Things to do in New York City! - An NYC Guide

So next month I'll be flying up to NYC to see my family but also, to do some fun things in the city. I absolutely LOVE New York City. All of the hustle and bustle just gives me this feeling of motivation and an energy that makes me feel like I can take on anything that comes my way. I've been traveling up the NYC almost once every year since my family live in Queens and Staten Island. Almost every time, my parents and I (or now just my mom and I) will stay in Manhattan because there's honestly no better feeling that walking out into your hotel into the heart of the city.
There is always something to do in NYC so I figured what better way to share with people than my own tips on what to do in the big apple!
Most importantly, I wanted to make this post because I feel like some of the things I love doing in NYC aren't as well known and I would love to share them with you! I was going to add in my list, cute cafes and delicious restaurants to eat at in NYC, but then I realized that would make this way too long so that'll most likely be my next post.
So without further a do, here ya go!

1. The Brooklyn Flea Market. One of my favs. This is open every Saturday and Sunday and it is the best flea market ever. Not only do they have cool antique/vintage things, but they also have interesting food stands.
Saturdays it's open in Willimsburg (11am-6pm) and Sunday it's open in DUMBO under the Manhattan bridge (10am-5pm).

Click here to go to their website.

This is a picture I took there in a cool vintage mirror. Say hello to my legs, I guess?

This was just taken outside of it in Brooklyn.

2. Ellis Island. Okay, this is something that I feel is SO underrated. If you're into spooky things, highly intuitive, and love history... check this out. If you aren't familiar, Ellis Island is where 12 million immigrants came through to America (prob your relatives) and were held here before actually setting foot on American soil. My grandpa came through here and immigrated as a boy and actually has his name on a huge plaque outside. It was an immigration inspection station that is now turned into a museum. (Parts of it burned in a fire, spooky, much?) There's kind of an eerie feeling about this place which makes me love it more. Some people, before making it through, died from sickness and.. this is going to sound crazy, but my dad swears on his mother's life that he saw a ghost here with us when I was a kid. I still remember the look on his face. No lie. Anyways, yeah. Check this out. While doing this you can also see the Statue of Liberty. You take a ferry to get to the islands and get combo tickets for both. I would buy tickets ahead of time because the lines can get long.

Also, if you want to REALLY get creepy, they have this special tour in Ellis island's abandoned hospital, called a "Hard Hat Tour". It's a 90 minute guided tour that takes you through the hospital side of Ellis Island that has not been restored (which you can't see otherwise and hence the hard hats, I guess in case some part of the building falls on you?) through the autopsy room, infectious and disease wards, the kitchen, and the mortuary. Can you say creepy?? I have never done this but this is something I've always wanted to do. I believe tickets are about $50, so it's a bit pricey. 

Side note: Apparently 3,500 people died on Ellis Island from sickness and disease, trying to make it through to America. If that's creepy enough for you, lol.

3. Washington Square Park/Greenwich Village. Described as a gathering spot for avant-garde artists. This is the place to be if you are a lover of the arts. If you've ever seen the Washington Arch next to a huge water fountain, this is where that is. It's located in Greenwich Village, also known as "The Village". Maybe bring a blanket and lay on the grass, like a lot of people do and even bring a sketchbook or novel. This is the most "artsy" side of NYC, so if you're artsy, you have to check it out. I used to love coming to The Village as a kid because it just gives off this feeling of creativity everywhere, which I've always loved. Most likely you'll see someone performing something. Honestly, it's a great spot to people watch, lol. Walk around The Village and you'll find music stores with vinyls, tattoo parlors, beautiful brownstones, jazz clubs, and off-broadway theaters. 

Stop by Cafe Wha to soak up the historic great happenings of past famous musicians. Great musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan have made their way here before and now it's for young, new artists. The Duplex is another great spot, it's an awesome piano bar. At Blecker Records Street, sort through your favorite records and check out the guest list on the wall of all the famous people who have been inside there before. Johnny Depp being one! I mean, what other city can you find things like this? 

There are also iconic spots in Greenwich Village like where they shot Friends (Bedford and Grove street) and Sex and the City (Carrie Bradshaw's apartment on Perry street). Obviously ya gotta take pictures.

Also, if you're really into that type of environment, look into events that they have in the park! Looking into it now, they have yoga and tai chi!
Bring your own mat, but their yoga is FREE and starts from 6/6/19 to 9/19/19 every Wednesday and Thursday at 8:30am-9:30am. 

(Not my own picture, but just so you know what it is)

4. The Jimmy Fallon Show. Okay, so I have literally never thought about doing this until this year, but this would be so fun! Unfortunately, the week I'll be in NYC is the same week he takes his annual hiatus. 
The tickets for his show are free but you need to make sure you reserve tickets as soon as they go up. They only go up a month at a time. Check his twitter account starting the first day of the month before you are trying to go. For example; if you're going in August, check his twitter July 1st, and he'll write an update for what time/date it'll be up for August starting that first week of July some time. Just turn on your announcements for his twitter that first week of July. You have to make an account on his website too. But even then, apparently tickets aren't guaranteed and you won't know that you have seats until maybe a week or so before?
You can always wait in line early in the morning between 6am-9am for tickets on the same day and you should get them (according to research).

