Ngorongoro Crater

Welcome back!  We’re still running on this amazing Tanzania experience so today I’m going to share with you my experience in and around the Ngorongoro Crater!  This was perhaps my favorite part of Tanzania, even more so than the Serengeti National Park!  Let’s get into it.

We left the Maasai Village and shortly after arrived at the Ngorongoro Farm House, by far my favorite accommodation of the entire trip.  The Ngorongoro Farm House a hotel made up of a small collection of private bungalows sprinkled throughout a 500 acre coffee plantation.  Each of our rooms had a small balcony, many with gorgeous views.  They offer daily tours of the grounds where you can learn all about how coffee is grown and how much of the food served at the daily morning breakfast and nightly buffet dinner is grown on the premises.  Seriously, the food here was incredible.  And honestly, I got the best night’s sleep in their beds.  All around, the Farm House experience was incredible and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for accommodations near the Crater.

The next day we were off the enjoy a full dame game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater part of the Ngorongoro Conversation Area.  The Ngorongoro Crater the largest, inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic caldera.  The crater was formed more than 3 million years ago after a volcano erupted and collapsed onto itself and it one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Africa.  The Ngorongoro Crater is almost like a small ecosystem within itself.  There’s wooded areas, open plains, and streams and watering holes throughout.  There are over 25,000 large animals living in the crater including 26 critically endangered black rhinos!  After seeing all the amazing animals in Lake Manyara and the Seregenti National Park, our ultimate goal of the game drive in the crater was to spot a black rhino. 

The black rhino species overall is currently critically endangered, with three of the subspecies being declared extinct. The Ngorongoro Crater is the only place in Tanzania where you can find the black rhino. Even within the Crater, only 26 black rhinos remain. Spotting one was something our driver, Johnson, said he would try his absolute best to do, but unfortunately, he couldn’t guarantee a sighting.

Heading down into the crater is incredible. It feels like an exotic jungle with deep green vegetation and unpaved, copper brown dirt roads. Then, in just a few minutes drive, the jungle opens up to a vast plain. Throughout our journey in the Crater, we came upon small forests, lakes and ponds, and endless plains all at the lowest level of towering walls covered in fog. It’s truly an incredible sight and my top recommendation for anyone traveling in Tanzania.

We came upon many animals throughout the first part of our day. Here are a few of my favorite images I was able to capture.

As we headed towards the only restroom area in the Crater, we came upon an ostrich and our group wanted to stop to take some pictures. Almost immediately, we were jerked back down into our seats by Johnson (our driver), speeding away. At first we were confused, “Johnson, what the hell? Where are we going? We wanted to take pictures of the ostrich!” Johnson was silent, very typical. A few minutes later we pulled up against a few other vehicles. Someone asked him what was happening. Johnson simply looked at us, put his finger to his lips and went, “Shhhhhh.” We started to look around. “Holy shit, look” someone whispered.

I immediately turn to my right and notice a huge group of zebras and wildebeests moving away and a pack of elephants hurrying (or, well, the equivalent of hurrying for elephants) to the left.

Almost immediately I notice something incredible happening: the zebras and wildebeests start forming a U shape formation around the lion, as if to say: “not today; if you come at one of us, you’ll have to fight all of us.”

The lion was obviously completely un-phased by the entire standoff. He was simply walking towards his destination. I was in awe. I felt like I was in a scene from The Lion King. Mufasa could not have cared less about the zebras and wildebeests and yet they were so concerned about him. Within about 10 minutes, the lion had disappeared into the brush and we were left sitting our vehicle, stunned. But not for too long. Johnson received a radio transmission and just as fast as we had arrived, we were once again being whisked off to another location.

A few minutes later, we were on the other side of the crater, again pulled up against multiple safari vehicles. Johnson then announced we had pulled up to a black rhino spotting. He pointed in the direction of the spotting and said, “he’s out there!” These were the images I was able to capture of our very rare friend.

Look, are these the best images I’ve ever captured? No, of course not. But for a 1 in 26 chance in a huge crater, I feel so extremely lucky to have been able to witness a black rhino in person. It was a humbling moment that reminded me both of how small I am in this world and at the same time, how big of an impact I can have.

I loved our day in the Ngorongoro Crater. It was one of my favorite experiences in all of Tanzania. Camping the Serengeti was easily my #1 but the Crater was my top animal viewing experience. For such a small area (relatively speaking), it provided the most diverse experience. It was as if every type of typography was available in one quick shot. I have visited a lot of places in my life and I have loved them all. But this is one of those experiences that I hope I can return to at some point in the future.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. And after the Ngorongoro Crater, we were finished with our time on mainland Tanzania. We spent one more night at the Ngorongoro Farm House before heading to the local airport to catch our flight to Zanzibar.

Driving into the airport was a very different experience than what I am used to. Johnson drove the vehicle into a tiny little unpaved parking area. But first we were stopped by security who used giant mirrors (think dentist mirrors but giant size) to check under our vehicle to make sure there were no bombs or other devices. I know I say this a lot, but it was a moment that instantly reminds you how different the world is from your home (*googles synonyms for humbling).

We gathered our bags and said goodbye to our drivers. It was a bittersweet moment for our vehicle. Johnson was a gift to all of us and I can’t imagine my time in Tanzania without him. He was incredible and I am forever grateful for his guidance and discerning eye in those vast lands. He had an unmatched sense of humor combined with a genuine compassion and caring for the people who were in his care. I could write an entire post about Johnson but I’ll leave it at this: if you ever get the chance to experience Tanzania, please reach out to me and I’ll make sure to connect you with his company. It’ll be the best decision of your life. I promise.

After we said our (very sad) goodbyes to our drivers, we headed into the local airport to get ready for our flight to Zanzibar. And that’s where I’ll leave you in this post. I’ll see you in the next post for all things Zanzibar adventure. Get ready! There’s turtles, prisons, turquoise waters, injuries, panic attacks, and tattoos (maybe)!

Maasai Village

I’m going to be honest here and share that I have heavily debated sharing my experience at a Maasai Tribe Village on my page.  It’s been a consistent internal debate.  A girl on my trip shared her experience on a travel Facebook group and got ripped apart by thousands of its members.  I read some of the criticism and I understood it (although, I don’t think she cared so much about the criticism as she thought she was going to get positive praise for her post.  She was in it for the Insta likes and not necessarily the culture sharing opportunity it was). 

So, let me preface this by saying the following:

• I did not visit Tanzania on a mission trip or do any kind of volunteer work.  This was a pleasure trip that I paid for to be a tourist. 

• I did not go on this trip looking to impart myself into another culture but rather to learn and grow from others and be an active listener rather than a passive aggressor of sorts. 

• I have not once posted about this experience at the Maasai Village on social media.  And I’m not looking for kudos for that either.  I’m simply saying that this was a learning opportunity for me, and I never felt the need to use it for likes.  It wasn’t about me.  It was about the villagers teaching me. 

• I realize that I am privileged in many ways, the most obvious being my skin color.

• I also understand that just because I realize I am privileged does not mean I have erased my mistakes, appropriations, or contribution to racial issues in the world and my community.  I am not an exception.  This will be a lifelong exploration of myself and how I can grow and be better.  

That all being said, the conclusion I came to was that I should share my experience.  Because referencing point #3 above, it’s not about me.  Each villager I interacted with asked me if I was going to share my experience and pictures with my friends and family back home.  You see, Maasai tribes across Africa (they live in both Tanzania and Kenya) are disappearing, or merging into others, losing their unique identities.  Their country’s’ governments have even instituted programs to encourage them to assimilate into a more “modern” way of life.  The main source of their survival is, of course, money.  Tribes such as the one we visited, charge money to share their home and culture.  It is a source of income for them and one they use to keep their traditions, homes, and heritage alive.  If my fee to visit helps them to keep their tribe alive, then I will support that and share the opportunity with others.

I’ve decided that a fair compromise for my internal debate is to share only the explanations provided to me and what the tribe taught me.  No additional commentary from me.  I want to highlight the experiences and learning without making it about me.  Fair warning, this trip was my first time using a GoPro so please excuse the shaky, amateur footage I managed to capture.

So here it is, my experience at a Maasai Village:

We left the Serengeti and began our journey back to Ngorongoro.    This time, instead of stopping at the Olduvai Gorge we stopped and visited a Maasai tribe village.  As mentioned above, tourist groups pay a fee to the tribe to visit their home.  It is a source of income that is vital to their survival.  The fee allows you about a 1-hour visit to tour their home and experience some of their traditions. 

Upon our arrival, we were greeted and each provided with a traditional robe, called a Shuka.  This is incredibly recognizable because it is predominantly red, often with a plaid pattern.  We were then welcomed with a traditional welcome dance.  Each of us was invited to join in the welcome dance.  I decided to join (personal interjection: I was always taught it was rude to refuse opportunities in other cultures.  I cannot confirm if that was the case here but decided to join anyway). 

After the welcome dance, we were brought into the center of the village and shown the adumu, known to us as the “jumping dance.”  It a recognizable ritual of Maasai life that celebrates the welcoming of young men into the next stage of their lives.  It is one ritual of many that makes up a larger ceremony.  Once again, we were invited to participate in this tradition. 

Next, we were brought out of the center of the village and walked towards a small hut in the back by the Chief.  We were greeted by a handful of smiling children.  The teacher had the children present a chant of their learnings that included the alphabet, numbers, and words.    The Chief explained his belief that education for the children is critical to the tribe’s survival and emphasized his belief that they should not only learn their native language but English as well so that they can continue to invite visitors and share their culture with the outside world. 

In addition to sharing their knowledge with us, the children also displayed some of the gifts they had been giving by visitors, including bracelets, necklaces, and even hot wheels cars.  They were excited to show us that they knew how to high five and fist bump. 

After visiting the children, our group was split up into smaller groups of 2 to 3 people.  We were matched up with a male tribe member and brought into their hut.  In the hut, we had the opportunity to see what the typical home life is like for a Maasai.  The huts are small and have only enough space for a bed or 2, a small bench, and a fire area for cooking and keeping warm.  There are no lights or furniture as we think of it.  The huts themselves are built by the females in the village for their male counterparts.  Men in the Maasai tribe have multiple wives and often only share their hut with one at a time.  The other wives stay in separate huts.

The Maasai who’s hut we visited.

The inside of a hut. As mentioned, there are no lights so it’s a bit difficult to capture but this is one of the beds.

Finally, we were given a few minutes to walk around and explore some of the handmade crafts available for sale.  I purchased a small, beaded jewelry holder.  Tanzania is a haggling friendly culture.  When purchasing souvenirs, you are encouraged to negotiate the price with the seller.  I chose not to in this instance. 

And that was it!  All in all, the visit ended up taking about an hour.  The Maasai were incredibly warm and welcoming.  It was a great learning opportunity and I took a lot away from it. I have always enjoyed learning about how other cultures work. Learning about how other people live gives me a new perspective into my own life and that is invaluable, in my opinion.

Serengeti National Park Game Drives

Now that I’ve told you all about our accommodations while staying in the Serengeti National Park, I’m excited to show you some of the animals we were able to see and capture during our various game drives! The Serengeti National Park has always been a bucket list item for me, so I was thrilled to finally be experiencing it. I promise I won’t bore you with too much chatter and get to the pictures quickly!

The Serengeti National Park is huge, covering 5,000 square miles of land. The park itself was established in 1951 and sees more than 350,000 visitors a year. It was named after a Massai village word for “Serengeti” which loosely translates to endless plains or land. And it’s true. Any which way you look, it looks like the land goes on forever. Humans are prohibited from visiting the park without a licensed and registered guide or group and those guides have very strict rules they have to follow.

We took multiple game drives during different parts of the day. We experienced early morning, sunrise game drives, midday drives, as well as evening, sunset game drives. We were the most successful during the morning and evening drives as we found most of the animals to be sleeping or hidden during midday.

So now what you came here for, animal photography! Since that’s going to dominate this post, I’m going to share snaps and captions this time, unlike the Lake Manyara post a few weeks back. Here we go!

Before we even made it to Kati Kati, our guide got a call about a few leopards. These are super rare to see, our guide explained, so we rushed over right away to see them. They were pretty well disguised by the trees and brush but we were able to see enough! It was dinner time for them. You can see a glimpse of a gazelle.

We also got our first glimpse of elephants in Serengeti! They were pretty far away from where our vehicle was but I was so excited to see elephants no matter what. They are my favorite and I love that they travel as a pack/family.

Almost as soon as we got settled into our camp, we were able to head out for our first game drive!

Some of the first animals we encountered were cheetahs! We actually came upon them stalking and attempting to nab a gazelle for dinner. They ultimately gave up their pursuit and ended up relaxing together.

Gazelles were everywhere! You could almost always spot them. But they were super elusive when it came to capturing them on camera. They are super quick and skittish. I was excited to nab this shot!

Another elusive animal was the hippo! I love hippos, I think they’re so goofy and cute, even though I know they’re incredibly dangerous. Since they spend most of their time with the heads and bodies underwater, they were fun to watch but not as fun to photograph. So anytime I saw a hippo group, I tried to just enjoy their fun game of head whack-a-mole.

I did manage to catch a pool of hippos with a little family of elephants walking in the background, though! This is one of my favorite shots from my entire trip.

Zebras are plentiful throughout the Serengeti but we got a really special treat when we came upon a group with a beautiful rainbow stretched out in the background.

We didn’t see very many monkeys in the Serengeti, unlike Lake Manyara. But we did manage to spot these 2 cuties hanging on the side of the road. We also didn’t see a ton of alligators or crocs but here’s some proof that they are there!

Since lions aren’t present in Lake Manyara, our group was unbelievably excited to see them in the Serengeti. Our first lion encounter came during our first game drive. So lucky! A female lion had just brought her male counterpart dinner and was hanging out while he enjoyed his meal. She was a little curious about us, as you can see!

How stunning is he?! He didn’t seem entirely into his dinner while we were watching him. He looked more tired and hot than anything else.

