This Valentine's Day, Fall in Love With Travel - Single or Not!

February means it's the season of love, what with Valentine's Day being the main focus of the month. I thought I'd dive into why you should fall in love with travel - whether you're single or not!

Why I LOVE to Travel - and Always Have
I'm still a twenty-something, but I'm "settled down" married now. However, that doesn't mean I don't still travel. My love of exploring a new city and going on an adventure is something that has always been near and dear to my heart. I traveled constantly as a young child with my family, and sometimes it feels like I've just never stopped. I love to travel with friends and family, but I definitely have never been put off by traveling solo. In fact, I've backpacked through Italy for a few weeks completely on my own. It was one of the most exciting and empowering experiences of my life! Anytime I'm traveling, solo or with others, I'm learning, growing and exploring - my 3 favorite things! I'm lucky to have found a partner not only in life but also in my travels. I know my husband is always up for some adventure, but if the right opportunity presented itself I wouldn't have any problems traveling on my own again.

Don't Let a Lack of Travel Buddy Stop You!
Solo travel sounds scary, but I promise you it's not that bad and is absolutely worth it! As long as you are cautious and take a few safety precautions, there is nothing to keep you from seeing the world. Traveling by yourself is one of the most empowering thing you can ever do. You learn to  be self-reliant and nothing else compares! Don't sit back and wait for someone to come along who would be willing to travel with you, take control of your life and do it for yourself!

Make it Happen
So many people live their whole life wondering "what if?" Obviously, travel is not something that everyone can afford to just dive into on a whim. It often takes careful planning and determined saving. Great things take time and hard work, but as someone who has lived a life full of beautiful experiences, I can tell you that it's worth the fight.

If you need a little help in the planning process, I'd love to help! MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com

A Night in the Beautiful Bussaco Palace

On our road trip around Portugal, we made a pit stop at the GORGEOUS Bussaco Palace in Luso, and boy, was it beautiful! It is technically a five star hotel, but the accommodations aren't what you would typically think of as a five star hotel. It is literally a palace, which means it's old and it does show it's age a bit. Somehow, that only seems to add to the beauty of the place. 

It is honestly like a fairy tale! It's so beautiful!

You can spend literally hours hiking around the grounds. The palace was used as a hunting palace a long time ago so the grounds are expansive. There are so many fun walkways and path ways, I doubt you'd ever have time to explore them all.

You can even stay overnight in the palace - our room was darling! As I said, not a lot of fancy adornments, but it was very sweet. We thoroughly enjoyed the comfy bed, and the bathroom was very nice as well. No complaints there!

And finally, I don't have a picture, but I HIGHLY recommend enjoying a fancy dinner out on the terrace. My husband and I had a magical time. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was phenomenal! It's probably one of my favorite memories from the trip. 

Overall, the palace is a little out of the way (hard to access via public transportation), but it's worth the drive. We had a magical time and absolutely would visit again.

A Magical Day in Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is a beautiful city, and one that we were very excited to visit on our honeymoon! We originally planned to visit some of the museums but our schedule got bumped a day due to a delayed flight, resulting in us visiting the city on a Monday. Pro tip - don't visit Lisbon on a Monday. Pretty much everything is closed. Luckily, we were able to do a bit of research in our hotel room and come up with a new plan!

First up was our visit to the World's Oldest Bookstore!!! SO COOL. I have a whole blog post about our wonderful stop by this store, but to recap: it was beautiful, go visit if you can!!

Next up we decided to hike through the Alfama district to check out Castelo de Sao Jorge. It was a bit of a hike, but we didn't need directions. We just kept our eye on the castle and explored along the way. We weren't disappointed!

We had such a fun time exploring the castle! We got to walk along the parapets and explore the different areas within the castle. There was even a nice little cafe where we sat and enjoyed the scenery. There were even stray kitties and peacocks wandering about! Right next to our table! So fun!

And of course, we got an AWESOME view of the city. It was breathtaking and possibly my favorite part of the day. It was truly memorable standing above the city with my new husband just taking it all in.

Our final stop of the day was to the Oceanarium. It was really neat! I wasn't too excited about this stop initially, but my husband insisted. And of course, he was right. It was pretty fabulous and definitely worth the visit!

 Finally, just a note about Lisbon - don't expect prompt food service. We loved the city, culture and views, but man! It took forever to place an order, get served and PAY at every restaurant we went to. We waited 45 minutes just to hand them our credit card, despite asking the waiter for it twice! So weird! 

