,

Custom Sandals From Capri

,
cuccarullo-sandals-capri-go-seek-explore-blog.jpg

When I was in the Amalfi Coast in Italy last fall, I made sure to get a pair of custom made sandals from Capri. If you're headed to Amalfi, I highly recommend it - these are by far the most comfortable sandals I own, and knowing they're one-of-a-kind makes them extra special. There are plenty of custom sandal shops in Capri as well as Positano and  the surrounding area. You choose your strap color and the jewels you want on the strap as well as the strap design. Then the shoemakers create your custom sandal right in front of you. They cost between 70 euro for a simple pair and around 100-150 for pairs that have adornments. Mine were originally 120 euro, but I was able to haggle the price to 75 euro (score!).

After a month of almost daily use of the sandals, one of my jewels started to detach. I called the shop and asked them how to go about fixing it since I was back in my home base of Florence and wouldn't be returning to Southern Italy any time soon. The shop owner happened to be coming up to Florence later that week, and we met at the train station upon his arrival. He quickly fixed the jewel on the sandal for no extra charge. I was impressed by this customer service! It made my annoyance with the jewel detaching go away.

My friends and I got our sandals from Cuccarullo, located at Via Cristoforo Colombo 36 on the island of Capri. You can order them online, but it seems like the website is a little outdated in terms of sizing options. I'd recommend getting them in person anyways though since they size the sole and straps to your feet perfectly!

A Beginner's Guide on How To Navigate a Metro System

Growing up in the suburbs, I never used public transportation. When I went to college in a city, I still didn't use or need public transportation. The first time I tried navigating the tube in London during my study abroad was a confusing jumble of colored lines on a map, and if it weren't for my friend Nicole's common sense, I probably wouldn't have made it anywhere.

When I moved to Washington, DC for a summer I took the metro with friends upon arrival for the first few days, but when the time came to ride it alone, I got a little nervous. However, I hopped on and I got where I needed to go.

And it was SO easy.

For the rest of the summer in DC I would swiftly walk through the station, tap my card on the scanner and glide through the turnstiles. I would confidently hop on the metro, switch lines if needed, and get to my destination with ease. This experience helped me when I went back to Europe and rode the metro in cities like Milan, Budapest, Munich, and Istanbul.

If there are any beginners out there who need some guidance on navigating a metro system, here 4 easy steps to learn how (using examples with the DC metro):

1. Figure out which station is the closet to you, and which one is closest to wherever you're going. 

Let's say you're in NoVA (Northern Virginia) at the Clarendon station and you want to spend some time at Georgetown University, which is closest to the Rosslyn station. Clarendon and Rosslyn are both on the orange line. You will get on at Clarendon and get off at Rosslyn.

2. Make sure you choose the correct direction.

Look how on the left end of the orange line, the farthest station is Vienna, and on the opposite end, New Carrollton. When you're going from Clarendon to Rosslyn, you're going in the direction towards New Carrollton, so you need to get on the orange line for New Carrollton. If you're in Rosslyn coming back to Clarendon, then you will get on the orange line for Vienna.

3. To switch lines, use the transfer stations. These are designated on the map as the larger circles.

Now let's say you are at the Clarendon station and you want to hang out in Chinatown, so you will need to get off at Gallery Place. Gallery Place is in the center of the map.

For this you will need to start on the orange line towards New Carrollton. To get on the red line, you'll see that the orange stops at Metro Center, which is a transfer station. Get off at Metro Center and switch to the red line going towards Glemont. Get off at Gallery Place.

To sum up this scenario, you go: Clarendon, Metro Center, Gallery Place. On the way back, you'd do the opposite: start at Gallery Place, get on the red line towards Shady Grove, switch at Metro Center to the orange line going toward Vienna, and get off at Clarendon.

4. What if I miss my stop?

If you miss your stop, you can get off at the next one and then ride the metro going back in the opposite direction.

Other useful tips:

-When taking the escalators, the right side is for standing and the left side is for walking. Don't stand still on the left side and block the people walking up. You will look like a tourist and people will get annoyed.

-Save money by getting a metro card if you're staying your destination for a few days or longer and will be using the metro often. There is usually a fee for buying the card (typically around $5) but you'll save more overall than if you buy a bunch of individual tickets. You can reload the card if needed.

-Download a metro app onto your phone if there is one. Some apps also include schedules and updates on construction or delays.

-The GPS on your phone shows where the stations are. This way, you can figure out which one is closest when you're walking around. I use Mapquest or Bing Maps.

-Some metro systems don't run 24 hours. If you're out late at night, take this into consideration and call a taxi or an Uber if you can't ride the metro.

-Before your trip, do a little research on public transportation to see if you can find any helpful hints specific to that city.

