Not Your Average Gal

Copywriter. Content Creator. Constant Sassypants.

Blogging

Travel Blogs I Love

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Happy Friday! I’m currently traveling and in Las Vegas for a quick trip, but don’t be too jealous. There are plenty of other wonderful people you can drool over in wanderlust.

The bloggers below are some of my favorite writers who have been bitten and forever changed by the travel bug. I’ve truly enjoyed reading their work and I know you will too. Hands down, the best part about fellow travelers is the information and suggestions they are willing to share with just about anyone.

Enjoy some travel love. (In no particular order.)

Travel Blogs I Love that you Should Follow - Caroline Made This

1.  Slightly Astray: Anna is about a cool as they come. She quit her job and followed her heart to travel the world and has encyclopedia-worthy knowledge about each city she’s visited. She was just in Taipei, Taiwan and has drool-worthy food pictures to prove it.

Read for: Friendly, informative travel knowledge. Food porn. Quick answers to your travel questions. Day-in-the-life posts.

 

2.  Adventures Around Asia: Richelle has a knack for hitting the nail on the head about cultures and traveling. She’s currently in China getting her master’s degree and traveling around like a champion. I find her personal posts so relatable it’s scary.

Read for: City tips. Relatable stories. Quick weekend or 2-day itineraries. Fountain of knowledge about China.

 

3.  Young Adventuress: Liz says fuck in her blog and I really dig her for it. She also has solo traveling down to a science, with amazing tips to boot. She’s currently in New Zealand living her dream and I love reading about every minute of it.

Read for: Direct, honest tid-bits. Beautiful landscape pictures. Hilarious anecdotes about life. Large Instagram following.

 

4.  Be My Travel Muse: I found Kristin while googling where to stay in Cambodia last year and quickly developed a crush simply based on the way she packed all her stuff in a backpack. This chick also hitchhiked a huge part of China! Badassery (yes, it’s a word) aside, she’s incredibly insightful about her travels and its impact. She just got back from Africa.

Read for: Impressive solo travel stories. Good hotel/hostel reviews. Stellar packing skills.

 

5.  Ashley Abroad: She’s a Michigan native, holla! Ashley is about as friendly as they come and her site is jam-packed with travel destinations. I hope one day my photos can look as beautiful as hers. She just got back from Jordan on what looks like another fantastic trip! #GirlsGoneJordan

Read for: Incredible photography. Parisian love. Impressive language skills.

 

6.  Choosing Figs: “I no longer wanted to be the person constantly making lists and thinking, ‘I want to do that someday.’ I just wanted to do it.” Boom. Nailed it. Val currently lives in Chicago and while an incredibly experienced traveler, also has hilarious posts about life. (Check out the speed dating one.) She’s a hysterical midwest gal. Samesies.

Read for: Life lists. Spot-on people watching skills. An extensive country travel list.

 

7.  Wanderlust Explorers: A Creative Director and Travel Nurse take on the world. While I may have met Kiki once in real life, we are kindred spirits. Jen and Kiki started their blog on their epic honeymoon in Asia and have continued to post their travels as life continued outside the honeymoon. Currently in Shainghai, China for Jen’s travel nursing job, they will soon be off to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Tokyo, then back in the US…and then who knows?

Read for: Honeymoon adventures. Hilarious viewpoints. An expert website layout. Food envy (the dumplings!).

 

8.  The Planet D: If the hubster weren’t in med school (overachiever alert), I imagine we’d be similar to the traveling duo of Dave and Deb. They are the travel site in the travel blogosphere, but are still down to earth enough to constantly update and answer questions. They’re Canadian, of course they’re friendly!

Read for: A HUGE amount of counties traveled. Blog tips. Magnificent photos. Country-by-country tips.

 

9.  That Backpacker: I found Audrey on Pinterest when looking for Vietnam tips. She had me at “great tailored clothes in Hoi An.” I loved watching her videos too and even with a huge following, she’s down to earth. She’s currently in Lima, Peru.

Read for: Great itinerary tips. Budget ideas. Travel gear and packing know-how.

 

Tell me some of your favorite Travel Blogs. I’m always looking to add to the list!

Follow Me

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cup of tea

One of my favorite bloggers posted a picture on Instagram of her wearing a shirt with this saying on it and well, you know, that shit is right up my alley.  (You can also buy the sign here if you so desire.)

Speaking of bloggers, I tend to find most of the blogs I follow through social media. I’m a big fan of Instagram right now. It’s been a huge motivation while losing weight.

I promised myself I would gradually work on the backend and design of this site while I was posting. If I waited until I thought it was designed perfectly…menopause would be knocking at my door. (Note to self: this isn’t a time to jinx yourself…)  So, while I’m working on getting a line up of posts written and painstakingly choosing fonts and colors designing the site, take a look at all my pages. You’ll often find a more unfiltered version there.

I know! It IS possible.

Facebook <—- this is the newest baby! So excited.