This was hands down one of the coolest moments we had on our game drive. A family of elephants walked so near to our vehicle we could have reached out and touched them (we didn’t, of course!). One elephant even walked up to our vehicle and tried sticking its trunk through an open window! It was breathtaking and humbling. These animals are beyond gorgeous and majestic. Being in their presence was pure magic.

Another animal we loved spotting was the giraffe! I will admit they were pretty hard to photograph. They’re long and tall so it can be tough to capture all of their parts clearly. They also aren’t very sedentary. They’re constantly moving their heads and necks. Similar to the hippo, I usually just tried to enjoy their presence rather than take a million failed pictures.

We didn’t get to see any warthogs up close and at a great angle. But I did nab this shot to send to my mom. It’s Pumba after all!

The dogs of the Serengeti! Hyenas could usually be seen quickly trotting through the brush and grass. We did get to see this guy on the right laying down though! I have to say, The Lion King captured their likeness pretty well!

In the middle of one of our drives, our guide got a call about another Leopard spotting! We rushed over to the location since we already knew one spotting was rare for one trip, but two?! Almost unheard of. This time we came upon a mama leopard hanging out with one of her babies! Like any young child, her baby was super restless and just wanted to explore the area. It was so cute and fun to watch her prance through the grass while her mama looked on.

We spotted some dik-diks and waterbucks!

Another amazing encounter with lions! This time it was a whole pride, complete with mama lions, papa lions, and a handful of cubs! All relaxing and enjoying the amazing weather. One of my favorite pictures from the trip is this one:

The Serengeti is a bird watcher’s paradise! We saw so many different kinds of birds. While birds don’t necessarily excite me, I was intrigued by these 2 here! The colors of the bird on the left were simply stunning. I’ve never seen anything like it. I loved watching the owl on the right. A small group of birds was hanging around him and he was so sassy and spunky getting them to leave him alone. Such a little character!

There’s something about a giraffe’s tongue and watching them eat that I find so entertaining!

This moment was amazing! We were driving along in our vehicle keeping a lookout for any animals we could find. Our driver stops mid-drive and says “look over to your left, in the tree!” It took a solid 5 minutes for any of us to spot the leopard in the tree. It was almost a half-mile away and was so hard to see clearly. Our driver had somehow managed to spot this big cat from so far away! It was amazing. It didn’t last long either. In the blink of an eye this gorgeous feline had jumped down and disappeared into the brush.

And now for some of my favorite elephant photos I was able to take!

On our way out of our camp to head back to Ngorongoro, we spotted these two elephants below walking away from the camp. It felt symbolic that they were leaving while we were leaving.

This wraps up my time in the Serengeti National Park. This experience holds such a special place in my heart and I hope I can return one day.

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the amazing animals I was able to see on my trip! If you have any questions about my trip, head over to the Contact page and reach out! I’d love to chat.

Off to the Ngorongoro Crater!

Serengeti Glamping

I’m super excited to share with you my experience camping in the Serengeti!  In truth, this was the part of the trip I was simultaneously looking forward to the most and the least.  You see, I am not an outdoorsy person and certainly not a camper.  So, when I saw camping on the itinerary, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.  It did say that it was “glamping” but let’s be serious…. glamping is still camping in my mind.  On the other hand, I knew that it would be an experience of a lifetime.  After all, how many people can say they camped in the Serengeti?!

But first!  We had to get to the Serengeti.   The trek from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti is about a 4-hour drive. 

A quick stop at the top of the Ngorongoro Crater on the way to the Serengeti

Along the way, we made a quick stop at the Olduvai Gorge Museum, the site of the earliest known human beings on earth, dating back 17,000 years ago.  Discovered by Mary Leake and her husband, the museum sits on one of the most important paleoanthropic sites in the world.  While not the most exciting museum I’ve been to, it is certainly humbling to know that I walked in the same spot as the earliest known humans.  We were able to walk around the museum, reading all about the earliest life forms and we had a lesson about the Gorge from a local.  If you’re making the journey from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti, I highly recommend stopping at Olduvai Gorge.  It is an important part of all our histories. 

After Olduvai Gorge, we still had about 2 ½ hours to drive.  I had initially planned to watch TV or read but I was so captivated by my surroundings that I didn’t even put on music.  I simply sat in our safari vehicle, taking it all in. 

We kept the windows open except when passing other vehicles.  When they say the Serengeti is dusty, they mean it.  I brought a scarf along with my as well as baby wipes to help protect me from the dust.  I highly recommend bringing both items.  You can check out my Tanzania & Zanzibar packing post here to see what else I brought on my trip.

Pulling into Kati Kati Tented Camp, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  As I mentioned above, I am not a camper, so I was equal parts nervous and excited.  The idea of camping in the Serengeti was thrilling but also…where the hell do you go to the bathroom?  I am NOT a hole-in-the-grounder.  Nope, no thanks, I’m good.  Thankfully, Kati Kati is more of what the youth call “glamping.”  It has just about all the basics you could need:

• Tents (2 people per tent), our tent had 2 single beds and a solid wood floor

• 1 toilet section (closing zipper piece for privacy) with toilet

• 1 shower section (closing zipper piece for privacy)

  • Bucket shower, enough hot water for 10 min shower

    • Pro tip: wait for the water to warm up! I didn’t and had a rough first few minutes before I realized that the water could be hot.

    • Move fast.  You’ve only got a certain amount of water.  I was able to wash my hair twice with shampoo, condition, and clean as normal but it certainly was rushed and quick.

    • They can bring you a second bucket, but you’ll feel weird asking for one.  Essentially, a random guy (whom I later became friends with but hey, it was day one!) walks behind your tent and calls out if you want more.  It’s awkward and as someone who is incredibly jumpy, it’s a bit unnerving.  Just use your one bucket and keep it moving!  Also, yay environment!

• 1 sink area with running water

• They provided a tea kettle of filtered water each day for drinking and brushing your teeth

• Clothing rack

• Windows are zipped fabric, obviously no air or heat.  They have warm blankets on the beds and the fabric windows are great if it’s warm outside.  I’d say it got down to the high 40s at night.  I’ll chat more about the windows below.

The “windows”

The bucket for the bucket shower. It holds more water than it looks like it does!

Arriving and unpacking I almost immediately had a “holy shit I’m camping in the Serengeti” moment.  I wanted to run around and completely absorb everything around me.  We were truly in the middle of the Serengeti National Park.  I settled in as quickly as I could and began running around like a kid in a candy store.  Kati Kati is nestled in a valley deep within the Serengeti.  Looking around, there’s no sign of human life for miles.  While on the game drives, you can see other lodges and resorts located within the Serengeti, but Kati Kati is a little private piece of camping paradise.

There’s only about 10 tents total, equally flanking a communal hangout tent in the center.  The center tent is where you eat your meals, have a nightcap, and plug in your electronics.  You see, there’s no electricity in your private tent, outside of a few lights.  Charging your phone, camera batteries, etc. happens in the main tent with someone watching over 24/7.  There is also a nightly bonfire outside the center tent just before dinner. 

Nightly bonfire - every night before dinner the staff hosts a bonfire complete with relaxing chairs and blankets

I loved sitting in the communal tent during the day in between game drives watching storms roll in and out and at night sitting at the bonfire, looking up at the sky.  It’s so clear you can see the entire galaxy.  Coming from congested New Jersey, where you’re lucky to see 10 stars in one night, this was simply breathtaking.  It was also in this tent where I had one of the most surreal experiences of my life.

Communal tent views - storm was rolling in!

You see, we were enjoying dinner when one of the staff members whom I had befriended came up to me while eating and told me to follow him.  I was apprehensive at first.  I mean, why would he be asking me to leave the meal they so warmly provided for us?  I followed him out of the tent about 20 feet away.  I was in the middle of asking him what we were doing when he said, “Shhhhh, listen.”  Shutting my loud blabbermouth, I immediately heard a course of low “oooooooooooo” sounds coming from what sounded like all around me, although I knew it was directly in front of me.  I looked at my new friend with a look of both fear and curiosity.  He then took his flashlight and darted it around the brush, lighting up a pride of lions making their way through the camp.  HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT.  There is no other way to describe the feeling other than an all-encompassing HOLY SHIT.  I was standing less than 15 feet from a pride of lions, communicating with one another as they moved gracefully through the dark. 

By this point, all my travel companions had joined me and my friend from the dinner table and were having their own holy shit moments.  We were all stunned and in awe.  I asked my friend if at any point we were in danger being so close to them.  What he said next has stuck with me and something I have shared with emphasis when telling this story upon my return home.  He said, “No, of course not.  If a lion has never had the taste of human blood, it does not want it.  You are safe.  We respect them, and they respect us.  We exist together, in peace.”  It’s a simple statement but the importance of it isn’t lost on me.  I could go on a huge diatribe of how humans suck and what we do to animals is awful, but I’ll spare you.  My only goal is to communicate just how humbling this moment was and how great of a reminder it is of just how important every single piece of this world is.  Alexa, play Circle of Life.

I did ask how my friend knew lions were coming through the camp.  He let me know they have cameras set up throughout the camp and are monitoring them 24/7 for the safety of the guests, themselves, and the animals.  It makes sense, I thought.  I felt silly for not even noticing the cameras in the first place.  I should also mention, that once it gets dark outside, you are no longer allowed to walk to your tent alone.  You must have one of the staff members guide you to your tent.  This is to make sure you are safe and don’t come across any animals without protection on your walk.

While on the topic of nighttime and animals walking through the camp, let’s get back to the windows in your tent!  It all comes full circle, you see. After hanging out some more in the communal tent and finishing our dinner, we all made our way back to our individual tents (with our guides, of course).  My roommate and I opened our window panels to let in the fresh air and settled in for a good night’s sleep.  Big pro tip from me here: always, always, always bring earplugs on your travels.  I’m telling you; they have saved me so many great hours of sleep.  And boy was I happy I brought them on this trip.  I woke up the next morning to exhausted faces and everyone exchanging stories of how they didn’t sleep a wink due to animals walking through the camp the previous night.  While I was blissfully asleep, lions, elephants, and hyenas walked through our camp.  The lions with their low “ooooooo” noises, elephants trampling so loudly it felt like they were 2 feet away, and hyenas cackling around each tent sniffing for food, all kept everyone wide awake and from the sounds of it, terrified.  I know I also would haven’t been able to sleep knowing that the windows aren’t really windows and animals could easily make their way through if they wanted to.  Needless to say, a few people asked me for a spare pair of earplugs the 2nd night.

Overall, camping in the Serengeti was the highlight of my 2-week trip to Tanzania.  Looking back, it’s the piece of my trip that takes up the most space in my heart.  The staff at the camp were phenomenal and made sure we were happy, comfortable, and most importantly, safe.  The accommodations were perfect for someone like me who isn’t into camping but wants the full experience.   The animal and environmental experiences were incomparable.  I will cherish the memories of my 3 days there for the rest of my life.  While the price can seem a bit steep, I cannot recommend this experience enough.  You really can’t put a price on this kind of travel.

I can’t wait to show you some pictures and share some details of our Serengeti game drives.  We took early morning, midday, and evening drives and saw so many kinds of animals.  Stay tuned!

Weekend Warrior: San Francisco

My weekend in San Francisco could easily be called ‘The weekend that tried really hard not to be.’  I missed almost a whole day due to a cancelled flight, I forgot my camera battery charger at home, our wine tour booking company royally screwed up our day trip to Napa, which forced us to reschedule our Alcatraz trip, which sells out months in advance…you get the idea.  If there’s a huge lesson that I can teach you from my many travel adventures, it’s that you need to be flexible.  You can have the best planned trip, have all your activities lined up, and be 100% confident in how you’ll spend you’re time, and with one small movement in schedule it can all come crumbling.  All that being said, we had a great weekend and covered just about all the major tourist attractions! 

This trip was all about reuniting with a few friends I hadn’t seen in almost 2 years.  I met Megan and Rebekah during my trip to Greece with EF Ultimate Break in July 2017.  We remained friends, keeping in touch often and we knew we wanted to reunite for another trip.

What was supposed to be a trip that started in the AM on Friday ended up really starting in the AM on Saturday.  I was flying Alaska Air and when I received the call, it was an automated robot letting me know they were rescheduling me to a Sunday afternoon flight.  This obviously didn’t work at all since I was scheduled to fly home Monday night.  I immediately called and after what felt like an eternity and a nice woman telling me over and over how busy it was this weekend (which like, yeah it’s Memorial Day, I know), I was placed on another airline’s Friday late night flight.  It was the last seat on the last flight for the next two days.  Cue huge sigh of relief.  It ended up being a great day hanging out with my pup and playing board games with my parents.  My flight got in late enough that my friends were already asleep and I immediately crashed into bed too.

Yeah, those are bottomless mimosas….what of it?

Waking up refreshed and finally ready to start my trip, we waited for our wine tour guides to pick us up from our hotel.  Long story short (you can read the long version here), the wine tour was botched and we were looking at a whole free day with no plans.  After a quick brunch, we made a game plan to first head to the Muir Woods National Monument.  I’ve always seen pictures of people in front of huge trees and was curious to check it out.  Redwood trees are the tallest in the world and can grow up to 380 feet.  The National Monument hosts many different hiking trails and paths ranging in difficulty and length.  For the casual visitor, the main path through takes about 2 hours to complete.  The biggest key to visiting Muir Woods National Monument is to plan your travel and there and back beforehand.  For those of you without a car, like us, you can certainly Uber there but there is no service anywhere in the park meaning you’ll have to find another way out.  There are cabs but those can run you over $50.  Check out more information on how to get in and out here.

Once we managed to figure our way out of Muir Woods, we hopped to the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate Bridge and walked along the water.  Of the many bridges I’ve seen, this one is definitely a gorgeous one.  It’s one of the Modern Wonders of the World and is the most photographed bridge in the world.  Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge has been high on my bucket list for many years so I was incredibly excited to see it and experience it’s beauty.

Rounding out our first full day was a dinner with another member of our Greece trip, Rocky.  We went to a delicious Argentinian restaurant, Lolinda, which specializes in shareable plates.  Definitely recommend this spot!

