! He works for a very old brewery company. I guess its still called a brewery if they make liquor. At any rate it was really awesome to see all the cool machines, I even got to taste some yummy white chocolate vodka.

When we got home I had a TON of work to do, so I spent a few hours doing that. Then I showered and had a quick nap then rallied for dinner and some Mario Kart. I made it all the way to 9:30! Now I am so ready for bed.

In the morning I am going to have some yummy dutch breakfast foods and then I think Coletta and I are going to go shopping :) I still have some work to do, but Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

Lots of Love,

Malena

Planning Our Backpacking Trip Through Italy

Things are starting to seem real! This December I will be going to Barcelona and likely London. After the work portion of my trip I will be backpacking through Italy with a friend. I can't wait.
We started sketching a rough outline of our Italy trip! It's shaping up to be about 8 days of taking the Euro rail from the North to the South of Italy. We think we want to fly into Milan stay there for a day, head over to Venice the next morning and hang out there. Then we might go to Florence and combine cities that day and hit up Pisa the same day. After that we are Rome bound! After a few days in Rome we want to visit Naples for a day before going back to Rome for one last Italian day before heading home.
It is quite a packed agenda and is very rough at the moment but I'm glad we have started the planning process! We originally were toying with the idea of having a friend drive us through Italy, but it looks like we may just stick to trains for this trip. We will be staying in hostels which I am all for, so that should be fun and interesting. I have really been liking hostelworld.com for research and ratings. The hostel I stayed in, in London was only OK but other than that I have been happy with the hostels I've booked off that site.
I plan international trips for a living so this is just more of the same - except I have full control (with my friend's input of course) over what cities and sites we see :) I'm so excited!
I'll keep updating my blog more as I get ready for what is shaping up to be a month- long euro trip.

Malena

Disney and What's Next?

The past two weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind - we just finished up a tournament in Disney World! It was a lot of hard work, but was so much fun.

The best part was that the tournament ended the day before my birthday! I spent my birthday celebrating with my coworkers in Universal Studios. We were pretty excited to visit Harry Potter World.

While I loved the location (minus the humidity!), my favorite part of the trip was networking and learning more about what could be in store next - Asia, Australia, London, Paris, Wales, Italy?? I can't wait! Bring on.

One thing is for sure -This December, Barcelona here I come! After that on to backpacking Italy then who knows!?

Wanderlust

I know the stereo-type is for a 20-something to want to get out and explore, but for me (to be cheesy) the struggle is real!

I recently stumbled across a Bucket List I had made a while back - majority of it is definitely travel-based!

As you can see quite a few things have been crossed off. In the next year I am hoping to cross off a few more! I am backpacking Italy next January and maybe next July I'll go to Greece or Austria. In fact, this August the company I work for has a tournament in Florida and rather than take my bonus and go traveling, I think I might go skydiving! It would be sort of like a birthday present to myself. It's something I've always wanted to do and if not now, when? We shall see.

Right now I am focusing more on Europe-based travel simply because finances are tight and I spend a lot of time there for my work so its cheaper for me to travel close to those spots. As I get a little more established (think build up my savings account and pay off my car) I plan on exploring Africa, Asia and Australia more! In fact I have ambitions of bungee jumping in South Africa. How amazing would that be?

My big problem is that every time I travel, I end up adding more places to explore on my bucket list!

Malena

The Beauty That Is Wrinkle Releaser

Everyone who has ever packed a backpack and headed out for adventure knows the struggle - your clothes WILL be wrinkly. You just have to accept it... or do you?

I give you Wrinkle Releaser.

It even comes in travel sizes - though I opted for the big bottle and put small amounts into a travel bottle.

Now, I know its not perfect, but it really does help. All you do is as soon as possible you take the clothes you want to wear out of your pack and hang them up. Once they are on the hanger (granted this is much easier done in a hotel, it is still possible in most hostels) you thoroughly spray them with the Wrinkle Releaser. A few tugs to help smooth out the wrinkles, and you are good to go! The next morning your clothes will be acceptable (though not neatly pressed obviously). 

A lot of my travels are work related and it would not be appropriate for me to parade around in wrinkly clothes. This, combined with athletic-type fabric, leaves me looking presentable for my line of work!

