why you should take a solo road trip... annually

It's been four months since I took my most recent solo road trip... and I'm just now writing about it. I was worried that if I waited, I wouldn't have that same elated feeling that I had when I got back... but going through my pictures is bringing it back and reviving me all over again. 

I've done a solo road trip before; I drove down the California coast when I was going through a break-up or few. It was so therapeutic and life changing in ways that I thought I could never redo a trip like that. 

I was wrong. 

When you travel alone, there are things that happen that have taken me a couple months to really reflect on and realize and now I'm ready to tell you why you should do it. 

Let it be known- it's going to be scary. The days leading up to this trip, it was kinda hard for me to talk about it or plan a whole lot. I didn't know if I was going to be able to do this again. There were a lot of thoughts like "do I really have to do this again?" and "maybe I should just see what friends I can meet up with along the way." The truth is- I could EASILY do it again, and I didn't need any plans, friends, or safety blankets to help me out. 

So, reason #1- You'll conquer some fears. 

When I decided to book this trip, I knew I was in some sort of funk that I needed to kick before I got to the iHeartRadio Music Festival. I've always been proud to be fiercely independent, but after moving in with the bf, I quickly built up a lot of dependency on him. He helps me find everything I lost, calms me down when I'm over-stressing and working myself, and gives me that comfort of not being alone. Somehow I had subconsciously let myself think that I couldn't do things without him anymore. Honestly, this made me hate myself. Of course it's nice to have that person to help you out, but everyone should have some independence in a relationship... and if you're anything like me, you have to find a lot of ways to remain your independent, self serving person while keeping the relationship happy. [Let me know if you have any real secrets or tips for that, btw.] As soon as I had my first meal out and alone, while talking to the bartender, I realized I hadn't "lost myself," she was just put on a back burner. 

Reason #2- You will empower yourself and ignite independence and strength.A lot of people immediately ask "but where do you eat?" when I tell them about a solo trip. What do you mean where do I eat? I eat at whatever bar or restaurant Yelp and Facebook suggest to me, duh. I typically sit at a bar, so I can talk to the bartender, other solo visitors, or my phone. There's no pressure to talk or not talk, but the option is there if you want it. It's brilliant, and far less awkward than it feels when you arrive at a place before all your other friends and you're impatiently waiting on them. The best part- 

Reason #3- You can eat wherever you want. Order as much food or drinks as you want. No splitting checks, and no judgment. 

That "no judgment" thing is big. I think one of the biggest issues people have with solo trips is worrying about what other people will think about them doing everything alone. Let me tell you what they'll think- the same thing you're [probably, hopefully] thinking right now- that's badass. Bartenders high fived me, and fellow hikers offered to help with pictures, then literally applaused or said "oh WOW!!" when they saw I already had the photos under control. [I would set up my GoPro on a tripod, then look at it/control it from an app on my phone.]  People at the hotels and hostels were welcoming and helpful and friendly [although I was a little nervous to tell some of them I was staying alone.. but it ended up being nbd]. When's the last time you didn't care about what people thought about you? Unfortunately, it's not often enough for me anymore.

Reason #4- You'll realize the world really doesn't give a f#@% about what you're doing... and it'll free your mind to also not care about what your self is doing. 

Speaking of other people... when you plan a trip with others, whether it be one or ten other people, you have to plan things with them. Where do they wanna stay? What's their budget? When do they wanna be there or leave or move on? Do they even wanna commit to a trip? It's exhausting. You know what's not?

Reason #5- You get to live on your own time and on your own budget. Your plans can change whenever you want them to. There's no one to answer to. 

Something else that's in your control- what you listen to along the road trip. After reading "my Bible" on my last road trip, I decided to try some books on tape to give me that same feel. [What I didn't realize before this trip is that it wasn't just the book that changed me in California.. it was the whole experience.] I listened to "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck" and "Creativity, Inc" to help revive my brain and give me some real therapeutic thoughts. Maybe you'll want a podcast, or music blasting as you sing along.. or, get all of the above.

Reason #6- The time you'll have with yourself and the road is magical. You can let your mind go wild and the scenery will [hopefully] make it all okay. 

I kept setting my GoPro on the dash because the views were unbelievable. A lot of them are still on my Insta Highlights.

