How to Travel More in 2016

Is your New Year's Resolution to travel more in 2016? Do you have a few new places you're hoping to visit (I sure do!) but aren't sure how you can make it happen? Here are a few ideas & tips to help you reach your goal.

1. Start Small

It can be really overwhelming to think about planning a trip to Bora Bora with a $2,000 plane ticket just to get things started. Instead, start with baby steps. Think about what is in a 5 hour drives distance or a train ride away if you're in a large city. There have to be new, fun places you haven't seen that you can get to quickly and very cheaply (especially with the current low gas prices). 

2. Be Open to Possibilities

You'd be surprised how many wonderful places there are in the world that might not be on your radar. If you would have asked a few years ago, most people didn't care a bit about Nashville and Iceland seemed like a crazy idea - but more and more people are visiting these places every day! Check Skyscanner.com, put in your location, and then type "everywhere" and for the date check "cheapest month" - this will give you a list of options. Similarlly, if you have a specific location but no date, search that location and leave the dates open ended. You may be surprised what you find!

3. Make a Travel Budget (and stick to it!)

You don't have to be a millionaire to travel - when I was making $23,000/year (that's about $11/hr) I was traveling almost monthly. I had a car payment, student loans, rent, and everything else you have to pay for in life. The difference was that I prioritized travel. I was saving at least $200/month for travel even on my meager wages. Now, you might not have an extra $200, but I KNOW you have an extra $50 (or more!) somewhere each month. You can eat out two times less per month, skip fancy coffee a few times, meal plan to maximize your grocery budget.... but you'd be surprised where money is hiding. It's just a matter of making it a priority.

I found this great 52 week money saving challenge posted below. If you stick to this only, you'll have almost $1400 saved. If you throw an extra $20 in here and there, you'll pay for your trip in no time.

chart via

4. Skimp Where You Can

When you're budgeting for a trip, think about what you can skip and what's worth it. Traveling isn't all about luxury resorts and Michelin rated restaurants. Spend money on what's important to you. If you can book an Airbnb with a refrigerator and a kitchen, you can cook a few meals in so the meals you eat out are really special! Scope out a few great restaurants and sights that are totally worth your hard earned cash - and do those things. You don't have to do it all or spend hundreds on a trip to fully experience a city and have a good time. Some of my favorite trips have been well planned and on a limited budget!

5. Start Planning NOW!
Don't wait until you have the money saved or the dates booked... start making a plan now! If you start planning now, you'll be on that plane in no time. You can absolutely travel more than you think you can - if you're strategic :)

nerdwax/mascara/eye shadow/blush/michael kors bag/scarf

So.... what are you waiting for? Start planning! Make your New Year's Resolution of traveling more happen. Let me know if I can help you make it happen!
xo

Go Camping (without hating life)

I like to think of myself as low maintenance, but I think the truth is I draw the line at bugs and sweating all night. So, as you can imagine, camping sounded good in theory but I had some concerns.

I found the best way to overcome these concerns, and to thoroughly enjoy myself, was to be extremely prepared! Isn't that always the solution? :) I read this article in Bon Appetit and I was inspired to have an enjoyable camping trip with a slightly upgraded menu.

We went camping over Labor Day, and although Nashville's summer has been mild, this was a particularly warm weekend. Our camp site at Henry Horton State Park ended up being very shady and nice, providing a little solace from the sun. (I'll mention more about it, but camping at this state park was really wonderful!) 

From one city girl to (potentially) another, here's my list of being prepared for camping.

WHAT TO PACK

SLEEP SOUNDLY

• Tent
• Air Mattress
• Battery operated air pump (unless you KNOW you'll have power! We did not)
• Bedding: lightweight sheets (ones you don't necessarily care about), a light blanket, and pillows
• Lighting (headlamps are handy, but cell phone lights or flash lights will work too!)

EAT ALL DAY LONG

I really didn't want to eat burgers all weekend, so I got serious about our menu for the weekend.

