Since it is the New Year, I hope you have started really thinking of what your travel plans might be in 2017. Big or small, it doesn’t matter.

Travel is as expensive as you want it to be. I truly believe that everyone has it in their budget to travel. 

If you are anything like me, your smartphone might as well be an appendage.  We live in a day and age where no matter what the question is, the response is… There’s an app for that. And it’s true! There probably is an app for just about everything you may need or want. I have found so many useful travel apps that make traveling abroad easy and stress free, and I wanted to share my favorites with you. So, make your way to the app store — It’s time to get downloading.

I love to capture memories of my experiences when I travel. You probably do too, right?  

Adventure travel speaks to me…sometimes. I am the type of traveler that can thrive on doing absolutely nothing for days on end, and also find great enjoyment in having the most mind blowing, adrenaline pumping, heart racing adventures.  I constantly have to ask myself, is this trip seeking to be an epic adventure of a lifetime, or will the most adventurous part of my trip be having two desserts? Decisions, decisions.

I know there are some people who fall firmly in one camp or the other, no matter what. Adventure seekers are always a blast to plan trips for because I know I can really let loose and create a fast-paced trip they are sure to love.  They aren’t going to call me a few days in asking me to cancel the rest of their plans because they just fell like laying low at the spa. They are going to go, and then go some more. 

If you are in that camp, I want to share with you a few of my favorite destinations I recommend for my fellow thrill-seekers.

I consider myself a minor league foodie. By this I mean that there is nothing very sophisticated or educated about my food obsession, other than the fact that I simply love good food. And because I wouldn’t say that I really love to cook, I’m a person who loves good food someone else cooks.  It doesn’t have to be fancy, or complicated, or even hard to pronounce… it simply has to be delicious.  

For this reason, I am a firm believer that every amazing vacation should include great food.  There are very few destinations on my list of places I have immensely enjoyed visiting that didn’t offer this component.  (Besides maybe the Czech Republic. I loved Prague...hated the food!) As such, I like to make it a point to discuss this topic with clients when creating custom itineraries.

I can still remember my longest flight delay... almost 24 hours in Paris and 10 of it stuck at the airport, before they finally let us in on the obvious secret that our plane wasn’t going anywhere that day.  The savvy traveler I am now would have never wasted such an opportunity, but all I did  then was fill myself up with McDonald’s and sit despondently by the gate.

Even when you are the best planner and have double checked your flight status before leaving home, sometimes the inevitable still happens— flight delays.  Nobody wants to start or end a vacation inside of an airport for extra hours, but the inevitable is just that. However, there are a few tips and tricks of the trade I’ve picked up over the years that are important reminders and just may come in handy for you. 

Romance can be found in so many different and unique places around the world. Yes, you want that beautiful romantic element to your travel experience, but what else are you looking to pair it with?  The following is a list of some of my favorite destinations around the globe, compiled into categories you can identify with and will be drawn to based on your own interests. This list could easily change seven times before Friday, but it’s a fantastic starting point to help you think about creating the type of travel experience that fits you personally.

Is planning a vacation last minute a good idea? No. Not if you really are trying to have your best experience.  I think many people either don’t realize that planning in advance can work to their advantage, or they believe that all the best deals are found last minute. That’s simply not true. Planning in advance allows you to craft the perfect trip to suit your tastes, and gives you access to everything your trip should encompass. You aren’t settling, you are able to set the tone for your perfect trip. 

So, the question to ask is when is the optimal time to start planning your next vacation? There are 3 main things to consider when deciding how far in advance you should begin planning, and booking all the necessary components.

Here is yet another thing I love about traveling the world: You can literally pick the season you want to enjoy at any time of year, and go somewhere perfectly suited to experience it. Did you miss your opportunity for a summer vacation? Or are you like me, and jump at the chance to work on your tan any chance you get? Well, you’re in luck.

Since most people don’t start their winter travel until mid or late December, traveling in November and early December means crowds are small and your vacation dollar will go a lot further in huge sections of the travel world.

Today’s blog gives you some fantastic ideas to help you add a week or two of summer vibes toward the end of the year.

Is there anything worse than getting off of an international flight tired, cranky, and hangry, only to be met with a ridiculously long custom’s line, that inches forward at the slowest pace known to man?! Of course, the person right ahead of you will have forgotten to sign their paperwork and the agent will probably have about 17 extra questions for them. These are all first world problems, I know. But coming home from international travel and dealing with customs is by far my least favorite part of traveling. Unless you have Global Entry, you’re stuck- until now.

Enter Mobile Passport. Music to my globe-trotting ears.

For the last two weeks I’ve been glued to the T.V. watching the Olympic Trials for Track and Field, and witnessing the life transforming moments of athletes seeing their dreams be realized as they become Olympians. There is not much more thrilling to me than the Olympics, and I become consumed every 4 years. 