THE ULTIMATE REASON: You will come back invigorated, confident, excited to share everything with everyone you know, and ready to take on anything in this world.

I should clarify why I specifically say road trip and not just any solo trip. When you're alone, you need to stay active so that you don't feel that lonely factor. The more I discovered, the more badass I felt. The more I traveled, the more I learned... about the world and myself. I can't imagine going to a beach resort or one city for a couple days by myself. As much as I love a good drink and meal, I don't want to be drunk trying to explore my way home. I also don't want to just sleep on the beach alone all day. Booorriinnggg.

So my trip started in Denver, went through Utah, and ended in Las Vegas. It was only four days alone, but I wanted at least one or two more by the time I got to Vegas and had to answer to people again. Three days would be enough to get all of this goodness, I think.. and is a fair place to start for those

who are a little worried. And maybe "annually" is a ridiculous goal, but it's what I'm going to aim for. There's no reason for me to put something so beneficial to my life and health off. Maybe it won't always include National Parks, a full week away, a plane ride to my first destination, or my sweet minivan named Bonnie... but I'll always try to make some time for myself.

Now that I've gotten into all of this again, expect some details about each place that I stopped [and all of the amazing places I got to stay as a solo traveler] in the next couple weeks. Maybe you'll be ready to book something for you and yourself by then, too.

love,
elizabethany

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what i'm wearin: my vegas acm outfits

So, I went to Vegas again...... 13 months ago, I was terrified of Vegas. I thought if I ever went, I'd never come out alive. Somehow.... I'm alive... or something like that. 

It was ACM weekend again, with Nashville taking over Vegas... but we still got to live the Vegas nightlife. More on everything that happened later. Right now, it's all about what I wore because I spent ENTIRELY too long and too much last-minute-shipping money for me to not show you. 

Of course, I didn't get pictures while there because that'd be silly.... so we're checking out high quality mirror selfies, y'all.

DAYTIME VEGAS:

Believe it or not, we actually got out of the hotel by 11am one day. We hit brunch then the neon sign museum! Turns out it was 48 degrees and I was not at all prepared for this, but I enjoyed this outfit too much to buy a souvenir hoody to be warm.

-top from Boohoo $8

-Express jeans, always

-Target sandals that I destroyed on day one $24

-belt from Boohoo

-choker from Amazon

NIGHT ONE: The station event/concert All Star Guitar Pull

I knew I needed to be a little toned down, but wanted to mix in some trendy, and brought a few options out there. Then our power went out because of a wind storm so I had to pick the dress that didn't require ironing.... just required shaving in the sink with a bottled water. 

If I were getting married any time soon, this would have been purchased for any one of those events leading up to it but lolololol that's not happening. I'll just wear a white dress for the hell of it.

-dress from F21 last year's clearance $25
-shoes from DSW clearance $20
-earrings with a fake pearl and gem from H&M $1
BAM. SIMPLE.

I threw half my hair up for an added *angelic* touch. Is that the vibe you get from that style like me?!

NIGHT TWO: A concert, a bar, and a sleep walk

[Side note let's not ask about the sleep walking thing... if you're lucky you heard about it on the air.]

I've never in my life worn anything like this.... never felt confident to do so. Like a lot of girls ladies [WTF DO I EVEN CALL MYSELF] I don't like my boobs, so why show them?! Well, why the hell not?! These bodysuits have a way of bringing out your sexy, inside and out. Add in some lace up jeans and vodka and I was on my way to be the queen of Vegas for the night.

-bodysuit from ASOS $9
-Express jeans [sale $40]
-heels from Charlotte Russe ~$20
-F21 necklace $11

-you can't see make-up details, but I mixed a purple that matches my hair and black sparkles, because Vegas

NIGHT THREE: A beach concert and a club

How the hell do you dress for so many different kinds of places in one night?! Well, a dress. And another night of not wearing a bra has me questioning if I have changed into a completely different person and when it happened..

This is the most comfortable piece of clothing I own. 

-dress from Boohoo $15

-same shoes from DSW

-I had some big ol' gem earrings but they broke that night while racking up a $20k bar tab... but like I said, more on that stuff later. *sparking your curiosity*

It's silly that I can't find so much of that stuff on the websites anymore... but that's what happens when you shop clearance and I am not sorry for that. If you like something, lemme know, and I'll keep an eye out for similar things and let ya know. ;) 

love,

elizabethany

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photo diary: iheartradio music festival 2016

*This is gonna be a long one. I'm treating it like my diary... and a way to motivate myself [and maybe others] in the future if I'm ever feeling down.*

Truth: Every year in September, I watch a ton of my coworkers and idols and big bosses head out to Vegas for our iHeartRadio Music Festival, have the time of their lives, meet each other, be merry, watch incredible performances, and post all of their pictures to accomplish what I assumed was their only goal: to make me extremely jealous. The FOMO really turned into a physical pain last year and I decided no matter what, I was going next year.

More truth: Not many people get "picked" or awarded trips out there from the company. We're amongst the peasants to find our way out there, buy tickets, etc. That's what I had to do. I bought a solo ticket, planned on dancing alone in the crowd, and hoped I'd be able to hustle my way backstage or at the very least- find a friend. No matter how many friends from home offered to come along, I knew I needed to make this about networking and didn't want the baggage.

Turns out- Being in Vegas alone is weird. Luckily, everyone's drunk and if you're out early enough, you'll find people to talk to who haven't gotten to the belligerent and creepy level yet. That's what I did on Thursday before dinner.

Anyone who has come to me [or maybe didn't ask but I gave it anyway] for career advice, I've always said networking is the biggest thing.. and not just "good to meet you," but also genuinely keeping in touch with them. Thanks to doing this, I was invited to dinner with some VIPs in iHeartMedia. Next thing I know, we're doing porrons, which looks a lot like awkwardly pouring olive oil in your mouth.

Yeah, we keep it real professional 24/7 in this biz.

From there, I got the invite to check out the club everyone talks about in Vegas, and where Tiesto has his residency- Hakkasan. Suddenly I'm sitting behind the opening DJ, sipping on drinks and looking like a kid who just got a gift they couldn't even dream of under the Christmas tree.

Day two was actually day one for most people, and for the festival. After a slow recovery [turns out it's possible for me to get a handicapping hangover], I head to another dinner that I luckily got invited to by simply mentioning to someone that I didn't know what was going on. They called their people who set me up with free food, drinks, chats with Martin Garrix and Tinashe, and more networking.

At one point, this convo happens:

Me: My bosses all took bets on what would get me arrested first, and it's probably gonna be a restraining order from Britney Spears. 

Big wig at RCA Records: Do you like her or something? 

Me: *complete shock* I. LOVE. HER. 

RCA: Well, have you ever met her? 

Me: *eyes start watering up* No I don't know if I could even handle that. Don't say that. 

RCA: What if I could make it happen? 

Me: No, really, don't tease me. *more tears* I need to mentally prepare for something like that.

He looked like he was gonna be up to something, but I couldn't count on it. It was time to head to the show, anyway.

As I'm walking there with friends in the biz, we run into the right person carrying a pocket full of passes. He says hello, asks if we wanna go backstage, and HOLY HELL I'M GOING BACKSTAGE JUST LIKE THAT.

Seriously y'all, I knew I would have to hustle hard and it COULD happen, but I really didn't think it would on night one.

Charlamagne tha God

Being back there was surreal. It was Jingle Ball on ecstasy. Celebs EVERYWHERE. Bosses EVERYWHERE. People I knew I had to meet EVERYWHERE. It was gametime. There was no holding back. I decided I would say hello to everyone I could, and I did. I talked to the program directors of other radio stations. I talked to other on air personalities that I've looked up to [the amount of times I told Charlamagne tha God that he's brilliant = 12, at least]. I talked to the freaking CEO of iHeartMedia like it was nothing. I just walked right up to him with my hand out, introduced myself, and thanked him for letting me be a part of a company that puts on such an incredible event.

I mention talking to these people before anyone else because it was meeting the fellow iHeart people that gave me such a high. Every time I introduced myself and they had heard my name before, I was stunned. My boss here in DC walked up and could tell I was happier than I had ever been in my entire life, and she was right. I was living in a dream that I never thought was possible.