• Cast iron pans are going to be your best friend. You can put them right over the fire! They'll make the best eggs & pancakes you've ever had (more about cast iron here). Dutch ovens (non enamel coated!) also work wonders.
• Additionally, stainless steel pots and pans do great over high heat.
• No matter what you do, leave the teflon/nonstick pans, and plastic spoons & spatulas at home. Metal or cast iron only!
• Bring 1-2 big bowls that you can use to serve & mix in. No need to bring the whole kitchen.
• A few multi-purpose serving spoons/tongs
• Paper Plates & plastic forks are great. Disposable and less dishes to do in the woods. Bring twice as many as you think you need. 
• Tin coffee cups or disposable coffee cups, depending on your style
• A roll of paper towels
• Tin Foil
• All your normal spices/condiments. For me it was salt, pepper, oil vinegar, garlic, mustard, hummus, salsa. I picked up a few packets of ketchup and mayo from the Publix deli on our way out incase anyone wanted them (they did!)
• A blender bottle (used for protein shakes) can be very multi functional. I used it to make salad dressing, mix batter and more!
• Breakfast
• We cooked pancakes, eggs, bacon, and even cinnamon rolls over the fire. They were all easy and even tastier cooked over an open flame.
• Lunch
• Keep lunch easy with snack-y foods, like raw veggies, hummus, hard boiled eggs, pretzels, sandwiches, and cut up fruit. 
• Dinner
• Prep as much as you can at home. I pre-cooked pasta to make a pasta salad (just add basil, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella at camp), and quinoa that was easily re-heated or added into a salad.
• Chili was also a game changer: cooked at home, frozen (helped keep our cooler cold!) and reheated over the fire. It was amazing. We even made cornbread in the skillet which was an amazing addition!
• Salad kits were great as the prep work was minimal, and we still ate tasty gorgonzola and almond salad!
• In the spirit of camping, of course there were burgers and hot dogs. Just not every night :)
• Snacks
• Chips and salsa are always a winner. 
• We brought some hard cheeses (they do better without proper refrigeration) and enjoyed a custom cheese plate in the middle of the woods. Yeah, definitely not roughing it.  
• Chex Mix and trail mix seemed fitting and were great by the river or over a game of cards
• S'mores.... duh! We got creative with Oreo's instead of grahams, and Goo Goo Clusters or Reece's instead of chocolate. (Heather is a genius)
• Drinks
• Bottled water was the obvious choice. Stay hydrated!
• La Croix with a slice of lemon was a fun day-drink
• Bota Box of Sauvignon Blanc was so easy and lasted the whole weekend - no corks, no vinegar taste by day 3. And 4 bottles per box... win. Add some La Crox or Perrier for a spritzer
• We made Moscow Mules (minimal ingredients) and they were a great addition around the fire! 
• Leave the beer & the bottles of wine at home. They are cumbersome and complicated. 

CLEANING UP

• A few extra ziplock bags 
• A set of Purel wipes to get rid of anything nasty
• Brillo Pads Pre-Soaped - these were AWESOME and I got them at the Dollar Store.
• Microfiber towels (also picked up at the dollar store)
• Extra paper towels. You'll need them.
• A gallon jug of water (that you can refill at the bath house) to make your own dishwater
• Tin foil 
• A medium size tupperwear bin that can be used as your "sink". This is also a great place to store dishes after they're washed to keep them away from the elements.
• Shopping bags are great for trash, as you won't want to keep scraps around all night. I budgeted 7-10 bags per day for the 8 people, and that worked well.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR

My friend Heather asked me if I was going to be "Sporty Spice" or "Cute Camper Girlfriend" for our weekend in the woods - I opted for both.

• Running shoes & socks
• Workout clothes (for hiking and trails)
• Bathing suit
• Cover up
• water - friendly flip flops (wore these most of the weekend)
• lounge clothes (jean shorts, tank tops, easy sundresses, romper)
• Comfortable pi's
• light sweater for nights around the fire 
• Sunscreen, bug spray, and your favorite facial wipes

NOVICA dress / H M long sleeve shirt, $15 / Lucky Brand red shirt / MANGO white cardigan, $34 / Reiss top / Athleta red shirt / T By Alexander Wang white shirt, $95 / Abercrombie Fitch romper / Zoe Karssen clothing, $190 / Current/Elliott short shorts / Under Armour logo sportswear / NIKE clothing / Sweaty Betty sports bra / DELiA s bikini top / DELiA s swimsuit swimwear / Reef sandals, $25 / RetroSuperFuture sunglasses / Burt s Bees face cleanser / Hawaiian Tropic bath body, $15 / Naked Botanicals Apothecary Lavender Insect Repellent

EXTRAS YOU WON'T WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND

• Clothesline / clothespins. Hang up wet bathing suits, towels and the like so they don't get nasty.
• A few extra towels.... just incase.
• Bug spray
• Sun screen
• Proper footwear 
• Firewood/fire starters (or pick some up on your way)
• Hammocks
• Camp Chairs
• Ice, ice, ice!