5. See beautiful, picture worthy architecture and landmarks.

                        - St Patrick's Cathedral - just plain beautiful. Light a candle for a loved one.

                        - Washington Square Arch - located in Greenwich Village

                        - Walk the Brooklyn Bridge - one of the most popular places for Instagram pics

                        - New York Public Library - the ceiling in this place... just, wow

Here's a picture. So beautiful.

                        - Grand Central Terminal - the ceiling inside is also amazing. there's a secret place in here at an intersection of four walk ways, where you can hear someone through the wall, if you're on the opposite end. It's such a cool thing to do. Here's a link to what I mean.

                        - The Vessel - just opening this past March 2019, it's a new favorite place for Instagram shots. There isn't much to see to me, rather than a cool building. But you can reserve free tickets two weeks before going and walk up it. It's built very differently... so you literally go up and down stairs. But don't worry, there's an elevator to the top as well.

Here's a picture of the Vessel. Kinda crazy looking.

6. See a Broadway play. This isn't something that I've done every time, but if you usually don't go to New York, this should definitely be at the top of your list. Some plays are definitely more expensive than others. This time, my mom and I are actually going to see The Phantom of the Opera (for the first time!) and we got pretty good seats at a decent price. I recently saw Anastasia and Dear Evan Hansen (which got amazing reviews) is currently the top must-see show. If you're going to NYC during Christmas, you HAVE to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. Make sure you get tickets from a legit site! We used Telecharge.com.

Click here to get to the website we used for tickets.

This is Radio City Music Hall where the Rockettes perform!

7. Tenement Museum. This is not something most know about, but it is so interesting and full of history. Another immigrant museum, take tours of restored tenement apartments and see how immigrants actually lived when first entering America. Some of it is quite shocking, a family of five may be living in one single room while there's another family living in the room next to them. As you walk inside these apartments, your tour guide will tell you specific stories of real families during this time that lived here and you're even able to see some items the families may have used along with furniture dated back then. A historian who worked on the renovation said that "you can feel the lives of the thousands of people who lived here" and it's so true. So moving.

8. Museums, museums, museums! Okay, more museums. I wanted to leave the Tenement Museum out because, I don't know, I just thought it should be separate. I absolutely love museums. These are my favorites:

                                 - The Museum of Natural History - if you love dinosaurs, space, animals, and literally anything else, this is your museum. You can get lost in here. They also have flexible pricing, which means you choose what amount you want to pay. So if you just wanna give them a dollar, that's totally okay.

                                 - The MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art) - The MET steps are also known as the most iconic place for Gossip Girl fans. You obviously have to take a picture of the steps if you come here. But besides that, this museum is amazing. From ancient Egyptian artifacts and temples to 18th Century resembled rooms to paintings... this has it all. You can't see everything in one day. And this also has flexible pricing, so you can pay whatever amount you're able to.

                                 - MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) - Modern and Contemporary art. Nuff said. This is also free on Fridays.

                                 - The Guggenheim Museum - my least favorite out of the whole list and no where near as big as the others, but it's still cool if you have already seen the others. You view the art as you walk up the museum in a spiral fashion, so that's pretty different.

                                - The New York Transit Museum - it's $10 to get in. I haven't been, but the only reason I wanted to add this is because, if you want a cool subway picture hack, this is the place to do it. There are a bunch of empty cars (that show what they used to look like through the years) and there aren't many people here so it's easy to get an empty car and take a "cool subway picture". If you ever wondered how people took cool subway pictures in seemingly empty cars, this is how.

Spotted on the MET Steps. Because I just had to. xoxo.

9. Central Park. How can this not be on my list? Pretty sure it's the most famous park in the world. It's seriously freaking huge. Try to check out the Imagine memorial for John Lennon. It's always busy and I can almost guarantee someone will be next to it playing one of his songs. There's also the Balto statue (um, the sled dog who saved all those sick kids by bringing them vaccines in an snow storm in Alaska, duh - my favorite movie as a kid).

You can take a boat ride in Central Park as well, I'm gonna insert a picture that I took a few years ago of all the boats. I haven't actually done this but it would be a really relaxing idea. You don't really need a plan when going into Central Park because walking around is beautiful enough. Also, I'm pretty sure every rom com ever was shot there, walking down "the mall" (the long strip rows of benches where a lot of people get their picture drawn).

Try to stop by the Plaza hotel on 59th street! If you're on the South side that is. It's beautiful and also where Home Alone 2 was shot. You're allowed to roam around the lobby, everyone does.

