Tag: blogging

The TRUTH about our Italy Honeymoon|Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan

It has always been a dream of mine to go to Italy and specifically go with my husband! Movies always showed Italy to be Romantic and Rome to be the city of love. I found extremely cheap tickets to go after our wedding. So we booked our $150 ticket on Air Portugal from Miami to Rome and head off to Italy before our week in Greece.

I would recommend this airline and we paid for extra legroom since Ryan is 6’3 and needs all the room he can get! Luggages, Food and wifi were all included in the price for economy.

Our flight to Italy was a breeze! We had one quick lay over in Lisbon, Portugal and then landed in Rome, Italy. When we got to Rome, our luggages were in a whole separate terminal so we had to walk and try to figure out where our luggages were and after an hour we found them! We took our taxi to our hotel into the beautiful Vatican city. The hotel we stayed at was Suites Giulia and was in an amazing location.

Our first day we spent the day napping and getting adjusted to the time change. We went out for Dinner and Gelato and went right back to sleep.

The next day we started our Journey of exploring! We took an uber which I believe is now illegal in Europe but was the easiest way for us to get the train/bus station in the heart of Rome where we needed to get to our Bus. Which fun fact we found out even though it says you have to get on the bus for the first time at the Bus station you actually can start at what ever stop is closest to you. We got on the Bus went to the colosseum and waited for our tour time! We decided to do a tour because you can skip the LONG lines and when I say long it was hours long and we went during the end of season travel. So extra money is so worth it. We waited and we showed up 30 mins early to check in and found out you had to be there 45 mins early and they wouldn’t let us on the tour. They rescheduled our trip and we got an even better tour as they added the Palatine Hill and Gladiator Area and Walk through the Loser gate. We began to wait for the next tour time which was only an hour and a half later but I began to feel extremely sick. I have never felt so fatigue and sick to my stomach. I have never wanted to faint or felt dizzy in my entire life. We went to the check-in counter and explained to them how I felt and they reschedule us again for the next morning. We quickly called an uber and headed back to our hotel. We ate Tums, ate a meal and slept for hours. After sleeping I began to feel like myself again and we decided to continue exploring. We walked to our closest bus stop and headed to the Spanish steps, Fountain of Trevi and walking around the whole city before we went to Dinner.

The next day we spent going to the Colosseum and the Vatican. We did not do the Skip the line tour for Vatican or the Sistine Chapel. The line looked long but it was only because no matter where you go in Italy you will go through extreme security. Most places you have to be wearing proper clothing, can not carry weapons, can not bring in liquids, must take jackets off and go through metal detectors. We waited in line for 20 mins and the line moved extremely quickly. We then walked to the Sistine chapel to go and see the famous Michelangelo painting. Which is about a 20 min walk from the Vatican that turned into a 2 hour walk for Ryan and I as we got lost and because of the language barrier it hard to ask for directions. Once you enter the Sistine Chapel it was hard for us to get around the crowds and explore in our paste, also the Museum is HUGE!!! Bring your student IDs, yes even from America or any country, as you can get a discounted ticket. Once you make it to the famous painting at the end of the museum, You can not take photos of the famous painting and they will have security everywhere watching and yelling at people who do.

… Now for my favorite part of Italy Florence!

Florence, Italy

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Florence! It has romance, kind people, shopping on every corner. It is a city where you can feel safe walking around and exploring. Amazing foods and views! We stayed at Palazzo Alfieri Residenza D’Epoca Alfieri Collezione and they kindly upgraded us when they found out we were on our Honeymoon to the Executive Suite and gave us free Breakfast! I mean it when I say the SWEETEST PEOPLE WORKED HERE! The room had an amazing waterfront view and was the perfect location to be in it was directly in the middle of the city! We were able to walk everywhere!!! We also found out that Florence is where Gucci is made, which is the reason they have so many Gucci stores and the Gucci Museum and Cafe! Ryan and I obviously had to purchase and when I say that I mean Ryan convinced me that we deserved it for all the work we have done and as graduation gifts haha Gucci as it is also cheaper since it is where it is manufactured and since we are Americans we get our Tax money back as they include tax in all their prices.

No matter what you buy in Europe… SAVE YOUR Receipts! once you are at the airport about to leave any place in Europe to go back to the states you can go to the exchange desk and get back your Tax money. We got back $300 and we didn’t even save everything. Pro tip is though they will ask to see the items you want to receive money back on.

We decided to go on a Wine tour!!! The tour was a small group, on a small private A/c Tour bus and it was the best! The bus was comfortable, had wifi and the tour guide Leo was extremely entertaining and knowledgable! We learned that almost everyone in Florence speaks english and Rome is one of the only places that speak Italian. Every city is almost a different language speaking city.

We also visited the Duomo and the Accademia Gallery where we got to see the Statue of David!

The whole city is literally beautiful and filled with restaurants that are authentic and beautiful unlike Rome where you mostly eat outside under a tent.

