Disclaimer: This post contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!

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I travel A LOT. I own three bags currently from LO & SONS and they are the best! They fit so much in them and they really help to keep you organized while traveling abroad. I really love the small Waverly cross-body that can transition to a belt bag. It’s super convenient and small!

I just noticed that they’re having a sale (up to 60% off) a lot of their bags.

Here are the ones that I would recommend:

THE OG 2 LARGE

I have this one in black with the gold hardware. Originally 333 - 338 and on sale for 170.10 - 179.10.

The O.G. 2 Large: Lightweight Overnight Tr...

The Lo & Sons O.G. 2 is a lightweight yet super functional overnight travel bag designe... [More]

Price: $236.60

Buy Now

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THE CATALINA DELUXE

I have the onyx. Originally 153 - 158 and on sale for 86 to 112.50.

The Catalina Deluxe Large: Women's Weekend...

The Catalina Deluxe weekender is available in 13 different colors: dove grey, thistle, ... [More]

Price: $158.00

Buy Now

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THE WAVERLY 2

I just bought this one. I have been on the hunt for a small cross-body/belt-bag for when I travel. I bought the black with gold hardware (sensing a trend haha) in the saffiano leather. I got the saffiano over the nappa leather since the saffiano is specially treated to be scratch and weather-resistant so it doesn’t show as much wear. Onsale for $84-88.

The Waverley 2 Large - Convertible Leather...

The Lo & Sons Waverley 2 was designed with an adjustable strap which allows to convert ... [More]

Price: $175.00

Buy Now

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If you buy one, let me know what your thoughts are! :)

We just returned from our 2 week babymoon to Croatia. What a wonderful country! From the people to the sites, to the food, it was all-around an amazing experience.

While traveling during normal times can have it’s challenges, traveling during a worldwide pandemic can especially be challenging.

Despite the extra hoops to jump through, my husband and I really wanted to travel somewhere before we welcome our new addition in January. This trip was planned and replanned probably 7 times at least. We started off originally going on safari in Kenya and then ending the trip in Oman. While Kenya reopened to tourists starting September 1, they omitted US citizens coming from Texas and California and a couple other states. Option 2 was Hawaii. I planned a full 2 week itinerary to Kauai as their quarantine was to be lifted on August 31st. Around mid-August, the governor instituted a mandatory inter-island quarantine for anyone traveling from Maui to Kauai. While we were not going to Maui and therefore did not need to quarantine, all the tour companies cancelled our excursions and restaurants began to close.

After planning several extensive itineraries, I began to get discouraged as it didn’t look as if any travel plans that I made were going to come to fruition. I told my husband ok so last ditch effort, we are going to Croatia! If that doesn’t work out, then we’re spending 2 weeks in Tulum in Mexico in a beach house haha. Putting together custom itineraries is a very time consuming process with all the research that goes into it, so as you can imagine, I was getting burnt out.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

I began to research the specifics on what we would need to get into Croatia and how we were going to get there. First off - COVID testing requirements. In order to enter Croatia, you can bypass the mandatory 14 day quarantine by getting a negative COVID PCR test within 48 hours of crossing the border OR you can enter the country with an “expired” negative result and retest on arrival. If you choose option 2, then you have to quarantine until the results are available.

This part isn’t super complicated unless you are leaving on a holiday (Labor Day) and all the labs are closed. Due to our flights, which I will talk about next, we had to take a test and have the results on the day of our flight, which was Labor Day. I had to find a place that offered COVID testing for people that are not experiencing symptoms that also had their own in house lab and that was open on a holiday. Are you overwhelmed yet? LOL. Anything is possible though when you really want to go somewhere!

FLIGHTS

With testing figured out, next up was our flights. Due to travel restrictions and lack of travelers, flights were getting cancelled left and right. There are no direct flights from Dallas to Croatia and all the ones with stops had a very long layover (I’m talking 30+ hours to get there) and were also very expensive. A travel hack that I’ve learned is to find a direct flight into a popular European hub (such as London or Paris) and then search for a flight on a local airline such as Easyjet or Ryan Air. Flights intra-Europe can be extremely cheap if you use this option. For example, our flight from Pula, Croatia to LHR was 8 euro! For a flight that was showing as more than 2k on google flights to fly from DFW to Dubrovnik, I got for 70k AA points (~700 dollars) plus an additional 80 dollars pp.