If you have the opportunity to make your way to Rio this summer for the Olympic Games, let me first tell you that I am insanely jealous— in the best way. 

Rio is an amazing city that I have had the opportunity to visit a handful of times, and I know that it will add it’s special magic to the 2016 Summer Games. Because a trip like this is a fusing of my two biggest passions, I'd love to pass along some helpful information for anyone traveling there next month.

The Game of Thrones season finale may mean life feels a little empty but you can cheer yourself up with a trip to Northern Ireland and the dramatic locations where the series was filmed. 

I recently had a client depart for a month long trip to Europe, with half of that time spent in Ireland/Northern Ireland with—you guessed it—a focus on Game of Thrones sightseeing. Unbeknownst to me at the beginning of our vacation planning, some of the most majestic locations in Northern Ireland have become part and parcel of Westeros. 

Traveling by train in Italy is my favorite way to travel. Not only are their network of trains convenient and reliable, you also get some spectacular views of the countryside. Today, I wanted to answer a few of the most common questions I get about traveling by train in Italy, and hopefully guide you towards choosing the best mode of transportation for you on your next Italian adventure.

Exploring a new city through it’s culinary offerings is pretty much my favorite thing ever. I like food. I hesitate to call myself a “foodie”, simply because I’m not fancy with it at all. I just like what I like, and what I love most of all is the experience a good meal can provide. It makes you savor and appreciate the moment. To me, that is what life is all about. 

So, what did I do while I was in Vancouver for an entire week? I ate my way through the city. Many of my favorites came from locals or visitors who passed along their favorites to me, and recommendations through my people on social media (thank you!). I am sharing my favorites with you in hopes that during your next visit to this amazing city in the Pacific Northwest you can tag me in your foodie photo on Instagram, and let me know how amazing your meal was as well!

I love Central America. Costa Rica is one of my “soul destinations”, and by that I mean a place I go to to get in tune with the deepest parts of me, and where I feel like the beauty of nature is on display everywhere you turn.  There are so many destinations within Costa Rica to visit and fall in love with, but it also happens to be neighbors with some other pretty awesome countries as well. 

Recently, I had the opportunity to plan an incredible trip to Costa Rica and add on a side trip to Nicaragua. I feel so inspired by it, that it’s on my to do list to take my own adventure to Nicaragua sometime soon!  It’s proximity to the Guanacaste region makes it an amazing addition to a Costa Rican adventure, or an experience all on it’s own.

Yes, you should explore the world. But you should also take the time to explore your own backyard.  I have become more and more inspired to make these trips a priority in my travel experiences, and it’s been amazing!

If you don’t know where to start, here is a good place. This is basically my itinerary from the trip I just got back from. It’s a week long itinerary and we are going to have it start in Phoenix and end in Vegas for the out of towner who isn’t driving from home. It’s easy to do flights this way, and it makes a lot more sense when you want to get in as much as possible and not backtrack. These are literally the shortest amounts of time I would recommend spending—if you can, stay longer!

I will never forget the first time I packed for a 3 week trip to Europe. I exited the airport with 2 full sized roller bags, a carryon roller bag, and a backpack.  Included in those suitcases were various outfit options for whatever might come up during my time abroad, about 10 pairs of shoes, and at least 6 pairs of jeans. I wanted to be prepared.

I then remember the moment when I needed to take the train from one city to the next.  I looked around anxiously for the elevator or escalator that would take me from street level to where the platforms were and saw nothing. So I made 3 trips up and down the stairs with two 50 pound bags, as frenchmen whisked past me with no offers of help.  

Never again.

I love travel!! I love sports!!

If you know me, these are two very true statements.  So any time I have the opportunity to create crossover with those two passions, it’s absolute win in my book! About a month ago, they released the information for the NFL International Series.  3 games in London, and 1 game in Mexico City.  

I have been to many, many NFL games in my life, but never in another country. To me, that sounds like an absolute dream! Being able to explore London (and beyond!), plus root for your favorite team all in one swoop?! Sign me up.  

It sounded like such a great idea, I decided to create 3 simple itineraries that would make the whole process easy and enjoyable. They’re a baseline of how to make a trip like this come together successfully.

Spring Break is the time of year where students in college get the opportunity to take a break from their studies, and enjoy time off in a beautiful locale that usually provides a ton of sunshine, and a few (or many) frosty beverages. I never actually went on a Spring Break vacation while I was in college, and I feared I might of missed out on my opportunity, but then I thought… Why shouldn’t grownups get a spring break vacation? 

Sure, studying for midterms is hard, but not nearly as hard as real life! Can I get an amen?!