*Side note: The Central Park Zoo is really not worth it. Just my opinion but I remember going there once as a kid and I think they have like seven animals in total. At least that's what it felt like, lol.

I took this a few years back. So serene. I need to take a boat ride one day.

10. Walk down 5th Avenue. This is the most popular place for luxury shopping. I usually never buy anything, with the exception of one time when I got a Michael Kors watch as a present to myself, but it's really fun to window shop and look inside at all the fancy things. Fifth Ave is really long, so I think most of the stores are more towards Central Park. My mom and I are planning on getting our hair done at the Dry Bar and then walking down 5th Ave to pretend we're fancy. Vibes af.

11. The 9/11 Museum and Memorial/One World Observatory. This is just so important to see while you're here. I'm the type of person that loves to feel things. Whether it's sad or happy. And this memorial... there are no words. It's just complete heartbreak when you enter. You can just feel the sadness engulf you. Which may not make you want to visit it, but it's a feeling that I don't mind. The people who lost their lives that day should always be remembered. I have never done the museum, which I'm doing this time when I go, as well as going up to the Freedom tower (the new World Trade Center), and I've only heard good things about the museum. A must-see. (btw, the memorial itself is free)

While seeing the museum, you might as well pay a bit extra and go up to the One World Observatory (the new World Trade Center building, also called the Freedom Tower). I'll be doing this for the first time as well. The elevator shoots you up to the top, 102 stories in 47 seconds, while showing you a digital NYC through the years starting at the very beginning when New York City was just being built, inside the elevator.

Right now, they're selling tickets for both for $46, which is definitely a deal, seeing how the 9/11 memorial museum alone is $26 and the observatory is $35.

Click here to get combo tickets for the 9/11 museum and one world observatory.

Side note: BUT, if you want, you can go to the 9/11 memorial museum on a Tuesday after 5pm, because then it's FREE admission. 

12. Rockefeller Center. I just love Rockefeller Center. This is where they have the ice skating rink open during Christmas season. If you're going to NYC during the holidays, you HAVE to, like seriously have to see Rockefeller Center. Because it is magical. There's a mall inside too with places to eat. 

(Also not my picture, but just so you know what it is)

13. The Highline. This is a public park built on top of a historic freight rail line, an empty railroad track that's been converted, and it's elevated above the city. There's a lot of cool public art and interesting food to get here. Not on my very top list of things to do, but still cool.

14. Times Square - Ehhhh, I think it's personally overrated, but I mean, if you've never been to NYC before, you have to check it out. I don't know if this is still a thing, but look out for the "naked cowboy". There's a lot to do in Times Square, I just think it's way too crowded. But, there's Ripley's Believe it or Not (which is always fun), Madame Tussands (Wax Muesuem), and tons of shopping, including like a five story Forever 21 (maybe more stories? I'm not sure). Just don't eat in Times Square. That is not real New York food, please. lol. 

15. Bryant Park Winter Village - This is the most wonderful place to go during the Christmas season! They set up a 17,00 square foot ice skating rink in the middle and have 170 pop up shops and food vendors around it. This is a must to do if you're in NYC during the holidays. Ultimate holiday vibes. Cozy up and grab some hot chocolate or roasted chestnuts and look at all the cute trinkets, handmade soaps, Christmas ornaments, and so much more. 

Side note: I hear they are opening the winter village before Halloween this year! It's never too early for some holiday spirit.

That's all I have for you guys on this post! Of course there is soo much more to do in New York City that I didn't mention, but these were some of my favorites, or just some cool things I thought needed to be mentioned.
Stay tuned for a blog post of all the cute cafes and delicious (or just plain cool) restaurants to eat at in New York City!

Lots of love,

Sammi

What is a social worker? Cracking your assumptions.

Hello beautiful people! So if you have already read my "about me", you would know that I'm a social worker and graduated the University of South Florida last spring with my Masters degree. I'm currently working on getting my LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) and just sent in my application yesterday to become an intern! So that is very, very exciting.
I thought about making this post because being a social worker is obviously very important to me and maybe some readers out there are wondering about what it means to be one or if it's something they would want to do. So here ya go!

(Also, my shirt seen above with "I'm a social worker, what's your superpower?" is from a shop on Etsy. They have one for a nurse as well, or any other that you would like, I'm pretty sure the owner of the shop can customize it for you if you ask. Click here to go to the shop!)

Cracking assumptions

I've heard a lot of assumptions when people talk about social workers. The most popular being; "Oh, so you take away people's kids, right?" or "You'll never make any money", or "Wow... that's hard. It takes a special person to do that". If you think some of these assumptions sound a bit annoying to hear, you're right, lol. Let me try to break some of these assumptions for you. 

"You take away people's kids, right?"

