Carpe Diem - Don't Wait to Take That Trip

While I am a HUGE planner, sometimes you just need to take a leap and DO IT. Obviously it's unrealistic to just seize the day and travel everyday (Gotta pay those bills somehow!). However, I think it's really important to still keep that sense of adventure and excitement in your life. That's why when my husband brought up his desire to explore New Hampshire, specifically he white mountain region, in the fall. He was initially thinking of planning a trip for next year, but I suggested we head out in a few short weeks! We had the vacation days, we will be road tripping and camping so the cost is low, so why not?

The long and the short of it is you aren't guaranteed a tomorrow. While I think it's unrealistic to expect every day of your life to be a grand adventure, I DO think it's incredibly important to put your plans into action. We ordered a guidebook and next weekend we are off on an adventure to see the leaves change color. Oh and did I mention we bought our plane tickets to Australia yesterday? Heck yes!

Seize the day doesn't always mean traveling on a dime, but it does mean you need to take action. Whether that action is hopping on a plane or just buying the ticket, go do it!

If you need help getting started, I'm happy to help! Check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

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 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. 

Visiting the World's Oldest Bookstore

As a book lover, I'm constantly on the hunt for beautiful bookstores wherever I go. While researching our trip to Lisbon, I stumbled across the ultimate bookstore! The Chiado Livraria Bertrand is the oldest bookstore in the world! It even holds a Guinness World Record! This location opened in 1732 and has since become the largest bookstore chain in Portugal. I must say it was magical.

Here I am with the sign out front!

Tired, sweaty but excited! I had the time of my life wandering through the stacks of books and of course, came away with a few to add to my collection. The set up of the store was really neat! It had multiple rooms that stretched back kind of like a tunnel. It ended with a pretty gorgeous little cafe. As a book enthusiast, it was a pretty awesome experience. I highly recommend stopping by if you get the chance!

Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Lagos, Portugal

In addition to trying our hand at coasteering while in Lagos, Portugal, my husband and I went Stand Up Paddle Boarding for the very first time! It took a bit of getting used to, but we eventually got the hang of it. We started out on our knees and after making our way out toward the cliffs, we were able to stand up (with just a few minor wipe outs).

The cool part of doing our Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Lagos is all the beautiful caves! 

We had to go on our knees while inside the caves so we didn't hit our head along the way.

After a while, our knees started to hurt so most of us ended up just sitting down on the board.

And towards the end, I was really getting the hang of it! It was quite an adventure! We definitely had a blast and are so glad we got the chance to go on such a fun adventure. 

MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com

Coasteering and Cliff Jumping in Portugal

We spent a few days in Lagos, Portugal to relax during our honeymoon.... but of course we had to squeeze in some adventure! I found amazing reviews for something called "coasteering." If you're anything like me, you've never heard of coasteering. I really wanted to go cliff jumping (safely) so I started doing some research, and that's when I stumbled across coasteering! It's a combination of hiking, swimming, rock climbing and cliff jumping to make your way along a coastline. It's a lot more swimming and rock climbing that hiking, but it was amazing! 

We started by hiking down from the parking lot to the water and did our first little jump! For the first 2 lower jumps we were allowed to any trick we wanted, so of course I had to do a backflip! 

The views were beyond amazing! And the weather was perfect... but we were definitely glad to have those wetsuits.

Also, thank goodness for those life vests! That swim seemed to go on forever! My husband and I definitely had to take some breaks.

This is an action shot of the group making our way along some rocks. We even had a few times where we were in a cave and had to put feet on one side and hands on the other and kind of shimmy along. It was so fun!

This was one of our bigger jumps! They told us to put our arms out to stabilize before bringing them in tight for impact. I apparently turn out to be quite majestic when I cliff jump. #FallingWithStyle

All in all, cliff jumping and coasteering were AMAZING! We had so much fun and I 10/10 would do it again. In fact, if my husband and I travel near the coast (any coast) again anytime soon we are for sure going to be on the lookout for other coasteering tours. I would recommend going with a company who knows what they are doing. Our tour was very professional and we had the proper safety equipment which was reassuring. Be careful, do your research and get out there and enjoy the adventure!

