-
How to Start a Blog
Thinking about starting a blog? Here are some easy step-by-step instructions on how to start a successful blog: 1. Pick a Name/Niche What is your blog going to be about? Travel? Food? Parenting? What is your area of expertise? Think about what you would like to share about or what you would love to write about. Once you have an idea what your subject area will be, then you can brainstorm blog names. Choosing a name is important because it is essentially your brand! I chose “Adventures with Shelby” because I knew I would mainly write about traveling. Ideally, the name should be descriptive but short and simple. You want…
-
New Year’s Resolutions – 2020
Can you believe we started a new decade!? Amusingly enough, it took me until two days prior to New Year’s Eve to realize we were about to start the new ’20s! A lot of people dislike New Year’s Resolutions because they are so easily forgotten. Personally, I love taking time at the beginning of each year to reprioritize and set goals for myself! These are my goals for 2020: Run my first 10K Last year, I aimed to start running again. Though I did run more in 2019 than in previous years, I still would like to run more frequently than I did. My brothers and I agreed to sign…
-
Virginia Horseback Trail Ride
For my fiance’s birthday, I surprised him with a horseback trail ride in Front Royal, Virginia! There are a lot of stables in the DC area, but I decided to book with a stable in Front Royal so we could enjoy the mountain views without driving all the way to the Shenandoah area. I looked at several different places before deciding on Double H Stables. There are a lot of great options and each have pretty affordable prices for hour or 90 minute rides. I mainly chose Double H for the convenient location off the highway and I thought the trails would offer great views. I was nervous that the…
-
Getting Around DC: E-Scooters
E-Scooters can be found all over Washington, DC (as well as many other urban areas). There are several companies available now throughout the city – so which are the best to use? DC offers a myriad of public transportation, so it may be surprising for some that e-scooters have become so popular. Some rent them for convenience while some rent them for the fun of it (they are surprisingly fast!). E-scooters can be great, but also dangerous if not ridden with caution. I started renting scooters on my way to work when I discovered that I could get to the office in half the time it took me to metro…
-
My Moroccan Engagement
In September, I traveled to Morocco to see my (then) boyfriend’s native country and meet his family. And I got engaged!! The most popular question I have been asked is if I knew it was coming. I probably should have read the signs, but I truly was surprised! Preparation I was told ahead of time to bring heels to wear to a “Welcome Party” with his family and that Reda’s mom, Rachida, had a Caftan made for me to wear. Reda completely played it down, saying they rented out a space because they couldn’t host everyone at his brother’s apartment. Made sense to me! He told me that when you…
-
I scream, You scream, We all scream for Ice Cream
I think we can all agree that living with other people is awful. I was so anxious to move closer to DC, that I nearly forgot how much I hate living with roommates. After living on my own, it is really difficult to transition back to living under the whim of other people. It’s also extra difficult to live with strangers, because I want to have a pleasant living situation but I ultimately don’t really care about my relationship with these people. I don’t mean to sound insensitive here, but once you have stepped in the excrements of someone else’s pet more than three times you begin to feel a certain hostility…
-
Life Is What You Make It
Hello! It’s been several months since my last post – have I mentioned I am a procrastinator? As of May 15th, I have been home for a full year! I’m still very happy with my decision to stay rather than return to teach in France again. There is just something about financial stability, am I right? The past year has flown by! Especially once I became employed again. I’ve been in my current job for six months, and I really enjoy it! I’m excited about the work that I do and I am learning a lot – in my preferred career field, no less! Thinking back on my year as a…
-
Well I Guess this is Growing Up
I’ve been listening to a lot of Blink 182 recently, and I felt like this phrase was a great way to sum up the past several months of my failed adult-ing. In a previous post, I described various reasons that I decided to decline my contract to teach in France again. One very real reason was that I used all of my Savings account last year to travel and to live more comfortably. (Y’all it is hard to live on a disposable income of 400 euros per month!!). Also, I had to start thinking about my future. I turned 26 this winter, officially losing the ability to be on my…
-
Uber Driving 101
Ever considered driving for Uber? My roommate used to drive after work a couple years ago. I had considered it at the time, but I had other side jobs at the time so I didn’t deem it worth it. This summer, however, I returned from France both job-less and broke as a joke. With the help of friends, I found a job pretty quickly. In between arriving home and starting at the restaurant, I drove Uber to fill the gap of employment. Then, recently I found myself in another little “gap of employment” and began driving again. I now drive part-time after work and on the weekends for extra cash!…
-
2016 – A Year in Review
I have a lot to write about since my last post, but I’m going to catch up on that stuff next year 😉 . As New Years Eve approached, I started thinking about my year and decided I should write a blog before the New Year begins! The year 2016 was a big one for me. I’m having trouble wrapping my head around all that has happened and all the travel I was able to do in merely 12 months! I started off the year working at a law firm in Washington, D.C. Having watched my father build an impressive career in the public sector, I have never wanted anything less…