• There are SO many different jobs and titles a social worker can have besides being a Child Protective Investigator. That was never the route I wanted to go while going into this because my mom was actually a CPI and her job exhausted her, trust me, I heard so many stories. There are so many different areas of work you can switch to, which also don't require any extra type of licensing. They may prefer you have experience with a specific population of people, but really it doesn't matter. You can be a forensic social worker, offering behavioral and psychological services to the criminal justice system while working in a court room or advocate for a woman who is in a abusive relationship, a Nicu social worker, empowering families during times of crisis that they didn't expect, you can work at the VA, giving resources to homeless veterans, a psychiatric social worker, working with teenagers with eating disorders or adults who have schizophrenia, you can work in a hospital as a discharge planner collecting resources to help others, a school social worker, helping kids resolve social, behavioral, and emotional problems at school and at home, a hospice social worker, addressing the needs of people with late-stage illnesses, you can work at a kids camp as a social worker, with kids who have behavioral problems, who act out or are autistic... there are seriously so many ways you can work as a social worker, which is one of the main reasons why I choose this job. It is so broad!

"You'll never make any money"

• Let's get into the juicyness of this next assumption. While yes, being a social worker isn't the highest paying job.. you'll never be totally rich, but you can definitely make good money. I personally think becoming an LCSW is the best decision you can make as a social worker. Higher pay and more opportunities. If you're curious, just google some jobs on indeed.com. If you're thinking of becoming a social worker but want to stop your education after you get your Bachelors... unfortunately, the pay is so much less than what you deserve. There are probably many jobs without needing a Bachelors, that you could get that pay more. But if it's what you love to do, who's business is it?  But let's face it, if you're in the "helping profession" we all still care about the money even if our main goal is helping others. I definitely recommend getting your Masters if you're thinking about going into social work.  Also, probably the best place you can work (money wise0 as a social worker is in the healthcare field; being in a clinical setting.

How to get licensed as an LCSW? (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)

• If you decide to go down the path of becoming an LCSW, you register as an intern first and it takes two years to get all of your supervised hours, once finding another LCSW who is licensed to supervise you. Keep in mind, this info is in the state of Florida (where I live) so it may be different depending on where you live. You need to be doing these hours in a clinical setting. It's only an hour a week max, 100 hours in total, and then you have to take a 4 hour timed test, at whatever point you would like. If you get lucky, you may score your first job somewhere that will pay for your supervised hours or find someone who will do it for free... or else the payments can be pretty expensive. But being an LCSW is pretty much basically being a therapist. It's much more marketable than going into mental health, as a counselor, and getting your LMHC. So if you want to get into the helping profession in some sort of way, by being a counselor, therapist, or what have you; honestly getting your LCSW is the best way to go.

"You're a social worker? That takes a special person to do that"

• My final, most heard assumption. I never truly know if this is a heart-felt compliment, and people don't know how they make it sound, or if it's really just people being rude and feeling more superior than you for whatever reason. Well, whatever it is, it annoys me, lol. (A lot of things annoy me but whatever). So, yes. It can be hard. But any job can be hard. Typical corporate jobs, working behind a desk, can be extremely stressful with deadlines. Being a doctor can be extremely stressful, I would assume, when you're on call for four days straight and have barely slept, or when you literally have someone's life in the palm of your hand. There's also definitely pressure on certain social work jobs. When my mom was working in child protection her caseload was ridiculous. She was also on call some nights and would have to leave in the middle of the night to pick up a child. Now, she works from home with an insurance company and gives people resources or chats with them if they're feeling sad because they just found out their husband is cheating on them. She's never on call and never has to leave the guest room of her house. Any job can be hard and it doesn't always have to be hard. You can always change things. Change your job or find outlets to release your stress, like practicing self-care, playing the piano, singing, going to yoga classes. The good thing about my job is when I clock out, I'm done. I don't take anything home with me. But you know what, the same thing used to happen to me on crazy nights as a server working in a sports bar. And anyways, I'm not always going to be at this job. I like to think everything happens for a reason, and maybe the next thing from here will be even better. I think it's all about balance and loving what you do at the end of the day. Because honestly, being a social worker is so, so rewarding. I wish there were more "special" people out there who wanted to become one. 

I just think it is important that, no matter what you do, no matter how much money you're making or how many hours you're working, that you truly love what you do. 
Have a great weekend.

Lots of love,
Sammi

How to stay motivated and be a total girl boss

Hey guys! Today was one of my days off and I've realized, even on my days off, I'm always wanting to do something with my time. I know how to relax and I can certainly sit in front of my T.V. and binge watch a show, don't get me wrong, but only to a certain extent, and then I just feel like I need to get up and be productive. I basically just always feel like I need to be doing something. So, with that being said, I've thought of some important tips for anyone who is feeling stuck in a rut and wants to feel more motivated and productive. Of course, some of these are easier said than done, but for the most part, even the littlest of things can really help you change your mindset into a girl who knows how to get things done. Hopefully these tips can help you to channel into your inner girl boss!

