Road Trip Essentials, Tips, & Tricks

If you read Monday's post, then you know that Todd and I took a mini road trip earlier this month. We drove from Pennsylvania to North Carolina for a long weekend. It was our first road trip together, and overall it was a success. I thought it would be fun to share some of our tips, tricks, and essentials to road tripping. If you're anything like us, then you are living with champagne tastes on a post grad budget.  The two of these don't always align, but we are finding ways to make it work while still living life to the fullest.  We love traveling and exploring, but it can be costly. One of the ways we manage to travel while sticking to our budget is by driving places rather than flying. Yes, it takes more time but it is actually fun! Plus, it gives us time to chat about our wedding planning, life plans, and everything else you could possibly imagine. 

Once you decide where you are going and where you are staying there are a few more things to do before you are actually read to jump in the car and hit the road. The more planning and preparation you do the smoother your trip will be. 

Get the car ready

I'm not talking about loading it up, but actually prepping the car. It's important to make sure your oil and other fluid levels are filled. If you're going further it also might be a good idea to take your car to the mechanic for an oil change, tire rotation, and overall check in. Your future self will thank you for spending a few extra dollars on this if it means you get to and from your destination without any car issues. It's also more comfortable to travel in a clean car. Confession- I'm the worst at keeping the car clean and will avoid cleaning it at all costs.  However, recently I realized that it only takes thirty minutes to vacuum it out, clean out the trash and extra stuff you've accumulated, wipe down the interior, and wash the windows.  Traveling in a clean car just makes you feel so much better during the trip. The final preparations is to make sure that the car is stocked with chargers, and AUX card, hand wipes, and tissues. 

Map Out Your Route

Before heading out for your trip, be sure to map out to see what the best way to go is, where to stop, and the best place to leave from.  This was definitely one of the mistakes that we made. We didn't realize until we got on the road that the plans we had before leaving for our trip actually took us out of the way and added almost an hour to our trip. While mapping out your route, it is also important to note about when/where you will need to stop for gas and where the gas stations are along your route. Gas stops should be quick, so it's best if you can stop along your route rather than taking a detour because of your lack of planning. 

Combine Your Stops

If you're anything like us, then you like to just get to your destination as quick as possible. One way to do this is to combine your stops. Try to plan stops that allow you to grab food, let the dog out if he/she is traveling with you, use the restroom, and fill up your gas tank all at once. This will check three things off the list all at once and allow you to get back on the road again. 

Pack a Cooler

Pack a cooler or lunch box with water, sodas, and snacks. This will allow you to keep driving when you get hungry or thirsty. Plus, when you do stop you will be able to save any leftovers you may have for later on in your trip. 

Use Cruise Control

As you are driving it is helpful to use cruise control.  This keeps you from traveling too fast and getting a ticket.  It also makes it easier on you and it will save you on gas too.

Create a Playlist

Good music is definitely key to a successful road trip. I highly recommend creating a playlist filled with a variety of music. Variety is key because it keeps things exciting. We listened to my summer playlist for a lot of the trip. We also used to the time to begin searching for the first dance song for our wedding. We are still searching, so if you have any favorites we'd love to hear your recommendations!
Check out our playlist here! 

Caffeine Stop

What's a road trip without a caffeine stop? We definitely were in need of one during both ways of the trip.  Back to spending minimal time on stops and optimal time on the road.. I highly recommend downloading the Starbucks App or app for your favorite chain to get caffeine from. On the way home, we used the Starbucks app to find a store along our route and order our coffee ahead of time. When we got there, our coffee was waiting for us. We took a total of seven minutes for the stop to use the restroom and pick up our order.  Fun fact- water is free at most places. We got our water bottles filled with ice and water while we were there too. 

Eat Before You Go + Pack Snacks

It is helpful to not start the trip out on an empty stomach. This was a mistake we made on our way down to North Carolina. Starting on an empty stomach means that you will have to stop for a meal, which is a longer stop and you probably won't need gas yet which goes against the optimize your stops rule. Packing snacks allows you to satisfy your hunger without driving. Here are some of our favorite road trip snacks/drinks.

What are your road trip essentials?

XOXO

Adulting Update: Perspective

It's about to get real today! Last year I created an adulting series that narrated the chronicles of my entrance into adulting. I haven't shared anything like that recently, and I thought that today's post couldn't be more fitting to add to the series. So here it goes! I feel like I can say pretty confidently that life is filled with many ups and downs: good times and those you wish you didn't have to experience. Let's be honest, not everyday is a good day but you have to find the good in every day. Sometimes it takes a little perspective to do just that. Perspective is something that can be hard to find, and sometimes we don't find it until much later. This is a concept that I have truly just began to understand.  It's something that can be hard to grasp as it requires us to change how we think about life's events. 

A year ago life was pretty uncertain for me.  I had just completed a year filled with transitions: student teaching, graduating college, dealing with family issues, and completing my first teaching experiences. The transition from college to job hunting definitely was not as bad as others have it, but it wasn't necessarily a flawless transition either. I graduate college, took a month off, did some day to day substitute teaching, became a building substitute, and landed an eight week long term substitute position. However, once the school year ended I had no idea what was next for me. Last summer, I was jobless watching, what felt like, everyone move on with their life while I was stuck in a place that I had little to no control over.  If you know me, then you know that I'm a little bit Type A (control freak-esque). I had applied to 50+ teaching and coaching positions in the area, and I did not hear anything from any of the postings until late July. Many friends had been getting interviews, but it felt like radio silence for me. 

Towards the end of July, the interviews started rushing in. At one point in the matter of ten work days I had over fifteen interviews. It was a pretty intense time for me.  Stress levels were at an all time high, and the level of uncertainty increased. Some interviews lead to a dead end after round one while others continued for what felt like endless rounds. Each interview I left with a different vibe. Some places I knew I was not interested in and others I thought would be a great fit for me. For one position I had six rounds of interviews, and after all that I was offered a position that was less than appealing. At the time, I was pretty disappointed but continued to keep pursing other opportunities. The week before I left for my family's vacation, I had my final round of interviews at two schools. I left them feeling pretty confident, but the doubt was still there in the back of my head. 

On the first day of my family's vacation, I woke to a phone call with a job offer. It was the highlight of my summer and such a great way to kick off our trip.  I was able to finally relax for the first time in awhile.  

The day I found out I was hired!

Upon coming back from vacation, I signed my contract and was in total prep for school mode. I was hired as a year long substitute position with the possibility of a contract at the end. Essentially, this past school year I  had a year long interview. The pressure was a lot at first, but eventually I forgot about it.  It was a great motivator to push me to constantly become a better teacher, co-worker, and role model for my students. 

So here I am a year later... I have a full contract at a wonderful school, I am a field hockey coach, and I'm in the midst of obtaining my masters degree. f you would have told me I would be where I am now this time last year, then I probably would have laughed at you.  I feel so lucky to have a job working with people who are inspiring, wonderful collaborators, and who help me be the best version of myself on a daily basis. 

(Here's a little shout out because I know some of you are kind enough to read my blog posts- Thanks for being so great!)

Heading into the upcoming school year I am fortunate enough to hold a leadership position that will allow me to continue to grow in my school community. Not  only do I have a full time teaching position, but I have also found a paid field hockey coaching position as well. This Fall I will certainly be juggling quite the schedule: teaching, coaching, being a grad student, and maintaining some sort of sanity. 

Long story short, the purpose of this post is to shed light on the fact that things truly do happen for a reason.  Sometimes when life gives you lemons, you have to make lemonade and that's much easier said than done. However, after awhile you come across of a sign for why things played out the way that they did. It is so important to always maintain a positive attitude and have a little faith in life.  The past year has been such a whirlwind for me, but there is not one single thing I would have changed because each little thing has helped shape me into the person I am today. A little time and space can help  you learn a few things about yourself and life. 

Check out some posts from my Adulting Series:

Adulting Month 1

Adulting Month 4

Adulting Month 5

Adulting Months 6-8

XOXO

How to Plan Meals

I've definitely been learning to embrace my "stay at home daughter" status. The past month and a half I have been helping my parents out by taking on some additional responsibilities around the house. I've been assisting my mom with planning meals, grocery shopping, and cooking. I've come to realize how complex the process can be from start to finish. Today I'm sharing some tips and tricks for making sure you eat healthy, save money, and never have to aimlessly stare at the contents of your fridge trying to find a meal again. 

Inventory

The first step to planning your meals is to take inventory of what you have.  Check out your refrigerator(s), freezer(s), pantry, and cabinets to see what you actually have. I'm sure you will be surprised at what you find.  Taking inventory prevents you from spending extra money on items you already have, sparks inspiration for planning out your future meals, and ensures that nothing is going to waste. I like to keep an inventory of the food on a note in my phone.  When we use something up, then I remove the item from the note. You could also write everything down or just try to go off your memory. 

Look at the Calendar

Now that you know what food you have, it's time to take the next step.  Checkout your calendar to see what is going on. This will help you know what days you need quick and easy meals as well as what days you can make something that might take a little bit longer.  I like to plan more labor intensive meals for Sunday dinners since there is usually more time on Sundays.  On a day that I might not have time to cook, I plan for leftovers. 

