#and there's still more being made (croatia and i think korea one)

[multi-babii]

i still can't get over the fact that isak and evan talk about parallel universes and how there are probably infinite versions of them and their relationship and then we get to see those parallel universes. and it was done before the remakes were a thing. like how crazy is that.

[dazombi3fari3]

Hey doll hey!!! How’s your day/night going? Great I hope. I had a pretty good day … but it’s night now here in Florida and I am starting to hurt pretty badly…. I think I over did it today.

I noticed that I haven’t done any Monthly Beauty Favorites so I thought I’d start a new series for this blog… hope you like it.

Before we start I just wanted to shade with you what I made for dinner tonight! I am so proud of myself. I’ve never made Salmon on my own… I always just order it from a restaurant… but with the national quarantine and all the sit down restaurants being closed I’ve had to step out of my  comfort zone and teach myself to cook things I normally would order out! so …. here it is …

Honey lemon Salmon and garlic butter and corn white rice. This dish was so sublime that I don’t think I’ll ever order Salmon when we go out to eat again!

Not all categories will have a high end and drugstore entry. Please Note that I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any of the products or companies that I mention in this blog post. * Warning this will be a long post … just grab a snack, something to drink and settle in … I promise you wont be sorry for reading this post….. Well … Without further ado …let’s get into my April 2020 Beauty Favorites.

Favorite Beauty Store:

Beautylish has got to be my all time favorite place to shop for all things beauty!! 

I’ve been shopping at Beautylish for well over 5 years. Their customer service is of the highest quality. Their shipping rate is a flat rate of $5 on all orders (in the US it’s $5 on all orders under $35 anything above $35 is free shipping). The only downside is that they are unable to ship to P.O. boxes. They offer flex payments on orders of $100 or more where you pay a down payment and then they spread the rest of the bill over  3 to 4 payments depending how much the bill comes to. The down payment amount also depends on the amount spent… For example: I just placed an order for $102. I paid $37 as the down payment and the rest was split into 3 equal payments to be due on the 1st of each month. The due date depends on the date of purchase. I tend to pay my flex payments off faster than the allotted time, but it’s great to know I have the 3 months just in case I need them. Beautylish also ships international the the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium,Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, U.K., and U.S. Beautylish carries the following brands:

A

Aethera Beauty

Allies of Skin

Alphabet Bags

Anastasia Beverly Hills

Anna Sui

Ardell

Artis

ARTISAN&ARTIST

B

beautyblender

Beautylish Presents

BeautySoClean

BECCA Cosmetics

belif

Benefit Cosmetics

Benjabelle

Billy B

Bioderma

bkr

boscia

Briogeo

Brush Works

Bumble and bumble.

BY TERRY

C

Caudalie

Charlotte Tilbury

Chemist Confessions

CHIKUHODO

Clean Apothecary

COOLA

COVER | FX

D

Danessa Myricks Beauty

Dominique Cosmetics

Dr. Barbara Sturm

DUO

E

Eau Thermale Avène

Embryolisse

EVE LOM

Evian

F

Farmacy

G

Glamcor

Good Molecules

H

Hampton Sun

Herbalore

HoliFrog

Hourglass

I

ILIA

Indie Lee

Inglot Cosmetics

IT Cosmetics

J

Jeffree Star Cosmetics

JILL STUART Beauty

Jo Malone London

Jouer Cosmetics

JUNO & Co.

K

Kevyn Aucoin

Kjaer Weis

Klorane

Koh Gen Do

KOYUDO

L

La Mer

LASHES IN A BOX

Lilly Lashes

LINA CHOO

Lit Cosmetics

Lixirskin

Lord Jones

Lucas’ Papaw Remedies

M

MAHALO Skin Care

Make-Up Atelier

Max & Me

May Lindstrom

Mila Moursi

Miss Fame Beauty

Moon Juice

MYKITCO.

N

Natasha Denona

Naturally Serious

Nomad Noé

Nudestix

O

Omorovicza

Oribe

P

Pai Skincare

Parian Spirit

Paw Palette

Peter Thomas Roth

Q

Quintessence Paris

R

R+Co

Rae Morris

Raincry

RCMA Makeup

ReFa

Rene Furterer

rms beauty

S

SACHAJUAN

Saint Jane Beauty

Seche

Sisley-Paris

Skin Inc Supplement Bar

Skindinavia

Slip

Smith & Cult

Smith Cosmetics

Sol de Janeiro

Sonia G.

St. Tropez

Stila

Sugarpill Cosmetics

Sulwhasoo

Sunday Riley

Surratt Beauty

Susanne Kaufmann

Suwada

T

T3

Takahashi Hiroko

Taos AER

TEMPTU

The Beauty Chef

The Brush Guard

The Ordinary.

The Sacred Ritual

TOM FORD

Too Faced

TRIA Beauty

Tweezerman

U

U Beauty

Uma

UNITS

V

VDL

Velour Lashes

Vintner’s Daughter

Viseart

Vital Proteins

Vueset

W

Wayne Goss

Z

ZIIP

Z•Palette

I truly love to shop with them because the take time to package my purchases with care, it never takes more than a week to get my packages (except for now, it’s taking about 2-3 weeks because of the Corona Virus), and they have a great return policy: Their website states that their return policy is: If you are less than completely satisfied with your purchase, you may return your order within 60 days (from the delivery date) for a refund. We regret that we are unable to cover return shipping costs or refund the original shipping and duties charges unless the return was due to our error. Products must be returned in new or gently used condition. If your product arrived either damaged or defective, please contact us right away. Sets/bundles are sold as-is and products cannot be substituted, customized, and/or returned individually.

I’ve never had any issues with their services, in fact there was 1 time around 3 years ago that I ordered something from the brand It Cosmetics and the wrong item was delivered to me, I contact them straight away and they sent me out the product I had originally ordered that same day and as a way to apologize for the mistake they even allowed me to keep the product that I had received in error.

  Favorite Amazon Beauty Finds:

Pixnor 5″3″ Stainless Steel Makeup Palette with Spatula Tool $6.99 on Amazon: I am so happy I purchased this!!  I use to apply foundation to the back of my hand and then bonce my sponge off my hand … what I found is that this would cause waste of product because some of the foundation would sink into my skin and I would have to use more foundation… now I just apply a few pumps onto the palette and there is zero waste. I also love the spatula because I can use it to scrape moisturizers out of the jar without having to use my fingers. I also use the spatula to mix dew drops into my foundation and now I don’t have a big mess on my hands. 

Segbeauty 5.4oz/160ml Continuous Spray Plastic Squirt Bottle With A Fine Mist $14.99 on Amazon: This bottle is a curly hair girls dream!! It provides just the right amount of moisture without over-wetting your hair. It has a 360 degree sprayer and it’s perfect for re-wetting hair in the morning to restyle and freshen up curls. This bottle has changed my hair game for the better.

Every Drop Beauty Spatula $5.89 on Amazon. I’ve always hated the thought that there was still product in the bottom and sides of my products after I’ve run out. I started cutting plastic tubes open to get every last drop on product out but with bottles you just can’t do that. I came across this little baby when I was just browsing the beauty tools section of Amazon one day and thought OH! PERFECT!!! This spatula gets all the way to the bottom, the sides, and even the shoulders of bottles! I now have zero waste with my beauty products. I love this item so much that I have ordered it’s baby sister product the Every Drop Lip Spatula for $5.49 I ordered 2 one for lipsticks and lip glosses and one for concealers and other small wand items. This has truly helped me not waste my money by allowing me to get every last drop of product out of their containers.

Favorite Makeup Tool:

Face Halo Makeup Remover Pads: $17.60 for a 3 pack on Amazon. This little puppy is the perfect accompaniment to my vastly growing Eco-friendly arsenal. I find that I do not use as much of my Bioderma now because I am not using it to take off my makeup before I use it as my first cleanse…. 1 round is enough to completely remove all of my makeup from my face, neck, and ear lobes! You just soak it with warm water and remove your makeup… and it does remove 100% of my makeup, including lash glue! I just simply wash it after every use and it dries quickly too. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a way to reduce your carbon foot print on the planet!

Favorite Makeover Product: 

Schwarzkopf Keratin Permanent Hair Color Cream in the shade 4.6 Intense Cocoa $9.97 on Amazon (but Amazon only allows you to purchase 1 so I ordered 3 more from Walgreens.com buy 2 get 1 free for the same price). This was the first time I used this product and I’ve gotta tell ya … This has got to be the BEST boxed hair color on the market. It has Anti-Breakage Technology called K·BOND-PLEX technology (that repairs inner hair structure) and a Pre-Color Serum (that leaves your hair looking healthy and strong, with less hair breakage). It also doesn’t have that harsh hair dye smell to it. In fact my hair smelled so good that it was like I had just simply washed my hair. The conditioner it comes with left my hair so smooth and soft and fluffy. I believe they use the same technology as Olaplex does because my hair felt as if I had just done an Olaplex treatment to it. This will definitely be a product I repurchase again and again. 

Favorite Candle:

Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel 3 Wick Candle: This sadly is my last Vanilla Bean Noel candle… I purchase this scent every year at Christmas time … I stock up when they have their holiday sale and typically purchase 20 of them… it’s just the best scent ever

Favorite Body Care Item:

Nivea Essentially Enriched Body Lotion with Almond Oil $5 at Walmart for 16.9 Fluid Ounces: I use to use Bath and Body Works body creams but with my Fibromyalgia I tend to get very sensitive itchy skin and have noticed that the Bath and Body Works creams would aggravate my already sensitive skin … So on a whim I picked this up a few months ago. Firstly a little of this goes a long way. It’s very creamy and very hydrating and has a soft Almond scent to it. It sinks in quickly and doesn’t leave me body feeling greasy. I’m pleasantly surprised at how wonderful this product is.

Favorite Hair Care Item:

Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother $28 for 3.3 fluid ounces at Sephora and No 7 Bonding Oil $28 for 1 fluid ounces at Sephora: These two products work together you add a few drops of the oil into the smoother and mix it together. I use this once about ever few days to revive my curls… since I don’t wash my hair everyday I need something to help my curls revive. I typically only wash my hair 1 time a week since I don’t put any hair products into my hair. This not only smells amazing, it leaves my hair soft and replenished and defines my curls when they start to go a bit frizzy. A little bit goes along way I only use a quarter sized amount of the smoother and about 5 drops of the oil. This is another item that has seriously upped my curly girl hair game.

Favorite Movie : (I know this isn’t beauty related, but I take my movie time to do my spa treatments … so I included it as a favorite.)

Synopsis: When Cecilia’s abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see. This was a very well thought out movie with lots of twists and turns. Highly Recomend.

Favorite Spa Day Item:

Revolution Skincare x Jake-Jamie Avocado Face Mask $11 for 1.6 ounces at Ulta: This mask is amazingly moisturizing. I use it once a week and my skin feels heavenly afterwards.

Favorite Skincare Item: 

I tried a ton of skincare in the month of April and there were several things that I loved but I would have to say that my all time favorite item(s) are as follows:

My 2 whole face (including eyes) serum routine: #1. Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum $12 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (it’s also sold on the Good Molecules website) and it’s function is to target fine lines, wrinkles, and dullness. #2. Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum $6 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (it’s also sold on the Good Molecules website) and it’s function is to replenish your skin’s moisture by drawing moisture into the skin for deep hydration.  My skin has never looks this good since I was in my teens. Both these serums are light weight and sink into the skin quickly and you only need 1/2 a dropper for your full face and neck … I also use whatever is left on my hands to rub into my hands as sort of a treat for my hands.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Light Face Sunscreen Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 60: $29.99 for 1.7 fluid ounces and I purchase mine through Amazon. Ever since I starting using this sunscreen I have decluttered all other facial sunscreens. This is the perfect consistency for me. It’s light weight and hydrating. It sinks into the skin amazingly fast. It doesn’t interfere with my makeup application and it doesn’t have that sunscreen scent. BONUS: It’s a 60+ sunscreen which is the ideal level of protection for the face. 

  Favorite Face Primer: 

Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer $39 for .5 ounces at Ulta and Sephora: I typically switch up my face primers every day or two but the one that I use everyday is this one. It just fills in my pores so well that I reach for it time and time again over all of my pore primers.

Favorite High End Foundation:

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation $44 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (but can also be purchased through Sephora and the Charlotte Tilbury website). As I said in my haul of this item this is such a beautiful foundation. I just can’t stop looking at my face anytime I’m wearing it. This full coverage foundation leaves my skin looking youthful and flawless. It plays well with dew drops mixed in and plays well with any primer. I will always have this foundation in my collections.

Favorite Drug Store Foundation: 

Believe Beauty Skin Finish Foundation: $5 for .85 fluid ounces only at Dollar General Stores. This foundation surprised me I truly didn’t believe that this was going to be a good foundation, however it is a FANTASTIC foundation and is  is a medium to full coverage. This is a semi-dewy foundation. What I mean is it’s just dewy enough to give you that youthful look without being to extreme. It lasts all day and doesn’t break down. I hope they never stop making this foundation!

Favorite High End BB/CC/Tinted Moisturizer: 

Tarte Maracuja Tinted Moisturizer $29 for 1 fluid ounce of product at Ulta. This is a super dewy product but not in a greasy sort of way. It’s light coverage and sets with powder nicely. This is such a beautiful product.. so much so that I purchased a back up just in case they pull it off the shelves. I find that it’s best to apply this one with your fingers since it’s such light coverage that using a sponge with soak it all up and using a brush will leave it looking streaky.

Favorite Concealer:

NYX Born to Glow Radiant Concealer $9 for .14 fluid ounces at Ulta. This is such a beautiful concealer! It doesn’t settle into my fine lines as long as I set it straight away upon application. It doesn’t crack throughout the day. A little tiny bit is all you need. It’s full coverage without being super thick. It gives an amazing glow to the under eye that can still be seen even after you set it with powder. I’d probably go out on a limb and say this may be my favorite concealer all year.

Favorite Cream Bronzer/Contour: I wont be having 2 categories for this one… mainly because I don’t have a drug store option for this category as of yet, I have since purchased a drug store option today.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand in the shade 2 Medium/Dark $38 for .41 fluid ounces purchased through Beautylish (but can be purchased at Sephora and the Charlotte Tilbury website). I can’t believe I am saying that this is my favorite!! I have loved the Chanel Soleil De Chanel cream bronzer for so long that I didn’t think anything would ever replace it! Sad to say the Chanel bronzer was discontinued and a new cream bronzer replaced it … it looks more hydrating than the one I have so I’m keen to try it however … let’s talk Hollywood Contour Wand shall we!? This is the first cream contour product I’ve ever tried (bronze to me didn’t seem as scary as cream contour did). It is easy to use, easy to blend in, and gives the skin a natural looking contour. This is a light weight very pigmented product. You don’t get much product for the price tag, however a very little goes a very long way. I use 1 squeeze ever 2 days (it’s a sponge tipped applicator so the product stays in the sponge… I just squeeze 1 time and have enough product left over on the sponge that the next day I just have to dot what remains over the perimeter of my face. Unlike the Chanel bronzer this product doesn’t disrupt my foundation underneath. I love this product so much that I place an order today for a back up. 

Favorite Matte Bronzer/Contour:

Mac Bronzing Powder in the shade matte bronze: $30 for .35 ounces of product. I’ve had this compact for probably way too long because it’s starting to get hard pan, so I scraped the hard pan off … the powder works fine. The picture of the hand on the left is without flash and the one on the right is with flash. It’s just the perfect everyday natural looking bronzer. You can’t over do it with this bronzer since it’s so light of coverage. I always love my look when I’m wearing this one.

Favorite Glowy Bronzer :

Tarte Limited Edition Park Ave Princess Waterproof Face & Body Bronzer $34 for .55 ounces of product at Ulta. I do love a good glowy bronzer and this one does not disappoint! It’s the perfect shade, has just the right amount of glow without having shimmer to it … it’s just this glow from within! I just love how my skin looks with this bronzer on.

Favorite Dewy Primer: 

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter in the shade #3 Light/Medium $44 for 1.01 fluid ounces on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased from Sephora or the Charlotte Tilbury website). Ever since getting this product in I have not been able to put it down! It’s freaking amazing!!! AMAZING! It has just enough of a tint that this could be worn alone for “No Makeup” makeup days and has the perfect amount of glow without having any shimmer to it. 1 swipe per zone is all you need of this primer. It’s not sticky or greasy and it does hold foundation nicely.

Favorite Cream Highlighter: 

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Light Wand $39 for .41 fluid ounces on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased from Sephora or the Charlotte Tilbury website). I have tried many cream highlighters and hate every single one, until this one came into my life! This highlighter is just magical! It doesn’t disrupt the foundation under neither, it melts into the skin seamlessly, and it has no glitter to it… just a natrual looking glow. The glow can still be seen even after setting it with powder! I haven’t been able to stop using it because I’m so in love with it.

Favorite High End Face Powder:

Too Faced Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder in the shade Translucent $33 for .53 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. This powder has the most beautiful finish ever! It give a slight glow to the skin without looking like glitter or shimmer. This one has taken the place of my beloved Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in my heart. I just never want to be without it!!! It doesn’t take much of this powder to set the full face either. I tap 3 shakes into the cap and that sets my full face! It even looks amazing under the eyes.

Favorite Drug Store Face Powder:

Believe Beauty Matte Blur Loose Powder in the shade Translucent $5 for .14 ounces of product sold only at Dollar General. This is such a light weight powder that sets the face flawlessly. It is matte but doesn’t leave the face looking cakey or dry. It even looks good under the eyes. I have repurchased this 2 time since discovering it and I have 2 back ups.

Favorite High End Finishing and Touch Up Setting Powder:

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder $45 for .28 ounces of product on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased at Sephora and on the Charlotte Tilbury website). This gives the prettiest soft focus to the face and doesn’t change the look of your makeup when you touch up with it. I find on days that I wear this one as a finishing powder I don’t have to touch up at all. I don’t quiet like this one as a setting powder, just as a finishing powder and touch up powder and sad to say I have hit pan … this is the most expensive pressed powder I own but it’s so worth it and I will definitely be repurchasing it when I’ve finished it.

Favorite Drug Store Finishing and Touch Up Setting Powder:

JCat Beauty AquaSurance Compact Foundation $13.99 for .31 ounces of product at Ulta. This is a spot on dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder. It’s basically a fuller coverage version and I can use it to set my set as well and I never have to touch up at all when I use this powder.

Favorite Powder Highlighter: 

Benefit Boxed Highlighter in the shade Cookie $30 for .28 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. OH BABY! This highlighter is so pretty and little is all you need. This is a beaming highlighter so definitely not for low maintenance makeup day but add this to your full glam look and watch out…. it’s the perfect highlighter to be noticed in.

