Leaving Neverland and Finding Wanderlust

There's no better way to grow up then to travel your way through it.

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zZzZzZz… JET LAG!

5 hours difference doesn't seem that big of a deal… until your eyes are bleeding at 8AM because at home it's really only 3AM, and you JUST fell asleep. NOT FUN! Especially when you want to get a start to your day and see all you can see. So here are a few tips to help beat the devil that is JET LAG!

No matter where you are home, or away, ALWAYS make sure to eat a healthy balanced diet. A few days before you leave start eating high protein foods for breakfast and lunch, then dinner mix is up with high carb foods, like a big bowl of spaghetti! Also, limit your caffeine intake to between the hours of 3PM and 5PM everyday. 

The day of travel, I know it's hard but limit caffeine intake. Caffeine can take awhile to kick it so it might kick in during a layover! Also, drink lots of water, and (YIKES) avoid alcohol! Also during the day of travel, try to eat a high protein breakfast. 

When you I landed in London I was insanely excited, but instead of raging at the hostel bar with the rest of them. I went right to bed at 10PM, because I knew I would need a head start in the morning. I woke up the next day at 8PM, ready to rumble!

[neverlandandwanderlust]

[neverlandandwanderlust]

Made in America... or Philadelphia

If you've never gone to Philadelphia... I HIGHLY suggest getting there stat. (Unless you've never been to NY, go there first obviously). But Philly, I'll tell ya one of the cleanest cities I've ever been too. And clearly the greatest cheese steaks known to man, but I'll get into that a little later. 

I went down to Philly with 2 friends to go to Jay Z's Made in America Music Festival, which headlined... drum roll... BEYONCE! We actually stayed in Cherry Hill, NJ, which is about a 20 minute drive from Philly. When we first arrived, we decided to take a mini tour of Philly, so I ended up driving in and checking out where the concert was, and a little bit of South Street.

Day 1 of the concert came, and our plan was to take the train in from Cherry Hill to Philly. Good idea in thought, (no drinking and driving) but bad idea in theory. The train station in Philly is very far from the Benjamin Franklin Highway, so we had a long drunken walk to the concert, plus we missed the train home, and had to take a cab anyway.

Trick of the music festival trade... they actually will let you in with food and water as long as it's packaged. We didn't know this day 1, so cue starvation mode, especially since they ran out of food. (Nothing seemed crazy appetizing anyway.) 

Day 2 we were a tad smarter, we drove from Cherry Hill to Philly, and even found very cheap parking about a block from the park. Today, since I was much more sober, after the show we hit up Geno's AND Pat's to have a taste test. My vote was for Pat's, but beware the incredibly long lines and limited parking!

Don't forget to check out Condom Kingdom on the infamous South Street! Some more advice, wherever you go make sure to get lost. That's why they invented iPhones right! Getting lost is the best way to finding your way around.

[neverlandandwanderlust]

[neverlandandwanderlust]

Cancun Nightlife

Through our travel agent we also booked nights out at clubs, which we figured out was a bit of a scam and you didn't really need to do that. The hotel had better deals, plus if you find a promoter down there they'll get you right in, table service, and VIP. I barely spent a dime on drinks, or bottles. One thing to be aware of though, every night is promoted to one club. So like Mandala on Friday, Daddy O's on Tuesday, that sort of thing, so be aware of which days are good where.

We went to Senor Frogs foam party, which was epic. We got a booze cruise starting from the marina, which took us on an hour long boat ride and then dropped us off at Senor Frogs. My advice DO NOT wear heels, or anything you wouldn't mind getting filthy. The foam may be soap but it definitely isn't the most hygienic place in the world.

We also went to Mandala's which was a great club, but PACKED. It's shaped in sort of a semi-circle with a stage and an outside patio with a bar. Here is where I found out, basically everyone at the resorts travel in packs. Everyone you see on the beach, or in the dining hall you WILL see wasted at night, so watch out who your doing the walk of shame around.

Another good one was, The City. It legit reminded me of New York City, with a stage and a balcony. Here we didn't have table service, but as soon as we got in we were approached by, Alex a promoter, who quickly dragged us to a table in the balcony with bottle service. The weird thing, the "there's always a gimmick" rule, doesn't apply to Mexico apparently, but every night free bottles after bottles or free open bar. 