 Disclaimer, I'm not always the best at this.  This week I totally forgot that Valentine's Day was on Tuesday. 

Create a List of Meals

For some of you this might be your favorite part of the process while others this might be your least favorite part. Now it's time to create a list of possible meals. I like to start with the items I have and then move onto other meals that might require me to go to the store.  For meal inspiration I like to browse pinterest, cook books that we having laying around the house, and my favorite food blogs.  Between these sources of inspiration I usually am able to come up with a list of meals much longer than I will actually need to make. Next to each meal on the list I like to list out the ingredients that I need to purchase to make the meal. 

A sample list of meals for one week. 

Choose Meals and Assign Days

Now that you know what your schedule looks like and have found some meal inspiration, it is time to choose your meals and when you will eat them. I like to make a list of all the dates that I will need meals for (my family plans meals for two weeks at a time). I then consult my list of meals to match one meal to each day.  It's best to plan for one meal a week to be leftovers because chances are you aren't going to eat the entirety of each dinner every single day.  I also like to leave Fridays open because I never know what's going on, how tired we will be, or what we will feel like eating come the end of the week. 

Brainstorm Breakfast and Lunch Options

Some of you might like to plan out every single meal (including breakfast and lunch) while others might prefer to use leftovers and whatever your can scrounge up in the fridge. I tend to be a little bit of both types of people. Weeks when I'm busier I like to plan out every meal, but those weeks that I am less busy I tend to go with whatever is in the fridge.  I usually like to plan a list of options for these meals that way I know what I need to purchase at the grocery store. 

Create the Grocery List

Now that you have all of your meals planned out, it's time to create your grocery list.  I start by looking at the ingredients I need to make dinners. Next, I look at what I need for breakfast and lunches. The third set of items to be added are any household items (soap, toilet paper, cleaning products, napkins, Ziploc bags, etc.). Regardless of the form of your list (paper or electronic), I recommend organizing it so that the items are listed in the order that you shop your grocery store. Some grocery stores now have apps that you can download. I like to use the Wegmans app because it organizes your list by isle and calculates and estimate total for your entire list. 

Your final steps would be to head to the grocery store (don't go on a Sunday- it's way too crowded), organize your groceries, find a time to do any meal prepping, and enjoy your stress free meals. 

XOXO

23 Things I've Learned in 23 Years

Happy Friday! Many of you on the east coast were lucky enough to have a four day week, thanks to a small snowstorm.  Not only is today exciting because it is Friday, but it's also exciting because it's my last day being a 22 year old. Tomorrow I begin another year on the planet as I turn 23.  23 the year that, according to Blink 182, nobody likes you.  It's also the year that you become closer to 25 than 20. To kick off the birthday celebrations, I'm sharing 23 lessons I've learned in the past 23 years.

If you fill your mind with positive thoughts, then you're going to have a more positive outlook on life. 

Your mind is quite powerful. This year I've learned that filling my brain with negativity is only going to make me feel worse.

There's more to being healthy than just working out. 

This year I've started to learn more about the importance of being both physically and mentally healthy.

There's more to life after college.

College is something that you talk about for years before you actually go.  Once you're there, it is hard to picture what life will be like once you graduate. This year I learned that life after college is the same, but also a little different too. Learning to adult isn't always easy.

Take time to tell your friends and family you love. 

Life takes a lot of twists and turns. It's important to let the people you care about know how much you appreciate them...one day they might not be around for you to tell them these things.

Family over everything. 

Don't take your gamily for granted. They are your built in support system.  They will be there for you when nobody else is.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

Life definitely isn't fair.  The older I get the more I see bad things happening to some of the best people I know. 

There is always more to learn.

You're never going to know everything. It's important to be open to learning new things.

The power that a jam session in your car has.

It's amazing how much better you will feel after driving around singing screaming along to your favorite songs. It will turn a bad day into a much better one. 

It's okay to stay in on a Friday night.

You don't need to go out every night of the weekend to have fun.  Staying in and hanging out with the ones you love has much more value than a night out that you probably won't remember.

Don't go out with your friends on an empty stomach.

I definitely was guilty of this too many times to count.  It's important to prepare before going out for the night.  Be sure to eat something substantial, drink lots of water, and be smart about what you are drinking..Otherwise, you're going to pay for it the next day. 

The value of a good cry.

You can't keep your feelings in 100% of the time. Sometimes you have to let it all at, and let yourself have a good cry. 

Friends will come and go.

The friendships you think will last forever might not.  If people are meant to be in your life forever, then they will. 

You don't have to have your whole life figured out in your mid twenties. 

There's still plenty of time to find your dream job, move out of your parents' house, and look put together every time you leave the house.

A regimented skin care routine will do your face wonders.