 The next morning, we boarded the bus for our full day wine tour of Napa and Sonoma.  The post about Get Your Guide has a few more details of our tour but overall, I was impressed with Napa and Sonoma but disappointed in the tour itself.  Both Napa and Sonoma are filled with rolling hills and wineries for miles.  In the future, I would love to spend a full week just exploring Napa and Sonoma because, well…..I love wine. Like, love wine.

 The next morning, knowing we had our Alcatraz tour at 1:00pm, I woke up extra early to fit in a few of my own personal must-see items.  I first hopped on a classic trolley car and headed up and over the big hills of San Francisco.   Since I was visited San Fran during a very busy weekend, I learned a few important tips about riding the iconic trolley cars.  First, don’t hop on at the first/main stop.  They save room and can pick up 6 people at each subsequent stop so walk a few blocks ahead and skip the line.  Second, you’ll need to purchase your ticket prior to boarding; they cannot be purchased on the trolley.  Again, skip the lines at the kiosks and buy them online.  Finally, they definitely squeeze you in on the cars so if you’re wanting a picture with the trolley, ride all the way to the end.  They stop long enough for folks to take a few pictures.  While this may be the most tourist-trapy I did, I really enjoyed experiencing the car and how it worked.  It’s still run manually and a gentleman worker had to change the gears each time we went up or down a hill.  I highly recommend doing this! It’s worth the $7.50 in my opinion.

 After hopping off the trolley, I made my way over to the Disney Family Museum.  For obvious reasons, this was high on my list.  I consider myself a Disney aficionado (obviously) and this museum hit every note for me.  The coolest part for me was seeing the first known drawing of Mickey Mouse.  I almost missed it until a kind employee stopped me and told me to go back.  It is definitely a blink and miss kind of thing since they have to keep it dark and out of any kind of light.  If you have a chance to visit, definitely ask an employee where it is so you don’t miss it!  I also wish I had more time to spend going through everything.  I only had a short window from the opening of the museum to when I had to be at the Alcatraz pier.  If you are a big Disney fan, I would allow about 3 hours to really take everything in.

 Finally, one of the things on my bucket list and something I have been so excited to see for so long: Alcatraz.  Tickets to Alcatraz do sell out in advance, especially on busy weekends so make sure you’re buying your tickets in advance.  You don’t want to miss this opportunity.  You board a ferry heading for the island and it takes about 20 minutes to reach it.  It’s a nice ride and you have great views of the city and of the island.  Once on the island, you’re given a briefing and from there you can pretty much explore as you want.

Walking around Alcatraz and learning about its history was fascinating but also incredibly surprising. In movies and television we see crazy things happening on at Alcatraz. And while it’s true that it held some of the worst criminals in the world, it was actually one of the best prison facilities in the country. It was ranked in top 5 of food, guards had great relationships with inmates, and the families of guards lived on the island itself and report having wonderful childhoods. I was also surprised to learn that in 1969 Native Americans took over and occupied the island for 3 years in protest of federal Indian termination policies. I had no idea this was a piece of Alcatraz history. I loved checking off a big item on my bucket list and learning something new about a place I thought I knew everything about. This is my #1 to do in San Francisco. Make sure to get your tickets early and check out this incredible sight!

After Alcatraz, we had one last very critical stop on our quick grand tour of San Fran: the Full House house! I originally found the address for the painted ladies house featured in the opening theme song. We spent a few minutes hanging at the park across the street and I have to admit that I found it incredibly odd that people hang out across the street staring at homes that people live. That being said…..we still got our pictures!

A short Uber ride later, we found ourselves outside the original Full House home. It’s sitting empty right now, for sale again (from what I hear, this place goes up for sale fairly regularly). I have to say, there is no way DJ and Stephanie shared a room that big in a house this small. Blasphemy! I also can’t imagine living in a home and having people finding your home and taking pictures outside of it all day long. There’s a sign that now prohibits pictures on the steps of the home. Again, still got out pictures but it did feel a little weird.

One final stop at the Marriott’s indoor bar (we stayed at this hotel and I highly recommend it, although not the most central to all tourist locations) and we were sadly off to the airport to head home. All in all, I definitely enjoyed San Francisco. It wasn’t my favorite city, if I’m being honest, but it was definitely a great weekend trip reuniting with some great friends. I think next time, I’d love to do a full week in Napa and Sonoma.

Have you ever been to San Francisco? Did I miss anything?

Tanzania Introduction & Lake Manyara National Park

Welcome back, friends!  I am so excited to start sharing my experiences in Tanzania. I had the absolute best time.  It’s been a while since I have felt so deeply connected to a place; I don’t think I’ve had that feeling since I lived in London 10 years ago.  I hope you can get a sense of just how amazing this country is and you decide to experience it for yourself!

A little background information on the trip before we get started!

• I booked the trip almost exactly a year before the departure date through EF Ultimate Break.  I’ve used them twice before, this being my third trip (and I recently booked my fourth).  I love EF for many reasons but the one that stood out for this trip specifically was the ability to pay monthly.  No matter how you visit Tanzania, it will be expensive (average is about $6k) so having the option to pay in increments made all the difference.  

• Secondly, I knew that this kind of trip was out of my own personal comfort zone meaning I really didn’t know where to start in terms of planning.  EF is great about providing a fantastic itinerary and support throughout your adventure.  This ended up being a great choice because as I learned being over there, you really need to work with a tour company to have a successful trip.

• EF plans out the itinerary, books flights and accommodations, provides either a tour director, or in this case, expert guides along the way, and support for any needs or questions such as visas. You can find more specific information about the exact EF trip I took here. 

• Full disclosure: I was part of the first set of tours they ran for this specific trip, meaning we were all testers.  Because of this, my trip was significantly cheaper than what you’ll pay now.   Testers allow them to learn and evaluate the success of their itinerary, accommodations, guides, etc.  EF is a qualified and credible company so even their testing trips are always great.  I knew while on the trip that we had gotten a fantastic deal and had no doubt the cost would go up.  They run sales frequently so if the cost makes you nervous, definitely wait for a sale.  They do also price match so if you book it and a month later see a better price for the trip, reach out to them and they’ll discount your remaining balance.

• For our game drives, EF booked us with Leopard Tours.  Our driver was Johnson and to say he was incredible is an understatement.  Whether traveling with EF or not, I would use Leopard Tours a million times over and I highly recommend them to you!  Definitely ask for Johnson!

• I learned a lot about packing and what you should bring for this kind of trip.  I wrote about it here!

 Here’s a map of our general route.  Today, I’m going to write about the flights getting to Tanzania as well as share pictures and details of our first game drive: Lake Manyara National Park!  

To start, my flight path was a little wonky.  I flew out of Philadelphia but had to make a connecting flight in Detroit, the opposite direction.  This does happen sometimes with EF.  When they book flights, they are trying to get as many people on the same flight paths as possible to make final arrivals easier for the tour director/guides.  A lot of people in my group were on the Detroit flight so I can definitely see why EF thought it would be good to have me hop there first.  There are also no direct flights from Philadelphia to Amsterdam so they were going to have to have me connect somewhere.  So Detroit it was!

Philadelphia to Detroit is only about an hour and a half so we had a fairly small plane.  I had a 3-hour layover in the Detroit airport and then I boarded my 7.5-hour flight to Amsterdam.  I had strategically stalked the airplane seating chart and purposefully picked a flight towards the back of the plane without a seat behind it.   My planning would pay off and there ended up being two seats between me and the other passenger in our row for our overnight flight.  Winning.  Pro tip for EF and flight seats: EF books seats in groups with other travelers.  If you would like the option to upgrade your seat, simply ask them to book your ticket outside of the group.  It won’t cost extra and you’ll be able to work with the airline to purchase an upgrade.  You can also ask EF to upgrade your tickets for you but beware, it’s quite expensive.

Navigating the Amsterdam airport was a breeze.  I didn’t have to clear customs or go through security again, which surprised me since this is pretty standard when entering foreign countries.  Not Amsterdam!  I walked right over to my gate and met up with my group.  All of us would be on the same flight to Kilimanjaro.  Meeting a new group of people always gives me deep anxiety.  I cannot tell you how anxious I felt walking up to the group of people that would be with me for the next 10 days.  No matter how old I get, this whole process is still terrifying.  The only thing that gets me through it is knowing it’ll all be worth it on the other side….and that everyone was exhausted and wanted to spend our next 9 hour flight sleeping. 

We flew from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro on KLM Airlines and I have to say that those flights (both there and back) were the nicest I have ever been on.  The windows had multiple options for shades, the seats were decently comfortable (the best you can really get on a flight these days), and the entertainment options were great.  I had previously downloaded tons of TV shows and books for my trip there and back so I was all set.  If you’re interested in what I downloaded, head to my packing list here!  I did mention that you should download enough entertainment (books, tv, movies, etc) for both the trip there and back.  Data and Wi-Fi aren’t reliable in Tanzania so you’ll want to be prepared for the long journey home.

Now, I know you didn’t just come here for some boring details about my flights so moving on!  Kilimanjaro airport is tiny so clearly customs took about an hour for everyone.  We were greeted by our driver and began our journey to Arusha, our first overnight stop.  I will say I was a little bummed I wasn’t able to see Mt. Kilimanjaro but we landed at night so it was too dark and we weren’t hanging around the area. 

It was about a two-hour drive to our hotel in Arusha and our driver entertained us a bit by teaching us some basic Swahili words.  I tried to take in as much as I could driving through small villages.  I was immediately struck by how everything was set up.  There were very few lights on, maybe one per home/business.  There were also many people walking along the road, heading home from work.  This drive was my first taste in just how different the people of Tanzania live.

We arrived to our accommodations late and were brought quickly to our rooms.  For our first night in Tanzania, we stayed at the Sundown Carnival Lodge in Arusha.  Certainly not the fanciest or nicest place I’ve ever stayed but after 30 hours of traveling, I really didn’t care where I was staying as long as it had a shower and a bed.  Waking up the next morning, I was finally able to see how cute and charming our hotel really was.  There was a line of two story cottages and you could see mountains in the distance.  We stayed at the Sundown one night and made a quick stop for lunch a few days later.  The staff was so friendly and warm.  If you’re staying in Arusha or need a stop between Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti, I definitely recommend them.

After checking out of our hotel, we were quickly split up into 3 safari vehicles.  This is where we met our beloved driver, Johnson! I cannot say enough about how amazing Johnson was.  I swear he has laser vision.  The man could see a cat hanging in a tree almost half a mile away.  He was also so wonderful about letting us get all the pictures we wanted, even if it meant we directed his driving sometimes.  We often joked about how Johnson had 6 new wives and he frequently said, “I just want to make my ladies happy.”  You’ll always have a special spot in my heart, Johnson.  You were the best first husband I ever had.

Our first game drive was at Lake Manyara National Park, about an hour south of Arusha.  During the dry season, the lake is just about all dried up.  Lake Manyara was a great warm up to the rest of our game drives.  We were able to see monkeys, water buffalo, zebras, wildebeests, elephants, and giraffes!  We spent about 4 hours on this game drive and stopped midday for a lunch break in the park.  Here are some of the pictures I captured!

As you can see, we were able to have some awesome animal encounters.  I think my favorite thing about Lake Manyara National Park was how much quieter it was than our other game drive locations.  It’s certainly not as popular as Ngorogoro or the Serengeti so we were able to have a lot of one on one time with the animals instead of trying to fit in with a bunch of other cars for some pictures. 

After our game drive, we headed to the Bougainvillea Safari Lodge, in Karatu, about an hour drive from Lake Manyara.  This hotel was beyond gorgeous.  It’s tucked back off the road in a gated area.  There are small cottages sprinkled throughout surrounding a beautiful pool area and main house which served amazing meals throughout the day.  Something to note about the mainland and the hotels is that there aren’t a lot of options for food.  Your main dining options will be at your hotels so when choosing your accommodations, definitely check out the information on the food. 

Hope you guys enjoyed seeing some pictures from our first game drive!  I’m working on my Serengeti National Park post which I know y’all are going to love.  I’ll be sharing all kinds of pictures and information on what it’s like to camp in the Serengeti.  Stay tuned!

Let's Pack: Tanzania

I’m at a point in my life and travels where packing typically comes easy.  I’ve nailed down the whole “only take what you need” bit and haven’t even checked a bag in a few years.  But when it came time to pack for Tanzania and the safaris, I’ll admit I was a bit stumped.  This trip was unlike anything I’ve ever done or experienced before.  This was no trip to London, that’s for sure.  I based my packing lists and purchases around what a lot of other bloggers had written and suggested.  And for the most part, they’re pretty spot on.  With a few additional learnings from my own personal experience, here is my packing information for a 10 day trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar!

It is definitely important to note I traveled during their dry season in August.  Mainland temperatures ranged from mid 70s to mid 80s. Zanzibar island temperatures were high 80s with super high humidity.

Baggage:

Traveling internationally usually means you have the luxury of free checked baggage.  On this trip, that wasn’t the case.  We received pretty strict rules on the bags we could bring with us: they had to be a certain size (read: small) and no hard shells.  This was due to the super tiny planes we were taking from the mainland to Zanzibar Island and back.  I asked my tour company which bag they recommended and they shared this one with me. 

The bag looks small in the picture but it holds a ton! $73-85

All time favorite bag. $150 but I got mine for $80 during one of their sales. Sign up for their emails and definitely wait for a coupon code!

Worked great for holding all my electronics for game drives. $25

This black bag is fantastic and not just for this trip.  I will definitely be using this on future trips.  It is the perfect bag for backpacking or for a trip like this one where there are luggage restrictions.  It holds a ton and has lots of pockets.  Yay pockets!   This bag fits perfectly in the overhead bins so I still brought along my favorite Lo & Sons purple weekender bag as my personal item.  I know I talk about my Lo & Sons a lot but it really is the best bag.  The shoe compartment is easily the best part.  I was able to fit my makeup/medicine bag and my second pair of shoes in the bottom compartment. 

 I also brought a small, packable backpack to use during the day to hold my camera, money, power banks, etc. This was perfect for days full of game drives.

