Real Women Travel Alone!

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Travel, Travel Tips, Traveling alone, Women and travel

We all have the memories.  Pictures of us and our closest girlfriends lounging on sandy beaches in Bermuda or partying till dawn in Ibiza.  As amazing women it goes without saying that we all have great groups of girlfriends to share our lives with and some of our fondest memories are of things we did and places we’ve been with our girls.  However as we get older and life moves us each in new and different directions, it gets harder and harder to spend that quality time with each other.  Does that mean that life ends and you just sit at home waiting for schedules to coordinate?  So many women (and people in general) are afraid to travel alone.  They worry about the stares they will get from strangers or how they could possibly have fun in a new country without their best buds.  Truth is, real women travel alone!  Sure it’s great to have your friends along to share the experience, but traveling alone can open your eyes to so many things you didn’t know about yourself and can be even more fun than traveling with a group.  Life is way too short to miss out on all its wonders sitting around waiting for other people to join you.  Here are some tips on how to see the world all by your lonesome….and love every minute of it!

Safety First!

Make sure you thoroughly research the countries you plan on visiting!  Safety comes first, especially when traveling alone, so make sure you’re aware of what’s going on in the country, what areas are safe/unsafe for tourists and write down local emergency numbers.  Also, plan your travel arrangements in each city so you’re not at a lost on how you’ll be getting around.

Go Where The Fun Is

Sure vacations are about lounging and relaxing, but don’t get tempted to stay at that exclusive resort in the middle of nowhere just because it has a great spa.  You can spa at home!  Pick a hotel in the heart of the city so that you’re close to all the tourist attractions, local nightlife and trendy restaurants.  Being in the mix will ensure that there is always something for you to do and see.

Don’t Listen To Your Mother, Talk To Strangers

Most people hate traveling alone because they feel they’ll have no one to talk to, but they couldn’t be more wrong.  Talk to the woman shopping in the vintage store you find in Spain or the group of guys watching football in the pub in London.  You might find that these people are tourists just like you or better yet locals who are friendly and more than willing to give you insider tips on how best to enjoy their hometown.

Do As Locals Do

Tourist life is great, but one of the best ways to truly enjoy a solo vacation is to live life as a local.  If it’s customary for locals to drink espresso and eat pastries everyday at 3pm, find yourself a cafe and join in.  If locals usually ride the trolley around town, hop on.  Experience the country through their eyes and you’ll walk away with a whole new appreciation for their way of life.

Get Lost

Don’t be afraid to travel off the beaten path.  Take the train to the last stop or walk through a town aimlessly, you never know what you may find that can make the experience a memorable one.

Live In The Moment

Try not to plan every single moment of your vacation.  Force yourself to do and try things you wouldn’t otherwise.  Take in a street festival and try new foods or partake in a local custom.  Live the experience without the confines of time and most importantly TURN. THE. PHONE. OFF.  Twitter and Facebook will be there waiting for your updates when you get home.

Do you like to travel alone?

3 Ways To Survive A Group Trip With Your Girls

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group trips, Travel Tips, Travel with friends, Women and travel

When most people think of group trips they think of a disaster waiting to happen. Most people I know wouldn’t dare go on a vacation with more than three other people, if that. As someone who regularly travels with a large (15+) group of women I definitely feel your pain. It can be a hassle trying to deal with all of the different moods, needs, wants and personalities. One bad experience with a girls only group trip can scar you for life! It’s definitely a challenge, but trust me, it’s not impossible. Before you turn your next group trip into a solo one, consider these three tips and turn your next ladies getaway from scary to spectacular.

Be Selective

I know it seems cruel to even think about traveling without one of your close friends, but not every friend is a travel friend. Your girl Tasha might be cool for brunches and the occasional trip to a lounge, but on a week long vacation she might be your worst nightmare. Make sure you pick friends with easy going laid back personalities that will not only mesh with yours during the course of the trip, but with your other guests as well. If you know Tasha is boughetto and Mia has strong opinions about everything, it may not be wise to have them both on the same trip. Choose wisely and your sanity will thank you later.

Plan Ahead

When I mentioned earlier that I travel with 15+ women regularly I could feel the “Oh no that is too much estrogen for me,” in the air. However, one of the things that make the trips work is that we plan ahead. Our designated trip planner makes sure that not only are tours arranged and/or paid for before we leave, but she sends out a very detailed itinerary of each day that includes all activities and anticipated costs. And we love her dearly for it! Nothing takes an amazing trip downhill faster than people arguing about where to go, what to do and how much things cost. Be sure to let people know in advance what the plans and anticipated costs are this way they can set their budgets accordingly and when they arrive to the destination they know exactly what to expect.

