Backpacking with Ashley 101

     I've getting liters of questions of how am I backpacking across Europe, how to do it and how do we plan it? There is tons of planning ahead of time and if you're doing it for the first time I suggest making an itinerary depending on how long your trip is going to be. So first you need to decide how long you plan on being away. If you plan on going for 2-3 weeks I would make a list of what you just have to see and then make a list of what you else you can see in that country or that city. You definitely would not want to fly into a country and play it by ear because by the time you get back you might realize that you got caught up and missed some wonderful monuments or museums. If you're going from a month to two months you definitely have a lot of wiggle room. For instance my trip is 6-7 weeks and we have about 6 weeks of planned time and that leaves us with a week to use as we please, we can spend an extra day or two in some of our cities or take a leisure day and float down the Grand Canal (Italy) for half a day and not worry.

     After deciding how long your trip will be you need to start looking for when you want to plan your trip I.E. over the summer, winter, spring etc. and make sure you plan for the weather in the country you're going to because the weather here in the United States sure isn't going to be the same in Russia for example, It isn't the same from state to state let alone country to country! After you decide what time and of year and how long you want to be gone then it's time to start finding those plane tickets! Make sure you research your plane ticket for the time of year you're going I.E. If you're leaving July 1st, 2016 look for a plane ticket for that date and always buy in advance, they only get more costly the closer your date gets. Look at what your first destination is going to be and try to fly into there and then look at what your last destination is and fly out from there, or you can take the rail and go back, it really varies from country to country. There are a lot of resources out there for traveling internationally and don't be afraid to utilize them, there are other blogs, websites and sporting stores that are openly available to you. There are also a few blogs out there that look for prices to get really cheap for select airfare and definitely use those! If there's a select airfare for half the price and you get to go to Africa before your trip, take it! It's a great opportunity and an experience of a lifetime!

     After you find your airfare and have your dates ready start looking for a backpack, there are many options from front-loader to top-loader to suitcase style and they can range anywhere from $50-200, however I happened to find a great one for the price of about $90. They range in liters and cubic inches. I suggest a 50-65 liter and remember the backpacks are different sizes, One I might buy that fits me well won't fit my travel buddy Nick that well due to him being like 12in taller than me! Which was exactly our case when we went out to find some backpacks. I loved mine and he hated mine. Also I could fit in his backpack which I find hilarious so you know if I get tired where I'll be hiding! Make sure it's sturdy, has very sturdy zippers and a rain cover is always convenient as well. Try it on and add some weight to it to make sure it works with you and your body the backpacks can range in weight from 2lbs to even 5lbs I believe, I haven't held a 5lb one yet though so that's me guessing. Just remember this bag is going to be with you for a while.

     Now you may be wondering where do I stay and how can I possibly afford this many hostels or hotels! In most countries you can find hostels for dollars a night which is great and there are a plethora of apps and websites to help you find one that fits you such as Hostels.com (also an app), and AirBnB (also an app) those the two that I use. However I use an app called Couchsurfing and it is exactly what it sounds like mostly. There are tons of people on this app and website and you stay with them to little to no cost at all. There are people on here from all over the world and some of these people have hosted more than 100 people! Crazy right? Staying with a stranger. Well this is the great part they have reviews and they review you as well. So you leave a review saying what they did and if you enjoyed yourself and then they leave a review on you as a guest if you were clean, messy, loud, etc! You and them also have a biography on the profile asking various questions such as where you've been, what you hope to gain from being on the website and your hopes and aspirations as well as what kind of room you'll be staying in if you stay with them. It ranges from couches, to floors to beds. However it is free lodging and you're meeting a great new person and making new friends. International new friends, the best kind!. Likewise if the person whoever hosted you happened to come to your country it would great for your to host them!

     All in all if you dream it do it! Don't sit around thinking what if just plan and do. No one is going to achieve your dreams for you! Just do it.

We're getting pretty ancy over here because you guessed it we leave in a little over a month, the countdown begins!

 

 

Crazy Couponing?