All in all, we had a tremendous time exploring the city, even if we didn't make it to the Carriage Museum like we originally planned. If you'd like us to arrange a tour of Portugal for you and your family or group, check out MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

City Highlights - Barcelona

I'm starting a series where I'll be covering the highlights of some of my favorite cities. To kick things off, I thought I'd dive into one of my absolute favorite cities: Barcelona. There are so many places in Barca that are worth checking out, but here are a few of my favorites!

#1 - The beaches! Even in the wintertime (which is predominantly when I've spent time in Barca) the beaches are absolutely gorgeous. You can relax and soak up the sun in the summer, or in the cooler months just take a stroll and enjoy the view. There are even spots along the beach with make shift soccer goals set up and workout equipment.

 

 A shot of some beautiful beaches during sunset - taken from a train

#2 Ice Barcelona - If you are into the night life, Barca has several unique clubs and bars, but my favorite is the Ice Bar, aptly called Ice Barcelona! It's a lot of fun! The walls, chair, bar and even the glasses are made of ice. They give you fun, puffy silver jackets to wear along with some gloves. It was a ton of fun!

Hanging in Ice Barcelona around Christmas time

#3 La Sagrada Familia - The legendary Barcelona Artist, Antoni Gaudi designed several structures throughout the city, and arguably his most famous work is La Sagrada Familia. This breathtaking (and enormous) church is an absolute must-see; just be prepared to see some construction since it will be another 10 years or so before the church is completed.

The beautiful (and hard to photograph) La Sagrada Familia

#4 Park Guell - If you want an idyllic view of the city, Park Guell is the place to visit! Like the Sagrada Familia, it was designed by the magnificent Gaudi. The tiling is beautiful and there are some beautiful hikes as well. The outer area is free, but if you want to get the best views you'll have to pay just a few euros to enter the center area.

Park Guell at sunset is my favorite

 #5 - Camp Nou!!! - FC Barcelona, the professional soccer team of Barcelona, is the heartbeat of the city. If you don't have a chance to go see a game in person, at the very least it's worth touring the museum and stadium. Soccer is a huge part of the culture in Barca, so even if soccer isn't your cup of tea, I still recommend checking it out!

Down on the field during the tour

I had the time of my life at El Clasico! If you're not familiar, it's a legendary game between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The atmosphere was unlike anything I've ever experienced.

I'd love to help you plan a trip of a lifetime to see the sights of Barcelona. Give me a shout at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

How to Save Up for the Trip of a Lifetime

Love to travel? Have no money? I feel you. Luckily, over the years I've found ways to work around that problem and I'm here to help you out.

Step 1: Set a goal amount. This amount is calculated based off of flight, cost per day in the city you want to travel to, and any major attractions you want to visit. It's also a good idea to consider how to travel cheaply - look at hostels rather than hotels, trains over planes and remember to pack your lunch!

Step 2: Set a realistic monthly savings goal (and set up a budget!) Set aside a little bit each month. I know that seems obvious, but it can be very difficult to maintain! By building travel into your monthly savings goals, you are making it a real priority. Each month you'll be able to see that number grow and get one step closer to your goal.

Step 3: Stay motivated! Pick a target date and make a count down. I personally like to write a literal count down along the bottom of my agenda. Seeing that trip inch closer each day keeps it in the forefront of my mind. I also stay motivated by planning! Picking out which attractions you'll get to see and what you'll be doing on your trip is always so exciting and sure to keep you motivated.

Step 4: Buckle down and do it! Take a look at your life and see where you can cut back. Saving for big things like retirement, a house or a car are obviously important, but it can definitely help you save faster by cutting down on things like movies, shopping and fast food. At the end of each month, see where you have spent the most money and brainstorm ways to "beat" that number the next month. Turn it into a game or challenge amongst your friends. You'll be sure to save money in the future.

You'll be on the adventure of a lifetime before you know it!

My sister and I having a BLAST in Cape Town, South Africa!

If you need some help planning it, we can help you out at Miles Into Memories Travel.

How to Keep Your New Year's Resolution to Travel

Happy 2017! It's a new year and that means it's time to start acting on those New Year Resolutions. For many of us adventurers, a top resolution is to travel and explore new places! Here are some tips on how to make those dreams a reality.

1) Pick a place! There are a few things to consider when deciding where you want to go. If you are wanting to go far away  or even all the way to the other side of the world, that is going to take some serious preparation. If you're traveling with a friend, talk over ideas and have fun brainstorming and research! Just don't forget to take your budget into account. It's important to set realistic goals and destinations. Bigger trips will take longer to save for, so plan accordingly!

2) Start saving! Budgeting can be a pain, but it makes a huge difference. Start saving little by little and before you know it you'll have enough for that trip to Australia you've always dreamed of. I know budgeting can be incredibly difficult, so keep an eye on this space for a travel budgeting blog post coming soon!