Seriously if you don't have one, then develop one A-SAP.  You'll thank me for it in a few months.  Removing your makeup before going to bed, regular facials, and washing your face daily will clear up your acne so fast. 

Don't take life or yourself to seriously.

It's so important to take time to laugh at the silly things.

Being perfect is impossible.

Confession- I'm a perfectionist. I'm slowly learning that you can't be perfect. Everyone has flaws, we just have to learn to except our own.

Life is all about balance.

Some days you'll run four miles at the gym and get those 10,000 steps on your Fitbit. Other days you'll binge watch reality TV shows while eating french fries and drinking a milkshake. And you know what... it's all going to be okay.

Love yourself.

You don't need to be full of yourself, but you do need to like yourself. If you don't like yourself, then you can't expect others to like you. 

Be a goal digger.

Set goals for yourself and work to achieve them. This helps provide you with focus and purpose in life.

Do at least one good thing for someone each day.

I try to do at least one random act of kindness each day. I like to think that helping others brings me good karma.

Treat Yourself.

It's okay to splurge on that monthly pedicure during flip-flop season, buy your favorite latte, or get an occasional massage. If you work hard, then you deserve to reward yourself.

Spending the extra time to get organized is worth it.

You'll thank yourself the next day for making your lunch the night before, for meal prepping on a Sunday afternoon, for cleaning out your closet, or keeping your room clean. The more organized you are the less stressed you'll be, if you're anything like me. 

Find reasons to be happy.

Being happy makes life much more enjoyable. It's important to find things that make you happy, especially when you're in a funk. 

XOXO

Things People Don't Tell You About Friendships

Friendship is quite a complex word.  To each of us it might mean something a little different.  Each individual friendship has many different components and no two friendships are ever 100% identical. I think the basis of true long lasting friendships would have to be loyalty, communication, and flexibility.  Granted I'm not an expert, but in my almost twenty three years on the planet these things have proven to be the base of my forever friendships. Loyalty is important because nobody wants a friend who they can't trust. I always say with any relationship without trust you have nothing, and friendship definitely is included in this circle of trust. Communication is crucial in any relationship because you need to be able to communicate how you're feeling, advice, etc.  Poor communication can literally destroy a friendship.  Last but not least is flexibility.  Surprise, you are not going to be able to live five minutes away from your friends for the rest of your life.  Cue the flexibility. You're going to have to be flexible about finding times to visit one another, chat on the phone, and even be patient as you go through different hurdles of life. 

I'm sure we've all had those friendships that we thought would last forever, but sadly they fizzled out. It's hard to let go of all the memories you had with some people, but there is always a lesson to be learned from every failed friendship.  Over the years, I've learned a lot about friendships..some of these things are what people don't really tell you about friendship. 

Friendships are like plants. They all require a different type of care.

You're going to have to figure out what your friends' expectations are and how you can meet them so that it works for both of you.  Some friends are needier than others. 

When friendships breakup it hurts, regardless of whether it's a slow fade or a hard break off. Sometimes it can hurt just as bad as when a romance ends. 

Some friends you instantly connect with and things move fast. You claim that the two of you are instant BFFS, but sometimes things happen and the forever in BFF is taken away. It could be drama related, distance, or maybe you just don't have many commonalities anymore. When you're close to someone and then they are gone, it can hurt.

You might outgrow some friends, and in turn some friends might outgrow you.

People come in and out of our lives for many reasons.  As humans we change throughout life, and sometimes we have to drop friendships that just haven't changed with us. 

At some point, you might feel a little left out. 

Your friends might make other friends, but always remember if they are forever friends they won't forget you. 

You're not always going to like the person your friends are dating.  Likewise, they might not always like your significant other either.  

You'll have to find the balance of making the attempt to be nice while also looking out for your friend. It's not worth it to end a friendship because you don't like their significant other. 

Sometimes friendships are one-sided.

Friendships should be a two-way street. One person cannot be the only one to make an effort. At some point, you're going to have to end these one-sided friendships because they are just taxing. 

Long distance friendships aren't easy.

As you grow older, your friends are going to move away. You will go from being a short five minute drive away to maybe a few hours plane ride away.  It won't be easy to have your friends across the country. If the friendship means something to you, then you will find a way to make it work.  

Some friends are basically like family. 

If you're lucky, then throughout your life you will find a friend or two who actually become your family.  These are the people who get you the most. The ones that will come with you to your grandparents house for Christmas when you're significant other can't.  The friends that will stay at your house even when you're not there. 

You need to be friends with yourself. 

This sounds corny, but the truth is that sometimes life can be lonely. You need to be able to like and respect yourself when others might not.  

What are the ingredients you put into a high quality friendship?

XOXO