     Over the past few months I recently got into the habit of couponing. You probably see couponers in line at the grocery store and think 'Come on, really?'. However were just trying to save a buck like anyone else we just put more time and effort into it. When people hear I'm a couponer they usually respond 'I don't have time for that, how do you do it, how do you have that much time?'. In reality it doesn't take much time. This is how I do it. 
     After I get off work I go home, pop some type of meal in the oven and sit down and watch Netflix for god knows how many hours and this is my usual routine. So now when I get home, I do the same routine except while the television I take the time to start cutting and stapling my coupons. I mean I'm sitting there doing nothing anyway besides watch TV, why not spend an hour or two cutting some coupons to save that extra money so my family doesn't have to worry about buying those products later! You're probably thinking to yourself 'I bet you this girl is a hoarder'. Truth be told I am, but not in the 'I can't walk down my hallway' type. I do have more than enough detergent for probably 5+ years, same with dryer sheets, toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap and many other household items. You might think why shouldn't I just buy some for six months and be happy. I buy for years purely because I give it away as I have it, I supply family members with my stuff, help friends and even the community. I like to know that if my family needs anything they will come and tell me so I can help them.

     Another common thing I get asked about is why do I buy stuff I don't even need? Say there is a great coupon for baby diapers that makes them free or even gives you money back (yes you can get money back on coupons) and I buy 20 plus packages because first, they're literally free (I MIGHT pay tax). I don't have a baby so what do I do with them? I donate them! A good co-worker of mine goes to a church and they are always looking for donations to give to shelters, etc. So I wait until my not need stock pile can fill up a few boxes I bring em' into work and pass it off on to her and there you go! Now people who need it can get it, all because I had coupons to make it free.  I have done this numerous times from diapers, to toothpaste, toothbrushes, contact lens solution, hair dye, and even feminine products.
     You might be wondering where I get all my coupons from. You can buy coupons in bulk online (the Sunday paper ones), online printable ones and even digital coupons. Most companies now a day have digital coupons that you can make an account and use the coupons that you clip, some of these companies are Kroger, Dollar General, CVS and a few other companies I can't remember the names of at the moment. You might also be wondering how do I know what's on sale and where. There are plenty of good phone apps out there now a days to do all that work for me! Flipp is an app that I personally use and it shows you all the current ads that stores have out currently from weekly to monthly and its updated when a store has a different ad out, it also shows you coupons that are available for certain items. There are tons of other apps available as well. There are also Facebook groups and web pages that are meant for couponing. Just look them up in your area and you might even make some friends while you're at it!

The latest fashion accessory is a boa?

Endive and his favorite hammock

     You must have seen the title to this and thought, Reptiles? Nice things? How could those two things possibly go together? Well they definitely do! As a reptile owner you have to make many decisions and give up certain things. You have to decide on what type of reptile you want, what brand to go with on most of their items and even what times you want their lights (if applicable) to come on and off everyday. However the one thing you will not have to give up on is fashion. How can that be? Today on the reptile market there are thousands of products for you and for your scaly friend!

Endive and his favorite toy!

     I like to buy cute things to show of my love of reptiles just as much as people like to buy things to show off their love of their dogs or cats and other various companion animals. I happen to have two stickers on the back of my truck both of which are bearded dragon oriented and in pink.  I have various other bearded dragon items ranging from a pillow case over a throw pillow to even a bracelet! You can buy pins to go in t shirts, jewelry, clothing, phone cases and stickers! The list can go on and on. People may think it's weird to own stuff with a lizard on it right? Wrong! I get so many inquires about reptiles and I feel as though I'm doing a good for the reptile community spreading the love about our cold blooded companions and showing them in a light so to speak. I get to brag about my own pets and tell them about wonderful adoption agencies I know of or even people I know who are rehoming reptiles! Giving them a second chance at a good life. They all do deserve a good life regardless of looks. Don't all animals?
  
     Now on to the more fun part! You can decorate your reptiles tank with whatever you like! There are plenty of vendors out there that sell reptile related items ranging from colorful hammocks with designs, harnesses for your scaly buddy so they can't escape you (some even come with dragon wings SO CUTE!), items for the tank such as hides, branches and stuff to climb on and up and even beds. Yes there are reptile beds. I see some people use small dog ones and there are even real tiny beds with posts and blanket on it (looks really cute and regale if you ask me). I personally have a few branches and hides in my reptile tanks with the occasional stuffed animals and wallpaper. Most of my tanks have flower wallpaper over the back of them but I do have one that has international destinations over the back of it! If you have seen any other post by me chances are it's about international travel. So just remember no matter what animal you have there is ALWAYS room for fashion!




