How to Prepare for Your First Ski Trip

f you know me, you know I'm NOT a fan of cold weather. If you don't know me, well now you know that I'm NOT a fan of cold weather! So when my cousin decided to plan a group ski trip to Breckenridge, I was hesitant. However, aside from the fact that cold weather isn't my thing, the idea of a ski trip has intrigued me ever since that episode of Fresh Prince when Will and Carton get stuck on a mountain and has to ski down before an avalanche consumes them. Of course I envisioned my own skiing experience to be way less dramatic!

So I agreed to go and began researching, as I do before any trip, to make sure I was prepared to brave the elements and have an awesome time. Here are some tips to help you prepare for your first ski trip.

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A Culinary Adventure in Old San Juan// Flavors of San Juan Food Tour

San Juan has become a new favorite destination of mine. While popular for its beautiful beaches, lush landscapes and  historical sites, San Juan is also home to some of the most delicious cuisine in the Caribbean. As I entered adult-hood and  began to expand my palette, I became enamored with Caribbean food. The fresh, spicy and bold flavors keep me interested and coming back for more. 

During my most recent visit to San Juan, taking a food tour was a top priority of mine. While there's no shortage of cafes cooking up cocina criolla (thanks Yelp!), I wanted to learn more about the history of San Juan while eating my way through this historic neighborhood. And what better way to learn about a city than through its cuisine!  Taking a food tour allows you to learn more about a place's culture and get inspiration for the rest of your trip. To help me with this endeavor, I turned to Flavors of San Juan Food and Culture Tours and joined one of their daily Old San Juan Food tours. 

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7 Affordable Honeymoon Destinations for 2017

Weddings are expensive, but your honeymoon doesn't have to be! And after dealing with all of the hassles of planning your perfect wedding day, you deserve to have an awesome honeymoon. The key to having an awesome, yet affordable honeymoon is finding the right destination and knowing the best time to go. Here's some honeymoon destinations that won't drain your pockets!

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$11 Flights and Other Advantages of Southwest Rapid Rewards

I've always been a huge fan of Southwest Airlines. From the great customer service to awesome flight deals to no baggage fees or cancellation fees, Southwest ranks at the top of my favorite U.S. based airlines.  A few years ago, I decided to join Southwest's Rapid Rewards Program to start earning points on my flights. I didn't fly often, but figured that the few points I did earn per flight would be better than not earning any at all. After a few months, I started researching more about Southwest's Rapid Rewards and learned about the benefits of this rewards program. You can use your Rapid Rewards points to redeem flights and only pay the taxes..which for domestic flights total $11.20 Since I've signed up, I've traveled to San Diego, Denver, Puerto Rico and New York City on $11.20 flights! 

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The Southwest Companion Pass: Why It's Amazing and How to Earn It!

If you read my post where I gushed about the benefits of Southwest Rapid Rewards, you'll remember that I mentioned the Southwest Companion Pass and the need to dedicate an entire post to this holy grail of rewards travel. At the time of writing this post, I do not have a Companion Pass...but I've been strategically earning and positioning myself (well, Marcus) to get one in January. I hope to be able to update this with good news next month!

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Dubai and Abu Dhabi on a Budget

Early Christmas morning in 2014, Etihad Airways had a glitch in their pricing system and airfare to Abu Dhabi was priced super low. SUPER LOW.  When I woke up that morning, I had a number of notifications from the travel Twitter profiles I follow and from my friend Farran who had gotten in on the deal and booked tickets.

While I was fairly new to travel hacking and finding cheap airfare, I knew that a deal like this wouldn't last...and who knew when or if it would happen again!? I told Marcus the amazing news and we talked about it..for two hours. Our conversation was full of questions like:  "Should we go? Should we wait to see if the deal would last? Where is Abu Dhabi? How far is that from Dubai? Are we actually going to Dubai?!" Note* We take a lot less time deciding to book deals now*  We waited so long that we almost missed the opportunity of a lifetime. Finally, in the Bucc-ee's parking lot, we decided to book tickets from New York to Abu Dhabi for $250 a piece. That's cheaper than  roundtrip flight to Houston from Dallas right now. Just saying.

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How to Travel More in 2017 While working full time

A few days ago, a co-worker came into my office and asked "How do you find the time and money to travel so often?" While this wasn't a new question for me (my parents ask me the same thing all the time), it did make me think about how I've learned to incorporate travel into my lifestyle. To be honest, I don't travel nearly as much as I'd like to. These past couple of months of travel have been more like the exception to the rule. Because I work a full-time job that isn't travel-related and does not require me to travel often, I've had to learn to get creative and resourceful when incorporating travel into my life. 

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9 Free Travel Apps You Need Right Now

Travel apps can be lifesaver when it comes to planning, saving money and navigating destinations on your trip. While it's certainly exciting to encounter the unknown and get lost in a new destination, its also very comforting to have some useful tools on your phone to get you through your trip. There are tons of apps out there to choose from but I've made a list of 10 of my favorite free and most used apps. 

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