FREE TRAVEL

Whaaaaat, free travel?! Yes, you read right. Well, some of it is very, very cheap and some are free. I loved reading this article because as a college student who is an extreme wanderluster, you are always looking for budget-friendly or even free travel opportunities. From EscapeNormal, they offered 23 ways to travel for free or close to free, I will give an explanation after each one:

1. Work Away- free food and accommodation just handed to you on a silver platter by families in places throughout the world...in exchange for volunteer work.
2. Escape Normal: Adventure Jobs- (I would assume offered by the website) job postings in many locations doing many different things: exotic retreat centers to kayak guiding.
3. Back door jobs- fear of commitment? me too...this is perfect because it is numerous short-term jobs throughout the world doing the most random of jobs (cheese-churning?).
4. Coolworks- a job search engine in places throughout the world- both long and short term.
5. Retreat Finder- think Bali in Eat, Pray, Love. Bliss.
6. Couchsurfing- you literally couch surf...well not literally, literally, but you sleep on random people's couches...don't worry they have backgrounds checks beforehand so you aren't walking into a death trap. I have had several friends who have done this and said it was a great, free experience.
7. WWOOF- volunteering on farms throughout the world, if you are into agriculture and what not.
8. Help Exchange- similar to the above, but with a wider range of options...volunteer work in exchange for food and accommodation.
9. Footprints TEFL- Teaching foreigners your native tongue for money...good deal, good deal.
10. Kibbutz- volunteer program for about 2 to 6 months, you have to pay a small amount of month to reserve your spot though.
11. Peace Corps- (I have actually considered doing this) it's a 2 year commitment doing volunteer work in one place, no leaving for 2 years so if you can't sit still in one place, don't even think about it. You get paid for your volunteer work and also afterwards until you get on your feet with a stable, steady job.
12. Summer Camp Counselor jobs- exactly what the name says. You can be the one calling the shots this time at summer camp...maybe they will offer band camp?
13. Au Pair- Nannying for families in countries throughout the world, I actually applied for a Au Pair in China but I never heard back :(
14. TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language)- again, teaching your native tongue to foreigners in another country for an extended period of time for pay. You have to take online classes and get certified first however.
15. Yacht Crewing- working on a yacht, not a cruise ship...it could be good or it could be horrible and stressful- depending on the yacht owner ultimately.
16. Americorps- a 1-3 year program based on volunteering for social issues (poverty, disease, women's rights, etc.) that you receive a pay for, healthcare, training and another bullet point on your resume/CV.
17. Se7en- free or very cheap volunteer opportunities throughout the world.
18. Home swap- ever seen The Holiday? Think what Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet did, switching their homes when they traveled to the other's country...not sure I would do this, pretty risky if I do say so myself...
19. Caretaker- of a mansion, castle...celebrities and the world's wealthiest hire people to care for their house and pets when they are away for pay, a free stay and a taste of the sweet life.
20. Craigslist Rideshare- forget planes, trains and buses, you can car-pool with other travelers to various places for a small amount of money.
21. Vantage- where you are the trip leader with friends and family...it'll be free for you but not the others.
22. GVI Careers- amazing, interesting and diverse job opportunities throughout the world...might check this out at work today.
23. Idealist- cause-based jobs and volunteer opportunities throughout the world.


Now, yesterday I mentioned I would talk about something I have been thinking about lately, a decision that I think I am going to make in coming weeks, months, maybe in a year. I graduate university with a BA in Journalism and Communications at the extremely young age of 20 (I was one of the youngest in my grade during high school and the BA programs here are only 3 years), so I was planning on just packing up after that summer (2015) and moving to Melbourne, Australia. This was my plan for some time now. However, then I got to thinking, after writing this blog and trying to sort out my life...why would I want to begin working and being committed to a career for the next 30+ years of my life when I am only 20 years old out of college? I should want to travel, explore and see what is out there before I have to plan vacation days and enter the big girl world. So, with that, I think I have decided that I will spend a year, year and a half after university and just travel around to as much places as I can, ending my trips in Melbourne, Australia where I plan to begin my career, my big-girl life and so on. I want to travel to different countries where I would do volunteer work and work in smaller villages to get a little more than the city life experience. I am thinking of maybe going to some places in south-east Asia, New Zealand, South Africa and maybe some central African countries, South America, Hawaii, Philippines, Alaska and maybe Japan. A random island might by nice as well. I have to do my research of course, but I think the volunteer work and travels would be a once in a lifetime experience. Plus, after I start working, have a family, settle down etc., there won't be time to travel when I am young, only when I am old and my knees have officially given out (I have knee problems already at a young age).


