Unlike planning your trip, packing is just NOT the funnest thing to do. However, packing can make your life easier during your trip, or not. What do I know about packing? I kind of do it for a living, so I may know a thing or two. I personally hate checking a bag at the ticket counter when using any airline. Bags tend to get damaged or even lost. Nobody has time for that!
What works for me? Inside my carry on suitcase (you do need to check what the allowed size for your airline is, as they vary) I have a few different size cosmetic bags. This works because it compartmentalizes everything for you, even if your bag is not already designed for that. I got my leisure carry on at TJMaxx and absolutely love it!
With carry on items, however, you want to ensure you use the least amount of liquids as you will be limited to 3 oz. containers. Also, everything should fit into the one litter bag they provide you with (certain airports give you a specific bag, others let you bring your own.)
On the biggest cosmetic bag, I keep all my toiletries and things I use daily.
-Toothbrush
-Razor
-Soap (Yes, you may skip this if you don't mind using the hotel's soap. I don't like them because they usually dry out my skin)
-Shampoo bar (I get mine at Lush or Basin. The bar is better because it doesn't count towards your liquid allowance. Basin also has the conditioner bar- BONUS!)
-You may choose to use cleansing cloths vs cleansers (again, your liquids will be restricted)
-Deodorant
The mid-size cosmetic bag actually holds cosmetics, obviously guys may skip this part (lucky you).
NOTE: Do NOT carry all of your cosmetics!!!! (essentials)
-Concealer
-Blush (Pick either your favorite color or a bronzer)
-Powder (I use powder foundation for better coverage)
-Eyeliner
-Mascara
Seriously, don't waste your time doing your face when you should be out and about!
Inside that clear plastic bag for "liquids"
-Moisturizer
-small sun block
-travel size toothpaste
-Lip gloss (just take your favorite, that's enough)
-Perfume testers
When you are packing, it is important that you know what the weather will be like, so that you may pack accordingly. If packing for a warmer destination, I absolutely love thin fabric; it allows you to bring extras!!! Another thing I learned is to pack dresses. One piece equals one outfit! Done! (You don't have to worry about repeating an outfit, or matching the top with the bottom).
I get it, not everyone cares for dresses. If you must pack pants, jeans will take the MOST space. Jeans are also going to take longer to dry if you spill something on you and have to wash it by hand; yes, things happen. If you must, pack only ONE pair. You can match this one pair to 3 different tops. I personally prefer the softer fabric pants because they take up less space and they are not as hot either (NY & Co and WHBM have amazing trousers and crops). The way you pack will also be determined on the type of activities you will be conducting when away. If you have planned a lot of outside activities, such as zip lining, horseback riding, etc... workout clothes works best. However, make sure you don't take your see through ones; it's not cute!
Don't forget to pack your bathing suit or a bag to put your dirty laundry in!
Colder destinations are my least favorite. LAYERS, anyone??? I get cold really easy, so I like to be prepared.
-I always bring tank tops-they take up less space and they are my base layer.
-A basic long sleeve (Old Navy usually has them for cheap)
-Pashimina scarf. I have a couple multi-colored ones because ONE will do. These are packed very small but they are nice and warm (these things are my favorite!!!)
-Jacket or sweater (North Face is my favorite and warmest, but you can bring your favorite leather jacket instead)
-Don't forget to bring gloves!!!
-I always use tights under my jeans. Yes, you want to bring your jeans to a cold destination.
Bottomline is, you can never be too prepared. However, don't let a little thing like forgetting something get on your way of having an amazing time. Take your trip as what it is, an adventure. At times, hotels will be able to provide you what you need; otherwise, did anyone say shopping!?
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
A little bit on Omar
I've been asked to write about my brother many times. There are many reasons why I don't want to. The main one being I cannot put into words what I feel when I see my brother go through his daily struggles.
Many people complaint when something hurts and they question God why they hurt. We tend to overlook at things and put a lot more value on things than they need. For instance, we may cry over the love of our life walking away inexplicably. I'm guilty of having done this myself. After days of sobbing and walking around as a zombie, my brother Omar said to me: "I walk around with a backpack that contains "jet fuel" so that my heart can keep beating and you are crying over an idiot? You can walk just fine, your organs work on their own, you are beautiful, smart.... what the hell is wrong with you? So he left! Get over it and get on with your life" OUCH! Talk about tough love. I felt embarrassed not because I'm not supposed to cry over a "man", but because my brother was right.
I used to overlook being able to pee, being able to walk, shower, opening a bottle of soda, going upstairs, and being outside. I used to overlook these things because they seem silly, until you are no longer able to do them.
How do you even explain how you feel when you go to bed shaking from the amounts of pain you are in? Or how you feel when you feel powerless as the one you love is shaking from the amounts of pain he's in and there is NOTHING you can do. Morphine? check! Pain reliever patch? check! Fix pillows? check! check! check! You've done everything you can, yet you've done nothing.
