Tag: rome

How We Can Afford to Travel

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How We Can Afford to Travel

Why does traveling have to be so expensive? And why do I love it so much?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there’s just something about traveling that brings out the best in me! I feel alive, happy, and ready to take on the world! That’s why Brett and I make a point to save up for our next adventures.

How can we afford to travel as often as we do?

  1. We have a travel fund. I work in finance and I’m a big advocate for having a budget and saving for items you want to purchase or trips you want to take. For that reason, Brett and I always have a travel fund and are saving for our next trip. We put a percentage of our paychecks into this account and save it up until we are ready to go on our next adventure. Even if we aren’t currently planning a trip we are still putting money away for travel.
  2. We make travel a priority. It’s super easy to get caught up in all of the other things life throws your way. Brett and I make traveling a priority. In 2019 we weren’t able to plan a big Europe trip like we had hoped but we still set aside time to travel to places in the United States instead. This way we saved money but were still able to visit some new places and make memories together.
  3. We travel on a budget. When we go on a trip we aren’t staying in the fanciest hotels or splurging on new clothes and accessories for our travels. During our planning process we are mapping out all possibilities of places to stay, eat, visit, etc. We set a budget and stick to it. I do like to splurge for once in a lifetime opportunities but we always plan for those ahead of time and make room in the budget.
  4. We compromise. Planning a trip with another person can be difficult. Brett and I take turns picking the places we want to go. I planned our Europe trip in 2018 so he’s planning our 2020 trip. We can’t go everywhere at once so we compromise and take turns. Luckily, we both want to go to many of the same places so this has been pretty easy!
  5. Brett’s Job. We have been incredibly blessed by Brett’s current job for an airline. This allows us to travel at a very discounted rate but we haven’t always had this perk and have traveled many times without it. Brett’s job has allowed us to go on a few trips that we wouldn’t have normally been able to go on without spending more time saving our money. We are super grateful and don’t take this blessing lightly. We know that we won’t have these opportunities for long so we always try to make the most of it! I do want to stress that it is possible to travel without breaking the bank even without these flight benefits!

It’s not always easy, but we are determined to travel as much as possible before we have children. Traveling is one of our top priorities right now and I can only imagine how much that will change in the next few years. For now, I’m constantly on Pinterest planning our next adventure.

Do you have any budgeting tips for traveling?

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My #1 International Travel Essential – TEP Wireless Review

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#1 Travel Essential - TEP Wireless Review , travel hotspot

Traveling has always been one of my favorite things to do. I love planning out itineraries of what to do each day and exploring all there is to see in each new place. I read the guide books and scour Pinterest and blogs for tips, tricks, and must see locations. I make a list of the food and drinks I need to try, the history behind each monument, and most importantly, I map out walking tours.

In October my husband took me to Paris and Rome for an early 25th birthday celebration. I had been to Paris before so I knew where to take Brett for his first visit. Rome was a different story. Rome had been #1 on my bucketlist for the last couple of years but I had no prior knowledge about how to get around the city.

I was doing my usual pre-trip research when I stumbled upon TEP Wireless, a portable “pocket” WiFi device. I was intrigued and dug into reviews and technical information to see what it was all about. My cell phone carrier can provide internet for international use. However, it’s incredibly expensive so I never buy the plan for trips. TEP Wireless seemed like the perfect solution!

You rent a “Teppy” device for the duration of your trip (days, weeks, or months) and you receive a unique password that you enter in when trying to join the network on your device. It’s super easy to use! The only downside if that you have to activate each day of internet access but it only takes a couple of clicks and the wifi is back up and running. The instructions explain everything!

The Teppy has 8+ hours of constant use on a single charge and works in over 100 countries. We rented the external charger which really came in handy on some of our longer days. Brett and I both used the wifi for our phones and never ran out of battery when we also had the external charger handy. The device is super small and easy to fit in a pocket or purse.

A couple of weeks before the trip I booked our Teppy device with a pre-paid return envelope. About two days before we left the Teppy arrived in a cute little package and was ready to go to Europe with us. When we knew our travel plans were changing from just Rome to Rome and Paris I hopped online to chat with one of the TEP Wireless customer service representatives. They were able to re-assure me that the device would work in Paris and Rome for no extra charge!

I was really glad to have TEP Wireless in both Paris and Rome. We never lost coverage and found it super easy to use! We look forward to renting with TEP Wireless for our next big trip!

By the way, I paid for my TEP Wireless rental with my own money. They do not know that I am doing this review but I thought it might be helpful for all of my fellow travel enthusiasts!

Have you heard of TEP Wireless before? Have you tried anything similar?

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Photo by Slava Bowman on Unsplash

 

24 Hours in Paris: How to Spend One Perfect Day in the City

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24 Hours in Paris

I mentioned before that my husband, Brett, works for a airline so we are able to fly standby at a low cost. The trade off is that we never really know where we are going to end up. The goal for our trip in October was to make it to Rome but flights to Rome were oversold and there was no way we would make it there in one day. Brett came up with a plan to spend a day in my second favorite city so that I could show him around.

