Beginning Bloggers

In my defense, I’ve been looking for inspiration, and a few weeks ago it finally came to me during a trip to China. So, in case you’re planning to visit (which is probably no time soon), I compiled a list of things to look forward to as a Black traveler in China as well as some general pointers for China travel. There’s usually an unspoken camaraderie between black people when we’re in a space  that we’re clearly outnumbered. Be sure to get a Hep A shot and bring a water filter you can use for drinking lake water while camping just in case you run out of filtered water.

In my opinion, day-trips require just as much planning as an extended stays to ensure time is maximized. But here’s the general blueprint I like to used to keep me from being reckless with my coins: Car: I usually avoid this, but a trip is a lot more laid back when you control your arrival/departure time. D. C. is perfect for day trips because of the close proximity of so many sights and museums, which meant I could spend a good amount of time at each stop. If I had to eliminate something I would eliminate Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street since it’s out of the way and lower on my list.

Check out how the scavenger hunt went. Check out how the scavenger hunt went. 40 Days Away: Upcoming Travel Plans & Scavenger Hunt, to hold myself accountable for actually taking photos I decided to do a scavenger hunt for sights in each place I visited. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get my Dallas sight because of a flight delay cutting my time short.

However, it is a personal choice whether we allow ourselves to accept stress culture as the norm. I even include things like “check the mail”, “don’t leave list on the table”, and “review checklist”. Junk Queen TX is a junk removal crew that offers affordable, custom junk removal services in many cities around the Texas area. n’t do a full day, put your phone on do not disturb and leave it somewhere you can’t see it for at least 3 hours.

I do a pretty good job as is, but I want to start being proactive with treatments that don’t involve chemicals, needles, or surgery to maintain my face and refresh my skin. Microdermabrasion is a superficial cosmetic treatment that uses a minimally abrasive instrument (diamond tip) to gently “sand” the skin, removing the thicker, uneven outer layer. She put an aloe mixture on my face and proceeded to scrub my face with the diamond tip. After about 20 minutes of scrubbing, she put a refreshing mint (pretty sure I smelled Eucalyptus as well) hydration facial on my face and let it sit for around 20 minutes.

I don’t love salad, but I do love mixing apples, cucumbers, berries, and seeds/nuts, and adding sweet potatoes on top. I make rice and black beans with whatever enchilada/taco seasoning you prefer, then add the same seasoning to diced sweet potatoes while I boil them. I think this is why I used to hate sweet potatoes because they were not the same as regular baked potatoes. I usually chop up sweet potatoes and *dump* them into my crockpot, then add some water, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, S&P, and garlic.

If you travel a lot, you know it can be a pain in the butt at times. There’s not way to control most of the hiccups that occur, but there are tools that can make travel as breezy as possible. I travel solo a lot (and in foreign countries) and the last thing I want to do is look like a vulnerable tourist digging for cash in a huge, expensive bag, waiting to be robbed. It’s also just good for going out if you don’t want to bring a bag or you’re afraid to lose your wallet.

The fitness journey continues! I’m all for meal prepping, but I also get bored with eating the same food. I tried to be really strict about which meal I choose each day, but I just make a list of 7 choices for meal 1, snack, meal 2, and meal 3. The summer is approaching and I want to make sure I’m toned enough to feel comfy breaking out the 2 piece.

If you’ve been following my #Imthatfriend post or know me personally, you know that life has been putting me through the wringer lately. So, in an effort to do some soul searching, I’m going to spend 40 days away from Houston exploring, discovering, and experiencing. So, to hold myself accountable for taking pictures, I came up with a scavenger hunt/ photo challenge for myself to locate a specific place or monument in each city. In the meantime, don’t forget to connect with me on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook to follow my adventures.

For You Hostel Seville for €63.00 for 2 people for 2 nights. That night we met a guy from Germany named Dominik, and we originally all planned to go out and explore the nightlife, but the hostel bar was pretty cheap and the patio was very cute, so we stayed at the hostel instead. My friend, Kruti, found a free walking tour of Seville, so we had some breakfast at Colette Patisserie & Boulangerie (delicious croissants and café con leche btw), and continued on to meet the tour group. Starting with the Metropol Parasol, then onto the oldest tobacco factory in Europe that is now part of the University, the cathedral, city hall, the Alcázar (where GoT has filmed), and ended at Plaza de España.