Split Up

Yes it’s supposed to be a group trip, but being around each other 24/7 would wear on anyone’s nerves. Enjoy the major attractions and sights as a group, but when you get a little down time break off into smaller groups and explore your vacation destination with your roommate or your bestie in the group. It will give you a much needed breather and the stories you all will have when you meet up again later could make for some great laughs.

 

Jetsetter Chronicles: 30 Rocks!

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30th Birthday, Barcelona, Birthdays, Cannes, Cava, Cruises, Florence, France, Freixenet, Italy, Jetsetting, Nice, Park Güell, Pisa, Rome, Sagrada Familia, Spain, Travel, Travel with friends, Vacation, Vatican, Wine, Women and travel

Before you say anything I know, I know…I’m beyond late with this post.  As some of you know, I’ve been celebrating my 30th year of fabness all year long starting with a weekend trip to Paris in January to see a Basquiat exhibit.  I turned the big 3-0 back in May (#TeamTaurus!) and wouldn’t have wanted to celebrate my birthday any other way.  When the clock struck 12 on Monday, May 9th, I was exactly where I wanted to be.  Alive, healthy, employed, loved, drunk and on the other side of the globe in Barcelona with 13 of the best women a girl could ever have the pleasure of knowing!  I spent the week of my 30th birthday traveling through Spain, Italy and France and having the time of my life!  The only downside was that 3 of my good friends couldn’t be there, but with each glass of wine we all felt their spirit lol.

I’ve created a little slideshow of my birthday extravaganza for your viewing pleasure.  I must warn you now that there are over 400 pictures!  I wish I could’ve put captions on most of them for you but ummm, yea…..however I will say that you should pay special attention to the pictures of the extravagant church called the Sagrada Família (STUNNING!!!), Park Güell, both by Gaudi (Seriously, if you’re not familiar…look him up!) and of course the photos of the Vatican.

Anyway, to say 30 rocks is an understatement!!

While other women have been dreading this milestone for various reasons, I have spent the last 5 years saving money and counting down to what has turned out to be the BEST. YEAR. EVER!  Nope, I’m not married and no kids in sight.  Sure I could use more money, a position that will allow me to take over the world and a condo in Brooklyn with floor to ceiling windows, but outside of those things I have everything in the world to be grateful for.  Those other things, God willing, will come in time, I believe that.  Right now, I can’t stress about a yesterday that can’t be undone and a tomorrow that, God-forbid, might never come.  If I learned anything over the past 30 years it is that I need to live in the moment and in this moment, I’m alive, blessed, loved and FINALLY 30!!!!

Enjoy

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My Big Fat Greek Vacation: Pt II

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Athens, Cruises, Greece, Travel, Travel with friends, Turkey, Vacation, Women and travel

Hello friends!

When we left yesterday’s episode, Jetsetter Dee had just left the wonderful island of Patmos after experiencing gorgeous views and deep religious history.  In today’s episode her journey continues….Thundercats, Hoooo!!! (Pay me no mind…I have Boomerang and watch WAY too many 80s cartoons lol)

On with the story….

The next morning we woke up ready to explore the island of Crete…

There was just one problem…it was Sunday and EVERYTHING was closed!  Sigh, now had we been able to find our trip guide Kerrie (told you she was a mess) we would’ve known this.  Fortunately there were no shore excursions associated with this stop so we had a little breakfast on the island and headed back to the ship.  My friend and her mother, who ventured out separately from me and my roomie, were briefly harassed by some local beggar children, but the tough duo they are, they made it out with no bumps or bruises, just a soft heart lol.

Next up was my FAVORITE (well tied with Turkey) part of the trip…..

The AMAZING, BREATHTAKING, GORGEOUS island of Santorini!!

