Tuesday Travel Inspiration: Road Warrior Glam

Not too long ago, I shared a post showcasing 7 ways to amp up your wardrobe. As I've been traveling throughout this spring, I've been on the lookout for even more ways to rock an outfit without sacrificing too much space in my carry on.

From air travel to road trips, traveling for business can make it difficult to only pack the necessities. At least, it's difficult for me as I'm a recovering over-packer trying to make it as a carry-on-only traveler. I know I'll need the slacks and blouse, but what about an outfit for the reception afterwards, or for a night spent relaxing at a low-key pub? What if I need comfy clothes for the long haul drive back home, or for getting a morning workout in? And don't even get me started on the jewelry.

Sure, I get that not everyone is this kind of traveler. But for me, dressing for success is part of what helps to inspire a rockstar attitude. If I love what I'm wearing, and feel comfortable in the outfit, I'm ready to take on a long day of meetings, presentations, or chat with students on campus all day.

So for today's #TravelTuesday inspiration, we're going to dive into some fashion tips for all the road warriors out there. The most important lesson to take away from these before we even get started: make them work for YOU. As unique as our style of travel may be, so are the ways we rock an outfit. Get creative, make it your own, and keeping on doing you, boo boo.

Tuesday Travel Inspiration: Optimism

I was reading a beautiful post a friend of mine recently wrote about "flopping" through life and it got me thinking. First, of what an amazing writer she is, and second: how true it is that everyday represents another chance to pick ourselves up off the ground, and try again. Flop. I just love that word.

This #TravelTuesday, I'm giving a moment to the optimism the keeps us dreaming, keeps pushing us forward, and keeps us smiling when all we really feel like doing is crying in the shower. There have been many times I've called myself a fatal optimist, but I'd like to think it has more positive connotations than not. As important as it is process pain and negativity, it's even more important to find a silver lining; reminding ourselves that even if we didn't get what we wanted, what we need is just around the corner.

The more I see and learn of the world, the more I believe this to be true. I've barely taken a bite out of what there is to experience, but from what I've tasted so far there is one lesson that stands out from the rest:

Glam on the Go: 7 Ways to Amp Up Your Wardrobe

Want more ensembles? Comin' at ya!

I'm just going to come out and say it: I love clothes.

Not just the clothes, but how you can mix and match them, what accessories to pair them with, and how they can make you feel ready to take on the world. 

I'm not a person with a never-ending budget, so shopping for clothing is also about getting the most for less. This is particularly true when I'm shopping for outfits I regularly pack in my suitcase for work conferences, short jaunts, or weeks on the road.

I've been on a countdown to fly out to California to see my family this week and as it's the holiday season, I've thus been on the hunt for outfits I can bring home for the occasion. When you have three younger sisters, it's also about what you bring home to share with them. And let's be honest: the four of us girls like to taunt each other with unique finds (while I figure out ways to sneak them into my suitcase before they notice).

Today on What Would Jane Do, I'm bringing you some of my tips for finding outfits to help you stand out from the crowd this holiday season. 

Full disclosure, I'm no fashion expert but I love having fun with outfits and working with what you've got. I have what can described as a quirky style, and will wear the heck out of the things I love. You can click the link to see all my favorite everyday ensembles.

Tuesday Travel Inspiration: Hope

I've been thinking a lot about hope lately.

In the wake of all that has happened in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), and its impact on my friends and colleagues there, clinging to hope has become a source of motivation and keeping a positive attitude.

Hope is what I reached for when we lost communication with our GoAbroad Asia offices during the storm, when word started trickling in regarding staff safety, and as I viewed image after image of the sheer devastation done to the country.

It was heartbreaking to see and hear about things from thousands of miles away; I don't even begin to imagine what it must have been like for those who lived it. I still struggle to even know how to write about this. I can only send my hopes for recovery, trusting in the strength that defines the Filipino people, and all the volunteers providing on the ground relief support.

Thus, it seems appropriate that today's #TravelTuesday be about the hope that guides us - through the good times and through the darker ones.

An Ode to Autumn, Travel and My Father

Does anyone else enjoy how autumn comes swinging into season? Yes, the bad pun was intended. I guess it depends on where you call home. For Northern Colorado, it seems to have arrived over night. Colors are changing left and right and and my level of excitement at getting new boots was probably considered inappropriate. Or not, if you're also a sucker for this season and the wardrobe that accompanies it.

Regardless, the crisp air, crunchy leaves, and variety of lattes I probably don't need reinvigorate my spirit like no other time of year. As the equinox came and went this past weekend, it also had me thinking a lot about my father. Yes, there is a connection that will eventually make sense here.

His birthday falls--another bad pun, get used to it--on the first day of Autumn and this year marked birthday number 52 for him. If you're like me, living far away from family means celebrating birthdays with a phone call and an embarrassing gift delivered via post. It takes getting used to and I still hate that I can't be there in person. At the same time, I've come to realize that's it's also a chance to better appreciate these people.

And my father - dorky, stubborn and peanut m&m hogging man that he is - deserves some serious appreciation.

Mid-Week Travel Inspiration

Sometimes you just need to hear this. And when it's the middle of the week, you have a big presentation to be prepping for, AND you're running low on coffee....well, like I said, you just need to hear this. 

Here's wishing everyone out there a good ol' aren't-you-glad-you've-made-it-halfway-through-the-workweek. Does it seem to matter that many of us had a holiday on Monday and so it's not really halfway? Nope. Doesn't matter one bit :)

Tuesday Travel Inspiration: Home

It's another mildly-snowy day here in Northern Colorado and I'm getting that itchy-feet feeling I usually associate with travel. Perhaps it's because this weather reminds so much my time spent in Scotland; or perhaps it's simply a side effect of living with the travel bug. Either way, it helps to have images that on hand that satisfy my travel cravings for the time being. 

The photo I'm sharing below is one I captured while en route from one place to another, accompanied by one of my favorite travel quotes. It's a saying I've come back to again and again throughout my life, especially as I've traveled more. There really is no place like home, but at the same time, I consider every place I visit to be a sort of home. It's this mindset that has granted me with the memories I hold and look back upon. Don't you owe it yourself to experience the same?

No matter where you go, or who you meet, or what adventures you have, there is always something to appreciate. I hope this helps to inspire your inner traveler as much as it does mine :) Happy travels!

Click to enlarge the image

Put a Smile On Your Face & Hug Someone

Most of the airports I find myself in, there isn't anyone there to meet me besides a shuttle, rental car or a solo drive home. If you or I are lucky, though, this isn't always the case. Sometimes there's a face there waiting to greet you beyond the arrivals gate.

I've seen so many of these faces lately. Some are wreathed in smiles, others anxiously pace, some cradle bouquets of flowers; and then there are the others who simply stand patiently at the gate--expectant, waiting and with the knowing look of someone who has something to look forward to.

I don't know about you, but it's these simple moments of greeting and reunion that define the spirit of travel.

Into Thin Air: Travel Traditions & Flying

I've been thinking about travel traditions quite a bit lately. Maybe it's because I have an upcoming trip home tomorrow and I'm eager to hop aboard the flight. Or perhaps it was because of seeing the Polish airliner that safely crash-landed in Warsaw yesterday. Either way, the traditions we associate with travel and what they mean to us have been on my mind.

Even if you don't realize it, I'm sure there is some tradition (or perhaps superstition?) that occurs whenever you travel.Whether it's triple-checking to make sure you locked a car door, or calling/texting a loved one after your flight lands, these are characteristics that define us just as anything else might. 

So why are they meaningful? Why do they become a habit in the first place? As unpredictable as life can be, I think the real question is, how can they NOT become a habit?