Travel Tips: Carry-On Luggage

With Thanksgiving break happening so soon, I haven't stopped thinking about traveling and taking a well-deserved break––and eat lots and lots, as it always happens during Thanksgiving! So I thought I should share some of my travel tips.

The most essential part of packing, to me, is the carry-on luggage. I hate to carry lots of big, chunky and heavy bags, so I normally try to pack light, especially carry-on things because that's what I will have to carry around with me all the time. I normally just bring a light bag with me, and only bring a real suitcase when I feel obliged to.

Inside my bag, I always make sure I have some warm socks and a small blanket/scarf because airplanes are usually freezing. I also bring a sleeping mask just in case I decide to take a nap. I also bring a good book to read if I can't fall asleep, and some snacks––I need food all the time because I'm always hungry. Some beauty products always make the cut as well––hand lotion and lip balm because my skin gets too dry when flying, and my favourite perfume to make sure I smell (and feel) nice when I arrive in my destination.

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Beautiful Mexico

After almost a week of vacation, I'm finally back with renewed energies and lots of new inspiration!

During my retreat, I had the time to think about life, eat lots and lots––although nothing fancy enough to be photographed––and watch movies in bed with my baby cousin. But most importantly, I had the chance to not worry about school work and prepare for what is to come during finals. I also had the time to find hidden treasures––aka pictures––in my computer and rescue them. Some of my favourites are these from my trip to Mexico in 2012, which happen to match perfectly my retreat destination––and make up for all the pictures I didn't take!

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Short Escapes: Princeton

After having the longest week last week, I decided to run away of the city and take some time to breath and be happy in Princeton with one of the people I love the most in the whole world.

Although my Princeton escape lasted only two days, it was absolutely amazing! We walked around this beautiful place on Friday, had our little picnic in the gardens, and then went for some delicious ice cream. There was also time to visit the museum and have dinner with the family. After dinner, we had our little GNO and went for drinks and dessert––I promise I'll share the recipe for my perfect-for-fall drink if I ever manage to discover how to do it––and then cuddled in bed and watched Disney movies at the end of the night––although I must confess I slept probably for half of the movie!

On Saturday we slept in, and went for some fluffy and delicious pancakes. My choice was banana, strawberry, and chocolate chips pancakes, naturally. I then had to run back to the city, to a conference about Luxury on MAD Museum. Spending some quality time with one of my best friends was something that I really missed, and it was more than incredible! I probably didn't realise this until I was there, but sometimes I get lonely in the city. Even if I'm constantly surrounded by people––and I love it––I still miss my family and friends!

Love,
  Photography: Laura Beltran-RubioPS. Sorry my pictures weren't that good this time... I just forgot to bring my camera!

Paris, je t'aime!

I must confess that––although I do love New York––I've been having a little romance with Paris lately. It might be because I've been seeing too many photos from Paris Fashion Week––and dying because I'm not there––but I just can't take out the astonishing ville lumière out of my mind.

So after a long day in the library today, I decided to take a break and go through some of the old photos I have in my computer. Some of them––which I decided to omit in this post––were taken when I lived there as a student. Others were taken when I spent a week there with my two best friends. And yet others––the ones I'm including here––were taken last summer. I'm not really sure if seeing all these pictures helped at all... But at least now I know why I'm so in love with this city... It is just perfectly beautiful!

I guess my dream life would be spent travelling between New York and Paris every few months... Hopefully it comes real sometime soon!

Love,
  Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Travel Diaries: Cartagena Day 6

Our second to last day in Cartagena was spent, naturally, by the pool. The weather wasn't so hot, so we could tolerate the heat for longer than usual. We also decided to have lunch at the hotel, because the restaurant used to be good. Not that it isn't anymore––the food was actually tasty––but I was really disappointed when I ordered seafood pasta and only received two shrimps...

We had a colourful visitor during lunch––Mateo, the toucan––who had no second thoughts on stealing a bite of my sister's avocado.

After lunch, we went back to the pool for a while. We then went for a short walk around town, and paused several times for food. We first had some typical fried dishes from the region––no photos, but they probably wouldn't look yummy anyway––and then stopped further away for ice cream.

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Travel Diaries: Cartagena Day 5

Although I've been pretty much doing nothing this week, day 5 was definitely the laziest day so far. I didn't even leave the hotel to find a restaurant for lunch. Instead, I ordered a hamburger and ate it by the poolside. And to be honest, after all the rush applying to grad school and getting everything solved so I can move to New York, after working very hard on a research project with one of my college professors, and after spending a super hectic week in Miami, I think I really needed a pause. And this is what Cartagena has been to me.

It has also be a time to re-connect with my roots, right before leaving the country. I haven't stopped thinking of those wonderful summers spent here during my childhood, of how I dreamed of getting married here, of eating fried goodies until my stomach couldn't bare it any more... Of loving every single thing about the town where I was born, and sometimes even fighting with my parents for having left before I was old enough to actually seem to be a native from Cartagena. And even if I probably will never live here, at least now I know that it's a place where I will always come back and experience the magic of all the history that this place holds.

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Travel Diaries: Cartagena Day 4

Day 4 in Cartagena was all about the food. I had a meeting in the early afternoon––nope, apparently I can't stop working even for a full week––so we decided to try any restaurant we could find close to the hotel. And it happened to be La Cocina de Cartagena, which is only a couple of blocks away.

Although I've grown up and now eat fish––I would starve before eating fish when I was a child (except for Mojarra frita, of course)––I sort of wanted something different. I started with patacones––my favourite––and then wanted to get a posta negra cartagenera, which is a typical beef dish from the region. Unfortunately they didn't have it available, so I ended up having another dish with meat, prepared with sauteed vegetables, and accompanied by mashed plantain, yuca and ñame––all three typical from the region.

My sister and dad both chose to have fish, which looked absolutely delicious––although I didn't really try them.

I then had my meeting, and we went out walking around the centre after the sun set.

We then went to Mila, which is probably my favourite patisserie in Cartagena, where we overdosed in sugar. I also had a traditional, handmade coffee, which is just amazingly aromatic because it's prepared right before you drink it.

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio