29 Lessons for 29

Oh hey there 😏 This week I am turning 29. My last year in my twenties! I don’t mind getting older, as I welcome a new lesson every year. Soooo welcome everyone to 29 LESSONS FOR 29…These are lessons I have learned (the hard way) that I would like to share with you.

1. You are 1/1. There is no one else like you on this planet. Learn to love you for you and really appreciate the person in the mirror.
2. Call out bullies. Loudly. Actually embarrass them. Make them feel dumb for treating someone with disrespect.
3. Book the flight. Plan later. Twenties are meant for spontaneous travel. See the world, find other cultures and appreciate your differences.
4. If you do things differently and move differently, it will be difficult for others to understand. Be okay with that.
5. Forgive your past self. The person you used to be got you to where you are today. Forgive her, she only did what she knew how to do at the time as best as she could.
6. Your energy is transformative. Don’t give it away for free. Learn when a reaction is warranted.
7. If you leave a hang out with someone feeling worse than when you arrived, that person is not for you.
8. If you’re the butt of every joke in your friend group, get new friends. They see something threatening in you and will keep you from becoming your best self.
9. Fail at SOMETHING. Maybe it’s a new skill or a hobby. Get comfortable with the sting of failure.
10. No one is coming to save you. Pick yourself up and become your greatest cheerleader.
11. Embarrass yourself once a day. Breaking down your ego is essential to growth. Being comfortable in the uncomfortable and learning to laugh at yourself will add joy to your life.
12. He isn’t playing hard to get or playing games. He just doesn’t like you enough to respect your time.
13. Emotionally codependent relationships with a toxic person will destroy your entire life.
14. Become a really good listener. (Even if you have crippling ADHD and finish peoples sentences before they can). Slow down and listen, you never know how badly someone needs to be heard.
15. Cover your face (AND SCALP) in the sun, no tan is worth future skin damage + wrinkles.
16. Never trust if it rises fast. (Actually just listen to the entire song: Labyrinth by Taylor Swift) Fast money/success with minimal effort will not last.
17. Become so comfortable by yourself that you need minimal to no external validation. If you cannot be alone with your thoughts, something is wrong.
18. Don’t live your life for other people. Respect where you came from but there is no reason to live by the same rules as everyone who has come before you. Take what works for you and figure out the rest.
19. Karma is very real. Watch what you say and do, karma will always come back for payment.
20. Get a HOBBY. Something completely different from your day job that brings you excitement. Always be learning and stimulate yourself mentally.
21. You need rest and you need tons of water. Take the time to rest and be intentional about taking time off.
22. No is a complete sentence. Self respect means saying no. People pleasing is OUT!
23. Rejection is protection. If something is meant for you it cannot and will not miss you. Take the “L” and claim it as a W.
24. Emotions don’t lie. Your emotions are valid. Feel them and trust your intuition. You are so important to this world, always let the light in.
25. You have purpose in this life. Find it. Create it. Happiness can be a choice if you allow it, choose happiness.
26. Give yourself permission to let go. Let go of the thoughts in your mind that tell you that you aren’t good enough or you can’t do it. Let go and allow yourself peace.
27. Bad things will happen to you. Don’t let those moments hold you back. Feel the emotion deeply and grieve the person you were before that thing happened to you and then leave it in the past.
28. Take care of yourself. Whatever that looks like for you.
29. HAVE COURAGE! Count to three and have that hard conversation or make that big decision, your future self will thank you. And remember…I am rooting for you.

Madeira, Portugal

I am back to tell you the details all about my Madeira trip! I took quite the hiatus on my blog because life got super busy. I wanted to document my Portugal trip because I planned it SO well! I had found Madeira island through a video on Tik Tok and I absolutely had to go and explore this beautiful and diverse island.

Things to look forward to: Levadas, Hikes, Waterfalls, Haunted Forests, Sunrise over the clouds, and some of the most beautiful overlooks you will ever see!