Favorite Blush:

Tarte 12-HR Amazonian Clay Blush in the shade Captivating $29 for .2 ounce of product at Ulta and Sephora. This is the best just pinched shade I’ve ever owned. I wore it a ton in April and for good reason. It goes with everything from “No Makeup” makeup looks to full on glam looks. It lasts all day and is probably my all time favorite blush shade.

Favorite Lip Combo:

L’Oreal Rouge Signature Lightweight Matte Lip Stain ($5.99 at Ulta) in the shade 448 I-Tease (a soft taupey pink matte) a few dots of Makeup Geek Creme Stain ($11.99 on their website) in the shade Jitterbug (an intense coral matte) a touch of NARS Lip Gloss ($24 on the NARS website) in the shade Stripe Tease  (Sheer champagne nude). This makes the perfect shade for every look. I’ve worn this only for the past few days of April but I can already tell it will be worn a ton in the month of May.

Favorite Powder to Set My Under Eyes:

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder $28 for .14 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. This just leaves the under eyes looking flawless and it sets every concealer I own except the Dermablend concealer (that concealer is just too heavy and took emollient that nothing really sets it and I would return it but I lost the uni-carton it came in so Ulta wont take it back). I wish this came in a larger jar because I just know I will be repurchasing this over and over. It gives this soft focus glow to the under eye area that isn’t shimmery or glittery … just a sort of glow from within look.

Favorite Brow Pencil:

Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil $24 at Ulta and Sephora for .27 ounces of product. I have purchased this pencil 2 time since discovering it and I have 1 back up. This is just the most effortless brow product ever. I almost never have a bad brow day when I use this pencil. It’s a definite recommend in my book.

Favorite Brow Gel: 

Believe Beauty Eyebrow Styling Gel $4 for .2 ounces of product sold only at Dollar General. Even though it’s only got .2 ounces of product this brow gel lasts a long time. You only need 1 pass of the wand to fully set your brow. It is never crunchy and never goes flaky. The picture is of my back ups … this sucker goes fast at the store so I pick up 2 or 3 every time I go to Dollar General so I never run out. I adore this one so much that I never reach for my other brow gels.

Favorite High End Eye Shadow Palette: 

Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette $45. It has 8 matte shades and 8 shimmer shades and you get .48 total ounces of product and is sold at Ulta and Sephora. Some of my all time favorite looks this past month have come from this palette! I just adore it so much. Too Faced really hit it out of the park with this one.

Favorite Drug Store Eye Shadow Palette: (I have 3, 1 is a bit more pricier, 1 is mid-ranged and the other is super inexpensive)

ColourPop Bare Necessities 30 Pan Eyeshadow Palette $34 on the ColourPop website. I have created so many beautiful neutral eye looks with this palette! With 30 shades I never get bored of this one.

  Believe Beauty Eyeshadow Palette  in the color story: Nearly Nude $5 only sold at Dollar General. It’s just simple an amazing palette. I was highly impressed with this one. I got a few looks out of it and it’s the perfect size for travel.

  Catrice Basic Bae Eyeshadow Palette $14.99 at Ulta. This was the first thing I ever tried from Catrice and I was super impressed! The shadows are super pigmented and blend like a dream.

Favorite Eye Liner:

Charlotte Tilbury The Classic Powder Eye Pencil in the shade Audrey $22 on the Beautylish website (but can also be purchased at Sephora and on the Charlotte Tilbury website). Now this one was a surprise to me. I hated this pencil when I first tried it…. I could never get it to work… Well I finally figured it out and I am in love. It gives such a effortless look to the eyes when I use it. This will be a repurchase when I run out.

Favorite Mascara: 

Milani Dangerous Lengths 3D Mascara regularly $9.99 nut currently on sale for $7.49 at Ulta. This is another item that surprised me but ever since I’ve been conditioning my lashes with the Jamaican Black Castor Oil my lashes have been looking so nice and combined with the mascara I just fell in love…. I can’t believe I have a favorite mascara and it’s, for the first time in years, not the L’Oreal voluminous Carbon Black!!! This just gives a nice fluffy airy look to the lashes.

Favorite Inner Corner Highlight:

Hikari Creme Pigment in the shade Honey Dew $15 on their website. I have been using this for a few years now but I just can’t seem to stay away. It just give the prettiest lilt to the inner corners.

Favorite Setting Spray: (I have 2 this month)

ColourPop Hyaluronic Acid Setting Mist $12 for 3.72 fluid ounces of product at Ulta and on the ColourPop website. This setting spray smells like the beach and leaves the skin looking dewy and healthy. It holds your makeup fairly well … I don’t really need a setting spray that will hold my makeup on until the wee hours of the morning, I just need a spray that will take down the powderiness of freshly applied makeup.  I’ve been using this bottle for 2 months and I’m almost out of it. This makes me sad because it’s sold out everywhere. I think this may just be my favorite setting spray of the year.

Belif Aqua Bomb Mist $34 for 2 2.02 fluid ounces of product on the Beautylish website (but can also be purchased at Ulta and Sephora). This one adds tons of hydration to the skin and I love it as a touch up spray too. Lately I have been using it in combination with the other setting spray just to add a bit more hydration to my under eye area. 

Favorite Find of the Year So Far: 

HonHey Portable Hand Held Rechargeable Fan. $13 on Amazon. I purchased this back in the beginning of March but it has quickly become my favorite beauty extra! It helps me dry my setting spray and lash glue. It also helps keep me cooler when the hot lights of my makeup table start to make me over heat. It has a great charge life as well. 

Well … We have reached the end dolls. Thank you ever so much for hanging in there with this post …. I know it was a long one … but this is the flagship post of this series and I thought I should be as thorough as possible with at least the first in the series… Now that’s not to say I wont have heaps of favorites in any given month, but I may just have a few favorites in other months too.

Well that’s all for now dolls. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day/night and that your spirits are high and your health is good! Remember dolls, Save a spoon for a bit of lipstick.

XOXO

April 2020 Beauty Favorites Hey doll hey!!! How's your day/night going? Great I hope. I had a pretty good day ...

[youngbradford]

Xmas Message For 2019

And here we go, my 19th annual year-end love letter online …Georgi Balinov and I rang in the new year at a giant party in Bangkok, halfway around the world. That foreign location, its beauty and tastes, set the tone for my 2019, a year of seeing the world, while stabilizing my life. Though often in flux or movement, 2019 was a year many things normalized over the year.

In January, almost immediately after arriving stateside, I crossed the pond and saw Michelle Visage perform in the West End with Peter Wish. Afterward, I played with her wigs backstage and walked her towards the queer kids lining up for selfies and autographs. I am very lucky to have Peter and Michelle in my life, kindred spirits both. One reminding me that fame, fortune, ebb, and flow, but that being real is what matters most. The other, a reminder to stay forever young. I visited Berlin yet again and did the usual, working, and playing, hard.

February appeared and I traveled to Philadelphia with Sandra Hansel, Georgi, George Sapio, and Anthony DeFilippis. We toured Lisa Roberts’ house, saw a Dieter Rams exhibit, dined with George Alley. In Lambertville, that Sunday, I bought vinyl and vintage hats. Later that month, I got a swallow tattooed on my hand, a symbol of flight and travel, and Warhol’s knives, blackened into my shin. An Eames exhibit in Oakland was a sweet way to end the month.

In March with my crew, Georgi, Khadyon Reid, Luis Urribarri, Anthony, and George, descended upon Salvador for Carnival. It was insane! I watched Anitta live, and danced in a sea of pushing, fighting, kissing Brazilians for days upon days. I felt unsafe and alive, threatened and excited. It was intense. Back home I got my other hand tattooed, again honoring my love of seeing the world. I traveled to Portland, came back to NYC at the end of the month, finally moving into our apartment, the one we bought 1.5 years before, that I designed, and had renovated head to toe. Finally, we had our dream home. The weekend we moved in, the place was still not ready, but we were sick of living without our things and in other people’s beds. Peg Kendall and Georgi’s mom came, and we worked our asses off unpacking and starting to make the 2800 square foot loft on west 13th street a home. We’d lived in Airbnbs and friends’ places for 19 months and it was tiring not having a home, not having most of our things. My art! My toys! My shoes!. Those months taught me how important a home, a safe place, and the oasis of my collections is to my mental health. From March on I felt more on solid ground and dedicated more energy to my career and friendships as a result.

In April we went to Coachella, seeing Ian and Jose Seronni, JJ and Andrey Lunin, and dancing in the desert of California. Multiple trips to San Francisco, catching glimpse of old friends, scaling my team at work, as I took on more and more responsibility.

In May, George Sapio and I celebrated (me a little early) a shared, fun birthday weekend at Soho Farmhouse. Joined by Matthew Kelleher, Mark Silver, Jaime Tanner, Matt Lynch, and others, we went shooting and feasted on pheasant in the English countryside.June was really busy, insanely so. 

For my 43rd in early June, I had a 30-person dinner party in our new place! We ended up at Club Cumming after, but before friends, new, and old, showered me with a vinyl record, the admission fee I’d set for my party. Lauren Foster, who has shared her home with us, was, appropriately, our first overnight guest. London, again, Berlin, too. Then home for Pride. Willam Ralphie hosted Bingo at eBay, Zach Augustine, David Mason Chlopecki, other loves attended. That weekend danced to both Madonna and Grace Jones on the pier and danced with 15K others at Javitz, where my favorite singer, Cyndi Lauper, belted “I Drove All Night,” her best song, at midnight. I stayed until the sun came up. NYC was electric that weekend. Parties, icons, friends from the world over … the city has an energy you could literally see and taste. I caught a few moments of the parade, overtaking lower Manhattan, and I smiled really big. God, it can feel good being gay! God, the world has improved for gay people (and yes, I know, we still have ways to go, especially for more marginalized LGBTQ groups). But I still took a moment to acknowledge the things that are better, that I have seen in my very gay lifetime. NYC that weekend was the ultimate place to reflect.

July 4th I went to Hamptons, with Ricardo, Brian, Felipe L. Mollica, others, guests of Anthony. Hosted Fab.com reunion, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, and took my team to Korea (where I shared a traditional Korean meal with Jae Hah), China (where I ate bird’s nests, jellyfish, sea snails, saw a Yves Klein show with Adnan Abbasi, and danced to 90s pop in a packed gay club), and Moscow (where I was amazed at how clean the city was and where I went to a traditional sauna and was whipped, naked, with tree leaves in front of dozens of Russian dudes in the nude). While in Russia a protest erupted, literally below the rooftop bar I dined in. Russia seemed freer than I’d expected, way more Western, up until this moment. I ended the weekend at a club at 3 AM, Russian women in high, high heels, dancing on the bar, vodka flowing like water. 2020 saw me traveling to places I romanticized as a child. Russia, one such place. I thoroughly enjoyed the friendships formed in Moscow, the food, and history. I want to return.

August, I was back in San Jose and Portland for work, then off again to Europe for vacation. We started our trip in Croatia, where Georgi and I kayaked around Dbruvnik’s harbor. Croatia’s cliffs and turquoise water did not disappoint, as we boated to islands and swam in caves. Driving south into Montenegro, the architecture reminded me more of Polish, Bulgarian trips, the water, greener. At the Amman we laid out next to The Beckhams, watching David kick a soccer ball with workers of the hotel, and watching Victoria read a book. Georgi and I then ventured to Mykonos, sunning til sunset and dancing til sunrise. A weekend trip upstate with our besties (including a guest appearance by Eric Lee, riding rides at the Colombia County fair, cooking pies, and grilling meats, ended our summer.

In September I went to Berlin and did Folsom and a speaking gig in front of 1K eBay sellers. I went again to Tel Aviv, meeting gay Israeli technology workers and a bevy fo Israeli start-ups. In Jerusalem, I returned to the wonderful Machneyuda with Gilad Ayalon, where they remembered me from my birthday the year before.

October saw us hosting my mother and my niece for a visit. We fell in love with Company XVI, a dance/burlesque/performance art troupe in Brooklyn. I took my mother to see Madonna, a night I will cherish forever. And we saw Dear Evan Hanson. A weekend in Miami with Lauren Foster and K was needed warmth. I took Georgi to see both acts of The Inheritance (so good!).  Then off to Berlin, again, and Paris, where I looked at art and went shopping for fall clothes. Halloween, in NYC, was brilliant and over the top; I went as white Pierrot clown. In Brooklyn, to Honey Dijon, we danced all night. Ralph Rucci, the American couturier reposted our photo on Instagram, calling it high-fashion, however, it was Georgi who won the night as Spock.

November I was in NYC early on, shopping with Thomas Cawson (who hooked me up with pink denim Helmut Lang), eating Christmas cookies, and being interviewed by Buzzfeed, a segment on 90s toys. I imitated a Furby. Then a week in Portland (I glow-in-the-dark-miniature-golfed), and off to Helsinki, catching up with former friends from Fab, One Nordic, Hem. Then to Lapland, with Georgi, George, and Anthony, lapping up wine, winter wonderlands, and dining on reindeer and elk. Dog sledding, snowmobiling, Northen lights! Another childhood desire checked from the list. Dinner with Michelle Case in London closed the month.

In December I went back to Berlin (my second home) and hosted a fundraiser for Single Step in our home. In one night Georgi and I helped raise $50K to help build Bulgaria’s first LGBTI center. It was also an impromptu holiday party: so many old friends together again in one room. And now Georgi and I sit in an airport lounge, awaiting our flight to Baltra, in the Galapagos. Once we land, we’ll board a 7-day cruise on a mega-yacht/small cruise ship. This, I feel, I have been waiting my entire life for.

I often write about how I was lonely as a kid. I was gay, I had a drug-addicted father, I grew up very poor. I oftentimes say music saved my life. But, I don’t write enough about the joy animals gave me too. I had so many pets: newts, turtles, tortoises, tree frogs, geckos, crabs, salamanders, etc. Caring for them, feeding them, gave me peace and allowed me to love. One turtle I had had a cracked shell. He lived in my room for many, many years. I always preferred him, with his defects, to the others. I think I feel the same about people.

As a child, I became obsessed with the Galapagos Islands, and mostly the tortoises. I would read about them in encyclopedias and race to see them at zoos. I always felt connected to turtles. They were my spirit animal. Later in life, I’d bloom, my feathers growing, my pride, alive. I’d no longer consider myself a turtle, my spirit animal changed. I told this story to my colleague Eben Sermon, who runs eBay’s German business: I always wanted to be a turtle. But I ended up a cockatoo. Eben brought this up last week in Berlin and it made me think a bit more about affinities for animals and how I have not had that connection as often as I probably should.

So this week, before we ring in New Years in Rio, I will honor the old me, the kid, the quieter Bradford, the sadder Bradford, by visiting those turtles, finally.

And I’ll marvel at the wonder of nature and evolution, both the evolution of animals and this world, and also the very real and dramatic evolution of my spirit and happiness.

Happy Holidays, Peace & Big Love

[peachenle]

parted clouds (1) - jungwoo

genre: rich kid! / bookshop owner!au | fluff

member: nct’s jungwoo x reader (ft. doyoung)

word count: 4100+

༄࿔˚✧ synopsis: The bitter winter wind brought melty snowflakes onto the pages of your well-used book, and you were in dire need of a replacement.

note: Inspired by @stormae​‘s rich kid!au stories, found here. || Welcome to my first story, please do not hesitate to tell me your thoughts. I would love to listen and learn!

Part: one | two | three | four

The pages of books seemed to be the only things that could gently cut through the multitude of delicacies of your pressing future. Taking any chance you could to get away from the life you held, you relied on scouring famous libraries to satisfy your cravings for escape. When you would notify your parents of your sudden vacations, they would always brush you off, far too busy for you. Your parents knew you could take care of yourself, but the naivety in you still drew you towards them, sometimes hoping they would share an ounce of concern or interest in your endeavors.

Your father owned a pharmaceutical company. Agonizingly created from nothing at first, a tiny pharmacy held in the back of a friend’s store, it developed into multiple branches until enveloping its competitors. While you were never too keen to learn of your father’s business strategies, you knew whatever he was doing was resulting in success and wealth. You lived a life of privilege and with it came a lot of dignity and responsibility. Your parents entrusted you to take up pharmacy (plus the necessary business classes) and eventually the entire company. While you didn’t exactly mind the future that was curated for you, since it was always like this growing up, you couldn’t help but sometimes find it suffocating.

Your years were generally monotonous. Your summers were filled with vacations of luxury, visiting distant and equally as wealthy relatives, or watching - more like just attending - charity tennis matches. The sun ever present and threatening above your shaded box seats in each stadium. Sometimes summers could be spent exploring islands by yourself, connecting with locals, at which you were there for the sake of philanthropy and making it obvious that your father’s company ‘totally cared about helping other countries!’ as you were the little poster child, and the ever present heir. The autumns consisted of schooling, or rather, a new beginning to a new year. Getting used to classes, with the continuation of endless studying.

Winters were always bitter. Easily, your least favorite time of the year. Days spent passing by advertisements that boasted of family gatherings and despite all the luxuries you had in your life, you never had the luxury of the things that played on holiday commercials. You received gifts, maybe far too many than was necessary, with return addresses that linked to business partners, or sometimes their sons, hoping to get on your good side for some important business deals. Spring was fine, and much like the autumn you were generally focused on school, in which you continued to spend many hours working on organic chemistry specifically, the absolute bane of your existence. The weather was more pleasant, the reappearance of pollen tickling at your senses and the abundance of flowers helped to melt the bitterness away from the previous months.

Out of the monotony, you found solace in reading. In a disgustingly privileged use of your wealth, you took sudden trips to fly around the globe to discover libraries of rich history and intellect. But with your third year of university in full motion and tens of trips to different international libraries behind you, you felt surprisingly drained. Libraries were meant to be resources of endless knowledge, but since you had visited so many in your mere years of university, you felt uninspired to seek out new ones… or maybe just for this particular break. Maybe you were tired of being surrounded by the pretentiousness of the architecture of the famous libraries like in Alexandria and Tianjin, or the tourists who were more interested in the art of sharing online than the art that was binded within books in the buildings they had visited.

You felt a little stuck and tired. And maybe a little let down. Your parents were out of the country, per usual, this time in Croatia - you hoped it was for work, but it could’ve be for their own personal vacation. There was a bit of paranoia in you since you were being left behind during the holidays, and the fact that your family owned a totally immodest villa in Dubrovnik did not satiate that feeling. You weren’t sure if you wanted to travel out to another big library, which was ironic as you were currently sat in between the shelves of your university’s library. You just liked being surrounded by literature, and you wanted to find that somewhere else.

You stretched out your legs, your copy of Romeo and Juliet (your literary guilty pleasure) slipping from your thighs and onto the carpeted floor. Your much needed winter break was within your fingertips. Your classes for the day were far over but you felt little desire to return to your high rise, opting to relax and reread the second Act before your guilt for making your chauffeur wait took over. However, you knew you couldn’t stay hidden in the Capulet orchard for too long and gripping your beloved play, you slung your small backpack over your shoulder and made your way through the shelves of the library to find the exit. You admired the modesty of your university’s library; it was comforting. Though you enjoyed your excessively large and historical literature databases, many of your hours before and after classes were spent in this one. The high ceilings by the entrance evened out the cramped maze of books that was underneath them. Large windows on the second floor allowed for an ample amount of natural light, and if you came at the right times, they granted view to the perfect scene of the shift from golden to blue hour over the university. Sometimes you thought you could feel the shadows of the tall trees outside wave across you. But the air conditioning in this section of the library was very temperamental and could even transport you to a different climate than the one you were supposed to be in: a small price to pay for a nice reading nook.

The outside of the library was a sweltering cold. Your hooded overcoat couldn’t catch the little bites on your face from the snowflakes that flew around the exposed tips of your hair.

In an inelegant fashion (how could one possibly look graceful in a coat the size of oneself?), you waddled across campus to find your usual dark car waiting for you on the side street. A driver quickly rushed to the side of the car to let you into the little moving shelter from the wind. You were welcomed with a rush of warm air, which was quickly reflected by you with a sigh of relief. The typical Seoul traffic was painstakingly boring and granted that the snow decided to kick it up on this particular evening, it took twice as long for you to reach home. After another lengthy trip up the elevator to your apartment, you crashed into bed with a drink in one hand and the same tragic play in the other.

The final week before your break began was hallmarked by a flurry of deadlines and nights of little sleep - typical university attire. Amid the chaos, your group of friends, who were far closer to the stranger or acquaintance side of the spectrum, discussed their plans for their vacations while you were supposed to be studying in the library. Some were off to the Southern hemisphere for some sun time fun in December, or to the classic pompous ski resorts. No one you knew wanted to stay in Seoul. Because why stay home when you have extra time to travel? Though everyone, including yourself, were a bit of weekend warriors - taking little side trips when classes were on a pause for the week - everyone still couldn’t get enough time to fly off to their houses scattered over the continents.

A boy, far closer to the friend side of the spectrum - dare I say: your best friend - named Doyoung, toed your knee beneath the table. His family did not work in the same sector as yours, heads of a media conglomerate, but your business classes allowed you two to cross paths.

“You going to a new library?” He asked with genuine interest. Doyoung was one of the few people who seemed to care enough to know about your little hobby.

“Nah, I think I’ve gotten tired of all the treks I’ve taken just to see some books I can find elsewhere,” you sighed, watching his face shift in confusion.

Doyoung scoffed, “You and I both know you’ve been to places that own the only copy of some literature.” You smiled, and seeing your reaction, he smiled too.

“I still want to get out of Korea this month,” you found yourself sounding like your peers, acting as if it was such a struggle to be limited to your birth country, “But it’s true, not going to a library. This semester has me bummed out, I need to find something new.”

Doyoung looked away from you, thinking hard. “Well, while I’m not as much of a glorified bookworm as you are, I know you’ve been rereading that same god-awful play again. Spend this break stocking up on new reads. Or actually you should come along with me to Zermatt and ski! It would be fun; I know how much you enjoy the snow.”

“You’re not serious are you?”

“Oh no! Of course not! Romeo and Juliet isn’t that bad,” Doyoung smirked at the sight of your eye roll. “Darling, I would love for you to come along, but not for skiing. I saw you outside on the way here and it’s truly a wonder how you can even walk on snow.”

You reached across the table to hit him on the shoulder.

He smiled at you, “Stop moping; there’s plenty of things to read in Seoul, and there’s got to be a shop with a decent selection of books that’ll satiate you and your cringey love for romance.”

Though Doyoung could be a teasing mess, he had a point. A few of the books you had been going through for this month had fallen victim to the bitter snow, thanks to your frostbitten fingertips who had let them fall in icy puddles or heaps of snow in the first place. While they were somewhat salvageable, their pages were too wilted and you couldn’t bear to handle them in that state. It would take a bit of your own mental strength to come to terms with replacing some of the copies that you had spent a lot of time with. Still there was excitement in the fact that you had more of a reason to find a shop and pick out some completely new stories.

Finding a good bookstore in Seoul was hard. You’d hate to admit it, but your standards were quite high when it came to sources of literature. The map you pulled up on your phone was littered with pins of local shops, but gazing at reviews and images of the stores themselves discouraged you from finding anything. Even zooming out and searching further away from your home led you to nothing.

On the final day of classes before break, Doyoung treated you to a light lunch, since he was leaving early that afternoon. You listened to him excitedly talk about his upcoming trip and of a couple new songs he had been obsessed with.

“It’s like, the perfect song to snowboard to. Gets my heart pumping before I even step onto my board,” Doyoung flashed a smile.

“I thought you were going skiing.”

His smile faltered. “You can do both at a ski resort, sweet child. Doesn’t your family like winter sports? Don’t they own stuff in the Alps?” He asked incredulously.

“We own a house or something in the Tarentaise Valley; not that I’ve ever been though. I’ve always enjoyed the Mediterranean Coast during the winter, far more than the Alps, Doyoung. I thought you knew this about me,” you quipped, placing a hand over your chest.

“I do, I just can’t relate,” he began to put on his scarf. “But I hope you do something interesting this break.”

You rolled your eyes, aimlessly rotating your cup of half finished green tea. “I hope so, too, but I just haven’t decided.”

“Oh for god’s sake, listen, kid. I know org. chem kicked your ass this past quarter, but you need to get a hold of yourself. You’ve been so unmotivated, even though I gave you a suggestion already.”

Doyoung actually looked a bit upset, and concerned by the way you were acting. Though you couldn’t pinpoint the source of your lack of energy lately, you were flattered that he took notice. You spun the porcelain cup on the table a few more times, as he suddenly glanced down to tap away on his phone.

Gently massaging your temples and letting your fingers twirl a bit of hair behind your ear, you sighed. “I know. I’m in dire need of a recharge.” Your phone buzzed in your lap and you raised your eyes to meet Doyoung’s. He looked at you expectantly.

“I sent you a place to go, so you have something to start with. I’ll see you later,” he poked your cheek with a smile. His eyes were laced with a bit of pity as he had to leave already. You watched as he left the cafe, before checking to see what he had texted you.

And it was exactly what you had predicted, an address to a bookstore, like he had suggested. But it wasn’t one that you came across while you had searched online, since it was new, sort of. It was reopened under a new name and management, the building and the books were probably just the same, but it somehow slipped past your searching.

Doyoung attached a little message too: My driver mentioned a new ‘library’ near the ski gear place I sent him to. Have fun.

You smiled at your phone, and quickly typed a ‘thank you, you’re too nice’ to Doyoung. To which he responded with a ‘I really am.’

Now you couldn’t reach this place completely using your personal driver. You were used to high rises and the skyline of your home city, so naturally your driver quirked an eyebrow at you when you told him you would have to get out and walk through the alleyways to reach your destination.

You quickly found the alley you were meant to be in, and in a higher level of a building you caught sight of the ski gear place Doyoung mentioned. At high noon, these buildings casted sharp shadows across the damp stone pathway. Colored signs lined its walls and a couple aging flyers boasting of a ‘Grand reopening’ led you to the store, which was crammed between buildings much larger than itself. The large paned window was mostly covered by stacks of books on the inside, definitely not allowing much of noon sun through its path. A damp looking bundle of books tied together with a string of ribbon was placed on the doormat, as if it had been just delivered. The shop seemed lifeless, and you were a little nervous no one was home.

Still, you picked up the bundle that blocked your path and pushed the door open, hoping to return the package before it got too ruined.

Upon entering, the shop was a bit more spacious than you expected, but still cramped. The sun peeked through the window to paint patterns across a small coffee table that held haphazardly placed books. You noticed there even was a small fireplace, changing the shop from cramped to cozy instantly.

Though the door caught a small bell to signal your arrival, you didn’t see anyone. To the left of you, the front counter with a modern cash register was empty. Unsure of what to do with it, you set the bundle on the desk, next to a small espresso cup. Judging by its lack of contents, you knew someone had to have been here. Your snow soaked boots stood upon a slightly worn welcome mat and you took in your surroundings as you removed your overcoat.

You found that the shelves across from the doorway were interestingly sectioned off by language. Most of the books seemed used, the spines along them were marked with evidence of constant opening. The lighting was dim within the shelves and the store was still vacant of any movement that wasn’t yours.

“Welcome!” A soft and polite voice called. You jumped at the sound, and looked around for its source. A boy with brown hair, loosely parted at its center, held his hand up as if in a wave from the end of the little hallway created by the bookshelves. You awkwardly nodded at him, not really happy when someone approaches you when you had your nose stuck in an open book.

He stared at you for a bit, with a polite smile. He had soft features, a sharp nose, and perfect teeth that matched the genuine joy that flashed in his eyes. He was boyishly cute. And then his eyes widened as if he realized something. “Ah! I’m so sorry! I was in the back room and I didn’t notice when you came in.” He bowed a few times and his cheeks were slightly flushed, but he still held that little smile. “It’s not everyday a pretty girl comes into my store. Sorry again,” he let out a small laugh. Though what he said seemed flirty, he didn’t give off that sort of feeling. It seemed as honest as if he was stating a fact.

You couldn’t help but smile back at him, “No need to apologize to me, but there were some books outside that could use a good apology.”

He gasped and bolted to the door, which wasn’t much distance to cover anyway, since the store was small. He exited before you could stop him, so you grabbed the bundle of books from the front desk and followed his path. You opened the door to see him staring at the ground in front of the store. He met your eyes, and blankly blinked, looking visibly confused.

You held the books up, “I took them inside when I entered.”

His face relaxed, and his cheeks were even redder - definitely from the cold. He smiled and let out another laugh, his tongue sticking out slightly. He let out an “Oh” as you handed him the books.

He reached above your head to hold the door so you two could return to the warmth of the store.

“My name is Jungwoo, by the way. How could I help you today?” He again gave you another sweet smile as he walked to sit behind the front counter.

Jungwoo didn’t ask for your name, so you kept it to yourself and went straight to the point. “My friend suggested that I find some new things to read over break, but I was also hoping to get another copy of this.” You held up your tattered copy of Le Souligneur. This bad boy had been with you for a couple of years. But you made the mistake of trying to read outside in the snow, and not only did it dampen with snowflakes, but you dropped it on the road a while ago. And it slipped across some black ice, with a little puddle to stop its journey.

His eyes lit up even more, as if that was even possible. Jungwoo’s eyes seemed to never stop catching the light in the store. He leaned closer to you, tilting his head slightly to stare at the title of the novel you held, since it was a little faded. “Ooh!” His hands raised to clap a few times. “You’re in luck, I picked up a Korean version right before we opened. It’s your first time here, so I hope you know that most of the books here are slightly used, is that okay?” Jungwoo spoke with a very gentle voice, but the rise and fall in his words were cheerful and polite. He looked at you expectantly for a short beat, before walking to the shelves that were marked in Korean.

“Yes, that’s perfectly fine. I don’t mind using books with a bit of history in them,” you replied with a polite smile, even though his back was turned to you as he grazed a finger along the spines of the books, looking for your novel.

“Feel free to look around! I only have one copy and I honestly haven’t finished shelving all the books in proper order. Might take me awhile,” Jungwoo lightly laughed. You made a mental note to come back to this store, he didn’t need to say much for his happy aura to infect you.

“It’s unique that the books are separated by language,” you mused, sifting through the English section.

“Yeah! I’ve picked up a little bit of a couple different languages, so I’ve just been interested in expanding my vocabulary, and reading has been a great help! So opening this store also became an outlet for my studies.” He called through the shelves.

“Really? Is it just a hobby? Your language learning, I mean.” You caught a glimpse of him, Jungwoo stopped for a moment, thinking of what to answer.

“Well not at first, I had a private tutor when I was younger. I learned Mandarin, French and English then - wasn’t really my choice,” you noticed he exhaled a miniature huff, as if thinking of the memory irritated him. “But I’m currently trying out Russian and Thai!”

“That’s funny. I was in the same boat! Except I didn’t learn French, my parents only forced me to learn English and Mandarin,” you two continued to converse with books separating you.

Until he rounded the corner, holding a French and a Korean version of Le Souligneur in each hand. “I would assume reading this would be a good start to a new language! French is a gorgeous language, a bunch of tenses, but it's fun,” he smiled at you. “This one will be on the house, I’ll go wrap it up for you; feel free to keep looking around. And I’m sorry, I never got your name.”

You politely tried to refuse the free book, though very intrigued to crack it open and take a peek, and decided that you would limit today’s haul to the two books. Naturally Jungwoo just laughed and shook his head as he folded the novels in brown paper. But when you told him your name he paused to look at you.

“Your name… Why is it familiar? I really don’t think I would’ve forgotten someone like you,” Jungwoo stated, reaching to take your debit card from you.

Your shoulders dropped a little, “My father owns a pharmaceutical company, so you might’ve come across my name somewhere in that regard.” Even though it was true, you didn’t really like mentioning your family and their status to people you had just met and those who you believed weren’t in that similar social sphere. You were afraid that they would treat you differently if they learned you were from a place of wealth and power. But Jungwoo just smiled, as per usual, and nodded.

With the books in your arms and your belongings rightfully in their place - including your overcoat over your shoulders, you looked around the shop once more. Behind Jungwoo was a cabinet of displayed books, many of them signed and of beautiful editions. While you didn’t recognize most of the titles, you tilted your head quizzically and knew that they had to be expensive. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you manage to get your hands on those books behind you?”

He raised his eyebrows at you, “Huh? Oh! My family owns a pretty big publishing company based in China. I guess being in a family in that business scores me a few benefits,” his smile softened, “Possibly one of the few things I love about that. Anyway, now I’m back home after having lived in China for most of my life. I plan to attend university next year, too,” Jungwoo’s grin returned in full force. “When we came back to Korea, the first thing they did was buy me this bookshop, and I immediately put those books up there and threw out a lot of the old books to change it up.”

You couldn’t help but let out a gasp at hearing him say he tossed books away. That was surely a crime. But he continued, “Wait, no! Don’t worry, I donated most of them, and I kept some other novels at home,” he clasped his hands together under his chin, “I couldn’t live with myself if I actually threw books away.”

You laughed, and breathed a little slower. “That’s fine. I like what you have here.”

He crossed in front of you to open the door, “Then I hope to see you back soon! Thank you for coming, and if you need help with that French book, you know where to find me.” Jungwoo held a playful glint in his eyes.

You returned a smile and jovially responded, “I’ll definitely take you up on that offer.”

[tamboradventure]

Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt

Posted: 4/30/2020

It takes a village to keep this website going. From tech and coding to design to fixing bugs getting readers books when downloads fail to scheduling social media or running the forums, I have a lot of help. I simply couldn’t run the website, write, travel, eat, sleep, or anything in between if I didn’t have the support and help of an amazing group of people.

It’s not just me writing and posting about my travels. I have a big group of full-time staff helping juggle everything.

I realized a lot of you don’t realize that so, today, I wanted to introduce the team to you.

So, without further ado, here’s they are:  

Erica

Erica has been working for me for almost six and a half years and is the events director of The Nomadic Network, our travel community. She keeps this community thriving. In her own words:

I grew up in Connecticut and went to school in Virginia. During a quarter-life crisis at age 21, I chose to finish my last year of college on an adventure in Qatar! From that moment on, my life revolved around traveling cheaply with the money I earned from waitressing. That budget got me to teach English in Isaan, Thailand, and South Korea; farm on St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean and Costa Rica; and volunteer in rural Zambia. At age 26, I returned home to Connecticut, determined to get a job in travel. Soon after, I met Nomadic Matt at a travel meet-up in NYC, and the rest is history.

I whole-heartedly believe that traveling makes friends of strangers, and the more friends there are in the world, the more peace there is in the world.

13 Facts about Me

At 15, I helped build a schoolhouse in Nicaragua.

1. I cooked an American Thanksgiving feast for my Thai co-English teachers in Thailand where barely any of the mashed potatoes, carrots and peas were eaten so my host-grandmother fed in to the monks for the following week unbeknownst to me.

I’ve cut off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, twice!

I once hunted for possums on the island of St. Vincent with a bunch of Rastafarians. We caught four and made soup. I was a vegetarian at the time.

In Costa Rica, I stayed at in a sustainable living community called Rancho Mastatal, where I learned how to farm yuca, make beer out of turmeric, and build a house out of cob.

I spent 11 days on a coconut water only fast at a yoga retreat in Cambodia, twice

I taught English in South Korea for 14 months and was able to easily save enough money for 21 months of non-stop travel. I also taught the students how to use “boo” colloquially.

This music video I made used to be one of the top hits when you searched for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In Zambia, my friend and I were given a live chicken as a present. We were vegetarians, so we traded it for a pair of second-hand jeans in the town’s market.

I got 19 people (the students and teachers on a FLYTE trip) into an airport lounge in Ecuador for free. I think that’s a travel hacking record!

My college education was entirely free. How? I got a ton of tiny scholarships (I applied for everyone I could get my hands on) that added up, being a Residential Assistant in the dorms, and studying in Qatar actually saved me money (in the most expensive country in the world).

In Korea, I dated a guy who spoke no English and we basically communicated through drawing pictures and reciting American rap lyrics.

Last summer, I took a trip to Tunisia with some friends. I wish I could have stayed longer – what a cool country!

  Chris O.

Chris joined the team as the part-time manager of the forums back in 2015. Since then, he’s transitioned to full-time and has branched out into the Superstar Blogging program and helps me with all of our various admin tasks. In his own words:

I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and spent my formative years listening to punk rock, reading Star Wars novels, and generally getting up to no good. After ditching my lifelong plan to be a lawyer, I decided to give travel a try. I headed to Costa Rica on a whim and have never looked back! It wasn’t long after that trip that I took a break from university (where I was studying history and theatre) to move to a monastery in Japan in 2007. I’ve more or less been wandering around ever since. Some notable adventures include taking the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia and Mongolia, walking the Camino de Santiago twice, and going on a 10-day road trip around Iceland with complete strangers.