Shoes:
Speaking of shoes, I only brought two pairs with me: one pair of sneakers and one pair of sandals.  We weren’t doing any walking safaris, only driving so I knew I wouldn’t need any kind of heavy-duty safari shoe.  But for game drives, I still wanted to have my feet covered.  I went to my trusted Dr Scholl’s shoes.  Dr Scholl’s, in my honest opinion, makes the most comfortable shoes you can buy on the market.  When I work long shifts at the restaurant they are the only shoes I trust to get me through it.  They are the best and they always have sales going on!  

Dr Scholl’s fan for life. They’re almost always having 20% off sales and free shipping. $50-70

A thicker sole is critical. These went with every outfit I brought. This pair is $88 but I scoured the internet and found my very similar pair for $40.

My second pair of shoes was from famous footwear.  I can’t find the original but this pair and this pair are both similar to what I purchased.  I will advise not to go with a sandal that has a minimal sole (like a flip flop).  You’ll still be walking around in “nature” and should take care of your feet.  I was walking around the grounds of one of our hotels and a spike from a tree went almost completely straight through my sandal.  These kinds of sandals will work perfectly for this kind of environment and beach days in Zanzibar.

That’s it!  I only took two pairs and did not need anything else!  I wore my sneakers on the plane and my sandals took up barely any space in my bags.

Clothing:

While reading about clothing, everyone was pretty consistent across the board: neutral colors, light fabrics, and modest (covering knees and shoulders).   Truthfully, my wardrobe at home is mostly blues, blacks, and reds, the colors everyone said to avoid.  So off I went to Amazon.com, Forever21.com, and Shein.com where I knew I could get neutral colored clothes at a relatively cheap price.  Below are some of the pieces I picked up and recommend!

***I will start off by saying that having a 20/20 hindsight perspective now, I most likely would pack differently for the next trip.  You do not need “modest” clothes for the mainland safari drives.    Even in Zanzibar, the only time I really needed a “modest” outfit was during our walking tour of Stone Town.  Beach time and even dinners out were totally fine for wearing shorts and tank tops.  And with regards to colors, I certainly learned a lot while being there.  Mosquitos are only active at night and are only attracted to solid black and solid navy blue.  Tsetse flies, while active during the day, are also only attracted to solid black and navy blue.  A pattern navy blue pant will not even attract them.  Bright colors also don’t attract them.  More shorts and more colors next time!

Overall, the biggest thing to consider in my opinion is flowy, light fabrics.  It does get warm on the mainland during the day and hot on the island.  Skintight pieces are not your friend here!

I ended up wearing these shorts 3 times throughout the trip. Definitely wish I had a few more pairs with me! Most comfortable shorts ever. $18

This skirt was perfect for our walking tour of Stone Town. I paired it with a short sleeve white button down top. $10-18

I have a sleeveless version of this jumpsuit and I am obsessed with this. I bought the green one for this trip and almost immediately bought one in every other color. It is beyond comfortable. Similar jumpsuit here. $20

I bought a belted dress very similar to this one that was perfect for our drive from Ngorogoro to the Serengeti which took about 4 hours. $22

Originally bought something similar to this from Forever 21 but this is pretty close! $40-80 (on sale now!)

I wore a skirt similar to this on our first game drive at Lake Manyara and paired it with a brown and white striped short sleeve shirt. $22

Loved this light and airy top. I wore it a few times. $11

Loved these pants! Perfect for game drives. I wore them a few different times and paired them with a plain grey tank top one day and a grey and white striped t-shirt another day! $18

This was a great dress for Zanzibar since it was much warmer on the island than on the mainland. $27

Finally, I brought my brown leather jacket and a light rain jacket.  Since it’s dry season, a light rain jacket isn’t a necessity but it came in handy a few times during random thunderstorms.  It does get chilly at night and in the morning and I was happy to have my leather jacket.

I own a black leather jacket and this brown one. I wear these on an almost daily basis. They’re my closet staples. $33

Downside to this rain jacket is that it doesn’t have a hood. But for $6.00 it’s still kind of a steal.

 Toiletries:

I knew ahead of time that toiletry space was going to be an issue.  Sunscreen was most definitely going to take up a majority of my carry on toiletry space.  Knowing this, I had to get a bit creative on how to take my normal toiletries with me.  The answer: solids!  I bought a ton of solid items and tried them all so you don’t have to.

Solid Shampoo: this is my favorite shampoo bar from Lush Cosmetics.  It lathers and cleans just like regular shampoo and not only has become a travel staple but a day-to-day part of my shower routine.

Conditioner: I tried Lush’s solid conditioner and honestly, it’s worthless.  I bit the bullet and bought a travel-sized conditioner.  Don’t bother with solid conditioner.

Perfume: I usually do like to take a small perfume or body spray with me when I travel.  I gave Lush’s solid perfume a try and overall I liked it!  It’s not something I’d use on a day-to-day basis if I have access to my normal items but for traveling it’s a great option.

Soap: I know this one is obvious so I’ll spare you a ton of details.  I brought Dial bar soap instead of my normal body wash.

Lotion: I gave this solid lotion bar a try from Walmart.com.  Overall, it was okay but I still found myself using the small hotel bottles of lotion.  It does smell good though!

Liquids: I took 3 travel size bottles of sunscreen, conditioner, a tiny tube of face wash, a small bottle of toothpaste, and a little bottle of lavender essential oil (great for alleviating mosquito bite itch).

I was able to pick up a cheap set of soap holders here on Walmart.com that served me well.  The only thing I brought back with me on my trip was the lavender, solid lotion and perfume.  I’ll get more use out of them in the future.

In love with this shampoo bar. It’s a little pricey but lasts forever and I love that it’s all natural. $12

Didn’t love for day-to-day life but great for travel when you’re limited on space. $12

Okay, not great. Does smell good though! $12

Came in a set of 6. $5

Makeup & Medicine:

I’m lumping these together only because I packed them together in my favorite travel makeup case.  In hindsight, I did not need as much makeup as I brought and I even pared down from my normal amount.  Daily, I only used concealer, my eyebrow pencil, and mascara.  I definitely thought I’d use my makeup more but I just didn’t.  My group was mostly girls and it was honestly really refreshing to not think twice about my appearance for a whole week.

Compartments are customizable and this bag is incredibly durable. It keeps all my makeup safe. $17

I do highly recommend bringing a few of your typical medicines.  Access to our regular day-to-day items simply doesn’t exist.  I brought both day and nigh cold medicine, day and night allergy medicine, as well as Advil, charcoal pills, malaria pills, and my normal prescription medications. 

Quick note on malaria: it’s really not as common in Tanzania for tourists as it’s made out to be.  The issue really comes from access to the treatment for locals, which is a simple 6-day pill routine.  Most local people do not have quick access to medical treatment, which is the cause of malaria related deaths.  I did take the malaria pills as advised up until the last day.  They were making me incredibly nauseous and seeing as I only had 2 bug bites total the whole trip, I just didn’t feel it was worth it (this is specific for Tanzania only.  I’ve heard different things about other African countries).  Your doctor will prescribe them to you but in my brutally honest experience, use your own judgment when taking them (cue the angry DMs….).

Electronics:

I brought with me my iPad, Cannon Powershot SX530, my boyfriend’s Hero6 Go Pro, iPhone, 2 power banks, and adapters. You don’t have to worry about having a place to charge your items at any of your accommodations.  Even the tented camp in the Serengeti had charging capabilities.  The only thing I will say is that data service and Wi-Fi are not reliable anywhere you are.  I had better service camping in the Serengeti than I did at the airport.  It’s just hit or miss.  When downloading television shows, movies, and books for your long travel times, make sure you download enough for the way there and the way back.  For those of you interested, I downloaded:

TV Shows

• Dear White People Seasons 1 & 2

• Suits Season 8 & 9  

• Bachelor in Paradise new episodes

• Marvelous Miss Maisel Season 1

Books

• The Last Mrs. Parrish

• A Woman is No Man

• Tell Me Lies

• The Kind Worth Killing

• Sheer Abandon

Miscellaneous:

• I packed a large but lightweight beige scarf for the chilly mornings & evenings and for the dusty Serengeti.   

• Baby wipes were my best friend on this trip.  Highly recommend.

• Emergency toilet paper may sound weird but when you’re in the middle of a game drive, sometimes you just have to go.

• I always use 2 towels when I shower and since I was sharing a room, I knew they wouldn’t be giving us 4 towels.  This microfiber towel also doubled as a beach/ pool towel. It was so soft!

• Binoculars were a surprising win in my packing book.  I was really glad I had them and so were a lot of people in my safari van. 

• I brought two pairs of cheap earrings on the trip.  That’s it.  I left everything else at home.

• I brought a value pack of Cliff bars with me.  I found these super helpful for the mid morning/afternoon/night cravings for food I have.  You won’t have opportunities to run out and buy snacks so this was a hunger saver for sure!

At the end of the trip, I did leave a bunch of items behind in an effort to make room for my souvenirs!  One of the best tips I usually share about packing is not to pack things you are truly attached to.  Don’t bring your expensive jewelry, shoes, clothing, etc.  I wish usually voluntarily part with a few things so I can either make room for acquired items or to alleviate weight on my journey home.

Hopefully, this makes packing for your safari trip a little easier!  If you have any questions or need recommendations, drop me a note!

You Missed the Point

Settle in friends, this post is going to be a bit long.  I’m breaking it up into sections for easier digesting.  This post is important to me.  Got your coffee?  Wine?  Popcorn?  Cool, let’s get started.

The Introduction:

I had something happen recently that I really want to talk about. I had a job interview for a position that, on paper, was perfect for me.  In the job posting, the company asked that in addition to the standard resume and cover letter, 2 writing samples be submitted along with a joke.  The posting mentioned the office being pet friendly, too.  So I shared a picture of my pup, Comet, two dad jokes, and the link to my website.  I explained that my website is a great way to not only see many writing samples and get a sense of my writing style, but to get to know my personality off the piece of paper that is my resume.  I also shared that it was a passion project based off a nickname given to me by my grandmother many years ago.

I was so excited about this job.  I checked my email for a reply multiple times a day.  I was thrilled when I received an interview invite.  I prepared so well for the interview by spending hours on their website and learning as much as I could.   

In total, the interview lasted for 12 minutes and ended with me walking out.   As soon as the interview started, I knew something was off.  I could feel it.  The gentleman kept looking at me very weirdly as if we was trying to figure something out and couldn’t do it.  He spent most of the interview making fun of my past experiences (specifically my internship at Disney World) and criticizing my website.  He barely shared information about the job itself nor did he ask many questions about my relevant experience.  He boiled all my work on my website and Instagram page to "just wanting to be known as an influencer." 

Now, I know I have nothing to justify or explain. But I'm the kind of person who has to put my feelings into the universe in order to let them go. So today, I'm writing about what this all means to me. Because, hey Harold (yes, I know you’re here reading this), you missed the point.

Professional Background:

I graduated from college in 2013 with a Criminal Justice degree.  In high school, I watched a lot of NCIS and my favorite show was Bones.  In my mind, the FBI was my calling.  I chose my school based on the strength of the Criminal Justice program and began the work towards becoming an FBI agent.  About 2 years in, I knew that my lofty dreams weren’t going to happen and truthfully, I wasn’t sure I even wanted them to (short story: I have a hearing impairment that cannot be fixed and would automatically disqualify me from becoming an agent).  I was too far into my degree to change my major, not that I had any idea of what I would change it to.  So I made the decision to graduate with the degree and wing it in the real world. 

Fast forward to today, I’ve been working in marketing for the last 4 years and have two years additional experience in social media.  I recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership in May.  I have no traditional or formal education in marketing.  I am self-taught, spending hours on skill training sites and teaching myself the basics. I have on the ground experiencing having worked with large and small companies, nonprofit and for profit, and various types of products.  I have hustled, spent long hours, and worked my ass off to be where I am and to have the experience I do.  I know exactly what it takes to make a brand successful.  Fancy marketing terms be damned.

Page Creation and Evolution:

So how did this website come to be?  Some of you may have read the Origin of Airplane Ass post or read my About Page.   As you can read in those posts, I have always loved traveling.  My first international trip was at the young age of 12.  I continued traveling through college and as a post-grad.  I would take as many trips as I could, only using my vacation days for traveling.  Back in 2010, I started a Tumblr page: Fugitive Dreams.  I scoured the Internet for gorgeous travel photography and shared it on my page, a virtual bucket list if you will.  I did this on and off for 7 years. 

My grandmother passed away in December 2016, just before a planned trip to Eastern Europe with EF Ultimate Break.  Normally, I would have written postcards with funny stories to my Grandmother, always signing off with the nickname she gave me: Airplane Ass.  As I was walking through gorgeous Eastern European cities like Prague and Budapest, I was struck over and over again by the fact that she would no longer be reading my postcards or calling me a “piece of work” over the phone.  As an outlet, I started posting my own content and writing about stories from past trips on my Tumblr page.  I enjoyed writing and sharing my stories.  It felt like a digital journal.  In some way, it also felt like since I was putting my stories into the universe, my Grandma would be able to read them from wherever in the universe she’s currently hangin’. 

In May 2017, I converted my Tumblr page into a Wordpress page, still under the name Fugitive Dreams.  I used Wordpress as a hosting site until January 2018.  I wasn’t super happy with the logistics of Wordpress.  I think it’s great for those folks who understand coding and have a bit more time, but given that I work 2 jobs, I needed something a little cleaner and more streamlined.  I switched my domain and hosting to Squarespace, which is the page you see today!   

As I shared more stories on my page, I felt like I could be doing more.  I had so many pictures to share.   Specifically, my mom and I had just taken a 2-week trip to Croatia, our homeland, and we had family asking for pictures.  The logical next step for me was to create an Instagram page.  As it would turn out, Fugitive Dreams wasn’t an available handle.  But Airplane Ass was.  It felt like a giant sign slapping me in the face.  I scooped up the Airplane Ass handle and immediately bought the domain name and switched my page over.  Creating both the Instagram and website under the handle felt like a warm hug. Okay, I know that’s a weird thing to say but it did.  It felt like my Grandmother was hugging me, laughing, and saying, “You really are a piece of work.”