P.S. For those of you working this weekend, like myself, here's 17 ways you can be happier at work...who would've thunk...I won't be officially happy for the long-run in a job until I am working with either a travel magazine, fashion magazine or TV station.

1. DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OTHERS...this is a great tip, it's hard not to but you will only make yourself feel worse if you continue to do (or start doing this).
2. NEVER OBSESS OVER THINGS YOU CANNOT CONTROL...I'm guilty, I'm guilty, I do this too much in every job I work.
3. KNOW AND KEEP YOUR PERSONAL BOUNDARIES AND LIMITS.
4. DON'T OVERCOMMIT YOURSELF OR YOUR TEAM.
5. REMEMBER THAT YOU GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AS EVERYONE ELSE, EVERYDAY (that means on a 24 hour clock).
6. DON'T TAKE YOURSELF SO SERIOUSLY, NO BODY ELSE DOES...I am guilty of this at times, I beat myself up over silly mistakes.
7. DAYDREAM MORE RATHER THAN LESS...I need to do this in work more often.
8. DON'T BOTHER WITH HATE; IT'S NOT WORTH THE EFFORT.
9. MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR PAST LEST IT CREATE YOUR FUTURE.
10. DON'T TRY TO "WIN" EVERY ARGUMENT...hard for those of us who are very stubborn.
11. REMEMBER THAT NOBODY IS IN CHARGE OF YOUR HAPPINESS EXCEPT YOU...so if you don't like your job, get out and try to find a new one that you will be happier at. It's not worth working a shit job that gets you down.
12. SMILE AND LAUGH MORE FREQUENTLY.
13. DON'T WASTE PRECIOUS ENERGY ON MALICE AND GOSSIP.
14. DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK ABOUT YOU; IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS...when you learn not to care what others think, not only does it improve your work ethic but it improves your overall quality of life and the way you look at thing. Best thing to let go of, ever.
15. TRASH EVERYTHING IN YOUR WORK AREA THAT IS NOT USEFUL OR BEAUTIFUL...sheesh, the trash can is about to be full...
16. REMEMBER THAT HOWEVER BAD (OR GOOD) A SITUATION IS, IT WILL CHANGE NO MATTER WHAT..."there is a reason for everything" or "after a rainstorm there is sunshine."
17. BELIEVE THAT THE BEST IS YET TO COME, NO MATTER WHAT...I absolutely love this. Not only does it apply to work but to life in general.

Travel on wanderlusters!

AS PROMISED...

When it comes to hair, I generally sport the whole au-natural look, which is wavy/curly- a mix of the two. It is prone to frizz at times, especially on those humid summer days. I'm one of those girls who believes that a bad hair day ruins one's whole look, so I always focus on making sure my hair looks the best it possibly can. I tend to try a bunch of different products just to see what's out there, what works and what doesn't work.

Here are some products that I have stayed true to and can always rely on:

Hairspray: TRESemme 24 Hour Body Finishing Spray
Mousse: 24 Hour Body Foaming Mousse (TRESemme)
Frizz control: Smooth Salon Silk no frizz Serum (TRESemme)
Split-end lotion: Split End Sealing Serum (TRESemme)
Hair curler: Infiniti by Conair You Curl
Hair straightener: Wet-Dry Tourmaline Ceramic Straightener (Conair)
Hair dryer: John Frieda Air Hot Air Brush
Shampoo: Moisture Rich Shampoo (TRESemme)
Conditioner: Organix Renewing Moroccan Agran Oil Conditioner
Deep conditioner: Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths Strengthening Therapy Masque

Granted, I now live in Europe and some of products are either not available here or they are super expensive. That being said, I either have to make do with the products here or I have my mum send me a care package of above products.

One hair appliance I would most definitely recommend is the hot air brush. It is probably the most wonderful appliance I own (aside from a coffee machine). If I am in a rush, I can hop out of the shower, use it in my hair for about 5-8 minutes and voila! My hair is dry, and either straightened or curled in the same time it would take me to just blow-dry a section of my hair with a regular blow-dryer. The product I most recommend of the above is the deep conditioner. If you are looking to have long hair, this is the perfect product. Honestly, it helped my hair grow longer, hence the name, and always makes my hair super soft and touchable after showering.

There you have it, my whole makeup and hair sha-bang! I hope it helps you and that you enjoyed something a little different from the constant travel posts.

It's back to work and homework...Travel on wanderlusters!

SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT

I'm so excited because I made my first cup of decent coffee since leaving behind my Keurig last summer! It's hard to make a good cup of coffee without an actual coffee machine, so you have to try a lot of different things. So, good morning to a great cup of caramel coffee!

I'm going to do something a little different today, I'm going to write a post about makeup (sorry boys!) Granted, my two main passions in life are traveling and writing but fashion and all things related to fashion come pretty darn close. Hence my fashion internship. Any who,  in school and even random women on the street will stop me and ask me if say, my eyelashes are real, what lipstick I'm wearing, if I am wearing blush or if it's just the cold Czech air.

Yes, my eyelashes are real, I do wear lipstick sometimes, and on a rare occasion I wear blush. I have been wearing it more lately in attempts to contour my face and make my cheek bones pop a little more. They got kind of lost under all the Czech pastries, beer and goulash the last 8 months. So here's a list of the makeup I use on a daily basis.

Depending on the day, I will either do my usual cat-eye, no eyeliner on bottom look but sometimes I get lazy and have a more au-natural look with just mascara on the top lashes.

• Lashes: Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Mascara and Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Lycra Flex
• Blush: Mineral Blush from Target
• Face powder: Physicians Formula Youthful Wear Mattifying Face Powder
• BB Cream: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB (Cream)
• Foundation: Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation (Rimmel London)
• Eyeliner: Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil (Rimmel London- purple, black, blue, forest green)
• Lip glosses: Stay Glossy (Rimmel London- red shades)
• Lipsticks: Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter (raspberry pie)
• Lip balms: Nivea A Kiss of Milk and Honey Smoothing Lip Care 
• Eye shadows: Illuminance Creme Shadow (Revlon- purple and gold/bronze/blue palette)
• Liquid liner: ColorStay Liquid Liner (Revlon- black)
• Lip stain: Superstay 24 Color Lip (Maybelline)
• Eye lash curler: Extra Curl Lash Curler (Revlon)
• Eye brow pencil: Eye Studio Master Shape Brow Pencil (Maybelline)
• Primer: Fix & Perfect Pro Primer (Rimmel London)
• Concealer: Match Perfection Concealer (Rimmel London)
• Perfume: Calvin Klein Euphoria
• Body spray: The Body Shop- Indian Night Jasmine Fragrance Mist

As you can see, I love me some Rimmel London. It's a great line, it's affordable- especially as a college student- and most important, it's reliable when it comes to making you look your best. I have been testing out makeup for about 8-10 years now, and these products I find to be the best of the best. My lashes always look like a false lashes but without the actual false lashes. The eye shadow stays and is the perfect blend of matte and shimmer to make my eyes pop. The face products do not make me break out and they stay all day between school, work, internship photo shoots/interviews, editor (for the school newspaper) meetings, the gym and going out with the girls. They last a REALLY long time too. I've been using these products for a few months now and they are still like new. 

For the perfume, I have tried just about every perfume sold. I've been a Dior Poison, Ja'dore Dior, Juicy Couture, Dolce and Gabbana Blue, Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb (still a favorite), Britney Spears Fantasy, Burberry London and many more. I recently just settled on the Calvin Klein Euphoria. The funny thing is that years ago, here in Czech Republic, I was at my step-cousins...castle...yes, castle is actually an understatement...and his girlfriend had that perfume and ever since I promised myself I would one day own it. About 10 years later, I finally got around to buying the set (perfume, lotion and body wash) for my 18th birthday. I'm still a huge fan of Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb, it's just so dang expensive for a little bottle ($150!) 

I also like to spritz myself and my clothes with a light body spray as well, just for a little mix in scents. I went through the whole Bath and Body Works phase (I still do love some of their scents!) with the Sensual Amber, Chocolate Amber and Japanese Cherry Blossom. They are fabulous smelling and super cheap. A few months ago I switched over to The Body Shop's Indian Night Jasmine Fragrance Mist. I was in the store with some friends testing out the makeup and decided to smell the different scents...I fell in love instantly with this one. It's not too strong but not too subtle. The perfect combination with the Euphoria perfume. 

Tomorrow, I will post a hair products and tools post! Most importantly, travel on wanderlusters!