The Ultimate Day Pack

I have discovered the secrets to the perfect day pack: Support, Size, and Stow-ability.

Enjoy this terrible mirror selfie (at least there is a world map in the background!)

Support - Get a pack that has a frame with hip and chest support straps. I can't emphasize this enough! For my job I have to carry quite a heavy load of things. I made the mistake in past trips of not investing in a "backpacking backpack." Instead I opted for a cute little leather backpack. While the backpack did mostly hold up, it ended up ripping slightly from the weight AND my shoulders ached horribly.

This trip I invested in a sturdy backpack and it worked like a charm. If at any point my hips got sore, I would unhook my waist latch and let more weight rest on my shoulders and visa versa.

On top of the Blankenberg Castle in Germany

Size - Figure out exactly what you need to carry, then add enough room for a jacket and hat (good rule of thumb even if you are traveling in a warmer climate! It is always good to have a little extra room). In my case I have to carry things like a med kit, iPad, camera among other documents and binders for work. As a result I prefer a larger bag. Now my pack is actually one that was on clearance so I'm not sure of the model (you won't be able to find it at any rate) but I knew it would be too big to count as my "purse-like item" for the plane. 

Stow-ability - I solved this problem by simply packing my day pack inside of my big pack for airplane trips. I unloaded some of the bulkier items into a small sling bag to stow under the seat in front of me on the plane. It was the perfect solution! I could have my big day pack for the duration of the trip but I could still carry all my luggage on the plane and thus avoid checking a bag.

Those tips are what worked for me! If you are traveling with a small enough pack, you will be able to just stow it underneath the seat in front of you for those pesky plane rides.

All the best,

Malena

Last Days in London 4/30-5/1

 4/29

Today we set out to accomplish as much as possible in London. We started out the day by going to Buckingham palace for the. Changing of the guards. It was really neat but very hard to see what was happening because it was so crowded!

Next stop, Harrods! We wandered around and it was HUGE! We had a great time exploring all the departments and I picked up a few things for my nieces. Afterwards we decided to check out the local shops: boots, super drug and Primark. I picked up a sleek blush that you can't get in the US. 

Next we hopped on a bus (did I mention the tube strike was going on so we had to walk or ride buses a lot?!) and made it just in time to go up in the London Eye. It was twilight and just beautiful. Once we got down we walked along the bridge and saw Big Ben by moonlight. 

Then it was time to call it a night. We made our way back to our hostel (did I mention the stop by the hostel was closed because of the strike? Ugh!) 

Malena

4/30

Today was another busy day so we got an early start. We headed out to see the other attractions I had bought tickets for: The Globe Theater and the London Tower. I absolutely loved both of them! Jonas stayed behind for the Globe tour because he had just been there last year so we met up at Starbucks afterwards and grabbed some lunch. We had a great time exploring The London Tower in the afternoon. We saw all the big ticket items like the Crown Jewels and the Wall Walk. We even caught a mini performance by a marching band while we were up on the wall! So cool!

After buying a postcard on the way out e were able to use the tube to get at least much closer to the hostel. It was time to pack up to get ready to go home. 

We rounded out the night by getting some pizza. It was supposed to be while we watches the Chelsea game, but seriously what sports bar doesn't have the channel that shows the game? Fail. The booths were really cool though because they were set into the wall away from the crowds. The whole bar was Shakespeare themed which was pretty neat. However, the waiter wasn't super friendly so we decided to stop at a different pub on the way home for one final beer (ok diet coke) in an English pub. 

Now I am headed home! I walked to the (now running) tube station by the hostel to make my way to the airport. It was raining and my umbrella was packed so I was mighty glad that the nearby station was running today! 

Security was a bit of a hassle (apparently you have to use their ziplock bags for liquids, not just any bag- even if they are the same size).  But overall I had no problems getting on my flight! Only something like 4 more hours until I get picked up at the airport! 

