2015 wanderlust: a round-up of my 12 trips

This past weekend was the first time I've had multiple days off in a row without anything to do, and I panicked. Everyone told me to just relax and enjoy not having any plans, but after 2015, that's not something I believe in. 

My 2015 resolution was to travel once a month. I knew it'd be tough, that my bank account would suffer a bit, but knew it was the perfect year to do it. Fresh off a break-up, and having far too many never-have-I-evers when it comes to traveling, it was the perfect mission. I can't believe I genuinely completed it. 

Turns out, I can be somewhat focused when I wanna be. In January, I went through my calendar and each month put options for ideal places. I had specific events for some, others coulda been anywhere, but that quick task helped BIG TIME with the planning and making sure I got to most of the places I really wanted to. I also marked down when I should start looking for flights around 6 weeks before I wanted to go. Considering I only get one weekend off a month, I had to have an idea which ones they would be. Plus, ADD is tough. 

Why pay for school when you can learn these things while spending money on traveling?

• Don't rely on other people. It's way too hard to coordinate going away with someone, making sure you do everything you both wanna do, and agreeing on a budget. If you wanna do something, you do it. Be selfish. No excuses. 
• Pinterest is your travel BFF. Search the city for what to wear, where to go, what to eat.. and star your must-sees on Google Maps.
• Washington, DC has no culture compared to most places. We're pretty and clean and political and historical I guess, but with such a hodgepodge of people, we're pretty bleeping boring as an overall city from the outside.
• When packing, take the extra time to plan outfits for each day/night, then a couple staple pieces just in case. [Or, just be drunk with zero time to overthink it.] If you don't have several options to choose from while on vacation, you'll spend less time deciding what to wear and more time vacationing.
• Also, don't overthink trips. They're not all bank-breakers, and you don't need a week to get on a plane. You have 36 hours and a cheap flight option, book it, damnit! 
• Don't be afraid to ask people if you can crash with them, but don't make them feel like they need to entertain you at all times. You're a big kid now. Show up with transportation and no pressure [and probably a bottle of alcohol for them].
• Typical selfies get redundant. Get your feet off the ground. 
• Try the local food, but also the local beers. Collect the bottle tops. Some call it trash, I call it hoarding cheap souvenirs. 
• Bring bumper stickers for your business if you have them. SO many bars let you stick them somewhere. 
• Keep a hashtag of your travels so everyone can see your travels without stalking the rest of your boring profile. #EBbetravelin HOLLA. 

Now, as for my adventures...

JANUARY: Tampa, FL for Gasparilla

For years I've been hearing/seeing how awesome this Mardi Gras-like day is. The Kane Show [morning show at my home station] has a huge float and my soon to be new boss was still down there. It was everything I'd hoped! I rode on top of the float with Kane, had a beautiful dinner at sunset, and caught the Super Bowl at Rose's friend's house, with an outdoor projector and ALL the food. 

What I learned: Lots of cities have major events that you may not know of. Ask your friends that live elsewhere what they look forward to every year and visit them for that. It may be a little selfish, but you're still visiting THEM! [And you'll get a free stay and have a pro who knows the ropes, duh]

FEBRUARY: A cabin retreat weekend near Liberty Mountain

It had been about a decade since I last ski'd, so I knew it was on my bucket list for the year. I found this cute little cabin that slept 8 people on Airbnb and had a girls party night on Friday, hiking day/party night with other friends Saturday, then went skiing on Sunday. It snowed for some of the weekend which made it even cooler, and it's only a little over an hour away so most people only came up for one night. I felt like I had so many different experiences in one tiny little cabin weekend! As for the skiing, you can see in the bottom picture how that went. That was me the whole way down my first black diamond.

What I learned: My body is too old for skiing these days. It was so painful in my knees to be even a little enjoyable. Also, there is no better pizza than crab pizza from Ventura's. 