Remote work with Digital Nomads Madeira. I was able to make so many friends and get plugged into the local community through Digital Nomads Maderia. The group has weekly meetups and dinners and their beautiful co-working space is right in the heart of Ponta Do Sol.

I went in April of 2022 and the weather was really nice. Sometimes the air was a bit cold in higher elevation, but overall the temperature was very mild and you could swim.

Map of the locations I visited while on the island.

itinerary for Madeira, Portugal - the hawaii of europe

• Home Base in Ponta Do Sol - Digital Nomad Village

• Fanal Forest

• Porto Moniz Natural Pools

• Santana

• Seixal Beach

• Sao Lourenco

• Funchal

How to get to Madeira, Portugal

Book a flight from wherever you are to Lisbon, Portugal. You will then need to book a flight through TAP Air Portugal to land on the dreamy island of Madeira. When you get to the island, you will need to rent a car. This is the best way to travel around the island freely for your stay. Beware that the roads in Portugal are steep and winding, if you rent a manual car like I did, it will be some of the most challenging driving you will experience.

where to stay - madeira, portugal

I wanted to stay in the nomad village of Ponta Do Sol so I could work in the mornings from their office and then explore in the afternoons. I found the most gorgeous hotel called Villa Alto Boutique Hotel. I could not have picked a better place to stay. The hotel staff is incredible and there is a full brunch every single morning for you to fuel up for the day.

For the end of the trip I stayed at their sister hotel called Sé Boutique Hotel. Sé Boutique Hotel is in Funchal, the biggest city on Madeira, a much different vibe than the countryside hotel, Villa Alto. I spent the majority of my stay with Villa Alto as my home base. This is a pretty central location if you are wanted to explore around the island. Most of the destinations were 30 minutes to an hour away from my hotel, with a gorgeous view on every drive.

Villa Alto Boutique Hotel

Villa Alto Boutique Hotel

FANAL FOREST

This was an absolute dream. I must admit that the Tik Tok video I saw about this forest was one of the main reasons I wanted to visit. It is so majestic and eerie. I felt like a Disney princess while exploring the magical forest. You are at a higher elevation which puts you in the clouds. The fog would come and go and it was the coolest thing watching the clouds role in.

Fanal Forest Madeira Island Portugal

Fanal Forest Madeira Island Portugal

Fanal Forest Madeira Island Portugal

Fanal Forest Madeira Island Portugal

Ponta Do Sol Nomad Village

I cannot recommend staying in Ponta Do Sol enough! Every Friday at Estalagem da Ponta do Sol they have Purple Fridays which is super lit. There is a DJ and performances and vibes are high. Sunset DJ sets with really friendly people from all over the world? Sign me up! The digital nomad office is also gorgeous with an open floor plan and outdoor seating with super fast wifi.

Ponta Do Sol

Estalagem da Ponta do Sol overlook

Porto Moniz Natural Pools

Another wonderful say trip is to the Porto Moniz Natural Pools on Maderia Island. These natural pools are absolutely incredible. They are free to enter and swim in. There are other man made pools down the street that cost 10 euros. Those have a diving board into the ocean, but are not as beautiful as the natural ones pictured below.

Porto Moniz Natural Pools

Porto Moniz Natural Pools

Porto Moniz Natural Pools

carwash waterfall - ponta do sol

I also had to go and see the famous Car Wash Waterfall. This waterfall flows right over the road 5 minutes from Ponta Do Sol. I went twice because it is so much fun and also close to where I stayed.

Seixal Beach & seixal waterfall

One of the only beaches in Maderia is in Seixal. It is a black sand beach and surrounded by waterfalls. It is on the north side of the island and to get there you will take your prettiest drive through the Valley of the Nuns! This drive was breath taking, I believe my mouth was open the entire drive in awe.

