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Style > Beauty

Earth Lovers: From Bikinis to Hiking Boots

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Today’s shower time: showered in 5.5 minutes last night and today can only be better
The shower situation: will have less than 1 hour to get to class after running
Why you should come back tomorrow: to see how short showers benefit my hectic Mondays

My (formerly) lengthy showers are problematic on family vacations. Quickness in the bathroom is a must when four people (or three these days) have one shower and a serious agenda to conquer. My parents will be very excited to see how my new shower mantra holds up this summer. Plus, I’m now going to add The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Cleansing Wipes to my travel kit. My mom was onto the benefits of Tea Tree oil a while ago, but these wipes are easy to use and perfect for fast paced vacations.

My dad is the vacation man. We don’t vacation like most people. There is very little relaxing. In Disney we were up while it was still dark so we could take in all the rides before the parks got crowded. In NYC we walked 13+ miles a day. I don’t think we’ll ever take a cruise – unless you can stop at a president’s home for a few hours.

I have no problem admitting that at 21 (almost 22) I still love taking vacations with my parents. My sister can rarely go, and we miss her, but we always have a great time. We’ve been very fortunate to have the ability and opportunity to travel every year.

As I said in a previous post, part of this challenge is about recognizing how amazing our surroundings are. There are so many incredible places and there is beauty everywhere. Vacations are a great opportunity to see new things, meet diverse people and take in cultures unique to yours.

We’re starting to discuss where we’ll go this somewhere. We haven’t figured out when we’ll vacation – since the real world is in my future – but we will get somewhere. We’ve discussed the state of Washington, Canada, the Grand Tetons and a possible return to Boston. Below I’ll share photos from some of my favorite places. Where should we go this summer? We love history and outdoor activities. Please share some of your favorite places.

Pictured below:

  • My parents in NYC
  • My mom and I in NYC
  • My sister, grandma, uncle and I in Phoenix
  • My boyfriend and I in Puerto Rico
  • Acapulco
  • My dad and I in D.C.
  • My boyfriend and I in NYC
  • My sister and I in Miami
  • Brookgreen Gardens in Myrtle Beach

NewYork

MomandIstatue

PuertoRico

DC

BridgeNY

Miami

MyrtleBeach

Alissa is finishing up her senior year at the University of Illinois, and is majoring in journalism with a minor in cinema studies. In addition to working for campus media and Champaign-based publications, Alissa has had reporting internships throughout Chicago. When she's not writing, she loves to read, run, practice yoga and cheer on the Illini. Alissa is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and I Pride. Alissa fully embraces the idea that she'll be close to broke next year but will save whatever she earns to keep traveling with her family and boyfriend. She loves almost every big city and changes her mind daily between living in New York City, D.C., Chicago and Miami.