When I’m not traveling, I live in Sweden and can be found reading, writing, or hanging out with my rescue dog, Grimo.

13 Facts about Me

I spent nine months living in Buddhist monasteries.

I lived in a tent for a year.

I was once stalked by a jaguar and chased by a crocodile — on the same trip.

I haven’t had alcohol in 16 years.

I’ve broken all my fingers and toes, and my nose three times, and I’ve fractured both my wrists.

I worked on an organic farm for 11 years.

I co-owned a restaurant in Canada.

I grew up next door to Avril Lavigne.

I wrote a book (and am working on another one)

I played inter-mural Quidditch in high school and was our team’s Seeker.

I have a Star Wars tattoo.

I’ve been vegan for 15 years.

I have a scar from a fight that broke out over which Norse god was “the best.”

  Chris R.

Chris, aka The Aussie Nomad, is a (kinda) former blogger who does all the tech and development work for the website. He keeps it running, fixes any errors you find, and deals with my constantly changing design desires. In his own words:

I’m living the good life in Western Australia by the beach with my amazing family. I got into the world of blogging after quitting my job, backpacking around Europe and, as all Aussies do, undertaking a working holiday in the UK. Like all of us who travel and fall in love with it, nobody wants to go home afterwards.

That adventure got me into creating a travel blog many years ago, which is how I first came to know Matt. I have since repurposed my IT skills from my old life and formed my own business to help out other bloggers with their websites.

13 Facts about Me

I love Belgian beer (and I even married a Belgian).

I’ve worked with Matt the longest out of anyone here. (Take that team!)

I took off to backpack Europe when I was 29.

I’m an advocate for Vegemite and believe all visitors to Australia must try this national treasure.

One of my favorite activities is to take a long road trip, especially with family and friends.

I have no idea how four-way stop signals in the U.S.A. don’t all end up as accidents.

I do not drink Fosters. It’s a terrible beer. No one in Australia actually drinks it.

I like to think of myself as an amateur photographer.

I failed kindergarten as I wouldn’t say goodbye to the teacher.

My first job was working in a supermarket.

I can’t sleep on a plane – no matter how long the flight is.

I can name every Thomas the Tank Engine character thanks to my son.

I don’t drink coffee or get people’s love for it. Tea all the way!

  Raimee

Raimee does all of our social media and content marketing. She schedules posts, tweaks my terrible photos so they look good on Instagram, builds out our content calendar, analyzes data, edits video, creates digital marketing campaigns, and designs our social media graphics! In her own words:

When I was just 14 years old, I took my first international trip to Honduras and Belize with my family. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on experiencing new cultures, connecting with people from all walks of life, and learning about myself and the world through the power of travel! After graduating with a degree in advertising and marketing from Michigan State University and four years as a digital marketing specialist, I realized that corporate life was not for me. My insatiable need to experience the world beyond a desk led me to search for a job-related to travel. I’ve followed this blog for many years, and now I get to work for it remotely while I strategize, manage, and report on the social media accounts — and I love every second of it!

13 Facts about Me

I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I’ve read each book at least 10 times. If I told you how many times I’ve watched the movies, you probably wouldn’t believe me.

I once hung out with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter!) at a Red Wings game in Detroit, and actually kept my cool the whole time (side note: He’s a SUPER nice guy!)

Visiting the Harry Potter studio tour in London was one of the best days of my life.

My mom was obsessed with the 80’s horror movie Evil Dead directed by Sam Raimi, so she named me after him.

After having visited about 30 countries, Iceland is still my favorite.

My biggest travel dream is to take a road trip around New Zealand!

I try to read 1-2 book(s) EVERY week!

I used to play the saxophone (and I wish I still did!)

I conquered my fear of heights by jumping off a cliff in Croatia — twice!

I love languages and was close to being fluent in German during college.

I’ve acted in a few independent and short films and as an extra in some network TV shows (I even have an IMDB page!)

In another life, I would have been a film director/producer. Maybe some day!

My favorite number is 13.

  Carmela

Carmela is the Executive Director of our non-profit FLYTE that makes travel accessible to underserved youth from across the country. She handles anything and everything from fundraising, working with our partner schools to plan student trips abroad, connecting with our incredible donor community, and managing our volunteer team.

Born and raised in New Jersey, I had the privilege of taking my first international trip when I was 3 to visit my family in the Philippines where I refused to ride the local jeepneys because they didn’t have seatbelts! Since then, my love for travel has evolved. In 2012, my husband, Raymund, and I took a round the world honeymoon that was supposed to scratch the travel itch (lol). We came back home to NYC for a few years before taking the leap to become full-time remote workers, and have lived all over the world ever since.

When I’m not running FLYTE, I love planning trips (even if they’re not my own), practicing yoga, hiking, rock climbing, reading, eating, and eating cookies (which are their own food group, in my opinion).

I LOVE Math! I have a degree in it, taught statistics to college students, and few things make me happier than a well functioning Excel spreadsheet.

I come from a family of educators. My parents were both teachers before they immigrated to the US from the Philippines in the 70’s. Before I left to travel, I worked for the Chancellor of NYC Public Schools, the largest school district in the country, and now running FLYTE is pretty much my dream job because it combines my love for education with travel.

The Notorious BIG and I share the same birthday. Juicy is one of my favorite songs.

I still don’t fully understand how to use Twitter.

I like suspenseful movies & TV shows, but hate the feeling of being in suspense, so I often read what happens before watching so I can relax and enjoy my viewing experience.

My favorite cartoon is Alvin & the Chipmunks. I still have an Alvin doll that I was gifted on my 1st birthday. It bears no resemblance to the actual Alvin Seville anymore.

I attended an all girls high school and a women’s college – that environment there largely shaped who I am today.

My guilty pleasure is watching Terrace House – the Japanese equivalent to the Real World.

My dad has an identical twin brother and they used to play tricks on me and my cousin when we were younger. It’s equally funny and traumatizing.

I hate raisins, especially in cookies.

I’m an only child, but have over 30 first cousins. I love them as if they were my actual siblings.

Raymund and I met in Hawaii. For that, and many other reasons, it’s my most favorite place in the world.

I know every lyric to every song from the Sound of Music.

  Nomadic Matt

And, finally, there’s me. You probably know a lot about me after twelve years of blogging (sometimes I forget how long it’s been), but here’s a quick refresh:

Growing up in Boston, I was never a big traveler. I didn’t take my first trip overseas until 2004. That trip changed my life and opened me up to the possibilities the world had to offer. One year later, I went to Thailand, where I met five backpackers who inspired me to quit my job and travel the world. In 2006, I left for a yearlong backpacking trip — and have been “nomadic” ever since.

13 Facts about Me

I love politics as much as I love travel and will debate for the joy for it.

I love to cook.

When I was in high school, I was my state’s champ in “Magic: the Gathering.” I know — super nerdy, right? It got me a free trip NYC with my friend (who came in number two!).

I always worry about the future and often use my time back home to develop skills needed for the Zombie Apocalypse. Shout-out to my prepper friend Vanessa for teaching me about seeds!

I once met Paul Giamatti on the streets of NYC and he was as grumpy as I imagined.

I am an unabashed Taylor Swift fan.

I don’t drink coffee.

I believe aliens exist. It’s mathematically impossible they don’t.

I’m terrified of flying.

I learned to swing dance so I could throw myself a Gatsby-themed birthday party.

Both sides of my family came through Ellis Island and you can see their names on the wall where they list all the immigrants.

I used to be the head of a program by the Massachusetts Sierra Club that promoted energy efficiency.

I went to college to be a high school history teacher.

***

So there you have it! The Nomadic Matt team! It’s weird to think this blog I started to simply be online résumé for freelance jobs now requires eleven people to run. I always thought the more systems, automation, products, and passive income I set up, the easier it would be. I could just sit on a beach. But it seems the more we do, the more we create, the more projects I tell the team we’re taking on, the more help we require. I guess that is the nature of the beast but I would have it no other way. I love what we do here. We help a lot of people realize their dreams.

And a guy couldn’t ask for better co-workers to help make that happen.

P.S. – We’ve launched a new Patreon where you can get stories and tips I don’t share on this blog, a private Facebook group, phone calls with me and the team, live Q&As, postcards from the road, signed copies of my books, and much more! Click here to get access!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com, as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. I use them all the time.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all those I use — and they’ll save you time and money too!

The post Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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[coffeebreakstatement]

Post-Poland Summer 2017 #1: More Goodbyes

Today I officially said goodbye to summer school in Poland. I left Poland a few days ago, but today is when it really ended. The past few days have been spent in the company of my friends from summer school: my friends from Croatia as our tour guides and my friend from Korea as a tourist with me. Being with these friends made it feel like summer school hadn't really ended yet and that we wouldn't be parting ways.

We took a taxi from my friend's apartment to the bus station today and had to say our goodbyes really quickly so I could get back into the same cab to go to the airport. I hugged them both and they started to cry and somehow, I was able to hold the tears in. When I was in the taxi after our rushed goodbye I had all these thoughts like "I should have hugged them more", "I should have hugged them longer", "I should have told them how much I love them more". In reflection, it is always easy to wish that you had done things differently and easier still to forget about all the good moments you had together. We had many amazing moments together and I know that I wouldn't change anything.

Still, it's hard to say goodbye. I don't know when I will see any of these friends again, all scattered around the world. Some friends I said goodbye to a few days ago, some goodbyes are much fresher. 

I can't help but think that we were all able to meet because for some reason or another, we are all studying Polish. No two people share the same reason, but somehow all those reasons created the perfect conditions for me to meet some of my best friends. Learning languages opens new doors and this has never felt truer to me than at the conclusion of this experience. I have faith that I will see all of them again, but I don't know when and I don't know how. We will have to trust that we can find our way back to each other again.

Even though I'm sad to be leaving Croatia and leaving my friends, it's bittersweet. I miss my family, my friends, and my city at home. It's difficult for me to find time to talk to my family with the time difference so I'm excited to hear all of their voices again and give my mom a hug. 

I'm saying goodbye, but I am also about to say hello. I'm en route to Iceland where I will meet up with my friend whom I haven't seen in months. I'm saying goodbye to new friends, and I will say hello to an old one. I'm saying goodbye to on country I've always dreamed of visiting, and saying hello to another. It's not all bad, but it can still be sad.

[hail-to-the-goalies]

As a South Korean this decision is extra upsetting bc this is probably the only time NHL players could be in my country in my lifetime… tbh it is true that hockey is practically unknown here (I've never met anyone that watches hockey) but top players participating in the Olympics would certainly help promote the sport (and the NHL) in Korea and other Asian countries. Ahhhh well at least Ovi will be here....

before you start reading,please, all of you realize I’m expressing only my personal opinions here andthey might be a lot different than yours since I’m a really objectivefan who watches the most of international games and cares about many nationalteams, so I can see things differently than you. don’t take everything youread too seriously, because we all have our opinions.

by the way sorry for the longpost already, but this is one of only few posts I’m gonna use as a way toexpress my opinions about Olympics with. and thumbs up for you if you read itall.

also excuse any mistakes or typos, I hope you understand the text anyway.

Oh dear, I’m so sorry tohear that. hockey in Asia has got a big potential and I hope yourealize that (@anon) especially with China (Kunlun) being in the KHL what’s arguablysecond best hockey league in the world. 

(Kunlun is still not a good magnet,with only two Chinese players playing for the team; and they have doublecitinezships combined with Canadian and American, so they’re not even fullyChinese).

Asian League with 3 Korean teams is clearly not enough for Asianpeople to become hockey fans too I suppose.

this is why I think it’svitally important to bring NHL players to the next two Olympic games (inmentioned South Korea and in China in 2022). and 

I know it’s not hard tofall in love with wonderful sport of ice-hockey. it happened to Hungariansafter the national team won Division I Group A and the fans wentcrazy during the following Worlds, so fortunately they got the impulse toactually travel and watch hockey, but there are no ways to make the Asianpeople fall in love with hockey. 

yes of course, there are surelly some, butnone of them is big enough as Olympics.

if NHL thinks it’s notgood to have the world’s best players playing at tournaments in countries whichhave potential to be hockey countries but only need impulse, then, okay…

just imagine that. thebiggest hockey stars playing at world’s biggest and best hockey tournament. isn’tthat the best promotion for the sport itself? I think it is. 

hockeynational teams, in fact, have two chances to make Asian people like hockey.first is in 2018 and then in 2022, when China hosts the next Olympics. as homecountries, South Korea and then China will surely play at the tournaments, so itobviously can make the people interested at least a bit. and who says theycan’t go to games not of their countries? lot of home fans do that. and what’s betterpromotion for hockey than olympic games between Canada, Sweden, Russia and USA?probably nothing. 

we all know one player isenough for a person to become a fan, not mentioning the entire beautyof Canadian hockey. it’s also known that interest of Asian people in hockey canmean more Asian teams in KHL and more international fans of NHL. 

if NHLrealizes this and still doesn’t agree to participate, then make your ownopinion of the organization… 

fortunately, KHL is mainly Russian league and Russians are really patriotic,so they find it as a sure and automatic thing to send the players to SouthKorea.

this is what would happenif NHL players went to Olympics: promotion of the sport; huge help for KHL inspreading hockey to the east; experience for the players; the best hockeytournament full of the best hockey players (I’m sorry, for me World Cup is not thebest tournament); more money caused by NHL players as a big ad as theyare; and many more things, for example a silly one like longer season,what’s honestly good only for the fans.

but what would happen ifNHL players didn’t go to Olympics? (I still don’t consider that as a sure thing,because I believe there’s a domino effect going to happen in the NHL—Ovechkingoes, then Crosby goes, then other big players go, then half of Swedes go, andso on)

I decided to write a fewbig, important things on what would happen if they didn’t go.

the huge rosterdifference

just imagine that. Canadaand USA without NHL players? hard to imagine what would the rosters look like.probably made of players from junior and European leagues; most of fans wouldknow up to 3-5 players at each roster. what’s a shame for such hockeycountry as Canada to not have popular players playing. USA and Canada wouldmost probably fail at the tournament.

on the other hand, thereis Russia. with only 35 Russian players in NHL, 590 players in KHL and manymore players in other leagues, that wouldn’t be a problem for Russians tobuild a golden killing Russian machine. sure, Ovechkin, Malkin, Panarinand others are great players and please never think I don’t find them goodplayers, but Russians have amazing hockeyplayers overall and even better coaching. I think Russia would win gold.

it’s similar with Sweden.72 players in NHL (more than you thought, right?) seem like a lot, butagain, not really, I think. SHL is a really strong league and it’s fullof Swedes, there are also some good Swedes in KHL and other leagues, so I thinkthey would be able to build a solid team, even without their NHLsuperstars. also would end up in top 3, because Canada and USA would be out of thetop places.

it would be similar withFinland and Czechia, too and little tiny maybe with Germany.

that’s one ‘group‘. butwhat about other teams? exactly: Switzerland, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia andGermany.

the top Swiss players areplaying in the NHL (12) and only few solid players on olympic level are in NLA.if national superstars like Josi, Berra or Weber don’t decide to go anyway,like Ovechkin did, I can hardly imagine a Swiss national team builtwell enough to be able to win against Finland or Sweden.

all of top Slovak playersare playing in the NHL as well and the best players of those who are notplaying in the NHL are about to retire soon, so I can hardly imagine a goodteam too.

with this entire longmini-heading, I want you to think about something. if NHL players went toOlympics, all of 11 participating countries (not counting South Korea) would beable to play with their biggest players and even the worse countries likeSlovakia or Germany would end the tournament with pride.

if NHL players didn’t go,some countries would have nobody to gear up (–metaphor) and for example Russia,pumped with KHL players Russia, would possibly get away with 10-0 wins. that’s reallynot what we want at tournament of this level.

       2.  angry fans and players

not only NHL fans though.every single hockey fan wants to see the best hockey games this planet can gettogether and without NHL players it’s really not possible.

angry players are worse.we, only poor fans, can’t affect the hockey much, but players can be strongerthan some people think. it’s only April 2017, a year before the Olympics,and there’s a huge drama already. if the players really wanted, they wouldboycott and would be able to make huge problemsto Bettman and company.

the players are angryalready, so let’s see whether something more happens or not.

        3. middle finger to KHLfrom NHL

KHL started as almostonly Russian league, but as years passed, they tried to expand to other partsof Europe. there are currently 29 teams in KHL, 7 of them are not in Russia andso in: Kazakhstan, Latvia, Belarus, Slovakia, Finland and Croatia.  The 7th one is China. The newest KHL team is China’s Kunlun Red Star, atfer KHLdecided they want to make hockey popular in other parts of Asia and want toexpand to South Korea and Japan, too.

so if you try to teachsomeone a new sport and someone steals the best possible way for you to doit, it’s clearly not good feeling.

 so, I talked a lothere, but I haven’t seen anywhere any form of the three situations whichwould happen if NHL players didn’t go to Olympics, so that’s why I wanted tosee all this drama from another angle.

I think the onlypeople who are able to do something about NHL’s bad decision are NHL playersthemselves. I don’t know what you feel, but I trust them and I hopethey make NHL sweat a lot in next months.

[scenarios-on-ice]

Roses are red

Violets are blue

This ‘poem’ sucks but

Happy Birthday to you

(Note: there was originally like eight more cynical lines about how birthdays mean you’re that much closer to the end, but I scrapped it because when I try to use dark humor it usually just ends up kinda gruesome.

There’s probably something wrong with me and someday we’ll find out what that is, but today is not that day)

Congratulations! @(^-^)@  You were only sixteen but your mind was older- now you’re seventeen, but I’m sure the latter part of that quote still applies and the blog will blow us all away even more than before! Hope you have a wonderful, satisfying birthday despite how non-stop you are (don’t forget to take a break when you can) and one last time, congratulations!

(also depending on how the timezone difference between Croatia and Korea works, we’re only a day or two apart- my birthday is March 30th, which is tomorrow over here! :D so cool)

“Whatever you say ma'am, Furuta will pay for his behavior! I’ll use tumblr, I’ll write under a pseudonym(Evans)- you’ll see what I can do to him!

But at least since he’s dead, you can finally speak your mind?”

I know, I still like the idea of trans Mutsuki better but other than any hints dropped in canon, I just think it’s very unlikely that TG as a Japanese manga will add a 100%, conmpletely confirmed LGBTQ character. I believe Ishida himself is pretty open towards the LGBTQ community (Nico’s portrayal is a bit questionable but in an omake Yomo is shown thinking that anyone he dates could become Touka’s aunt OR uncle (though of course that could be a translation error), Shuu is a subversion of manga stereotypes regarding gay men and TG in general has a lot of interesting themes regarding sexuality and gender), but idk, the idea of a mainstream seinen manga like TG adding LGBTQ themes that go beyond heavy implication seems unlikely (though who knows, it could happen).

