Insight From a Pro

Hey Hey Hey!

Did you miss me? I know, I know there's been some major life changes but I'm back and I came with some awesome blogging content. Don't believe me? Keep Reading. 

I had the AMAZING opportunity to interview Nadeen White from The Sophisticated Life. She is my inspiration for balancing real world responsibilities and traveling the world. I've been following her for a while and it was an absolute honor to get the opportunity to communicate with her. Jealous? You should be! 

Check out the interview and fabulous photos! 

1. You have made an amazing career from travel and exploration. What would you say is your biggest accomplishment?

    Thank you. My full-time career is still Pediatric Hospital Medicine. However, I have enjoyed my side gig as a luxury travel, food and wine blogger. I think passion for what I do and a commitment to succeed are two things that have driven my success. 

2. With success comes a lot of challenges. What is/has been your biggest blogging or travel challenge thus far?

    Definitely the time factor. Blogging takes a lot of time. Besides writing there is photo editing and back end technical issues that come up. 

Nadeen in Cape Town South Africa

3. If there were two things you could tell someone who isn't sure they should take the leap and become a travel blogger, what are they?

    1) Make sure it is something they would love to do even if they were not getting paid.

   2) Try to connect with your core audience. Interacting with people on social media and    even through blog comments is important. 

4. What do you do when you get home sick?

     I usually don't stay away from home longer than 2 1/2 weeks. If I am home sick in another country I usually eat some American comfort food.

5. Where is your favorite place, that you've traveled thus far? 

     Impossible to pick only one but Thailand is definitely up there. I loved the people, the hospitality and the food. 

*Check out 10 reasons why she loves Thailand on her blog, trust me you won't regret it.*

Nadeen in Sedona, Arizona

6. From your experience which is more challenging, traveling independently or fitting your experiences into a blog?

   The good thing about not doing travel blogging as my full-time career is that most of the time I get to travel independently. I then write about the things I found most interesting or helpful for me readers.

7. Do you think you will ever settle in one place and plants familial roots? Why?

    Yes. I love having a home to come back to and I enjoy time spent with family and friends. 

Nadeen near Page, Arizona

Do you feel inspired and motivated? I know, me too! She is just a breath of fresh traveled air! Thanks Nadeen for making the time for my questions. Thailand is on my travel list and I can't wait to explore it! You continuously inspire and enlighten travel seekers near and far. You are #travelgoals! 

Thanks for stopping by and Traveling with May

My Journey to Traveling with May

That moment when you realize your brain is smoking because you have to get all the information out of it... yea that's me right now. 

I am going to attempt to do so without making you feel like you're on the upside, inside, outside, all sides ride in Willy Wonka's Factory. 

Let's Do This... 

Travel has changed my life. It has allowed me to meet so many amazing people and have some of the most informative and stimulating conversations. I have truly been able to see, live and thrive in cultures many people only dream of. 

This was a gradual process. I always knew I wanted to travel someday but I never put a time frame on it. Life had me occupied for a very long time. I was living what I thought was my best life. I then became the "responsible adult" I was supposed to be. 

I still viewed travel as a "one day I will" thing and not an "it's now or never". This definitely changed as I began to maintain being the "responsible adult". In being responsible I had to change my leisure activities, focus on school and building a career. I also learned I never wanted to live life with any regrets. I never wanted to be that seventy-something saying "I should have done...". 

As I fully embraced living with no regrets I began to interact with like-minded people. You know, other responsible adults who were focused on goals, careers and the future. They were from different walks of life with very different goals but all had one thing in common... they traveled. 

It was as if it was a sign to go for it. Well, my mom received her passport first and I must say I was green-eyed with envy. So, I applied for mine as well. Now, I will be honest and say it was not a fast decision as I would often spend my money for a passport on happy hours, night outs with the girls, or just food in general. I was a work in progress. 

Eventually, I decided I'm going to do this... and... I DID. 

One day while on break from work, I walked to the post office with my paperwork and an old passport photo from Jr. High School (thank baby Jesus I still looked exactly the same) and I stood on line and completed the process. 

I was nervous because the clerk told me my photo was too big for the box and they may reject it. I also had no idea they kept the birth certificate. Since I was being responsible I made a copy thinking they only wanted to see the original, but no. I kept the copy. The clerk informed me it will be returned with the passport. I felt a little better but still anxious. 

Weeks passed and I forgot about submitting the application. I come home to an envelope from the government and I'm so confused. I opened it and sighed with relief as my passport and birth certificate were inside.