Restaurant Recommendation:

Venice, Italy

We were only in Venice for a day. We got off the train and walked to our hotel (A/C Marriott) which was only a one big bridge and one small bridge from the train station we did not need to take a water taxi or walk miles of stairs and bridges to get there. I spoke to a friend before going to Venice and did not realize how it is not easy to get around venice. So be aware where you book your hotel because you will have to carry your suitcases up and down stairs/bridges for miles to get to your hotel. Venice is like one big circle as well! We arrived in the morning, checked into our hotel and walked around the big circle till we got back to the hotel and got ready for Dinner. We went to an “exclusive” reservations only restaurant called Hostaria Osotioosopra and it was delicious!!! We noticed it was raining which is why we bought an umbrella from Rome with us as it was rainy there as well. However, we noticed that earlier in the day we saw EVERYONE with bags on their feet and rain boots on and they have a portable elevated flooring kind of like a stage but literally throughout the WHOLE city. We did not realize, nor were we told by anyone, that the city was about to FLOOD! As we were walking back to our hotel, the same route we just took to get to Dinner was completely flooded!!! We had to take a different route with bridges and such and made it back but… We spent the next hour in our hotel blow drying our shoes dry so we didn’t have to pack wet shoes. So the next morning we decided okay the city is flooded we saw what we came to see.. besides go on a gondola which I was SO excited about until I saw it in person and realized it was nothing like the movies due to the weather the water was extremely rough and you can see the captains were struggling and no one seemed to be enjoying the experience so we decided to use the cash we took out to buy souvenirs for our family. We decided to book a last minute trip to Milan, Italy. We booked a stay at the Milan Airport which we were flying out of to go to Greece anyways so we decided let’s explore the city a little!

Milan, Italy

Milan is filled with stores you would see in America. It was a little bit of fresh air. Starbucks and Uniqlo and the beautiful Duomo !!! We ended the night of shopping by getting gelato and then headed to the Hotel which was an hour train and bus ride back to the hotel. While we got on the train I was randomly selected by Italian police, 4 Military members and a cop approached me and asked for my passport and questions of where I am from and where am I going and what I am doing in Milan. Once they got word from their boss that I was cleared they got off the train and we were off to our stay at the Moxy Hotel in the Milan Airport! This is a Marriott hotel and was extremely clean, up to date with technology, modern looking and had good quick food that you can heat up and eat!

What I learned about Italy and would suggest to anyone going to Italy.

First tip: Study and ask anyone if they have been to Italy and ask what they suggest to eat in that city! Trust me you want to find these authentic restaurants. Do not waste your time just going into a restaurant to eat just because trust me it is not worth it!

Always carry your passport with you! They literally have military everywhere and like stated before I was randomly selected to be checked, don’t know why but I was.

Do the HOP ON HOP OFF BUS in Rome!!!

and Have Fun!!!

Hope you enjoyed the Blog about my trip to Italy!!! Hope it helps you on your next Italy trip!

Up next is our Blog about Magical Dream of a Trip to Greece!

Advertisement

Wedding Save The Dates UNDER $100

Our wedding is a little over 7 months away!!! That means Save the dates should be sent out within the next month. I began researching for the best inexpensive ways to create save the dates and here is everything I bought and did for my save the dates.

Where I bought my Save the Dates:

I went to every wedding invitation website and everything was SO expensive… I should probably say also I am not sponsored by ANYTHING posted in this blog I just seriously loved all my purchases. I finally found a website that was also running a sale called Simply to Impress

I paid $58 for 62 save the dates with the envelopes, the save the dates and shipping! That is so insane! I felt like I won the lottery as on other sites I tried to order from were $150-200 just for save the dates. I want to use my money for other things in the wedding and wanted to save money on paper and I was so impressed with the quality as well with the quality of the invitations. They even came in a super cute box and not just a cardboard box where you felt like you just bought a box of envelopes but something more personal. I will purchasing my Invitations for the wedding from this site as well!

Address Stamp:

I did not want to have to write my home address over and over again on every envelope so I went to esty and found a stamp for $12.90 with shipping. It did take 2 weeks to get but totally worth the wait! I also did the inkless one just because I find those easier but here is the link to the shop I bought it from https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1586751697 Totally worth getting one and I had fun stamping haha Its is also SO cute!!!

Sticker:

I felt since I just got plain white envelopes I wanted to add a little touch to them so I was scrolling through etsy and found these super cute stickers and put them on the back of my envelopes to secure the closure of the envelopes! They add such a cute touch and it is the little things that make people excited! Here is the link for the stickers I bought 60 for $11.17 https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1590583022

The one struggle I have with Save the dates is getting everyone’s addresses, I created a google doc to keep them all in but how does one ask so many people for their address haha

I hope these tips or links help you with your future wedding or save the dates. Again this is literally from my heart and experience. Happy wedding planning and do not forget to be you and be happy.