Just in case I forgot to post them! Here are some of my FAVORITE Easter photos brought to you by a very patient photographer (Me) and some very good models!

Endive is pulling a Vogue!

She was way to excited for Easter!

I should have put bunny ears on him
with how patient he is!

Reptiles are red, Reptiles are blue, Poems are hard. Reptiles.

These are my boys! Nadya (left) Endive (right)

     When most people think of house pets or companion animals they think of dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and even fish, but do they ever think about the cold blooded scaly ones? Over the past three years I have developed what I classify as an addiction, reptiles. It started out in December of 2014 and after about 6 months worth of research I decided that I wanted two bearded dragons. The 6 months of research was definitely not over-kill because even two years later I'm still learning! I learn
about new foods that are available to them, what they like, don't like (Yes, reptiles do have preferences) and even new items I can put in their tank to provide a more entertaining environment.

Endive and his toy

     Reptiles come in all shapes and sizes from slithery to scaly and even as smooth as silk! Each one has to be given different types of lighting, food, habitats etc. depending on each ones needs. Most people think of reptiles as for the lack of a better term cold blooded creepies. Reptiles may be cold blooded but they sure do warm my heart and many others! They are great pets and most do great with children as long as the children are supervised and understand how to hold and maintain themselves around a smaller animal that is far more sensitive than a dog or cat. My brother may not love all my reptiles as I do but he does understand how to handle them, which is important to me. I have seen many people have reptiles for children ranging from ages 7 to 13 to teach them responsibility, while the younger ages need assistance caring for reptiles it is still a very good learning experience. Reptiles range in form from Bearded dragons,
leopard geckos, crested geckos, tegus, iguanas, monitors and even snakes. I myself have always sided more with the lizard types rather than snakes, but I do love snakes non the less.

      Now on to the hard part about reptiles. Most people don't realize that cute baby bearded dragon you see in the shop right now, pressed up against the glass just begging you to take him home can live upwards of 9 years, some even live up to around 18! If you buy one treat it like you would any other household pet and provide for it properly, give it love and let it live out its days with you, not keep it for a few years and then get rid of it because it simply got too big or wasn't as fun. Bearded dragons require a uvb bulb and heat bulb 12 hours a day and 12 hours off. They do need sleep and unless your house dips below 60 F on a nightly basis a 'night' heat bulb will not be necessary. They have this really cool thing on top of their head called a 'third eye' I don't know the scientific term for it but it senses predators and lighting, so when you have a light on all night the dragon can still sense its on. However if your house does dip below that mark you can a ceramic heat emitter which puts off heat with no light! Wonderful invention right? Most reptiles are also solitary animals so I can guarantee you that the only companion your lizard will ever need is you and no one else. It might be cool to have two but in reality your lizard will not be very happy and will be rather upset to have to share his food, heat and tank with someone else, having two in the same tank can have a bad outcome such as bodily harm to one or the other and even death. :(  Reptiles have a variety of diets such as herbivores, insectivores and omnivores. Do you remember learning those in elementary school? Bearded dragons are omnivores they eat vegetables (good way to get the kids to eat them!) and insects! They eat quite a variety from collard greens, to apples and even sweet potato! Now on the gross part, they eat a variety of bugs as well! They eat superworms, dubia roaches and a variety of other worms which should never be caught from outside no matter how much fun it for the kids to go hunt em' down.  All in all bearded dragons are great pets but you know what they say, 'With great pets comes great responsibility' or maybe I just say that?

Amaranth (above) and Emily (below)

Emily coming out to Hello


     Now onwards to some other breeds! I have had a variety of lizards over the past few years and one of my other favorite breeds would have to be the leopard gecko. Leopard geckos are fun curious animals and are very friendly! In fact I have one named Emily and if you place your hand in her tank she will gladly crawl right up your arm and sit on you forever. The jury is out on whether they need a uvb bulb or not but the one thing they definitely need is a heat pad. They require a heat pad covering 1/3 of their tank in order to digest their food properly. They are insectivores (approved bugs only!) and need certain vitamins such as bearded dragons on a daily basis. Leopard geckos are mainly nocturnal but I see mine come out in the daytime every so often as well. All in all they are wonderful creatures and blast to handle!