The last night we went to Mandala Bay, which was a bar on the ocean, with a pool right behind the regular Mandala. This place was fun, except for the shenanigans going on in the pool. Basically people having sex in the middle of the club. Also, this is advertised as a "pool party" but don't let it fool you... you don't have to wear bathing suits. Club attire is the norm.

The one club we didn't get to was CocoBongo! Everyone was ranting and raving about it, but we never got to go! Until next time Cancun!

Pictures to come soon!

[neverlandandwanderlust]

Viva la Mehicooo...

Arrrrrrriba! 

The first thing I want to say about Cancun is... it really isn't as unsafe as people think! I mean I wouldn't walk around alone at night, but doing things out of the resort wasn't so scary! Always just ask your resort reception first, just to be sure.

The second thing I want to say is... DO NOT DRINK THE WATER. This is not a myth! My friend brushed her teeth with sink water one night, and the next day she barely left the toilet.

So we stayed at The Riu Cancun, it's a huge all inclusive resort right at the center of the Cancun strip. All in all, I wasn't extremely impressed. The rooms were nice and well taken care of, but the bed situation was odd. They had two full size beds pushed together, to simulate a "king" size bed. Not exactly the ideal bed for three girls, but we made it work!

Also, the food at the Riu... ain't that great, especially because I just got back from the amazing food in Europe! They had a buffet style open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, a sports bar open 24/7 that had small sandwiches and snacks, then a few restaurants. I REALLY wanted to hit the steak house, but unfortunately they were all reserved the week we were there. We did, although, do the sushi house they had. DEEELISH! Who would've thought sushi in Mexico was to die for?!

One of my favorite parts of the trip was the catamaran booze cruise we took! There was about 30 people on the boat so it's a little crammed but it's completely worth it. The cruise included a half hour snorkel session, booze, and lunch on the island. Snorkeling was so amazing, we saw schools upon schools of fish. Lunch on the island was nice, but they gave you way to long to "explore the island". After lunch I just wanted to take a nap! They also tell you to go shopping, but BE CAREFUL. The shop owners are crazy, and will do and say anything to get you in their store. One shop even gave us shots of tequila. The captain and crew were so much fun! They even created a makeshift parasail. Pictures to follow! All in all this was a great deal, but the day in general is a looooong day, so I wouldn't plan on going out this night! 

Speaking of club nights...

[neverlandandwanderlust]

Summertime Sadness

Haven't updated in awhile, I guess the "all work and no play" life is starting to take over. This summer was amazing! I couldn't have asked for it to go any better. I went on my euro trip, then to Cancun, then hit Philly for the Made in America music festival, then road tripped to Chicago for Riot Fest.   It's a shame that I got a GoPro right after! So...expect videos stat!

[neverlandandwanderlust]

skydiving in Interlaken, Switzlerland

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Palace of Versailles thunderstorms

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La Bouqueria on La Rumba

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Barcelona, Catalonia

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eze cote d'azur france

[neverlandandwanderlust]

Guess Whose Back? Back again.

Hi Ya'll (Thank my new midwestern friends for that)!

It's been about a week since I returned to the motherland from my EuroTrip. Don't ignore what I say about jet lag, cause its a mean, mean curse!

Everyone's been asking about my 'favorites' while I was there so I figured I'd have my wrap-up post be a post about all my favorite things while across the pond.

Favorite City: A seriously hard toss-up! I loved every city so much, and all for entirely different reasons. Paris I loved the culture, and buildings. Not to mention it's been my dream to go to Paris since I could speak. In Barcelona, the art and the sea. Interlaken, the unparalleled scenery, and family vibe of Baumer's Hostel. And in Munich, the beer... obviously.

Favorite Food: Although I was a total foodie on the trip, I did have a favorite. Crepes in Paris! We ate at this little creperie off of the Champs d'Elysee. I had the 'banana supreme'... Nutella, bananas, whipped cream, with vanilla bean ice cream. Pure heaven.

Favorite View: Eze Cote d'Azur. The exotic gardens in this place are absolutely stunning, and only 3 euros to enter! I'll post pictures, but if you can't wait... GOOGLE!

Favorite Nightlife: Also a tough one! Barcelona had good 'gimmick' specials. We went to this one bar, where you paid 2 euro (if I remember correctly) and poured your own drinks. Yes, you heard me, they give you the bottle and you pour however much you'd like. They also have a bar called, Chupitos, which means 'Shots'. Here they had a million (okay, maybe like hundreds) of DOLLAR shots. I strongly recommend you buy a friend, The Monica Lewinsky. Munich had good clubs though!

