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Italy

What It Was Honestly Like Traveling with Contiki: 10 Days of Group Travel in Europe

What to Wear on a Summer Vacation in Italy (June through August): Packing List

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We all have that one friend who’s perpetually Out We all have that one friend who’s perpetually Out Of Office (let’s be real. it’s you). Here’s what I’d be putting under their tree this year.

Every year, I vet 100+ gift ideas that are actually useful, unique, and thoughtful for the travel lovers in our lives. It takes weeks of research and tons of trial & error from my own travel experiences. This year’s list features more woman-owned, b-corp, responsibly made, and diverse-owned brands than ever before in my never ending quest to find the best travel gear & brands doing cool things ✨

👉🏽👉🏽Comment ‘GIFT GUIDE’ and I’ll DM you the full list!

p.s. this is part 1 of 4 mini Gift Guides for Going Places ✈️ What are you eyeing this holiday season? (I’m a size olive green hard-shell luggage if anyone’s asking 😆)
Uluru isn’t the easiest to get to, but that’s also Uluru isn’t the easiest to get to, but that’s also kind of the point.

Rising up in the middle of a massive country, seemingly out of nowhere, Uluru and the entire Red Center feel so... improbable. But it’s not. It’s just another day in the heart of Australia 🙏🏽

We spent just under 3 weeks driving in order to get here on our giant road trip around the entire country, and waking up on our first day surrounded by red dirt, big sky, and dramatic landscapes, I could literally feel myself buzzing with energy. Uluru has so much mystery to it, even to this day. But it’s been guiding Aboriginal desert culture for the Anangu people for tens of thousands of years.

Visiting Uluru isn’t easy, but it’s special. And there’s so much to witness beyond Uluru itself once you make it this far inland. Honestly, If there was one part of the country I wish we had spent more time in, it’s the Northern Territory.

Swipe through for my observations + some tips on visiting Uluru and the Red Center! Tell me, is Uluru a place you knew about? Would you make the journey? #CareerBreakDiaries #Uluru #LapofAustralia #AustraliaRoadTrip
Truly, TGIF 🇵🇭 I can’t believe I never shared the Truly, TGIF 🇵🇭

I can’t believe I never shared these photos from earlier this year, but they are some of my absolute favorites. We celebrated our wedding (part 2) with a salo-salo in Manila and the sinigang gang, the fili-primos, and so much of the fam turned out in their filipiniana best. 🤌🏽

Being mixed heritage is such an interesting puzzle piece to unpack over time. I paid no mind to it growing up but now that I’m older I’ve definitely had moments where I’ve felt “not Filipina enough.” I don’t speak the language, I might not understand all of the nuance. I may not look the “part,” though my name is RJ (iykyk). But you don’t need to meet a threshold or a quota to be able to acknowledge or celebrate your roots. Your story belongs, wherever you are, exactly as it is. 

So here’s some Filipina joy, in my own way. Happy Filipino American History Month! 🤍 #fahm #filipinoamericanhistorymonth 

📸: @thinkingchairstudios (the best!!)
my outfit: @bridalvaniaromoff
Spend a day w/me in Sydney & I’ll tell you what yo Spend a day w/me in Sydney & I’ll tell you what you need to know about taking a career break abroad. My top 3 tips below! 👇

@safetywing [ad] 

1. Let yourself feel all of the things: journal, slow down, romanticize it all (yes, even the uncomfortable parts). Because one day, you will be standing on the other side of this chapter, looking back on this exact moment and thinking “wow, I really did that.” 🥺

2. Save 10-20% more than you think you need: you’ll want a financial cushion for spontaneity and new experiences, and so you don’t have to rush into looking for another job. saving extra gives you more freedom 🙏🏽

3. Don’t skip the travel/medical insurance: Prioritize easy, flexible coverage that moves with you. As soon as I lapsed my corporate health policy from my last job, I got @Safetywing, for my medical, dental, travel coverage, and so much more. They have per trip, monthly, and annual policies so you can choose what works best for you! 

👉🏽👉🏽 Comment ‘ADVENTURE’ and I’ll send you my link to check out SafetyWing for yourself, plus a special code to get 8 weeks of FREE electronic theft coverage when you sign up!

See you on the road 😌 #safetywing #SafetyWing26

Career Break Travel Tips | Digital Nomad | Living Abroad
Week 3/12 of our lap of Australia: we made it to a Week 3/12 of our lap of Australia: we made it to a place less than 1% of Australia’s visitors will ever see....

ULURU!!! 🥺👏🏽

I told myself there was no way I could live in Australia for a year and not make it to Uluru. This is the spiritual and cultural heart of the country 💕 smack almost directly in the center of the continent. Some say it’s just a big rock. But to Australia’s First Peoples, it’s where our entire story of life begins.

Part Three Stats: another ~1,227 miles down!
Uluru
Kings Canyon
Alice Springs
Tennant Creek
Katherine

Highlights:
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park!!!!
- Dining experience Tali Wiru (recommend)
- Waking up at sunrise
- Hiking Kings Canyon
- Karrke Aboriginal Bush Walk (highly recommend)
- Barra & chips at Daly Waters Pub 🤤

We dedicated about a week exploring Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, and Alice Springs before making our way up north. And honestly, it was nowhere near enough time.

One lesson from the road so far – always double-check your route when driving anywhere in remote Australia. If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably unpaved 😅

I’ll share more about Uluru specifically in my next post!!! 3 weeks down, 2 months to go as we drive nearly 12,000 miles to finish our lap of the country in our trusty RAV4.

#CareerBreakDiaries #LapofAustralia #CareerBreak #gapyear
File this under: things I wish someone told me at File this under: things I wish someone told me at literally any stage of my career so far.

There is honestly no longer any “right” way to build a career, or a life outside of it. 

Take it from someone who needed years to work up the courage to take time off, and almost talked herself out of taking a sabbatical in her 30s because I was worried it wouldn’t look good on paper. 

Consider this your permission slip to go after what feels right for you 📝

Which slide did you need to hear most today? 

career break | permission | sabbatical journey | advice in your 30s
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