The above tips are exactly how I've navigated transportation in DC, Milan, Munich, Budapest, and Istanbul. I haven't used the subway in NYC, which I hear are a little different. If you have any additional tips, please feel free to add them in the comments below.

,

8 Seattle Stereotypes That Are Actually True

,

Seattle is the thriving city of the Pacific Northwest and home to the Seattle Seahawks as well as Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, and other big name brands. Since it's slightly hidden all the way up there on the most northwestern corner of the United States, there are plenty of assumptions about what goes on - or doesn't - in the city surrounded by mountains, sea, and evergreen trees. While every city has its stereotypes, here are eight of them that are actually true.

Seattle view - go seek explore blog

1. No one uses umbrellas, even when it's raining

If you're a true Seattleite, you don't use an umbrella. I've lived in the Seattle area for over 17 years and have never owned one. It's probably one of the weirdest quirks about Seattle - no one uses them. Maybe it's because people are used to the almost constant light mist of rain, or maybe it's a city pride thing. I've never quite figured it out, but I sure won't go near holding an umbrella anytime soon to avoid looking like a tourist. The key to keeping dry? Rain jackets:

2. It's one of the most "hipster" cities in America

With the hipster trend still alive and well, you'll find 'em all over here, spotted easily by doing everything "before it becomes cool." While I want to add that the hipster scene only adds to the coolness of Seattle, I don't want to make "hipster" un-cool...or mainstream...or whatever true hipsters call it these days. I'm going to leave it at that before I accidentally walk into the conundrum of the unwritten rules of being a hipster and just say that it often tops the list for being the most hipster city in the country.

3. The music scene is alive and thriving

Indie artists cover the city and quite a few have had their big break. Artists like Nirvana, Death Cab For Cutie, Foo Fighters, Modest Mouse, Macklemore, and Pearl Jam all hail from Seattle.

4. Function trumps fashion

While the department store Nordstrom is headquartered in Seattle and you will find some fashion-forward people walking around, function often trumps fashion in many cases. You will see plenty of North Face windbreakers in every color under the sun (cloud?), Birkenstocks with socks, and hiking shoes.

5. The seafood is amazing

You've never had salmon until you've tried smoked salmon from Seattle. Since the city is surrounded by water, there are plenty of great seafood restaurants serving the highest quality fish. There are also plenty of opportunities for fishing for those that like to explore the outdoors, which many Seattleites do.

6. There literally is a Starbucks on every corner

No matter what part of Seattle you're in, you'll find Starbucks everywhere. Whether it's the original Starbucks in Pike's Place Market or the ubiquitous amount scattered around the city, you are bound to find one everywhere you turn.

7. The city names in the surrounding area are hard to pronounce

Unless you grew up in the Pacific Northwest, saying Puyallap, Enumclaw, Issaquah, or Sequim out loud is definitely a tongue twister. For those that grew up in the 'burbs, answering the question "Where in the Seattle area did you grow up?" to non-Washingtonians often elicits a conversation like, "I'm from Sammamish" with a response like, "Wait, there's a city called Sandwich, Washington?"

8. It is rainy or overcast most of the year

Seattle gets 58 days of sunshine per year, on average. From October-June it is either raining or overcast almost daily, casting a dark, grey ambiance throughout the area. Seattleites can look up the weather forecast and truly recognize the difference between "showers," "rain," "light rain," "heavy rain," and "t-storms" because they've really seen it all. However, the rain keeps the grass green and air clean - which contribute to the beautiful nature of the city and surrounding area. On the rare occasion it's sunny? It is absolutely gorgeous.

Photos: top photo by Ally Archer.

, ,

It’s Okay To Feel Overwhelmed Before You Travel Abroad – Just Don’t Give in to the Nerves

, ,
go-seek-explore-ponte-vecchio-florence-italy.jpg

go seek explore ponte vecchio florence italy I started crying in the Sea-Tac airport when I sat down at the gate designated for Frankfurt. I was overwhelmed, nervous, and afraid of the unknown. It was about to be my first time out of the United States. The destination was Florence, Italy, the location of my study abroad program and where I would be staying for the next six weeks. The round trip flight to Italy (through Germany) was booked, and weekend trips to the Amalfi Coast and London were already on the schedule.

My excitement for the past twelve months leading up to this moment was replaced by fear. People were buzzing around me, most of them speaking German. I tried masking my tears by looking down and hiding my face. I called my parents, hoping that hearing their voices would ease my nerves, and while they assured me that I would be fine, my nerves were still very much present. There was no turning back. And I didn’t want to go back. I wanted to go to Italy. But boy, was I scared. Little did I know, I was about to experience a very happy culture shock the second I stepped on the ground in Italy. Once I got there, I was instantly amazed by its beauty and was excited to spend the next six weeks with the other students in the program.