A few Days in Porto, Portugal

We just got back from our honeymoon, and we had an amazing time! We had to deal with an unfortunate flight delay which scrambled our schedule a bit, but we still made the most of it! After an impromptu day in Madrid, my husband and I started our trip in Porto (we also circled back around and ended our trip in Porto).

Livraria Lello

Our first stop was the infamous Livraria Lello! This bookstore supposedly inspired JK Rowling while she was writing Harry Potter. To be fair, it was GORGEOUS! Unfortunately, anything touched by JK Rowling becomes an instant tourist attraction. In order to visit the bookstore, you had to buy a ticket. Not my favorite thing, but if you bought a book, the price of the ticket comes off of the book price. As it turns out, I actually kind of like this system. It keeps the crowd under control (though it was still a bit too busy to casually peruse some books) and helps keep the shop from feeling like a Harry Potter merch store. They did sell the books (obviously), but pretty much all other HP merch was sold in a store next to the ticket booth. A bookstore should focus on books, so I really enjoyed that aspect.

All in all, amazing bookstore, but still too touristy and busy for a genuine experience, in my opinion.

My husband and I really wanted to get out and enjoy the city, and there's no better way than going on a self-guided walking tour! We took the recommendation of the Lonely Planet guidebook and followed the tour they laid out. It was a ton of fun! It took us through some amazing places.

Sao Bento Train Station

One of the first stops on the walking tour was the Sao Bento Train Station! It was amazingly beautiful! The Azulejo tiles are a traditional form of Portuguese art. It was so neat to see a combination of tourists admiring the art and commuters just going about their day all in the same place. It was a nice, free stop and I recommend checking it out!

Igrejo de Sao Francisco

Another highlight from the walking tour was our stop in this beautiful church! It doesn't look all that impressive from the outside, but it's not very expensive to buy a ticket to see inside, and it's definitely worth it! The church itself is stunning, but you aren't allowed to take pictures. The pictures below are from the attached museum and catacombs! There is legit a pile of bones under the church which was a bit shocking but really cool!

Ponte De Dom Luis I

Finally, our last stop was relaxing in front of the Ponte De Dom Luis I, which is an iconic bridge in Porto. It was so nice to sit by the water and just take in the atmosphere!

Porto was a beautiful city and one I would totally visit again. I had an amazing time with my husband, and I'm excited to share more from our road trip soon!

Why I Travel

People travel for all kinds of reasons - personal discovery, a change of pace and so many others. For me, it's always been about seeing new places, challenging myself and learning about far-off cultures. I've been lucky enough to get to travel quite a bit in recent years - to over 20 countries in fact - but it seems like that urge to travel is never fully satisfied! I'm always planning my next trip, regardless of how recently I've traveled. Luckily, I get to venture abroad fairly often for work! I own a travel company (MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com), and so I often get to help others realize their dreams as well! Anyway, here are my top 3 reasons that I travel:

I Travel for Adventure

Somewhere in my soul is a need to see new places and try new things. I want to go everywhere and try (just about) everything! So far, I've gone bungee jumping in South Africa, swimming with elephants in Thailand and hiking up a mountain in New Mexico. Going out and trying something new is very fulfilling for me, and I find I am at my happiest while on an adventure.

Getting ready for my bungee jump off Bloukran's Bridge in South Africa

I Travel For Personal Growth

When I travel, and particularly when I travel solo, I've found that I come back with a different, more open perspective on the world. I learn things about myself that I don't think I ever would have discovered while at home in my safe zone. I'm so much more capable than I ever realized - I even backpacked by myself for 10 days through Italy, a few years back. I researched the trip, booked everything and navigated my way through foreign cities in a country where I don't speak the language  - and what's more? I had a blast! I was independent, brave and above all, capable! That was incredibly empowering and an experience I'll never forget.