I had a great time and can't wait to travel even more this year :)

Malena

Hennef and London 4/27 - 4/28

Yesterday was really hectic as it was our last day in Germany. It was another tournament day but I did get to ride in a German ambulance when one of our kids got hurt (he was fine, no worries). That was an experience!
Later that night a group of us went out to eat with some of the Germans. It was really nice down by the river and the restaurant owners were so so nice.
One of the German coaches and I had to work late because after dinner we had to round up the luggage and store it. The end result was a late night for me!
Today had an early start too. I woke up around 5 and finished packing then headed off to the airport with the early group. I had some work to do regarding ticketing but in the end everyone left for home!
Now I am in London in a hostel.

 I spent the afternoon exploring the city! I may take a nap because surprise! One of the Germans decided to tag along on my London trip. We struck up a friendship over the course of the trip and he had some time off and things just kind of worked out :) his plane gets in late tonight and they had an open spot in one of the male dorms so he will just crash at the same hostel I'm at. Tomorrow we will explore!

Tournament Day 1 4/26

Today was the kids' tournament so I spent the day relaxing, enjoying the games and taking lots of pictures and videos. I got to sleep in today which was pretty fabulous I must say :) I even got a ride to the fields so I didn't have to walk. The weather was really nice too and hopefully it will hold up for tomorrow- it is supposed to rain!
After the tournament one of the German coaches helped us find a good place to eat and we had a great time just enjoying the atmosphere of an authentic German restaurant.
Tomorrow is another tournament for the other age group of boys that are traveling with us. I think I may even finagle a ride in the morning - I'm hoping my feet and legs will be rested enough that I won't have any trouble hiking all over London in a couple of days!

Malena

A Day Out In Bonn 4/26

Today we spent all day in Bonn and had a grand old time. We started out by stopping by the local soccer shop for a bit then hopped on the bus and drove to Bonn. Jonas is a local German coach and he came with us, thank goodness. He was a huge help in showing us around.
We went down to the river and did a 4 hour boat tour.
For the first two hours we ate lunch and watched the scenery. Then we went up top. The weather was beautiful! Nice and warm :) I even dozed off for a few minutes on the way home. It was very pretty and I got some nice pictures while relaxing a little bit.
Then we split up and did some shopping. I didn't buy much but I really enjoyed just exploring! I love eating local food and just observing the culture.
Dinner went about as planned but with fewer people. We had a nice German dinner and enjoyed the atmosphere!

This weekend is the tournament for the kids and then we fly out on Monday and I'm off to London!

Malena

Cologne Stadium Tour 4/25

Today was a long day, but I got see some awesome things!

I went early to training to do laundry but the German coaches were really nice. Who knew German laundry machines could be so complex!! I suppose American ones are too.... Add with a foreign language and you have my morning, ha.

I ran back to the hotel for a super fast lunch then we were off to Cologne for the stadium tour!! We had a seriously great guide. He took us around the whole stadium and in the locker rooms etc. I always enjoy stadium tours and this one was personally guided, in English no less!

After we got back I actually had time for a nap!!!! Oh it was a beautiful half hour.

Then we headed to Siegburg for dinner. It was a very authentic brewery and I bought two steins! They were so cheap and such a good memory. We came back to the hotel no hung in the lobby for a bit and now it is bedtime! I am so very excited.

Tomorrow we have a fairly early start - we are headed to Bonn.

Malena

Touring Cologne 4/23

This morning the kids had training like usual then we went downtown for lunch. One of he German coaches was very nice and helped us translate the menu! I (think) I had a chicken kebab- not too be confused with kebob. It was German-Turkish and was served in a pita. It was delicious!

Then we got back and hopped on a bus to Cologne! It was so beautiful!

They even had a lock bridge like they did in Paris.

Lock Bridge in Paris

Lock bridge in Cologne

We toured through the city center and went in the cathedral. It was huge!!! And so so pretty. Because we were with the kids we didn't have as much freedom to explore but I am still so glad we went. Tomorrow is the stadium tour! Woohoo! Nw I will have seen Madrid, Barcelona and Cologne's stadiums :)

                                                   

Anyway, I am very tired - long, but fun, days mean I sleep well at least! I have to get up early to arrange laundry, so goodnight!