Seixal Beach - Madeira Portugal - Praia do Porto do Seixal

Seixal Waterfall - Madeira Portugal

Sao Lourenco - Dragon’s Tail

Ponta de São Lourenço is on the most eastern tip of the island. It is known as the “dragon’s tail” and is about a 4.5 mile hike to the very end. There are rare seals and tons of different kinds of birds! I mainly wanted to see the overlooks on the north part. It was very beautiful and easy to access.

Ponta de São Lourenço

Ponta de São Lourenço

Ponta de São Lourenço

Around the island

My cute little fiat did the trick for me on my solo trip around the island. The small car allows you to park pretty much anywhere! Funchal is the only area where you will need to pay to park in an overnight lot, then walk back to your hotel.

Overview

Everyone needs to visit this island sometime in their life. The most notable spot to see was extremely cold and snowing when I was there. It is the Pico de Aerio hike and overlook, where you can see the sunrise above the clouds. I have heard that you have to try atleast 5-7 times before you really get the best view at sunrise. I went once and was NOT prepared for the cold snow at the highest point of the island.

I made tons of friends with the Digital Nomad community and would highly recommend staying in Nomad Village. Funchal was also very fun too! I walked throughout the city and coastline, and explored local shops. The rooftop bar at Se Boutique hotel was also super cool.

Miradouro da Ribeira da Janela

Se Boutique Hotel Rooftop

EUROPE TRIP 2021 RECAP

Influencer Voice: “A LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING ABOUT MY TRIP.” Honestly, this blog is kinda a real thing and kinda a joke but here we are. You are reading my thoughts. Basically, welcome to my 2021 Myspace. I love shopping and love traveling and I love sharing knowledge with people. Don’t expect any sort of consistency in posting from me, but when I do post I can promise it will be QUALITY. Now buckle up, grab a snack, and get ready for this trip recap. This blog will link all of the travel essentials I bought, travel advice, locations of where I stayed, ate, and visited. The outfits will be in another blog!

Where do we begin? We begin with the prep work that was required to go on this trip. Now this is about the first week of June and I have NO passport at this time and I am not vaccinated. One of my clients was at my office and started telling me that I am dumb for not having either of those things yet and logically I only have three weeks to get everything taken care of (he is a Virgo) or I will not be going to Europe. I am like BET, and got myself into gear. I booked my first shot at CVS and set up a passport appointment at the Post Office. I got both of my shots within the two week period of me leaving and expedited my Passport. Now, if any of you have been trying to travel out of the country right now, you know that getting your passport is equivalent to competing in the hunger games. It was the Tuesday before my trip and I started to realize I was in the 4-6 week window but calculated one week too early, so I started to panic. I started googling and found a Facebook Group where everyone was trading in person appointments and giving tips and tricks to get their passport’s on time. I searching in the group and found out how to know where my passport was being processed. It was in Charleston. I ended up finding the number for the location as well and left about 20 voicemails on a combination of employees lines. I was very persistent and explained the situation and they were able to pull my application from their mail room and begin to process it. With my determination, I came home that Friday to a passport on my doorstep…WILD.

Trip Prep - HOW TO PREPARE

With prepping for the trip, I needed to also get some cute outfits and travel essentials. My overall plan was to go from Rome, Italy - Bulgaria - Mykonos, Greece. I had one carry on, one backpack, and a small black bag. My suitcase actually broke so I will not be linking that, but the backpack and small bag were absolutely PERFECT. The backpack has a sleeve on the back section to slide over your luggage, which is life changing when going through airports and busy cobblestone streets. I also had a small bag that converted from a backpack to a side strap purse or even just a clutch. This purse was super awesome for traveling because it is the perfect size and you can wear it however you like depending on how sketched out you are, I would wear it as a backpack in front when I was in large crowds. As far as all of my outfits go, I will be linking them in another blog ;)

As far as what was in my backpack goes, I had read several blogs, watched many YouTube videos to see what was needed for travel. Because I have watched the movie “Just Married” I knew I needed to have the proper power convertors. Also, I knew I needed a mini tri-pod to take bomb instagram photos, as well as a first aid kit and pill organizer. I also purchased hydration packets because I was going to be flying 7 times, and planes are known to dehydrate you. I also got a filtered water bottle to refill.