But of course, there were the celebs. The artists, the reality stars... THE OLYMPIANS. I've gotten in trouble before for being in the way, so I made sure I was never doing that, but I seized the freaking moments and said hello/got a selfie with everyone I could.

Skeery Jones, Elvis Duran Show

John Ivey, PD of KIIS in LA

Laurie Hernandez + Ben and Lauren from The Bachelor

Scooter Braun, Bieber [and more] manager

Carla Marie and Anthony from Seattle

I was hanging with Raven, another fellow night chic out of Minneapolis, and just kept telling her we had nothing to lose. We're either going to fangirl from afar over everyone, or we're gonna be their friends.. OR we're gonna fangirl to their face and have a good story to share. If we're not doing any of the above, none of this would have been worth it. It became the motto of the weekend. 

I genuinely can't even explain the feeling I had beyond bliss and pride. I had a pride in myself that I'm not sure I'd ever had, and I hadn't even done any actual work! It was just a successful night of meeting everyone. Then we got to hang behind Martin Garrix, and next to Miley Cyrus + Liam Hemsworth. It was tough, but I let them live their life without bothering them... plus I was mesmerized by Garrix, the huge moving circles in the middle of the club, and the fact that Zedd showed up to show love and just stood in the corner of the booth jamming along. I LOVE mutual respect within any business; there's nothing sexier. 

Come Saturday morning, well noon, I was still drunk and getting ready for the Daytime Village. I have a reputation to live up to: Party all the time, have fun, and do it all again. Seriously. Professional reputation that I mentioned being proud of before....

A couple dozen people were chillin and eatin and enjoying even more music when I get the text from RCA: "Be at the venue no later than 6."

PANIC FREAK OUT @#*($@#&$*@#&$^&@

Rush back, get ready, and tear up the entire way there. Then tear up in the hall. And this is not like me. I won't pretend like I don't get a little starstruck sometimes, because I do... but when I said I'd cry while meeting Britney I didn't think it would really happen.... til it did. BUT WHO CARES I MET HER. She called me baby and did this interesting "mouth pose," as my friend said. 

I walk out to find Jordan Fisher, who I absolutely adore, and I'm shaking and freaking out and he's just laughing at me and trying to calm me down.... until John Stamos and Taylor Lautner walk by. What do I do? I walk in front of them and yell HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *pause* Uhhh... that's it! Just wanted to say hi!!!!!! *another pause and awkward smile* John laughs, says an Uncle Jesse hi, and they walk around me. 

There's Jordan again, laughing... Wishing someone had caught the moment on Snap or something. It was clearly going to be a very awkward night. 

Saturday night was another night of networking [with a much more awkward touch, but I still owned it as much as I could without being medicated...] and trying to get into the super special invite-only after party. Everyone talked about it all weekend. It was my main goal and I let everyone I talked to know it.

JoJo the Bachelorette, Becca from Bachelor, and Dr. Oz!!

Big D, afternoons on 95.5 the Bull, and Raven from KDWB

At one point, out of nowhere, someone walks up and hands me a pass to get in. Just like that. BAM. WHAT IS HAPPENING AND HOW DID THIS ALL COME TRUE?!? I'm not trying to ask any questions out loud that other people might be wondering in their minds.

Here I am, in a Vegas club, in a booth... with a few coworkers, a few people I've idolized, and then Ryan Seacrest and Lil Jon in the booth right next to us. I feel like some of this sounds so non-chalant, and to some people it was, but I was freaking out on the inside. I'm STILL freaking out. It was almost like an out of body experience [and no- not because of Vegas' beverage of choice for once].

A week later, I've been working on this post for several days, but there's always more that I'm thinking about... and SO many thank you notes that I'm working on sending through snail mail because handwritten notes are the best notes... and again, if you're not going to keep in contact and really stay friends with these people, what was the point?! [Well, beyond a bomb ass time in Vegas and stories that'll take over an entire night if someone asks me how it went...]

Once again, I went on a trip where I was technically alone, and came out learning so much and feeling so motivated. Don't be afraid to travel alone. Well, you can be afraid, but don't let it hold you back. When you do something that scares or intimidates you and then really follow through with it, the reward is that much better.