The Influencer:

By 2020, the social media influencing business will be a $2 billion industry.  For every 1 million followers a user has, a brand stands to make $1000 per sponsored post.  Why do I share these two numbers?  No matter what anyone tells you about “being an influencer” or how bad of a rap it gets at times, it is absolutely, 100% a viable career option in 2019.  In fact, in today’s digital world, customers don’t visit a brand’s website directly first.  They are lead there either by first visiting their social media page or by visiting an Ecommerce page such as Amazon. 

That being said let me share with you what being an “influencer” means to me:

• I get to take my passion for travel beyond a few trips a year.  Some people collect stamps, run, or go fishing.  I travel.  While my pages suggest I travel all the time, the truth is I take a handful of trips a year, usually one large trip and 3-4 small long weekend trips.  Running these pages extends the shelf life of my travels and in turn, my passion. 

• I enjoy writing.  One day, I’ll get around to discussing how traveling helps me cope with my anxiety and previous experience with depression.  In short, writing about my experiences allows me to relive the best moments of my life, moments where I am truly happy.  Writing about travel keeps my head and my heart in the light spaces in life.

• I get to be a part of a community of like-minded individuals.  This page has specifically connected me with empowered women who view traveling the same way I do: a chance to grow, learn, and experience all the amazing beauty the world has to offer.

Most importantly, I have an outlet for honoring my Grandmother.  When I started this page, I vowed to use this as a platform for telling our story and diving deeper not only into our relationship but to use her presence and influence in my life to dive deeper into myself. 

So, Harold (and anyone else who shares his line of thinking), if after reading this you still think all I want is to be “known as an influencer,” then I am the proudest goddamn travel influencer to ever exist in this world.

In honor of my Grandmother always,

Airplane Ass

Get Your Guide Experience

When I started this blog, I promised to share with you all aspects of traveling, including the not so great.  I’m making the mistakes so you don’t have to.  One of those not-so-great experiences happened on a recent trip to San Francisco with some friends.  We used the Get Your Guide site to book a day trip to Napa Valley.  This was the tour we booked for reference.

We found Get Your Guide through an online search while looking specifically for wine tours to Napa Valley from San Francisco.  We found what appeared to be a great tour from San Fran that would pick you up from your hotel and take you to three wineries throughout Napa and Sonoma.  I booked the tour for 4 people and paid in full.

A few days later, we learned that one member of our group was no longer able to attend.  The website shared that you can modify or cancel your reservation up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.  I called and almost immediately knew this was not going to go smoothly.  I was told that Get Your Guide would be cancelling our original reservation for 4 people and rebooking a new reservation for 3 people.  I asked if I was going to be receiving a new email with all of this information and how the payment would be handled (i.e. would I be charged an additional tour while waiting for a refund or just be refunded for one person).  The person on the other line spoke minimal English and did not seem to understand what I was asking for.  He did say he would be emailing me with all the details right after we got off the phone.

While I did receive an immediate email, it had no details regarding the change.  It simply said that I had spoken with someone.  That was it.  After a few days of no update, I submitted a help ticket through their site asking for the information I had been promised.  Only then did I receive an answer.  This person stated that they would be contacting the local partner with the new details.  I received a refund for one ticket a few days later.  We were seemingly back on track.

A few days before the tour, I called to confirm all the details.  I was told someone would be at our hotel between 8:30 and 9 to pick us up.  The next morning arrives and at 9:00 no one has come to get us.  I call the local partner who informs me that they never received the new reservation for 3 people, only the cancellation for 4.  They did not have our reservation at all and the tour had already left.  I was able to reschedule with them for the tour the next day and was promised a 20% discount off our total cost for the mistake. The downside was that we had already booked tickets for another attraction for the next day, which could not be rescheduled, so our party lost $150 in rescheduling those tickets.

I reached out that afternoon to Get Your Guide and asked for compensation for their giant mistake seeing that we were now out $150.  I received an email stating that they were going to reach out to the local partner and cancel the next day’s tour.  I never asked them to do that and I did not want to cancel.  I called Get Your Guide immediately and tried to explain to them what I was asking for and find out why they were trying to cancel my reservation.  Again, the person on the other end spoke minimal English and told me two different things within 5 minutes.  I asked if there was a supervisor I could speak to so I could get a true idea of what was going on and was accused of being rude and intolerant.  I was appalled, hung up, and tried to connect with someone else.  I managed to speak with a woman who was kind and let me know that there was no cancelling of my reservation occurring and that she didn’t understand why the other gentlemen had said that to begin with.  I did not bring up compensation again as I did not want to confuse the situation even further.

The tour itself was pretty mediocre. It was raining that day and quite cold outside.  The first winery had outside for almost the entirety of our visit.  The second winery smelled disgusting.  The third winery was Sutter Homes.  Sutter Homes?  Really?  The girl pouring the samples even went out of her way to mention that the wines being served were not the ones sold in stores.  She seemed apologetic.  It was sad.

  I wrote an honest review that is still not showing up on their website. It seems odd to me that so many positive reviews are live but few negative ones, including mine, have been posted.  It makes me question whether they filter their reviews prior to publishing.  They did say they were going to ask the local partner to refund me my money but I just didn’t think that was fair as it wasn’t the local partner’s fault.   It should not have been the local partner refunding my money as they provided the service they offered.  It should have been Get Your Guide paying me out of their own pocket for messing up so badly.

Ultimately, after the whole fiasco, it took about 3 weeks for us to receive any kind of compensation, including the promised discounts.  I had to threaten to file for credit card fraud before anyone would even respond to my inquiries.  We did receive enough of a refund to cover our $150 out of pocket expenses but at the end of the day, it isn’t enough to salvage the relationship.  I won’t be using Get Your Guide again.

I urge everyone to not use Get Your Guide and save yourself from an awful headache.  Always double check to make sure that you are booking directly with the company.  Third parties are just not worth it in my opinion.  Learn from my mistakes, friends!

Weekend Warrior: Chicago

Welcome back, friends! I’m super excited to share with y’all my Chicago experience!  I honestly fell in love with the city in the two days I spent there and I’m already ready to go back!

For the last year and a half, I have been working towards a Master’s degree through the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana.   I was doing it 100% online and knew that because I had never physically visited my school or developed any real connection to it that I wanted to go and walk at my graduation.  Both my mom and my boyfriend agreed to come with me to celebrate. Yay me!

When I started looking into prices, I noticed that flying to Fort Wayne was pretty expensive.  So I looked at nearby cities that would be less expensive.  That’s where Chicago comes in.  A major city and airport hub, it’s fairly inexpensive to get from New Jersey/ Philadelphia to Chicago.  I had also never been to the Windy City so the possibility of exploring a new place was obviously enticing.  We all agreed on Chicago as our weekend spot and I immediately got to work on booking.

We stayed at the Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel, right in the heart of downtown Chicago.  The Palmer House is the oldest operating hotel in the country dating back to 1871.  Our rooms were quite small but the rest of the hotel made up for it.  The lobby is stunning and hosts the second most photographed ceiling in the world…well maybe the 1st ever since that whole Sistine Chapel no photo deal with the restoration company. 

Our first stop on our Chicago tour was food…duh!  We got in pretty late at night and decided to start fresh with a new day.  I had discovered a list of best breakfast spots in the city and picked the best looking one from the list: Wildberry Pancakes & Café.  Touted as having larger than life “American” sized portions, I was instantly intrigued.  And I’ve got to say, those were the best pancakes I have ever had.  I ordered the cinnamon roll pancakes, which were drenched in cinnamon sugary goodness.  I’ve had dreams about these pancakes.  You need to try them. 

 But be prepared to wait.  On a busy day, the wait time can go up to 2 hours.  We put in our phone number and spent the time exploring Grant Park next door.  A great way to pass time and explore some of Chicago’s famous spots!

After breakfast, we hopped on the bus (Chicago’s public transportation system is phenomenal by the way; take notes, NYC) and made our way over to Navy Pier.  Full disclosure: Navy Pier is incredibly touristy.  Overpriced food, museums, and gift shops reside in this spot.  That being said, it’s a great spot to take beautiful pictures of the Chicago skyline.  They also have an open carry law on the pier so you can purchase an adult beverage and walk around which is awesome on a gorgeous spring day.

 Seeing that it was Cinco de Mayo and I’m a good American who celebrates culturally inaccurate “holidays,” I made a reservation for the Broken English Taco Pub for an early dinner.  It’s a super cool restaurant that the 86 year old Grandma that lives inside of my body would describe as “young” and “hip.”  I will say that while the food was good, the drinks were on the small side for how much they cost.  I’d stick to bottled beer here if you are looking for bang for your buck.  And definitely make a reservation; this place is popular!

Next up on our Chicago tour was the famous Willis Tower, formerly known (and truthfully still known) as Sears Tower.  Completed in 1973, Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world for almost 25 years.  Today, it is the 2nd tallest building in the United States and the 16th tallest building in the world.  The cool feature of the Skydeck is the three clear glass boxes that sit three feet out of the window that allow you to stand and look all the way down to the ground.  This is definitely the thing that everyone comes to the Skydeck for.  You can move easily around the main floor area but the Skydeck boxes have a queue.  This is actually really smart because it allows everyone to experience the boxes equally.  Pro tip: you only get 60 seconds in the box to take all your pictures so plan them out while you’re waiting in line.  This maximizes your time and gives you a chance to actually enjoy the experience instead of just focusing on the pictures!

 The last stop on our packed day was a ghost tour.  Now, if you’ve been reading my blog long enough, or know me at all, you know I love ghost tours.  I try and do them in every city I’m in.  So far I’ve checked off Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, Edinburgh, and Washington D.C.  The cool thing about this ghost tour was it was the Ghosts and Gangsters tour.  For about 3 hours, we walked around downtown Chicago learning about the history of Al Capone and some of the major historical events that have produced some very interesting ghost stories throughout Chicago.  My mom may or may not have even seen a ghost…if you believe in that kind of stuff.

 The next morning, we made our way over to Stan’s Donuts, a staple in the Chicago breakfast scene.  These donuts are huge and delicious.  As a big donut fan, I highly suggest you check them out. We then made our way over to the boating docks for an architectural boat tour.  Chicago is home to a famous skyline with even more famous buildings.  And it’s growing at a rapid rate.  We spent the next 1 ½ hour learning about the different types of architecture and how building architects create such magnificent buildings.  Architects take into account not only how the building will be structured but many buildings have little “nods” to their neighbor buildings. Some skyscrapers have been created with certain kinds of reflective windows so that the building changes and grows with the city.  I highly recommend taking one of these tours.  They’re a great way to learn about the city’s history and see some spots you would miss otherwise!

 In the middle of our architecture tour, the temperature rapidly dropped out of nowhere.  It went from 72 and sunny to 43 with imminent rain.  By the end of the tour, all of us were freezing and shivering.  But we were about to get the best view of the whole tour.  That’s when our tour guide said over the loudspeaker, “Get up and take the picture.  When you look at it 3 years from now you won’t see how cold you were.”   Boy, did this get my cold ass up out of my seat.  Because she was right.  I don’t look at this picture and see how cold I was.  I just see the gorgeous skyline.  And this is a lesson for everyone, and even myself sometimes, on how to travel.  Don’t hold back from anything because of temporary discomfort.  Don’t sleep in, don’t ignore opportunities, and don’t take your time for granted.

 After one last stop to eat lunch at Nando’s (because…well…obviously) and our quick stop in Chicago had come to an end.  I definitely fell in love with Chicago a little bit during our short stay and plan to be back very soon.  What are your favorite Chicago spots?

The Lemon Bar

“When life gives you lemons, get drunk and dance!”

On a brutally cold night in Warsaw, our group had just finished eating dinner at Chopin’s favorite restaurant. The food was incredible and our group was getting along wonderfully. The majority of the group decided that after dinner, we wanted to continue our evening together. Our tour director walked us around town for a bit and showed us an alley of cool bars, some of which were having specials. The issue, however, was that they were all very small, and wouldn’t accommodate a group of our size. A tour director decided to lead us elsewhere. A few people from the group stayed behind at the small bars, but the rest of us continued walking. At one point, our tour director stopped and asked a local for the name of a club we could all go to. The local mentioned a place called the Lemon Bar. We walked, and we walked, and we walked. Finally we came to the Lemon Bar.

We walked into the Lemon Bar and instantly knew this was not a club. It was a small restaurant with a few tables downstairs and a loft style upstairs portion with more tables. There was a full bar, however, and as a group we decided to at least stay for one drink here. And as apprehensive as we were of the Lemon Bar, the Lemon Bar staff were just as apprehensive of us. They gave us nervous looks, not sure what to expect from us.

During our arrival there were six or seven people utilizing a tiny open space in the restaurant as their own personal dance floor. As each of us in my group got our first round, we made our way over to these strangers and joined them, one by one.

As the night went on, our group drank more and got more comfortable with the atmosphere. The staff got more comfortable with us, even dancing with us and taking pictures. The strangers dancing were becoming less like strangers and more like friends, despite barely speaking the same languages.

At the end of the night, the owner of the bar made her way downstairs and started talking to a few people of our group. She took them away and showed them a downstairs room and told them that we were welcome back tomorrow. She would even rent a DJ for our private party. The owner then bought us a round of Jaeger shots. Yes, all of us.

All in all, it was an incredible evening. I think we all learned a few important lessons that night. The first it to always keep an open mind. Great things can happen if you do. The second is that it’s not always about where you are, but who you’re with. The next night, the group of people who had stayed behind at the other bars tried to recreate our night at the Lemon Bar themselves. They reported that the Lemon Bar sucked and wasn’t any fun at all. We walked into a quiet bar and turned it into a great night out. It wasn’t the bar that did that; it was us. And the bartenders of course. It was a night that I remember fondly and a story I tell frequently.