Dear Diary… College Edition

Dear Diary,

Who am I kidding I am so freaking excited to be done with college and finish college strong with a bachelors degree. However, there were a lot of good times I will miss after I leave. First off to all those people you laughed at when they say “college flies by…” they were RIGHT! When you first start college, four years feels like it is going to be an eternity, and a semester of 12 weeks feels like 2 years. But then you are on midterm/finals week and you think to your self, “where did the time go.” You meet new people every year and watch people graduate and move on with their real adult lives. You congratulate people for getting a full time jobs after college. That’s the dream, to graduate and work. At this moment in time my goal is to work a full time video job until I get married and then travel and save up money to travel more as a married couple after graduation. I want to move to central florida or out of florida. I would only stay in south florida for my family. My dream job is to one day be a show runner and write/direct TV shows and live TV shows. I want to work on the floor and help an idea become a reality. I also want to continue being a freelance videographer and film personal movies and capture memories for people to have forever. Going back to the college idea, I have always been surround by people who did not believe in “college” however, I am so proud I was able to stay committed and stay positive and motivated to finish out my college career. Nowadays it is very hard to stay all four years (or more depending on major) and finish college because life is hard and gets in the way. Sometimes it is way to stressful, trust me I have had my fair share of panic attacks, however, I think college is so important for people to go out and meet people and experience a different view of social life. I have been able to meet so many professional and amazing people who I hold dear to my heart from my sorority, my internships and classes. I also went to a small college where I pretty much know everyone in every class of mine and run into the same people which makes my experience so much better. I believe if someone decides to go to college they should take every opportunity to join any club or take an internship even if that isn’t part of your major. Do not be afraid to make friends because even though college is only four years the people and relationships you make will last a life time. Also take classes that seem like you won’t be interested in because sometimes those are the classes you love the most. I was so afraid to take this class once and I tried to drop and couldn’t find another class but it has ended up to be the most interesting and had actually restarted my passion for film and started my creative flow again.

To my future self, You did it Andrea… well almost you have a little over a month of classes left but you are doing so well and you should be so proud. Where ever you are in life, remember where you started. You got this.

Thanks for reading and hope if you decide to go to college that you enjoy it and have fun!!!

Do not forget to be you and be happy.

HOW TO BECOME THE BEST DOG PARENT: STARTING WITH HEED FOODS

eVEREST 3
eVEREST 4

Heed Foods is an online based dog food company that is fit for your dog!!! When you go to order your pups food you will be asked to fill out a detailed but quick survey about your dog, age, weight, allergies, etc. This all helps Heed foods find out what your dog needs in his food to help your dog be the healthiest he or she can be! Once you place your order your Heed Foods welcome box comes super quick straight to your door!!! How easy is that you never have to leave your house and your dog is getting feed and happy!

The welcome package is so cute!!! and Trust me your dog knows what is inside that box! haha As soon as we received it Everest  went crazy sniffing the box like share with me PLEASE!!! haha!

eVEREST 8

Inside the box is all the details you need to know about Heed Foods and also about all your nutritional facts about your dogs food! They also tell you how much they suggest you to feed your pup every day and when to buy your food so you never get left wondering when to get the next bag!

eVEREST 21

Everest’s Plan was COD, PEAS, AND APPLE! Everest has Hip Dysplasia so I was really happy to see that his plan helps with Joint health but it also helps with Digestion, skin and coat and his Immune system.

I am not evening saying this just to say it but I HAVE HONESTLY NEVER SEEN EVEREST EAT HIS FOOD SO QUICK (BUT NORMAL QUICK NOT TO THE EXTREME HAHA) AND ENJOY HIS FOOD BEFORE!!!

We struggle to find food he enjoys and we are happy that we were introduced to Heed Foods!

We hope Heed Foods brings as much joy as it did to Everest to your Dogs as well!!!

To get 50% off use code everest50

https://heedfoods.com/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=jaraandrea&utm_campaign=prepaid&utm_term=campaign&utm_content=50off
eVEREST 20

Thanks for Reading!!!

Andrea Jara

eVEREST 7
eVEREST 17
eVEREST 14
eVEREST 10

Why I had surgery and have a cast on my leg…

Why I had ankle surgery and why I’m in a cast and will do it again soon…. I explain my story and the reason behind it

Hi, happy new Year! I celebrated the holidays with a beautiful cast on my left leg and a new Ankle! I’ve literally been asked hundreds of times, “what happened to your leg Andrea” and well it’s simple I was born with no ankle joints.

I have a condition called Tolecoalation Coalition, basically I’m missing my ankle joints and my bones literally squash each other and rub against each other… it’s extremely painful.