• Get up early and make your bed. Okay, the 'making your bed' thing is really important to me. I just feel so "put together" when my bed is made. It really sets you up for the day, plus you can't crawl back into bed if it's been made. I try to wake up between 8am-9am because I feel like this is the ideal time (for me) to get enough beauty sleep while still having my whole day ahead of me. Mornings are just so happy to me, just that peaceful, quiet morning sun glow gets me in my feels. (Honestly sometimes I kinda feel like Snow White in the mornings bursting through my bedroom door and opening the french doors to my patio and breathing in that morning dewy air as if birds are going to fly in circles around me. Okay, that sounds dramatic, but it's kinda true haha).

• Make some coffee and eat a healthy breakfast. Breakfast is probably my favorite food of the day. I don't always eat it when I'm working in the early mornings though, but on my days off I always make breakfast for myself and Alex. Of course the coffee thing totally depends on if you even like coffee, but for me, coffee is an essential way to start my days productively. Some easy meals I make in the mornings are:
• Scrambled eggs mixed with spinach and shredded cheese.
• Vanilla greek yogurt with blueberries/strawberries, almond granola, and dark chocolate chips.
• Or just over-easy eggs, with sausage links, and raisin-cinnamon toast (with strawberry jam or just butter).

• Work-out, even if it's for 15 minutes. I am so bad with this one honestly, but you will just feel so much more motivated if you work-out, even for 15 minutes. You don't even have to go to the gym, just grab a yoga mat and follow some YouTube videos. You can look up anything, "morning work-out routines", "ab workouts", "easy at-home work outs". They have it all, and it's free and you don't have to drive anywhere.
• My current favorite Youtuber for at home workouts is Chloe Ting.

• Find a new hobby! If you're feeling uninspired and not motivated what-so-ever, maybe it's time to find a new hobby. This is kind of what I did with blogging. I've never wanted to start a blog before, but in the past year or two, watching vlogs and reading other people's blogs, something just clicked in my head and I was like, "ya know, I can do this, I might be really good at it, and I might really enjoy it". And I have loved it so far! About two months ago, now that I'm comfortable at my job and I've graduated college, I've kinda been itching to do something else with my time. I feel like I need to put something else out into the world. Like something was missing. If you're feeling that way, you should try taking up a new hobby too! It can be anything from playing a new instrument, trying trial yoga classes, buying and tending to some plants, baking, anything at all. I was actually just talking to my best friend on the phone today, who lives in another state, and she told me how she started a 2 week trial yoga class. I was thinking of doing that for a while but wasn't sure if I could get another friend on the same schedule, but my best friend told me she has just been going by herself. So don't feel bad if you're venturing out of your comfort zone to start a new hobby on your own. Just do it!

• Change your atmosphere. If you're just feeling stuck and can't seem to move forward with where you want to be, maybe think about changing your atmosphere and surroundings. This can be changing your home decor, living situation, taking a 10 minute walk with or without your earphones, or going down to a cute new coffee shop and reading a book. Maybe a new idea will spark up or you'll just find your inner boss girl and she'll be unleashed and you'll be so so motivated like never before. 

• Do some spring cleaning around your home. There isn't a better productive activity then vacuuming your home, wiping the counters, or mopping the floors, and then setting a candle. I mean, did you even clean if you don't set a candle afterwards? I don't know why this is a thing but it definitely is. It's important to prep your space, especially the space you live in. Because if you live in a messy environment, how are you ever going to get anything done?

• Plan a trip or fun activity for after important due dates. Always have something to look forward to! I feel like doing this helps motivate me because I'm like "Okay, I have this fun day planned or a trip in a few months, so in order for me to feel like I actual deserve this, I gotta get on my grind". I guess it's like having a reward set for you in advance, so if there's something important you have to get done, like an exam or that dreadful 20 page capstone paper, there's something at the end of that tunnel waiting for you as your reward for a good job done. If you don't have the funds for an actual trip, just plan a fun day out with something you've always wanted to try out or maybe something you love to do. But I really feel like it just makes you feel so much better if you have something to look forward to. Even if it's something planned months from now. The anticipation leading up to the trip or event always gives me something to feel good about (not to mention the planning and new clothes that you may buy ahead of time in preparation for the trip that just brings more excitement).

• Practice self-care. If you take care of your mind and your body,  you'll have a more positive mindset. And by just having a more positive mindset, it'll help you stay motivated and productive. Give yourself a manicure at home, put on a face mask, get into comfy clothes, whatever you gotta do, do it.

• Journaling and reading. Try to make a routine out of this. For journaling, you don't need to spend that much time on it, but maybe just take 10 minutes out of your day, before bed or as soon as you wake up. Write down things you want to get better at, or how to be a better friend, how to be more compassionate to others, favorite words, or just create a "to do" list of what you want to get done for the day. Reading is also very important. I mean, it's a big part of me, but I personally think everyone should take some time to read. It doesn't have to be every day, but I think it's good to always have a book available to you. Not that I need it, but I know for some people it's a good way to relax and fall asleep before bed. It could just be one chapter, it doesn't have to be much. Finding a good novel and getting that "I-can't-put-this-book-down" feeling, is the best.

