New Year's Resolution: Travel Update

On the 31st of December 2012, I posted about all of my New Year's Resolutions (as most bloggers do) but I didn't want to just post what my resolutions are. I think the best way of making sure we succeed in resolutions is by recording our progress, so my first resolution, to get my passport stamped in at least three countries I have never been to before, is the first resolution which I would like to update you all on...

I'm going to India and Thailand in February. There, I said it. I am shocked that I have managed to part-finish one of my resolutions so soon in the year! Particularly when in it is going to cost me about £2500 of my savings to do it as I don't have a job at the moment. Then again, you only live once (#yolo) and I'm only 21... I have an entire lifetime to stress out about money and work my butt off. I always say, there's loads of money out there just waiting to be earned, so carpe diem, live for the day.

*Eating Pizza on the Grand Canyon... More times like these please... just in India and Thailand!*

So what's my plan? Where am I going? Who am I going with?

Backpacking Packing Guide: Capsule Toiletry Collection

Let me tell you, when it comes to packing, I have a PROBLEM. I've always been a 'heavy' packer. In fact, last summer, both suitcases I took to the USA with me were overweight... I don't remember how much by, but the luggage allowance was 23kg per bag, so I was carrying OVER 46kg. As if that wasn't bad enough, on the way home, I checked in three items of luggage. The first two were 23kg each and the third was overweight, once again.

I don't know what's wrong with me, I've just always wanted to take a variety of options abroad with me. Plus, I'm really into cosmetics and toiletries and they are naturally very heavy to carry in a suitcase, so I guess that's why I've always been so bad at travelling light. Imagine my horror when I realized that 'backpacking' isn't just the name for what young people do when they're travelling the world, but it actually means that you carry a backpack as your luggage. Just one.

After my initial shock, I decided to man up and comprise my toiletries into one small capsule collection. Here is what I came up with...

*Wide-Tooth Comb, Dove Spray Antiperspirant Deodorant, 2 Razors, Contact Lenz Holder, Neutrogena SPF15 Moisturiser, Liz Earle Toner, Synergi Contact Lenz Solution, Head&Shoulders 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner, Frizz Ease Hair Mousse, Electric Toothbrush, Boots Cotton Wool Pads, Wet Ones Wet Wipes, Johnson's Moisturising Cleansing Wipes, So Hooked on Carmella Perfume by Benefit, Nivea Sun Lotion SPF 20, Dove Roll-On Antiperspirant Deodorant, Acuvue Contact Lenses, Oral B Floss, Colgate Total Toothpast... PHEW*

Now, I'm sure this still looks like a lot to you, but for me, this was the bare minimum, my absolute necessities. I felt like I couldn't do without any of these products. Like, how could I get by without my toner??? Or what would happen if I didn't have my hair mousse to hand??? I dread to think how my teeth would rot without the use of floss.

In hindsight, having returned from my trip, I have now realized that many of these products are luxuries. Sure it was nice to have them, but they weighed down my case a tonne and took up loads of un-necessary space. Also, it took me ten minutes longer to shower and repack my bag than it did for everyone else which is a real pain if you're wanting to grab the first few toasted marshmallows from the campfire!

So what do I NOW think is totally and completely vital for backpackers? Here's my simple list:

1) Comb or hair brush

2) Roll-on antiperspirant (lasts MUCH longer than spray on!)

3) Razor

4) Sun lotion which can double up as moisturiser (SPF30 AT LEAST... getting sunburnt is agony and NOT fun when you're away from home... I had to learn the hard way in Los Angeles...)

5) 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner

6) Wet wipes (for just in case the showers look like the kind of place you'd feel dirtier getting out of than you would getting into. Also good for removing make-up if your skin isn't too sensitive.)

7) Contact lenses and solution

8) Toothbrush and toothpaste

See, simples. Some of you would still take even less, but these were the things I felt were genuine vitals rather than just things I like. When you're travelling no-one cares that your curls aren't defined, or you don't smell like vanilla and coconut eau de parfum. Even with over-packing the toiletries, I managed somehow to compact them all into a couple of bags. Obviously, I just packed my wipes and cotton pads directly into my case as they were easy to squish inside shoes and smaller pockets.

*You can even catch a peek of my cosmetics capsule in the top right corner of the picture... I'll be writing about my collection very soon so keep watch.*

So there you have it: How a Beauty Girl Capsulizes Her Toiletry Collection. Have you ever been backpacking before? What would you consider your absolute essentials? What should I have left at home?

Love and snuggles

gabriellasofia

x

Guess Who's Back... Back Again... GabriellaSofia's Back... Tell A Friend...

Hello there, loyal readers!

That's right, I'm back from my six week jaunt across the United States and boy do I have a lot of content coming up, I almost don't know where to start... I thought I'd keep this simple as a quick update before I launch back fully into blogging tomorrow.

My flight arrived back yesterday and with it being an overnight flight I slept most of the way, so was able to use yesterday hanging out with my grandparents, giving my parents and sister their little presents I'd brought back and watching the 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Naturally, I couldn't get to sleep until about 3am this morning due to the time zone differences between Stoke-on-Trent and New York City and didn't wake up until 1.30pm today... whoops!

Today was your average just-got-back-off-my-holidays type day as I spent most of it unpacking, eating pizza with my sister and watching The Help on Sky Premier (its become one of my favourite films since seeing it in the cinema and the book is incredible too. In fact, I think I'll be reviewing them both on here very soon, so keep your eyes peeled.) I actually applied for a job today too, but its nothing spectacular so I'm not even going to go into it. I'm basically just looking for a full-time job which I can work at in order to save money for more travelling since I've definitely got the wanderlust having spent the past few weeks away.

So how was my trip? Unsurprisingly, I had a fantastic time. I'll be writing many posts over the next few weeks which I've had in mind while I've been away, but the short of it is this: I met so many amazing people from all over the globe, Yosemite was the most breath-takingly beautiful place I've ever been too, Forever21 still makes my life worth living, the USA has a LOT more culture than people generally believe and I have realized once and for all that I absolutely, definitively HATE early mornings. I'm hoping that little list has left you wanting more, as here is a breakdown of just a few post ideas I'm working on at the moment, to appear over the next couple of weeks...

1) Review of G Adventures (the tour company I travelled with)
2) How I Comprised My Whole Fashion and Beauty Wardrobe into One Backpack
3) Peek Inside My Travel Diary
4) Review of City Sightseeing Hop-on-Hop-off Tours (I used the company in both Los Angeles and San Francisco)
5) Vintage Shopping in the West Hollywood Area
6) City Reviews of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Fe, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Memphis and New York City.
7) A handful of Outfit of the Day posts including San Francisco Shopping, What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas, Nashville Cowgirl, New York Date Night, New York Sightseeing and more.
8) USA Adventure Shopping Haul
9) Pros and Cons to Travelling Alone
10) USA National Parks review... this will include Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, Death Valley, Carlsbad Canyons and Shenandoah.
11) Highlights and Lowlights of My USA Adventure

And then there will probably be tonnes more also, but that's all I could remember right now! You'll just have to bear with me as I get back into the swing of things with my blog and catch you up on all the things I've been wanting to write about since I left the UK. There are tons of non-USA adventure posts I have planned too... if you want to grab a glimpse of what they might be, go check out my To-Do List... I promise I'll get started tomorrow :) Until then, here's a picture of me casually hanging out with a dog at the Grand Canyon. As you do.

*MANY more photos soon to come!*

Thanks for waiting for me to get back. Knowing I have loyal readers to come home to made it so much easier when it was time to fly home.

Love and snuggles
gabriellasofia
x

Quick Update... Succeeding in my University Degree and Travelling Across the Globe...

Hi there!

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I have a pretty good reason.... I've been so busy accepting my 2.1 degree (!!!) from the University of Birmingham and packing for my USA adventure that I really haven't had much time to write which has made me very sad. HOWEVER, I'm now sat on the top bunk at my West Hollywood hostel, Banana Bungalow, filling you in on my most recent goings-on.