Mutsuki just makes me bitter. FIrst all the arguments about their gender and now I don’t even like them anymore (they used to be an adorable cinnamon roll but after recent chapters, while I still feel for them they’ve become a lot less sympathetic).

(Also this just makes me sound salty but I recently came across a very aggressive blog dedicated to reminding everybody that MUTSKI IS MALE AND YOU ARE ALL WRONG and reading through it just made me kinda mad and irritated all at once. Once a trans person made a post saying that despite being trans themself they didn’t think Mutsuki was, offering several manga moments as decent evidence and being quite polite, and the mod of this blog answered them with what basically boils down to 'lol no it’s possible to be transphobic even if you’re part of the LGBTQ community and you are clearly one of these people’.)

Don’t worry, cinnamon roll Hinami isn’t being forgotten! :) I’m really looking forward to her meeting Akira. I’ve always liked Hina but these recent chapters pushed her up on my ‘favorite characters’ list- she’s just way too sweet.

Reading the manga: wth Ishida you are officially my least favorite person like even Isayama is better than you

Reading Ishida’s translated tweets/the comments he makes in TG extras: why are you so nice

Yeah, I kinda hated Urie at first (I understood his goals and motivations but did he really have to be such a jerk? I honestly thought he was going to get somebody killed in the auction arc) but after the auction arc I started to like him better (I think the official moment I decided ‘I like Urie Kuki as a character’ was when Shirazu died) and I kinda freaked out when I realized what happened to him…

He would make a great Burr though. I think he’s way more willing to act than Burr and is not a ‘talk less, smile more’ kind of person (more like a ‘talk less and don’t smile at all’ type) but they’re still really similar. I could also see Urie singing Wait for It…with Kaneki as Hamilton. Not because Kaneki particularly fits Hamilton but because of how Burr is clearly somewhat jealous about Hamilton’s progress despite not approving of his methods in Wait For It (in an interview about the song I think LMM said something about it describing the feeling of watching your friends and acquaintances getting so far ahead in life and thinking 'Wait for it; someday I’ll get there too’).

Am I the only one who headcanons that despite acting super classy and not knowing much about rap/hip-hop before someone (maybe Hori?) gets him to listen to it, Tsukiyama actually turns out to be a really good rapper?

Speaking of Tsukiyama though, I want to see more of his interactions with Naki

Hmm, since Mado died after he was already an adult couldn’t Akira technically count? We know from omakes that Mado was a doting father and made her childhood as happy as possible, so while her life might not have been 100% perfect it was still really good in TG terms. Takizawa before he entered the academy also counts.

but even those two had so much tragedy happen to them as adults…

(also, have you started reading the manga again? :D)

ok, that sounds creepy. Not going to be watching that.

Thank you so much for the recommendations though! Not sure if I’ll get the time to watch those but I think I saw some Magi volumes in a bookstore here so maybe I’ll check that out when I have the time!

And yeah, if you have any good animes/mangas to recommend, please do! And genre doesn’t matter- though I usually prefer dark, psychological stories I’m willing to make exceptions when the series in question is really good (that’s what I did with YoI after all :) the only genres I’m really reluctant to read are horror and high school romances).

I’m glad you liked them! And nope, don’t mind at all  :D fangirling

I am back! Again, happy birthday ^^ I hope the day went well for you :) How old are you now, if you don’t mind me asking? I’m guessing it’s either 14 or 15.

And thank you very much for the poem, it’s very cute! I wouldn’t have minded the extra verses. They might’ve ruined the mood a bit, tho ^^;; The theme sounds like something baroque poems would write about... Don’t mind me, I just had an exam dealing with baroque, so I’m probably prone to making bad references to it. 

I will never manage to reach your level of puns... I’ll just say that I’m very satisfied with the amount of them.

“Just because he’s dead doesn’t mean he won’t come back. He died so another villain can take his place.

No matter how much I support trans Mu, I’d be very, very surprised if it actually become canon. I mean, as you’ve said, Japan and lgbt don’t quite go together that well... I guess we’ll just have to see... And nope, I still haven’t started to read the manga again. No time ^^;;

I’ve started to dislike Mu after the chapter in which his past was revealed. I just don’t have the will to stomach stories like that, honestly... Good horror/psychology manga/anime might interest me once in a while, but there’s a border I don’t like crossing. TG is waaay over it (which is probably a part of the reason why I dropped it, after all)

Gaah, it’s people like that that make dislike the lgbts... Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against people in that community and I won’t discriminate (though stuff like fictionkin and made-up pronouns do make me roll my eyes), but it’s these people that give people the wrong image about the whole community. Unfortunately, I’ve had quite a few encounters with those... aggressive people. I could go on and on about the things I saw as a part of this site, mostly concerning those ridiculous people who are probably in it because they think it’s ‘cool’ or ‘trendy’ to be bi or genderfluid.  I get waaay too worked up over this theme, don’t I?

Oh, I’m so happy about her not being forgotten! She is a precious cinnamon roll and doesn’t deserve the life she has, she deserves so much better.

Boy, that sounds fun. Well, Ive had experience with the ‘reading manga’ part, but I don’t particularly follow tweets ^^;; I hope things work out in the manga!

Idk, I mean, I disliked him at first, but I got to like him very quickly. I just seem to like silent types like him (I say that, and yet I also like Phichit, Viktor, Haise and so on, who are nothing like him.... WHOOPS).

Signs that I’m slowly forgetting TG: *reading the message* ‘who... are these characters?’ I mean, I know the most important ones, like Haise, Urie, Akira and so on, but the other ones... This makes me very sad ;-;

Yeah, I guess that would make Kaneki a good Hamilton. STILL DON’T WANT BURR (COOKIE) TO KILL HIM, BECAUSE KANEKI IS A CINNAMON ROLL WHO DOESN’T DESERVE TO DIE! The dynamics between Kaneki and Urie don’t make a good Ham-Burr, but their positions in their job, so I guess they really are the best pair for Hamilton.  Why did Ham have to die ;-; That makes casting so much harder for me.

Oh yeah, Tsukiyama would be an amazing rappers, I don’t doubt it at all. In fact, I’m sure that he’d be able to do Guns and Ships perfectly. 

Fun fact: You made a typo saying ‘Mado died after SHE became an adult’ (I changed it) and you gave me the biggest heart attack. Pls, my phone wasn’t used to the speed with which I typed ‘TOKYO GHOUL WIKI AKIRA MADO’ to check if what you said is true.  Yeah, Akira could count, I guess. That makes a total of ONE character... Not much, eh?

I don’t know if I count Takizawa... I think that the way his life is now, it very much makes up the lack of angst in his childhood.

Oh yeah, one last concern about The World Is Still Beautiful!

WHY IS THERE A CHARACTER NAMED LUNA WHO ACTS LIKE AN INSUFFERABLE BRAT DURING HER WHOLE SCREEN TIME, I DEMAND JUSTICE!

I’m done. 

One last recommendation:

LOVE LIVE AKA CUTE IDOLS. I invite you to join me in the pits of idol hell :) It(s not a romance, don’t worry. Also, there’s a mobile rhythm tapping game if you’re interested :))

Ooh, I’d be so happy if you’d start reading Magi! During the later volumes, it gets reeally psychological, so I think you might like it! I’d say something, but spoilers!

Well, I’ll go add the text to the post, then ^^

[rolandfontana]

Nike Likes Manufacturing Outside China and You Should Too

Nike has always been in the forefront of international manufacturing. So much so that I can remember a time (before China became THE factory to the world ) when many companies would base their decision on where to do their manufacturing on where Nike did its manufacturing. Nike started its international manufacturing (pretty much from day one) in Japan, but by the 1980s, it had moved almost all of its manufacturing to South Korea and Taiwan.  Nike opened its first factory in Mainland China in 1981.

Back in the mid-1990s, Jardine Fleming Securities (now part of JP Morgan Chase) came up with the Swoosh Index, which was its theory that once Nike selects a country for its newest factory site, economic growth, rising stock markets, and other foreign companies follow. A Business Week article, entitled, “The Swoosh Index for Emerging Markets” explained it:

Nike first started using Japanese plants in 1964. When labor costs there climbed in the mid-1970s, it gave South Korea and Taiwan a run. In the 1990s, production jumped to Indonesia and China, which now account for two-thirds of Nike output. Nike pulled back from Thailand recently ahead of a collapse in stock and property prices. Next up: Vietnam. While production there is now only 2% of Nike output, that’s expected to double within a year.

When choosing factory sites, Nike looks for cheap labor. However, it also picks countries with stable–usually authoritarian–leadership, decent infrastructure, a pro-business government, and a liberal trade regime.

When it decides to leave, that doesn’t signal the end of prosperity. It often means that countries are ready to move on to high-end manufacturing. And democracy.

Many companies watch Nike and then follow Nike into whichever country Nike locates. I bring all this up because hardly a day goes by without my discussing with someone “where to manufacture” something. It feels like the old days when manufacturing in China was not a given and companies needed to make international manufacturing decisions without Nike-sized budgets. With China no longer the automatic choice for manufacturing, things have gotten more complicated and more interesting. I like it. It feels like a return to the past, back to when I would call myself an international lawyer, not a China lawyer.

Yesterday, I met with a couple people who operate a high tech product inspection and sourcing company and we — as so often happens these days — quickly found ourselves talking about what we are saying by way of companies moving their manufacturing out of China. I talked about a company that was looking at Poland for manufacturing its baby strollers. They mentioned having looked into Poland for making shoes. I then talked about knowing someone who had its shoes made in Portugal, but then had some of them made at a Portuguese-owned factory in Angola. We talked about being surprised at how many companies still make clothes and shoes in China that probably should have moved that manufacturing out years ago. We discussed how Vietnam is bursting at the seam these days. I should have quoted Yogi Berra (but I didn’t) on how Vietnam has become so crowded for manufacturing that nobody goes there anymore.  They talked about how India is a great place for jewelry. I talked about how we had clients that loved Pakistan for making baseball hats.

We then talked about how China made manufacturing easy for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and no country even comes close to China on that count. We agreed that China had great “soft infrastructure” for manufacturing and every other country was pretty terrible at this and how this was a major factor in how slowly companies are moving their manufacturing out of China. I gave example after example of companies that had come to one of the international manufacturing lawyers at my firm for legal help with their China manufacturing only to end up manufacturing in another country at lower cost and no tariffs. These country changes happened at our urgings and these discussions nearly always go like this:

Lawyer: Why China for X product? Did you consider Thailand (or whatever other country seemed to make better sense)?

Client: I actually wanted to have my X product made in Thailand but I could never figure out how to accomplish that.

Lawyer:  We have people who can help you with that.

We then talked about the pros and cons of manufacturing in various countries and the countries we like for manufacturing and the “sleeper countries”  — those countries we believe more companies should be considering for their manufacturing. I threw out Spain, Portugal, Poland, Thailand, the Philippines, Mexico, and Guatamala.

But what about Nike? What countries does Nike like? The answer to this question is easy because Nike has a website that tells us exactly where it manufactures its products. Nike has its products made in 41 countries, using 525 factories and a little over one million workers:

Argentina —  13 factories (6 apparel,  3 equipment, 4 footwear)

Bangladesh — 1 factory (apparel)

Bosnia —  1 factory (footwear)

Brazil — 24 factories (9 apparel, 15 footwear)

Bulgaria — 1 factory (equipment)

Cambodia — 10 factories (apparel)

Canada — 3 factories (apparel)

China — 109 factories (46 apparel, 33 equipment, 30 footwear)

Croatia — 1 factory (equipment)

Ecuador — 1 factory (apparel)

Egypt —  5 factories (apparel)

El Salvador — 3 factories (apparel)

Georgia — 2 factories (apparel)

Germany — 1 factory (apparel)

Greece — 1 factory (apparel)

Guatamala —  4 factories (apparel)

Hondorus — 5 factories (apparel)

India — 8 factories (2 apparel, 1 equipment, 5 footwear)

Indonesia 38 factories (15 apparel, 5 equipment, 18 footwear)

Israel — 1 factory (equipment)

Italy — 18 factories (10 apparel, 2 equipment, 5 footwear)

Japan — 12 factories (3 apparel, 8 equipment, 1 footwear)

Jordan —  3 factories (apparel)

Malaysia —  7 factories (apparel)

Mexico —  16 factories (14 apparel, 2 footwear)

Moldova — 4 factories (apparel)

Netherlands — 2 factories (apparel)

Nicaragua — 2 factories (apparel)

Pakistan — 6 factories (4 apparel, 2 equipment)

Poland — 1 factory (apparel)

Romania —  1 factory (apparel)

South Africa — 1 factory (apparel)

South Korea — 8 factories (1 equipment, 7 footwear)

Spain — 2 factories (apparel)

Sri Lanka — 17 factories (15 apparel, 1 equipment, 1 footwear)

Taiwan — 13 factories (5 apparel, 5 equipment, 3 footwear)

Thailand  — 29 factories (24 apparel, 5 equipment)

Turkey — 4 factories  (3 apparel, 1 equipment)

United Kingdom — 1 factory (apparel)

United States  — 42 factories (37 apparel, 5 equipment)

Vietnam — 105 factories (68 apparel, 11 equipment, 26 footwear and 463,531 workers)

What can be learned from all of this Nike info? That depends. Nike actually lists out the specific companies it uses in each country and there can be little doubt that Nike has thoroughly vetted each of these companies and their facilities. Do these companies engage in contract manufacturing for companies othe than Nike? I would think most do. So this listing ought to be very helpful for anyone in the apparel, sports equipment or footwear industries.  Does that mean you should have your t-shirts made in Germany? I highly doubt that. It’s possible Nike has very limited amounts of specialized apparel made in  Germany for Germany because doing so is cheaper or easier or better than importing Bayern Munich apparel from Vietnam.

What about this list surprises you? I’m surprised to see an expensive country like Germany on here and not the Philippines.

But what if you make toaster ovens? What can you learn from above?  You can learn that there are plenty of countries other than China that manufacture quality items at a price that makes sense for a highly sophisticated international company like Nike and that alone ought to open your eyes to the manufacturing world outside China.

But, what is good for Nike may not be good for you and, quite frankly, there are countries listed above that I would immediately write off as too dangerous, too corrupt, too risky, too lawless, or just too difficult for the average company.

Where are you looking for your manufacturing these days? What countries do you see as manufacturing sleepers and why?

Nike Likes Manufacturing Outside China and You Should Too syndicated from https://immigrationattorneyto.wordpress.com/

[anniecarm]

Interview

I went into a new vintage store in my neighborhood and spoke with a girl who turned out to be the district manager for all three of NYC’s Flamingo vintage stores, a chain started in Spain that sells vintage clothes by the pound. Her name is Breana and she looked to be around my age, had on a vintage bomber jacket and glasses. We sat down next to the dressing rooms and I helped her hold scarves as we talked.

In the interview, she often refers to her boss as he, so if you see her mention he, that is who she is speaking of. 

After the interview, I thanked her for speaking with me and went back home. About an hour later I went out to grab some takeout from a Mexican restaurant down the street and she was also getting food from there which was funny and made us both laugh. Here is our conversation inside of the vintage store:Annie: Alright! So, what’s your name?

Breana: Breana

Annie: Breana

Breana: Yes

Annie: Where are you from?

Breana: I’m originally from Jersey, I actually still commute here, an hour and a half everyday.

Annie: Where in Jersey?

Breana: Leonia, it’s real small, it’s like a one square mile town, but it’s in Bergen County so it’s like right over the bridge.

Annie: Thats cool. Did you like live your whole life there?

Breana: Yeah pretty much but I went to school, I went to college in New Hampshire and then I used to live in Florida and now I’m working in New York and I studied abroad in Italy, so it’s like...everywhere.

Annie: That’s so cool

Breana: It’s actually really nice there.

Annie: What was your favorite place that you were living besides Jersey?

Breana: Definitely Florence. Living in Florence was...for four months...was amazing. I got to go to Croatia,Germany, Barcelona, Portugal..it was beautiful and lively.

Annie: It’s so nice to be able to travel, especially during school.

Breana: It’s like my biggest recommendation for anybody that's in college I’m like, you have to study abroad. I don’t care where you go, you have to do it. It’s so different, you come back like a whole different person.

Annie: How did it, like, change you? Just like perspective-wise or?

Breana: Honestly it’s actually really funny, when I went to Barcelona for my birthday last year I bumped into the Flamingo store that’s over there (where she works)

Annie: Oh wow!

Breana: Yeah, cause there’s 34 stores there.

Annie: Okay

Breana: And I remember being like oh how cute, this is so nice, I wish we had this here, graduated, and then out of nowhere we had like three of them popped up here.

Annie: Yeah

Breana: I was like..what?? And then I understood the concept from being abroad and there was out like a bunch other by the pound places and I don’t know, I guess I just like globally the business was just like so much better over there and it made more sense than how like some businesses are here and I think that’s like what attracted me most. Was that like, everyone is so open minded over there, everyone’s like open to new ideas and that’s kinda how this company is too.

Annie: Yeah, I feel like a lot of people say that New York and New Yorkers and stuff and the people living here are open minded, but you feel like people over there are more open minded?

Breana: Yeah for sure, like I could have intellectual conversations with people and like we could disagree on things like politically, globally, whatever it is,  and I can like know that it won’t end in a fight or it’s like ‘okay we’ll agree to disagree’ and then we’ll still go and have dinner or something. But talking to people in New York, it’s kind of like one way or the highway.

Annie: Yeah

Breana: You know what I mean with certain things? And then people get real touchy, real angry, really fast I just feel like abroad everyone's so, *sighs* like relaxed and like calming and stuff like that.

Annie: I feel like that’s also like Italy a lot as well, 

Breana: Yeah

Annie: People are so easy going there, it’s very high strung here.

Breana: Everything is about food over there, which I’m for!

*both laughing*

Breana: So it’s amazing and dinner there, you’re there for like three hours for dinner, but you learn so much and everything is fresh and homemade, I don’t know, I think I just like that aspect to, being out there, everything is so fresh and so like, not focused on fast food.

Annie: I get that, so how long have you been working here?

Breana: The stores, I’ve opened up all three, so I’ve been here for...three months now ‘cause we opened up the first one in the beginning of June, and so I’ve been just working..I opened up Dekalb first, then I opened up Manhattan, and now we’re here on Wilson, this one opened up like three weeks ago.

