World Cup Winners - France! (My Paris Recommendations)

The World Cup has officially come to a close, and France will be taking home the cup. While I am not a huge fan of the French national team, I'm definitely happy for them. Winning something so huge is every soccer player's dream. The feeling must be unlike any other!

That being said, I thought I'd throw it back to my time in Paris and highlight some things you can't miss out on!

Some attractions are obvious such as the legendary Louvre. Here I am in front of the beautiful, famous pyramid! Pro tip, if you want to check out the incredible artwork, don't use this entrance. There are actually several, lesser-known entrances that will inevitably have much shorter lines.

Of course, if you are anywhere near Paris, you HAVE to see the Eiffel Tower, even if just from afar. In fact, you'll want to make a point to see it from a few angles. If you only go up close, you won't get the full effect. Although, I certainly do encourage you to go up if you can! Just be aware if it gets too windy, they will close the top and not issue a refund. Unfortunately, that's what happened to me the last time I was in town. Even from halfway up, there is still a stupendous view! This is one of those attractions that you should definitely buy tickets ahead of time. The lines can get crazy!

Finally, don't forget to check out the insane lock bridge. The legend says if you write you and your lover's initials on a lock and attach it to the bridge, you'll stay together forever. It must be true since I did just that with my husband (then boyfriend) and so far so good! 

Finally, don't forget about the food! I encourage you to do research and find the best places to eat. Bakeries, cafes and gourmet food abound, so indulge and immerse yourself in the culture as much as possible! 

I have a passion for travel, and my priority is to always respect the culture and really dive into the culture. If you would like help being a traveler and not a tourist, please visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. I'd love to help you get started!

World Cup Excitement

It's the most wonderful time of the year! And for once, I don't mean Christmas. I look forward to the World Cup, and I am always so excited when the games begin! As a life-long soccer fan, I thoroughly enjoy watching the tournament unfold. I've had the pleasure of going to several professional soccer matches, but not the world cup.... yet.

It has been announced that the 2026 World Cup will be in the U.S./Canada/Mexico! Come hell or high water, I will be at one of those games. I know it's years away, but it's going to be so much fun. Hopefully, a game will be somewhere near my house (or any of my friends/relative houses!) as I imagine hotel space will be limited and expensive. Still totally worth it.

I've been watching as many games as physically possible and am LOVING the action. It was a bit of a shocker that Messi and Ronaldo's teams were both sent packing pretty early in the tournament. I had the joy of watching the two meet a few years back in El Clasico (See photo below). 

I love watching international matches - the passion! You just don't see that soccer culture here in the U.S. Normally, the U.S. is in the tournament so there's an uptick in soccer enthusiasm, but this year no such luck. None of my top 3 teams (U.S.A, Canada and Holland) are in the tournament so I've just been arbitrarily picking teams and rooting for them. It's so much more fun when you have a team! 

I was really pulling hard for Iceland, but alas. They were knocked out. 

If you'd like to take your family and friends to a World Cup game one day, just let me know! Check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com for more info. 

Why I love the Olympics So Darn Much

The Olympics kick off today, and I could NOT be more excited! I look forward to the Olympics and am that person that will stream as many events as humanly possible. I love just about every event - summer or winter! But since it's the winter Olympics coming up, I must say I am most excited for curling. Yes, curling. It's so soothing to watch! And the pant! Have you seen their pants? I'm a fan. There are so so so many reasons to love the Olympics, but here are my top 3.

International Unity
As someone who loves nothing more than traveling the globe, I must say I love any event that brings the world together - namely Olympics and the World Cup. In my experience, it's SO fun to compete internationally and make friends from all over the world - I can only imagine competing on the world's largest stage! Athletes from every corner of the globe have been training their whole lives for that moment, and we get to watch it unfold! The incredible highs and lows. I love it.

Athletic Prowess
As a life-long athlete, I have tremendous respect for each and every one of those athletes. The amount of hard work and sacrifice they've poured into their sport is tremendous. I competed as a college athlete and that was intense. I can only imagine what it takes to make it to the big leagues. The olympics is the place to go if you want to see the best of the best.


Just Plain Fun
I'm the person who rallies around my favorite events and hosts all-out viewing parties. I absolutely love the excitement, the thrill, the camaraderie!  Plain and simple, the Olympics are so. much. fun.

No event too small, I'll be watching from start to finish. Will you?

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.

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