Click Me to Buy ;)

Click Me to Buy ;)

Click Me to Buy ;)

Click Me to Buy ;)

Click Me to Buy ;)

As far as beauty products, I will be putting those in another blog. Again, this is strictly travel essentials and a “how to travel solo as a female” blog. Anyways, moving on…to FLIGHTS. Before you decide your exact dates or book anything, I would go to Sky Scanner and select “whole month” for departure and arrival. This will optimize the prices for you and allow for discounts. Once you have the flights you want, go to the airline’s page and search the flight number and book that way. Booking directly with the airline avoids so many future issues and if you miss a flight (like I did) they will get you home free of charge on another flight. I booked a round trip from Atlanta to Rome, Italy and it was only a 9 hour flight. I booked Delta Comfort Plus and it was a very easy plane ride, they feed you twice, unlimited free movies, and kind flight attendants! When it came to flying from place to place once I got to Europe, I used the cheapest domestic flights from Ryan Air, Wizz Air, and Aegean Airlines. The only poor experience I had was with Wizz Air, which was a 5 hour delay, getting me to Mykonos at 3AM…where most people were still awake partying!

Critical Things you Need to Know

• You need to fill out a PLF document before traveling to Italy, Bulgaria, or Greece (as well as any other countries in Europe https://app.euplf.eu/#/

• Your life will be MUCH easier if you complete both rounds of vaccination before traveling. If not, every time you go through customs, you will have to provide a negative covid test

• You need to wear a mask on all airlines, I bought a pack of 50 black surgical masks and threw out after each use.

• Have your vaccination card on you at all times.

• Leave your passport at the hotel you are staying at, do not take it out on the streets with you!

• Download What’s App to communicate with people at home!

ROME, ITALY

Alrighty, now that we have all the details worked out, it is time for the FUN. Aunt Bee dropped me off at the Birmingham Airport, then I flew to Atlanta, then Atlanta to Rome. Once I landed in Rome, I went straight to the ATM to get some Euros. I highly recommend doing this as soon as you land so you can begin paying for things, not everyone accepts card. Rome (or anywhere in Italy) does not have Uber. When you fly into FCO, you are about 45 minutes away from the city center. I used this app: FREE NOW to book my cab. This app is just like Uber and can get you anywhere around the city. I took the Termini in as far as I could to my AirBNB, and then ordered my Taxi via the app. The Termini ticket to Trastevere was around 8 Euros. Then the Taxi was around 10 Euros. If I took a Taxi all the way from the Airport to my AirBNB it would have been 50 Euros. I always try to save money where I can! I got super lucky and made a friend as a Taxi driver. If anyone is going to Rome and needs an airport transfer, I highly recommend using Mirko, he was such a gem! He knows the city back and forth and has lived there for 14 years, he has two young children and a wife. He has a large van, perfect for big groups who need transferring. He gave me his What’s App number to refer anyone…it is +39 349 499 4835. So Mirko dropped me off at my AirBNB that was located right next to the Trevi Fountain. My AirBNB host was SO amazing. Her name is Manna and she has the perfect set up for someone coming to Rome for the first time, as well as a solo female traveler.

Manna was super helpful with navigating the city and tips for getting around. Her location was also perfect because it is in the middle of the city, but still quiet because the room faces an interior terrace. You can book with Manna here: Trevi Suite.

So, I dropped my bags, freshened up, packed my black purse and water bottle and hit the town. I had this vision for an Instagram Post that embodied everything Taylor Swift Blank Space music video. I started walking to Villa Borghese, the biggest park in Rome’s city center. I wanted to explore and get my bearings of the city. The park has this awesome overlook as well as incredible gardens. I wandered around everywhere in this garden, I was really trying to push through the jet lag and keep myself alert and awake. I found this romantic pond where you can rent little boats. The men were very confused to why I wanted to go on the boat alone and laughed at me but honestly this would not be the first time I was laughed at…Americans are quite funny to Europeans. I set my tripod up and started striking poses, other people in boats were doing the same, so it was like an Instagram thirst trap pond. I love it.