Annie: Yeah, I haven’t seen it before, my roommate just told me it was downstairs, I was like..wait a minute, i’ve been going to the one on Dekalb this whole time

Breana: Haha, yeah it’s kinda dangerous, not gonna lie, living so close because we’re getting a new shipment in and like I’m doing events and it’s just nonstop. Um.. yeah, so working here has been really cool, but it's definitely hard work, cause we get things by the pound so we get 5,000 pounds of shipment like every two weeks.

Annie: Wow! Who sorts through that, do you have to go through all of it?

Breana: Yeah, we have a basement downstairs in this one and in the one in Manhattan that we kind of, I get them, so we’ll get like 100 pound bales and it will be like ‘crazy jackets’ or ‘brand jackets’ or ‘navaho’ or ‘dresses’, whatever, and then we sort through and we’re like..okay, this bag is for Manhattan, this bag is for Dekalb, and this one bag for Wilson..you know, so...it’s a lot!

Annie: Where do all of those clothes come from?

Breana: So, we source everything from Houston.

Annie: Okay

Breana: Everything comes from Houston, Texas, that’s where he (her boss) went after Spain. He went to Houston to open up a store and a warehouse, then came to New York, and we get everything from there..but he also has a trademark deal,so all the stuff on the wall is like super super vintage. We trade American vintage with other countries for their vintage.

Annie: Woah, that’s so cool, how did he set that up?

Breana: That, I’m not sure how he accomplished that, but I know that it all started when he was in Spain and I guess he just kept those connections and network and when he came to Houston, it was the same thing. So like all the Japan and Korea jackets, those are all souvenir jackets from the war.

Annie: Woah, that’s incredible!

Breana: And then like, some of the items that you see that say like recycled on it, that’s him and his wife taking materials and like recreating and like upcycling some of the jackets.

Annie: That’s amazing, and where are they from?

Breana: They are from spain. They are the cutest, the owner, his wife, the two kids, like super tatted like really artsy people. The little girls are adorable.

Annie: Where do they live?

Breana: They live here, they live in Bushwick now, but I don’t know if they are going to stay for long. They’re in Miami now and it looks like they’re loving it *laughs*

Annie: Do you think they are going to open up stores in Miami?

Breana: Yeah, he just had his first one, the grand opening was yesterday, actually, for the Miami one in Windwood, and I have a feeling it’s gonna go really well and he’s gonna want to open another one there and then it's like I’ll just be able to run the three, which I’m not complaining about.

Annie: How do you like running them? Like what do you have to do?

Breana:It’s um, it kind was thrown at me like last minute and it was like ‘okay, now you’re a district manager’ and I’m like...I just graduated school, like what are you saying! Um, but it’s scheduling, it’s doing the payroll, it’s hiring, unfortunately firing, it’s uh, making sure everything is all set you know? Like the Manhattan location is the smallest one we have and there’s like a weird creaky door, so I’m kind of like a handyman at the same time, like I’ll go and like fix things up or I’ll go get change for the store or supplies, um, I’ll cover breaks for people, cause sometimes they do double shifts and they need like an hour break and if I’m around, I’m just like ‘yeah, go for it’, if the other person isn’t in yet. Um, for this location...I’m mostly downstairs sorting through the clothing cause we still have a lot and um, I have to sort through them, I have to see inventory-wise, what do we sell the most here, what do we sell the most in Dekalb, what do we sell the most in Manhattan and then how can I up the sales and that’s why I have this event coming up next weekend, so to get more foot traffic in.

Annie: What’s the event going to be?

Breana: It’s Flamingo’s fashion weekend, in a way, and a few of the associates...it’s a way to get to know whose working here, so we’re all dressing up, there’s like three segments..um...my friend’s a photographer and he’ll be here, so if you want like cute pictures, he’ll take them, um and I’m also doing 20% off the entire store, all three locations.

Annie: Are you trying to make me go broke??

*both of us laughing*

Breana: And we’re getting shipment this week! So it’s like new stuff, and 20% off, i’m like..lets go! I had to print out the flyers today.

Annie: Do you find a lot of people like the clothing by the pound system?

Breana: A lot of people come in and they’re like ‘I don’t understand’ and I’m like ‘fruit. Think of it like fruit’ and now we just changed the prices of like our denim stuff and our heavier items, cause we want to make it cheaper, we want to be known for good quality but not like, breaking the bank.

Annie: Right

Breana: So far, it’s going really well, it’s just, we need more foot traffic, people need to know more about us because we are so new, it’s like every person that walks in here is like ‘oh no, i’ve never heard of this place’ or ‘by the pound?! That hasn’t been a thing since the eighties!’ you know, so it’s going well. I think it will really take off come the winter time.

Annie: I think so too

Breana: Heavier items, it’ll be like six month period of us being open, I’m going to try doing events like every month.

Annie: What kind of events do you want to have?

Breana: Um, I kinda want to collab with a lot of other people outside of the fashion world, so I have a friend who is a painter and I was like,‘why don’t we have this promotion where someone buys a denim jacket and you’ll paint on the back of it”

Annie: That’s such a cool idea!

Breana: You know? Something like that and we’ll offer, them like 10% off a denim jacket and you know like half of the money will go to you (her friend) that we make. You know, something collaboration-wise, um..kind of like a Halloween party, something that goes after dark we were trying to see and like set it up where like we’ll have a disco ball and everybody will like buy costumes from the store and we’ll have that, or like a silent disco cause we have the space in this location to do something like that.

Annie: Would you want to get more embedded in the community?

Breana: mmhmm, I definitely do ‘cause beng from Jersey, it’s like I don’t really know much about Brooklyn, or the Lower East, and so spending all my time here I’m constantly like going to random things that I find out around. Like there’s this beer garden that I didn’t know about right by the L train, and I had gone there and I met these amazing people, you know, like musicians and artists and writers and I wanna, for the store’s benefit, get to know all these people in order to collab, to make more of a foot traffic for the store.

Annie: That’s so cool, I think like having events here would be such a good idea.

Breana: It’s like the generation now is so focused on having experiences rather than just blowing money for no reason. They want to come back with a story, they want to come back with memories, they want to post on Instagram and Twitter, and you know, facebook, and I feel like  if I host events, if I set up..I don’t know if you saw the register but it kinda looks like a bar area, so like set up coffe, you know, or like seasonal pumpkin spice or like apple cider, you know, things like that, apple cider donuts...I’m here for it.

Annie: It would smell so good in here, get people to come in

Breana:I want it to be kind of like a safe space you know so like if the weather is really crappy, or you’ve had a hard day, you’re like you know, let me come into Flamingo’s and see the girls. Cause we’ve been a strong team at all locations. So it’s like, especially Manhattan, its so small, but we have people that come in and like just hang out, you know, they’ll just bring us coffees, or you know, want to be like ‘oh why don’t you come to my bar’ and I’ll go get drinks with my customers, it’s crazy but it’s cool because it's so relaxed.

Annie: Do you think that’s like a very New York thing?  That people like to just immediately make friends and go do things?

Breana: Yeah because, at least for me, the Millie’s cuban cafe (cafe near the store and my apt), I’m always there because I’m always on the go and I’m like ‘I need an empanada’ and I go in there now and they already know, you know? They’re like ‘chicken or beef today’  and I’m like, hah this is sad like I keep coming here, but the one girl actually, she’s really cool, I’ll sit down with her and now she wants to come to the store and wants to come to the events so I do feel like it is a very New York kind of thing.

Annie: Yeah, it feels like home

Breana: Yeah

Annie: I always grew up hearing like ‘New Yorkers are so aggressive’ or ‘they’re so closed off’ but that’s not at all the impression that I get here.

Breana: Definitely not in Brooklyn, I don’t think. Everybody in Brooklyn is really chill and really creative and I love that. Same thing with the Lower East side, very relaxed, but I see like, in Times Square, like when you first get here, like even some parts of Union Square, everyone's like really angry, everyone’s like on a mission to get somewhere.

Annie: Working at a vintage store, do you like to get a lot of clothes?

Breana: It’s dangerous, it’s dangerous, I promise you. This jacket, I got it in the Manhattan store

Annie: So cute

Breana: So when we open up the bales, we get to see everything firsthand, and we get 20% off, so it’s like even worse. And I find like Christian Dior polos or like Christian Dior dresses, really dope tommy stuff, hidden gems and it's definitely hard like working here.

Annie: Do you get a lot of designer stuff or is it mostly normal?

Breana: It’s the luck of the draw. Sometimes we’ll get really nice..like even the scarves too, we have like a bag full of specialty scarves, like we’ll just get things from.

Annie: Would you ever see yourself like coming and living out here?

Breana:I’m trying, like I’m really trying to because transportation, especially today on Sundays is like the worst.

Annie: Do you drive?

Breana: Yeah I do, it’s hard because its like $15 for the bridge, like to get in here so it's like $15 every day is like...it adds up. So I usually just spend the money on like a monthly bus pass or a monthly metro card and it’s just better that way.

Annie: I did not realize that it was $15, is that both ways total?

Breana: No, it’s $15 going into the city and then its free to get out of the city.

Annie: What bridge?

Breana: It’s all the tunnels, the Holland tunnel, the Lincoln tunnel, and the George Washington bridge, anywhere to get from Jersey to New York is gonna cost you like 15 bucks to get in.

Annie: Oh my god, that's ridiculous.

Breana: It started at 7 dollars from what I remember when I was little little and it used to be 7 dollars and now its 15 and they’re talking about moving it to twenty.

Annie: That's insane

Breana: yeah

Annie: I drive sometimes from Brooklyn to Connecticut and I think the toll is maybe maximum 5 bucks. Why do you think it’s so much more coming from New Jersey?

Breana: I don’t know because I think it’s the fact that like New Yorkers can get away with that kind of stuff. Like it’s known for being expensive like rent even for a business is sooo much money. I think that’s what it is. Like Jersey is cool, its growing, there are certain areas of jersey that are growing, but I feel like everyone wants to be in New York and they know that, so they’re like ‘let's bump up the prices’ like ‘come to New York, spend your money’ and you’re like ‘crap’. But I am trying to see, like maybe he’ll open up stores in Jersey, so I don’t have to commute that much. There are a few places that definitely this store could work out in there.

Annie: And then that would expand your district manager range?

Breana: Yeah, I’ll be like regional manager now

Annie: That’d be cool!

Breana: It’d be cool! I told them like two stores, just two stores and then, I can do five...I think.

Annie: I think you can handle it, it’s fine

Breana: Its funny cause like everyone's always laugin at me cause you’ll see me constantly, I’m always running around, always like ‘handy manny Bre, like here she comes, to save the day’. I’m like throwing them a pizza party because we made over a thousand at all three locations yesterday.

Annie: Ooo nice!!

Breana: That was my goal, because he's not here so he was like, ‘oh good luck making money without me’ and I was like ‘Haha! I made like 5 grand total from all stores yesterday’

Annie: That’s so amazing

Breana: Yeah!

Annie: So is it mostly female employees?

Breana:Yeah, yeah, it kinda, like I don’t know, a lot of girls come in asking, you know ‘are you hiring?’ and we vibe out. I’m really chill too when it comes to interviewing and, if you have good style, if you know a little about vintage, if you have flexibility, it usually works out. But I don’t know, guys like to shop here, but they don’t want to work. *laughs* We have a guy actually for stock. He’s great. He’s like, lowkey sometimes we don’t even know that Jasons here and like I’ll go downstairs and I’m like ‘...Jason?? When did you arrive?’ and he’ll be like ‘We’ve got shipment in’ and I’m just like ‘okay..did you clock in?’ *laughs*. No but it’s pretty cool and all the girls are like, uh Alexis that was just over here, she rooms with Linda and Lindas coming in at 3 o'clock.

Annie: Oh perfect!

Breana: yeah, so they live together, work together, um the Manhattan store there's two best friends that work together too, from FIT. Everyone has their own style too which I love. Alegra’s very seventies, Omra’s very like punk and grunge and Emmaline's every like 2000s, and it's just like we all have different styles and then you can hear that in the music too and it’s really cool.

Annie: That’s amazing, so like what do you do for music, do you just shuffle random playlists or?

Breana: Yeah it’s kind of whatever you want, we have spotify, and the girls will come in and they’ll just be like, ‘can I play a song?’ and I’m like ‘play whatever you want!’ like ‘play your stations’ as long as it’s not like today’s rap… I can’t do that. It has to match the vibe of Flamingos and Cardi B is not it. But they’ll come in and play anything like this or they laugh when I come in I’ll play like prince. Prince is my life.

Annie: I’ve been listening to Raspberry Beret all morning.

Breana: Ugh! I had that on full blast, literally full blast and like three people came in and they were like ‘I heard prince’...you’re welcome everyone.

Annie: That’s how you get people in the door!

Breana: Exactly. Especially in Manhattan, it's so small, we usually just keep the door open and I’ll like bump my music up cause we’re right next to artists so like they have their little studios and they’ll know when I’m in cause I’ll bump the music and I’m outside just like dancing and people are like ‘what’s going on here’, and I’m like ‘I don’t know, come inside and find out!’

*both laughing*

Annie: What would you describe the vibe of Flamingo as?

Breana: Um, every store is different, which I really like! So the one in Manhattan is more of a coffee shop type. It’s like, we get the same people that come in often, they wanna hang out, it’s really chill, relaxed, not really hectic, it’s kind of like a home. Well actually, Lady Gaga lives on the second floor of that building.

Annie: Oh my god, have you seen her?

Breana: Not yet, but she was talking on an interview not too long ago about how she misses New York and I’m like

Annie: Come to my vintage store!

Breana: Come to my vintage store!! Cause it’s her own home, like we’re right there, so she’d definitely come in and I’d definitely pass out *laugh*

Annie: She’d find some good things though

Breana: Actually on opening day there, I don’t know if you used to watch the show What not to Wear, but the woman in What not to Wear was there on opening day

Annie: Oh my god!

Breana: And everybody I worked with, even the owner, nobody knew and I was just staring at her like…

Annie: like...It’s you! Did she have that signature grey streak in her hair?

Breana: Yeah! Yes! I was like *exhales* ringing her out and just like ‘...here you go’ and she was crackin up cause I was the only one that must have known and she was dying laughing at me

Annie: Just being like ‘please don’t roast my outfit’

Breana: *laughs* I know! I was like, a Flamingo button down right now. But yeah, so that’s how that one is. The one on Dekalb, I think it’s more...a lot of younger girls work there so it doesn’t really feel as vintagey, if that makes sense. It feels more modern but they are so smart. The girls that work in the Dekalb ones like you can go in there and have like the best conversation with them, they’re like so educated on everything. It’s crazy, like I’ll go in there and I’m like ‘Holly, give me a fun fact’ and she’ll just be like ‘oh well…’ and then just go for it. I love it, I love it. It’s like something fun. This one just opened, I’m still kinda feelin it out right now to see, um, this one is kind of like my prized possession. It’s like my baby because because it’s so big amd setting it up was such a hassle. 

Annie: It looks great though!

Breana: Yeah there’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that went into making this store. The owner and I, one time I had to let the girls leave at like 5 o’clock and the owner and I stayed until one o’clock in the morning. It was like the night before opening, to make it perfect perfect. I mean like hanging the clothing up, me putting the wooden stuff up where all of the boots are, like nailing the Mexican blankets to the wall.

Annie: How long did it take from like the store being empty until opening day for it to be ready?

Breana: Um...I think it took us, probably 3 weeks and that’s working every day. At least me and the owner, we’d come in and do every single day. I mean I’d get one day off but it was from 10am to 4pm I would have like me and 3 other girls setting up the store and we’re just hanging clothes, hanging clothes, hanging clothes, we didn’t have ac either this summer.

Annie: It was very hot this summer too

Breana: So. Hot. So we have these fans going, we all have earphones in and we’re just working, working, working, working. But it took us three weeks. I think for each location too, and this one, the owner had set up the visuals but in the other two we have visual merchandisers come from Spain.

Annie: Oh wow!

Breana: He flew them out from the Spain stores and they set them up. But he was like, ‘I taught them everything they know, so I’ll just do this one’

Annie: That’s so cool, I love it here.

Breana: Yeah it’s nice, I’m glad we got the couch.

*both laugh*

End of recording/interview.

*Correction: Initially incorrectly spelled Breana is Briana

[investmart007]

MOSCOW | Host Russia extends World Cup party by eliminating Spain

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/ANUCGM

MOSCOW | Host Russia extends World Cup party by eliminating Spain

MOSCOW  — Stretching every part of his body out into a star shape and diving to his right, Igor Akinfeev flicked out his left foot and kicked the ball high away from danger.

Akinfeev’s foot kept Russia’s party going Sunday night, ended the international career of one of Spain’s biggest stars and sealed the biggest upset of the tournament and one of the greatest in World Cup history.

Akinfeev saved two shots during the shootout, while all of his teammates scored to give Russia a 4-3 advantage after a draw that was dominated by Spain in every way but the 1-1 score. Russia — the lowest ranked team in the World Cup at No. 70 in the world — is stunningly going to the quarterfinals to face Croatia or Denmark Saturday.

Millions of Russian fans, many of whom were mocking this team just a couple of weeks ago, are jumping loudly on the bandwagon.

“We’re hosting a fantastic tournament,” Akinfeev said. “I think our fans and foreign fans have recognized that we’re a country that can play football and organize big events.”

Akinfeev’s winning save against forward Iago Aspas made the national stadium in Moscow shake with the roar of around 70,000 Russians celebrating their team’s best World Cup run since it was the Soviet Union in 1966.

It was a shocking elimination for Spain, joining former champions Germany and Argentina. Still, World Cup history was on Russia’s side after its well-organized team survived two hours of barely having the ball.

Russia extended a streak of World Cup hosts winning penalty shootouts to five. France, South Korea, Germany and Brazil have also won shootouts since 1998.

Akinfeev ensured that, in the 32-year-old captain’s 111th game for his country.

With Spain taking first, the shootout was poised at 2-2 when Akinfeev dived to his right to push away the kick by Jorge “Koke” Resurreccion. The Atletico Madrid midfielder lifted his shirt over his eyes in dismay.

Russian penalty kickers were perfect against Spain’s struggling goalkeeper David De Gea. After Akinfeev acrobatically blocked the left-footed shot of Aspas, he leapt up, punched the air with both hands and dove into a belly flop cross the rain-soaked turf as teammates raced to him from the halfway line.

“I just feel emptied out,” Akinfeev said. “Over the whole second half and extra time we were defending our goal and managed it, we were hoping for penalties because Spain are hard to beat.”