24 Hours in Paris

If you’ve been following this blog for a while you would know how much I love Paris. I visited for the first time in 2011 and again in 2015. I attempted to plan trips in 2015 and 2017 with Brett but they never quite worked out. It was a dream come true to visit Paris with Brett! When times get tough I want to be able to remember this day in Paris with Brett. How happy we were, how beautiful the Eiffel Tower is in fall, and how much fun we had together even though I was dragging Brett around Paris on barely any sleep. 

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We started our day by changing our clothes in the airport bathrooms (#TeamNoSleep) and then booked an Uber to take us straight to the hotel to drop off our bags. We decided to splurge on a hotel which we never do and stay right by the Eiffel Tower since we were only staying for one night and wanted to make the most of our time in Paris. 

24 Hours in Paris

24 Hours in Paris

24 Hours in Paris

After dropping our bags off at the hotel we headed straight to the Eiffel Tower. There’s just something about Paris that’s magical to me and I was very excited to share the magic with Brett. There was construction around the tower so we were unable to go underneath it which was really sad. We also decided to not go to the top of the Eiffel Tower this trip. I had already been once and Brett didn’t want to spend all day in line. After taking in the views we went to a little cafe to grab breakfast. We were both exhausted and sitting for a few minutes to plan out our day was just what we needed. 

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In 2015 I walked along the Seine River to visit many of the places on my Paris Itinerary. This trip I decided it would be a great idea to re-trace my steps and do the same thing in order to show Brett all the highlights of Paris in a short amount of time. We would have to exclude a couple of things like Moulin Rouge and Montmartre (my favorite place in Paris) in order to make it a true walking tour. There are great bus tours of the city if you truly want to see everything in a day!

24 Hours in Paris

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In our 24 hours in Paris we explored the grounds of the Louvre but didn’t go inside, toured the Notre Dame,  ate ice cream by the Eiffel Tower, and watched the Eiffel Tower night show. In my Midnight in Paris post I talk about the magical moment I saw the Eiffel Tower at night for the first time. Pure magic. Brett and I also had a nice dinner complete with Brett trying escargot for the first time. He actually really liked it! 

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If we would have had more time I would love to have explored the Louvre again. I could spend hours walking around the Louvre. I would have also gone to Montmartre because that’s one of my absolute favorite spots in Paris. 

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We flew out around 11 the next morning so we took a walk around the Eiffel Tower and grabbed my favorite chocolate croissants from a cute cafe near our hotel. At the airport we bought macaroons and starting planning the next leg of our adventure in Rome. 

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Paris will always hold a special place in my heart and I’m so grateful that Brett and I finally got to visit together. In case you couldn’t tell, I really love Paris. 

Interested in visiting Paris? Check out my other Paris travel posts below!

Thanks for reading! 

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Travel Playlist – A Week In Italy

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Travel Playlist - Italy

Hello from Italy (hopefully)!

I am scheduling this post a week in advance but *fingers crossed* Brett and I are currently in Rome!

The most popular blog post that I have ever written was my Study Abroad Playlist in 2015. I am still blown away by the number of views that I receive each week on this post! Music is so important to me and I love having a playlist for each trip that I take. This trip to Rome has been one that I have been dreaming about since I was in Elementary school. I’m so grateful to get the chance to visit!

I should also mention during this trip I will be living out my Lizzie McGuire movie dreams so of course there will be songs from the movie soundtrack. 🙂 I hope you enjoy this little taste of Rome.

Volare – Vitamin C

Pompeii – Bastille

Walking On Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves

Daydream Believer – The Monkees

Learning to Fly – Tom Petty

Go Big Or Go Home – American Authors

Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root

New Soul – Yael Naim

What Dreams Are Made Of – Hilary Duff

Here I Go Again – Whitesnake

Where The Streets Have No Name – U2

The Nights – Avicci

Have Love Will Travel – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

I Love This Life – LOCASH

What are your favorite songs for traveling?

Thanks for reading!

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Hello From Somewhere!

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travel blog

Hi friends!

It’s the beginning of a new week and I have no idea where I am. I’m writing this post ahead of time because Brett and I are traveling this week. The goal is to make it to Europe, preferably Rome, but we will take a what we can get!

My husband, Brett, works for an airline which means that we get flight benefits to fly standby. We aren’t guaranteed a seat on the flight and a lot of times we get stuck places. But I guess that’s part of the adventure!

This week we are trying to make it to Rome and hopefully by the time you are reading this we have made it. If you want to know where we ended up make sure to follow me on Instagram (@lifeofhayleyblog). I’ll be posting to my stories as often as I can.

I am so excited for this new adventure with Brett and can’t wait to share my travels with you when I return.

Thanks so much for reading!

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Five On Friday #4

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Five Things on Friday

Happy Friday, friends!

Once again, I thought I’d share five things that have been on my mind this week. It has been an exhausting week between an aggressive headache and lots of responsibilities at work. Let’s just say that I am very excited for this weekend and my vacation next weekend. This is my first real vacation this year besides air shows and weddings so I’m super excited to relax a bit!