3) Set a date. Setting a concrete date can make a trip feel real. Even if you don't have the money for the plane ticket just yet, pick a target month and start a count down! It'll help you stay more motivated to budget, save and plan.

4) Plan the trip! While you are saving and preparing for your trip, start planning! For me, this is the best part of the preparation process. Get together with your travel partner (if you have one) and start researching! I like to set a goal for the main sights I want to see while I travel, while still leaving time for spontaneous adventure.

No matter where your travels take you in the new year, remember to take it all in. Traveling is a beautiful thing, but often it does require some planning. If organizing is not your thing, don't forget my company Miles Into Memories Travel can always help you out!

Where to Honeymoon?

I'm engaged!

My boyfriend of 5 years recently proposed and we can’t wait to plan our wedding and, of course, our honeymoon! There are several locations we are considering including Greece, Iceland and New Zealand.

We know we’ll want to slow things down a bit for our honeymoon since we’ll be exhausted from our wedding. That said, we are thinking somewhere warm, maybe with a beach nearby. So naturally, I immediately thought of Greece! The buildings are beautiful and the water is incredibly blue. – it truly is paradise! We are considering Athens or Mykonos (and a few other cities too!) – it’s just so hard to choose. Greece would let us still see some museums and architecture, but we have the added bonus of getting to lay out on the beach whenever we want a break.

Going in a completely different direction, we would love to visit Iceland! I’ve always wanted to climb a glacier and adventure across Iceland. I love adventure travel and Iceland has been on my bucket list for the longest time. The only thing is, adventure doesn’t lend itself to relaxation. We might decide to just come back another time.

Finally, we both want to visit New Zealand!.The only problem is it sure is a hike from the US! We are concerned that one week wouldn’t be long enough for that particular trip, and it’s looking like one week may be all we have. We would be able to still relax on some beautiful beaches, but see some amazing sights!

A lot depends on what time of year we get married. At this point we have no idea! There are so many things to consider! If you have any favorite honeymoon spots, let me know!

Don’t forget to check out my travel company at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Table Mountain - Cape Town, South Africa

Our trip to South Africa was pretty jam packed, so we wound up only having a few hours of free time in Cape Town. We put that free time to good use by visiting Table Mountain! It was absolutely beautiful and the views were amazing.

Essentially, you can either hike or take a cable car up to the top. Then, up at the top there are some beautiful trails for you to hike!

On one side of the mountain is the ocean and on the other are some pretty spectacular views!

The Ocean Side of the mountain

My sister and I on the city side of the mountain

You can even see the world cup stadium! So cool!

Cape Town has a bit of a reputation for being dangerous, but we kept our wits about us and didn't go out after dark. We, thankfully, never felt unsafe and had no problems when traveling through this beautiful country.

Our trip was a blast! And don't forget, if you're loving these travel posts to check out my travel company at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Bloukran's Bridge Bungy Jump in South Africa

I've been lucky enough to have some pretty amazing adventures recently, but I must say one of my absolute favorite experiences was bungy (That's how they spell it in South Africa) outside of Cape Town! 

It was terrifying and absolutely exhilarating. I'm just surprised that I got the whole group to do it with me! 

First, they walked us out alone this absolutely terrifying/beautiful walkway that led out to the middle of the bridge. We were literally underneath of where cars were driving. It was pretty scary, but also awesome. Cars were just driving along while we flung ourselves off the bridge.

The whole gang before we jumped!

Before we went they weighed us and put our weight (in kilos) and our jump order and time. I weigh 63 kilos, I was Jumper 2 and our jump time was 9 a.m.

My "I'M SO NERVOUS" smile

Getting hooked up! I definitely asked them to make sure I was hooked in nice and tight. They then waddled me over to the edge and counted down, "3-2-1-BUNGY!" They didn't give me time to think AT ALL (Probably Definitely a good thing). When they said "BUNGY" I just did it! I even managed to leap and sort of swan dive off this HUGE bridge!

I DID IT! 

After you jump they lower someone down to help reel you back in. 

We are working on a YouTube channel where the full video will be posted soon! It's pretty epic.

Bungy jumping has been on my bucket list for a very long time and I am SO happy that I was able to finally cross it off! Bloukran's bridge is the world's largest bungy. How cool is that? It was my first time ever bungy jumping, so why not go big? It was such a rush! The free fall was far and away my favorite part - the dangling afterwards? Not so much. Though my sister was the exact opposite. 

Overall, I absolutely recommend doing this jump if you're ever near Cape Town. Something to note is it is a bit of a drive outside the city - like 4 or 5 hours. We broke the trip up with some fun stops along the way. You'll  learn all about those in upcoming blog posts!

