Happy Friday!

Does anyone have travel plans for the weekend?! 

My friends and I are going on staycation in the Woodlands this weekend. 

Any time you can get away, you should. 

I've grown especially fed up with my daily routine so this is going to be great. I'll update you on Monday. In the meantime, enjoy these pictures and have a great weekend! 

Can you tell I love TravelNoire?! You should really check them out too! 

Travel is Transformative (Part 1)

When you travel, you learn things about other places and people...but mostly you learn things about yourself.

Traveling is important to character development, that is an undeniable fact. When you have the ability to experience different cultures, customs and take in God's wonderful creation in different parts of the world, you get the chance to really learn.  It's those experiences that will become part of your reality and shape your viewpoint. Instead of bringing home souvenirs, you come back a more enlightened version of yourself, and you just can't put a price on that.

I never got the chance to study abroad when I was in college or grad school but I really wish I had. Back then, I didn't really understand the importance of an experience like that. If I could, I would go back in time and tell my 20 year old self to put down the red solo cup and apply for that semester in Europe.

However, I've been fortunate enough to go many places in my lifetime. Hopefully, I'll go to many more. But, over the course of my varied travels, I've learned al ot and I'd like to share just a few things (I'll share these in a series of posts, hence the part 1 in the title):

1. You can do just about anything. Have you ever gotten off a plane in a foreign country with no idea how to speak the language...but you need to figure out how to get to your hotel? The easiest way would be to hop in the back of a taxi and point to a location on a map, right? What if you went to the nearest bus stop or train station and tried to navigate the path yourself? Sure, you may get lost and it may be a bit scary...but who cares? You'll learn the city, stumble across a park or a restaurant that you may not have otherwise seen, interact with the locals, etc. Plus, the sense of satisfaction and pride you'll feel when you make it to your final destination will be overwhelming. Then you will have learned, you can do it and you will do it again....you can do it all.
2. People are not as bad as you think they are. Don't be afraid to ask someone for directions or just strike up a friendly conversation. You never know what kind of fun and adventure that may lead to. Honestly, despite what you've heard, people will be nice to you when you are nice to them. That's just a fundamental truth. I need to heed my own advice on this one. I'm reluctant to talk to strangers but when I do, I always end up being glad I did.
3. What doesn't kill you really does make you stronger. While we were in Costa Rica, I woke up one morning to my best friend saying, "Today we're ziplining!" At the time I was thinking, "Why did I let her talk me into this??" As we climbed higher and higher in the trolley, I heard the guide say with this huge smile on his face...."There's only one way down" and he pointed to the first zipline in the series. Millions of thoughts were going through my head, including....let me write my family a note so they'll know what happened to me if I happen to be the one to fall off this ridiculously long death trap perched high above the Costa Rican forest. When it was my turn...I was trembling with fear....but I let go and I did it. And as I flew through the air, I was so enchanted by the experience that I had no problem finishing the course. I tell you this story to emphasize the point that....I literally could have died. But I didn't....and what's more, I enjoyed it and I'd do it again! It also made me realize that you have to take risks sometimes. Not that I'll go jump out of a plane any time soon but you can't be afraid to try new thing. You will live to tell the tale! You may inspire someone else in the process and you know what....you'll ultimately be a stronger, better person for it.

This video is of my BFF and I ziplining! It's not the best video but...you get the idea.

Those are just 3 gems of knowledge. Stay tuned for part 2.

Open Letter to Travel

Open Letter to Travel

Go now....run, DO NOT WALK....and click on the above link. It's like the author of this article on HuffPost Travel was reading my whole mind. Her name is Jaimee Ratliff and her blog is called This Way North. I'm definitely about spend a few hours reading her posts. She seems like my kinda gal.

The Illusive Search for the Perfect Online Ticket Price

I have serious commitment issues when it comes to purchasing airlines tickets for my most major trips. 

This year, my best friend and I decided that our 2014 international trip would include Istanbul, Athens, Santorini and Mykonos. After much debate and convincing me that we would be unable to visit each of the 230 inhabited Greek Island in the Aegean and Ionian seas during our 8 day trip, we settled on the main attractions (keep in mind that there are approximately 1,400 islands total)....ha. I tried it. 

The land portion of our trip has been confirmed since March, but like I said...I have commitment issues.

I searched all the traditional sites like kayak.com. cheapOair.com, airfarewatchdog, etc. I searched on the host airlines sites to determine the best deal. Finally, I asked my travel agent what she considered to be the best deal out there. 

Finally, after weeks and weeks of searching high and low for the best deal at the lowest price, ideal arrival time to my desired destination, non stop or with the least amount of layover time, comfort, technology available on the plane itself, good traveler reviews, etc - a perfect combination of which is nearly impossible - I settled for a R/T ticket on Turkish Airlines that was a little over $1000. I spent so much time trying make sure I purchased the right ticket at the lowest price. Unfortunately, the downfall of doing all that research and coupled with the myth of that magical day when airline tickets are the absolute cheapest....prices go up, daily. 

At any rate....we're well on our way! Air and Land purchased and I'm so excited! This trip is scheduled around Labor Day...so stay tuned for updates.

Since this is my first blog post, I figured I'd let everyone know what to expect from me in the future. As the title of my blog suggests, I have a really bad case of wanderlust. I am 100% sure that there is no cure for it. Every trip I take, every adventure I embark upon, only ignites in me a fire to do and see more. It's almost like there's some force that's pulling me to destinations I've only dreamed of. I subscribe to tons of travel sites, and travel deal sites and every day I sit at my desk and click through the pictures, read the descriptions and this feeling of hopelessness comes over me. I'll never have enough money or time to see it all. But, alas, all is not lost b/c one thing's for sure.....I'm going to die trying. 

So, I'll post pictures, stories, deals, itineraries, quotes, places I want to go, things I day dream about, places I've been my own personal experiences and those borrowed, and anything else I can think of...all things travel related. Also, since I'm an attorney by day, I'll likely throw in some posts about that stuff too. I hope you enjoy this taking this journey with me. I needed to find a way to release all this wanderlust I have inside me....maybe some of you will catch it too.