Guys, camping is FUN! Don't forget to have some of that. And even if you just throw some burgers in the cooler and sleep on the ground.... it's gonna be a great memory :)

What's on your camping list? What did I forget?
xo

Our 4 Day Cruise to the Bahamas

As I write this, it's 46 degrees and raining in Nashville, and I was here just two short days ago.

This is depressing.

It really was a fun little cruise with friends. Two different stops in the Bahamas & one day at sea. We ate a lot of food and soaked up the sun!

before snorkeling at Paradise Cove Beach Resort in Freeport, Bahamas

the snorkeling was amazing!

Halloween on board!

Morticia & Gomez Adams for Halloween :)

at the front of the ship in Nassau, Bahamas

Junkanoo Beach in Nassau

with the girls in Nassau

with Matt in Nassau

I personally prefer the Eastern Caribbean cruise route, but we had a good time in the Bahamas. Here are a few tips of what to do on a cruise to the beautiful Bahamas!

In Nassau

• Avoid the "Straw Market". It's chock full of tourist-trap garbage you can find on any island. Here's a list of souvenirs to avoid.
• You can walk (about 1 mile) to Junkanoo beach where you can lay out for free, or rent chairs and ship cocktails.
• Try the conch here. Everyone says it's the best place in the tropics!

In Freeport

• Take a cab to Paradise Cove Beach Resort and go snorkeling. The reef is amazing & there are so many gorgeous fish!
• One of the local beers is SANDS & it is brewed in Freeport! You can do a brewery tour or just sip this fresh brew on the beach. 

My packing list worked out great! I could have brought even less, because nothing had to be re-worn except my travel clothes to and from the cruise. Matt and I packed all of our clothes in this Dakine suitcase below. It worked out really well!

It's back to reality, and now I'm putting all my efforts into planning Italy! I can't wait!
xo

Have you been on a cruise? Here are a few other cruise posts you might enjoy if you're planning one:

• Cruise packing list for men & women
• What to wear on your cruise
• 10 things to know about your cruise

How to Use Passbook On Your iPhone For Travel

Leaving for Chicago in just a few hours - I can't wait! 

I checked in for my flight last night and had a revelation - I use an app for every trip that I think most people ignore.

Now, if you're a human and you own an iPhone, you're probably annoyed with the handful of apps you're FORCED to have on your phone (Stocks! Why do I need this??!?). However, I'm here to tell you about the one I LOVE and how it makes traveling easier.

Enter: Passbook. 

I know a lot of you have never used Passbook before, and you're definitely not alone! It's a breezy way to get organized for any upcoming travel, and it's been a huge help to me. 

1 - Flights

We live in a digital age -- why are we still printing boarding passes?

Most major airline have apps available. Create a frequent flyer number, download their app and login. You can change your seats, check in - and voila! - obtain your boarding pass. 

Click "ADD" in the top right corner and it will be auto saved into Passbook.

You can change your settings (use that "i" button at the bottom right), but mine is set to pop up on my home screen automatically beginning two hours prior to my flight. So security checkpoint & boarding the plan are really simple and there's no searching through your phone when your place comes up in line.

2 - Lodging 

Airbnb as well as some major hotels (Starwood is an example) give the option to download & save your itinerary to Passbook. 

This includes all of your check in/check out times, location and any instructions you might need.

3 - Events

Fandango, Ticketmaster, MLB, and LivingSocial all work hand in hand with Passbook. When traveling for a concert (like this weekend!) my Ticketmaster purchase was ready to go. No worries if I left the tickets at home or still had the confirmation in my email.

Passbook allows you to tweak each "app" within it to decide when you want it to pop up. For example, turn it off so your Starbucks or Sephora cards don't pester you every time you're within 50 ft of a mall. But I love the ease of having my boarding pass ready to go at all times on busy travel days!