We had originally booked a British Airways flight from LHR to Dubrovnik on the same day (so arriving on September 8th) but the UK re-instituted their quarantine coming from Croatia for their citizens so BA ended up canceling all of their flights to/from Croatia. Luckily, I was able to get a flight on EasyJet that left on September 9th from Gatwick to Dubrovnik. This is why we had to get our COVID tests the day of our flight to London since we wouldn’t be arriving into Croatia until 2 days later.

Excited about our first flight since February!

With flights booked and COVID test appointments made, the next thing to figure out was if we could transfer airports in London and how to do it. As I said, we were landing into LHR and our flight to Croatia wasn’t until the next day out of Gatwick. Gatwick airport is located south of London and there are several ways to get there during normal situations. One reason that we chose to fly into London was that US citizens can actually enter the UK, whereas, places like France and Germany we cannot. This was a contingency plan in case our flights were cancelled or there was a missed connection. If there is one thing I’ve learned from this experience, it was to have a backup plan for your backup plan. In order to figure out if we could transfer airports, I did a ton of research on my own but eventually resorted to trip advisor for some locals input.

UK BORDER CROSSING

In order to enter the UK, you had to fill out a locator form that had where you would be spending your time quarantining and for how long you would be in the UK. We were just staying for 24 hours so I filled out the paperwork with all of our information and submitted electronically 48 hours prior to arrival. The UK’s quarantine rules stated that you shouldn’t use public transportation in order to get to your quarantine location. When we arrived into London, we checked out prices on taxis (150 pounds is the standard rate) and then I checked Uber which was half the price. We ended up taking an Uber from Heathrow to Gatwick once we landed.

We were very nervous about the whole landing process and going through border control and then taxi-ing to our hotel. Concerns were: how strict will they be? how will we get food? what if our flight is cancelled?. The list goes on as I’m sure you can imagine.

Being nervous about everything, I had made and looked into several options if anything did happen. When landing in LHR, the border crossing was so smooth. It was like pre-pandemic except with less people. All the border guards were super chill. They asked if we’d filled out our locator form and to see it. I showed it to them and they asked where we were headed. We told them Croatia and they got very excited and wished us well on our journey. Like I said super easy! We made it through the border, grabbed our luggage, grabbed a quick breakfast, and then hoped in our Uber to head to Gatwick airport.

Hotels, EasyJet flight, and Croatia border crossing, to be continued in Part 2!

I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve been reading a ton during this pandemic (or should I say listening 😜). These are some of the books that I have read and enjoyed most recently. If you’re looking for a good book to help pass the time, then check one of these out!

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THE UNHONEYMOONERS

Just finished this quick, fun read! Great for the summer and to help squash your travel woes.

IN FIVE YEARS

Sad but good!

THE HENNA ARTIST

Super intriguing book about a local henna artist sub cumming to the local gossip.

THE NIGHT TIGER

People become intertwined as an old Chinese superstition is played out.

CITY OF GIRLS

Coming of age story.

THE LOST GIRLS OF PARIS

Hidden women who helped to win the war.

THE SCENT KEEPER

This book was so different than what I normally read and I really enjoyed it!

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ABOUT ME:

I was born in Mississippi but raised a Tennessee girl! I attended undergrad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where I received my degree in Biochemistry. I then proceeded to go to pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with my last 3 years in Knoxville. (Go VOLS!) 6 years ago I followed my sweetheart to Dallas, Texas, where I have been ever since!

I am currently a practicing Inpatient Pharmacist with a love for traveling. I love to get off the beaten path and go places/do things that are not the normal “tourist” thing to do. I love hiking and adventure travel!

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Follow me: @thatblondetravels

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Disclaimer: This Good Books to Make it Through a Pandemic list contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees but support me to keep this site running!

I am an over packer - there I said it. It feels good to get that off my chest so now we can move on to more important things, like Away’s new expandable luggage!

I recently acquired Away’s new expandable luggage because I needed a new suitcase for an upcoming trip. The plan was to be in Peru for 2 weeks and then return and leave the next day for Manchester and Edinburgh. ‘Rona happened and messed up my travel plans, hence not actually needing another suitcase after all.

Regardless, I was able to test the new suitcase out on our girl’s trip in February to Mexico. I know, I know, why do you need a medium size suitcase to go to the beach?!? (We’ve already established that I’m an over packer..sooooo - let me live! LOL!) I really did just want to test this new bag out though so I could make sure that it would work for me and I got a free checked bag so, why not?

Compared to their normal Medium hard sided luggage - this bag can fit a lot more. I often have trouble getting the regular medium to fit all of my stuff so this is really nice.