This post should end here. I should really learn to STFU sometimes.... but also, I shouldn't. Talking got me here and it's gonna get me to wherever my future is waiting. Still, I'm done. for now. Right after I share some more pictures/views from Snapchat so you get the whole vibe in case you were also way too drunk and missed it.

love,
elizabethany

a week full of big announcements

What a month it's been... and especially this week.

Actually, for a long while I've been taking on a lot more responsibility behind the scenes at the station, adding new stations, and just trying to grow on the radio side of things after focusing for so long on social media/online stuff. It's been weird. I feel like I'm neglecting some parts of who I am that got me to where I am, but I am so excited for the new things I'm taking on.

If you missed it, I got a promotion to Music Director! What in the actual eff does that even mean? Is the typical reaction from everyone after a quick congrats. Weeellllllllll.... I'm in charge of all the music for the station! Scheduling it out, deciding what we play, working with record reps who are battling each other for our airtime... it's an interesting world and more challenging than the stuff that has come naturally in the past.
And yes... you can obviously expect way more Britney and a whole lot less *eh hem.* [They tell me I should stop talking about said person for professional purposes or something..]

I'm also very excited about another new adventure- my first country station! If you know me, you know my favorite music to listen to is country, and now people in FREAKING LAS VEGAS will get to hear my show every night from 6-midnight on 95.5 The Bull!

They're gonna let me be me and have all the fun and maybe I'll even venture out and pop my Vegas cherry soon. [That's kinda terrifying. I'm trying to live to see my 30th birthday.]

Somehow I've been able to convince all these people that even though I'm a hott mess of a person, they can trust me to be good at my job most of the time. I think the secret is to just make sure they know how hard you're trying. Also, don't sleep. Ever. Seriously. Sleep is for the REALLY bad hangover days. No wait. Even on those days you should just have some hair of the dog and get back out there. Hi squirrel.

Obviously the number one thing we can take away from all of this is that you should be listening to my show since it's obviously da bomb. [Here I go, getting cocky... this is what happens when your career hero posts nice things about you online.] There are plenty of options on iHeartRadio.. DC, Baltimore, Salt Lake City, Hampton Roads, Atlanta, and now Vegas...

But seriously.... I can't thank everyone enough for all the love. That's the real reason I wanted to write this up. Liking all of your Facebook comments or responding to your tweets doesn't feel like enough. I can't tell you how much it means to still get support from people everywhere and to feel all the love. Especially when you're doing more than just liking my status.

Life is really good right now. Like.. I need to knock on wood before something terrible happens. It's been so long since I've felt happiness and hope and excitement and everything like this... since I've been surrounded by people that I truly think are my family without thinking that's some cheesy line. Please don't ever wake me up from it.

love,
elizabethany

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watch: the real world las vegas trailer

Tweet It's almost that time! We're about a month away from the premiere of the new season of Real World: Las Vegas!

Last night after the Jersey Shore, MTV gave us our first look at the season:



DEFINITELY looks intense! I like the trailer a lot! It shows a LOT of drama, some fun times, and bonding. I just hope they continue to show a good variety of it all once it airs, and not do what the last Las Vegas did: Nothing but sex and drama. Stories are better.

Considering the fact that you-know-who leaves early, it seems like most of this will happen within the first few weeks of episodes, unless they stretch it out a lot.

I LOVE that they're going to touch on Dustin's past that was all over the Internet. As far as I know, this is the first time they're going to let such conversations/revelations be shown on the show.

Also: Leroy seems to be hilarious at first glance of the show, so let's hope I was wrong before. I think Mike is going to be hilarious, and I'll really like Heather Marter.

What are your thoughts? Excited?!

March 9 is the premiere date! Mark your calendars and be ready to chat!

love,
elizabethany

real world las vegas update: meet leroy and heather

Tweet It's been a while since I've been able to update you on the upcoming season of Real World: Back in Las Vegas. I have 2 more roommates to introduce you to [which only leaves one "mystery"] and a few fun little spoilers.

Meet Leroy Garrett and Heather Cooke:

Leroy is from Romulus, Michigan, and apparently "loves to party, have fun, and most of all hook up with chicks." People are saying he moved to Dallas recently, so if any of my Texans recognize him, you know what to do. By the looks of his pics, I'd say he's going to be a huge dbag.. but "ya can't judge a book by its cover." ...Yea, whatever.