I then wandered into the Villa Borghese Museum Gardens and romanticized my life. I imagined I was the owner of the building and I waltzed through the gardens contemplating on how I can get rid of my pathetic husband. In all seriousness, these gardens were breathtaking, and definitely worth the trek through the park. I ordered a Taxi back to my place, because I had walked around 5 miles north and I was starving. Once I got back to my AirBNB I showered and then went across the street for dinner. I knew this was not the move because all of the blogs I read told me not to eat near any tourist traps (like the Trevi Fountain) because the food is sub par and overpriced. They were right, but I was tired from my travels and needed food. I had beef carpaccio, spaghetti, Moscato, and a delicious creme brûlée's. I then headed back upstairs and went to sleep.

The next day I had a Vatican tour scheduled for 8:15am. I woke up super early and got ready because I wanted a moment at the Trevi Fountain before all of the crowds gathered. This was definitely the move because I wanted a picture with no one in it. The fountain is gorgeous.

I got my pics at the Trevi Fountain and then I scootered my way to the Vatican. I would put my AirPods in while I scootered and it would navigate me through the city. The scooter works through the app and they are literally everywhere. I don’t have a European license and wanted to hop from place to place, so the Helbiz scooter was the most fun way to get from place to place!

Yes I know this is sketchy pic but the only one I have :) It is the riding the scooter in heels for me…

I scooted my way to the Vatican and I booked this tour through City Wonders before I left for my trip which was WORTH the money. The tour guide was English speaking and the tour started before everyone arrived. He took us to the top of the dome, inside the dome, and into the Basilica, as well as the crypts.

After the tour, I asked my tour guide where to go to lunch and he told me to go to Ristorante Maccheroni near the Coloseum. And GIRRRRL this food was the best I had my entire trip. The chef made me a special appetizer and was super sweet. The energy of this restaurant was unmatched. It was an Italian experience. Everyone was yelling at each other and I could watch them prepare the food. It was amazing.

Later that evening I went for a walking tour of Rome. Just on my own. It was so gorgeous, I watched the sunset over the Tiber River, saw the Vatican at night and then walked around Piazza Novana. Rome at night is insane! The temperature drops and everything is lit up. I just let myself wander and explore, and I ate the leftovers from lunch for dinner (yes my waiter at lunch was angry that I did not finish my meal, but it was SO much).

The next day I had a tour scheduled at the Colosseum. Long story short, I was scammed online. I had booked a tour, but once I got to the Colosseum, they only accept official tickets from their website. I was bummed, but I still got some really awesome pics!

I was sad about being scammed, so I went shopping near the Spanish Steps ;)

There is nothing designer labels can’t fix. Later that evening I went to dinner at Roscioli, a place that I found on a blog before I left. Make reservations! They had the most delicious Carbonara as well as loads of bread and Aperol Spritz. I was feeling myself after dinner so I scooted my way (in heels) to the Tiber River for a sunset moment.

The next day I wanted to explore Trastevere (meaning across the river). This area was super cool. I could tell that the age range of residents skewed much younger than the main part of Rome. I ender up wandering around and taking fun pics. There is all this graffiti and ivy (so edgy) and I just set up my tripod and snapped some pics.

I ate at one of the restaurants in Trastevere (not sure the name) but there are tons of places to get food. I then went to the 8th hill of Rome and watched the sunset. It was so gorgeous! I was getting nostalgic thinking I had to leave the city the next day. After that, I went to one last restaurant for dinner which was delicious! Any restaurants around the Pantheon or Piazza Novana are delicious. I headed home after dinner and packed my stuff up. The next morning I had Mirko pick me up and take me to the Regional airport Ciampino. Thanks Mirko! Rome was gorgeous, now I was off to Bulgaria.