All-in-all, I really loved this new Away bag! I had actually ordered another suitcase set that was recommended by another blogger off of Amazon. It was terrible. The set was $130. The wheels did not glide well and the zipper was crap (I could see it busting open after one use.). I know that Away bags can be rather pricey, but I believe that they are completely worth it! Not only are the bags great, but their customer service is phenomenal as well. I had my handle get stuck open on a trip and I mailed it to them and they fixed it at no charge and no charge on shipping either!

Just think of these bags as an investment into your travel future. Your future self will thank you!

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All images provide by Away Travel

Disclaimer: This post contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees, but support me to keep this site running!

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I travel A LOT. I own two bags currently from LO & SONS and they are the best! They fit so much in them and they really help to keep you organized while traveling abroad.

I just noticed that they’re having a sale (up to 50% off) a lot of their bags.

Here are the ones that I would recommend:

THE OG 2 LARGE

I have this one in black with the gold hardware. Originally 333 - 338 and on sale for 233.10 - 236.60.

The O.G. 2 Large: Lightweight Overnight Tr...

The Lo & Sons O.G. 2 is a lightweight yet super functional overnight travel bag designe... [More]

Price: $236.60

Buy Now

---

THE CATALINA DELUXE

I have the onyx. Originally 153 - 158 and on sale for 107.10 - 110.60.

The Catalina Deluxe Large: Women's Weekend...

The Catalina Deluxe weekender is available in 13 different colors: dove grey, thistle, ... [More]

Price: $158.00

Buy Now

---

THE WAVERLY 2

I just bought this one. I have been on the hunt for a small cross-body/belt-bag for when I travel. I bought the black with gold hardware (sensing a trend haha) in the saffiano leather. I got the saffiano over the nappa leather since the saffiano is specially treated to be scratch and weather-resistant so it doesn’t show as much wear.

The Waverley 2 Large - Convertible Leather...

The Lo & Sons Waverley 2 was designed with an adjustable strap which allows to convert ... [More]

Price: $175.00

Buy Now

---

If you buy one, let me know what your thoughts are! :)

I hope that everyone had a great holiday season spending it with loved ones and friends! I took this time to relax and recharge.

I spent Christmas in Mississippi with my family. We ate so much food! I am still detoxing from that. I spent New Year’s at the hospital working and then went to bed early since I also worked the next day. (I know, no fun!)

This post is slightly delayed but I wanted to make sure that I had enough time to reflect and recharge for the upcoming year. The year 2019 was a busy year for me. I started my own travel agency and lifestyle/travel blog, “That Blonde Travels”, went on some memorable back to back trips (see Iceland and Spain and Eastern Europe), and planned a ton of amazing trips for people!

I wanted to take a moment and share my 2020 goals and travel plans with you. I want to make this space as useful and inspiring for you as possible, so if there’s something you want to see on my blog (or elsewhere), please share it with me in the comments below to help me plan out my areas of focus for 2020.

MY 2020 GOALS

Here’s what I want to achieve in the first half of 2020:

Work on cohesive branding for my travel business plus blog. This is something that I neglected during the start of my business and I want to make sure that the branding really reflects my personality and vision.

Edit photos from past trips. I really want to focus on editing my photos so that I can post some of my own shots to my blog and also for a more cohesive look on instagram.

Make additional updates to my website. I want to update my homepage better highlight my business and get more readers on my blog, create a better landing page for Instagram, update my email list opt-in, and add an ‘about me’ section to the bottom of blog posts for new readers.

Spend time learning SEO and updating all my webpages to get more unique views.

Launch a new webshop. I want to make pre-built itineraries to popular destinations that people can purchase and do-it their-self.

MY 2020 TRAVEL PLANS

January – Spending the month recharging and getting trips ready for the rest of the year.

February – I’ll be heading on a girl’s trip to one of my favorite resorts in Mexico, Excellence Riviera Cancun.

March – I will be heading to London and Paris with my cousin due to a super cheap flight deal that I found! I cannot wait. I have never been to these cities. I can’t wait to eat and see all the things.

April – We’re heading back to the Masters in Augusta, GA. For those that have never been, this is such a fun experience and the food is delicious!

May – My group trip to Peru is taking place this month. If you haven’t checked it, then please take a look (It’s going to be amazing!)

June – I am heading back to Mexico with my hubby to check out an amazing new resort that I have already booked for 2 couples. The food is supposed to be excellent so I can’t wait to try it out!

August – We are going on a Safari in Kenya and then extending the trip to either Norway or Amsterdam + Bruges + Brussels or Paris (still haven’t decided). I really want to do Norway but I feel like I need more days there than 7.

September/October – PTO freeze at my hospital due to our new 200 bed tower opening so unfortunately no vacations planned this month.