Malena

A Beautiful View 4/22

Today we started out with a training session for the kids. I left a little early to handle something at the hotel.  We then decided to go to Aldi (who knew Germany would have the same grocery store as NC!) and  hunt for some regular water that wasnt fizzy! We managed to find some and picked up some food for lunches. I got some salami, bread and strawberries and a few fun authentic German snacks.
My favorite part of the day was by far going to see the Blankenburg Castle! It was so incredibly beautiful! Rolling hills, little towns and a train. We even explored a cute nearby town before heading back to the training grounds.

For dinner our German friends took us to this awesome spot right by the river! It was really hard to find the road and some of the driving tactics were scary! We got there fine and I had the best pork of my life! It was called something-steak but was pork with seasoned garlic butter and fries on the side.  So delicious! I even had apple streudel for dessert! Yum!
Next we went to a local bar and I had my first authentic German beer.
I'm super tired and my Bluetooth key board is on the fritz so sorry for the short post! I'll post pictures when I can.

Malena

Germany Bound! 4/20 - 4/21

I left for Germany by way of Chicago. I met up with the team I am traveling with in the airport. They seem very nice and all is well. I had an amazing plane for that leg of the trip! Pretty empty and international quality - ie free tv and charging stations!
I lucked out again seat wise to Germany! No seat buddy for an overnight flight! I stretched out! I didn't sleep all that well, but thanks to new medication I wasn't even too sick in the morning :) I managed to get through it and we had no problem meeting the host team in the airport. We made it to Hennef!
We had a bar-b-que with the host team which was lovely, then watched the kids scrimmage. I then took the supporters to check in with the hotel. Just a few minor hiccups (two beds pushed together does not really count as a double room haha) and we were good to go!
I had a meeting with the supporters then we headed out to dinner.
 We took a cab there after struggling to find the walking route, but we mastered it on the way back! It is nice that we can walk into town. Tomorrow I am going to look into buying a SIM card for my phone so I can make international calls for work when I need to.
We had dinner in a nice German restaurant and a lot of people stayed to watch a big soccer game on TV. I had some work to do and was (am) SUPER tired so me and two others headed out early. We walked home and had a grand time! We stopped in a gas station and I bought an ICECREAM KITKAT CONE! The glory.
We made a few errors, but we learned more about the city! I feel pretty confident I can find my way around at least fairly well now.
Tomorrow I think we are going to go see some cool old castles after the kids train in the morning!
What fun!

Malena

PS Tablet is being weird so pictures are coming soon!

Packing for Germany/London

Hello everyone!

I am only days away from embarking on my next adventure! I will be flying from DC to Chicago to Dusseldorf, Germany. From there we go to Hennef. I am taking a mini vacation after the work portion of the trip to head to London, England!

Right now I am in the final packing phase and I am trying to learn from my last trip. Namely, I need a new day pack. I used these bag for my trip to Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

The green bag is my main pack and I will be using that again this time, however the black bag, while super cute, was much too inconvenient. One of the straps is partially torn and it didn't have great strap support so by the end of the trip my shoulders HURT.

I was shopping around for a small day pack when I came across this beauty in the sale section!

(Sorry for the low quality selfie)

I know it is a little big for a traditional "day pack" BUT it has AMAZING support! Everything I need will obviously fit really easily inside and I will have plenty of room to put my jacket and scarf inside it as well. I typically carry my iPad mini, DSLR + Lens, Med Kit (I work with kids who play soccer), miscellaneous pouch, and my purse (with important documents such as my passport inside). This pack was actually cheaper than any small versions that I found (apparently its last years model... like I care! Ha!) AND as a bonus it has lime green detailing - always a plus in my book!

Now I know what you're thinking - isn't that too big to carry on along with your green pack? You might be right. I'm not sure if I would be able to get away with this being my "purse like item." So instead (mainly to avoid the hassle of airlines and for carrying convenience) I will actually be traveling with this bag INSIDE of my green pack. It fits inside just fine - even when my pack is "Full." I never actually pack my pack full in case I want to buy some awesome souvenirs and decide to stuff my bag and check it on the way home rather than carry it on.

Now, the only problem I run into is that larger items that go in my "day pack" won't fit in my green pack and keep it in an airlines carry-on friendly size. Instead I will carry my Purse, iPad mini and camera in a little sling backpack. That way when I arrive in Germany I can simply roll the sling bag up and slide it in my day pack and re pack my day pack with my med kit etc. I know that seems confusing but I think it will work for me! I will get a nice comfy day pack with plenty of room to spare AND I can still carry everything on! No problemo.

