Where are you off to next?

On By RaShondaIn Domestic Travel, international travel, travel deals, travel tips, vacationLeave a comment

It seems like more and more this is the question I’m asked. I’ve always traveled with my family growing up but the last few years I’ve caught the travel bug and can’t seem to shake it.

People often ask me how do I decide on where to go. I have a list of 25 or so countries plus cities in the U.S. that are on my must travel list but let’s be honest I go where the deals are. In mid-2016, I bought a deal to go to Dublin, Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day but as of then I didn’t have anything else planned for this year. It’s rare that I purposely book anything that far in advance, it’s usually what ever deal comes up that works with my travel dates and budget. Continue reading “Where are you off to next?” →

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Arabian Nights…in Morocco (Pt 2)

On By RaShondaIn travel tips1 Comment

Following up from the previous post.

Clearly we survived the road trip, since I’m still here to write about it. After a long day we met up with a herder to take a camel ride to our campsite for the night. Since it was approaching sunset, we were able to get some amazing shots as the sun went down and enjoyed the solitude of just the three of us and our camels. Side note, after riding a camel in Egypt I said I wouldn’t do it again. It’s definitely an experience but two times was definitely enough.

The campsite, although not glamping by any means, was way better than I anticipated. We had tents the size of a small bedroom with electricity and outlets. The bathrooms were actual bathrooms, not latrines. I was a Girl Scout so I was prepared to rough it if need be.

The dining room was a beautiful tent that reminded me of being in an actual Moroccan restaurant with all of the brightly colored fabrics and Berber carpets lining the walls and floors. Best part, the meal was tasty. We ended the night being entertained by the guys who worked the campsite, 2 tour guides, and the camel herder who all sang and played random instruments. Continue reading “Arabian Nights…in Morocco (Pt 2)” →

Arabian Nights…in Morocco (Pt 1)

On By RaShondaIn Morocco, travel tips1 Comment

Recently, I was reminded I never posted about my trip to Morocco. So here we go…

From the time I was 10 years old and went to my first Moroccan restaurant in Washington, DC (RIP Marrakesh on New York Ave.), I was obsessed with the food and the culture. Okay, I can’t lie mainly the food.

Fast forward two decades, one of my girlfriends is Moroccan and from our very first conversation I told her I wanted to go to Morocco with her the next time she went. After a year of seeing “deals” comes and go and not finding any flights under $750, I figured I’d just put it off for a later time. Continue reading “Arabian Nights…in Morocco (Pt 1)” →

2016: A Year In Review

On By RaShondaIn travel tips1 Comment

This year has truly been the most epic as far as international travel is concerned. I still can’t believe I’ve been in 10 countries outside of the US (actually 11 if you count Portugal, but we didn’t have a chance to leave the airport.) This year I went on seven international trips, some with my husband and with my girlfriends, others solo and with my Aunt.

In January, I spent MLK weekend in Martinique. I went with my husband but ended up being there the same time as some friends from DC and a large group of my fellow Nomadness tribe members. We rented a catamaran with 40 of our new closest friends and spent the entire day sailing around the small French island. Continue reading “2016: A Year In Review” →

Exploring Eastern Europe, first stop Budapest

On By RaShondaIn Europe3 Comments

Back in September, we’d gone to Milan to explore more of Italy. I heard great things about Budapest and wanted to get a taste of Eastern Europe so I found a great deal and booked a flight to Budapest while we were over there.

We flew via Wizz Air, it’s another European low-cost carrier. As long as you’re not checking bags, it’s an easy and incredibly cheap flight.

I booked an apartment via AirBnB in a centrally located apartment in an old building in the heart of Budapest near the Oktagon metro stop. It was a classic and quaint unit located on the fourth floor of a building that was around 300 years old. We dropped off of our bags and instantly fell in love with the historic area. Outside our doors it was interesting to see old storefronts replaced with American favorites like Starbucks, KFC, and Hooters, but such is life. Continue reading “Exploring Eastern Europe, first stop Budapest” →

Florida’s Hidden Gem: Exploring Amelia Island

On By RaShondaIn Domestic Travel, vacationLeave a comment

While Amelia Island is not quite part of Florida’s Emerald Coast, it reminds me of the beaches you’d see in Destin and Panama City but far less congested and more laid back.

