Really, it’s true! You don’t believe me?? Well, try it for yourself. Go on an adventure. Something that’s not fully planned out step by step and see if you lean something new about yourself or about anything.

There’s no better time than right now to be relishing in a good adventure. Occasionally, when I go away to a new place,  I won’t have the itinerary planned out. I enjoy figuring it out and exploring around. I definitely will make sure to bring a mini notebook (old school I know 🙂 use you phone if that’s your thing) with some of the best places to check out though. I find these these little gems using sites like trip advisor. What I have come to find though, is that a lot of the time wherever a good crowd is (most of the cases, but not always), is where you want to be. I can not tell you how many times I have stopped at a spot because there was a huge crowd of people there and more often than not, there’s a reason for it.

*Some things I have learned…

I’ve learned to be more thankful for what I do have.

I’ve learned that I CAN do anything I put my mind to.

I’ve learned that not everything is going to be perfect all of the time.

That’s a huge part of life isn’t it? Figuring it all out and learning new things. I hope I never stop learning about myself and I keep striving to be better and better.

Here are a few of my favorite traveling tips for those of you that are traveling enthusiasts!

Tara Tip #1: Always bring along some yummy snacks. This is definitely my number one tip because you never know when you will be able to eat and what the choices will be out there on the road. I like to pack all kinds of snacks that I know will fuel my body and some that are simply just fun to eat on the road. Some snacks I will pack for a trip that I normally don’t eat on an everyday basis like chips and cheese doodles. Cheese doodles are my absolute fav and weakness. Give me a bag of cheese doodles and some red wine and I am good to go! No, but really you can’t go wrong with bringing along some goodies along for you to enjoy! Some other items I like to pack are…individual packets of almond and peanut butter, rice cakes, any kind of bar (Lara Bars and Square bars are two of my favs), hummus, rice chips, bananas, cherries, and trail mix. I also enjoy having some gummies for the road.

Tara Tip #2: Always bring along some good music. Playlists, playlists, playlists. I can’t tell you enough how music makes my trip so much better, especially when I road trip around. I love jamming out to good music and it really passes the time! I love that feeling when you hear a song and associate a good memory to it too.

Tara Tip #3: Always bring a few separate bags with you. I like to do this so my dirty clothes are separate from the clean ones. I also like to put my shoes in a bag all on their own so it doesn’t get too smelly. I’m not sure if it even makes that much of a difference but it makes me feel better so I will continue to do so 🙂

Tara Tip #4: Always bring a water bottle and water with you. Hydration is super important when you are traveling around. I like to bring a water canteen that I can fill up wherever I go, along with some already filled water bottles. Whenever I fly, I always get so thirsty and drinking water helps me not get rundown and sick. I also bring some vitamin c packets wherever I go for a little extra boost whenever needed.

Tara Tip #5: Travel smart. By this I mean do not overpack and bring only a carry on when you can. It makes things so much easier when I just have a carry on bag and another big bag that I can put all my other items in. If I am at the airport, I’ll make sure I put my purse in my second bag so that way I will only have two 🙂 Make sure to bring a large enough second bag with you to stuff everything you need in there, including your purse. I also like to wear my bulkiest shoe and jacket (if needed) so it takes up less space and I can fit more in there. I used to travel with a million bags it felt like, but now I make sure to really downsize when I travel and it has been a lot better for me that way.