*This is what a 2.1 student looks like when she's going out for lunch...*

That's right readers, in spite of my 2.2 from my second year of university (which carried over as 25% of my overall degree classification) I managed SOMEHOW through hard work, determination, and enduring a soul-less existence for a year, to achieve a 2.1. I was absolutely gob-smacked with my success as I had really lost all hope of getting a good grade, purely because I found final year to be nothing but incapacitating pressure. But I guess the pressure must have worked for me for some reason as I magically managed to get a degree classification which reflects my abilities and the hard work I have put in. My parents were very happy for me, and we're all very proud. And surprised, and thankful to whatever greater being allowed this to be. Thanks readers once and for all for being here for me and waiting for me while I had to take that long blog-break all those months ago. I guess it paid off!

As I say, I'm now in West Hollywood and I've been awake for just over 26 hours so far as today was my travel day. I'm going to grab me some shut eye in a minute as I'm absolutely exhausted and I'd like to get up tomorrow morning to take the fantastic *sarcastic eyebrow raise* Los Angeles public transport system to Venice Beach. Haha, not looking forward to navigating the buses but the beach should be incredible.

I was really nervous about coming here last night when I was packing in Stoke-on-Trent. However, now I'm here I can see I really had nothing to be frightened about. I've always loved my own company and meeting new people and roaming around, so I feel a bit like this trip is going to be one of the best things I've ever done in my life. Of course, I've only just got here and my positivity may be something to do with the Taco Bell induced euphoria I'm enjoying at the moment... But watch this space!

Over the next few days I'd like to post up a few different items on my To-Do List. But I'm not sure if I'll have time/energy when there's so much else to do... Forgive me if I'm a naughty blogger while I'm away. I absolutely promise *pinky swear* that if I forget to post or don't have chance to do so as frequently as I would like, I will make a note every time I have a post idea and  get them all typed up for you when I'm back. Expect shopping hauls, backpacking-inspired beauty tutorials, travel reviews and more.

Love and snuggles
gabriellasofia
x

2012 Summer Adventure... USA Road Trip Playlist

If you aren't aware already, I'm going to be heading off to the USA on the 21st of June for five weeks all by myself. I'm going to be travelling from Los Angeles in California all the way across the country to Manhattan in New York. I'm going to be hitting up major cities and national parks alike, and with the United States being such a huge country, some days I'm going to be travelling for up to eight hours, so naturally I'm going to need a fantastic playlist of songs which will remind me of the amazing experience in years to come. Here are just a few of the songs I was thinking of adding to the list:

*Venice Beach Los Angeles... I wanted my LA playlist to remind me of sunny weather, US teen dramas like 90210 and fun parties!*

Los Angeles

Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus

Californication by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Beverly Hills by Weezer

California Dreamin by The Mamas and The Papas

California Girls by The Beach Boys

California King Bed by Rihanna

California Gurls by Katy Perry

God Only Knows by The Beach Boys

Leaving Jesusland by NOFX

Route 66 by John Mayer

Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys

Hollywood by Madonna 

Surfin' USA by The Beach Boys

Hotel California by The Eagles

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air by Will Smith

Barbara Ann by The Beach Boys

Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison

California Love by Tupac

Help Rhonda by The Beach Boys 

Hey Hey We're The Monkeys by The Monkeys

California by Phantom Planet

Surfin' USA by The Beach Boys

Lala Land by Demi Lovato

Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys

*I always thing that San Francisco is quintessentially 'cool' so I picked some songs which strike me as suiting the city!*

San Francisco

San Francisco by The Mamas and The Papas

All I Wanna Do by Sheryl Crow

Under the Bridge by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N Roses

Don't Marry Her by Beautiful South 

Rock You Like A Hurricane by Scorpions

With Or Without You by U2

Fake Tales of San Francisco by Arctic Monkeys

Don't Stop Believing by Journey

Hey Soul Sister by Train

Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who

Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones

*For my Yosemite/Bishop playlist I've focused mostly on the fact that Yosemite is supposed to be one of the most beautiful and serene places in the USA. So I chose super-chilled yet remarkable songs.*

Yosemite/Bishop

Fireflies by Owl City

Hawiian Air by Friendly Fires

Coffee and Cigarettes by Michelle Featherstone

Jealous Guy by Gavin Degraw

God Bless the Child by Michelle Featherstone

Glad by Tyler Hilton

I Don't Wanna Be by Gavin Degraw

Hallelujah by Kate Voegele

Light Years Away by MoZella

When the Stars Go Blue by Tyler Hilton and Bethany Joy Lenz

Wish You Were by Kate Voegele 

Always Love by Nada Surf

The First Cut Is The Deepest by Sheryl Crow

For Blue Skies by Strays Don't Sleep

Lie In The Sound by Trespassers William

Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2

*Death Valley (so named because of its dangerously hot temperatures) is supposed to be boilingly hot. As I don't do well in super-duper hot temperatures, I decided to choose some fun and cheesy songs which will hopefully cheer me up...*

Death Valley

Feeling Hot Hot Hot by Buster Poindexter

La Bamba by Los Lobos

Fiesta Caliente by Los Illegales

Jump in the Line by Harry Belafonte 

Disco Inferno by The Trammps

Hot Stuff by Donna Summer

El Taqui Taqui by Los Illegales 

The Banana Boat Song by Harry Belafonte

*Las Vegas is known for being a 24 hour party. So I naturally chose a bunch of my favorite party/night out songs, and a few which will hopefully boost my confidence in the casinos!*

Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley

Leaving Las Vegas by Sheryl Crow

Luck be a Lady by Frank Sinatra

You Better You Bet by The Who

Sweetest Thing by U2

Benny and the Jets by Elton John

Paradise City by Guns N Roses

Love on Top by Beyonce

Who Are You by The Who

Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley

Waking Up in Vegas by Katy Perry

Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz 

Tik Tok by Ke$ha 

Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen

*I imagine myself standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon in awe of how small I am in comparison the amazing sites... so I chose some songs which make me feel on top of the world because of their awesomeness. Don't mock my choices.*

Grand Canyon/Monument Valley/Mesa Verde/Durango

Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World

Missing You by Tyler Hilton

Speed of Sound by Cold Play

The Good Kind by The Wreckers

Kill by Jimmy Eat World

Re-Offender by Travis

Fix You by Cold Play

Feeling A Moment by Feeder

23 by Jimmy Eat World

Everybody's Changing by Keane

Viva La Vida by Cold Play

Crystal Ball by Keane

Paradise by Cold Play

The Middle by Jimmy Eat World

*I'm totally aware that New Mexico isn't Mexico. However, as a half-Latina I wanted some Latin on my iPod, so I went ahead and put these tunes into my New Mexico playlist. Close enough!*

Taos/Santa Fe/Carlsbad

Bidi Bidi Bom Bom by Selena

Halo by Bethany Joy Lenz

Como la Flor by Selena

New Mexico by Johnny Cash

El Chico Del Apartamento 52 by Selena

Beautiful Day by U2

Baila Esta Cumbia by Selena

*I took the opportunity of being in Texas to play my first bunch of songs which remind me (but only stereotypically) of the Southern States. This playlist is just a bit of fun really :)*

Fort Stockton/San Antonio/The Alamo/Houston

Cotton Eyed Joe by Rednex

Karma Chameleon by Boy George

Is This the Way to Amarillo by Tony Christie 

Rawhide from Rawhide
Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond

Sweet Home Alabama by Lynard Skynard

Sweet Child O Mine by Guns N Roses

Sweet Home Alabama by Kid Rock

Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison 

*As I've never been to New Orleans before, I wasn't quite sure what to choose for this city. However, I just went ahead and chose some souly-dancy tunes because that's what I think I'll want while I'm there.*

New Orleans

Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows

Dancing in the Street by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas 

Flip, Flop and Fly by The Blues Brothers

Johnny B Good by Chuck Berry

Roxanne by Sting and The Police

Everybody Needs Somebody to Love by The Blues Brothers

Mr Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan

Gimme Some Lovin' by The Blues Brothers

My Blue Ridge Mountains Boy by Dolly Parton

Shake Your Tailfeather by Ray Charles and The Blues Brothers

Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits 

Jailhouse Rock by The Blues Brothers

The Saints Are Coming by Green Day and U2

*This is probably the playlist that I'll enjoy the most because the Memphis and Nashville are two cities which represent two of my favorite musical genres: Rock n Roll and Country.* 

Memphis/Nashville/Wytheville/Shenandoah 

Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks 

Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood

Stand By Your Man by Tammy Wynette

All Shook Up by Elvis Presley

Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash

Standing Outside the Fire by Garth Brooks

Don't Forget To Remember Me by Carrie Underwood

The Beaches of Cheyenne by Garth Brooks

Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley

Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash

Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood

Jolene by Dolly Parton
Small Town by John Mellencamp

Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley 

The Battle of Nashville by Johnny Cash

The Thunder Rolls by Garth Brooks
Jack and Diane by John Mellencamp

Wide Open Spaces by Dixie Chicks

Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley

Unanswered Prayer by Garth Brooks

Ballad Of A Teenage Queen by Johnny Cash

Country Roads by John Denver

Beautiful Memphis by Johnny Cash

9 to 5 by Dolly Parton

I Wonder by Kellie Pickler

That Summer by Garth Brooks

*My Washington playlist kind of hinges on the fact that I love so many bands that rebel against government! Not very patriotic to the USA but I can't help it. And, I included Crazy in Love by Beyonce because I saw Barrack Obama dancing to it on Ellen and loved him.*

Washington

Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2 

60% by NOFX

We Didn't Start The Fire by Billy Joel

USA-Holes by NOFX

Crazy in Love by Beyonce

Seeing Double at the Triple-Rock by NOFX

Dear Mr President by Pink

The Marxist Brothers by NOFX

Mr Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra

The Man I Killed by NOFX

The District Sleeps Alone by The Postal Service

Benny Got Blowed Up by NOFX

Kissing the Lipless by The Shins

Leaving Jesusland by NOFX

Life in Technicolour Part 2 by Cold Play

Getting High On the Down Low by NOFX

Jesus of Suburbia by Green Day

*So many cool songs that mention New York City so I included some of them plus a few songs which I felt would be perfect to finish my trip on!*

Manhattan

I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab for Cutie

Moving to New York by The Wombats
America by Razorlight
Waterfall by The Stone Roses

English Man In New York by Sting and The Police

Hey There Delilah by The Plain White T's

For the First Time by The Script

We Are Young by Fun

Baba O'Reilly by The Who

Angel of Harlem by U2

Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson

She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5

Alone by Heart

Buck Rogers by Feeder

The Mixtape by Jacks Mannequin

Mixtape by Butch Walker

So that's my provisional playlist of songs for my trip! I've literally spent the past three hours with my dad and sister coming up with these songs and I'm obviously going to come up with a bunch more over the next week and a half, but its good to have a provisional list. My blessed little sister has agreed to take care of my iPod for my in terms of loading all the songs on as its so time-consuming and she's doing it as a kind of 'going away' present. She'll add a few songs which she thinks I'll like too as a surprise, so I can't wait.

Can you think of any other songs which should be on my playlist? Are you laughing at my (so-called by my sister) 'terrible' taste in music? Have you ever been on a trip like I'm doing?

Love and snuggles

gabriellasofia

x

2012 Summer Adventure... USA Road Trip Itinerary

I recently mentioned in a blog post that I'm heading to the United States with G Adventures for between four and five weeks. I'm going to be flying out to Los Angeles on the 21st of June and won't be flying back until the 27th of July so I have to fill that time with lots of fun things! My G Adventures tour begins in San Francisco on the 30th of June and lasts until the 22nd of July traveling across the country hitting up big cities and national parks alike. So as you can see, I have about a week either side of my tour, one in Los Angeles (some of which time I'll be traveling to San Francisco in time for the tour) and one in New York city where my uncle is currently living so I hope to share some time with him there! I'll probably do a post about the things I'd like to do either side of my tour. HOWEVER, this post is all about my actual Coast-to-Coast Road Trip Eastbound itinerary, so check out what I'll be doing...

30^th June 2012

5.00pm Arrive at Best Value Inn 505 O’Farrell Street For G-Adventures Tour!

Day 1 San Francisco

1^st July 2012

Day 2 San Francisco/Yosemite NP (L,D)

3 hours travelling

2^nd July 2012

Day 3 Yosemite NP (B,L,D)

3^rd July 2012

Day 4 Yosemite NP/Bishop (B,L,D)

4 hours and 30 minutes travelling

4^th July 2012

Day 5 Death Valley NP/Las Vegas (B,L)

7 hours and 30 minutes travelling

5^th July 2012

Day 6 Las Vegas

FREE DAY

6^th July 2012

Day 7 Las Vegas/Grand Canyon NP (L,D)

5 hours travelling

7^th July 2012

Day 8 Grand Canyon NP/Monument Valley (B,L)

3 hours and 30 minutes travelling

8^th July 2012

3 hours 30 minutes travelling

Day 9 Monument Valley/Mesa Verde NP

1 hour travelling

Mesa Verde NP/Durango

9^th July 2012

Day 10 Taos/Santa Fe (B,L,D)

4 hours travelling

10^th July 2012

Day 11 Santa Fe (B)

FREE DAY

11^th July 2012

Day 12 Carlsbad (B,D)

6 hours 30 minutes travelling

12^th July 2012

Day 13 Fort Stockton/San Antonio (B,L,D)

7 hours 30 minutes travelling

13^th July 2012

45 minutes travelling

Day 14 The Alamo (B,L,D)

3 hours 30 minutes travelling

Houston

14^th July 2012

3 hours 30 minutes travelling

Day 15 Lafayette/New Orleans (B)

2 hours travelling

15^th July 2012

Day 16 New Orleans

FREE DAY

16^th July 2012

Day 17 Memphis (L,D)

6 hours 30 minutes travelling

17^th July 2012

Day 18 Memphis/Nashville (B,L,D)

3 hours 30 minutes travelling

18^th July 2012

Day 19 Wytheville (B,L,D)

6 hours travelling

19^th July 2012

Day 20 Shenandoah NP/Washington DC (B,L,D)

5 hours 30 minutes travelling

20^th July 2012

Day 21 Washington DC (B)

21^st July 2012

3 hours travelling

Day 22 Philadelphia/New York City at Manhattan Hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave (at West 103rd St) New York

2 hours travelling

22^nd July 2012

Day 23 New York City

END OF TOUR

As you can see, I am going to be spending A LOT of time traveling in the mini bus which G Adventures are using to transport us from one destination to the next, however, I don't mind because the views are supposed to be amazing AND the mini bus has wifi also, so I should hopefully be able to blog my experiences. I think I'm most excited about the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas (as it will be the 4th of July!!!), Yosemite, New Orleans, Nashville and Memphis. These are places where I may never get to go again, so I'm really excited and eager to make the most of my time. 

I booked the tour through STA travel and I have paid for the tour, my flights, and my insurance all by myself with savings from my past three years of university loan. HOWEVER, STA did give me 15% off my tour, £100 off my flights with British Airways and £50 off my travel insurance as I mentioned that I hope to blog about my summer and inquired about any discounts they may possibly be able to offer. The lady at my local STA, Dawn, was absolutely lovely and more helpful than probably anyone else I know. In fact, she even calls me every now and then to make sure I'm as organised as I should be (organizing my accommodation pre and post tour, applying for my ESTA form which is necessary to enter the USA, booking my Greyhound bus and more) and I almost feel like I speak to her as often as I speak to my friends. 

If you guys are crazy, book an outrageous long tour across America like me! Haha. And if not, I'll try and blog often enough that you can live vicariously through me. Expect posts about packing my backpack, planning my weeks in Los Angeles and New York, writing up wish-lists of the beauty bits I'm going to try and buy while I'm away. I'm actually not planning on buying many clothes this year, as I won't have much suitcase space, but lipsticks and eye shadows and blushers and... ahh you know the deal!

Are you going away this summer? Have you ever been backpacking? Is there anything I ought to know?

Love and snuggles

gabriellasofia

x