• Plan your goals and write them down! You can know what your goals are and keep them in mind, but there's definitely something different when you take the time to write them down. When you see them mapped out and can even say "Okay I would love to have this done by this time period" and then it actually gets done, it's just so empowering. But at the same time, don't create too strict of time limits. Things happen and we're human, we can't expect to exceed all of our expectations. If you can't get something down in the time you want, don't feel bad about it. Instead of saying "I want this done on this specific date" instead, tell yourself  "It would be wonderful to get this done around this time period". Down below I linked a "Goal planning" worksheet I've actually used with clients in a past internship before I graduated. They loved it and I loved doing it with them. It's amazing how feeling motivated can really boost your self-esteem and it's even more amazing to realize how much you can actually get done when you set your mind to it. Just click on the picture and it'll take you to the website where you can download and print it for free!

• Watch vlogs, read blogs, or listen to podcasts of others who inspire you to channel you inner girl boss! I honestly haven't gone super deep into the YouTube world and I'm sure there are some great people out there I don't know about, but one of my favorite vloggers who motivate me is Kristin Johns. She is just the sweetest person I have never met in my life, to be honest. Also, I love Danielle Carolan. She's a total "girl boss" and such a young, independent, and motivational gal. I love her (not just because she's from Tampa either). She's also got a podcast called "Gals on the Go" you should check out. I also am in love with the podcast, "What We Said" (my personal favorite) Two girls who have been best friends since high school, Chelsea and Jaci, are hilarious, fun and super sarcastic together and their energy just flows perfectly. They have guest speakers on at times who may talk about health/nutrition, creating an audience, mental health, and sometimes they have funny podcasts about "embarrassing moments" or "family traditions".  They also both have Youtube channels that I like watching. I honestly think a lot of my "new-found motivation", if you'd like to call it, has come from listening to others who are independent, go-getters and seeing or hearing how they live. 
• Some other good podcasts are: The Morning Toast, Girls Gotta Eat, Okay Sis, RISE podcast, Recovering from Reality (this is an AMAZING podcast for people who have struggled with addiction/mental health), and Pretty Basic.

• Change your attitude and practice mindfulness! I think I'll end up doing another whole blog post on "mindfulness", so I won't go into it too much. But really just look into if you don't know too much about it. Even just type it into YouTube and you can listen to some really awesome people talk about the concept of mindfulness. It's just so important and I think having a positive mindset of "the glass if half full" is so so important. 
• Here's a great book to practice mindfulness! (Not that you even need books to do so, but it can definitely help motivate you.)
  
  
  

All of you are amazing and can do amazing things! I'm a firm believer in, if you want something enough, and work towards that something, and actually envision it, you can achieve whatever it is you want. The little things are more important than you think and you all have this one life to live, so live it to the fullest.

Oh yeah and here's a picture of how the end of my afternoon went. I was jotting down ideas for this blog post and decided a change in atmosphere was in order. Being outside sometimes makes me feel more productive.

Well, that's it for today's blog! Have an amazing day everyone,

- Lots of love, Sammi

How to plan vacations on a budget

Hello hello lovely people! I know I said I was going to post a few days ago but with working 10-12 hour shifts.. I needed my beauty sleep. But now I'm off for three days, and I am sooo ready.
Today I want to talk about how I plan my vacations and give you my own guide on how to go about planning the best vacations ever (on a budget, cause ya know ya girl is on one). I love to travel and I'm a big planner so I thought this might give some of you some good ideas. My last vacation was this past December to North Carolina in Banner Elk, and one of the most memorable vacations I've ever had. It was just perfect. But mainly perfect because of my oh so strategic planning. So without further a do, here ya go:

• Decide on where you want to go. If you know where you want to go and you're totally set on it, then awesome! This won't be hard. But for most, you're probably deciding on a couple different places cause I mean, there is just so much in this world we all want to see. And if money is an issue, which for most of us it most likely is, definitely take that into account. When I was planning my last trip I was deciding between Las Vegas, Vail (Colorado), Disney World, and North Carolina. One of my major decision breakers was the fact that we were going the week before Christmas. Sooo..

• Take into account the season/what time of year it is. I was able to cross out Las Vegas on my list because of this. Since I already live in Florida, and I LOVE Christmas time, I really wanted to go someplace that would give me that wonderful Christmas aesthetic, because Florida definitely does not. Las Vegas was not going to do that for me. Plus, even though it was winter time and the prices for hotels (seemed) incredibly cheap, when you stay at one of the hotels on the Las Vegas strip, the taxes and extra fees are outrageous. At the time, we were moving out of our apartment the following month, but we really wanted to go somewhere, so spending that kind of money (not to mention soo much extra spending cash we would need for shows, food, drinks, and other entertainment). I'm going to save Las Vegas for another time for sure.

