Hey MishLovinLife followers!  I'm Casey from True Colours and I'm so excited to be guest posting over here today!  My blog follows my husband and I as we travel and enjoy our beautiful world.  We just got back from Iceland yesterday, were in New York City earlier this month and heading to New Orleans in December, so needless to say, we've been all over recently!  

I'm posting all week on True Colours about our Iceland trip (and you can read up on all the other fabulous places we've been & check out my travel guides) but here's a few of my favorite things about our last couple trips to Iceland and New York.

What I Loved About New York City:

1) The energy this city has is intoxicating.  It sort of swoops you up and makes you fall in love with it.

2) The West Village, DUMBO in Brooklyn and the Flat Iron area were my favorite sections of the city by far.  I loved the laid back village feel in the West Village, the cool hipster vibe in Brooklyn and the city-chic feel of the Flat Iron area.

3) The food in NYC is incredible.  Being from Portland, we're pretty "foodie" people up here in the Pacific NW and we were not disappointed.  My favorite meals were at Pastis (French) and Boqueria (Spanish).  We got our fill of incredible food during our trip.

What I Loved About Iceland:

1) The pure untouched landscapes were unspeakable in Iceland.  We spent a whole day with just a guide out exploring and there were so many moments when my breath was literally taken away.  The exotic beauty of the land is truly incredible.

2) The Icelandic horses were my favorite part of the whole trip.  Horses are everywhere in Iceland and on a road out in the middle of nowhere, we pulled over and walked up to the fence, of which all the horses came up to us and we were suddenly surrounded by all these gorgeous horses.  Without another person within miles of us, it was one of those moments you always remember.

3) The colors in the sky in Iceland are incredible and because this time of year they only get about 5 hours of daylight, the sky all day has a painted quality with the sun never truly rising in the sky.  We saw some of the most spectacular colors in the sky from pale blues to purples and rich pinks... every day the sky blew me away.

Photos copyright to True Colours Blog

Hi!  I’m Casey from True Colours back here again at Glocal Girl for Part 2 of my Travel Tips series guest post.

You can see the first post here.


My first 5 tips were mainly things to do when you’re traveling, but I thought to finish off I’d do the top 5 things I’ve learned over the years to do before you even step on the plane.  So here, in no particular order, are some tips on how to prepare for a fantastic trip you’ll always remember.

1    1.  Start hotel research early.

When it comes to travel, you can’t be too organized beforehand. For hotels, I start at Tablet Hotels or Splendia for research though I don’t book through these sites.   My husband and I like boutique hotels, so these websites are great to narrow down the search.  Once I’ve looked up its reviews on TripAdvisor and decide on a hotel, I book on Hotels.com.  I’ve been a Hotels.com member for a while now and after 10 nights booked through them, you get a free night up to $350!  I’ve gotten so many free nights now, that I just keep going back.

2    2.  Order Metro passes and Museum passes ahead of time.
        I’ve done this on many trips abroad and in the States and it’s always worth it. Conciergerie does this for Paris and they can deliver to your home or leave your package at your hotel.  It’s convenient and you don’t have to deal with trying to buy tickets in a foreign language or waiting in long lines.

         
        3.  Take advantage of technology and set it up before you go.

When we travel, we don’t take computers anymore, just our phones and iPads.  There are so many great travel apps, but here are some of my favorites that I always set up and make sure are working and updated before I leave home:

            -Facetime (to do video chats on your iPhone or iPad over WiFi)

            -TextNow (free text messaging anywhere on WiFi)

            -Google Voice (to call home for free)

            -Flight Track Pro (hands down the best airline tracker there is)
            -MileBlaster (to keep track of all your mileage programs)

             
4.  Know your transportation options.
For whatever airport I’m flying into, I find out beforehand how to get where I’m headed.  It’s important to know the different transportation options so that when you get there, you don’t have to stress about it. I’m a big fan of public transportation over cabs in Europe as they usually have great trains/metros into the cities are inexpensive and quick.

Taking the Tube in London

5.      Pack a few days before you’re going to leave.
This one is hard for a lot of people but you’ll be much more organized and less stressed if you schedule time in advance to finish packing.  Make sure everything is clean and folded nicely, then the day of, you can start your vacation knowing that everything is packed and there is no last minute stress.

Bon Voyage!

Test

Hey everyone, I’m Casey from True Colours over here guest posting today while Sienna is off traveling!
I grew up in the Middle East and got to travel a lot as a kid, though most of my favorite places that I’ve been have been ones that my husband and I have been able to see together. So here, in no particular order are my favorite places in the world (so far) and a few great things about each one.

1.  Paris
My all time favorite city in the world for so many reasons, but the first being that no where in the world makes me feel so much like myself than Paris. Whether I’m staying in the Opera area at Hotel Jules or wandering the streets of St. Germain on the Left Bank and staying at Le Notre Dame Hotel, Paris is always the perfect getaway.

2.  Seoul
This was one of those places I never had a real interest in going to, but after I started working for a company with an office there, I have traveled there many times. A beautiful city and a gorgeous and welcoming country… check out Itaewon and Myeong-dong for shopping, you really can do no wrong.

3.  London
Ah, London. Such a fantastic city and I definitely see myself living here at some point in my life. The history, the architecture, the rain (which I love) and the accents… whether you’re shopping on the high street or grabbing lunch at your local pub, what’s not to love about London?

4.  Marrakech
This ancient city is a gorgeous mix of history, from the mosques to the souks to the desert and mountains that surround it. You could walk the tiny alleys here for hours and between lanterns, scarves, jewelry and spices, you can buy almost anything if you’re willing to haggle for it. Marrakech is a lovely mix of Africa, the Middle East and Europe and all with its own little twist too.

5.  Portland

My home now in Portland, Oregon ends my list of my favorite places in the world. As a very “European” American city, Portland is forever green, always vibrant and oh so beautiful. From the Pearl District to the Waterfront, Portland is fabulous in rain or shine.

  Photos copyright Nick Nieto & myself