  1. October 2nd marked one year since Tom Petty passed away. Tom Petty was one of my absolute favorite artists and his death devastated the entire music industry. I celebrated his life all week long by listening to a Tom Petty playlist on repeat.
  2. This weekend we will be attending my cousin’s wedding! I have never been more excited for someone to get married (besides me, of course). They have been dating for 11 years and I’m looking forward to celebrating with them!
  3. Brett and I are getting ready for our long awaited European adventure next week! We are flying stand-by so I’m not exactly sure where we will end up but hopefully it will be Rome! If you want to see more about our trip make sure to follow me on Instagram (@lifeofhayleyblog). I am hoping to post there pretty regularly!
  4. My headaches seem to be immune to any sort of pain medication now. I am on day 10 of constant pain and all I want to do is sleep for the next one hundred years.
  5. I despise jeans but have been loving Old Navy’s jeans lately. I bought three pairs in the last couple of weeks and have been living in them. I prefer jeans that are super stretchy and comfortable and they have a lot of variety.

Also, a huge thank you to my friend Hunida for featuring me in her blog post yesterday! I always love reading her monthly favorite blog posts and was super surprised to see my blog featured! Thanks again!

Well, that’s all of this week! What’s on your mind today?

Thanks for reading!

Lifestyle Blog, Life of Hayley

 

What to Pack for a Week in Italy

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what to pack for a week in italy, rome italy packing list

Hi friends!

Brett and I are preparing for our trip to Rome in a couple of weeks. I have been working on creating my packing list and buying any pieces that I still needed before the trip. I thought it would be fun to share what I am bringing on our trip!

I hope this list can help you plan for your next adventure!

Bags:

  • 1 full size suitcase to share with Brett
  • 1 carryon suitcase
  • 1 small Vera Bradley weekender
  • 1 cross body purse
  • 1 travel wallet
  • 1 foldable reusable bag

Electronics:

  • 2 Converters
  • iPhone, charger
  • iPad, charger
  • cameras, memory cards, chargers, cases
  • Headphones

Miscellaneous Items:

  • Travel journal
  • Book
  • Copy of hotel reservation and any pre-booked tickets
  • Empty water bottle
  • Snacks
  • Umbrella
  • Passport, Driver’s License
  • Travel Credit Card/Debit Card
  • Small amount of currency

Shoes:

  • 1 Nikes
  • 1 Converse
  • 1 Sandals

Clothes:

  • 2 sweaters (black, grey)
  • 1 foldable rain jacket
  • 1 light jacket
  • 2 layering tank tops (white, black)
  • 2 jeans (black, dark wash)
  • 1 shorts (dark wash)
  • 3 t-shirts (black, white, grey)
  • 1 light weight scarf
  • 2 sleep shirts/comfortable t-shirts
  • 1 pajama pants
  • 1 athletic shorts
  • 1 dress
  • 3 blouses
  • 1 leggings
  • 1 swim suit
  • 1 belt
  • Socks, underwear, bras
  • Cheap jewelry

Toiletries:

  • Medication
  • Travel sized shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, toothpaste
  • Toothbrush, floss
  • Face wipes, moisturizer, lotion
  • Sunscreen
  • Basic makeup (concealer, foundation, mascara)
  • Emergency feminine products
  • Deodorant
  • Hairbrush
  • Hair ties

My top tips for packing are to use packing cubes, pick a color scheme, check the weather before leaving, and to pack as light as possible. As you can see, I’m really not bringing a lot with me on this trip. I know that if I forget something I can buy it there. I am packing mostly staple items that I can mix and match to create different outfits.

I usually stay pretty close to my list when it actually comes time to pack but a few extra items still find their way into my suitcase. I also pack for Brett because he ends up bringing everything he owns. It’s hilarious to watch but not fun to drag his stuff through cities. Packing light is key!

This list can be edited for any trip that you are taking! Basic items are the most important because you can really build on your basics. I don’t bring anything expensive or irreplaceable with me either. Pickpockets are present pretty much anywhere you are going so it’s best to not have anything of great value with you.

I have a more in depth packing list that I posted a couple of years ago when I studied abroad in London. Check it out if you need a more detailed list for longer trips!

If you have been to Rome please let me know if there’s anything else you think I will need to bring! I’d love to hear any travel tips too.

Thanks for reading!

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Help Us Plan Our Trip To Rome!

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Visiting Rome, Italy
Hey friends!

Brett and I are trying to plan a trip to Rome for this upcoming October! Neither of us have been and it is #1 on our bucket list.

I visited Venice for one day in 2011 and fell in love with the Italian culture but did not have enough time to truly explore. I have been wanting to visit Rome since 2003 when the Lizzie McGuire Movie first premiered.

Since we have never been to Rome we are in dire need of suggestions. Where to stay, eat, visit, etc.? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Our current plan is to visit all of the touristy places – Coliseum, Vatican, Trevi Fountain, etc. But we would love to know what else we should see!

Thanks! 🙂

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