Travel

How to Do New York in 3 Days

How to Do New York in 3 Days

New York absolutely has my heart. When I went the trip happened so fast. It was a spur of the moment type of thing so I tried to enjoy it as much as I can. Since I had one week to go to both Washington D.C. and New York I had to be really strategic on what I did and how I did it.

Determine the Non-Negotiables

There are for sure things to do and see for everyone. On my last day in NY I had tickets to see Hamilton at matinee. This was a bit tough because it was in the middle of the day so I had to plan around that. Other than that, I was game for anything. So make sure to list what your for sure must do’s are and start from there. This will determine how you travel and what days you do things.

I feel like this is one of the things you will struggle the most with because it’s hard to pick and choose what to do. But there’s so many factors like distance, fatigue, and of course, picking what everyone will enjoy if you’re traveling with others.

If You Want to Sightsee

I know people tend to not look like tourist but trust me, use the tour buses you see around. Usually you can easily get a deal out of them. The one my family went with was really cheap because we kept talking to the guy and he gave us a good deal plus ferry tickets for the Statue of Liberty. A lot of these have direct stops at all the big landmarks so it’s easy to hop on and go. At some point we just used it as our transportation to completely different places since we had already payed for it. It worked out!

But just like any city, remember that all the landmarks are not all close together, so like the first point, determine which things you for sure want to see. It’s the best bet to getting things done.

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You Have to Go with the Flow

The key to getting a city done in a short amount of time is to realize that you can’t do everything. Trips are frustrating enough when you have itineraries and things planned. The best advice I can give you for doing a city, especially New York, is to just roll with it. On my second day I found myself down by Wall Street but really wanted to check out Central Park but it just wasn’t going to happen. But my family had a free ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty so we ended up doing that and it was amazing! Just remind yourself that you are in a new city and that in itself is pretty great. Always anticipate the worst but go with it like it is the best.

If you want to see a post like this for Washington D.C., let me know! Checkout how my trip went here.

What are your tips whenever you’re doing a short trip?

Lifestyle

Things to do in Southern California in the Summer

Things to do in Southern California in the Summer

I feel like California is the epitome of summer. The sun is always shining and there’s palm trees everywhere. The beach is, of course, a must during the summer but the cool thing about SoCal is that there’s so much to do. Here’s some things that I want to do and you can definitely check out!

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US Open of Surfing

If you’re looking to go to the beach in a completely different way, check out the US Open of Surfing. Trust me, even if you don’t know much about surfing you’ll love it. It takes place in Huntington Beach every year late July and it’s so fun. You can watch the competitions for free and there’s even a festival area where they have booths and food. Last year the Vans owner made hot dogs every day. Seriously one of my favorite ways to enjoy the beach in the summer. 

Botanical Gardens & Views

I like to look at pretty things and flowers so this is the perfect time to visit. One of the places I’ve been dying to go is the Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens down in San Marino, CA. It’s basically all my favorite things in one. You can look at all the gardens and go inside to cool down and still explore and look at some history. Museums and small gems like this can get overlooked so it’s a perfect time to check them out.

Movies at Random Places

So many good movies are out this summer (looking at you Spider-Man) and we all know how packed movie theaters get. I’ve noticed lately that a lot of cities are making movie nights in different areas. There’s some at the beach, parks, even cemeteries. Seriously, it’s interesting to see where some of these take place. Make sure to look up your city and see what kind of community movies they are having!

What’s your favorite thing to do in the summer?

Travel

How I Pack My Carry-On

How I Pack My Carry-On

Packing is still hard for me sometimes. I either over pack or pack too little. It’s all of fun little Tetris game trying to make everything fit. Fun fact: I like to travel with just a carry-on and I have to get creative with how I put things in. Yes, it can give me a huge headache but it’s the best way for me to travel. So if you’ve ever thought about using just a carry-on, here’s how I pack my carry-on!

Tricks

On my last trip I tried this and I was surprised it worked! Get a large enough ziplock bag and pack things in there. I rolled up my leggings really tightly and managed to fit quite a few in a bag. I also did this with t-shirts and it worked. It compressed everything in giving me more room! I usually pack in a drawstring backpack inside of my carry-on just in case I need to carry more things because it’s much smaller so it’s not a full on extra bag.

Keep It Simple

I feel like usually when people think about just carry-on it scares them because they think they have to leave a lot of stuff behind. But honestly, sometimes we over-pack on trips. The way to get into using carry-ons is by thinking logically and planning about what you’re taking. We tend to pack for the “what if’s.” We don’t know if we’ll randomly lose or rip something, but usually it doesn’t. Travel light, it helps!