How I found out I had this…

I’ve always told people I had weak ankles because I always thought I was just weak as I used to do Judo my whole life and always thought, oh maybe all those years I just tired my ankles out. When I started my first job, at age 16, I started to notice my ankles hurt after work to the point where I couldn’t walk. I would go to the doctor and they told me I had tendinitis and gave me pain medicine. I never took the pain medicine because I hate medicine lol but the pain never went away for years and I would keep going to the same doctors and they would put me in a brace and tell me the same thing. Even though I seemed so happy at Disney when I left the moment I sat down I couldn’t stand up again without literally crying in pain, I would literally fall from how bad my ankles hurt. Ryan, my fiancĂ© has almost taken me to the hospital many times because he thought maybe I broke them from how much I would cry and kinda yell in pain lol I wouldn’t even be able to sleep. So finally I said enough I researched the best doctors and I found one an hour away from my house but I was willing to do anything to help my pain. I go to the first appointment and I went with the mindset of, oh he’s just gonna tell me the same thing the other doctors have told me, physical therapy, a brace and medicine. So come to find out after one X-ray that I have no ankle joints and I have arthritis. I originally went in for pain in my left ankle because I always thought my right ankle hurt because I was putting more weight on it since my left ankle hurt but actually I had no ankle joints in there either haha Which kind of explains why I could never walk or stand and do normal things without crying in pain. I felt like I finally found answers and felt so much comfort with what my doctor was saying. I’m super happy with my choose of researching a doctor and even if I have to travel a little more for treatments and surgery I don’t regret it and love going haha

What did they do in surgery

With the opinion of my doctor, we decided on an ankle fusion. I have a scar on the left side of my ankle and on my heel. He basically took out the part of my bone where my ankle would be and put in a bone growth, mixed with some of my bone marrow he took out of my leg. Then he put two screws through my heel of my foot. Again I’m not a doctor so I’m not sure 100% all the technical terms and stuff haha

So now what?

I was in the white cast for two weeks today and yesterday I got moved into this green cast that I will be in for 4 weeks and a half weeks. The whole recovery process is 3-6 months until I see results. So far I’m excited and ready to improve my overall life and go back to walking around Disney eating all the food and taking photos❤️

So that’s my story of how I was born with no ankle joints and the journey I will be on for a little while❤️

Do not forget to be you and be happy!

MY TEETH WHITING ROUTINE

Hey everyone!!! As most of you know I am getting Married next year!!! However, it is never to early to take care of yourself!!!

Smile brillant 3

I began whiting my teeth with Smile Brilliant!

P1340679

It is super unique and not like any other teeth whiting kit. You first create a mold of your teeth with the Catalyst and Base.

P1340689

Mix the two together, it brings you back to the preschool days when you used to mix all the play-dough colors together haha.

P1340710

I look so gross but I do not think you are supposed to look cute while doing this haha I used to have braces for 6 years and always remember doing this at the dentist haha. Anyways you will just put the tray in your mouth I took turns doing the top and the bottom and put the 3 min time watch on so you know when you are done.

P1340717.JPG
P1340719

After 3 mins or 6 mins all together you are done and Smile Brilliant provides you an envelope and postage for you to send your molds to get your custom fitted whitening trays created and shipped back to you so you can begin WHITENING!!!!

P1350339
P1350368

Smile Brilliant offers you loads of whitening and desensitizing gels. Each syringe can be used 3 times as you only need a small layer on each tray.

You can whiten your teeth for 45 mins – 3 hours at a time! Then desensitize for 20 mins. Tooth sensitivity is common with whitening, so this is recommended!

TEETH BEFORE AND AFTER

This is only after one use and I only did it for an hour!!! I will keep you updated on my teeth whitening journey on my Instagram @jaraandrea

Also, check out more teeth whitening results from using Smile Brilliant!

I would recommend this teeth whitening kit to anyone and everyone!

WIN A FREE SMILE BRILLIANT KIT HERE:
https://www.smilebrilliant.com/g/andreamjara

 

USE CODE: andreamjara FOR 15% OFF YOUR KIT!!!


Home Teeth Whitening

OUR ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS AND PARTY

It has been a few weeks but we got our engagement photos done!!! We also had a blast at our party and proposed to our bridesmaid and groomsmen!!! Here are our favorite photos!!!

Photography credit to: Instagrams @Analaracruz and @isabella_lynch

I will be posting my bridesmaid proposal video this week, so get excited!!!

Hope you enjoy the photos!!!