It gave Russia its greatest win for 10 years, since Akinfeev was in goal for an extra-time victory over the Netherlands in a European Championship quarterfinal. That run was ended days later by a Spain team beginning its era of dominance.

Spain has now failed to win a knockout game at three major tournaments since it won Euro 2012, its third straight major title after Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

It was too passive a performance by the Spanish, who were ranked 10th and among the pre-tournament favorites. Turmoil erupted two days before the opening game, when the federation fired the head coach.

“It’s painful, there’s nothing else we can say,” Spain captain Sergio Ramos said. “We left our soul in the pitch.”

It is unclear if interim coach Fernando Hierro will continue in a job he did not seek before Julen Lopetegui was sent home. Lopetegui was fired because he didn’t tell Spain’s soccer leaders he accepted an offer to coach Real Madrid after the tournament.

Sunday’s defeat ended Andres Iniesta’s Spain career. The 34-year-old Barcelona midfielder came off the bench and almost won the game with an 85th-minute shot well saved by Akinfeev. Iniesta also scored the first spot-kick of the shootout.

Spain was more urgent in extra time after being too passive for 90 minutes. Though Spain completed a World Cup game record of 1,029 passes, it rarely threatened Akinfeev’s goal.

Spain led in the 12th minute when Ramos helped force Russia’s Sergei Ignashevich into an own goal when his back was turned to the play. Ramos and Ignashevich got tangled up and the ball went in off of the Russian defender’s heel.

A defensive error let Russia level in the 41st, after Gerard Pique’s raised arm blocked a header by Artyom Dzyuba. Dzyuba’s penalty kick fooled goalkeeper David De Gea to dive the wrong way.

“We’re insanely happy,” Dzyuba said. “We’ve given everyone a party and we believed in ourselves to the end. We believed that order, discipline and dedication can beat class.”

SPECIAL GUESTS

King Felipe VI of Spain was at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. The king is a soccer fan who, as crown prince, attended the 2010 World Cup final in Johannesburg to see Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0.

Russia was represented by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who was on his feet and leaning on a protective barrier to watch the shootout.

FOURTH SUBSTITUTE

World Cup history was made with the first use of a fourth substitute, which FIFA now allows teams in extra time. Russia’s Alexander Yerokhin went on in the 97th minute against Spain, replacing fellow midfielder Daler Kuzyaev.

ONE SAVE

De Gea made one save at the entire World Cup, and none Sunday when Artyom Dzyuba’s 41st-minute penalty was Russia’s only shot on target. Russia then scored all four spot-kicks in the shootout.

By GRAHAM DUNBAR by Associated Press

[igetcontent]

Saturday's star-studded 2018 World Cup showdown between Argentina and France is must-see material. Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann are just a few of the top-tier players who will be showcasing their talent on the world's biggest stage on Saturday at 10 a.m. ET. France enters this marquee matchup at +135 on the money line, meaning you'd need to bet $100 on a French victory to win $135. Argentina is +240 (wager $100 to win $240), while a draw in regulation is +200. The over-under on total goals scored in this 2018 World Cup fixture is 2. Before you lock in your 2018 World Cup picks, you need to see what European football expert David Sumpter has to say. Sumpter is an applied mathematician who wrote "Soccermatics," a book that explains how math works inside the sport. Along with other experienced analysts, Sumpter developed the powerful Soccerbot model. The Soccerbot reads current odds and all team performance data, calculates key metrics and predicts upcoming matches. In nearly three seasons since its inception, the Soccerbot is up an incredible 1,800 percent on bookmakers' closing odds. The Soccerbot has already nailed draws for Argentina-Iceland (+385) and Brazil-Switzerland (+360). It also correctly predicted Iran upsetting Morocco at +275, just to name a few of its big calls. Anyone who has followed it is way up. Now, the Soccerbot has digested the film, crunched the numbers and broken down every single player on France and Argentina. The model has released a very strong money-line pick, which it's sharing only over at SportsLine. The model knows France will be facing Argentina for the first time ever in the knockout stage of a World Cup. This is the first fixture at the 2018 World Cup that pairs two previous World Cup champions against each other. France enters this match still looking to find its best form. Les Blues topped Group C, but failed to impress while doing so. However, France's defense has stifled its opponents thus far in Russia 2018. France has only conceded five shots on target in its three group games, with the only goal allowed being a penalty in France's 2-1 victory over Australia. The model also knows Argentina didn't qualify for the Round of 16 until the final minutes of its third game. After a shocking draw with Iceland and a 3-0 blowout loss to Croatia, the team edged Nigeria, 2-1, to advance to the Russia 2018 knockout stage. This World Cup notwithstanding, France has lost just once in its last 15 matches. Argentina, meanwhile, is in a long slump, having won just four of 14. However, the Albiceleste have Messi, the top scorer in team history and one of the most successful players in the history of the game. And they won't have to face Germany, which has knocked them out of the last three World Cups. France v Argentina preview: Lionel Messi and co looking up after slow start Argentina are looking to put their tricky World Cup start behind them against 1998 winners France in the last 16 on Saturday. A 1-1 draw with minnows Iceland and a humbling 3-0 defeat to Croatia left the 2014 finalists on the verge of elimination, but a 2-1 win over Nigeria saw Argentina through in second place. Jorge Sampaoli's position was reportedly in doubt before that crucial Nigeria victory, but the Argentina coach is now looking forward to playing 1998 winners France in the last-16. "We are going to play against a team with great individual players," Sampaoli said. "They are among the very best contenders and we will need to be very consistent to come out on top of a very difficult match." After Argentina's victory over Nigeria, Sampaoli headed to the dressing room without celebrating alongside his players, but Lionel Messi went over to hug his coach before he departed in a show of unity with the under-fire manager. "Leo's gesture with me makes me proud. He knows all the passion I put into everything I do," Sampaoli said. "We share the dream of coming to Russia to achieve something important for Argentina." Much has been made of Messi's influence on the Argentina side, but France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris rejected suggestions they were a one-man outfit. He said: "There is so much expectation around Messi, which I think is normal, but still I think the Argentina team has a lot to show. "They have had difficult times and still have been able to qualify. I am sure they will feel like going much further in the competition, they have won the World Cup before. "This is going to be a big match, and a difficult one, we are going to have to step up our level." Team news Benjamin Mendy will miss out for France through injury, having come off the bench in their dead rubber with Denmark last time out. There are no new concerns for Argentina, who could name the same side that beat Nigeria to qualify for the last-16. Opta stats France and Argentina will be facing each other for the 12th time. The South Americans hold the upper hand with six wins to two (D3), keeping a clean sheet in eight of their previous 11 encounters with the French. Argentina have won their two World Cup encounters with France, back in 1930 (1-0) and 1978 (2-1). On both occasions, they reached the final, losing it in 1930 and winning in 1978. The last South American team to beat France at the World Cup were Argentina in 1978. Since then, France are unbeaten in eight World Cup fixtures against CONMEBOL opposition (W4 D4). Argentina have gone past the first round for the 12th time in their last 13 World Cup appearances, the only exception coming in 2002. Their last four knockout games in the tournament have produced only three goals (2 goals for, 1 against). Since the introduction of the round of 16 in 1986, France have always made it past that stage whenever they've reached it (1986, 1998, 2006, 2014). Messi has never scored in the knockout stages of the World Cup: 666 minutes, 0 goals. He is the last Argentinean player to score against France, back in February 2009 in a friendly (2-0). Lionel Messi is the third Argentinian player to have scored in three different World Cup tournaments, alongside Diego Maradona (1982, 1986, 1994) and Gabriel Batistuta (1994, 1998, 2002). France's Olivier Giroud has failed to score in his last 357 minutes at World Cup/Euro, his longest drought at major tournaments, with his last goal dating back to the Euro 2016 quarter-final against Iceland. He's yet to register a shot on target at this year's World Cup, having spent 200 minutes on the pitch. Merson's prediction This game sounds like an absolute cracker but, if I'm being honest, it's not really. On the performances so far these are the two sides I can't see winning it. I definitely can't see Argentina winning it because they look a really poor team. France haven't been great themselves but I think they'll be far too good for Argentina. I've seen something from France that tells me they could click at some point, however, I look at Argentina and they are an old team. They look like a tired team and that's why I'm going for France. FIFA World Cup 2018: Riding on a million prayers, Argentina take on France KAZAN: "They are breathing down your neck, you are running out of life," goes the song. The Albiceleste are living on the edge, but the Argentinian fans are singing a different tune. Earning a last-gasp ticket to the Round of 16, Argentina arrived in Kazan, the industrial hub on the confluence of Volga and Kazanka, on the wings of a million prayers, desperate to repeat their coup, this time against the French on Saturday. France, guided by their 1998 World Cup-winning captain Didier Deschamps, cruised to the Round of 16, rather relaxed, but their placidity has led to a lot of criticism back home. On the contrary, Jorge Sampaoli just about managed to pull Argentina through to the knockout stage - in the face of rumours of getting sacked, player rebellion and "fighting for reality against the virtual". Lionel Messi finally shed his cloak of despair for factory overalls and Marcus Rojo's 86th-minute winner carved Argentina's passage to Kazan. Despite having attracted unappetizing headlines back home, the easily-distracted Frenchmen have not lost the desire to fight and look unusually focused. Leave alone unrest, not even a word of whining has emerged from the French fortress. Samuel Umtiti, Messi's Barcelona club mate, said: "We're working to improve, to play a bit better, because we can do it. But the most important thing will be to win, because if we go all the way, even if most people are not pleased by our football, everybody will be happy and we won't hear any more that the football was lacking." Having spent most of his Thursday's press meet discussing Messi, Umtiti admitted knocking Argentina out would give him added satisfaction. It sounded like routine talk, like France's two wins and a draw in the group phase, in contrast to the dramatic life of their opponents. Fumbling against Iceland, thrashed by Croatia, Sampaoli struggled through the chaos to get his first XI right. Gerard Houllier, who assisted Aime Jacquet in his successful 1998 World Cup campaign, has made an interesting point in his column for a French publication. The former Liverpool manager argues that Argentina run the risk of an emotional meltdown after their last-minute high to secure qualification. He has cited the example of Germany who failed to muster up enough energy against South Korea following their miraculous victory over Sweden. Criticised for not having set the tournament on fire, Deschamps knows how to go about it from personal experience. The pace of Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe down the flanks is the newest weapon most defenders are wary of. The worrying point for Argentina is that Gabriel Mercado and Nicolas Tagliafico are not known for handling pace well. Even Nicolas Otamendi and Javier Mascherano struggled to keep an eye on Ahmed Musa the other night in Saint Petersburg. With Pogba, Ngolo Kante, and Blaise Matuidi in midfield, and twinkle-toed Antoine Griezmann up front, France look upbeat. Still, Les Bleus do not have a Messi who takes a wink to come alive, sensing before anyone that Ever Banega has found his range.

[theladyjstyle]

When I planned my move to Sweden a few years ago, I tried to figure out how to get past the 90-day limit placed on tourist visas in the Schengen Area. This is a problem encountered by thousands of travelers every year and a question that regularly (especially this time of year) pops up in my inbox.

“How can I stay in Europe for more than 90 days?” I’m always asked.

It’s a great question with a very complicated answer. I always knew it was difficult, but until I started researching how to stay there longer, I never knew just how difficult. But in the process of this research, I came to learn there are a few ways to stay in Europe longer than 90 days; they just aren’t well known.

This post will teach you the options for staying in Europe over 90 days. But first a few things:

It’s important to note that Europe isn’t just one place — there are varying visa rules throughout the continent. When people talk about the “90-day limit,” they’re talking about restrictions on the Schengen Area, which is the visa policy that governs 26 countries in Europe. It includes all of the European Union — except Ireland and the United Kingdom — as well as a few non-EU countries. (Note: While I call it the “Schengen Visa”, it’s not an actual visa you apply for. It’s simply what I refer to the 90 day limit as.)

What is the Schengen visa? The Schengen visa is a 90-day tourist visa for Schengen Area countries, which are:

Austria Belgium Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Lithuania Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland

These Schengen countries have a border-free visa agreement that lets residents move throughout the Area without needing to show their passport every time they cross a border. Essentially, it’s as if they’re one country, and you can move as freely as you want. (Residents of the UK and Ireland are allowed limitless entry.)

Citizens of most countries are allowed to enter the Schengen Area without having to get a visa beforehand. Your passport simply gets stamped upon your arrival and departure from Europe. You’re allowed to enter and leave from any country you want — they don’t have to be the same. I fly in and out of different countries all the time. Your first entry in the 180-day period is when your 90-day counter starts. These days don’t need to be consecutive — the total is cumulative. Once day 181 hits, the count resets itself.

For example, if I come to the Area in January and stay for 60 days and then come back in June for 10 days, that counts as 70 days in 180 days. Only days you are in the zone during the period count. If you go on January 1st and stay 90 straight days, you have to leave and technically can’t come back until July 1st.

However, not all travelers are allowed such freedom. Citizens from many countries need to apply for a Schengen visa ahead of time. You’ll be required to fill out paperwork beforehand and fly in and out of the country for which your visa is issued. (Even then, you still might not be granted a visa. Spoiler alert: citizens from African and Asian countries get screwed.)

You can find the specific rules regarding your country at the European Commission website or from the country that is your first point of entry.

So, with that being said, how DO you stay in Europe (i.e. the Schengen Zone) longer? How do you get around that rule? Let me break it down for you.

Part 1: Staying in Europe — The Easy Way

With so many visa rules, it’s easy to stay in Europe beyond 90 days as a tourist — you just need to mix up the countries you visit. The United Kingdom has its own rules that allow you to stay 180 days in a calendar year. Most non-Schengen countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, Croatia, Ireland, and some Balkan countries allow you to stay for up to 60 or 90 days. So all you need to do is spend 90 days in the Schengen Area, visit the UK, go to the Balkans, hang out in Ukraine, drink wine in Moldova, and have a pint in Ireland. If you align your schedule right, you can easily be out of the Schengen Area for 90 days and then head back into the Schengen Area.

I spent three months in Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and England as I waited for my clock to reset and then headed back into Germany for Oktoberfest.

So if you want to travel the continent for a long time without having to go through the various visa processes described below, vary your travel by visiting non-Schengen countries. There’s plenty to see elsewhere while you wait to wait for your Schengen Visa clock to reset.

—-> Need more tips for Europe? Visit my destination guide and get in-depth information on what to see and do and how to save money.

Part 2: Staying in the Schengen Past 90 Days

But what if you do want to stay longer in the Schengen Area? Then what? What if the six months you want to be in Europe is all in the Schengen Area? What if you want to live and work in Europe?

After all, it covers 26 countries, and visiting so many destinations in 90 days can be a little rushed (you would have an average of 3.4 days per country).

If you want to stay longer to travel, live, learn a language, or fall in love, then the “move around” option suggested above isn’t going to work for you. You need something else. Luckily, there are a few ways to do this — and I can’t stress enough the importance of the word “few.”

Staying more than 90 days in the Schengen Area isn’t easy.

First, let’s understand the rule…

The Schengen law states that you can’t stay in the Area more than 90 days. If you do, you’re subject to a fine and deportation. How that rule is enforced, though, varies greatly from one country to another. If you overstay by a few days or even a week, you’ll probably be OK. If you overstay longer, you might have problems.

Some countries do not mess around with visitors overstaying. For example, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, and Scandinavian countries are all very strict about entry and exit. If you overstay your tourist visit by longer than a week, there’s a good chance they’ll pull you aside. Two Australians I know were detained leaving Switzerland due to overstaying their visa by two weeks. They were allowed to go with just a warning, but they missed their flights and had to book new flights.

I know of someone who overstayed by six months, tried to leave from Amsterdam, and now has an “illegal immigrant” stamp on her passport. In order to enter Europe again, she must apply for a visa at an embassy and be preapproved: “I made the mistake of attempting to leave from the Netherlands after overstaying a Schengen visa and was caught. I overstayed by about a month, and they hand-drew some sort of insignia in my passport to note my overstay. They told me I’d have to contact the IND and find out if I would be able to enter the Schengen states again.”

(And another blogger I met just told me this happened to them too…so don’t overstay!)

Yet if you leave from Greece, France, Italy, or Spain — the southern European countries — you won’t have any problems, provided you (a) haven’t stayed over too long and (b) didn’t catch the immigration officer on a bad day. When I left Greece, no one even looked at my passport. One of my friends met a guy in France, fell in love, and decided not to leave. A year later, when she finally did, the French officials didn’t even look twice. Another friend flew into France and didn’t even get an entry stamp. Spain is notorious for not caring, and Americans who decide to overstay for months mention that as the easiest country to exit from.

That being said, I don’t think it’s wise to overstay. No matter where you are, you can get away with a few days. Maybe a week, especially if you’re heading home. But a few weeks? A few months? The risk is too great. I love going to Europe enough where I wouldn’t want to be banned.

Can you extend your Schengen visa/stamp? The Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forums, while a mess of random posts, are good for one thing: stuff like this. I came across one great quote: “This topic has been discussed ad nauseam here on the boards for years. If someone found a way to extend a Schengen, we would have heard of it by now.”

He’s right. Simply put, you cannot extend your tourist visa or entry stamp. There’s a 90-day limit, and that’s that.

OK, so what’s a tourist to do?

1. Get a working holiday visa

Working holiday visas are easy to get and the best way to extend your stay — even if you don’t want to work. Citizens of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand (and often South Korea and Japan) are eligible for one- to two-year working holiday visas from most of the Schengen countries. Applicants must apply for this visa from a specific country and be younger than 30 (though, in some cases, like for Canadians working in Switzerland, you can be as old as 35).

Additionally, know you can get multiple working holiday visas. An Australian reader of mine got a two-year Dutch working holiday visa and then got one from Norway to stay two more years. While she and her boyfriend (who also got one) did odd jobs in Holland for a bit, they mostly used it as a way to travel around the continent. Note: This type of visa won’t allow you to work in any other country than the one that issued it.

To find out more, visit the embassy of the country you want the visa from in order to apply. Individual countries give these out.

For Americans, there is no working holiday visa in the Schengen Zone. However, American citizens who are in school or within a year of graduation can get a working holiday visa for Ireland. That will allow you to live and work in Ireland – and thus travel around Europe!

2. Get a long-term-stay visa

Unfortunately, the majority of the countries do not allow long-term-stay visas for visitors. In my pursuit of a long-term visa for Sweden, I found that there’s no universal long-term tourist visa for the Schengen Area. Schengen allows for a C- or D-class visa (the letter varies on the country), which is a semi-permanent residence visa for up to one year. But the specific visa and requirements vary from country to country. Some countries are harder, some are easier, and others are nearly impossible despite being in the same visa treaty zone. (I don’t understand the variance either. Same zone, different rules — it makes no sense. You’d think if they were to all have the same rules they would abide by the same visa.)