Zesty Zagreb

When I first mentioned that I would be traveling to Croatia to people, I typically got two reactions.  The first set of people asked me where it was, saying they had never heard of it.  The second group immediately asked me if I was going to Dubrovnik to see where Game of Thrones is filmed. Most people who do travel to Croatia are usually only stopping there on a cruise, although tourism for the entire country has grown and continues to grow at a very fast rate.  Since Croatia is where my mom’s side of the family descends from, we wanted to spend a good amount of time exploring everything the entire country had to offer.

The first place to kick off our Croatian country tour was the country’s capital city, Zagreb.  A city that is only just recently experiencing a large growth in tourism, Zagreb has one of the nicest, if not the nicest, airports I have ever been in.  It’s small, with only a few terminals and two baggage claim belts but boy, is this place clean.  I would feel absolutely confident eating off the floors.  I was genuinely impressed so hats off to you, Zagreb Airport!

Upon exiting the airport, we met Kris, our driver for most of the next 10 days.  It’s easy to say that my mom and I instantly felt a connection to Kris.  A quick 20 minute drive later and we were dropped off at the Hotel Dubrovnik (interesting name for a Zagreb hotel, eh?), a beautifully renovated hotel in the heart of the lower town.

After a quick bite to eat, we met our tour guide who would be taking us around the highlights of the city.  Our tour guide kicked off our tour in Ban Jelaĉić Square, the main central square of the city, named after Josip Jelaĉić, a famous military general who abolished serfdom in the country.  The square is surrounded by beautiful, old buildings and features a small market selling local items.

We made our way towards Upper Town stopping first at the Zagreb Cathedral.  Dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, the cathedral is the tallest building in the entire country of Croatia.  Unfortunately, the inside wasn’t open to the public that day but the outside was certainly beautiful enough to make up for it. 

Moving upward, our tour guide led us through the Stone Gate, one of the most important landmarks in the city.  The Stone Gate is the only remaining piece of the walls that were created in the 1200s as a means of securing the city.  Legend has it that the entire gate was destroyed in a fire in 1731 with the exception of a painting of Mary and her child.  The painting still remains and it is believed to possess miraculous powers.  Citizens and tourists alike regularly come here to light and candle and pray.

Just a few steps more, we finally came up St. Mark’s Church, something I had been exited to see based on my research of the city.  It is quite possibly one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen.  It’s not large by any means in comparison to the typical cathedrals found throughout Europe but the roof is simply breathtaking.  Unfortunately, we weren’t able to go inside but I can only imagine the inside matches the beauty of the outside.

Walking past the Lotrscak Tower, a famous 13th century guard tower (you can climb up it during peak tourist season), we made our way to the Funicular Railway, home to the shortest cable car in the world!  For a few euros, you can ride the cable car up or down the hill.  My mom and I would ride it down the hill the next morning.  It is short; the ride lasts less than a minute.  But it’s worth it to be able to say we rode the shortest cable car in the world!

My mom and I were guided down the hill on foot by our tour guide and dropped off at the bottom of Tkalciceva Street, a street known for its bars and active nightlife.  It was nearing the end of the day and our tour guide gave us one more tip before leaving up: visit the Vincek Pastry Shop.  As we parted my mom and I decided before we stopped at the pastry shop to find a bite to eat.  This is where we learned something that would follow us for the rest of our trip: restaurants are limited in the country of Croatia.  While the country’s economy is growing, wages are still very low in comparison to the cost of living, meaning people do not have much money.  So instead of eating out at restaurants, they eat at home and go out at night to places called “Café bars.”  These are everywhere and are exactly what they sound like: places that serve coffee and alcohol.  You can find Café bars on every single corner, sometimes 10 of them lined up in a row.  But rarely do they serve food.  Finding a full sit down restaurant can be tough so beware!  That being said, my mom and I finally stumbled upon a pizza/pasta place and enjoyed a nice glass of Croatian wine. 

After our meal, we made our way over to the Vincek Bakery.  While I wasn’t able to read any of the signs, I picked up a few sweets.  This should definitely be a stop on your Zagreb tour! 

My mom and I only had a few hours the next morning to finish exploring Zagreb before heading on the road to Topusko.  As my mom and I are avid caffeine addicts, we made our way to Johann Franck, Zagreb’s famous coffee shop.  We spent about an hour outside people watching in Ban Jelaĉić Square with a delicious cappuccino and breakfast pastry.

Our final stop in Zagreb was the Dolac Market, a fresh, open air market, which is open daily from morning until early afternoon.  It houses produce stands as well as souvenir and craftsman stands.  An almost centuries long tradition, my mom and I agreed we could have spent a whole afternoon in the market, exploring each stand.  It smelled like heaven; fresh fruit and vegetables straight from the farm.  This is a market not to be missed!

While our time in Zagreb was short, I feel like we covered just about everything, although I wouldn’t have minded an extra day to hang around and visit a few of the museums.  Zagreb is definitely underrated in terms of Croatian tourist spots.  It’s true that it doesn’t offer the incredible beaches like other cities and islands but it is the heart and soul of Croatia and I highly recommend everyone start their Croatian adventure here!

Our Airbnb Nightmare

Buckle in, friends. This one is a doozy. Long but important for anyone using the Airbnb platform. I will apologize in advance for how many times I use the word “again” but it really accentuates the situation.

_________

Back in July I received an email from my good friend and travel pal, Sarah, asking me and fellow travel pal, Kristin, if we would be interested in going to Scotland for New Year’s.  Never one to turn down a travel opportunity (unless I truly cannot make it happen financially or work wise), I jumped on the email and responded enthusiastically.  When I started looking into flight prices, I kept finding that flying to Dublin and booking flights to Edinburgh separately was going to be the cheapest option which got me thinking about a regret I have had for many years.  Back when I studied abroad in 2009 in London, a few friends planned a trip to Ireland over a school break. I assumed that the trip would include Dublin (because, duh) and too late did I realize that Dublin wasn’t included on the itinerary.  Why, I have no idea since it’s the capital of Ireland but alas, it wasn’t.  I never made it to Ireland again during my study abroad and it is something that has always bothered me.  So when looking at the flight situation, a lightbulb went off in my head that I could stop over and finally experience Dublin, 9 years later.  I let Sarah and Kristin know of my plan and assumed that I would just meet them in Scotland a few days late since they had both already been to Dublin.  To my surprise, both of them said they would be happy to join me in Dublin first, especially since they were finding the same price deals.  Destinations and dates decided, we all booked our flights and turned our attention to accommodations.

Having used Airbnb on previous trips in the United States, we thought that it might be nice to have a full apartment with laundry facilities on our trip.  None of us were planning to check a bag and winter clothes tend to take up a lot of space.  It just seemed like a good idea.  We searched through Airbnb’s listings and decided on two apartments with great locations in both Dublin and Edinburgh city centers.  We booked both within the week and paid for our portions accordingly.   This was all completed back in July.

Fast forward to December; it was time for our New Year’s trip.  As soon as we landed in Dublin, we headed straight for our AIrbnb located in the heart of Temple Bar.  Upon entry, we immediately all took note of how cold it was.  At first we didn’t think anything of it; we figured the owner turns off the heat in between guests and since the apartment didn’t appear to get a lot of light, it naturally held in the cold air.  We turned the thermostat to high heat and decided to take a nap to catch up on missed red eye sleep.  I woke up to one of my friends telling me that not only had the heat not kicked on during our nap but also she had tried to shower and had no hot water.  Greaaaaaaat.   We contacted our host and to make a long story short, a plumber spent 2 hours that night trying to get the heat to work and came up short.  The system was busted.  We needed a new place to stay.  For context, it’s 9:00pm.  (Note: we placed no fault on the host for the faulty heat/hot water issue.  Things happen and he was great about trying to get it resolved.  He sent a plumber that unfortunately, just couldn’t get it to work.  We appreciated all the help the host tried to provide.)

I contacted Airbnb through both their support page and Twitter.  I received a message back on twitter that said that a case manager would be contacting us soon.  When I asked if they had an ETA on when we could expect the phone call, I was told that they couldn’t do that because calls were made in the order a support ticket was received.  I was told it could be a few minutes or it could be a few hours.  What?  It’s 9:00pm, we have no one where to stay, and you’re telling us we may not receive any kind of help for hours?  Not off to a great start, Airbnb.  The three of us decided that instead of waiting around for an unknown period of time, that I would run around the corner to the various hotels and see if any of them had a room open.  Sarah and Kristin would stay, start packing, and wait for a call from Airbnb. 

Two stops later, I had secured us a room at the Temple Bar Hotel for roughly the same cost as our Airbnb stay (a little more expensive, but not by much).  When I called Sarah and Kristin to let them know, Sarah explained that she had received a call from Airbnb.  They had cancelled the Dublin apartment on our behalf, started a refund for our money, and placed no blame on the host.  They did not offer us an help on finding a new place or offer us any kind of help in offsetting the cost of having to put out money for our new place (refunds are not automatic, so at this moment we were out the cost of 2 hotels/Airbnb stays).  Thankfully, we were only in Dublin for 2 days so we all had enough to cover.  We overlooked the lack of customer service because at this point, we just wanted to be warm.  Plus, we figured the worst was over.  (Insert ominous music here.)

An hour and a hot shower later, the three of us were getting ready to head out for a drink.  As we were walking through Temple Bar, Sarah checked her Airbnb app to make sure the Dublin apartment had been removed.  To her horror, not only had our Dublin apartment been removed, but so had our Edinburgh stay.  I immediately pulled up my app as well to confirm that it was in fact gone.  I also check my email to see if anything had come through there.  I noticed I had not one but two refund emails from Airbnb.  Oh no.  The first was for our Dublin apartment and the second was for our Edinburgh stay.  Double oh no.  Sarah opened her Airbnb inbox to find a message from the original case manager who helped us with our Dublin cancellation.  In this message the case manager, Tammy, let us know that she mistakenly cancelled both of our stays.  She said that if we needed help finding another place to stay in Edinburgh to let her know and she would offset the cost if it was more expensive.  Otherwise she apologized and told us to have a great night.  Wait, what?  You accidentally cancelled our apartment for a check in date of 2 days away over New Years in a major city and the only thing you have to say was sorry and good luck?  All of three of us agreed to head right back to the hotel to get this figured out in a quiet place.  This was not good.

Sarah called the customer service line that had previously been used to call us regarding our Dublin stay.  We were told that Tammy would be giving us a call within 20 minutes to sort out her mistake.  20 minutes went by.  Then 30 minutes.  Finally, at 40 minutes, we called the customer service line again.  We were told that Tammy would call us within 30 minutes.  As you can imagine, we said this was unacceptable.  We were then told that the only person who could help us was Tammy and that we would have to wait.  Again, unacceptable.  We are three girls overseas with no place to stay because someone else made a mistake and didn’t appear to have any concern about fixing it.

Sarah demanded to speak with a supervisor.  Again, we were told this was not possible.  She insisted that someone needed to help us right at that moment.  After being put on hold for almost 10 minutes, the original woman who answered said that she could reassign our case to a new case manager.  While this back and forth was occurring on the phone, I was looking through the Airbnb app to see if anything was still available.  At this point, I had lost all faith and knew that no matter what happened, we needed a place to stay.  I found something that could accommodate us but it was more expensive.  I held onto it just in case but noticed that 5 other people were looking at the same place for the same dates.  I knew 2 of those people were in the room with me, but I had no idea who those other 3 people were.   We were taken off of hold and connected with a new case manager.  She informed us that the best she could do was reach out to our original host in Edinburgh and ask if we can rebook her place.  Other than that, she explained that she would need Tammy and her supervisor’s approval to give any other kind of assistance.  Sarah again asked to speak with a supervisor.  Again, we were put on hold. 

While we were on hold, the three of us decided to go ahead and book the available Airbnb apartment I had found on my phone.  We all agreed that we had no faith that we were going to get our original booking back.  I should note that the host never responded so had we waited; we would have had no place to go.  We figured it was better to have a place to stay and figure it out on the back end.  Plus, since we booked the second place through Airbnb, it would be easy for them to find all of our information. 

We were taken off hold and told again that there was nothing more they could do for us right now without Tammy and her supervisor.  We were also told that supervisors only call out in the order that supervisor call requests are received.  They occur within 24-48 hours after an incident.  We asked about the discount that was promised to us in Tammy’s initial note should a new place be more expensive.  Again, we were told nothing could be done without Tammy and her supervisor.  It was like a broken record at this point and I couldn’t stand to hear the same excuse one more time; none of us could.  Resigned to the fact that we weren’t going to receive any help from Airbnb, Sarah simply asked that a supervisor call her in the 24-48 hour time frame to discuss what had happened and how horrible our customer service experience had been.  At least we had a place to stay?

24 hours passed, then 48.  We received no call from a supervisor.  We reached out and asked when we could expect a call.  No response.  We all agreed that when I got home, I would file a credit card dispute on the charge until they gave us the difference they had promised.  We went about our trip and had a wonderful time despite the Airbnb mess.

Upon my return home, I reached out one more time to Airbnb in good faith, giving them one more chance to make things right on their own accord.  As you can probably guess at this point, I received no response.  The next day, I filed a credit card dispute on the charge with my bank.  I told them that I would pay up to the original booking amount and not a single cent more.  While it wasn’t a large amount of money, it was now the principle of the matter.  It took me almost 2 hours to file the dispute and gather all the information and evidence to back up my claim.

Once the dispute was filed, I again reached out to Airbnb to let them know that their charge was now in a fraud dispute claim with my bank.  And wouldn’t you know I got an almost immediate response from Airbnb.  Shocker!  Of course, they couldn’t care less about helping 3 girls they left stranded in a foreign country but as soon as their reputation gets dinged for potential fraud, they are on top of the case!  Within 2 hours, I was on the phone with a supervisor named Chloe.

Now, I will give credit where credit is due here.  Chloe was great.  She gave us a bit more than the difference of the two apartments (although it was only $12 which got split three ways, I appreciated the gesture) and gave each of us $200 Airbnb vouchers to use anytime, anywhere within the year.  She was kind, a great listener and was honest in saying that even she was frustrated reading the details of my case.  If you’re reading this, Chloe, you are A1, and I appreciate you.