I'm so excited! Expect a lot more posts as my adventure kicks off!

Malena

Iowa Recap

I got back from my Iowa trip and hit the ground running so this post is a bit delayed.

Iowa was fantastic. I really miss just hanging out with my sister. I know we've been separated by college for several years now (8 years! Holy cow...) but I still miss having her down the hall from me. Growing up my family moved a lot so I've always been really close with my family members. Malora and I did fight quite a bit growing up, but (for the most part) we've grown out of that.

She picked me up on Saturday and we pretty much headed right out on the town! I had to work Saturday morning so I took an evening flight and didn't land in Iowa until around 9pm. We had a great time just hanging out and Lora showed me all her favorite spots down town.

The next day we just took it easy. Lora and I and some friends had a terrific brunch at a place just called The Cafe. It was pretty fancy, but still a decent price! The place was packed and I totally see why. I shamelessly ate a GIANT bowl of mac and cheese. SO GOOD. We then had a lovely afternoon shopping for some things for Malora's wedding! It was nice to just catch up. Oh and I may or may not have bought some new books... no shame.

Monday was fairly mundane. I am lucky enough to work from home - or anywhere. I spent Monday working from Malora's couch while she was at school.  We made a pit stop for some delicious cupcakes and then went out to eat at Jethro's which was so good! Except I had a bit of an allergic reaction (possibly to cat fur left on my jacket) and had to get some allergy meds from a pharmacy on the way home. Oh well, I survived ;)

Tuesday we got up SUPER early to catch my flight - it turns out Malora's roommate was actually on the same flight! How funny. I had to deal with some airline fun, but I got home eventually! I always seem to have rotten luck with flight delays.

All in all, a very successful trip!

Iowa Trip

I am very excited! This weekend I am heading out west. I will be visiting my sister in Iowa. She has been attending Vet school out there for the past four years and is graduating in May. This weekend is sort of a last hurrah and I am so excited! We don't have anything too particular in mind, she is just going to show me around.

Hopefully the flight out there won't be too bad. I am going to have to pack a carry on suitcase and a backpack - I'll be working while I'm there and will need my laptop and work stuff. Not exactly traveling light, but oh well. Everything is still carry on and that is really what I shoot for.

My trip to Germany and London is now just about 3 weeks away! I need to step up my game and up my preparation. I have already bought travel insurance and notified most of my credit cards about my travels, however I still have not decided if I want to just pack in a roll bag this trip or go for my backpack again. I'm not moving around near as much this trip. However, come December I will for sure be using my backpack as I am going from Barcelona to back-packing Italy!

Anyway, first up is my trip to Iowa! Here I come!

I'm going to Germany and London!

Now that the tickets are bought, I am officially going to Germany in April! I am going to be near Bonn for 7 days for work, then I am sneaking in a quick vacation in London for a few days before I come back home. I am currently planning out what I want to squeeze into my London trip. I know I will be staying at a hostel but I want to try to hit as many big ticket items as I can while I'm there. Some ideas are Big Ben, the Palace, the London Eye, and maybe a bike tour and/or a Jack the Ripper tour. I'm open to suggestions!
After that I'm home for a week or two and then its off to see my sister graduate from vet school in Iowa. We will be stopping by Cincinnati on our way there so that's a nice little trip. I'm also toying with the idea of taking a weekend trip to New Mexico later this summer, and I know I'll be headed to Florida for a week for work in August (Disney World!!!). There is also a slight chance I'll be heading to Brazil and Ireland this year. So many possibilities! I should also be heading back to Barcelona this December (for work), then I will probably backpack Italy in January (for fun!). As I've said, I love to travel. Anyway, I'll keep this updated as things start to finalize, but get excited for some posts about Germany and London coming your way soon!

Check List for Traveling Abroad

Deciding to take an international trip can be very overwhelming! I decided to put together a little checklist of sorts to possibly help some of you begin to plan your very own adventure.