Within one month I booked my first trip out of the country. It was my friends' birthday and she wanted to go away. I was ready to do this. I was introduced to Cheap Caribbean and I have been loyal to them ever since. 

She decided on Mexico, and like most Americans, I had the stereotypical view about the water and the crime. However, I was quickly informed it's safe and they have bottled water. 

I was so excited, I was also in great shape and ready to show it off. Mexico was so much fun. Every day was filled with laughs, alcohol and some great food. I also learned how much of a thrill-seeker I could be and it only increased with each trip. 

Mexico is cool. I've been there quite a few times now and it never disappoints me. 

I was proud of myself. I stepped outside of my version of normal and tried new things. 

I went to the Dominican Republic, not too long after this and I stayed at what is my favorite resort hands down (stay tuned for that post). The Dominican Republic was different for me and filled with thrill-seeking adventures. Take a look:

Inside the hotel room... yes please! 

Good food

Fried Ice Cream

Some Entertainment 

Jumped down there

See 

Climbing Out

I continued to be a "responsible adult" I was focused on school. Like really focused, almost obsessed with it. I then decided on my major and realized I want to see more than Mexico and DR, I wanted to see the world. I was offered an amazing opportunity to visit Italy. I would give up the majority of my spring break but I was going to Europe! 

I had no idea what to expect and that was the best part for me. I didn't allow myself to get stuck in a specific mindset about anything. 

I landed in Rome and I made the best of it. On that trip I learned some very important things:

I can never be afraid to explore on my own. 
I cannot allow other people to influence the outcome of my vacation.
I want to do this forever.

With this new found perspective I was convinced I needed to do all I can to be great. There were no limits on what I could do and how far I could go. 

Rome was truly a crossroads for me in terms of travel. I could have easily decided to just stay in the room and not explore more than what was required. I could have just stayed with the group the entire time and done only that. 

I wanted more. I wanted to see the real Rome, beyond the tourist spots and shopping areas. I wanted to explore life with the locals and I did just that! I was able to put my reservations to the side and go for it. It changed me, for the better and only solidified my desire to travel the world and get paid to do so. 

I learned the importance of currency exchange. It was a very fast lesson and easily implemented. 

TIP: When you are able to, use your bank or credit cards. Especially if you have a card that does not charge for an out of country purchase. Capital One is a great card for traveling. 

I would use my card, save my cash and make the payments on the card while I was there. So, it made spending money better because I would only use what I put on the card. When I returned I did NOT  have this astronomical amount of money owed. 

Rome ended all too soon and I was back to reality. I had over 1200 photos and I had to sort them. I got to relive my vacation. 

Side Note: Taking photos are super important. Sometimes you forget certain places or what the resort offered and how the food looked. Photos can allow you to remember those things. They also provide an opportunity to have those moments of nostalgia again. 

Rome really allowed me to desire more than a Caribbean vacation and truly explore countries, cities and towns like a native. It was my introduction into being okay with wandering and getting lost. 

I went back to being responsible and focusing on school. I started looking up vacations and figuring out how soon I could go to the next one. Well, I didn't wait too long I took my mom on a much needed and well-deserved vacation. It was perfect. We explored a little (she is not the thrill-seeking type) and relaxed a lot. It was also her first time out of the country and I was super excited to see her reaction to it all. 

As I kept traveling my desire only increased, so much so that I would return from vacation and within one week I was planning the next one. 

I learned some savvy tricks about shopping for flights and all-inclusive hotels. It was so exciting to gain all this knowledge that would allow me to get more for my money. I took five vacations in one year as a result. This was it, I was hooked and my passion was realized! 

I began to share my journeys via social media, I began to receive questions. A lot of questions. There were so many people who wanted to balance work, family and fun just like I did. It was a joy sharing my ups and downs and lessons learned. 

I decided I needed to share it with the world. I was sure there were so many people with the same questions, concerns and hesitation. I knew major blogs only shared some information and would ensure you pay or sign up to get more in depth content. I didn't want to do that. I also was scared to see/read the feedback on my blog. The Internet is not always nice but in posting on this blog and conversing with people about my blog I have gained a lot of confidence. 

I can only hope this blog helps you in your journey to see the world one destination at a time. 

Ok, those were my thoughts. I hope they helped you understand how I became a travel junkie and it inspires you to be responsible and go after your own passion. 

Until next time, 
Thanks for stopping by and Traveling with May 

Staycations Count Too!