WHAT’S NEXT

At the moment I have at least 15 blog post drafts sitting in my notes, some from my time in New Zealand, Spain, and Eastern Europe. So, I’m pushing to get those out to you over the next few months.

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Thank you for your continued support and for all the kind messages. They keep me going, and they inspire me on a daily basis. Cheers to 2020, let’s make this year one to remember!

Written by: Lauren Pijut

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www.thatblondetravels.com

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The holidays are the perfect time to curl up under a blanket with a festive book and cup of hot chocolate. Today, I'm going to share my favorite holiday book authors.

The first is a series by Elin Hilderbrand called 'The Winter Series'- there are a total of four books in this collection. It follows the same family, owners of a charming bed and breakfast, through four Christmases on Nantucket. You may laugh and cry, but you won't be disappointed!

Her new winter novels are part of the Paradise Series, set in the Bahamas, the second one just came out this October. I have read the first book in this series and must say I prefer the ones set in Nantucket so far. It's hard to get in the holiday mood when it's taking place at the beach, at least for this mid-western gal!

One Day in December was a Reese Book Club x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick last year. I devoured this book- it is basically a Hallmark Movie. So if you are into the cheesy romantics- this one is for you!

I haven't read read books by Mary Kay Andrews or Nancy Thayer, but I know they release new holiday reads every year!

Is there a book or author that gets you in the spirit?! Comment Below!!

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Disclaimer: This Holiday Reading List contains Affiliate Links for products I’m currently using. By using these links you won’t pay any additional fees but support me to keep this site running!

** will continue to update this while all the sales are coming out so stay tunned! **

PLEASANT HOLIDAYS DEALS:

• ASIA | THAILAND

  • Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok | Stay 4/Pay 3. Valid for travel through 10/01/2020.

• CARIBBEAN | DOMINICAN REBUBLIC

  • Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana | Up to 50% Off room rate and room upgrade* In select room categories PLUS Limitless Resort Credit! Book 11/25/19 - 12/3/19 for travel 11/25/19 - 12/20/20. *Room upgrade valid for travel through 12/21/19.

  • Majestic Mirage Punta Cana | Up to 55% Off! Book by 11/30/19 for travel 12/24/19 - 12/23/20.

• CARIBBEAN | JAMAICA

  • Couples Negril | 7th Night FREE PLUS $250 Resort Credid. Book 11/26/19 - 12/2/19 for travel 4/16/20 - 12/24/20.

• COSTA RICA | GUANACASTE

  • Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Costa Rica | Kids stay FREE! Book by 12/9/19 for select travel through 12/23/20.

  • The Westin Golf Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal | Up to 43% Off! Bookings made by 11/30/19 for travel 1/2/20 - 4/30/20.

• EUROPE | PARIS

  • Hotel Napoleon Champs Elysees Paris | 20% Off. Valid for travel through 3/29/19.

• EUROPE | FLORENCE, ITALY

  • Hotel Brunelleschi | Stay 3/Pay 2. Valid for travel 1/10/20-2/29/20

• HAWAII | MAUI

  • Grand Wailea | Up to 50% Off, and receive a $15 resort credit per person per day (based on double occupancy) and 15% Off spa services. Valid for ravel through 12/24/20.

• HAWAII | OAHU

  • Moana Surfridger, A Westin Resort & Spa | Up to 50% Off, and receive daily Beach Club access for two and 15% Off spa services. Valid for travel through 1/2/21.

• MEXICO | CANCUN

  • Paradisus Cancun | Up to 45% Off and receive up to $1500 in resort coupons PLUS kids 12 & younger stay FREE*. Book 11/25/19-12/4/19 for travel 11/25/19 - 12/22/20. *Kids FREE promotion does not apply to travel 12/22/19 - 12/31/19 and 1/1//20 - 4/17/20; resort credit does not apply to travel 12/23/19 - 1/2/20.

• MEXICO | RIVIERA MAYA

  • The Fives Beach Resort & Residences | Up to 60% Off! Book by 12/5/19 for travel through 12/20/20.

• TAHITI | BORA BORA

  • Le Meridien Bora Bora | Up to 40% Off and receive dialy breakfast with a min 3-night stay. Book by 11/30/19 for travel 12/1/19 - 2/29/20.

• TAHITI | TAHAA

  • Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa | Up to 30% Off and receive daily breakfast and dinner with min 3-night stay. Valid for travel through 12/19/19 and 1/6/20 - 4/30/20.

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Check back in the next few days for Black Friday Sales and Cyber Monday deals!