The guard at the Monastery did not like my outfit. He was like TOO MUCH legs. And I was like I know, right? He was like cover your body now. So I was draped in two scarves and it was hilarious, but I understand, it is a holy area! The next day I had lunch with my friend Fleur.

Later that evening I went to dinner with my new friend, Luka! He lives in Malta. He is friends with Lars and his sister, so now he was my friend too :) Luka ate the entire restaurant, made me laugh like crazy, and then walked me to The Station.

Overall, Bansko was SO cute! It is a Ski Town, but in the summer, the weather is agreeable and the people are lively. I enjoyed exploring this little town.

The next day we drove to Sofia and went out! was having so much fun but I was not too sad because next was MYKONOS. My flight was delayed and I arrived in Mykonos super late and somehow managed to get a Taxi to my hotel. I checked in and went straight to sleep. I woke up the next morning in Paradise.

MYKONOS, GREECE

I stayed at the perfect place! Mykonos is pretty expensive, but I stayed about a 5 minute walk from Old Town (the main area of the island). I stayed at The Cape Mykonos. The Cape Mykonos was SO clean and SO helpful with everything. The stay included a huge breakfast every morning, which was super nice being able to just walk down to the lobby to grab food.

Overall, Mykonos was VERY chill for me. It is considered the party island, but I did none of that, I just beach hopped, rented a 4x4 and explored the island. The two beaches I recommend are Elia Beach and Kapari Beach. They are free to enter and swim on. Most of the beaches require you to pay for parking, sitting, and food/drinks. I was like NAH. I just wanted to get my body in that turquoise water. I rented the 4x4 right next to the entrance to Old Town Mykonos and paid for 3 days. This was the most fun way to get around the town! I used my AirPods and tripod to mount my phone on the front for directions, after a day or so I learned the way to my favorite beaches because there are only a few main roads on the island!

Kapari Beach

Kapari Beach

To get to Kapari Beach, you can drive by car, bike, or 4x4. I just drove my 4x4 up the dirt path and parked it and locked everything in my lock box on the back, then walked down to the water. The beach is rocky to get down, so if you can’t hike down steep rocky/sandy steps, I would not come here. But if you can, it is absolutely worth it! When cruise ships come by, the waves get so big and if you are on the sand, you will be covered in water. I perched myself up on the rocks around the beach. This water was so hypnotic I came here two days out of my three. It was only 5-6 feet deep in the light turquoise water and I just floated my cares away. I felt like I was in a pool! Elia Beach was also gorgeous! It is the known LGBTQ+ beach, and I made friends with this sweet couple from Bologna, Italy. They both said that more Americans needs to visit there and stop just choosing Rome or Florence. As a LGBTQ+ ally, I felt happy and safe at this beach. Everyone was super nice!

Kapari Beach

Kapari Beach

All of the nights I was there I ordered in food from D Angelos and watched Season 2 of Outer Banks. I was TIRED Y’ALL.

The last day in Mykonos I explored Old Town (and wore a mask) because these people be wilding over here. I got to see the picturesque streets that you think of when you think of Greece. So gorgeous!

My hotel organized a transfer to the airport for my flight home. Getting home was a JOURNEY. A 26 hour journey to be exact. Do NOT do what I do, I flew back to Rome that morning from Greece and then missed my ATL flight because they require a negative covid test even if you are vaccinated to get back into the US. Luckily Delta reorganized my trip after I got a negative test back. My advice would be to double check return regulations and do not do a round trip flight if you plan on hopping around. I would have rather gotten a direct flight back to Atlanta through Athens. Food for thought!

Overall, this trip was SO magical! From exploring Rome to hanging with best friends to swimming in hypnotic water, it was life changing. I will be putting together a blog of all of my outfits and beauty products next, but for now, welcome! I enjoy sharing things like this with people, and if it can help someone be prepared, then YAY!

Elia Beach