I had an amazing day yesterday after getting some good rest the night before. I signed up for a tour of the National Park. It was excellent since there were only 5 of us, and very personal. Our tour guide was really cool, and her name was Macarena, like the song! First we boarded a train that was resurrected in the 1990s. It went through the park and it was stunning. Greenery and beautiful mountains everywhere. Just stunning.

I returned to the city and had a great lunch, seafood! A bowl full of crab meat and shrimp covered in cheese. I even had a crepe for dessert!

I went back to my hotel room and shortly after my roommate for the Antarctica trip arrived. We immediate started sharing of the different places we’ve traveled and went out for a walk. She picked up dinner and I picked up two bottles of wine (for the boat). I dropped her at the hotel and I took a taxi to a restaurant called Kalma. It was good, not great. Service was absolutely slow! I don’t blame the servers, but maybe the kitchen was backed up?? It was taking a long time to get my food so I was a bit annoyed. Regardless I did enjoy the meal. Just not great! I walked back (downhill) to the hotel and my roommate and I continued sharing about our trips.

Today, my roommate had a tour for the morning so after she left, I packed up all my things and got them ready to go into the boat. I went down to breakfast, had a ham and cheese sandwich, then returned to my room for a final check.

I decided to walk through the town a bit, and I made it to the sign at the city entrance. I also learned that there are three flags up next to the sign: Argentinian, Peruvian, and Province. The Peruvian flag is up because during the war for the Islas Malvinas, Peru was the only country that send aid to Argentina. So they show their gratitude but putting up the Peruvian flag.

On the way back, I was walking along the coast line, then came across an Artisanal shop. I went in and bought a journal. I’m going to write daily in Spanish. I will then give this to my dad when I return.

​I don’t know if I will have WiFi access on the boat... so ciao for now!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend celebrating love. Whether single or attached, love is a wonderful thing.

Yesterday was a travel day for me. I left Los a angeles on Feb 12th. Flew 12 hours to Buenos Aires, then transferred to another airport for a second flight. It’s like landing in LAX and driving to Burbank airport for the next leg. I then flew another 3-4 hours and landed in Ushuaia, also called, “El Fin Del Mundo” (The End Of The World). I was extremely exhausted but I rallied and walked around the town and had an amazing dinner, Parillada. Grilled meat. Yum!! I booked a tour of the National Park for today, so I’m headed out the door. It’s a beautiful town with snow capped mountains and very nice people. Here are some photos of yesterday. I ended my day with a glass of wine and some SOMM TV. Cheers!

When traveling, there has to be a level of organization in order to fit everything you need for a trip. Especially if it’s a long trip. I wanted to share some of the things that I have found over the years that have helped me in being organized as I travel around the globe. Most of the stuff can be found on Amazon actually, so it’s reasonably priced and you can get some of these the next day. I’m not advertising anything, just wanted to share what has helped me stay sane abroad! And for those that have asked, below you’ll understand how I’m able to pack for two weeks in Europe with just a carry-on!

First I want to share something new I just bought specifically for my upcoming trip to New Zealand in March! It’s a wine suitcase!!! I will be able to return with wine and not have to worry about it going in between my clothes in my regular luggage. Since I’m a light packer, I know I can fit clothes for my three week trip into one suitcase, so this will be my second suitcase. I have a list of about 15 wineries I’ll be visiting, so I’m super excited!!!

The thing I can’t live without when traveling are packing cubes. I first learned about them from my Australian friends, Cat & Kelly, while traveling through Scandinavia. Now I don’t know how I managed without them! I have two sets (pink & purple) which I have used in every single trip!

On the subject of organizing the inside my luggage, I also have an awesome toiletry bag. It fits a ton of stuff and zips up well. What I like about it is that it hangs! This is convenient when you’re in a small space (European bathrooms)! It has a mesh front so that nothing falls out when it’s hanging but you can still see everything inside. I love it! I don’t use it for make up, I only use it for toiletries. I normally don’t take make up with me when I travel aside from lipgloss.

On a long trip, I wash my clothes. In order to dry them, I use these nifty fold up hangers. Not all hotels abroad provide sufficient hangers. They come in a 10 pack.

I found an amazing “personal item” bag that fits EVERYTHING. My laptop, my iPad, Bose headphones, chords, books, wallet, etc. My laptop is pretty large so I had a hard time finding a bag that could fit it. This one does. Now, there are also tote compartment inserts that you can use for this bag but I don’t need them since in a long haul trip, I carry bulky items (blanket, headphones, etc). If I used this bag as a daily purse, then I would definitely use the organizer insert.

I mentioned a blanket. It’s a blanket-towel combo. I also use it as a pillow in airplanes. It folds up small since it Turkish cotton, soft and absorbent. You don’t know where those airline blankets have been, so I use this instead sometimes. Also as a towel when need be in hotels.

One more thing I keep in my bag are these rubber twist ties. My tech stuff stays organized and I can just throw it in my bag. Helps with all the chords and chargers I carry for my gadgets!

I haven’t traveled with my photography gear yet, so I’m excited to see how these items will hold up. This backpack holds everything (camera, 4 lenses, 7 filters, 4 batteries, camera cleaner, laptop, chords, camera harness, and tripod)! What I love the most is the side zip compartment. You can just unzip that section and pull out the camera without opening the entire backpack to access it.

This is my tripod. It expands up to 55” high and folds up in 18” with its own case.

I don’t like the over-the-shoulder camera straps so I bought a harness and I love it!! It keeps my balance and also has clips so I can pop out the camera body if I need to. It also has small pockets that hold extra batteries and memory cards. What I like best is the neoprene material that’s super soft and comfortable.

I caved and I bought a selfie stick. I found that as a solo traveler, it’s a necessity. I do my best to not be that “obnoxious tourist” that doesn’t adhere to etiquette. I try my best to be considerate of other people around me trying to get the same shot. It was relatively inexpensive, and good enough for my small iPhone.

That sums up my travel stuff. Hope it helps you plan your next trip! Can’t wait for mine!!

Happy Travels!

Greetings!

I have been practicing photography a lot this year. I took a camera lesson in January, and another private photography class. I upgraded my gear and bought a new DSLR during Black Friday. I’ve been going to various places around town taking photographs practicing what I’ve learned so far.

A couple of weeks ago I met up with my friend Dani in San Clemente and we had lunch. I took the opportunity to go to the pier to take some shots.

To celebrate my friends’ birthdays, I had a dinner at my house. We enjoyed food and wine. I practiced my close-up shots. It was a belated birthday for Luis, and an early birthday for Gerry.

I took my parents to the Huntington and I was their personal paparazzi.

This past weekend I went to The Huntington with my friend Caroline. We went for the Chinese New Year celebrations. It was fun to see various performances. We went to a place called El Coraloense and had an awesome lunch!!

I’m excited to continue practicing and improving my “eye” for landscape photography. Cheers!