MARCH: Niagara Falls and Toronto, Canada

I knew I had to get out of the country at some point in 2015. I hoped it would be a cruise or something, but I had also never been to Canada. I flew to Rochester [had to see my beloved Nugget] and road tripped the rest of the way with Corey. It was cold, but absolutely beautiful. With a quick Internet search, we found an awesome Ice Bar that was EMPTY when we went, so we got to talk to the owner for a while, which may have been one of my favorite parts.

What I learned: Seeing the Falls when they're frozen is a must. I've never seen them not frozen, but it was crazy awesome. Plus, Canadians are really as friendly as you hear.

APRIL: Morgantown, WV

Maybe some will think this was cheating, but it was a weekend away for my former roommate's bachelorette party, and we did Morgantown unlike I ever have before: in a hotel. We also got a fancy dinner.... and, well, everything else was just as it should be in Motown: Full of shots, beer bongs, and dirty feet. 

What I learned: No matter how long you live in a place, there are always places you haven't been and can explore. Plus, the world is always changing and it's never going to be exactly as you remember.

MAY: Nashville, TN

I'd been promising my friend for years that I'd visit him in the city I knew I'd love, and finally booked a flight two weeks before I went [which was the very next weekend after Morgantown]. It was perfect, as I've shared in my previous post. We spent a day as tourists, and the rest living like a singer/songwriter- bumping into Chris Young, drinking on rooftops, and listening as they came up lyrics on the spot.

What I learned: Don't always be a tourist. Don't feel like you need to hit all the tourist hot spots in order to "complete your trip." If you wanna get a real feel for a city- do as locals do. My most important lesson this trip: It is 100% possible to fall madly in love with a city, and to feel real heartbreak when you leave.

JUNE: Dover, DE for Big Barrel

When I first heard about this country music festival, I thought there was no chance I'd be able to afford tickets. Turned out- they weren't that bad! And when you camp out, it turns into one hell of an experience. We only got to go for two nights, but even in the torrential downpours, I immediately knew I'd have to go back this year for the whole time. Country music all day, thousands of people who wanna have a good time, making new friends, and sleepovers- it's kinda my Heaven.

What I learned: I need to go to more music festivals. When it comes to festivals- bring wipes. Showers are not an option.

JULY: Key West, FL for my BFF's 30th birthday

We stayed on a freaking house boat! And it was WAYYY less than a hotel for five people. We had kayaks attached to it, and less than a mile walk to downtown Key West. Turns out, 4th of July is "off season" for them, so it was relatively tame. A bartender told us all about the SEVERAL other events they have throughout the year and I think we'll have to go back to the boat for one of those. 

What I learned: Airbnb is the freaking bomb, and they have a section [or several] for unusual housing. House boats > hotels.

AUGUST: Virginia Beach

When I missed Sam Hunt in DC because of a wedding, I immediately planned on catching him in my former home, and my God if that picture isn't worth it, I don't know what is! Also got to see inside Lady A's bus, and do flips on the beach, of course. 

What I learned: With enough motivation and hustle, you can hit every bar along the boardwalk in a few hours. 

SEPTEMBER: Columbia, SC

When I realized I had LESS THAN A WEEK to plan my monthly trip, I stalked Hipmunk for all the cities my friends live in, and my BFF's home was under $150 round trip. Since I had just been to Florida with them, I knew I could be 5th wheel again and have a great time on their boat. I suffered through a migraine on day two which sucked, but I rallied to party through the VMA's. 

What I learned: If you have nothing to do on a nice weekend, check flights. What's it gonna hurt? Just pack a bag and go. Especially if it's NOT a nice forecast where you live, but is elsewhere.

OCTOBER: College Station/Austin, TX

Okay, so this was actually the end of September, but it was the only weekend I had to make it down there so it counts! I had to do my annual trip to visit my people, but really wanted to explore Austin more, since I didn't get to do much of that when I lived down there. The city is so much like Nashville, and has SO MUCH CULTURE. Every bar had a theme. My favorite is pictured a the bottom... it had sand volleyball courts, cornhole, washers, and plenty of TVs. Moontower Saloon- A perfect Sunday Funday spot.