People ask me: "how's your brother?" I usually always answer: "stable" For those of you that don't know what stable means... it simply means there is really NOTHING more we can do. He's not in the hospital and we're kinda managing.
It's hard to see your loved ones suffer. It's sad to wake up every morning to the sound of him throwing up and gasping for air or watching him freak out because his mobility decreases day by day.
I tell you one thing though... my brother has fought a hell of a fight and I could not be prouder of all he's accomplished in his life. He's got a great ear for music, a great hand for art. My brother Omar has come back from the dead a few times and has seen and gone through things I couldn't put on paper. I am so proud to call him my brother and he's the strongest person I know.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
European Threesome
"I would never put the three of you in one trip, much less to Europe", a coworker said to my friend. It all started while it was still dark outside at the Orlando International Airport. I met A at the other airline's counter to get listed on the next flight to Miami. We were then to attempt a Madrid connection. After we listed and went through security, our friend V joins us.
As I shared with V and A that I was only joining them to the first part of the trip, an angel (coworker whom I have yet to meet in person) decides to pick up the one trip cuting my vacation short.
I pay this certain angel $50.00 to work one easy turn for me. Funny, later on that trip we found out the other airline employees actually pay to pick up the trips from others; not the other way around. CRAZY! Nonetheless, I was VERY happy (and oh so thankful.... THANK YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE) that I was now able to partake on the full vacation.
A portion of our trip (three of the flights) were actually "confirmed", which simply means we were going to be just another customer. I was not done telling them the great news and they were each pulling up a different flight on their phones, so that we could all be on the same flight. Happiness and productivity worked beautifully together. OFF TO MIAMI WE GO!
Our flight got delayed and we encountered some very rude gate agents in Miami. However, not all was darkness and a few long hours and a very big Cuban lunch later, we were able to get on our next flight. OFF TO MADRID WE GO!
I no longer know how many hours we spent between planes, at airports, eating, and trying to sleep. All I know is... WE MADE IT TO IBIZA! My friends and I stayed at a beautiful apartment, close to everything. After splitting the cost, it really was a steal.
Personally, I think partying in Ibiza is a bit overpriced. They charge you anywhere from 40-60 EUROS as a cover charge, PLUS you have to pay for your drinks. Go ahead, read that again and tell me I'm not right; I double dare you! Yup, it says EUROS, just saying.
Instead of wasting all of our time and money going clubbing (okay, we did go clubbing one night) we spent some time exploring Ibiza. I do have to admit, picturesque is probably an under-statement. Crystal waters, impressive views, very quaint. As far as the stores, just imagine that little emoji with the two hearts instead of eyes, multiply it times three- that was us.
"Tortilla espanola, gracias" (My friend V can probably do without tortilla for the rest of her life... Me? I could just eat it for breakfast, lunch, and diner. I'm sure I did.)
We quickly found out that the best way to eat in Spain is by asking for "tapas" or appetizers. We asked for a few and some cava sangria (OMG, you HAVE to try cava sangria) and split the bill. This would make our expense lower as well as giving us more food choices. It was really a no brainer and delicious. VOILA!
I wore my first g-string in Ibiza. Yes, I had the whitest butt (just gotta throw that out there)
We also found people in Ibiza say the weirdest things; such as:
-Do you like women?
-You have to try things out, people get bored
-Youth now days, you don't understand anything
Happy to having been there, we take a ferry boat to BARCELONA!
The good thing about the ferry is:
-You get to have a warm meal
-Take a nice hot shower
-Sleep on a bed
-Rest for a few hours
You get the option of not purchasing a cabin, but quite frankly, it is TOTALLY worth the $$$.
After seeing a few things in Barcelona the first day, I couldn't understand what was all the fuzz about. Yes, it was pretty, but I was not impressed. That feeling of "what the heck am I doing here?" did not last long at all. Our second day there I KNEW what all the fuzz was about. It was Gaudi. It was making paella from scratch. It was the sangria. It was the fresh market. It was the fabulous gold fish by the beach. It was the festivities. It was Florimar (makeup store). Did I mention Gaudi? This man was able to put a huge smile on my face with his astonishing designs(see below). His work is full of details and its inspired by nature. Most people know about Sagrada Familia (or at least something about it), but they don't necessarily know much about Gaudi's other work. I sure didn't and I was definitely impressed enough to go back to Barcelona.
As if Barcelona hadn't stolen a piece of my heart, we took yet another flight. This time to MYKONOS! It was my second time in Mykonos; my friends' first. I HAD to take them to my favorite spot; THE BAKERY! In case you haven't figured it out yet, I LOVE FOOD! The bakery is right in the heart of Mykonos town, near the bus station. What's so special about it? It's a building from the Vikings' time and they use CRAZY OLD SCHOOL tools to bake all their pastries. I just LOVE the welcoming feeling of this place.
Mind you, if you think ANYWHERE in the states, or even Puerto Rico, has slow service, brace yourself! Grece has redefined the word "patience" in my book.
