Sunday, July 26, 2009

When living on the edge isn't enough...

No, I'm not that lame, it's the actual slogan of Preseli Venture. This post is for the people who want a little adventure, but in a relaxed and homey atmosphere.

Preseli Venture Lodge, Pembrokeshire Coast, Wales.

While I was studying abroad, my girl friends and I decided to go to Wales. We were in London and it was only a train ride away, why not? The school planned a weekend trip with Preseli Venture-an adventure company with a lodge in the middle of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. We surfed-or attempted to, kyaked andddd my personal favorite, went "coasteering". Let me just tell you-Wales in the middle of the winter...not the most ideal place to go swimming. See pics of the coast below.



Each morning you meet the staff, who were all 20-something amazing guys, in the "hanger" (see below). Here you squeeze into your wet suits, go over the instructions about the upcoming activity, and of course gossip about the night before ;)


Coasteering was the best. Clad in our wet suits & helmets, we got into our van and were driven down to the water where we began our adventure. If any of you are like me and are wondering what the hell coasteering is, here is a little explanation: You start off by climbing up and around the coast just until you get to that perfect point. The point where the frigid water beneath you is jussssst deep enough so you won't shatter all your bones when you turn into a little Lemming and take the ever-so-frightening, PLUNGE. After swimming around like the little lemming that you've become, you get out, climb back up that steep and slippery coast and do it all over, just at a new and scarier height each time.
Unfortunately, none of us thought far enough ahead to purchase waterproof cameras...so you'll just have to take my word on how fun and intense coasteering was.

BUT, it wasn't all outdoor adventure. I'd say one of the best parts of the weekend getaway at Preseli was the "lodging".

Bedrooms: The lodge sleeps probably about 30 people. There are a ton of different rooms, some with bunk beds, some with regular beds, and then there was this awesome room with lofts. It's not the Four Seasons, but that's what made it fun!

The kitchen: Yes, I know, who comments on the kitchen? Well you know what, the little fat kid inside of me was shocked and super excited that not only were all of our meals paid for BUT they were all prepared by these fabulous chefs. There is a little bit of a menu selection, but the chefs stick pretty close to the term "homestyle cooking". If you've ever been to Wales, that phrase may frighten you, but again, that added character to the place!

Game Room: For all of you out there that can't really fathom a great weekend vacation without some partying, this was the place to be. I won't say much except for the fact that we happened to luck out and share the Preseli Cabin with a Bachelor Party that weekend. Needless to say, they lucked out too...they'd never met a group of Lehigh sorority girls before :)



http://www.preseliventure.co.uk/

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

You only live once...don't you want to see it all?

Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken- Frank Herbert

It's time to wake up. There are no more excuses for not travelling. Money? Save up for a couple months, buy a ticket and stay in hostels. If I can do it, anyone can, I PROMISE you that. No one to go with? I'm sure you have friends or family you can convince. If all else fails, go on an adventure program with strangers...if they're all weirdos at least you'll have fun stories, right?

So here's my deal. Going on travel adventures is my most favorite thing ever (yes, even more than fashion, shocking right? ha ha). I'm no travel-elitist, but I've had my fair share of excursions and trips. And, I believe that whether it's a weekend getaway or a month long vacation, everyone deserves to leave home for awhile and experience something new. My goal with this post is to inspire people to save their $$ and vacation days and go do something wild, spontaneous, and most importantly, FUN. I will tell you about my previous trips and categorize them accordingly.

IF YOU'RE INTO ADVENTURE, GO TO AFRICA:


Trip #1
My first trip was to South Africa and it was pretty...umm...interesting. It was during college, Lehigh University. We were all talking late at night and my friend who happened to be in the Orchestra (please keep side comments to yourself) was telling me about this amazing trip that they planning in South Africa. She convinced me that a TON of non-members would be travelling with them as well, and that I should definitely go. Lets just say that when I arrived at the airport, I was THE ONLY person under 30 not in the orchestra ha ha ha, oops!

Because this was a "school trip" it wasn't as adventurous as I'd have liked but the safari was unimaginable and the educational stuff made me appreciate the country 10x more.

If you're in Africa, you must do a REAL Safari! We went to Kruger National Park. I swear to god it's what Jurassic Park must have been modeled after. We had to go through electric fences when entering our campsite. It was pretty badass...But the best thing were the little huts you slept in, see mine below.


We would wake up at 6am and pile into our "cars"...I have never felt more exposed in my life. Goal of the safari, see the BIG 5: Lion, Rhino, Leopard, Elephant and Buffalo.
THE only way I can describe the safari is by comparing it to one of the best movie scenes of all time- Ace Ventura When Nature Calls, Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang scene. If you don't know what I'm talking about, look it up. The second another car on the safari sees one of the five (cars drive miles apart from each other), you are radioed and off you go, chitty-chitty bang-banging through the tundra.
Highlights/Scariest Moment of my life:
Buffalo stampede of about 200-300
Elephants playing in the water
Elephants crossing infront of us with a baby (reminded me of Dumbo)
Seeing a lioness run infront of the car.