• Are you going to need a rental car? How are you going to get around? When you're thinking of a place you'd like to travel and you get all excited about going there, don't forget this! If you're going to a major city like New York or Chicago, you don't need to worry about this because of all the easy transportation like subways and cabs, not to mention just being able to walk to places. But this is definitely something to think about. This was kind of my deal breaker with Vail, Colorado. Since it was further away, airfare was more expensive and I couldn't just get a rental car and drive it all the way from Tampa, Florida to Colorado. I mean I technically could... but that would be a long ways away. So buying plane tickets PLUS having to get a rental car was just not in the works for me. Also, if you're getting a rental car, take into account the money it will cost to buy the rental, plus don't forget filling it up with gas back and forth from both destinations. If you're setting up a budget, put that in there.

• How much is there to do in the area you're going to? What do you want to do while there? Finding an exact location. This was also a big deciding factor on where I was going to go too. Just searching around for new places to go, somewhere may look cute or fun, but how much is there to actually do? Look into it! When we decided on North Carolina, I had no idea where I wanted to actually go I just knew I was going to use AirBNB to find a cute cabin with a fireplace or small home to really soak in all those Christmas feels. Plus, my boyfriend was set on snowboarding. So, Asheville was kinda out of the question. It wasn't near any ski resorts or snowboarding. And even though I was taking a rental car, I didn't want to drive an extra hour and a half one way to do that. That's when I found Banner Elk. I googled some ski resorts and found one called Sugar Mountain. (We ended up going to Appalachian Ski because it was recommended by our AirBNB owners, and only about 15 minutes away from where we were staying). I saw multiple ski places so I started to look into more. I found a cute town another 15 minutes away with antique stores, breakfast places, artsy bars and more and was like "um, yes". Then I found some local trails we could go on with beautiful views, gem mining, a local cave, and more. Just by researching a little bit and taking that time I was able to plan an amazing trip on a budget!

• Go somewhere new! If you're a creature of habit (and I am a bit), step outside your box and experience something new. This is why I crossed Disney World off my list. I can't count the number of times I've been there on both hands because it's just too many, with it being an hour and a half away from me. I mean, I love Disney and during Christmas time it's even more magical, but I'm so happy I did something new.

• Write out your exact plans! I love planning and getting organized, so this was a no brainer for me. First I decided that we were going to be renting a car to drive up there. It was about a 10 hour drive. (I didn't want to use my own car just out of preference, I don't like putting all that mileage on my car, but that's totally up to you). It was about $130.00 for the rental car for six days. Plus I estimated how much gas I would likely spend at I believe it was about $70 bucks each way. I knew we wanted to go snowboarding so I reserved one whole day just for that and estimated the cost. The first day I wanted it to be kind of a relaxing day, so I decided we could probably go to that town, check it out, go into antique stores (my boyfriend likes antiquing which is awesome) and get breakfast. The rest, for the most part, I wrote down the things to do in the area, one was Blowing Rock (a little nature trail with incredible views and I guess a famous rock?), a cave tavern, alpaca farm, gem mining, and more. I decided to just wing the rest, since everything was so close to us and depending on our mood, what we felt like doing that day.

• Utilize AirBNB! This is what I used on my trip, it was my first time, and oh my gosh, it was absolutely perfect! Anddd not to mention, cheap! Ours was $79 a night for two bedrooms. If we had another couple staying with us, it would have been even cheaper, the couch in the living room was also a pull-out. It was the most adorable two bedroom cottage guest house, complete with a huge stone fireplace, kitchen, private outdoor patio area with hammocks and an outdoor couch, aesthetically pleasing distressed wooden floors, and just the most perfect mix of old fashioned charm and modern updates, including a real Christmas tree and stocking on the fireplace. 

• Go grocery shopping! If you're staying someplace like an AirBNB for your vacation and they have a kitchen, utilize it! We saved so much money going grocery shopping the second day. We had breakfast out once and lunch out once as well, but besides that we cooked food where we were staying. Honestly, our place was so cozy and charming we didn't want to go out to a fancy dinner, we just wanted to kick back, put on the fireplace, make hot cocoa and snuggle up. 

• Don't forget about automatic payments! (Or any other bills due while you're away). This got me once when Alex and I went to New York. I have most of my bills set up on automatic payments, except for a couple at the end of the year, and while we were away, I moved a certain amount of money into my checking account and totally forgot that I would lose $140 of it during my time there because of my car payment. So don't forget about bills! If you can, pay them before you go or just add it into your budget.

• Plan your outfits ahead and mix and match them; so bring some basic tees/tanks. To best budget your money, plan ahead and find ways you can mix and match your outfits. There are often so many times I'm looking through my draws and closet and find a completely new way to wear something. By bringing some basic white or black tees/tanks, you can easily mix and match them with your favorite jeans, some flowy pants or a cute skirt. To me, it's just so fun picking out some cute new outfits, and it gets you excited for your trip. 