1) Pick a Destination
In my case I actually have a bucket list of places I want to go. For no I am working on whittling that list down, though it seems to get longer after every trip. Keep in mind that the farther away the destination, typically the more expensive the trip will end up being - airfare is a killer. If you are having trouble picking a specific city or series of cities start by picking a category - European, Asian, Hot, Cold, Tropical, Snow-Covered etc. then narrow it down from there! Don't forget to do research regarding the destination - make sure its safe! For example, Egypt and the Middle East may not be ideal vacation spots right this moment. A good website to check out before you go is this one.

2) Start Saving Up
This is the necessary evil of traveling - it costs money. Usually it costs quite a bit of money. Start saving as soon as you get the thought in your mind that you might want to travel!

3) Plan Your Lodging
Decide what kind of trip you want to go on - is this a backpacking adventure? a mountain cabin getaway? A spa/resort type trip? That will determine your lodging. Personally, I opt for hostels whenever possible (when I travel for fun). I cannot explain how much I love hostels. You get to meet people from all over the world, get inside tips from locals, get cheap food, and most importantly get cheap lodging! You can pay anywhere from $15 - $50/night!! Even in major cities! Now you will have communal showers and communal rooms, but they give you a locker (bring your own padlock or you will have to buy one from the front desk - same goes for towels and sometimes sheets)

4) Plan Your Transportation
This is an important step. Don't just expect a bus to be waiting for you at the airport - if there are buses expect there to be multiple. A lot of hostels and hotels will provide information on the easiest way to get from the local airport to their location. The best mode of transportation can vary from city to city. For instance, in Paris I used the subway to get absolutely everywhere but in Amsterdam I simply walked. In NYC there are cabs available, but talk about expensive! Often times it is worth looking into buying a public transportation card for several days- you'll be amazed how often you use it! In some cities, such as Nashville, public transportation is not readily available and you may want to look into renting a car. Don't forget to review the road rules of the country you are in because they may be different than what you are used to.

5) Plan Your Activities
I know a lot of people want to just go with the flow and I do too, but only to an extent. When I travel I make a list of key places that I will be sad if I don't see. I make sure to plan certain activities for certain days, but I leave flexibility. For instance, in Paris we decided to leave the Louvre for a rainy day and explore the city while the sun was shining! I also think it is important to leave time for spontaneity. That way I know I will get to see absolutely everything I wanted to see, but there is room to explore!

6) Plan a Budget
The best advice I can give here is to be generous with your budget. You main expenses are going to be airfare, lodging, ground transportation, and food. Don't forget food. I recommend eating locally. Instead of constantly hitting up the restaurants nearby, check out the local grocery stores. While it is no where near as glamorous, eating pb&j sandwiches will sure save you money! You can also make it fun - in Paris we bought cheese, sausage and bread from street vendors and had ourselves a feast! Yum!
I also highly recommend "You Need A Budget" (YNAB). It is a little pricey but I got it on sale for $15. It is seriously amazing. It lets you set aside money for certain things (bills, travel, food etc.) Set a savings goal and when you reach that goal you don't have to feel any guilt at all spending it on the trip of a lifetime!

7) Get your Travel Documents in Order
Make sure you have ALL the travel documents you may need. Some countries require visas. These will also vary depending on how long you will be traveling. Do your research! The last thing you want to happen is to have your trip stopped before it even began because you didn't realize your passport was expired. Check that expiration date! Even if it is current, some countries require your visa be valid for 3 months AFTER your trip.

8) Plan Out Your Packing List
This sounds a bit like over-organzing but it is a lifesaver. Look around online for example packing lists. You'll be glad you did. This way you don't forget vital things like power adaptors and converters (those are two different things!) You also won't make it all the way to Europe and realize you have no underwear. Now keep in mind it is not the end of the world if you forget an essential, at least in most places. Europe has stores just like here in the US. You can typically find somewhere to buy some toothpaste etc.

9) Buy Your Tickets
I don't mean just your plane ticket, either! You should buy your tickets ahead of time for as much as you can, in my opinion. Having our Paris Rail Card sent to us ahead of time was so convenient. It can also save you time and money. We got to skip the MONSTROUS line for the eiffel tower and show up at our scheduled time. Anything that might have a long line I recommend buying the tickets for it ahead of time if at all possible.