     So please next time you consider getting a pet or buying one. Please look into your local reptile rescue and they will be able to assist you more, besides just reading this post please do research and find the right reptile for your family. They come in all shapes and sizes with hearts ready to love and be loved! They may be cold blooded but they can warm your heart :)

With great pets comes great responsibility

 

ADOPT LOVE, ADOPT LOCAL

Russian to Russia!



Peter the Great monument

Entry in Red Square with St. basils
 in the back

    In May of 2015 I started applying for colleges, a year after I graduated from high school. I spent four years of my life in high school studying multiple subjects one of which I opted to keep studying for the full four years which was Russian. I spent four years learning from a wonderful teacher with a wonderful class. When I switched schools my sophomore year I chose to move to the only other school that had Russian even if it was kind of far away, just so I could continue my passion for languages. Over those four years I learned as much as I could have and more about the culture, the people, the language and the history of the country from the Huns and Peter the Great all the to Putin (Thanks to Russia, Land of the Tsars) I learned to love and be interested in a community that was not only my own but very far away! So in May of 2015 after I all but enrolled my classes it hit me, if I don't achieve my dreams myself, no one will do it for me! So I called a good friend of mine who was just as passionate about Russia as I myself and we booked and flew away on July 1, 2015.

 

Nesting Dolls for Sale Izmailovo Kremlin

My photo of St. basils

  People judge everyone and everything but we never let that stop us whether we were being judged as foreigners or as people who wanted to travel to such a 'forbidden' land. It's really funny actually because if I say I want to go to Germany no one bats an eye but if I say Russia everyone is quite literally up in arms. Maybe it's because the communist regime only fell within the last 20 years compared to world war II which was nearly 75 years ago, but why do people let the past dictate how we are now? I say to forgive but not to forget as to not let the past repeat itself. So on July 2, 2015 we landed in Moscow after a hellish few hours in Amsterdam (Avoid Schiphol Airport if possible). Russian drivers are in fact 'russian' to their destination, I am surprised that we lived through that first taxi ride. After arriving to our hotel (a best western) we immediately went up to the 26th floor where our rooms were and promptly fell asleep for roughly 15 hours. Oh that jet lag. The next say we awoke with the anticipation to see a new land and new people. We immediately went to go to the Izmailovo Kremlin a roughly 10 minute walk, where we came upon all types of items from clothing, to souvenirs and even food! They had everything we could have needed and more. We walked about for probably half the day just there opting to spend our first day out somewhat close to the hotel.







Panoramic view of Red Square



Where Lenin is entombed

     The next day

Christ the Savior Cathedral

my travel buddy and I parted ways and went out to see Russia ourselves. Both of us went to Red Square and various parks over the next few days while he was trying out fancy restaurants such as Pushkin's Café and Café Mari Vana, I opted to check out the main grocer Ashan and stick to grocery stores and fast food (Yes they have Burger King, Mc Donald's, Starbucks, Subway and even KFC). We met up over the next week here and there to talk about what we had seen and where it was. We both slowly mastered the infamous Moscow Metro and I found Christ the Savior Cathedral (My favorite cathedral). We both saw Lenin's entombed body. Over the next two weeks we started to feel at home in Moscow. We kept in touch with our families and I happened to forget one time to post my photos on Facebook or call my grandmother and she thought I had been kidnapped. She contemplated calling the Muscovite police and was calling everyone in the family asking if they could get ahold of me, needless to say I received a call at 4am from my mother worried to death, thinking I had been kidnapped so I laughed it off, walked over to my travel buddies hotel room and knocked on the door until he answered and we promptly took a selfie and sent it to my grandmother with the note 'I'm alive'. We spent 12 days in Moscow, Russia but it never seemed to be enough, we felt as though we had been there a year though and to this day when we talk about it, it's as if we had just left yesterday. It left a yearning in us. A yearning to travel and be apart of the international community. To see the world as we want to see it and to meet everyone from every walk of life. That will not be the only time I am in the Russia and we will be back!

*All photos in my blog that show international destinations are my own