That being said, it should not have taken me filing a dispute with my credit card company to receive help for a mistake that was made by Airbnb.  There are so many what ifs in this situation that could have had disastrous consequences.  What if there wasn’t another place to stay in Edinburgh since it was New Year’s?  What if the three of us weren’t financially sound and able to put out nearly $1500 out of our own pockets while we waited for our refunds?  What if we weren’t avid travelers who knew how to navigate tough situations and be flexible?  What if even one of us had medical issues or special needs that required a certain type of accommodation?  The three of us are lucky and blessed in our lives but there are many people out there using Airbnb’s platform who are not so.

While I have every intention of using that $200 credit, I will never use Airbnb again after that.  Nothing, truly nothing, is worth the risk of experiencing what happened on this trip again.  Safety when traveling is my top priority, as it should be to anyone, and clearly safety is not a top priority for Airbnb’s users.  I share this story not to scare you or tell you not to use Airbnb but to simply make you aware of what kind of service you can receive if something goes wrong.  Always do you research and due diligence when planning your travels.  I know all 3 of us will be a lot more cautious when making our plans going forward.

Ps. Our Edinburgh apartment didn’t have hot water either…

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! 

We are officially in 2019, how crazy is that?  I swear 2018 didn’t even happen; it went by so incredibly fast.  And yet, here we are!  Now, I’m not normally one for New Year’s Resolutions.  I tend to hang out in the camp that thinks they’re silly and pointless.  But this year, I’ve decided to change my outlook and see what the hype is all about. 

I promise I’m not going to tell you that I want to lose weight or anything like that.  While I would love to start an exercise regimen and get back in shape, it’s just not feasible for me for two reasons: 1.) I injured my knee a few weeks back and am in physical therapy for the next month and 2.) I hate working out.  Hate it.  With a passion.  Nope, no thanks, I’m good, next.  I have to give myself a serious pep talk just to walk up one flight of stairs.  My resolutions are also not very travel based (gasp!).  Now that I’ve been on this blogging journey for just over a year, I thought it might be nice to jump outside the travel world every once in a while (double gasp!).  Plus, I’m totally using this as an opportunity to ask y’all for recommendations (and keep myself accountable). My goals in 2019 are to:

1.)    Read One Book a Month

My first resolution is to read one book a month.  I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, some people read a book a week, but between two jobs, graduate school, freelance writing, blog writing, and general life living, I think this is the most realistic reading goal for me at the moment.  So far I’ve got my first three months set:

January - What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding: A Memoir by Kristin Newman

February - Becoming by Michelle Obama

March - You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson

I’m open to any and all other book selections to fill out the remaining 9 months!  I read everything from biographies, historical accounts, romance, thriller, etc.  Send me a message!

2.)    Pay Off My Credit Card Bill

While my credit card bill isn’t that high, it’s not zero either.  I want to change that in 2019.  By the end of the year, I want to have a zero balance.  My student loans from grad school will be dropping at the end of the year and I’d like to make sure I go into 2020 with only one set of interest accruing debt.  My current debate is how to go about doing it.  I’ve calculated out how much it would cost per day, per week, and per month what it would take to pay it off within the year and I just don’t know which the best option is.  This is something I really want to stick to this year so if you have any tips, tricks, or apps you swear by, I’m all ears!

3.)    Stop Hitting the Snooze Button

Of all my resolutions, this one is definitely going to be the toughest one for me.  Anyone who knows me knows I suck at mornings.  I have tried everything from the apps that gently wake you up by your REM cycle to the apps that force you to do math before your alarm will shut off.  None of it works.  To be fair, I do have an under active thyroid that causes me to be exhausted at any given moment.  I can sleep for 14 hours every day and feel just as tired as if I didn’t sleep at all.  But I just keep imagining all the extra sleep I could be having if I just got up when my alarm went off the first time. Let’s see how this one goes; no guarantees. 

4.)    Stop Eating Out/ Ordering Food Delivery

I may or may not have an obsession with Folklore Tacos in West Orange, NJ.  It’s something I’m trying to come to terms with and it’s taking a toll on my mental health not to order my favorite meal twice a week.  Okay, so I may be exaggerating but their tacos are just so damn good.  Let’s not forget about the gnocchi Alfredo from Ameti Pizza in Clifton, NJ.  You guys are the real heroes.  But as deep as our love goes, I can’t lie about the cost of it.  Eating your incredible food is expensive and financially draining.  So this year, I am vowing to cut back on takeout, delivery, and eating out.  What used to be a special occasion has now become the norm and I need to get back to making food at home and packing lunch ahead of time.  First stop after work today: the grocery store!

5.)    Write 1 Blog Post Per Week (Minimum)

Sometimes I am really great about writing content for the blog and other times I just plain suck at it.  Life gets in the way, work is demanding, and some weeks I’m simply uninspired.  I’m hoping that my goal of one post a week minimum will keep me on track and pushing out consistent content.  New and relevant content will also help me connect my blog to my other social media channels and hopefully drive connecting traffic!  I’ve already got January covered with ideas but would love to hear from y’all about any kind of content you would like to see!  I’ve got an idea for a full packing page that I’m hoping to flush out in the coming months but I’m open to anything else!

6.)    Post 5 Images to Instagram Per Week

Similar to above, I am hoping that this small goal will keep on a consistent track of posting great content to my social media platforms.  Posting this frequently will also keep my page fresh in the Instagram algorithm world (can we all agree it’s the worst?).  Now if only I could get better at creating a monthly content calendar…

7.)    Drink More Water

This one is super simple and yet really complex for me as I have never been a water drinker.  I actually don’t like the taste of water.  Yes, it has a taste.  They all do and they’re all bad.  As I’ve gotten older, however, I have grown to understand just how important water is for your body.  I’ve certainly gotten better at drinking water over the last two years but I’d like to do even more.  I have a refillable tumbler cup at work with free filtered water in our kitchen area.  I downloaded an app that reminds me every 2-3 hours to drink a glass of water.  It’s called Habitbull for anyone interested! 

I’m actually really excited to get working on my resolutions for 2019.  This is the first time in many years that I have not only created a resolution for myself but made an action plan to stick with it.  I’m also excited to read some of your recommendations, tips, and tricks!  Now let’s go kick 2019’s ass!

Weekend Warrior: Charleston

In my post about how I afford to travel, I mentioned the importance of taking advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.  A few months back, my coworkers and I were discussing possible 4th of July plans.  Our company was closed July 4 and 5 (Wednesday and Thursday) and offers half day Friday throughout the summer.  My boss told us that since no one would be in the office, to not bother coming in that day meaning I had just gained 5 days in a row off.  Score!

So I hit the drawing board and began looking at places I could go.  My initial thought was to stay close to home and head down to the Jersey Shore.  But after checking out both hotel and Airbnb prices, I knew I could go elsewhere and get a much better deal.  I began looking into cities I had never been to before, specifically in the south.  My top choices were Nashville, Charleston, and Savannah.  I knew I wanted to take on Nashville as a girl’s trip and Savannah with my significant other since he wants to go there as well.  Which meant Charleston was my destination!

I have recently started using the Hopper app to book my flights and I have to stay, I won’t book flights without consulting the app anymore.  Simply put in your start and end destinations and it shows you a calendar of when flights are the cheapest.  If you’re set on dates like I typically am, it allows you to watch the dates and gives you alerts on when to wait to buy and when to book.  It’s a great money saver and better yet, it’s completely free!

In my search for lodging, I came across the cutest Airbnb listing close to Folly Beach. The price was great and had the location I wanted, so I booked it!  Katie, my host, was wonderful! She was beyond welcoming and helpful. The apartment was perfect and had a beautiful view. Close to the beach and great restaurants and close to downtown too. I would recommend to anyone heading to Charleston!  You can find her Airbnb rental here!

I flew into Charleston late morning and landed early afternoon.  My first stop after picking up my rental car was of course, Waffle House! Look folks, I’m a Jersey Girl who has been blessed with an abundance of diner options her whole life and don’t get me wrong, I love a good diner.  But there is something magical about a Waffle House.  You walk in and it is thoroughly not impressing, so much so that if I didn’t know the gold that was waiting for me, I would walk right back out.  Each location I have ever been in hasn’t seen a deep clean or an interior refresh since they opened.  But that is exactly what makes the food so good.  It’s greasy, buttery, and everything you’re not supposed to put into your body.  Every time I see a Waffle House or head to an area with one, I make sure I stop in.  I could go on and on about my love of Waffle House, but I’ll spare you, dear reader, and just leave it at that. If you are interested in a super interesting piece of Waffle House history, however, I highly recommend checking out this podcast! I won’t spoil it for you but it’s actually really fascinating.

After a quick stop at my Airbnb to drop off my bags and change into beach appropriate clothing, I hopped in my rental car and made my way over to Folly Beach, about 2 miles from where I was staying.  Since there’s only one road in and one road out of Folly Beach, traffic can back up quickly.  It took me a little longer than normal to get down to the beach but since it was a little later in the day, it wasn’t too bad.  Plus, I’m living in Northern New Jersey outside New York City; traffic is a norm in my life.  Another thing to be aware of at Folly Beach: parking is weird.  There are some small parking lots close to the beach that you can pay for, but at $7 and a lot of personal experience parallel parking, I figured I’d try my luck at street parking.  Well, it’s not actually street parking.  In order to be legally “street” parked in Folly Beach, your car tires must be off the road and on the grass but some grass is not fair game since it’s technically owned by the house behind it.  Still, it’s not too tough to find parking if you’re willing to walk a block or two.

Parking out of the way, I made my way to the beach!  The beach is one of my favorite places so I’m not picky about them.  Folly Beach is your typical beach, white sand, blue water.  I will say, heading down to South Carolina, I expected the water to be clearer than from where I’m from in the northeast.  It was definitely clearer than the north but still not as clear as I was expecting.  Even so, just being able to swim in the ocean and kick back and listen to my favorite podcasts was simply relaxing.

Back at the Airbnb, I make myself some dinner, grab my book and a beer, and head out to the boat dock to watch the sunset over the bay.  Bring bug spray, folks.  You’re going to need it.  But it’s truly so worth it.  I mean, look at this view!

Late into the evening, I get myself together and make my way towards downtown Charleston for one of my favorite things: a ghost tour!   I wish I had better news here but I won’t lie, this ghost tour was extremely disappointing.  I had high hopes for a city with such an incredible history.  But alas, the Death & Depravity Tour by Ghost City Tours of Charleston was the worst ghost tour I’ve been on, and I’ve been on a lot (Boston, Philadelphia, D.C., New Orleans).  If you’d like my full review of the tour you can find it here.   As I mention in my tour, there are plenty of other ghost tour companies in the city that I believe you will have much better luck with.

The next morning, I woke up bright and early so that I could experience the Magnolia Plantation.  Rich with history, this plantation topped all the city’s must do lists.  I read that the best time to get there was first thing in the morning.  And that’s exactly what I did.  I purchased a general admission ticket and added the plantation house tour, boat tour, and slavery home tour.  When I arrived, I was one of the first people on property and by the time I left, the parking lot was full.  My early arrival allowed for a peaceful walk around the gardens with few interruptions.  This beautiful piece of property holds a dark history that is important for all visitors to learn about.  Of all the things I did during my time in Charleston, this was by far the best part.  And the pictures really don’t do this place justice.  All in all I spent about 7 hours here so if this is on your list of things to do, give yourself plenty of time!

After spending so much time at the plantation, I decided to spend the rest of my evening relaxing at the beach.  I drive the few miles to the beach, put sunscreen on, and as soon as I hop in the ocean I hear a giant thunder clap.  I look out a few miles towards the shore and see a nasty thunderstorm rolling in very quickly.  I got out of the water faster than you could ever imagine and ran back to the safety of my car.  So much for that, I thought.  Knowing there wouldn’t be much to do since outside activities were a no go, I headed towards the nearest bar and settled in for the next World Cup game (go Croatia!).  Two hours later, I had made friends with the folks around me and the bartender and was partaking in Croatia victory shots.  If you’re traveling alone, I’ve learned the best way to meet people is to sit at a bar.  It’s inevitable that every time I sit at a bar, I will meet at least one new person.  Sit at the bar and at least pretend to be interested in what’s on their television.  You’ll thank me later.

The next day, I headed towards downtown Charleston for the first tour departing for Fort Sumter, a seat fort only reachable by a 20-minute boat ride.  It is most notably known for two major battles during the Civil War.  The total tour time is approximately an hour and half, including boat transportation.  As Americans, learning and experiencing our history is so critical, especially given everything that’s going on in our political climate.  The Fort Sumter tour is a great way to expose yourself to history while also enjoying the waters of Charleston.

The last part of my Charleston adventure was exploring the beautiful, old streets of Downtown Charleston.  I love the charm and history that each building has.  It’s not like New York or Philadelphia where every building is new and glass.  These buildings are old and historical and the architecture is dreamy.  I could spend hours walking through every single alley and cobblestone street.  It was a wonderful way to cap off a great weekend!

Weekend Warrior: San Diego

I am so excited to write about my San Diego trip!  I have been buzzing ever since I landed yesterday.  San Diego has been a top city on my bucket list for quite some time now so when my significant other, Kyle, told me he had a work trip in “America’s Finest City,” I knew I had to make this trip happen.  I politely (at least I think it was polite) asked Kyle to ask his boss if it would be okay for me to crash in his hotel room.  I promised Kyle I wouldn’t bother anyone and didn’t need to be entertained.  I am quite adept at traveling alone and had a few friends living in the city I could visit.  Thankfully, Kyle’s boss said yes, I could come! I was so excited.  A top bucket list city and free accommodations?  I was sold.

As I started researching flight prices from Newark, I was a little surprised to find that there weren’t many direct flights to San Diego or if there were, they were at odd times or out of this world expensive.  Then it hit me, another item on my bucket list: driving the Pacific Coast Highway.  I knew flights to LAX would be cheaper than to San Diego and they would be direct.  I’d rent a car and drive the PCH from LA to San Diego.  It would be perfect!  I’d have to rent a car but I figured if I was spending the money and time anyway, I might as well do something cool!  So I purchased a one-way ticket to LAX, rented a car, and purchased a nonstop flight back from San Diego to Newark (thanks, Black Friday flight deals). 

Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to your plans.  If you’re going to spend the time and money doing something, you might as well make the most out of it.  Take my Croatia trip, for example.  Flights to and from Croatia were going to cost almost $6,000 for two people.  Um, excuse me, WHAT?  No way.  I started to think outside the box and considered my other options.  Flights to London, I knew, were always fairly priced and I wouldn’t mind spending a day or two in a city I once called home.  I also knew that flights from Germany were decently priced as well.  By adding two extra days to our trip, even with hotels and food costs, we were able to save almost $4,000 on costs.  Not bad, huh?  Lesson: be flexible and get creative.

Now, I still want to drive the northern piece Pacific Coast Highway but I was thrilled by my drive from LAX to San Diego.  I first stopped in Long Beach and had the most delicious brunch at The Attic on E Broadway.  Seriously, I ordered the crème Brule French toast and it was truly one of the best French toast dishes I’ve ever had.  Jamie, the bartender, was amazing and made me the most amazing peach Bellini, with fresh muddled peaches.  This place is definitely a popular spot; I arrived around 1:00pm on a Friday afternoon and there was a 30-minute wait for tables of 2 or more.  Luckily, I was flying solo and was able to snag an open seat at the bar.  If you’re heading here, which I totally recommend, you should try and get a reservation. 

After brunch, I hopped on the PCH and started my drive.  I knew I wanted to stop at a few beaches along the way, the first being Laguna Beach.  I wasn’t allowed to watch MTV in high school (I used to secretly stay up late at night to watch The Challenge) so I didn’t know much about the show until I started college and began watching The Hills.  I’m fairly sure that my love of the Challenge combined with this new discovery of a true “reality show” kicked off my love of trashy, half-real, half-fake television shows.  I, of course, went back and watched Laguna Beach and silently cursed my parents for not letting me watch it while all my friends did.  Now, at 27, I had the opportunity to see where it all began.  And it was gorgeous.  I was expecting beautiful homes and beaches but this small little beach city was beyond charming.  I know it may be cliché to stop in a city just because a reality TV show was filmed there but in this case, I do hope you consider making it a stop for the city itself.  It may just surprise you!

After a few more stops, I noticed the sun was starting to set and I made my final stop along the shore to catch the last few moments of sunlight.  I think I’ve mentioned how I feel about California sunsets in the past and how I’ve never been truly impressed.  And I won’t lie; this sunset didn’t rock my world like the Greek sunsets did.  But that’s to be expected, I’m sure, and this sunset was beautiful in its own special way. 

Back on the road, I texted my friend (hands free, of course) and let her know I’d be arriving in her around 6:00pm.  She let me know she had a great spot to grab a drink and I was sold.  After picking her up, she directed me towards a restaurant on the water called Coasterra.  If you’re driving here, be prepared to valet your car, as there are only a few self-parking spots.  At $7, however, it’s not too bad of cost.  And it’s worth it too.  There’s a reason this restaurant lands on just about every top list of places to eat or drink.  While I can’t speak to the food as we only grabbed drinks, I will say that they serve some of the best margaritas I’ve ever had.  And the view of the San Diego skyline simply can’t be beat. 

After a long day of travel and a few margaritas with a great friend, I decided to call it a night and head back towards my hotel.  A quick note about my hotel: I stayed in the Downtown Courtyard Marriott, formerly a huge bank.  The architecture and old vaults make for a unique hotel experience.  I highly recommend staying here if you are looking for a great downtown location. 

The next morning I woke up bright and early so I could pack as much as I could into my day.  I started off at the Donut Bar, a heavenly little donut shop serving giant donuts and mimosas.  Pure heaven.  And well priced too!  4 large donuts, 1 mimosa, and 3 coffees ran me only $25. 

After dropping the donuts and coffee off to my significant other and his coworkers, I hopped on a bus and headed towards Balboa Park.  The public transportation buses in San Diego take either prepaid tickets or exact change.  The bus ride cost me $2.25 so make sure you have your quarters.  It’s a great alternative to Uber, which would have cost me about $10 for the trip.  And it’s environmentally friendly! San Diego also offers electric scooters as another fun, environmentally friendly way to get around the city. Starting at $1, you can ride them just about anywhere and leave them wherever your trip ends. Download the LimeScooter app on your phone to get it started!

I spent a good bit of my time exploring Balboa Park. It’s huge!  They have all kinds of museums, gardens, and restaurants.  There is also a large homeless population living in the park.  It’s quite the juxtaposition to see these ornate beautiful buildings with homeless people living outside of them.  It’s a great reminder to not only be thankful for what you have but to be respectful of the spaces you’re in when traveling.  To you, it’s a beautiful park waiting to be explored.  To someone else, it’s home.

After spending almost 3 hours in the park, I was ready for lunch.  Based on the recommendation of a coworker, I decided to head over to The Crack Shack, a fried chicken joint.  I won’t lie to you, as soon as I saw the line wrapping around the block, I decided to ditch my idea of a fried chicken lunch.  I don’t care how good the food is; I’m not standing around the corner to wait for it.  Sorry, Crack Shack.  I remembered seeing a brewery/food spot around the corner while in my Uber.  I pivoted quickly and started walking.

Ballast Point brewery was amazing.  It had so many beers on tap, it took my a solid 5 minutes to decide which 4 to choose for a flight.  I also ordered pretzel bites with beer cheese.  I highly recommend this spot if you’ve got a group whose tastes vary widely.

After lunch, I spent the afternoon just walking around by the water.  I was close to the USS Midway museum and was able to see some of the amazing ships and boats scattered around the water.  It was a lovely, peaceful afternoon.  I wasn’t up for anything crazy that night as I hurt my knee in an accident.  It was telling me to call it a day, so that’s exactly what I did.

The next morning, I woke up so excited for the day.  Today was the day I was paragliding!  I could not wait.  This was something that had always been on my bucket list ever since I was 12.  When I visited my Dad in Germany, he and I had agreed we would paraglide over the German Alps.  My mom quickly shut that idea down once she found out our plans claiming that 12 was just too young to be doing such a thing.  Ever since then, paragliding has been very high up on my list things I was dying to do. 

Torrey Pines Gliderport is well known for their flights and is extremely popular for newbies and veterans alike.  They do not take reservations because it is so dependent on the wind and weather conditions and these can change at any moment.  The best way to do it is to give them a call the morning of, put your name on their list, and have them give you a call when they’re clear for flying. 

If you don’t have a flying license, you will have to participate in the tandem version, which makes total sense.  I had no intention of flying alone.  Tandem paragliding is also not allowed as a tourist activity in the United States.  The only loophole to this law is that you can paraglide as a “flying student.”  Before flying, you essentially sign a contract saying that you are a student learning to paraglide from the tandem instructor.  You also must sign multiple liability waivers as well as be filmed on video waiving your right to sue in case of injury or death.  You accept that this activity can end very badly.  As someone with anxiety, this part made me very nervous.  But the instructors assured us that this was routing and that the flights are very safe.

Getting strapped in, the instructor walked through the steps of take off.  Essentially you run against the wind off a cliff.  From there, the parachute picks you up and the instructor controls the strings so you glide effortlessly over Torrey Pines.  If you’ve ever ridden Disney’s Soarin’ attraction, it feels almost exactly the same but instead of a simulated version, it’s the real deal.  Paragliding over the cliffs and water was one of the most amazing feelings I’ve ever experienced.  If you ever have the chance to paraglide, it’s something I recommend over and over again.  I did have to land on the beach and hike up the cliff due to rapidly changing winds, but still, it was beyond worth it.

After the insane hike that was climbing back up the cliff after landing, my friends and I decided it was time for a drink.  My friend Lucas lives in San Diego and knew of a bunch of cool breweries we could try out, most of them located in the Ocean Beach area of San Diego.  The first was Culture Brewery, a small but great brewery that allows dogs to freely roam.  I made many dog friends that afternoon.  After a quick bite at a delicious burrito spot, Sunnies, we quickly made our way over to Sunset Cliffs to catch the beautiful cotton candy sunset.  We then headed for the second brewery, Kilowatt.  This place is so cool. It’s covered in neon lights and is filled with all kinds of games, not to mention delicious beer.

All in all, my weekend in San Diego was nothing sort of amazing.  The weather was phenomenal, the food was amazing, and it was beyond nice to be able to spend time with friends I’ve missed dearly.  I wish I could have spent more time in this lovely city but I am grateful for the time I had.  I can’t wait to go back!

My Packing Essentials & Favorites

Packing is one of my favorite things to do when I’m getting ready for a trip.  Not that packing itself is fun but you’re excited and anxious and it’s part of the fun of knowing in a short time you’ll be off to somewhere new! Unpacking is another story but let’s pretend that part doesn’t exist, shall we?  I certainly do for weeks at a time after a trip…….

I’ll kick this list off starting with my favorite bags.  If you’re like me, you love a good deal.  There’s nothing I hate more than seeing a great luggage piece only to turn over the price tag and be promptly shocked into death.  $300 for a rolling piece of plastic?  A piece of plastic I am going to beat the crap out of?  A piece of plastic the airport employees are going to abuse worse than I do to the candy aisle the day after Halloween?  Yeah, nope.  In the words of the great Ariana Grande: thank u, next.  I few years ago, I tentatively ventured into TJMaxx’s luggage section, cautiously optimistic.  As a former employee of the great discount store, I was hopeful that my old friend would have something great for me.  And that’s how I had my luggage “come-to-Ritz Carlton” moment (like a come-to-Jesus moment but better).  I scored a large piece of rolling luggage (all 4 wheels!) for under $60.  Oh yeah.  You better believe I immediately eye-claimed that piece of luggage to everyone around me and promptly rolled it to the cashier line like a proud dog who just took his first poop outside.  A few months later, I was in desperate need of a new rolling carry-on bag as I use a carry-on bag way more than I do a large, checked bag.  I didn’t even bother checking out anything else and made my way directly to the local TJMaxx.  Since TJMaxx isn’t like a normal retailer, I can’t link the exact bags I found but you can get an idea of some of their luggage offerings on their site here.  Skimming over their site quickly, I still recommend you check out what they have in store as I think you may have even better luck. 

**ps. Beware the “smart” bags.  You know those cool bags everyone brags about because it can charge your phone.  First, they’re heavier and will limit the weight of the rest of your luggage.  Second, some airlines won’t allow them as a carry-on and will force you to check it.  Make sure if you do purchase one of these that you carefully check your airline’s regulations.  Or you know, you could just live without a fully charged phone for a few hours….

Speaking of bags, I love a good weekender bag and always have.  I got one for Christmas a few years back and it’s still going strong, although it’s definitely nearing the end of its life.  A few weeks ago, as if the internet heard my old bag’s cry for help, I saw an internet ad for a weekender bag.  It was beautiful.  It had a pocket with a zipper that could either remain a true pocket or be zipped open to go over your luggage handle.  It also had a shoe compartment.  A shoe compartment!  No more carrying plastic bags and tightly wrapping my soiled shoes in them and placing them next to my clothes.  No more bag flailing all around my carry-on luggage as I awkwardly make my way through the airport at 4am.  I love this bag.  I’ve tried it out on a few airline trips as well as a few long weekend getaways to my parents house.  It’s just the best and I highly recommend it. Plus, it comes in a bunch of different colors!  You can get yours here.

Now let’s get to actually packing, shall we?  First up, the famous packing cubes.  Now, I’ll be honest here, I have mixed feelings on packing cubes.  I think they’re great for a larger bag when it comes to carry-on luggage, I find their usefulness to be hit or miss.  I’ll use them for things like my hair tools but not my clothes which I can maneuver better when they’re out of a bag.  That being said, I love them for longer trips.  They help keep me organized as I make my way from location to location.  I got my set from here.  I like this set because there’s tons of design options to choose from and their inexpensive which means they’re great to try out and see how you feel about packing cubes.

In addition to packing cubes, I also really love individual bags designed for certain items.  The first individual bag I have is an undergarment bag.  It has separate small pockets inside for underwear and keeps your bras safe (you know what I mean ladies, no one likes bent underwire).  And since I only ever bring a few bras with me on a trip, I usually have enough room to put my pajamas in this bag too, making it the perfect undergarment bag.  Get yours here!  (Just a heads up: I have read in the reviews that if your girls are bigger, this bag may not work for you.  Make sure to read the measurements carefully!0)

I also am obsessed with my makeup bag.  If you’re like me, you love you some high end makeup and I’m sorry, but my Bobbi Brown foundation deserves better than a cheap, plastic, unprotected makeup bag.  I got you, Bobbi.  This bag is amazing because it’s slightly padded but not bulky and has separate compartments so not only can you organize your makeup by type but you know it’s being kept safe on your journey.  No more broken Urban Decay eye shadow palattes!  Hell, even my Elf palettes deserve it.  And for those of you who travel without your makeup or with minimal makeup: can you please let me know how you do it?  Thanks in advance.

My last essential bag is my toiletry bag. It’s a Travel Check hanging back which I have been using for years. It’s got multiple pockets and has a hanger so that you can save space in your hotel room and keep it organized as you go along. I also love that it’s collapsible so that if I’m traveling with less, the bag is smaller. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find it anywhere online for sale anymore but here’s a link to a similar one!

And that’s how I make my bag clean and organized!  I am also a big user of clear plastic bags like Ziploc gallon bags.  I use one for my headphones, chargers, and power banks, one for my camera equipment, one for my toiletries, one for airplane essentials like compression socks, earplugs, and snacks, you get the idea.  Clear bags help you pull out only what you need and avoid making a massive pill of stuff on your bed looking for one thing.

Ps. No spon-con in this post.  I did not receive any compensation for sharing these items with you.  I just happen to use them and like them.  Now, if you’re reading this packing cube PR and want to send me some, I won’t say no….