What I learned: Always make an impression so people don't forget you. I was amazed at how many people at the random bars, in my old office, etc that not only remembered who I was, but boosted my ego with how much they missed me AND made time to meet me for a big dinner. It's been 4.5 years since I left Texas.... they could have forgotten all about me and I'd understand it. 

NOVEMBER: California

By far the most important trip of my year. I'm so upset I never got around to making one big post about it, but I did post an album if you want to go through it. After some dramatic happenings, I just needed to get away and be independent. I traveled from Sacramento to San Diego by myself [with the exception of staying with people in some cities]. I drove the PCH in a sports car, drank wine in Napa Valley, walked across the Bay Bridge in San Fran, met with legendary radio people in LA, saw a taping of Jimmy Kimmel, stayed at the coolest hotel EVER- The Madonna Inn, and took selfies with seals in San Diego. I truly took advantage of every minute I had out there, and found myself again. I didn't even know I hadn't been myself until I went, but the feeling I had when I got back was one I'll never forget. 

What I learned: Traveling alone while you're young is absolutely necessary. Not just visiting someone alone, but getting a hotel for yourself, eating dinner alone and trying to make friends before going out that night, hiking trails and setting up selfie sticks without any care of what people think... that's how you become comfortable with who you are in a very special way.

DECEMBER: Atlantic City for New Year's Eve

It only made sense to finish the year traveling, and after years of avoiding gambling, I decided to stop being a little bitch about it. I've always been afraid of getting addicted to gambling, but that definitely didn't happen because I'm also hella stingy with my money. When your best girl Ellen takes all your money on her slot machine, you realize nothing is going to help you out. For the big night, we found a party on Playground Pier with open bar, SO many bars with different themes, and the opportunity to break another World Record- most people popping bottles at the same time. We did it!

What I learned: Gambling sucks unless you know how to play one of the card games without pissing other players off. Also, make friends with someone who does know that so you can watch and drink for free while they throw all their money away.

That was way too many words. This is supposed to be a picture book type of blog.... but, I'm gonna be honest- I inspired myself this year, and I'm just hoping I can help even ONE person decide that things don't have to be as difficult or impossible as you may think they are. Say yes. Get off the couch. Do what you daydream about doing. YOLO.

Okay now I'm really getting out of hand. I'm done here.

Thanks for being my best year, 2015. Bank account, I'll get you an IV ASAP.

love,
elizabethany

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watch: interview with mike posner and ke$ha performs in hampton roads

This week has been packed full of fun things at work. First I helped a listener video chat with Demi Lovato, and yesterday I got to go to the Mike Posner/Ke$ha concert!

Like I said on What Ya Wearin Wednesday, I freakin' loved the fans that came out to this show. They were dressed fun, and they acted fun. There were glitter bombs everywhere, people dancing like they're Miley, and even grown as people sittin' in the second row.

But before the show began, I got to meet/interview Mike Posner. Walking in, I expected him to be fun, outgoing, etc... All the made up conversations I had in my head to prepare for the interview were of us goofing around. Boy, did I prepare for the wrong interview.

He was super soft spoken, calm, and just a nice guy. It kinda threw a lot of my plans out the window, but I tried to warm him up and make it fun. Turns out, he needs a pop culture lesson.

[Watch out for the quick change of expression after I mention his BFF Justin's antics...]

Genuinely shocked that someone could actually be clueless to Magic Mike. WHERE HAS HE BEEN HIDING?! I had also asked him some other fun questions, but they ended up being pretty boring.

He definitely loosens up when he's on stage and puts on a pretty good show. Unfortunately for him, all the mics stopped working while he was up there... When he came back, he ran all the way back and through the lawn to make up for it.

Though I don't have anything to show for it yet [some people take their time getting pictures up from a big event!], I got to meet Ke$ha! Holy bajeezus. I thought this was gonna be one of those moments where I got star-struck, because she's such a big personality it almost doesn't seem real. Well, she was real.. real freakin' awesome.

She's one of the few people to ever thank us for playing her songs, and genuinely mean it. I also thanked her for being the reason Corey has a beard, because otherwise he'd still be hella awkward looking.