IMG_9187
IMG_9191 2
28223541087_5dc392852e_o
28223544047_b981c42f8f_o
28223580217_577dfb7a83_o
28223584207_90a84a61c1_o
28223676177_11b9e5447e_o (1)
28223676177_11b9e5447e_o
28224283387_9ca4b2f3a9_o
28224305907_1f4c6d5ba8_o
28224308537_5b3ed2c595_o
28224310667_fb79b3f13d_o
28224312937_e6514a4e92_o (1)
28224312937_e6514a4e92_o
28224318907_b50b62ea6d_o
28224322097_4bd647aae8_o
28224329587_1ceccb1bc4_o
29220188808_49a9dd7a86_o
29220206308_6818b9f372_o
29220219098_b887c0aac2_o
29220302748_133a0e2e09_o
29220312008_b4eff7e57c_o (1)
29220312008_b4eff7e57c_o (2)
29220312008_b4eff7e57c_o
29220406578_e7a36467f5_o
29220409088_880f58925d_o
29220411038_573a71fc3d_o
29220414408_92622d1485_o
29220416178_f7d10ced7b_o
29220417908_7bebff031a_o
29220419298_8403e08ec2_o
29220429228_a7c914c78e_o
29220445128_a1ee74f6d6_o
29220461608_0874ed23d9_o
29220473568_fdfbc3558a_o
29220474848_8fb3970a6b_o
29220487248_b1b3a4de8f_o
29221014768_458c23991f_o
41281041180_d5f98973c0_o
41281049360_9ee26b2b00_o
41281090490_79c4ab54b9_o
41281099900_9414b156b8_o
41281139280_966bd637f3_o
41281151840_4572e9bc74_o (1)
41281151840_4572e9bc74_o
41281220710_d5913bb132_o
41281222360_c068862829_o
41281223620_fb530e4a60_o
41281225460_230592a907_o
41281266190_93b83139b2_o
41281267540_f2b5a16270_o
41281269040_bc9f34f15a_o
41281271060_4f9064115e_o
41281278210_7f107835c2_k
41281278210_9a996573b3_o
41281303360_1e512ee1a5_o
41281306200_b7c7261ebf_o
41281309890_0ea96418c1_o (1)
41281309890_0ea96418c1_o
41281321710_580db1f77f_o
41281323980_983bb86e37_o
41281363930_ef9fc52f22_o
41281368610_a9fae92a83_o
41281825580_8666b755fd_o
41281832170_66bcff5409_o
41281843420_e3b6693427_o
41281855120_4d56ee1e5a_o
42187746145_e5ced03d4c_o
42187748755_0ddf15c523_o
42187757125_19e77f9333_o
42187790085_4b3a87614a_o (1)
42187790085_4b3a87614a_o
42187814035_513a797ddf_o
42187853405_aa8277b0c1_o
42187856145_c80bdb28c0_o
42187858175_7f01d7e1a1_o
42187858175_c79fb075f4_k
42187861325_5f680a1c0b_o
42187863295_155e52e7b7_o
42187892165_0a705cec55_o
42187929785_ab6aff643d_o
42187932515_0271bf5e0d_o
42187934895_3a7d700d5d_o
42187937375_f8550c1296_o
42187939615_c151226d92_o
42187941675_e0a5f5931d_o
42187952385_273febaa52_o
42187954315_5b27a336c8_o
42187956225_3164dec81a_o
42187979565_917688bcdb_o
42187983615_228b71b115_o
42187986505_8552b12e2f_o
42188007265_14f8e47833_o
42188010185_3216723c00_o
42188013215_37065fbbf5_o
42188016515_98e426b675_o
42188019175_b7ede04ca9_o
42374017004_cc794fbb20_o
42374038704_4af8801b95_o
42374043134_089011e1f7_o (1)
42374043134_089011e1f7_o
42374045204_5e32abf930_o (1)
42374045204_5e32abf930_o
42374047384_a72c13e3af_o
42374108564_227891d299_o
42374115684_bf9d3a7035_o
42374127624_b206203b3c_o
42374138754_60ea43e985_o
42374171484_cd090ec872_o
42374286654_8474e419c2_o
42374311224_c2f3954c1e_o
42374312334_cf4141b50e_o
42374372374_a76eed145c_o
42374379234_59a596ce8a_o
42374416024_782accf0c9_o
42374417884_a596b1b57d_o
42374420194_b00eae9306_o
43041851382_ca511c8c15_o
43041866102_4e377e5a47_o
43041868822_f2cfb5f1e8_o
43041986862_7ce4faae09_o
43041990172_976a9218ae_o
43041997632_7129704baa_o
43042001692_bb18338d63_o
43042047592_1e13e435b8_o
43042050632_0e32ae92b8_o
43042053782_df0ef5ec82_o
43042056142_6f47761134_o
43042075712_b2cbc1d683_o
43042077182_51acf91cef_o
43042080392_323f64f853_o
43042097872_0cb8b24445_o
43042101072_49a7403ce8_o
43042120522_d405db16f6_o
43042123502_84df0275fa_o
43042188922_84daa622e4_o
43042193472_c9b2bd03de_o
43042196652_54c1d3433f_o
43042197992_c15aebfe05_o
43042223012_17e847a835_o
43042226922_9f83eafda4_o
43042229792_bfcb23952d_o
43042232402_a6608a582f_o
43042236182_85a3be8f95_o
43042240442_b104486e94_o
43042244202_f2305b6e4a_o
43042259662_3d3e131d2e_o
43042262142_6b8b291146_o
43042264712_2832364f34_o
43042267452_650087241c_k
43042267452_d4035a49ed_o
43042857532_2a7e78f037_o
43042889482_69d767dbb4_o
43042906582_910a225711_o
43042915182_f249e68c9d_o
43042917552_4b342a163f_o
43042920212_7aaee26fee_o
43092959021_cd462184ae_o
43092965901_fd549c67bb_o
43092967861_d555f2b0ff_o
43092973161_7e49ba8085_o
43092996531_1ef3b98b76_o
43093116401_a4d988848a_o
43093119921_728a3066aa_o
43093125031_f026afd64b_o (1)
43093125031_f026afd64b_o (2)
43093125031_f026afd64b_o
43093143241_2c93a2f514_o
43093167331_a7f5c43bb0_o
43093169541_aba324e2d6_o
43093171561_9094d60fd1_o