A few weeks prior I decided to do a "Staycation", it was also for a very special person who recently completed a really tough process for a promotion. Ok, enough about that.

Let's Focus.

I decided since both of our schedules were a bit hectic and we didn't get to spend much time together it wouldn't be possible to go away for the weekend. However, we did share the same days off and that worked out perfectly.

I decided to book a hotel for one night and two days. Here's the deets on the digs and all things staycation:

The Neighborhood

Make sure the neighboorhood is far enough from where you live that you don't just want to go home or run into people from your town/city. The environment makes a huge difference. Try a town or city you may have visited for a special occasion and always wanted to explore.

You can also search Google or TimeOut to see what's happening in the area you are thinking of. It can give inspiration or solidify a decision to visit a place.

Or, you can pick the place depending on what the person or you like. I knew my person loves the unconventional, artsy and innovative design and relaxed environments. It was as easy as click, click pack and done.

It was in an extremely artsy neighborhood with everything in walking distance. There were amazing boutiques and restaurants nearby and it made for a beautiful afternoon stroll.

I stayed in the super trendy and relaxed in nature but vibrant with colors neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 

Transportation

The easiest way to feel like you're away is not to take your normal mode of transportation. It's really simple, if you drive, don't or if you take public transportation, don't. In my case, I decided to Uber everywhere. It wasn't super expensive and I was able to relax and enjoy the ride and the company of my person. 

Everything was in walking distance but we did uber to one location as we were running late (I took an extended nap... lol). 

We also took an Uber back home. It was a nice transition back into reality and it allowed the weekend to linger for just a few minutes longer. 


The Hotel

As described above it helps to know the person and even yourself. Small gestures make a huge difference such as the decor and vibe of the hotel. The hotel just was just perfect. When I viewed the photos online I immediately knew this was the place. It has everything I was looking for, it was a great balance of something for both of us. 

I booked online and was able to get a special promo to use in the hotel. Because, we like Free! and free isn't possible we like discounts and lots of them. I called the hotel to confirm the details and decide if it was really worth it. Once I calculated the difference with and without the promo and weighed the options it was totally worth it. 

We were able to receive an early check-in. The room was ready and we were ready to relax. The relaxation didn't last too long as we were hungry. 

Speaking of food, the promo is called Eat and Drink. Here are the deets:

Drinks
Two drink tickets for the rooftop bar... yes, please! The hotel only serves top shelf alcohol so it was a true win-win. 

Food
There was a credit to be used at the restaurant on the ground floor or the rooftop bar. The credit would be applied at checkout and deducted from the charges. 

We ate brunch and it was SOOOOOOOO GOOD! It made me so happy. I ate the crispy Bacalao with caper aioli, sage, and arugula salad. The food was well seasoned, and the greens were fresh and crisp.

Here are Some photos of the room:

:

The Fun Stuff

After a much-needed brunch, we decided to go out and explore. Although we have previously been to the neighborhood we never just took the time to stroll the streets and explore the neighborhood with no time restraints or reservations. 

We walked to our favorite Ice Cream parlor. After ice cream, we walked the street and stopped in a few stores to look around. We found a cool shoe store and well, let's just say our feet were very happy. We popped in a few more stores and did a decent amount of damage for the afternoon. 

While walking we saw A$AP Rocky and he was walking the neighborhood like everyone else. No one bothered him or asked for photos. It was refreshing to know everyone was in their own world but sharing the same space. 

We decided to skip the pier as we have been there so many times and wanted to explore some new additions to the neighborhood. If it is your first time in the neighborhood, don't skip the pier. I would recommend going in the evening as the sunset is awe-inspiring. 

In conjunction with my earlier statement about events in the neighborhood, make sure there are some things to do and/or explore. Pre-purchasing tickets will help and can allow you to plan the day better. 

You can also wander the streets and let the wind guide you through the day. That usually leads to the best "remember that time" stories.

We went back to the room and decided to just relax. After all, that's the point of the staycation. I definitely relaxed more as my quick nap turned into hours of sleeping hence the needed Uber mentioned earlier. 

We got to the movies and found good seats. We watched Sorry to Bother You and it was a very interesting discussion as we walked back to the hotel. 

The beautiful thing about the staycation is the night does not have to end. This particular neighborhood has a great nightlife. There are plenty of vibrant bars, underground music spots and art shows happening all the time. 

A quick search or random conversation with someone can lead to a fun-filled night. Hopefully, without a pounding headache the morning after. 