As for her show- AMAZING. I figured it'd be good, but she really puts on a show where you gotta keep watching. Plus- she's so damn sexual about everything, it makes me feel like a prude! Her dancers were also fantastic... so fantastic I felt the need to make some gifs.

Yeah, those are dudes. I thought I had gotten them while doing the splits and ish, but apparently I was way too mesmerized by that point. I did get some good pictures of it, though.. and the whole show: 

Ke$ha at nTelos Wireless Pavilion, a set on Flickr.

[Also: Here's a video from one of her songs!]

I honestly don't think I've ever sat that close during a show. It was a perfect one to get lucky with. [And by lucky I mean one of her record reps helped us out and gave us her tickets.]

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go listen to her whole album again and dance around the room like a D-class stripper.

love,
elizabethany

interview with the backstreet boys, and more from their show!

Okay, maybe saying I got to interview them is reaching a bit... but I did get to ask them a question on camera....

I've been working every contact I know for the past two months trying to get them on the show or a chance to sit down with one of them backstage, and while neither of those things happened, I'm pumped that I was able to go to their soundcheck party before the show.

Normally people pay anywhere from $100-$600 for a chance to do this, on top of ticket price... it's kinda insane. We got to watch them perform a couple acoustic songs, answer a couple questions from the audience, and then depending on the level of pass you had, you mighta been able to take a group or solo picture with them. [I was given silver, so I got to take a group picture that I'm hoping they'll put on their website soon!]

The Boys were all really cool. Even if they had their pro-faces/best behavior goin' on, they were exactly as they've always seemed. Brian was so goofy he was borderline-clown. Nick was definitely the little brother of them all. Kevin was the grown-up, trying to be cool sometimes guy. AJ was just a normal person who likes to have a good time. Howie was the one I couldn't figure out as much. If there's any of them that I wasn't in love with, it was him. He seemed a little too cool with some comments.

Anyway, you might not care about what I thought about them or any of these words, so here's the video of the interview portion. Unfortunately I was just using my phone, and trying to be discreet, so it's not the highest of quality, but that's not what matters...

I asked them what their biggest fashion regrets of the 90s were. I didn't catch the part where Nick talks about his out of control hair and overalls, but he said he lost a lot of fans that day. [We would never hate on such a look!] Another girl asked them what their stripper names and moves would be if they were in Magic Mike. Golden.

I don't have any good videos of the performance, but there's a thing called YouTube where you can see other videos of it. Real neat.

As you'd expect, the show itself was awesome. Because I've seen BSB in concert in the past couple years, I was mostly excited for Jesse McCartney's return. What I didn't know: Brian's 10 year old son Baylee was the opener.. and he was so freakin' good/cute. [Video from Toronto]

They probably have the best father/son relationship... gah. Watching Brian dance and get all excited on the side was just awesome.

As for Jesse McCartney, he's still got it.. and after hearing some of his new stuff, I'm really hoping for a comeback! He's totally transitioned into the adult, Robin Thicke meets cooler Justin Bieber vibe.

Like... I just can't believe this happened. I met the Backstreet Boys. If you would have told me this would happen fifteen years ago I would have freaked out so hard my brain would be misaligned or something. Wow.

If you're in a city where you can still catch the show, do it! You'll love it. Every second of it [even Pauly D] was so fun. And if you can, buy the $75 tickets for the after party. You'll get to hang with the Boys and dance and it sounds like it's super worth it.

love,
elizabethany

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watch: interview and exclusive performance with cody simpson

Keeping up with our fun-filled week at work, Cody Simpson did a performance for the re-opening of one of our malls and Tax Free Weekend.

If you don't know Cody Simpson [even though this is the third time I've talked to him], he's a 16 year old heartthrob for teen girls. So imagine hundreds of them packed into a mall corridor, screaming at the top of their lungs.

Luckily I have a volume control when editing video, huh?! Make sure you stay tuned for the stampede at the end.