My Favorite Travel DJI Drone

Advice for those looking for a drone to travel with and what I suggest! A full DJI spark review

Ryan with drone
My fiancé flying my DJI Spark

Hi! If you do not follow my social media, first off INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER links here, GO FOLLOW! 

Anyways, I love to travel and I love to film and create travel diaries! I knew if I wanted to up my film game I needed a Drone! So about 6 months ago I got the DJI SPARK (https://amzn.to/2t6dPBN) ! I did my research and loved what I found! 

Now here is why I think you should get the DJI SPARK https://amzn.to/2t6dPBN if you are a travel on the go film/drone flyer! 

FIRST OFF! The size! You can not beat the fact that it fits in a super small case and you can put it into your backpack without having to pack a separate bag for everything. The exact size is 143Ă—143Ă—55 mm! It is tiny! However, it does shoot very well! 

The DJI Spark does not shoot 4K quality but if you are a quick editor or on he go all the time 1080 is great for any computer and any hard drive. You do not have to worry if you will be able to send the footage to your phone or if your computer can handle the files because it shoots the same quality as your Apple iPhone 7 Plus, GSM Unlocked, 32GB – Black (Certified Refurbished)“>iPhone! When ever I shoot 4K on my PANASONIC LUMIX G7 4K Mirrorless Camera, with 14-42mm MEGA O.I.S. Lens, 16 Megapixels, 3 Inch Touch LCD, DMC-G7KS (USA SILVER)“>Lumix G7 camera or on my GoPro HERO5 Black“>GoPro Hero 5 it takes forever to edit, as all the files have to render and my computer, Apple MacBook Pro MD101LL/A 13.3-inch Laptop (2.5Ghz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HD) (Certified Refurbished)“>a Macbook Pro, constantly crashes I just got tired of it and knew that a DJI Spark Drone Quadcopter Fly More Combo (Alpine White) with 3 Batteries, Remote Controller, Charger, Charging Hub, Shoulder Bag, Camera Gimbal Bundle Kit with MUST HAVE Accessories“>DJI Spark would give me the quality I wanted and the convience of quick editing and viewing ability. 

Here are three videos I filmed from Utah, Iceland and Los Angeles using my Spark

I also love the fact that you can connect your Apple iPhone 7 Plus, GSM Unlocked, 32GB – Black (Certified Refurbished)“>iPhone into the controller! Which means again less space to be taken up in your travel bags! After you are done flying you can just drop off the footage onto your phone with a click of a button.

The spark is super easy to learn how to fly!!! Just take it out into an open field and practice moving the right side up and down and the left side!!! Trust me it is fun!

The fact that the drone is so small as well is that you can fly it anywhere and in-between things as well. You can also fly it without people really noticing that you are filming and flying a drone as some times that can be distracting.

Each battery lasts about 15 minutes. To some 15 minutes may seem like a lot of time, but 15 minutes goes by quick!!! and you technically have like 10 minutes because at 5 mins left the drone begins to try to go home. You can buy DJI Spark Intelligent Battery, Black (CP.PT.000789)“>extra batteries as well as the charging dock can charge up to four batteries at one time along with the controller.

The drone can also fly up to 13,00 feet which is super high!!!

Wind movement is very limited, it does do well with stabilization in the wind but will be picked up from heavy gusts of wind!

However, I have crashed my DJI Spark With Remote Control Combo (White)“>DJI spark before and thanks to the Propeller protectors I still have all my wings! and it is perfectly fine! So they have strength!

The best part about the DJI Spark With Remote Control Combo (White)“>DJI Spark is the price!!! It is super cost-affordable compared to other Drones!!!

You can also get a DJI Spark Portable Mini Drone Alpine White (Certified Refurbished) (Standard Unit)“>refurbished drone which means it was once used, but was fixed to be brand new!

I would recommend getting aDJI Spark Drone Quadcopter Fly More Combo (Alpine White) with 3 Batteries, Remote Controller, Charger, Charging Hub, Shoulder Bag, Camera Gimbal Bundle Kit with MUST HAVE Accessories“> package deal that comes with an SD card, Micro Sd card reader, the propeller protectors, the case, and extra batteries. This is what I bought as I knew when I will be traveling I would need extra batteries already charged up and ready to go and knew I was going to need to buy an SD card or else I would be able to film!