On my solo trip through Italy

I Travel to Learn About the World In Person

I love to learn, but I find that the lessons stick far better when I experience them first-hand. Reading about the history and architecture of say, Barcelona for example, will never do the beautiful work of Gaudi justice. Gaudi was an incredible artist and his work is truly inspiring. I had seen photos of Park Guell and some truly amazing paintings, but it completely dulled when compared to the real thing. Some things you just have to experience.

Me hanging out at sunset in Park Guell in Barcelona

The long and the short of it is traveling is amazing and life-changing. I encourage you to travel as often as possible.  Just get out and go!

The Travel Tag! (30 Questions)

1. Where are you from in the world?
I was Born in New Jersey, USA, but I spent my childhood in Holland. We moved back to the states when I was still young, but we still moved around a bit. I guess I consider my "Hometown" Mt. Airy, MD since that's where I spent my high school years!

2. Have you been overseas? When/Where?

I have! I actually have been to over 20 countries in the last 4 years, but when I was little we traveled to even more places! Some of my favorites are:  Spain, Ireland, Germany, Holland, South Africa, Thailand and Singapore!

                                       

Blankenburg, Germany

3. Do you prefer summer or winter? Why?
I guess Summer, but Christmas trumps all! Especially in Paris! I love Christmastime in Paris - oh and Barcelona too!

4. Summer or winter fashion?
Winter - I'm all about the boots.

5. Where is somewhere you would love to travel to?

I'd love to go to Iceland, Japan and so many more places

6. Name your essential makeup items for the beach
Sunscreen!

7. Are you currently saving up for a trip?
We are getting ready to book our honeymoon to Portugal this fall!

8. Do you like/dislike travelling?
Absolutely LOVE it!

9. Name a place in the world you would love to shop.
I'm honestly not a big shopper.

10. Who is your favourite beauty guru and where do they live?

Zoella - Brighton, UK

Ingrid Nilsen - California, USA

11. What accent in the world is your favourite to hear?

Australian

12. How many countries have you visited?
More than 20

13. Why do you travel
I've always traveled and it's just a part of me!

14. Favourite city or country?
Barcelona!

15. Most memorable experience abroad?
Probably swimming with elephants in Thailand or bungee jumping in South Africa

16. Best item purchased abroad?
I got some awesome soccer shoes in Barca.

17. Advice for those who want to travel but think they can't?
Just start saving! I promise you can do it :) 

18. Travel accessory you always pack?
Adaptors and converters
19. Can you recite your passport # from memory?
No... probably should though

20. Preferred method of travel: planes, trains or automobiles
Probably airplane because it's fastest, but I love trains too.

21. Top 3 Travel items?
Converter, Good walking shoes and a camera

22. Hostel or hotel?
I love hostels!

23. Are you a repeat visitor or do you explore new places?
I would absolutely be happy to revisit places, but I want to explore new places as much as possible!

24. Do you read up on your destination for culture, history or safety or do you wing it?
I absolutely do! Did you know you can be caned for spitting gum on the streets of Singapore?? Research people!

                                 

                                                                      Singapore

25. Favourite travel websites?
Lonely Planet, Hostelworld.com

26. Where would you recommend a friend to visit? City and why?
Barcelona! Soccer, food, beautiful architecture! LOVE IT

27. You're leaving tomorrow, money is no option, where are you going?
Probably Australia and New Zealand.

28. Favourite landmark you have visited?
Leaning Tower of Pisa, Eiffel tower or Notre Dam.

                        

29. Beach holiday or travel/explore holiday?
Travel and explore! But I do enjoy a good beach day

30. To travel is to...

adventure

I own a travel company called MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com and would love to help you coordinate your next adventure!

Here's where I got the questions! http://www.fashionarttravel.com/2014/09/the-travel-tag-30-questions.html

How to Actually Get Some Sleep On a Plane

If you're anything like me, overnight flights are your worst nightmare. Luckily, I've had my share of overnight trips and have become a bit of an expert on sleeping in awkward positions - I was even quoted in Readers Digest! How cool is that?