10) Go Shopping
This is the time to pick up travel-sized everything! Remember that liquids are not your friend as far as the airlines are concerned.

11) Pack
I recommend packing conservatively. I have another post here with some packing tips!

12) Head Off on an Adventure!
Remember to have the time of your life, but respect the culture you are in. Just because the locals do something differently from you, doesn't mean they're wrong. Keep an open mind. In general people are good. With that said, I do recommend that you be aware while abroad (and in general). Keep your money zipped in an inside pocket and try not to stick out as a tourist. Use apps instead of paper maps and try to learn at least a basic greeting in the native language of that country.

I hope this helps!
Malena

Never Stay at the Paris Hotel Liege

I am not a picky hotel person, I'm really not. I do tend to look at reviews, but often think people are too particular. It was not the hotel's fault that there was a noisy toddler in the next room etc.

That was why when I saw the numerous positive reviews for Paris Hotel Liege I figured it would be okay. Both me and my traveling partner agreed that this was just a place to sleep and would be fine. We knew we planned to stay in the city as much as possible so a nice hotel was low priority. However, little did we know what we were getting into.

When we first arrived I will say the staff was nice and it was very close to Gaar du Nord (the train station). However, the positive impression ended there. We climbed up an incredibly narrow flight of stairs and onto a landing that was dark. We actually had to find a light switch for the hallway. As we opened the door we were overwhelmed with the smell of mold. There was no toilet paper in the room. None. The towels were kind of just folded up on the side of the tub and there was no hand soap. We decided on our way down to ask for a new room. They were very accommodating and said we could switch the next day.

When we got back they had restocked the toilet paper, towels and soap (thank goodness!). That night we slept fine. However, the WiFi did not work well at all. The next day we decided we didn't really need a new room after all but forgot to let the front desk know on our way out. As a result we came back to quite the surprise. We went to our room and couldn't get in. We figured our key had just stopped working and went and got some help from the front desk who couldn't get it to work either. Eventually they got the door open and our stuff was gone. What.

It turns out they had just packed up our stuff (haphazardly - Coletta's toothbrush was in with my clothes) and moved it. Now none of our stuff was missing, but I mean that was so weird. It was very invasive. 

Upon inspecting our new room, we realized we were better off in our first room. This room's ceiling was about to cave in. Talk about water damage! Just a warning, some of the pictures are gross.

And of course there was the mold. Oh the mold. It was everywhere, particularly around the tub.

And in the toilet. (WARNING GROSS PIC BELOW)

And one of the weirdest parts of this hotel? My towel was not even from the hotel! I picked up a seemingly white hotel towel only to discover some embroidery on it. It was a website about camping in Paris. What. On. Earth.

I think the kicker was that there was actually a patch of floor missing. Yes, missing. Coletta just about fell as she tried to walk to her bed. The floor was gone and they just covered over it with carpet. That seems safe...

Luckily we were troopers and just decided that it wasn't a huge deal. The beds were clean (ok there was a huge bleach stain on my blanket - ew) and pretty comfortable. The WiFi worked alright in our new room and the location and price were right, but I would not stay here again. I also would highly recommend you find somewhere else to stay in Paris. I loved Paris, but not our hotel.

Tips for Prolonged Traveling in a Carry-On

For my recent trip to Europe I went on 5 planes, 7 trains (not including subway trains) and multiple buses. I was so glad that I decided to pack for carry-on only.  In the past I have been rather unlucky with my baggage and if the airline were to lose my bag, getting it back would be almost impossible because I moved around so much. Here are the things that I discovered worked the best for me.

1. Only bring 2 pairs of shoes. No more, no less. I brought a pair of Sperry Topsiders that I bought back in August specifically for this trip. I can't tell you how much of a great idea that was. They were the perfect walking shoes.

My Sperrys looking well-loved

I loved the purple soles

Now I specifically think that two pairs of shoes are a good idea because it helps to prevent blisters by switching up your walking shoes. For my second pair of shoes I chose a pair of seriously comfortable combat boots. They are flannel- lined and I water-proofed them to boot (sorry for the pun). These were perfect for those inevitable cold, rainy days.