Learn more about Passbook here.

Well... I'm off to the airport for the first time in almost a month. Think they missed me?

Do you use Passbook or any other travel apps? 

xo

Travel vs. College

Yesterday, an article titled 6 Lessons Travel Teaches You That College Never Will was floating around the web. Several of my friends shared it on numerous social networks, and I read it as soon as I saw the title. As a travel addict, I of course loved & agreed with every single word. I agree that college is forced on so many that aren't interested, and travel is barely offered as an option to most. I'm a huge advocate for traveling, and have never understood why a 'Gap Year' was such a faux pas in the United States (when it's so common in the rest of the world). My semester in London changed my life FOREVER, in ways I struggle to put into words when asked about it. This article didn't only make sense to me, it explained a part of my soul in a way.

However, the more I thought about it throughout the day, I realized that there are definitely two sides to this story. Two sides I've experienced personally and simultaneously: travel & college.

I attended college in the traditional sense; I started the Fall following my high school graduation, I completed it in four years, lived in a dorm (for a time), had a full coarse load, participated in campus events, ate terrible food from the cafeteria, joined clubs & organizations, was completely broke most of the time, pulled all nighters and made life long friends. I also learned about true community, hard work, and a lot about being an adult. I wouldn't trade my four years for anything.

I spent a semester abroad in London, and during that time, I traveled to 10 different countries throughout Europe and Africa. I returned to London the following year to live & work in the city. I've continued to travel the United States & visit Europe. I'm constantly searching for the next adventure and love everything this big beautiful world has to offer. I truly get sad thinking about how many wonderful places there are in the world, and that' I'll never have enough time to see them all. The best four years of my life were extended to five, when I was able to have all these incredible experiences. I can't imagine my life without this time... both as a tourist and a resident of a different corner of the earth.

There are so many things that a college experience teaches you that travel can't. I could say that farming teaches you things you'd never learn as an investment banker, and vice versa. But is that the point? Not everyone needs to know how to milk a cow or play the stock market. We all have passions, gifts and strengths that can be developed in many different ways.

The truth is, it's not travel vs. college. You can have BOTH. You can have neither. I think both sides are worth exploring, and both can offer amazing experiences, unique to themselves. All experiences & paths in life are different and can be equally incredible and beautiful.

There's no magic formula. Everyone is different. Learn about yourself and decide what's important, interesting, and turns you into the person you want to be (both personally & professionally). Don't go to college if you truly don't think you want to. You have to decide what you want and make it happen, whatever that that might be.

Don't let money discourage you from travel or college. If they are important to you, find a way to make them happen. They aren't enemies, I think they go hand in hand quite well.

I know plenty of college graduates that are struggling financially and in their career. College does not guarantee you a job, it just provides you with extra knowledge and experience. In the same thought, I know plenty of people who have traveled and are still intolerant, closed minded, and devoid of culture.

Stamps in your passport & a framed degree have this in common: they are only proof of the experience. It's truly up to you to learn about life, culture, community, yourself, others, how to contribute to society, how to love, budget, make hard decisions and who you are going to be.

Like I said, I loved this article and everything it highlighted! I just happen to think life is more à la carte than prix fixe, don't you?

Did you go to college? Travel? Neither? Both? 

How to Budget Travel Into Your Lifestyle: Part I

If there's one question I've been asked over and over, it's "how do you travel so much?" quickly followed by things like "It's so expensive" and "I wish I could do that"

Well guess what - YOU CAN! All it takes is deciding what is more important: a new shirt for $50 - or knowing that's 1/4 of your flight to Seattle.

via

Full disclosure on financials for this. I will give you an idea of my budget and how I made it work. It's about budgeting your essentials, and then deciding what's most important to you.

When I was 24 I was working at my first job, and after my raise, I was making $35,000/year. After taxes, this came to about $2700/month.

This is about what I was budgeting a month. Of course there's always the things you forget about, but I'm $100 under budget, and that's also what misc expenses are for. I also always budget extra into my 'gas' budget, for things like your registration, burnt out break lights, and oil changes.

