One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my eight years of traveling, is to find impactful ways to support locals when you travel! You may not realize it, but most of the time when you book a generic hotel, or buy a souvenir, the money does not go to the locals! Usually it’s a foreign company and most typical souvenirs come from China! It may...
I’ve traveled to 6 continents and over 30 countries, yet my “to-go” list continues to grow. So to keep learning about new places and inspiring myself and you to keep traveling, I’ll add a new awesome place each week for Wanderlust Wednesday! Siquijor, Philippines Photo by: WengWengWonders.com While doing my research for my upcoming trip to the...
by Alyssa Ramos I hated Bangkok before I even got there. It all started with the negative reviews I got from friends, plus the teeny tiny little fact that there was a military coup (when the military overthrows the government) right before my trip that was causing a 10pm curfew and dangerous riots. It was all downhill from there when my journey from Africa to Bangkok...
by Alyssa Ramos The Dramatic Departure “Hey so, listen to me OK? I..eh..love you, and…I will miss you, a lot.” Mr. TDH said meaningfully as he hugged me tightly in the cold, misty, dark, early hours of that last Saturday morning in Muizenberg. My response was nonexistent since my face and arms were buried in his chest as I tried to keep warm and...
Naturally, seeing the cute little Boulders Beach penguins was on the top of my list of things to do in South Africa, but between volunteering at school all day and joining in on the other volunteers’ activities, I found myself penguin-less on my last day in Muizenberg. Oh, by the way, there are penguins in South Africa! I had just gotten back from my most...
by Alyssa Ramos Not even a Disney movie could have compared to my perfect day in Camps Bay, so I guess I could say that that day, My Life Was A Disney Movie. I mentioned in my very first blog post about living in Muizenberg, South Africa for the week I volunteered with IVHQ and Dreams to Reality that I realized the first day there that there were a few “trip...
by Alyssa Ramos It’s hard to know what to pack for a place you’ve never been to before, especially somewhere a lot different than your home. Sure, you can look up a generic packing list, but it’s a lot more useful to ask someone who has been there! Before my IVHQ South Africa trip, I contacted other bloggers in Cape Town (see Blogger Guides) to ask...
by Alyssa Ramos WEDNESDAY PM Wednesday was my fourth day in Muizenberg, South Africa, and the day that the unthinkable happened. After volunteering at Christian David Primary School, I hopped into Karl’s van along with the rest of the volunteers like usual, except for one that wasn’t usually there. Mr. TDH. He had mentioned that the IVHQ Surf Program...
WEDNESDAY VOLUNTEERING Rainbows are something that I haven’t seen in a while considering that it never rains in California. I had seen them plenty of times in Florida, even a double rainbow once in Greece, but the rainbow that I saw on Wednesday morning in Muizenberg, South Africa on the way to Christian David Primary School was unlike any rainbow I’ve...
TUESDAY VOLUNTEERING Tuesday morning in Muizenberg, South Africa was even colder than Monday since the icy rain drizzle was still lingering from the downpour the night before. They really weren’t joking when they said bring things to layer. I put on a pair of leggings, skinny jeans, fuzzy socks, my new gangsta boots, a knitted head warming thing, a tank top, a...