Use Your Purse

I usually also put stuff in my actual purse to not overpack my carry-on. It’s usually stuff that I can take out and don’t have to be carrying around all the time. I usually put my makeup and other toiletries in my bad. Also, my bag is usually big enough to carry extra things, but not too big that it’s a hassle to use.

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What is your packing strategy?

 

Arts & Entertainment

A Day At LACMA: Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time

A Day At LACMA: Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of LACMA. The opinions and text are all mine.

 

If you make your way to Los Angeles or just browse through Instagram, LACMA is one of the most popular and recognizable spots. From their popular public sculpture Urban Light to ancient art, LACMA is a center of culture. They feature art that spans history and the globe and one of their current exhibitions is Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time, which is open until May 7th.

Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time looks at these two artists and their surprisingly parallel works. Pablo Picasso and Diego Rivera are well-known, even to those not too familiar with art. Although many of their most popular pieces show their many differences, both artists have connections and similarities that are shown throughout the exhibition.

The exhibition takes you on a journey through five different sections exploring artworks by both men. Starting at the academy, where the foundations are laid, we get to see the stories of Picasso and Rivera unfold as they take on their training, Picasso in Spain and Rivera in Mexico, and their earliest creations. Picasso and Rivera’s connection started in Paris and we see how they intertwined while experimenting with Cubism in Paris and how they dipped their toe in the avant-garde movement. This unique approach to art led to artworks that showcased their differences while using similar techniques. A personal favorite is Rivera’s Sailor at Lunch compared to Picasso’s Student with Newspaper.

Picasso and Rivera’s aesthetics further take shape in the sections titled Return to Order and Indigenismo. Here you can see Rivera’s Flower Day, one of his most recognizable works and, for this exhibition, the first time it is shown at the same time as ancient Chalchiuhtlicue sculptures. They may be connected in many ways but they also have their unique way of portraying life. The last two sections, Rivera and Pre-Columbian Art and Picasso and Mythology, are devoted solely to each artist and their separate portrayals of cultures.

A Day At LACMA: Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time A Day At LACMA: Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time A Day At LACMA: Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time

I’ve heard about both Picasso and Rivera in classes and seen interpretations of their work, but it’s an experience to see their real work in person. It’s also interesting to know that they not only lived at the same time, but they were connected in many ways. I grew up in a Hispanic home so I’ve seen Flower Day in prints and so many different ways but seeing it in person was surreal and made me realize that it truly has a deeper meaning.

LACMA is open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is closed on Wednesdays. The Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time exhibition took me approximately 50 minutes to go through, so make sure to plan your trip accordingly. There’s so much to see! Also, your ticket to Picasso and Rivera includes admission to many other exhibitions and the museum’s permanent collection.

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For more information on the exhibition, check out LACMA’s page. You can easily buy tickets online here in advance or get them at the door. Plus, when you buy the Picasso and Rivera exhibition tickets, you automatically get general admission!

Travel

How to Do Disney Alone

How to Do Disney Alone

Disneyland is a fun place to enjoy with your friends and family. But did you know that going alone can also be just as fun? I didn’t expect it to be as fun since i was alone but it was definitely one of my favorite times at Disney. It can be a bit daunting but if you’re a Disney parks fan, it’s something you should definitely try. So here’s how to do Disney alone.

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Find the Single Rider Rides

Single Rider lines are some of the best things Disney has to offer when you’re on a solo trip. However, not all rides are single rider rides and that’s very important to note. These also differ from Disneyland to Disney World so make sure to check. If going on rides is an important thing for you, check to see if your top rides work with your schedule. I personally rode rides without single rider first and then single rider ones after. However, if you see a big ride with a low wait time, just go for it! I went on California Screamin’ 3 times in a row just by going on the regular line, surprisingly faster than the single rider one.

Discover Your Pace

One of the things I like about going alone is this. You can go with your own flow and do what you want instead of waiting on a group. It’s so easy to switch up your plan for the day because you can go with how you’re feeling. For me, I actually sat eating an ice cream float for an hour at Paradise Pier because I wanted to chill and it was great. I walked from one park to another and decided to go on rides when I wanted to. This is the biggest benefit of solo days.

Don’t Be Shy

Most people don’t want to go alone because they think they’ll feel awkward. But honestly, I found that most people won’t even realize that you’re alone. You’ll be doing a lot of walking and even in rides where there was no single rider, I would get passed up pretty fast so I never was on my own looking out of place. Plus, this gives you the opportunity to talk to people around you and cast members. I even got an I’m celebrating button out of it. So don’t think about others, just go on your own merry way.

Take a look at my solo day below!

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Would you ever do a solo trip?