I do recommend bringing a GETIHU Portable Charger 13000mAh Power Bank 2 USB Ports 4.8A Output High-Speed Charging External Battery Backup with Flashlight for iPhone 7 6s 6 Plus 5s iPad Tablet Samsung Mobile Phone Pack“>portable charger for your iPhone as it does drain your iPhone Battery!

Overall, It is everything you can ask for in a drone! The camera movements, the fact that it is light and small enough to fit in the bottom of your travel bag, and the easy assembly!

If you are looking for a drone for a first timer this will be your drone!

DJI Spark With Remote Control Combo (White)“>DJI Spark

Thanks for reading I hope this inspires someone and hope this helps anyone on the hunt for a Drone, or a drone to travel with on their adventures.

Last Minute Father’s Day Gift Ideas

dad

Hey, what have you been waiting for… Father’s day is only ONE WEEK AWAY!!!

Haha I am just kidding I have been waiting for the last minute too…. sorry dad…

But hey that is what Amazon Prime is for… you know FREE TWO DAY SHIPPING!!!

Your dad will never know you waited till the last minute to get him a gift haha

While scrolling through Amazon looking for a gift for my dad, I found some gift ideas for all types of dads and grandpas in the world! Also do not forget furbaby dads too they deserve gifts too!!!

https://amzn.to/2Jxa6E4

The Grill Type of Dad

This is perfect for a grill loving father with a personal father’s day touch!!!

Maybe it is just my father who is always asking for a new grill mat but every grill loving person needs a good Grill Mat!!!

A good griller needs a good cutting board… I mean these are all win wins. The more grill supplies the more YUMMY FOOD comes your way!!!

THE TECH FATHER

My father is ALWAYS carrying all his cameras and technology and is always needing a new backpack!!! I bought my fiancé a backpack super similar to this one and it has been the best! Super big to fit everything!!! Comfortable and useful!


What Father doesn’t want a Echo DOT!!! I WANT ONE LOL!!!

A smart watch with a dad kind of feel!!! What dad wouldn’t love this!

THE ENTERTAINMENT DAD

A fire stick is a must in an family!!!!

My fiancé and I have a switch and LOVE IT!!! It is entertainment for everyone and all ages!!!

My whole family uses these and are perfect for a dad who travels or wants to entertain himself while working or waiting for an oil change!

We personally use this in our household and love it!!! It makes watching movies, playing video games and much more, exciting and entertaining it is like a movie theater at home!!!

Well I hope I was able to inspire some ideas for you as you get the perfect gift for your father! Just remember to tell them you love them and you will always be there for them!

Love is the most important thing to give!

Now to make my purchase and get my dads gift off Amazon! I would tell you what it is but I know he reads these haha! Hint it is maybe on here… or maybe not… hmmmm…

a and d

PS LOVE YOU DAD TO THE MOON AND BACK, THANKS FOR ALL YOU CONSTANT HARD WORK AND SUPPORT!

HOW I TRAVEL THE WORLD WITH NO MONEY

Processed with VSCO with t1 preset

Hey!!!! I know you are reading this because you are thinking “I want to travel but my bank account says stay home.” When ever I see someone after a trip I also get asked “How do you travel so much?” or “omg you must be rich because you travel a lot” or “do you even work?” and the answers are always, “really because I feel like I haven’t seen enough of this beautiful world” and “no I am also a broke college student like you” and “yes Ryan and I work normal jobs like you.”

Honestly HATE when people say “ugh you are so lucky you get to travel” or “I wish I had money to travel like you do.” BUT IN ALL REALITY YOU CAN!!!!

But let’s skip the BS thoughts some people have and get into what I do and my tips and tricks.

 BE FLEXIBLE!!!!!

Now when I say be flexible I mean with your travel dates and travel locations. You may really want to go on a weekend but in reality it may be cheaper to leave on a Wednesday or a week later than when you wanted to travel.

SIGN UP FOR ALL THE AIRLINES MILES PROGRAMS!!!

FIRST OFF WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOT SIGNING UP FOR THESE!!! THEY ARE FREE!!! You get free miles every time you travel with that airline!!! If you travel with that airline often you may be able to get free upgrades, food or even better FREE FLIGHTS!!! I traveled to LA for free because I saved up my miles and got a free round trip ticket!!!! It is so SIMPLE!!!

IF OVER 18!!! GET A TRAVEL CARD!!!

If you are over the age 18 and is responsible and have cash! Get your self a travel credit card because this way you are able to get more discounts on hotels and flights, along with perks like priority boarding but you get DOUBLE MILES sometimes MORE!!! After you spend $1,000-2000 you get 40,000 miles- 60,000 miles!!!! That is multiple roundtrip flights for free. Again only use if you have cash to pay it off and be responsible!