Recently my girlfriend and I decided to take a long weekend to Amelia Island. I’d received a voucher for a two night stay at any Omni property in the US or Canada and figures I wanted to go somewhere warm and beachy that I’d never been to before. I figured Amelia Island would fit the bill.


Shortly after deciding on the Omni Amelia Island, JetBlue had one of their great sales and Jacksonville, FL was one of their destinations. How perfect! My friend was coming from New York, while I was coming from Washington, DC. The best part was neither of us paid more than $180 for our tickets. Continue reading “Florida’s Hidden Gem: Exploring Amelia Island” →

All About Milan: Tips & Tricks

On By RaShondaIn Europe, italy, travel tips3 Comments

Since this is my second visit to Milan, I’m qualified to be an expert on the city right? Well not quite, but I’ve had the chance to experience a lot that the fashion capital of Italy has to offer.

Where do I stay?
First of all, in my opinion, you should stay somewhere close to the Milano Centrale station. Not only is it easily accessible from Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) but it’s a quick walk, metro, or tram ride across the city.

I’m a SPG girl so I’m all about staying in Starwood properties whenever possible, there are plenty in Milan to choose from. We’ve stayed in the Four Points by Sheraton three times now. The first two times last April and the first part of our trip this September we stayed in newly remodeled spacious rooms on an SPG designated floor. The last stay was booked under my Aunt, who does not have SPG status and we stayed on a lower floor that was straight out of the 60/70s. Continue reading “All About Milan: Tips & Tricks” →

End of Summer Holiday

On By RaShondaIn Europe1 Comment

Before you ask, yes, I’m traveling again. My Aunt and I booked a trip to Milan back in January as part of Emriates annual companion deal. We booked a Wednesday-Wednesday trip around Labor Day weekend.

Since I’d been to Milan before, I wanted to use the trip as a springboard to go someplace new. Initially, the plan was to go to Croatia. After searching for flights, there didn’t seem to be many affordable or nonstop options from Milan to any of the major cities there. 

A few weeks after booking the flight, my Aunt who had never been to Venice told me she wanted to also incorporate that and a trip to Cinque Terre. So the planning began and I needed to find some place close that we could go to in addition to those two places in Italy.

Sometime during this period, I came across a few blogs on Budapest. After checking for flights and finding several for as low as $40RT from Milan, I was sold.

So in addition to booking two days trips to Cinque Terre and Venice, in Italy, I was now on the hunt for things to do in Budapest. Based on flight schedules and pricing, it looked as though 3 days would be just enough time to explore this city filled with quite the unique history.

More on this specifics of our trip up next…

It’s My Birthday! Greetings from Sint Maarten.

On By RaShondaIn vacation3 Comments

As I type this, I’m sitting on our balcony at the Westin Dawn Beach listening to the roar of the ocean. This is such a peaceful island and our view couldn’t be any better. Thanks SPG for the oceanview upgrade.

There was quite storm last night but everything’s good now. You’ll notice in the photo above one of the cabanas fell down. The winds were pretty strong last night, but everyone here was unfazed so we weren’t either. Continue reading “It’s My Birthday! Greetings from Sint Maarten.” →

Summer, Summer, Summer time

On By RaShondaIn travel tipsLeave a comment

This summer has seriously flown by. After Cuba, I thought I’d be fine not doing anything else until my next trip to Italy/Hungary with my Aunt in September but hey things change.

As a child, I spent each birthday in a different part of the country attending annual attorney conventions with my parents that always fell around my birthday. Since I’ve been an adult for some reason I’ve remained close to home and usually just do an intimate dinner with friends to celebrate. This year I’ve decided to spend my birthday with my amazing husband on the island of Saint Maarten. We’re going for 5 days/4 nights and I couldn’t be more excited.

Typically, I like to plan every last detail on trips because I have a serious fear of missing out, but this time I’m going to do what normal people do and actually vacation. Of course, being who I am I couldn’t have absolutely no plans so I booked a catamaran day trip to the island of Anguilla and a couples massage for my birthday. Other than that, we’ve booked a car and I’m looking forward to exploring the French and Dutch sides of the island at our leisure. Nine days and counting…

st-maarten
Photo from Carnival’s website