We stayed at a really nice bed and breakfast very close to Mykonos town, so it was easy to just walk around (except when drunk tourist go around grabbing butts and your friend screams a curse word at them and you all start to laugh hysterically). Partying in Paradise Beach was fun. We danced and partied like rock stars. The best part is: ITS FREE! You simply have to pay for your drinks (or get someone to buy them for you) and DONE! By 8pm we were done ourselves and headed back to town to have some diner.
All three of us ARE very different, but we share the love of the unknown and love of adventure (to different levels). So I lied about the whole threesome thing in the title. Sorry to disappoint! Stay safe and travel on.
xo,
Marie
As I shared with V and A that I was only joining them to the first part of the trip, an angel (coworker whom I have yet to meet in person) decides to pick up the one trip cuting my vacation short.
I pay this certain angel $50.00 to work one easy turn for me. Funny, later on that trip we found out the other airline employees actually pay to pick up the trips from others; not the other way around. CRAZY! Nonetheless, I was VERY happy (and oh so thankful.... THANK YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE) that I was now able to partake on the full vacation.
A portion of our trip (three of the flights) were actually "confirmed", which simply means we were going to be just another customer. I was not done telling them the great news and they were each pulling up a different flight on their phones, so that we could all be on the same flight. Happiness and productivity worked beautifully together. OFF TO MIAMI WE GO!
Our flight got delayed and we encountered some very rude gate agents in Miami. However, not all was darkness and a few long hours and a very big Cuban lunch later, we were able to get on our next flight. OFF TO MADRID WE GO!
I no longer know how many hours we spent between planes, at airports, eating, and trying to sleep. All I know is... WE MADE IT TO IBIZA! My friends and I stayed at a beautiful apartment, close to everything. After splitting the cost, it really was a steal.
Instead of wasting all of our time and money going clubbing (okay, we did go clubbing one night) we spent some time exploring Ibiza. I do have to admit, picturesque is probably an under-statement. Crystal waters, impressive views, very quaint. As far as the stores, just imagine that little emoji with the two hearts instead of eyes, multiply it times three- that was us.
"Tortilla espanola, gracias" (My friend V can probably do without tortilla for the rest of her life... Me? I could just eat it for breakfast, lunch, and diner. I'm sure I did.)
We quickly found out that the best way to eat in Spain is by asking for "tapas" or appetizers. We asked for a few and some cava sangria (OMG, you HAVE to try cava sangria) and split the bill. This would make our expense lower as well as giving us more food choices. It was really a no brainer and delicious. VOILA!
I wore my first g-string in Ibiza. Yes, I had the whitest butt (just gotta throw that out there)
We also found people in Ibiza say the weirdest things; such as:
-Do you like women?
-You have to try things out, people get bored
-Youth now days, you don't understand anything
Happy to having been there, we take a ferry boat to BARCELONA!
The good thing about the ferry is:
-You get to have a warm meal
-Take a nice hot shower
-Sleep on a bed
-Rest for a few hours
You get the option of not purchasing a cabin, but quite frankly, it is TOTALLY worth the $$$.
After seeing a few things in Barcelona the first day, I couldn't understand what was all the fuzz about. Yes, it was pretty, but I was not impressed. That feeling of "what the heck am I doing here?" did not last long at all. Our second day there I KNEW what all the fuzz was about. It was Gaudi. It was making paella from scratch. It was the sangria. It was the fresh market. It was the fabulous gold fish by the beach. It was the festivities. It was Florimar (makeup store). Did I mention Gaudi? This man was able to put a huge smile on my face with his astonishing designs(see below). His work is full of details and its inspired by nature. Most people know about Sagrada Familia (or at least something about it), but they don't necessarily know much about Gaudi's other work. I sure didn't and I was definitely impressed enough to go back to Barcelona.
As if Barcelona hadn't stolen a piece of my heart, we took yet another flight. This time to MYKONOS! It was my second time in Mykonos; my friends' first. I HAD to take them to my favorite spot; THE BAKERY! In case you haven't figured it out yet, I LOVE FOOD! The bakery is right in the heart of Mykonos town, near the bus station. What's so special about it? It's a building from the Vikings' time and they use CRAZY OLD SCHOOL tools to bake all their pastries. I just LOVE the welcoming feeling of this place.
Mind you, if you think ANYWHERE in the states, or even Puerto Rico, has slow service, brace yourself! Grece has redefined the word "patience" in my book.
We stayed at a really nice bed and breakfast very close to Mykonos town, so it was easy to just walk around (except when drunk tourist go around grabbing butts and your friend screams a curse word at them and you all start to laugh hysterically). Partying in Paradise Beach was fun. We danced and partied like rock stars. The best part is: ITS FREE! You simply have to pay for your drinks (or get someone to buy them for you) and DONE! By 8pm we were done ourselves and headed back to town to have some diner.
All three of us ARE very different, but we share the love of the unknown and love of adventure (to different levels). So I lied about the whole threesome thing in the title. Sorry to disappoint! Stay safe and travel on.
xo,
Marie
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