MAKE TRAVEL TICKET HUNTING A PART TIME HOBBY

A lot of the time I travel is because I just so happened to run into a $50 dollar plane ticket to a place or city I have never traveled to and want to go. I literally make it a hobby to constantly check airplane tickets and studying the best times to travel. I use the skyscanner app to see what airlines travel to what cities and when the best times are to travel to certain areas. This allows me to say okay Delta travels to LAX and then you can go directly to Delta’s website and purchase the ticket from the. This app also this cool feature where you click “EXPLORE” and you put “ANYWHERE” at “ANYTIME” from a specific departing airport and it tells you THE CHEAPEST PLACES TO TRAVEL ANYWHERE WITHIN A 6 MONTH PERIOD. This is how I found my families $230 roundtrip ticket to Iceland and back!!! Just from exploring my options. (ps wish this was sponsored but it’s not I just REALLY LOVE THIS APP)

TIP 3: GO TO THE AIRPORT TO BUY YOUR TICKET!!!!!

When you go directly to the airport you do not have to pay all the crazy service charge fees!!!!! Ryan and I saved $70 for going to the airport to buy our ticket for our latest NYC trip we paid $29 for a one way ticket and $42 dollars back!!! IT IS SO CRAZY BUT IT WORKS!!!!

DO NOT BE SEAT PICKY!!!

If you are traveling alone or with a buddy as long as you booked your tickets at the same time you will be seated next to or very close to that person. I say skip the expensive “seat selection” that for some reason always changes… and get your seat for free!!!!

TRAVEL LIGHT!!!

I KNOW! I KNOW! I can hear you all screaming at me! How can you pack light when you have to take a pic in all 20 outfits sitting in your closet right now!!!  My tip for this is TRY ON ALL THE CLOTHES and make outfits that can be reused in different ways. Sometimes you think an outfit may be cute as well and it might not actually be cute… it happens to me all the time and then you think that could of been space I could of saved. Try to pack as much in a backpack or carry on so you do not have o pay for the luggage space on the airplane.

DO NOT ALWAYS TRAVEL BUT AIRPLANE OR UBER EVERYWHERE!!!

ALWAYS!!! Look for what the city’s or states public transportation options are because you may be able to say HUNDREDS of dollars. For example, Last year Ryan and I flew into San Francisco and we wanted to visit family in Sacramento. An airplane was $211 for a one way ticket for ONE PERSON!!! Instead we found a Gray hound that cost $11!!!! The Greyhound has plugs, wifi, and comfy seats!!! We paid $11 and got more than what most airplanes provide for $100s! Yes Greyhounds may seem scary to some and I would recommend you do your research for certain bus stop areas but I just brought my neck pillow and closed my eyes and feel asleep for 3 hours and we arrived!  Also Trains!!! Trains may cost you $3-10 dollars and can get you anywhere from city to city to state to state!!! Just do your research before you jump into a $50 uber. Who knows you may get lost and find somewhere beautiful!!!!!

DO NOT STAY IN THE BUSY CITIES 

I feel like this is a common tip because it’s like common sense, sometimes looking for a place to stay 5 mins away from the main cities may be more peaceful and a hella lot cheaper!!!

AIRBNB OR STALK BOOKING.COM

So I have not personally been able to use Airbnb because people take too long to respond or cancel… but I hear good things and the prices look cheap! but I use booking.com because you can find apartment and hotels and it tells you straight forward how much it is going to cost for the amount of days you are staying. You also get $20 credit when you refer people!!!

Hotels.com

If you use Hotels.com every 10th stay is free!!!

TRAVEL WITH FRIENDS

Who doesn’t love travel buddies!!!! You get to travel with friends and you can split cost of rooming, transportation and what ever else you do!!!

MEET PEOPLE WHERE YOU ARE TRAVELING

I am saying this for two things… one if you meet someone who knows the area they will tell you all the secrets of what to do or where to go for cheap or just for fun! and TWO so you can stay somewhere for FREEEEEE!!!! I know some people may think it is weird but I promise this may be the best thing you decide to do and may lead to long time friendships! Ryan and I’s friend from High school who we didn’t speak too regularly opened her house to us when we went to Vegas and now we consider them to be one of our best friends and love them so much!!! So do not feel scared to step out of your comfort zone and you may friend a life long friend!!!

USE AAA IF YOU HAVE IT!!!!

IF YOU HAVE AAA YOU SOMETIMES GET CRAZY TRAVEL DEALS THAT ARE AMAZING SO USE IT!!!!!

Also keep the option of Renting a car

This again depends where you are traveling to because if you do not have to pay for parking everywhere and there is not crazy traffic and the rates for renting a car is cheaper for a longer travel period then do it!!! (AAA can be used for this as well!) Also if you are under 25 but older than 21 you can rent a car with AAA or the app called Turo!

SAY NO LESS AND SAY YES MORE!!!

Hope all these tips are useful and help you travel more!!! The key to traveling is in your hands it is up to you to save the few dollars of coffee or video games and travel! There is nothing better  than exploring and seeing the world!

%d bloggers like this: