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A Californian, born and raised, I currently live in New York City. You could say my love for travel began with small trips with my family as a child, but I really caught the travel bug when I was 17 and on my first trip to Europe. Since then I have traveled extensively, both on the cheap and also very lavishly. There are so many places to see in the world that I try not to go to the same place twice (although that can’t always be helped).

When I plan trips, I know what there is to see where I am going, when places are open, unique food to the area, and how long it will take to drive from one place to another. I maximize each vacation day to ensure I don’t miss out on anything, including down time.

There are a few things I have learned after all of my years of traveling:

1. Don’t travel beyond your means. You can find plenty of places not too far from pretty much anywhere, where you can find wildlife, adventure and/or culture. It’s okay to stay semi local. If there is a specific trip you want to take, save up for it.
2. Plan far in advance. You will usually get the best prices (and you can keep checking in case prices go down as long as you don’t book everything non-refundable) and will have the time to organize your trip to get the most value out of it.
3. Utilize all the tools you have (good credit=good credit cards=points) to find the best, most affordable trips. I put everything on my credit cards, but can only do this if I am able to pay off the balance every single month. And know which card will give you the most points to reach your goals!
4. Go off the beaten track. You will learn more about the culture of an area and prices tend to be better when there are fewer tourists.
5. Travel during the shoulder season. If your means are limited and you want to travel a lot, this is the best way to do it.
6. Invest in quality travel necessities. You will use them over and over so you need them to last.
7. Travel with an open mind. Things don’t always go as planned but that doesn’t mean it can’t be an amazing experience.

Everything I write here is based on my own experiences and every picture I post is my own. Also, I will occasionally need to black out a face. I hope that every reader will take my advice and apply my suggestions in ways that work for them. Or contact me and I can plan your trip! My ultimate goal is to inspire love for travel because it can teach history, it helps build bridges between cultures, helps create an understanding and tolerance of others, shows similarities between all people and provides an appreciation for each person’s own life. Carpe Diem!