How to pack lightly for a long trip

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE AROUND THE WORLD! My first task of the new year was spending the day reflecting on the joys of my previous year. It’s no surprise that traveling tops the list of my joys. From my time teaching abroad in South Korea to five months backpacking in Asia, I’ve spent the most time traveling this year than in any other year of my life! Two years ago, I started a New Year’s ritual to dedicate my year to a mantra, or rather a guideline for living. Last year, I centered my year around the phrase: “make it happen.” As I look back on my 2015, it feels great knowing I followed through with my resolution. Now let’s celebrate the ending of another year to make way for new beginnings! YEAR IN NUMBERS In 2015, I traveled approximately 28,463.9 miles or 45,808.2 kilometers mostly in Asia. Since ending a 1 year teaching gig in Daejeon, I packed up a backpack and have spent 148 days in constant movement. I’ve spent 29 of those days back at home in Beverly, MA after 1 a

 Last week post showcasing the beauty of La Antigua Guatemala was a hit.  This week I decided to post more photos of this charming city.  Additionally, I am going to include ideas on things to do once you arrive. You can find my last week’s post in here. La Antigua Guatemala is not that big.  In one day, you can see most of the important sights.  You can spend more days exploring in depth or visiting the surrounding attractions.  Don’t forget that La Antigua is the perfect spot to base your Guatemala exploration. What to see and do Start by walking around the Parque Central (Central Park).  In the center of the park, you are going to find the Fuente de Las Sirenas (Mermaids Fountain).  Surrounding the park, are the Catedral de Santiago (main church in the city), Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, Palacio del Ayuntamiento (municipal hall) and the Portal de Comercio (a commercial arcade).  You can find pictures of most of these places in last week’s post. Of course, you most visit t

The new talents to come soon on this fashion blog is Kirsty Hunter, Roisin Fergunson, Stiofan Dennehy amd more. Also Melissa Rahal who’s is another fashion student, she is currently studying in Lebanon. Keep checking the blog to see all these talented young creative designer, photographers and more. x

I was only in Jordan for a few days, but it’s an experience that I haven’t been able to forget. I rarely ever hear people talking about visiting and I feel like it’s highly underrated country. It’s such a beautiful country, with so much history, and so many wonderful adventures to experience. It’s definitely not the most glamorous country I’ve visited, but you won’t miss the glamour with all there is to do. You can easily get a fantastic taste of Jordan and have many adventures with just a short amount of time. Read on for my recommendations on the top things to do in Jordan! 1. Float in the Dead Sea The waters of the Dead Sea are so hyper salinated that it’s {almost} impossible to sink! {Supposedly, if you try to swim normally though you will sink, so be careful!} I actually did try to sink and couldn’t, I’d just pop right back up! Such a relaxing and fun experience! Beware of getting the water in your eyes or mouth: it’s disgusting and very uncomfortable! Just how much salt is in t

Throughout our research, we read that visiting Easter Island was expensive due to the remote location. We found that you can visit Easter Island on a budget (or at least cheaper!) We visited Easter Island for 7 days/6 nights in the beginning of July. This time frame is considered a “low season” in Easter Island, so prices will fluctuate depending on the when you visit. Check out what we did below. All prices listed are in USD. Flight The flight to Easter Island is not the cheapest. There isn’t a direct flight to Easter Island from San Francisco (SFO), so we had two legs: SFO to Santiago, Chile (SCL) SCL to Easter Island (IPC) It is very difficult to use award travel/mileage for the final leg (SCL > IPC) as LAN Airlines is the only airlines to Easter Island. You could purchase tickets on the LAN Airlines Chile website for lower prices in local Chilean pesos. We purchased directly on LAN Airlines U.S. website. We used search aggregators such as Kayak and Google Flights to se

Driving around Tasmania is the best way to see this island state in its entirety. In the last half a decade, Tasmania has found itself on top of everyone’s to-do list. Mainlanders have heard of its rugged beauty, farm-to-table produce and quirky arts scene that has put Tasmania on the map. So, what are you waiting for? Here is the ultimate guide to plan your Tasmanian road trip! Planning your Tasmanian Road Trip Before you make your way to Tasmania, it is important to know that the success of a Tassie road trip lies in the planning and preparation. As any local will tell you, it’s all about knowing where to go and when, given our major shifts in seasons to determine what kind of adventure you will be having. Start by deciding where you will fly or cruise into. Hobart is the capital city in the South of the island where most travellers decide to begin their Tasmanian road trip. Another (and arguably better) entry point is in the North of the island, the second largest city