Tip 1: Win the airplane lottery. 
By this I mean getting 2 or more seats in a row all to yourself! I myself have won the airplane lottery exactly twice - that should be a decent indicator of how rare this actually happens. I must say though, when I had those seats....It. Was. Amazing. I am a fairly small person and am able to curl up in a ball easily so I just stretched across those seats and made it work. 2 seats can be a little tight, but if you somehow manage to get 3 seats to yourself, you are golden! Just be respectful and keep your feet and head out of the aisle and other people's space! Also, don't be afraid to take advantage of a half-full plane. You can politely ask your flight crew if it's alright to move and odds are they will not have a problem with it. Use that space!

Side note: I once saw someone who had an entire MIDDLE ROW to themselves. They slept sitting upright. They even sat in a middle seat so I couldn't even use the outside few seats to lay down. It was torture. THEY WON THE LOTTERY AND COULD NOT CARE LESS. Anyway.

Tip 2: Use a quality eye mask and/or ear plugs
As I talked about in Reader's Digest (did I mention how cool that is?), I'm a firm believer in an eye mask that soft, comfy and fits snuggly around your nose. Other eye masks can let in light through that little gap and make it much harder to sleep. Also, if you need complete silence, don't be afraid to spring for some quality earplugs or even noise-canceling headphones.

Tip 3: Experiment with sleeping positions (respectfully)
Always, always, always be respectful of other passengers, but don't be afraid to get creative when it comes to sleeping positions! Two of my favorite are: Knees up with blanket over head and facedown on tray table. A few things to keep in mind - It's definitely possible the passenger in front of you can feel your knees so be aware of that. If you feel the seat is thick enough they won't notice, be gentle and don't fidget. It doesn't hurt to just ask them if they can feel it. As for the head-down-on-tray position, WIPE THAT THING DOWN FIRST. Seriously. People change their baby's diapers on it so there can literally be fecal matter on that tray that you are shoving your face on. Don't be afraid to be that person wiping down their seat area. That's what I do!

Tip 4: Plan your pillow
Sleeping on overnight planes can be really difficult, and a lot of people like to use travel neck pillows; however, I've found that unless my head it lower than my body, I really can't sleep. Thus I tend not to use those. I have, however, used my sweatshirt or a spare blanket as a pillow, because let's be real - those tiny pillows they give you are kind of questionable. Just know your sleeping style and  have a game plan going in.

Almost no one emerges from an overnight flight well-rested, but whatever you do, try to avoid weird naps! I'm talking a nap at 8am or a 6-hour long nap. Try your best to adjust to the new time zone and enjoy your trip!

Check out my company at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. I'd love to help you plan your next adventure!

Malena

City Highlights - London

London is a beautiful city and one worthy of exploring! Over the past few years, I've found a few of my favorite spots:

Starting out with the classics - first up, The London Eye. This ginormous ferris wheel is absolutely worth a ride. Each capsule is fully enclosed in glass and unless you pay through the nose for a private ride, you'll be sharing the experience with at least 20 or so other people. Like most major tourist attractions, I recommend buying your ticket ahead of time online and skipping the line. The ride lasts about 30 minutes and it provides some of the most amazing views of the city. 

The London Eye

The London Eye affords a magnificent view of Big Ben, but it's definitely worth checking out up close as well. It's absolutely beautiful, especially at night! Something to note - you won't actually be able to go up inside Big Ben, so just be ready to enjoy the splendor of the clock tower from down below.

Big Ben across the water

Finally, I recommend just exploring the city and soak in the culture. Ride in a black cab, visit Harrods, take a bus tour and find yourself a telephone booth!  I made some truly amazing memories just by wandering through the streets of London with friends and family and seeing what we stumble across. We've found amazing little pubs with huge, amazing English breakfasts , unique specialty she eps and even found hole-in-the-wall museums!

A fun shot of me by the classic telephone booth! Although inside was a little gross - I'm talking needles, beer bottles and who knows what else! Be careful.

London is an amazing city with plenty of sites to see! You can't forget to make a pit stop to places like the London Tower, The Globe Theater and Buckingham palace, but the London Eye, Big Ben and general exploration are my top three must-do's while checking out London.

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.