I think I did a pretty good job at capturing how insane it all was. Even Cody was pretty shocked/blown away/deaf after hearing them scream when he took the stage. And seriously... it was at least a hundred of them that chased him out of the mall, and some that ran after the car.

We also got a few minutes to talk to him in the back. Since we've done a couple interviews before, we didn't ask much... but it's interesting to see what he picks as memorable ways his fans have tried to win tickets.

Think I'll get attacked for laughing at his wallpaper?

He was a little different than the other two times we've met up with him, but I'm sure it's just cuz he's touring with bad boy Justin Bieber exhausted from touring and "being on" non-stop.

I wanna say that I would have never acted like any of that if I had seen NSYNC back in the day... but I don't think I would have ever even dreamt of getting such an opportunity, so it's tough to say. Fans have such awesome access to their fave celebs these days.

It was one of those days I'm going to look back on when I'm old and be like "my job was so freakin' cool," cuz it is. It's awesome to see people come out and give so much support for anything, and to say hi to us. It's awesome to be able to make so many people happy.

love,
elizabethany

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where to find me this weekend

Pretty sure I've never done a post of this sort, but I have so much going on in the next 40 hours, I want to share in case you can come out!

If you wanna come say hayyy, support me, or just get out of the house, here's what's goin' down:

FRIDAY MORNING, 6-10--> Pembroke Mall for the Operation School Supplies live broadcast on WAVY TV 10! [Virginia Beach]
I'll be collecting school supplies to help local kids in need, and it'll be covered on the news all morning! So if you can help donate, come on by! We'll also have our tent set up with some goodies to thank you with, and you can meet all those news celebs!




FRIDAY NIGHT, 6-9--> Live broadcast of my show at Ocean Breeze Waterpark! [Virginia Beach]
Starting this week, I'll be doing my show from the side of the wave pool at only the best waterpark in the area! Tons of slides, tons of fun, and tons of free stuff at our tent. Come out and play!



SATURDAY MORNING, 8-10--> Pancake fundraiser at Applebee's off Lake View Parkway [Suffolk]
I have a new project that I'll hopefully be debuting very soon, but we're trying to raise money so we can make it happen! It's legit. Real producers and stuff involved.... So if you come on out, we'll hook you up with some breakfast and just ask for a small donation! [I can also give you more deets on what it is!]

Going to be a fun-filled, sleep deprived 48 hours, so I hope you can come out and make it worth it!

love,
elizabethany

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photo diary: the time i stayed up til 8am to catch a sunrise

For some terrible, odd reason... I've never seen the sunrise at the beach. The few times I've been up even close to the time, no one has wanted to go the extra distance with me! This past Wednesday night, my BFF was in town, and we stayed up literally just talking and drinking in the kitchen until 5:45. When we realized the sun was coming up, we packed up some more drinks and headed down to the ocean just in time.

Her friend was also with us, so I was able to adjust some settings on the camera and get a bunch of shots of all of us. While I'm nowhere near close to calling myself a great photographer- I'm still learning- I do think some of these are pretty freaking great.

It's now our trademark pose, I think... thanks to Pinterest!

I really like this one for some reason. I know it needs something edit-wise to make it really epic, I just need to figure out what it is.

Being a gymnast makes for being able to take cool pictures.

This is blurry and not good, but for some reason I love it. Plus, the water was 64 degrees, and Jon went swimming in it.

And this one is just a failure. We tried to jump at the timer. Welp.

I LOVE this one, but the perfectionist in me wants her centered over the street lines. Still need to play with Photoshop and figure it out.

Like I said, I'm no pro, and I kinda refuse to pay for all of these Photoshop "techniques" or whatever that you can buy, so I've been trying to just get out and play with my camera lately. Any photographers reading this who wanna give me some pointers on how to make these even better, would be much appreciated!

No matter who you are- I challenge you to stay up all night and catch a sunrise.. anywhere. Not only was it gorgeous, but I felt like a kid again. I stayed up all night with my BFF. We went and got breakfast before we went to bed. It's not often us "big kids" get those opportunities, so if you get even a half of an opportunity to do it, TAKE IT!

love,
elizabethany

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