However, we ended the night in the room watching Harry Potter movies... 

It was the best weekend I had all summer, bar none. 

See staycations can be super fun, relaxing or the combination of both. They can be whatever you want them to be. It's great to be a tourist in a local city at a fraction of the cost of a booked flight, hotel and the time spent on airport security lines. 

Let me know where you decide to do a staycation in the comments. 

Thanks for stopping by and Traveling with May.

Roman adventures

Pizza! Pasta! and Wine! 

These are what people think of when they hear Italy. I had the amazing opportunity to go beyond the carbs and wine and into the historic ancient Rome. I climbed St. Peter's Basilica, explored Castles and walked along the scenic streets of a true small town. 

My Roman adventures were truly everything I never knew I needed to explore. 

I can show you better than I can tell you... 

After an 8 hour flight, I was sleepy and in dire need of a energy boost! Cappuccino to the rescue, in the airport as I waited for the rest of my group. After my much needed caffeine and some patience I was finally heading to the hotel. 

The hotel was on a quite street, and offered free coffee and croissants for breakfast. The rooms were for two people and the beds were twin sized with a mini fridge and small counter and chair. The bathroom was standard. I will say the shower was HOT! I totally appreciated this after a long day of walking.  

The best part about the hotel was it was right outside of St.Peters Cathedral. Literally! I could walk to the corner, make a right and walk down one block to the entrance into the courtyard of the Cathedral. It was so amazing! 

Perhaps, my favorite thing about Rome is the ease of transportation. As a city girl, I am accustomed to commuting on the trains and busses. As a result, I was able to easily adapt especially because the trains were no where near as complicated as the transportation in my city. 

Now that I've painted the picture lets see some...

Because every day starts with un caffe and maybe a Croissant

 And the occasional Castle...

 Castel Sant'Angelo

Roman Views from the deck of the Castle 

                           

Rooftop Castle Views... Straight to St. Peter's Cathedral

The fountain was a MUST SEE!

Just Amazing

 

It was even better at night... totally worth the train and walk back to the attraction! 

Speaking of walking this is one of the streets in the high fashion shopping area...

Views from Via dei Condotti to the Spanish Steps

Did I mention Gelato is LIFE !

I tried so many flavors during my trip and I was never disappointed. 

What is Ancient Rome without the Ruins???

 The Ruins of Tempio del Divo Claudio 

Also where a lot of counsel meetings took place, laws were passed and trades of goods were made

 Did you know?

When you purchase a ticket to the Colosseum, you receive free entry to Tempio Del Divo Claudio. 

It's a very short walk and totally worth your time. The ruins are more than intriguing and excellent photo ops!

But who can go to Rome and not see...

The Colosseum 

(trying to get a full picture is pretty impossible but fun trying)

Pay the 7 Euro for the audio guide. It will make walking through the Colosseum so much better! 

 It's like going back in time!

Did I mention Romans love eggs.

Especially when they are chocolate 

SOOOOOOO GOOOOD! 

Of Course St. Peter's Cathedral has to be climbed...what is a tour without it?

Entry way steps...

More Steps... like 871 in total more

 Vatican Views

Vatican City

 
Vatican Rooftop... there's Gelato up here ;-)

Rome is utterly amazing. However, Florence is a short train ride away and it is worth every moment. I spent the day exploring Florence and here are some photos...

The famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge

As some one who avoids bridges at all cost I must say I appreciate that you can't tell you're on the bridge until you're in the middle. It was quite a fun experience for me. 

Florence just is not complete without a visit to the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum. Yes fashionistas, this is history in the making, literally. I enjoyed every moment of if. 

 

Back in Rome, it was almost time to return home. Vacations have to include a final dinner. This is where it gets interesting. Earlier I stated I was able to figure out the transportation due to being in a large city. 

Well, this is my proof. I looked it up and traveled there in the evening, for dinner. 

I was very proud of myself as I totally stepped out of my comfort and explored a part of Rome I hadn't seen before. 

Ok, so I made a wrong turn coming home, I eventually figured it out. But, nonetheless, it was worth every step! 

Highly recommended restaurant in a tucked away neighborhood. 

Table for one please

I treat myself really good, I must admit :-)

What is dinner without desert? This literally melted in my mouth and I was sad when it ended. 

I hope you enjoyed this photo blog of my journey in Rome, Italy. It was fun reliving these moments. 

There were so many other photos, maybe we can do a part 2.

Stay tuned....

Thanks for stopping by and Traveling with May