These beautiful boots

I actually wore a hole in the heel, I've worn these so much

The only thing I would have done differently with these boots would be to add some insoles to give my arches a little more support. The only additional shoe that I thought about bringing was a pair of flip-flops for the shower at the hostel, however I only stayed one night in a hostel on my last trip so I opted to leave those behind.

2. Pack Light! I only brought clothing items that I thought I could wear multiple times and stayed within a basic color scheme. I folded everything up very small and put my clothes in giant zip lock bags. I flattened the air out and carefully filled my 60L pack. This also added extra insurance that my clothes would stay dry. I once had a bag that was checked at the plane and sat on the runway in the rain actually fall over and lay in a puddle for about 20 minutes. I had to spend a week in Canada with soggy clothes. Not ideal.

Now, the trick to being able to carry the pack on the plane, is to not fill it completely. This leaves room for souvenirs or to combine your day pack and main pack if you don't want to carry two bags at any point. The only item I brought but didn't wear was my fancy party dress. I ended up taking it easy for New Years and I was fine with that!

My 60L pack

My clothes in zip lock bags

3. Bring a shampoo bar. I discovered this shampoo bar at Lush and it was a great idea! It meant less liquid to carry around - always a plus when dealing with airlines. Also, it turns out that the shampoo bar works fantastically! It really helped control the oil that is naturally in my hair. My only complaint is that if you don't completely dry the bar, it will get mushy in the tin. The trick is to take the bar out of the tin and dry it that way after use.

Lush Shampoo Bar

Slightly Dented Lush Tin

Melted bottom of my shampoo bar

4. Bring a tablet instead of a laptop. I brought an iPad mini and a bluetooth mini keyboard instead of my expensive laptop and it worked perfectly! I was able to keep up with my work documents, post blogs, and keep in touch with home all through the use of my iPad mini. It was light, portable and no where near as expensive as my laptop, thus it was cheaper to insure.

 Hope this helps!

Malena

What to Do Differently Next Time You Travel

My trip to Europe was absolutely fabulous. However, there are always things that I can do better! Here are some things that I think I could have changed about how I packed or traveled.

1. Bring a smaller backpack.

I absolutely love the backpack I brought on the trip! It was my mom's (thus free) and it held everything I could possibly want and more. The problem? It got HEAVY.  I had my DSLR, Kindle, emergency kit, iPad mini and usually my scarf, gloves and hat inside of it. I think next time I will leave the kindle at home. I wound up having very little time to read during the work portion of the trip - I can just use my iPad for the times when I can read. As for the vacation portion of my trip? I picked up a free book at my hostel! For my next trip I am going to look into a backpack that has better support.

2. Be specific with meeting points at airports

I learned the hard way how important it is to be VERY specific as to where you will meet someone in an airport. WiFi often does not work or is limited in foreign airports and  thus it is nearly impossible to get a hold of who you are meeting.

3. Double and triple check the quality of your hotel

Despite both my traveling buddy and I inspecting and approving the hotel in Paris, it turned out to be quite below our expectations. It had mold, water damage, and they moved our belongings without us present. I will have a separate blog post about this coming soon! To be honest, I'm not sure what more we could have done. Almost everyone gave the hotel an 8 out of 10! It was quite odd. The hotel did have a good location and the people were very nice, but it was hardly an 8.

4. Buy a sim card before leaving

I had a nearly impossible time getting a sim card to work in my phone while abroad. It was a hassle trying to find a shop that would sell me one, then I needed internet (which didn't exist at our hotel) to activate it. I plan on getting a sim card in the states for Germany and London when I travel this April.

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Best of Amsterdam And Rotterdam

This is a similar post to my previous two - a recap of my favorite places and photos, this time from Holland.

I got a wonderful bike tour of Rotterdam - the way it was meant to be seen!

Classic Holland shot. Beautiful.

This was on the boat tour in Rotterdam. You can really tell how much I love to travel.

Me and a family friend, Coletta on the boat tour.

Rotterdam has some seriously cool architecture. 

Goofing off with some local statues.

Got some new shoes. 

Me with a windmill!

This is a shopping mall (I think) in Amsterdam.

Have I mentioned that I love Amsterdam?

Seriously so beautiful.

And this was a local flower mart. I love me some Tulips!

Malena

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