Instagram

Twitter

 

What to Expect

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This site was originally created to serve as a place to put my portfolio and contact information for my video, writing and marketing work. I wanted my site to be a place for potential job opportunities, even if it was in far-off places. Over time, I found that most people were coming to read my blog. (Thanks Google Analytics) And it's funny how life turns out because years later, I find myself in a totally different warm climate with palm trees and year-round sunshine…as a copywriter.  While I didn't specifically move to Florida for my current job, life seemed to mold into that direction. As it needed to be, perhaps.

I've talked a lot about how I'm revamping things and going to change the name of this blog. Are you excited?! Get excited. This is like peanut-butter-on-chocolate exciting.

So what can you expect from this place now? More focus.

Travel

If you had asked me 20 years ago what my favorite thing to do was, I'd tell you it was traveling. Today? Traveling. I've been to some pretty freakin' neat places, especially recently. I went to England (to get married no less, because that’s totally normal), Scotland, Thailand and Cambodia last year. Up next month: Spain & Portugal!

I want to tell you about them. Down to how I got there, how I afford it, where to go, where to stay, what to expect and more importantly why it's imperative to travel and see the world.

Cambodia Angkor Wat
In Cambodia at Angkor Wat

 

A Standard Life

My father got up at our wedding and talked about how I have always been and forever will be the girl who thinks outside the box. At first, I was like, what the heck, Dad?! I'm doing something so “normal” here for once, I'm getting married! But he's right. The last thing I want to be is a lemming and get caught up with the often miserable cycle of keeping up with the Joneses. If you've followed my blog in the past, you know I've been cornered before about my life choices and how they don't fit the mold.

The American standards of success are very different than mine.

"And she refused to be just like everyone else."
“And she refused to be just like everyone else.”

Health

I ran a freakin' half-marathon this year and you know what? I didn't lose a damn-flippity-fucking pound. I didn't gain any weight either. Same thing happened when I trained for and completed an Olympic-distance triathlon. What gives, dude?! I'm down 5.5 pounds total now and aim to keep that number dropping. Throwing that out there isn't easy for me, but damn, it makes it real and accountable. That feels good!

I want to blog about my goals, nutrition, workouts and overall body-image issues, especially for women.

Half Marathon photo bombing husband
Half Marathon photo bombing husband

Life Observations

I once wrote a post about leggings not being pants and apparently it resonated with you people. That's what you'll find here still. Like, for instance, when an older lady at our pool (did I mention we live in FL and there's lots of fun, old people) told my husband, who is in his 3rd year of medical school, that he should go into Psychiatry because…wait for it…”there's lots of nuts running around here.” I can't make this shit up.

So I'll blog about it.

News

I'm a news junkie. In a past life, I wanted to be Barbara Walters. I even went back to school for broadcasting. I enjoy knowing whats going on and get beyond frustrated with people who are purposefully apathetic to the world around them because their own world is that much more important. Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but that's exactly how it's perceived when you have no idea what's going on in your own country, let alone across the world. It's not all doom and gloom. I fully believe in the human spirit. That's what you'll find here.

Women

Yes, my fellow lady-pals. I can't tell you how many times I've said if we just SUPPORTED each other this world would be capable of so freakin' much more. I'm no angel, but MAN (pun intended) some of you ladies are nasty, unsupportive, miserable people to one another. I don't get it, so I'm going to openly talk about it. Right here. The male ding-a-lings (pun intended) are welcome, too. We're not gender exclusive ‘round these parts (pun intended).

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I’m also looking into having guest posts for any of the above subjects, even other subjects if someone so desires and I approve. Just hit me up. I'm sure this site will be ever expanding, but that's the game plan for now.

You'll find pretty consistent funny ramblings on my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages. Follow them. I'm a good time! Wait. That didn't come out right…

Let’s Start at the Very Beginning

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Caroline Made This 1

Even figuring out this first sentence is tough. I'm a copywriter by trade and an over-thinker by nature. Therefore, figuring out how to “start posting” again involved much time, tequila and hitting the delete key.

So, let's just rip the Baid-Aid and start this here thing!

What's been the hold up, you ask? The hubster asked me the very same thing while sitting at our favorite hole in the wall bar. I have so many ideas and so many things I want to do with this site, that I surprised myself by immediately tearing up and letting the plethora of fears about re-starting spill out. It also could have been the 9% ABV beer, but I digress…

In my diatribe of fears, it basically broke down to this.

Fear of failure

What if they laugh at me? No, seriously. I was the kid that wore a freakin' wallpaper outfit to the first day of school in 5th grade. THAT'S A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY.

CMT3
Braces, too.

Fear of success

What if I get offered a lucrative deal to be Prince William's baby's nanny? Just as serious as fear of failure is the fear the unknown opportunities that arise with success. Since I don't know what those could be, I fear them. I need things planned, people. Planned.

Fear of offending someone

What if someone takes what I write personally? I mean, sometimes I swear. As in, use foul language. And shit, people can get bent out of shape about that shit. They could take something to heart and hold it against me FOR-EV-ER.

CMT 2
FOR-EV-ER.

(Because that's super helpful.)

Fear of not being true to myself

What if I feel like I'm holding back because they may think I'm weird or worse…fat and ugly! We all know those are the worst things to be in life… Secondary note: what if they don't know sarcasm?

