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Washington, DC is more than politics and parties - it is a unique city with plenty to offer for any traveler (and it happens to be one of my favorite cities in the entire world!).
Marvel at the monuments and Smithsonian museums along the National Mall, hit up bars & restaurants for happy hour drinks with locals after work, and don't forget to do brunch on the weekends.
With plenty to do in DC, it's tough to get bored.
Here's your travel guide to Washington, DC!
DC is one of the best US cities for finding top-notch cuisine from around the world, which makes total sense since it is such an international city.
So it's only natural that when I was in DC for a work + travel trip last week, my friend and I snuck out of the hotel for dinner during training to hit up Dupont Circle for some good food!
At first we were going to grab a quick kabob and walk around after seeing great Yelp reviews for a kabob shop on P Street.
Well, along the way we walked past a pizza restaurant and empanada shop and found ourselves at a crossroads: multiple good choices all in the same area, that all looked (and smelled!) delicious.
So where did we end up going?
To all three places! Haha.
We decided to get smaller bites to share at each location so we'd have room for all three.
This turned our quick dinner stop in Dupont into a makeshift mini food tour!
Check out the travel vlog to see what my aunt and I got up to in Chicago!
Also, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more vlogs & travel tips!
This was a huge move for me. It wasn't just quitting my corporate job and moving to California. It was the courage to say YES to a goal I had been working toward for years.
Saying YES to something new.
YES to the unknown.
YES to ditching the standard path in favor of going with my gut feeling.
I wanted to share a few takeaways I've come up with now that the dust has settled from the transition.
If you have a big change coming up, here are some things you may consider:
By working for international conferences in Washington, DC and New York City, I've met a ton of high school students who were visiting the US, most for the first time.
"Ally, you didn't tell us they charge you more than what it says on the price tag!" they said. It took me a second to realize they were talking about sales tax. I'm just so used to it; I forgot it would be something the students may not know about.
Here are 12 tips for visiting the United States for the first time:
This isn't just any beach town. With its own flair and attitude, Pacific Beach has a different feel compared to others in Southern California, and this neighborhood is a must during any visit to San Diego. I had been to SD (La Jolla and Coronado) previously when I was younger with family, though it was nice to re-visit the city in my 20s - I have some friends that live there that could show me around, as well as get some beach time in!
San Diego Pacific Beach
Because, obviously. :)
(This was taken on Fourth of July, my friends said it was much more crowded than nomal!)
Pier San Diego Pacific Beach
Beautiful homes, beautiful views, and people watching (or surfer watching).
Acai bowl copy
A Southern California classic - quality Mexican food. It is close to the border, after all! Head to Oscar's or, well, pretty much anywhere for a bite. There is no shortage of good Mexican food in San Diego.
You'll also find acai bowls everywhere, from coffee shops to cafes to Mexican restaurants. My favorite was from PB Beach Cafe on Garnet - the agave nectar, coconut flakes, and blackberries set this one far ahead of the rest. I'd even go as much to say it's the best acai bowl I've ever had!
Spend your Saturday (or any day, we won't judge) having a cold one outdoors. There's an abundance of rooftop lounges and outdoor patios by or near the beach, so you can't go wrong here.
Take the casual daytime buzz from the beach bar and head into the night. You'll definitely see people of all ages, especially in their 20s-30s, out and about.
While these things to do could be done in many places, experiencing it in Pacific Beach is simply different - it's cool, relaxed, and unique, in my opinion!
Book a place to stay - my all-time favorite booking website is the well-known Booking.com - I’ve used it for years all over the world.
It is the easiest way to search and find the best hotels (hostels too!), especially based on reviews. I always check the reviews on Booking, even if it’s a name-brand hotel. You never know!
While the weather in Phoenix, Arizona tends to be straightforward most of the year - blue skies, sun, and major heat - sometimes storms are thrown into the mix. The storm could be a monsoon, a 10-30 minute downpour that temporarily floods the streets in the summer, a haboob, a thick wall of dust that travels through town, or even just your average rainstorm.
The skies look the coolest during the calm before the storm, especially at sunset. Check out these photos taken right before a thunderstorm and you'll see why.
Sunsets are also fun to edit. This photo was taken at the same spot, on a different night.
Edited with Mextures app before uploaded to Instagram.
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