Meanwhile, check out my company at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com and sign up for an adventure of your own!

Lots of love,

Lena

Roman Recap

My time in Rome flew by! I had no trouble navigating the trains but I had one heck of a time finding my hostel. I don't know what it is about Rome but I found it quite hard to navigate the city. I can find my way around just about anywhere but I don't know if it's because I was tired or what, but eventually I found my hostel.

The hostel was rather small and unremarkable. It had a kitchen which is always a plus in my book. I saved quite a bit of money by packing my lunch and cooking my own dinners. I basically just bought gelato food-wise.

I hit pretty much all the major attractions in Rome - The Spanish Steps, The Trevvi Fountain, The Roman Forum, The Coliseum, The Vatican City among others.

The Spanish Steps were far and away my favorite spot to visit. I loved to find a nice perch and read my book and watch the sun set over the city. I went back there three different days just because I absolutely enjoyed my time there. Reading in a new environment, especially in a fulfilling cultural space, is something that I absolutely love to do. I think its important to not just tick the boxes when you travel, but take the time to stop and appreciate the culture and the atmosphere.

The Trevvi fountain was under construction so that was very underwhelming. I'll need to go  back for sure.

The Coliseum was so cool! I had managed to go the whole trip without waiting more than 10 minutes for an attraction, but alas the Coliseum got the better of me. I had to wait a whole 30 minutes. It was packed and not very well organized outside, but once you get inside it was quite amazing. I opted for the audio guide just to try to be able to understand what I was looking at a little bit better. It definitely was worth it, though the stops weren't well marked so that got confusing sometimes. I spent the better part of the day wandering through the Coliseum and the Roman Forums. It turns out my ticket for the Coliseum also got me into the Forums! Sweet!

Another notable stop was of course The Vatican City. I toured through the museum with an audio guide (again, very useful) and had a lovely morning just exploring. I ended up coming back later to see St. Peter's Basilica. I must say it was totally worth coming back for. That is probably my favorite church I've ever been to. I had a great time just taking it all in.

Anyway, I will probably go through eventually and up date all my recent posts with pictures one of these days!

Lots of love,
Malena

Spain: The Recap

Once I landed in Barcelona it was quite a whirlwind... So much so that I hardly got a chance to sleep let alone blog. Basically the tournament went well, but as with any event, there were some hiccups.

Here are the tour highlights:

Park Guell was absolutely phenomenal. Megan, another staffer, came with me to help and it was a good thing too! We made it by like 30 seconds!  I had to run ahead but we got in. Park Guell has super strict windows of time for groups.

In the end the run was totally worth it. The sight was breathtaking. It looked out over the city and the wall itself was inspired by Gaudi. It was so beautiful. I had a great time taking pictures and helping the teams. There were little paths that went off that were fun to follow too!

FC Barcelona Stadium Tour 

I did this last year, but it was fun! It was really neat to get to go through it again. I do love soccer but what's cool is that it touched on other sports in the club as well - like hockey and futsal!

28-30 Tournament - Pretty much just worked!

30 evening - Outing to Girona

Girona was beautiful. It's a little town 45 minutes outside of Lloret de Mar which is where the tournament is. It has winding little streets and is definitely a place that I would love to get lost in for a day. The parents got to shop and the kids got some insight from an expert on futsal. I think we will probably keep this stop on the tour for next year.

31 - Today was mad busy. Training and transfer to Barcelona first thing, then we went on a beautiful bus tour that was truly phenomenal. I love to learn the history of things! Then we got to explore Las Ramblas which is always fun :) We ended the night in quite a fancy NYE party! There were 4 glasses - white wine, red wine, water, and champagne! The food was top notch for sure. It worked out very well!

1 - This was an easy shopping day - except that the soccer store wouldn't open. My goodness. Spanish time can be frustrating because they don't really pay start times much mind, but it all worked out in the end and I even wound up with 2 new pair of shoes! We capped off the trip with a stop at the Ice Bar for the parents. It was great last year and I'm glad we decided to go back! Everyone seemed to have a blast and I'm overall happy with how the trip went.

2 - NO SLEEP FOR ME. I was up late at the Ice Bar and got up to send off both teams at 4am AND 7am... needless to say I straightup slept till noon after I got back from the airport. I met up with the other staffers for one last night in Barca. We walked all over the place! I love to experience a city up close. We ate at Les Arenes which was neat - its an old bull fighting ring that was turned into a mall. The restaurants are on top of the mall on a terrace. We then explored around the Olympic Stadium before heading back to the apartment the group had rented. I managed to do my laundry and headed back for  bed - I had to catch my airport shuttle at 5 the next day... yayyy

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