Spring Break kick off

I am over the moon excited today as we pack our bags and head to Thailand tonight! I am not exactly sure what to expect but I know one thing for sure it is much needed after the last few weeks. I only planned a jungle excursion in advance so we can trek through the waters on elephants but other than that we are going to book some things once we are there. I don't want the entire trip to be running around. I hate coming back from vacation and feeling dead and completely worn out. The jet lag will probably take care of that for us.

Seeing as I am newbie traveler, I have absolutely no idea what to pack. So I have taken to Pinterest to get some ideas. Did I mention I will not be checking ONE bag!? So everything for a 5 day trip has to go in a carry on. Jesus take the wheel... So I will be posting up my favorite packing sites some Pinterest and some other sites that I found useful in my journey to pack up all the things that I need to take with me.

So check out this ridiculousness from yesterday. Talk about a way to kick off Springbreak: A huge Sandstorm. I would have to say this is my least favorite part of the UAE. I hate feeling gritty and dirty and there is zero escaping it when these babies come through. What stinks even more, there is zero warning. Usually you wake up and here it is, like yesterday.

I will say that it does a number on breathing though. Ugh.. I've gotta be more prepared and carry a scarf with me. The sand is real. While the sandstorms come quickly, they also go quickly as well. I went in to get a pedicure (this picture was about 5 minutes prior to entering the salon) and then about an hour and 15 minutes later...all gone! It was amazing. Today is absolutely beautiful and clear. So funny this weather is. I never thought I would find weather more unpredictable than Florida's but I was wrong. It is almost identical here in Abu Dhabi. 

Apparently these bags won't bag themselves and I know this is going to be a struggle so I need to get to moving. Follow the adventures in real time on Instagram @justcallmesparkles

Hopping on travel

One of the biggest things I wanted to accomplish coming to the Middle East was to fulfill the travel bug that has been pestering the back of my mind for years. I have always dreamed of being able to see the world, to experience beautiful sights and be introduced to new cultures. Well this is a great dream but how does one who is not worldly nor well traveled even begin to understand where to go, what to do once you get there, and of course how to stay safe when traveling to unexplored lands.

One of my friends here in AD who is from back home introduced me to the app "Hopper".

Of course one of the first things is how much do I want to spend on these trips? Well Hopper has been a favorite so far as you can plug in your intended dates of travel and it gives you when the prices are high, medium, or low. It even watches trips for you so if they happen to sink really low you get an alert so you know when to buy to save you a few dollars. I have the notifications set up so I get when the price goes up, goes down, or when it is the best time to buy.

I am loving the fact that I can program in a bunch of different trips and just kind of wait and see what will suit me and my budget the best! The app keeps track of all the trips and you are able to plan pretty far out or at least get the intended trips on deck to be watched. I cannot wait to start acting on some of the deals that this bunny finds me. What apps are your travel essentials?