• Plan on what to bring according on the weather. And check the weather app! Don't forget this! If there's a possibility you may go swimming, even if you aren't planning to (if you're going somewhere in the summertime) don't forget a swimsuit. Or if you're going somewhere cold during winter, don't forget gloves, scarves, and some cute winter hats! Also, make sure the week following up to your trip, you check the weather app for that area. If it's going to rain the first two days of your trip, you don't want to forget your hoodie, maybe bring an umbrella, and you might want to find some alternative plans if you were thinking of hitting up the pool or beach that day. Or maybe there will be a weird cold front the week you go, then bring a jacket and some long sleeves!

• Take time away from your phone. Nothing to do with being on a budget, but just something that many of us should do from time to time. Sometimes the best memories are made when phones are put away.

• Plan early on for the best rates and shop around for rates! This is definitely a must. I like to have an idea of where I want to go on my next trip, always. Even if I'm planning it out six months ahead of time, it's never too soon to plan out a trip. Especially because if you plan too close to your vacation, hotels and even AirBNBs could be more pricey, not to mention booked already (especially AirBNBs, plan ahead so that you can get the place you want and don't have to worry about it being booked). And also, shop around for different rates. I like to use different apps or websites because honestly, you can almost always find a cheaper price for the same place somewhere else. If you're booking a flight, look on different airline websites. I've tried using the app Hopper, but it honestly isn't that great to me. And I personally rather travel round trip without stops, if it means paying extra. If you're using that app, watch out to make sure there aren't multiple stops if the price seems too good to be true.

• Travel on a weekday. Tuesdays are usually the best days to travel, if you're booking a flight. For some reason they're the cheapest. But click through different days of the week when booking a flight to make sure you grabbed the cheapest. Even traveling on a weekday in a car is better, weekends are always busier for travel no matter what.

• Travel to a location during the off-season. Now, sometimes I like to do this, but other times I just really want that seasonal vibe you can only get going the busiest time of the year (Example: Christmas in New York or a cruise in the summer). Obviously, it's always better to do this because you'll save more money. So if you're planning a trip on a cruise, the best times to go is September through early January. Typically, most people go on cruises in the summer time, when kids are out of school and because, who wouldn't want to go on a cruise in the hot summer? But if you can, definitely go during Sep - Jan. It's much cheaper and it stays warm in the Caribbean even in December, so it's really not an issue. Same thing with amusement parks such as Universal or Disney, go during September through November. (But October may may be busy due to Halloween). 

• Most importantly... have fun! That's about all the tips I have for you guys. If you're not already planning a vacation, maybe plan one! Even if you don't have the money now or it wouldn't be for a while, it's never too early to start dreaming of traveling. Never stop exploring, beautiful people :)

I wanted to also leave some of my pictures from my North Carolina trip, this past December 2018. Since I was gushing about this place in my post, I figured you might as well see what it looked like. Remember, if you think these pictures are awesome and you would want to plan your own vacation here, we were staying in Banner Elk, North Carolina.

Our guest house actually had two separate private upstairs and downstairs units. Ours was the upstairs and it had a private door to the side that led up to our unit from an indoor staircase. Walking inside was so charming, the owners really outdid themselves. The owners lived next door in a big beautiful white farmhouse. The place we stayed at was originally a Carriage house 100 years ago where they used to store old fashioned cars and horses. How freaking cool is that?! Since then it has been updated to a two unit cottage for AirBNB guests but they kept a lot of the original charm. Alex and I loved using the fireplace at night. The owners even decorated it for Christmas! There was a real Christmas tree inside along with stockings on the fireplace. They had sun windows on the ceiling that automatically opened up in the mornings. Literally so aesthetic. Oh, and they had the cutest sheep dog puppy on their property we got to meet, some chickens, and their outdoor/indoor cat who actually followed us inside the second night and decided to be our cat for our stay there, haha.

Enjoy my pictures,

- Lots of love,

Sammi

 

(This whole patio was ours, by the way. How awesome is that? I came out here in the mornings with my cup of coffee.)

Can it get any cozier? 

This place is called Appalachian Ski. Also nearby is Sugar Mountain, but our AirBNB owners suggested this place. It was so great.

I fell riding this snowboard a million times (my first time ever), but so worth it.

Surfs up! I mean.. snow's up?

This is Aspen. We met him at the cutest Alpaca farm. He loves the camera.

Blowing Rock is a pretty cool attraction that was about 20 min from us. Beautiful views and a pretty famous rock.

This was a delicious breakfast we had the first morning of our trip. Some type of mushroom sauce was on my biscuit. And yes, my silverware is rolled in a bandanna. Adorable.

You never say "no" to an opportunity to drink cappuccino. 

My mood in a picture. Because the fresh, crisp winter breeze felt AMAZING.