Trip #2
ZAMBIA/ZIMBABWE: I went here with one of my best friends while I was staying at her dorm in Capetown. SUPER cheap trip. We stayed at the Jollyboys in Livingstone, Zambia. It was a glorified hostel with a private shower (if you could call it that), pool, and mini-restaurant. Pretty legit.

Activities you MUST DO:

http://www.thezambeziswing.com/
We did the Gorge Swing, Abseiling, and the Flying Fox, and had them all video taped. (Side note: If you ever wonder whether or not you need to loose weight, put on a harness and videotape yourself...shocking, just shocking). See picture below, that's the Zambezi Gorge Swing!! Glorified bungee jumping...


Elephant Riding in Zambia.
This will only interest you if you like elephants, they're my 2nd favorite animal after dogs, of course. Although I was terrified because I've watched wayyyy too many episodes of When Animals Attack, it was something I had to do. The animals are trained to sit, shake your hand, etc. It was cute! See picture below.


And last but not least, something you MUST do, is walk across the border into Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls. As long as you don't mind crossing the border alongside men with machine guns and baboons, you'll be fine.

It's so weird...once you start walking, before you can see Victoria Falls, you start getting drops of mist on you, it's so exciting! Another thing to do while over there is go to one of the markets. Although they prefer US $$, you can usually trade ciggs, clothes, etc. One of the people I was with even brought her old crutches to barter with, no joke! They have cool, hand-made sculptures, clothes and paintings.

Trip #2.5
Gansbaai, South Africa.
Wake up real early, get picked up in a sketchy van, and drive to your doomsday destination...Gansabaai, the Great White Shark captial of the WORLD!
I will just say two words and then show you some pictures, and if this doesn't inspire you to go, I don't know what else will.
Shark Diving


Wednesday, July 1, 2009

It's about TIME to get one...

Watches always intimidated me. The two watches I heard of when I was growing up were either the Cartier Tank watch which clearly was never an option, or those multi-colored Swatch watches that were just a little too much for me! So if any of you have ever felt a little discouraged when it comes to watch shopping, put your fears aside because you have your fashionista to help you!

The one thing you need to have set in your mind before you enter watch world, is whether you want a trendy, only wear it for a season or two watch, or an every day staple sorta watch. Then you can decide the more basic things like color, price, etc.

The every day sort of time...
I'm assuming that most of you are in my boat and can't afford those tank watches anytime soon. So I'll give you some other, better options. If you want a watch that you can wear everyday without getting sick or bored of it, go for a classic, all gold one. I recommend the Michael Kors Updated Runway Watch (see photo, courtesy of www.michaelkors.com, $225). This watch won't become boring to you because it's simple and will go fabulously with your typical every day outfits. For you silver lovers out there, try a Michele watch (see below). Although I'm not a fan, they're pretty popular and high quality (and like most things in life...high quality = high price). The great thing about both of these watches though, is that you can think about them more as jewelry than manly hardware. Gold watches go great with bright colorful bracelets-either the popular leather ones with beads or your average ornate bangle. While the silver will look better with silver or black bangles-think David Yurman.


When I finally faced my fears, and went watch shopping, I went for trendy. I knew I wasn't going to want to wear a watch everyday so I decided to impulsively buy this one and I haven't regretted it since. Again, Michael Kors tops my list for trendy watches. I got the MK Horn Jet Set Chronograph Watch (see picture, www.michaelkors.com, $195) This watch is very summery so I didn't wear it much in the winter. Because of the gold detailing (another thing to think of when shopping around) it goes perfectly with my gold bangles. If you want to add a little color, put on funky bright rings and nail polish (Perky Purple or Bermuda Shorts both by Essie). For a more demure, nighttime look go with black, fancier bracelets and either Licorice or Ballet Slippers (again, both by Essie) on your nails.

Micheal Kors also makes a super summery watch that you'll probably be over once Labor Day rolls around. But, the price and fabulosity may make the purchase worthwhile. It comes in a redish-pink, yellow, blue, and white. You can see for yourself that this is not something you're going to want to wear everyday. But for under $200 the blue, white and yellow are great for summer while the red can take you from season to season. These watches were actually featured on one of the models in last month's Bazaar. I only mention this because they are such statement pieces that it actually stood out to me when I was flipping through the model/picture pages.

Okay, onto my new obsession, Le Mer watches. Their slogan, "Unique Time Pieces Inspired by Adventure" says it all. They are the ultimate, trendiest, most unique watches for the summer. They give the lazy fashionistas a free ride. They've done the bracelet/watch mix for you and added the color. Www.lamercollections.com The watches I'm recommending are the Chain/Charm Wraps. You can choose from a ton of different colors and charms. Whether you're a peace sign loving hippie, a true beach bum, or the keep-it-simple-with-nothing-too-flashy type, they've got the watch for you. My personal favorite is Cream Gold Peace wrap (see picture).
***You can also design your own!!!***For $110 there is no reason not to buy. Check it out and let me know what you think.