Heather is the replacement for Adam who got kicked out after 4 weeks of filming [and yes, is the second Heather in the house.] She turns 22 on Christmas day, half Filipino, half white, and is from California, MD! Another DMV local! She went to Leonardtown High and played soccer for Layola Maryland. Apparently she was working in DC as a junior program analyst for Amelex before heading out to Sin City! DMV REPRESENT!


As for what's been goin' on:

• The cast got to go on vacation this season! They went back to Cancun.
• Adam returned to Vegas [probably for pictures, but maybe something else too]
• Adam is on Twitter, but won't tell you a thing.
• Filming is probably going to wrap up sometime this week or early next week
• "Nani" is still missing. If you know anything about this chic, or anyone for that matter, feel free to email me.

Now we'll sit back and relax and just wait for the show to air. Hopefully it won't be too long of a wait since Cut Throat is coming to an end.

love,
elizabethany

the real world: back to las vegas is filming!

Tweet It's about that time! Another season of the Real World is underway and already filming [since AT LEAST October 8, according to tweets].. and they're back in Las Vegas!

Chances are they won't call it "Back to Las Vegas" like we all hope, but I'm still going to call it that for now.

Thanks to Vevmo, we know a couple things about what to expect this season. I'm here to relay the information to you as always [and hope that maybe, just maybe, someone in Vegas will start sending some secret deets my way.]

About the cast:

• They're finally back down to only 7 roommates! YAY! I feel like they took the advice from my chatrooms' polls. Safe to assume, right?
• There are four guys and three girls. Descriptions: "1 black guy who is good looking and built like Ty, 3 white guys, 1 of the guys has a receding hairline. There is a nerdy blonde guy in the cast who seems like he's a little crazy (he got into a fight in Vanity and was throwing glass pitchers of OJ and cran and got kicked out)... a punk rockerish thick black chick with a really frizzy afro, 1 homely blonde white girl who looks like shes 15, a darker hair latina looking girl who is the best looking from the cast."
• Apparently it's a really unattractive cast. I'm wondering if that's true or if the expectations get higher each season just because of stereotypes. They're also saying they're boring and not living up to any "Vegas" stereotype.
• Here's a Twitpic of one of the guys and a local... It's hard to see anything, but it's all that's found so far.

About their crib:

• Like we knew before, it's a penthouse suite in the Hard Rock!
• It's the penthouse suite that The Buried Life guys stayed in last week's episode! [Pretty positive about this one... I know the cast has at least partied at the Vanity, where the BL guys went.]
• There's a freakin' BOWLING ALLEY in there! How fun!
• Here's a YouTube video of the suite:
  
  
  

Those are the main deets for now! As I spot some more, I'll let you know! I got it all set up on my TweetDeck now that I know they're out there.

If you feel like helping fellow love, EB fans [and me], feel free to email me any legit secrets/sightings you may know about the filming. Also: If you want to donate to the send-EB-to-stalk-RWLV fund, feel free to do that as well. ;-P

love,
elizabethany

the world series of beer pong is coming!

Tweet Every year I miss the sign-ups and say "Next year I'm going, damnit."

Well... I know it's time to sign-up, but I'm poor. So I want YOU to go for me!

I want my readers/friends/fam to go experience the World Series of Beer Pong, take lots of videos, send them to me, report on it for me, and maybe even tell the world about love, EB.

What I'll give ya to do it: A hug. And that's pretty freakin' valuable.

Here are the deets if you want in this amazing, once in a lifetime, pretty good deal:

ANYONE can sign up. Even if you suck. But please, don't suck.

It's in VEGAS from January 1-5 [Hello AWESOME start to the New Year!]

The rooms are pretty cheap and look HELLA nice! This is the cheapest room, which is $450 per teammate for a 4 night stay The Flamingo and entry into the tournament, which guarantees 12 games, and all the alcohol you'll need.



The winning team gets $50,000.

Do I need to say that again?! $50,000!!!!!

Oh man, I really wanna go. I've never been to Vegas! Hmph. I'll have to settle for living vicariously through others.

If you sign up- let me know! Seriously. I'll rep you HARD.

love,
elizabethany