This little island is the most beautiful and popular of all the islands we visited.  The whitewashed structures (typical of all the islands), quaint shops and friendly people made the experience worth it.  For such a tourist attraction the town still had a quiet and homey feel.  The weather was great so the locals were out selling their goods, eating a meal and riding their ATVs through the town.  Santorini is most famous for their view of an amazing sunset and their beaches.  People from all over flock to Santorini to travel to the town of Oia (pronounced like eee-a), the highest point on the island, to watch the breathtaking sunset.  There was a tour traveling to Oia to see the sunset, but it was 62 Euros so we passed and chose to explore the island ourselves….and we had a blast.  Once we ruled out taking a donkey up the side of the mountain and opted for the cable car, lol, we did (more) shopping, walked through a nice residential neighborhood, visited a beautiful church and caught the sunset all for free!

After catching the sunset we did a little more shopping, then headed back to our ship for the night.  The next morning we were back in Athens…

Now I know you’re probably wondering why I took the random picture above.  Let me explain.  You see ALL over Greece, islands included, there are stray dogs and cats, but the difference between our strays here and their strays are the fact that one they are tagged (Greece experienced an influx of animals when they hosted the Olympics so the government tagged and neutered the animals) and two…they are apart of the community.  I mean, they cross at the light just like you and I (which is what this dog was doing) and they lay out in the middle of the sidewalk, in front of stores, etc without a care in the world.  They aren’t aggressive in any way and if you didn’t know better you would think they were dead, which is what we thought when we saw a dog laid out in the middle of the Ephesus ruins in Turkey lol.  They are fed and looked out for by the people in the city and are probably living better than any of us.  Out of all the history I saw in Greece, this was probably the one thing that left me scratching my head lol.

Anyway, once we got back to out hotel, my friend Jaime (who organized the trip and replaced Kerrie as our tour guide lol) decided there was no rest for the weary and dragged us out to explore the city.  We headed to an area of Athens called Plaka where we did more shopping (don’t judge us lol) and ate at a nice restaurant where we sampled some local cuisine.

After touring Plaka, we walked through Athens taking in the sights on our way to see the changing of the guards and a local museum.  The entire city of Athens literally sits on history.  Not history as we know it where you can walk down the street past a historical building built in 1920…I’m talking history as in the people of Athens walk past structures on their way to work that were there BEFORE Christ.  Imagine everyday on your way to work passing the Temple of Zeus…

Or walking under the Herculean Arch and facing the Acropolis as you wait for the light…

Even their train stations (I’m a huge fan of foreign metro systems…I MUST ride it in every country I visit) sit on history and are more like underground museums.  While excavating to make improvements to a subway route, this is what they found…

All work was ceased and now it is a historical site complete with a plaque that you can stop and read anytime you want…

Seeing this just made me want to ride the train MORE, but tour guide Jaime had us on a schedule and we needed to make it to the changing of the guards and the museum before calling it a night.

Jaime’s mom and our friend Linda (my roomie) were so sick of us and our sightseeing that they ditched us in the museum to find a seat and take a nap.  I snapped a pic of them just as Jai’s mom woke up…Linda was knocked out! LOL!

The next day tour guide Jaime had us up with the roosters so we can get an early start on our next destination.  Even better than that, she said we could take the train there…yay!!

Told you the train station was like a mini museum…

Two stops later we had reached our destination…

The Acropolis!!

We were excited to see this historic landmark, but walking ALL the way up here…

yea…not so much lol.  Actually once we got started it wasn’t that bad, especially since we stopped along the way to take pictures, like this one of the Theatre of Dionysos…

Finally we reached the top of the Acropolis where we were treated to an amazing view of the city and sites like the Parthenon.

While taking pictures, Jaime and I ran into a group of Korean tourists who thought we were sooooo beautiful that they just had to take pictures with us….for almost 20 minutes!!  There were so many people clamoring to take pics with us you would’ve thought we were celebrities, lol.  They were so courteous and sweet, the wife of one of the tourists kept giving us various Korean candies as a thank you after every picture!  They were so cute that I had a snap a picture of a few of them just to remember the moment…they made the hike to the top worth it lol.

Next, after walking all the way to the top, it was time to make our way down.  Once at the bottom, we walked around the base of the Acropolis taking in more sites, cafes and of course…shopping.  We walked so much that before we knew it we had walked from the Acropolis to near our hotel. We grabbed a bite at another restaurant in Plaka (they had the BEST french fries ever…McDonald’s who??) and decided to head home.  We were so exhausted from the day that we decided to take the bus…too bad it was the wrong one!  With our hotel in sight, our driver makes a left turn.  Linda tries to ask him politely to let us off, but he plays the “speak no English card” and keeps going…which in typical NY/NJ fashion sets Linda off and she starts cursing out the drive declaring “You know we’re not from around here!!”  The whole thing was so hilarious that all we could do was laugh.