DSC_0466

The second time I went to Europe was to work for a travel company after I graduated college. This time, instead of a six-week study abroad program, I was planning on working and living in an apartment in Italy for a little less than a year. I had not yet met any of the staff I was about to work/live with, and it had been two years since my last time abroad. My parents walked me to the security area at Sea-Tac when my nerves started to kick in again. What if this isn’t the right decision? I thought, though I knew those were the fears talking. I had wanted to travel so badly, and I wasn’t about to let go of my dream job just because I was feeling overwhelmed at the moment. I took off my jacket and shoes and set my carry-on on the conveyor belt, waving at my parents as I walked through the metal detector. Once I got through, security decided to go through my bag and take a look at my liquids. I was holding back tears as my dad shouted, “Bye, Ally! We love you!” and they walked away.

Then the security guy told me that even though my liquids were all under the 3.5 ounce limit, I had more than a quart of liquid, the total allotted amount for carry-ons. Puzzled by this rule I had never heard before, the man told me I needed to get rid of some of it and had already started separating a few things he suggested I “throw away,” including my favorite Michael Kors perfume. Immediately I called my parents, thinking for some bazaar reason they could take some of my liquids home with them (this was the nerves speaking) – even though I didn’t need them to actually come back to airport and pick up a travel sized shampoo bottle and four bottles of nail polish only to give it back to me when I would return months later.

When my mom answered, the tears I was fighting spilled onto my face as I choked out, “They – they want me to get rid of my Michael Kors perfume!” Realizing how ridiculous this sounded for a 21-year-old to burst into tears over a bottle of perfume, I wasn’t surprised that the security guy cautiously looked at me with wide eyes and took a step back.

“Can – can you guys come take some of my stuff so I don’t have to throw it away? I feel like I’m wasting money just getting rid of it,” I sputtered. Again, I realized how ridiculous this sounded, since I could simply keep the perfume and easily live without the $3 shampoo bottle and $2 nail polishes. My parents told me to throw away the unnecessary stuff, just like I knew they would. They reassured me that I would be okay and to call them when I landed in Amsterdam for my layover.

“I’m sorry, I’m just a little nervous,” I told the security guy. “You see, I haven’t been to Europe in over two years and I’m moving there for a little while so I’m kind of nervous but excited but it’s just a little scary, you know?” I continued to babble on even though the security guy could care less, but I was embarrassed for tearing up and wanted to prevent another episode from occurring.

Once I got the liquid situation sorted out, I made it to my gate sans-tears but still filled with nerves. From there, I got on the plane – there’s no turning back – watched a few in-flight movies, and safely made it to Europe just hours later.

Originally, I wouldn’t have thought that my second trip to Europe would elicit a similar overwhelming sense of nerves as the first time. Still, however, it did. Sometimes, the sense of the unknown and fears can take over right when you’re about to make the travel leap. This is okay – but remember – you have to push past it. Remember the reason why you wanted to travel in the first place. Write in on your hand as a reminder before you leave if you need to. Push past that fear, get on the plane, and do your best to relax.

However many hours later when you land in your destination, those overwhelming nerves will be replaced by overwhelming excitement and happiness. How do I know this? Because both times I went abroad, I cried on the day I left because I was scared of all the unknowns. And both times I returned from abroad, I cried because of how sentimental it was to leave the new friends, places, and memories.

So, is it worth it? Yes. That is a big, capital Y-E-S! YES, it is going to be worth it. You can do it. There’s a reason behind the saying “life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

Longchamp: A Girl's Perfect Travel Bag

starfish-jewels-headband.jpg

The traditional Longchamp Le Pliage totes are a popular choice for many college students and professionals. Since I got my first Longchamp last year, it has been all over the US and Europe with me, and has stood the test of time. Here's a list of five reasons why the Le Pliage tote is the perfect travel bag.

 Longchamp "Le Pliage" Large Tote

1. The Price is Right

Between $125 - $225, it isn't overly expensive, but not so cheap you'll know it'll fall apart.

2. Size Options

I've had two Longchamp bags, both size large. They easily hold my laptop, magazines, big DSLR camera, and other handbag necessities. The Le Pliage comes in small, medium, and large with multiple color choices.

3. It's Durable

Both of my Longchamps have stood the test of time (at least for the year it's been since I got my first one) and are still in great shape despite their almost-daily use.

4. It Has a Zip Closure

When you travel to a foreign city, the last thing you want to worry about is getting pick-pocketed. A zip closure makes it harder for thieves to reach in and grab your stuff.

5. It's Waterproof!

This is something you may not always think about when purchasing a handbag, but a waterproof bag is so nice to have. When you travel, you'll likely be walking most places, so when it rains, you don't have to worry about your bag - or the things in it - getting ruined. I can't tell you how many times I've been caught in the rain and was glad to not have had my papers or electronics ruined.