Most Fun: SWITZERLAND. If you are an adrenaline junkie, GO HERE. You won't regret it. I went skydiving with SkydiveSwitzerland and it was the most amazing experience of my entire life. I had a serious outer body experience! I'll post the video soon. Other girls went paragliding, and canyoning, rented bikes, or 4-wheelers.

All in all, it was an exciting life changing experience. I feel like I know a secret that no one else will ever understand. Save your money, beg your parents, beg on the streets, eat peanut butter sandwiches, work everyday... do whatever you have to do, but just go.

[neverlandandwanderlust]

Follow Me!

5/26-

·      Land at 7:45pm

·      Arrive at London’s St. Christopher’s Inn- London Bridge to sleep

5/27-

London shopping

5/28-

·      Meet tour at 8:30am in London

·      Take the Eurostar train to Paris

·      Seine dinner cruise & night at the Eiffel Tower

5/29-

·      Breakfast

·      10:00 am Sandeman’s New Paris Walking Tour

·      Tour the Louvre and lunch at the Eiffel Tower

·      Paris pub crawl

5/30-

·      Breakfast

·      Free day: Arc du Triompe, Versailles Palace

·      Depart Paris at 8pm for Barcelona (12 hours)

5/31-

·      Check in at hostel

·      Bike tour of Barcelona, entrance into Sagrada Familia

·      Free day to explore (Parc Guell)

·      Night out in Barcelona

6/1-

·      Breakfast

·      Trip to Montjuic via cable car

·      Beach day/ Picasso Museum

·      Catalan cooking class

·      Night out in Barcelona

6/2-

·      Depart for French Riviera

·      Bus route along Costa Brava, stopping in Avignon

·      Check in arrival in Nice

·      Dinner/ Night out in Nice

6/3-

·      Short walking tour of Nice

·      Beach/ Scuba dive

·      Promenade des Anglais shopping

·      Night out in Nice

  6/4-

·      Depart Nice, stop in medieval village of Eze

·      Fragonard perfume tour

·      Depart to Monaco

·      Spend day in casino, Monaco Cathedral, and Oceanarium

·      Depart late afternoon for Interlaken

6/5-

·      Breakfast

·      Skydiving over the alps

·      Dinner

6/6-

·      Breakfast

·      Hike in Alpine Lake Thun

·      Traditional Swiss BBQ

6/7-

·      Depart for Munich at 7am

·      Stopping in Lichtenstein

·      Check in hostel at 2pm

·      Munich bike tour

·      Dinner at The Chinese Tower in The English Garden

·      Night at Hofbrauhaus Beer Hall

6/8-

·      Breakfast

·      Free day in Munich

·      Dachau

·      BMW World

·      Neuschwanstein Castle

·      Dinner at Beer Hall, Augustiner

·      Night out in Germany

6/9-

·      Breakfast

·      Tour ends 10am

·      Deutches Museum Olympic Park

6/10-

·      Breakfast

·      Third Reich Tour

·      Lunch

·      English Garden Shopping

·      Dinner

6/11-

·      Munich Airport Flight home 6am

[neverlandandwanderlust]

& So it begins...

Leaving for my euro trip in less than 3 weeks... excuse me while I freak the fuck out a little bit. Apart of me is so incredibly excited, and another part of me is totally freaked out. Obviously I wish I had someone to come with me, but in reality I'm going to learn so much about myself going at it alone. I can't wait for all the people I'll meet, to listen to their stories, and make some together. Clifton is just not the place for me, and I just can't imagine being stuck here. I need to get out and explore, and adventure, and see everything before I can settle down. Whether it be here or LA, or China, or anywhere. I won't be happy until I see everything, and I will.

I've booked everything already, which was awesome, and cheap! And I couldn't have done it without my friend, Alex. If your under the age of 26 I strongly recommend statravel.com to book flights to anywhere. Literally the cheapest flights I've ever seen, and they're on legit airlines, no scam! I'm also taking a tour for most of the time called Bus2Alps.com. The tour I'm taking is the Post Grad/ Best of Western Europe tour. I'll post my itinerary soon. 

Since I'm not bringing my laptop, cue dramatic tears, I will have a journal I'll be writing in while I'm there. Once I get home I'll transfer most of the stuff to this blog. (At least all the PG things.) There's so much to think about, my mind is seriously in a daze. If anyone has advice, or kind words feel free to leave them in the ask/submit page. I can't wait to see what's in store for me!