Finally, we made it back to the hotel (the next stop was only a few blocks away) rested for a hot second and headed out to get some Pizza Hut for dinner (a clear sign it’s time to go home lol) and some gelatos and coffee for dessert.  Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the hotel, we had an ungodly check out time, but it didn’t matter, it was our last night and we were happy to be heading home…USA here we come!

The End!

My Big Fat Greek Vacation: Pt I

Tags

Athens, Greece, Religion, Travel, Travel with friends, Turkey, Vacation, Women and travel

Ladies and Gents I’m back!  Well have been for about a week, but who’s keeping track lol.

As I told you guys before I went on a little break to spend the most wonderfully hilarious week in Greece!  It was a group of about 16 of us, friends and family, coming together to experience the wonders of the world.  Now I know you’re probably thinking that’s just WAY too many people to travel with, but that’s what makes my team supreme, we can travel almost 20 deep and have no issues at all.  I mean we had mothers, fathers, granny, granny’s bff, sisters, friends, co-workers…you name it!  Everyone was there to laugh, learn and share this wonderful experience!

Our trip started off with an almost 8hr flight to Zurich on the tightest Swiss Air flight ever.  They really gave us one of their relics for this flight because even the skinny chicks with us were feeling suffocated lol.  Once in Zurich we headed off to do what we do best…shop! Or window shop for folks like me, lol.  We hit up a few stores before heading to our connecting flight to Athens.  Our connecting flight was slightly better than the first and before we could start to snore we arrived in Athens where our trip coordinator met us and escorted us to our hotel.  Our coordinator Kerrie (who there isn’t even enough paper in the world to write down the hot mess she was) kept telling us we were staying in the center of Athens.  Being the New Yorker I am, when I hear “center” I’m thinking Times Sq….yea no.

This shot below was across from our 4-star hotel…

Not a bad city, definitely filled with beautiful history and architecture, but not what I would picture the center of a major city to be, especially not in comparison to NY or other foreign countries I visited…but I digress.

So we arrive at our hotel…

EXHAUSTED!!!  We were so tired that we slept through the meeting that gave us instructions on how to prepare for our cruise departure the next day lol.  The next morning we wake up, have something described as breakfast and make our way to the port to catch our cruise ship.

It was smaller than any cruise ship we’ve been on, but after being herded through the port customs area like cattle, we were more than happy to be aboard this ship!  Once everyone was on board we set sail, first stop….Mykonos!

We were all smiles and ready to explore!

We walked around the island until well past sunset shopping, partaking in the sights….especially this one of the island’s famous windmills

And of course stopping at a local restaurant to grab a quick bite before returning to the ship.

The next day we were up at the crack of dawn to go out on our first guided tour of the trip in the spectacular city of….

In Turkey we toured the ruins of Ancient Ephesus.  Ephesus was an important city during both the Classical Greek and Roman eras.  It is also believed Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia that are cited in the Book of Revelation.  Our tour was lead by our hilarious guide George (I didn’t take pics of him only video….he was too good for photos) who walked us though the ancient city giving us its detailed history. At the end of the tour, he even gave all the women on our bus cute “evil eye” bracelets to ward of danger.

After Ephesus, we went to a Co-op where families from all over Turkey bring their handmade rugs to be sold.  These rugs are intricate in detail and take years to make….which showed in their price tags!

After our carpet ride it was time to say farewell to Turkey and hello to the Greek island of Patmos…

Once in Patmos it was time for tour number 2!  Patmos is important because of its ties to St. John the Theologian.  It is said that St. John came to this island and it is here that he is believed to have received his Revelation, which was written down and turned into what we all know as The Book of Revelations.  In Patmos we toured the holy cave where St. John actually wrote the book (it was such a holy place that not only could we not take pictures of anything but the outside, we were not even allowed to speak) and his monastery where we saw famous biblical artifacts and paintings.

Sorry I couldn’t give you more exciting pictures of Patmos, but since both the cave and monastery are holy places there was no picture-taking to be had and I wasn’t about to disrespect my Jesus! LOL.

After a long afternoon of walking down into a cave and hiking ALL the way up to the monastery, it was time to return to the ship for some laughs, food and sleep!!

Part II: Santorini & Athens…Stay tuned!!