Hiking the La Luz Trail - Albuquerque, NM

Now that we are back from Portugal, we've already started brainstorming ideas for our next trip. We are tentatively thinking about hiking the Grand Canyon which got me reminiscing about our hiking trip to New Mexico in 2015. It was gorgeous, and I don't think I properly shared photos from that, so here we go!

Our biggest hike was La Luz, which is a trail that goes up the side of Sandia Mountain. I believe it's roughly 8 miles, but it does go up a mountain so leave yourself plenty of time!  That elevation change will get ya. We took our time and enjoyed the views, so it wound up taking us about 10 hours.

But look at the views! So beautiful!

And here's a shot of the triumphant gang at the top of the mountain. Go team! If you're in New Mexico, an outdoor enthusiast and up for adventure, I highly recommend this hike! 

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

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.

Women's World Cup 2015

It is finally time! The Women's World Cup is here! Canada, Netherlands, Norway and Germany have started out with a win and USA plays Australia tonight.

I'm definitely rooting for the USA, but I also have high hopes for the Netherlands. I think Germany will be a really strong contender (obviously - they're ranked #1 so they should be good!) as well.

I'm a little surprised by Canada's performance. I thought they would have come out a little stronger against China considering they have home field advantage and they are ranked 8 places higher. They got a Penalty Kick in stoppage time and didn't waste it. I always root for the home team, so I'm glad they managed to start the tournament off well. It's possible that as the tournament progresses they will get more confident and be able to make something of their opportunities.

Netherlands didn't come out as strong as I had hoped. I thought they were going to blow New Zealand out of the water and they only managed to put away one goal! Similarly to Canada, I think they were just getting their feet under them. It's a new atmosphere and there is a ton of pressure on the players. Keep in mind, I grew up in Holland so I have a bit of a soft spot for the dutch - but I really do think they'll do well!

As for Norway and Germany, no surprises there. They annihilated Thailand and the Ivory coast, respectively. Germany perhaps put away more goals than is typically tasteful (there's sort of an unspoken rule that good sportsmanship dictates you stop at 9 goals), but it is the world cup and goal differential could conceivably be a factor in their tournament progression. It would be strategically advantageous to wrack up those points while they can.

I went on News Radio 680 WPTF today to talk about my thoughts on the Women's World Cup so far.

I'll be on again tomorrow around mid-day to talk about the USA's performance in tonight's game.

Who do you think will win the 2015 Women's World Cup?

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!