Fear of responses

What if people get nasty? I've been the subject of punchlines. Some people will forever roll their eyes at everything that's posted. But you're still reading, SUCKAS.

So back to the 9% ABV beer…

While the hubster just blankly stared for a bit at me, he finally let out an exasperated:

WHO CARES?!

He's right. I know he's right. Every fiber of my being knows he's right. And I didn't need him to tell me that. I just needed someone to give me a reality check. Husbands are good for that.

While I've grown leaps and bounds towards not worrying, sometimes fear takes hold. But you know what feels better than fear? Turning off the filters and showing the world just who I am. It feels awesome. So here I am. (Rock you like a hurricane?) Take it or leave it.

(I'd take it. I'm pretty cool.)

So here's to not caring.

To starting from the very beginning…again.

Welcome back.

Coming Soon…

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…to a blog near you.

I’m working on re-vamping this site and maybe new branding for a blog name and URL!

I know. I know. I’m such a rebel.

Thanks for checking in.

Unfortunately, my blog was hacked last year and I had to change to a bare-bones design while we worked out getting the virus wiped. THAT SUCKER IS NOW DEAD. But because of that issue, I didn’t get a chance to go back and work on the design and layout again.

Getting married, working long hours as a copywriter and traveling over 50,000 miles in this past year has put a bit of a kink in blogging…

UNTIL NOW.

I’m devoted to upping my blogging game with some exciting seminars and classes.

In the meantime, while all that boring stuff is being worked out in the background, enjoy this lovely picture from our wedding across the pond this past year. Yup. We headed to England.

I know. I know. We’re such rebels.

Old Wardour Castle Wedding

Miss your faces.

Caroline

The 411

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I guess I kinda forgot to mention that I took a blog sabbatical… Did I need to notify HR at Caroline Made This?

I’m here now, guys!

I will name just a (few) major things, in sequential order, that have been going on in the midst being absent in the blogosphere for a few weeks:

1)  Car-o-line got a new J-O-B.

Yeah, no biggie. I am now a copywriter at a marketing studio. Basically, I get to use my creative skills to come up with some fun copy, text, taglines, logos and mottos that (hopefully) convince you minions to take action or buy a product. You know, I’m using my love of creativity and writing and putting it into a nice paycheck. Ain’t no thang.  <insert cheering and tap dancing on a table here>  Note: I said tap dancing. Not lap dancing. I was never that desperate for money… Since I direct potential clients and employers to my website, this ol’ blog may have helped me get a job offer too – so THANK YOU, guys. Being a copywriter allows me the creativity-style I desire (with video production opportunities as well), utilizes my marketing experience and hones my writing skills, all while giving my career a more creative direction. I should put that on my LinkedIn profile somewhere, eh? We’re moving in to a new office soon that is close to the beach downtown. I’m not sure if that location will be a benefit or a hindrance to my work productivity. I’ll be able to see the beach from the office. Do you hate me? I sorta hate me…

 

2)  Wedding booked. Website completed. Video Save the Date sent.

Whew. Stuff just got real. I gave myself an internal deadline of having all of that completed by the first week in December. It was slightly foolish considering I was only a couple weeks into my new job, My Main Squeeze was in the middle of finals and unable to help, oh and…I like to sleep more than a couple hours a night. But I got it done on time and successfully completed all of the wedding crap. Yes. You read that read right. Listen, I’m super excited to marry My Main Squeeze. I’m just not a fan of the superficial, sometimes hurtful, process of getting there – so, if you want me to sugar coat how wonderful the wedding planning machine is…then you’re reading the wrong blog. We’re doing our own wedding thaaaang quite well. *thankyouverymuch* Perhaps if you all get good behavior stars in school today I’ll show you our entertaining website and video Save the Date that I produced. I think it’s super fun. And I’m totally objective.

 

3) My Main Squeeze successfully completed his first semester in medical school.

You read that right! My boo got through his first semester of an incredibly tough, rigorous program and passed with flying colors. They don’t make the process of becoming a doctor hard for just any ol’ reason…I’d say saving lives is pretty important. Am I glowing? I’m just super proud of him. Sure, his time to spend and help with things is super scarce, but it’s for the greater good. (Must repeat: It’s for the greater good.) He is now 1/8th of the way through medical school. Which would make him 1/12th of the way through medical school and residency if he chooses a specialty that is a 2 year residency. Yeah. I’m not thinking about that… I’m just super, super proud. If you know him personally, please tell him to stop doing his to-do list around the house and go sit by the pool and relax! He’s a pretty good guy, huh?

 

In all honesty, I had this particular post lined up to publish last Friday. But, I felt it was highly inappropriate to post considering recent events. Still trying to wrap my head around it. My two cents: Those things you are thinking, remember them. Change doesn’t happen quickly, especially with bureaucracy. Your actions and voices matter, whether you believe it or not.

So, on a lighter note, you can sleep soundly tonight because I have plenty of sweet posts up my sleeve for the near future. Just thought I’d fill you in on all of the fun things that have been taking up a majority of my time. Boo-yah.