My rent was rather low, but to make up for it, I was making double car payments ($300x2) so I could pay my car off early. Once that was done, I planned on taking that extra $300 a month to place towards student loans. Budgeting means taking care of responsibilities and debt first.

What you might notice is low is my "fun" budgets - $150 for eating out, for example. At approximately $15/meal with tax and tip, puts me at 10 outings a month (or 2 per week and a couple left over). This is more than enough to accommodate girls nights, coffee stops here and there, so-and-so's birthday, brunch on Saturdays with my roommate. There is absolutely no reason no eat out every night unless you don't have a kitchen. And even then, you can get a hot plate. It's one of the biggest money vacuums to a young budgeter - don't fall for the trap! Save your restaurant excursions for special occasions and being social. Skip the table for 1 or the close relationship with the local pizza delivery guy.

A small experiment - let's say every dinner costs $15 with tip. Every "quick, cheap" lunch costs $6, and every coffee you stop for is $3. If you do each of these things 3 days a week (very easy to do if you aren't paying attention!) you're looking at an average cost of $72 per week, or just under $300 per month. Check your eating out habits, and start saving to eat out when you're in Chicago instead.

Another thing that's low is my "others" category: mani/pedi's, movies, buying clothes. I would limit myself to 1 movies a month in the theater, and 1 mani/pedi every 2 months. A bottle of nail polish costs $8, and $35 saved is a 1/5 of a plane ticket.

Now clothes. Ohhhhh clothes. I'm a girl. I love them. But there are more important things in life! This doesn't mean I never buy any - it just means I play it right. I wait for sales, scope out TJ Maxx, and save my $50 budget from this month, so next month I have $100 to play with :) It's much more satisfying, and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

Giving myself this budget allows me to fly 8-10 times a year, visiting friends and places all over the US. I'd also like to add that I took a few babysitting jobs a month - between 1-3 per months - and put that cash directly into a box labeled TRAVEL FUND. This is how I managed to visit Europe three years in a row. $50-100 per babysitting job, I was pulling in about $2k per year of unexpected cash. This could easily be done with a 1 day a week night job at a coffee shop, or doing retail floor sets. If you work one, 5 hours shift a week at $8/hr, you'll earn $2000 before taxes. Now where did you want to go again?

If you find yourself thinking you have no room in your budget, I'd challenge you to do this. Take your debit/credit card statement from last month and get a few colors of highlighters. Highlight anything like in spending (i.e., all coffee, or all take out/eat in food, all clothes shopping). You'll be shocked what you're spending! I did this with my coffee habit fresh out of college, and realized I was buying 1-2 coffees every single day - putting my bill at almost $200 a month! For that, I could have purchased a fancy espresso machine. I put myself on a budget of 2x a week, for more like $25 per month, and enjoyed my new extra $175 to buy myself a plane ticket.

via

Budgeting travel is all about taking all of your "extras" and deciding if they're worth it. Let's say you want to take a trip to New York with your girlfriends.
Flight: $200
3 days of meals: $150
Drinks+Coffee: $75
Broadway Show: $100
Hotel split 4 ways: $225pp
Weekend Metro Card: $25
Misc Spending: $50
Trip total: $800

Luxuries You Want:
iPhone 5s came out (you still have a 4s) = $200
Monthly Mani/Pedi $600/year (at $50 per session, including tip)
Never Packing Yourself a Lunch $1560/year (at $6/day, 5 days a week for 52 weeks)

Deciding if they're worth it?: 
Stick with your 4s for another 6 months, and your flight is paid for. $200 saved
Take cut your spa days to every 2 months instead, and pay for your hotel & drinks/coffee $300 saved
Decided to pack your lunch MWF every week, with leftovers, or batch cooked meals (very affordable) - even if you spend $50 extra on groceries a month, you'll have enough money to pay for your drinks, food, coffee, souvenirs, metro card, broadway show, and still have $275 extra to put towards your next trip. $650 saved

It's a matter of priorities. If new technology is on the top of your list, then go for the iPhone. If seeing old friends and new places ranks higher, stick with the ghetto phone as long as you can (I got an iPhone when the 4s came out - and I still have it), and enjoy texting slightly lesser quality photos to your friends stuck at home.

Do you have any budget tips or tricks? Where would you like to save up to go?
xo