But there are a few countries that do offer long-term visas and they aren’t too hard to get:

France

France offers a long-term visitor visa for a period of up to one year. The application process takes up to one month. According to the French Embassy, “The ‘visitor’ visa (or visa ‘D’) allows you to enter France and stay for more than three months. Long-stay visa holders will be allowed to reside in France for up to 12 months according to the validity of their visa and purpose of stay.”

To get this visa, you must set up an appointment at the French consulate near you. You can’t walk in — you must make an appointment.

At this appointment, bring the following documents:

One application form filled out completely and signed

One ID picture glued onto the application form

Your original passport, which must have been issued less than 10 years ago, be valid for three months after your return, and have at least two blank pages left

A letter certified by a notary public that promises you won’t engage in work

A letter of employment stating current occupation and earnings

Proof of income (you’ll need bank statements or copies of your investment portfolio)

Proof of medical insurance that includes evacuation insurance

Proof of accommodation in France. (The French consulate never returned my emails, so I was unsure how you could have this before you even get to France. One could use a friend’s address or, lacking that, “rent” a place (one where you can get a refund) for the purposes of the interview. It’s a little fuzzy.)

Note: You can’t apply for this visa more than three months before your arrival date.

You can visit the French Embassy website for links to local embassies and consulates for more information.

Sweden

Sweden also offers a long-term stay tourist visa for a maximum period of one year. The process is easy but long — up to eight months! It’s not something to do at the last minute (though if you already in the country, the process only takes a couple of weeks). You’ll need two copies of the following documents when applying for the visa:

Residence permit for visitor’s application form

Notarized copies of the pages of your passport that show your identity and the validity of your passport, as well as copies of all the other visas/stamps you have

A bank statement showing your means of supporting yourself for the duration of your stay

A return airplane ticket

A letter from your insurance company stating you’re covered overseas

Applications can be delivered in person during visiting hours (no appointment needed) or mailed to a Swedish consulate.

After your documents are received, you’ll be required to have an interview with one of the immigration officers. Most people who apply for this visa have family in Sweden. If you don’t, you’ll need to have clear reasons as to why you need to stay longer and show ample proof that you can support yourself (i.e., “I want to meet Swedish guys/girls” won’t cut it!). If you’re applying in Sweden, you’ll need to put a local’s address on your application form, and that person will have to accompany you to your interview!

Italy

Like the other countries, Italy will let you in if you can afford it and promise not to work. You’ll need the following documents to apply:

A long-term visa application filled in and signed at the consulate. You must appear in person.

One passport-style photo

Your passport, which has to be valid three months over the planned stay in Italy. The passport will be kept during the application process.

Documented and detailed guarantee of steady income, as well as proof of financial means, such as letters from the bank indicating the status of your account, including the amount of money in the account.

Proof of lodging in Italy

A letter specifying the reason for your stay in Italy, length of stay, and where you plan to reside

A notarized background check

This visa is issued solely to those who are planning to move to Italy and not work.

Greece, Spain, and Portugal also offer long-term-stay visas, but they’re geared to people who are retired or plan to work in the country and have a lot of assets. They aren’t meant for people passing through, but you can always try and apply anyway. They have a lot more requirements and are really meant for people who will live there.

Additional notes:

The rules are not universal. In some cases (depending on your country of citizenship), additional documents may be required. You’ll want to check with your local embassy for specifics, but you aren’t restricted from applying for these visas from your home country.

All of these visas will require you to show proof that you either have income, have a lot of savings or both. This is about proving you don’t need to work. They’re adamant about not letting these visas be someone’s back-door way of getting into the EU and finding a job. While most didn’t give an exact number, I would say that if you don’t have at least $25,000 USD in your bank account when you apply, you shouldn’t apply. It’s hard to say for sure how much you’re required to have, as the embassy websites aren’t specific. It’s most likely at the discretion of the immigration officer, but the more money you can show, the better. For citizens coming from developing countries, this number might be higher, and you may even need someone to vouch for you.

Because of Europe’s open-border policies, while you need to enter and exit from the country that issued you the visa, but you can be anywhere in Europe during the length of your visa. Once a country has issued you one of these short-term-stay residence visas, you’re a “resident,” allowing you access to anywhere in Europe. 

EVEN MORE ADDITIONAL NOTES:

For U.S. citizens, France has a bilateral agreement that allows the US citizens to stay an additional 90 days beyond the Schengen limit – without a visa!! Seriously. You can spend another 90 days in France. You can enter from any Schengen country, stay 90 days in France, and then fly home. But you have to go home. You can’t go elsewhere. You have to leave Europe so you can’t use your time in France as a sneaky way to reset your Schengen clock.

Additionally, Denmark and Poland also have bilateral agreements with the United States that let citizens stay an additional 90 days in each country separate from the regular Schengen Zone visa. The Denmark rule applies the same way as the French one. You must travel directly from another Schengen country to Denmark. After your stay in Denmark, you cannot transit through other Schengen countries to get back to the US, you will have to fly directly or transit through non-Schengen zones. The Denmark additional 90-day stay is applicable for citizens of Australia, Canada, Chile, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the US.

If you want to visit Poland, you must enter and leave Poland via a non-Schengen country where you will be stamped again (i.e. direct flight from NYC). So you could do 90 days in the Schengen, fly to the UK, and then fly to Poland.

Now, in theory, one could say thanks to borderless travel you could get your “extra 90 days in Denmark” and then just travel around, fly out of Denmark, and no one would be the wiser. One could say that. But I’ve noticed a lot more intra-Europe passport checks in the last year in the wake of the refugee crisis and rise of right-wing governments across the continent. I got yelled at in France for not having my passport with me while on a train to see a chateau. I wouldn’t recommend it but, in theory, I guess it could be done.

3. Get a “student” visa

All Schengen Area countries offer student visas that are easy to obtain so long as you’re enrolled in a recognized university program. This would require you to pay for the course, but it will virtually guarantee you a visa.

The best country to do this in is Spain (Portugal also offers a student visa that is easier to get than other countries), where a whole industry has sprung up to help “students” study Spanish. There are tons of schools that will allow you to enroll and write letters stating you’re a student there. (You’ll also need to apply in your home country!) This blog post details the process in great depth.

One thing to note is that this process is expensive since you have to pay for the class, visa fees, and required background checks, but if you really want to stay a full year, it might be worth the cost.

4. Get a freelancer visa

There are a few countries that offer freelancer visas for the modern day digital nomad (or wannabe digital nomad). This process is a little more complicated and not for the casual tourist. These visas are meant for people who actually want to live in Europe. For the casual tourist, you’d probably get denied. While your freelancer visa is being processed, it would extend your Schengen as countries give you extra time while they process the paperwork. So, in theory, you could apply knowing you’ll get denied to buy yourself some more time but that would be a lot of effort for nothing so probably don’t want to do that.

Germany offers the best freelancer visa and is the country most used by people who want to reside in Europe. If you’re a freelancer, artist, or have some form of income, this is the visa to get (and it’s quite easy to get). It’s perfect and will give you one to two years in the EU. This isn’t a business visa where you move your company to Germany, but a visa for contract workers, artists, web folks, and other freelance-type jobs.

You need to apply for this visa when in Germany. The process usually takes about a week. You simply need the following documents at your visa appointment:

A completed application form

Two passport photos

Bank statements — like the other visas, they want to know you have money just in case you don’t find work. As before, the more money, the better.

A copy of your résumé.

Proof of residency — You’ll either need to be on a rental contract or be on someone’s rental agreement. You need to bring an official copy of the rental agreement to the immigration office. Adam of Travels of Adam, says, “All I’ve ever had are short sublets. You still have to register at a local city office, but all I’ve done is show up with a printed-out lease from the Internet and submitted that. Once you do that, you get the official form from the local office and that’s all the visa people want to see.”

Health insurance — you need to have German insurance that’s valid for at least one year. It’s easy to get once you’re in Germany, and you don’t need to be a German citizen to get it.

Bring a German speaker with you just in case there’s a need for translation. The process is pretty straightforward. You might get lucky and get the visa that day. Or they might review it over the course of a couple of weeks. But if they do that and your 90-day Schengen visa is close to expiring, they’ll give you a temporary three-month visa extension while they process your request. In theory, one could apply for the visa knowing they won’t meet all the requirements simply to get the three-month temporary visa.

It’s very rare someone is denied this visa if they can show they have a job, income, or money in the bank. How they determine an “artist” is actually pretty loose too. I have tons of friends who have gotten this visa.

Additionally, the Czech Republic also has freelancer visa. It’s just as complex to get and you’ll need at least $6,000 USD in your bank account as proof you aren’t going to leech off their services. The lovely folks at Wandertooth, who did this process last year, walk you through the steps.

In recent years, Spain has also created freelancer visa called the “autonomo” that also follows a similar process. You can read more on this website, Spainguru.

These three countries are your best bet for this type of visa. While other countries offer them, they require lots of proof of income, taxes, and that you actually plan to live and operate your business in the country.

5. Get married

Fall in love with a European (or at least a friend) and apply for a marriage visa! You’ll get to stay there while the application process goes through.

********

The best, easiest, and most effective way to stay in Europe long-term is to increase the number of countries you visit so you’re in the Schengen Area for only 90 days. As I said, there are a lot of countries not in the Area, so this is easy to do.

If you’re like me and want to stay longer than 90 days, be prepared to work the system.

If you do want to stay in the Schengen Area beyond the 90-day limit, you need to apply for one of the visas listed above. When you go to the interview, make it crystal clear that you have enough money to support yourself, you’re not looking for a job, and give good reasons why you need to stay longer. “I want to spend more time drinking in Greece” will get you nowhere.

In the end, it’s not impossible to stay longer in the Schengen Area. By working the system a bit and using the few loopholes that do exist, one can legally stay past 90 days and enjoy all Europe has to offer without worrying about being barred for life.

Want more advice? These articles will help you plan an extended trip to Europe: —> How to Live and Work in Spain —> What to See and Do in Europe —> Cheap Ways to Travel Across Europe —> How a Eurail Pass Can Save You Money

Updated June 2018 with the latest information and resources.

The post How to (Legally) Stay in Europe for More Than 90 Days appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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[coffeebreakstatement]

Poland Summer 2017 #7: Goodbyes

I used to be really afraid of change. I used to mark the boundaries my comfort zone and stay well within them. I have always admired people who are motivated to try new, different, and even scary things. In my admiration, I have been working on becoming this kind of person. I have been trying to push the boundaries of my comfort zone and make myself uncomfortable because all the best experiences of my life so far have begun with some sense of uncertainty and fear. I don’t want my fear of what could go wrong to eclipse the possibilities of everything that could go right.

Maybe I am still a bit afraid of change, even if I try to embrace it at every opportunity. Change and I have come to an agreement, but it is still something that I am working on and we are not yet the best of friends. The worst kind of change is goodbyes. I don’t think I will ever get over my aversion to saying goodbye. This week, I had to say a lot of goodbyes.

My teacher left this week to return to Katowice so we got a new teacher who will be with us for the remainder of the summer school. There needs to be a certain level of trust built up between students and teachers for them to work well together, especially language teachers since constant communication is an essential teaching tool. It takes time for both the student and the teacher to learn how they can best help each other and for me, it takes time for me to get comfortable speaking freely with a teacher and speaking up when I don’t understand something. I was afraid for my teacher to leave because it would mean starting from scratch again with a new teacher. It was difficult to say goodbye to my wonderful, kind teacher. Fortunately, my new teacher is also very lovely so the transition has been easier than I thought it would be.

The biggest goodbyes I had to say this week were to my two friends from Croatia who left on Wednesday morning. They were only staying for half of the summer school and even though we were all anticipating it, saying goodbye was really hard. On their last night, after we had all said goodbye to the girls who were leaving and started to go to our rooms, my friend and I just starting crying in the hallway together outside our rooms. The next day was the worst because I was trying so hard to not cry all day. During the break between classes before they left, we would always sit on the benches in the hallway and talk. The first break after they left I came to the bench to find my friend crying there alone. We all hugged and ate chocolate to comfort her (and ourselves).

I spent a lot of time with the girls who left because we would study, go to the afternoon activities, and eat meals together. I was really afraid of doing things alone once they left. I got so used to them always being around all the time that since they have been gone, I keep expecting to see them when I go the cafeteria to eat or sitting on the benches in the hallway during our break. Beyond being sad that they wouldn’t be here anymore, I was sad to say goodbye to them because I didn’t know when I would see them next.

When I left Vancouver, I had made friends from all across Canada and even though we had a two-day sob-fest leading up to our departures, it didn’t feel like we were saying goodbye forever. We live in the same country and we knew we would get opportunities to see each other (and I have already gotten to see a number of my friends since then). Goodbyes are easier when you are saying “see you later”.

I am already bracing for the end of the summer school because now I have friends from all over the world. There is no guarantee this time that I will see any of them again since most of them literally live halfway around the world. I have met some of the loveliest people here and it is hard to imagine that in two weeks we will all be scattered throughout the world again. I don’t want to have to say more goodbyes.

I think you get the picture. This week was really sad. But even though a lot of goodbyes were said and tears were shed, a lot of good things happened too.

Earlier this week, it was the birthday of a guy in my class. He organized a party and invited the whole class. We sat outside at a picnic table with food and drinks and we talked. Bear in mind that in my class we are not completely fluent in Polish so we often have difficulty communicating ourselves clearly. However, everyone in the class can speak either English or Russian so we still have some commonalities. Two students in our class (one a native Russian speaker and one a native English speaker) are fluent in both Russian and English so they worked really hard as translators to keep everyone involved in the conversation.

I learned that Russians don’t have something like “cheers” to say when you’re drinking. For occasions like birthdays, everyone at the table takes a turn to make a toast and everyone drinks after each one. Everyone speaks from the heart and offers their birthday wishes; it is definitely more sincere than the simple English “cheers” and it was a really beautiful thing to be a part of. Since the birthday boy doesn’t speak a lot of English, my toast had to be translated into Russian.

Later in the evening, our teachers even came to join us for the birthday celebration. They spoke to us in Polish (which they do almost all the time), but in any case, our translators had gone home so we needed to speak mostly in Polish for everyone to communicate. I learned that my professor from Edmonton had emailed to check up on me and hear how I was doing so I was touched by that.

This week we also had the Wieczór Narodów (trans: Evening of Nations), which was an event where all the students at the summer school had the opportunity to present our countries to the school and the residents of Cieszyn. It was held in the main square in the centre of the city and I was really surprised at how many people were there! I performed with France and Cyprus and even though I was really nervous to read my speech about Canada (my hand was visibly shaking even if my voice was not), I was proud of myself for speaking in front of such a big crowd for 3 minutes entirely in Polish! I also helped my friends from Korea with their performance. There are only two of them, but they wanted to dance Gangnam Style and needed a larger dance team so we were all recruited. I was nervous because we didn’t have a lot of time to practice and I didn’t know all the steps, but nevertheless it was really fun! People really got into dancing along with us. We even got to dance the Polonaise a couple times which I really enjoyed.

Last week, we wrote our first test, which was essentially the mid-term exam. Most people I know got the test back earlier, but my class didn’t get it back until yesterday. I received the highest mark in my class, which I was very happy about because I studied a lot for the test. I know that I am good at Polish grammar and orthography (which is why I can do well on tests), but I still struggle with speaking. We have been doing a lot of speaking exercises so I have noticed improvement and I feel more confident when I speak because my vocabulary is much bigger. It’s still my biggest weakness in Polish so I know that when I go home I need to find more opportunities to practice listening and speaking.

Yesterday was a really good day. For the first time since I have been here, I skipped the afternoon seminar so I could dedicate a few extra hours to studying. I worked on translating a poem and reviewing some new grammar rules we learned this week. Two students from my class came into the student lounge while I was studying so we started to study together. After studying with them, I had a consultation with my teacher because we had a lesson this week that I didn’t really understand. Although I was the only one who had talked to him about coming in, I kept running into people from my class who were also interested in more clarification so almost half the class ended up at the consultation.

My friend had decided earlier in the day that she really wanted pizza so my friends made plans to eat pizza together and hang out in the evening. It was a nice break from all the studying. Pizza toppings continue to be a contentious issue because apparently it is weird to put pineapple on pizza (not that I eat it like that but I guess it is mostly a North American thing). I don’t think Poland has much room to talk because they put corn on their pizza.

There were a lot of sad things this week, but also a lot of small blessings and beautiful moments. Goodbyes are still hard, but life keeps moving forwards. There is even a happy ending to this story. I didn’t have a plan for what to do after the summer school ends so my friend and I have decided to tag along with our Croatian friend as she goes home. I will be fulfilling my childhood dream of going to Croatia (which is a long story involving a coin, a book of flags, and a school project) and I will get to see the country that gave me the best gift of the most wonderful friends. I guess that not all goodbyes are forever.

[tamboradventure]

How to (Legally) Stay in Europe for More Than 90 Days

When I planned my move to Sweden a few years ago, I tried to figure out how to get past the 90-day limit placed on tourist visas in the Schengen Area. This is a problem encountered by thousands of travelers every year and a question that regularly (especially this time of year) pops up in my inbox.

“How can I stay in Europe for more than 90 days?” I’m always asked.

It’s a great question with a very complicated answer. I always knew it was difficult, but until I started researching how to stay there longer, I never knew just how difficult. But in the process of this research, I came to learn there are a few ways to stay in Europe longer than 90 days; they just aren’t well known.

This post will teach you the options for staying in Europe over 90 days. But first a few things:

It’s important to note that Europe isn’t just one place — there are varying visa rules throughout the continent. When people talk about the “90-day limit,” they’re talking about restrictions on the Schengen Area, which is the visa policy that governs 26 countries in Europe. It includes all of the European Union — except Ireland and the United Kingdom — as well as a few non-EU countries. (Note: While I call it the “Schengen Visa”, it’s not an actual visa you apply for. It’s simply what I refer to the 90 day limit as.)

What is the Schengen visa? The Schengen visa is a 90-day tourist visa for Schengen Area countries, which are:

Austria Belgium Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Lithuania Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland

These Schengen countries have a border-free visa agreement that lets residents move throughout the Area without needing to show their passport every time they cross a border. Essentially, it’s as if they’re one country, and you can move as freely as you want. (Residents of the UK and Ireland are allowed limitless entry.)

Citizens of most countries are allowed to enter the Schengen Area without having to get a visa beforehand. Your passport simply gets stamped upon your arrival and departure from Europe. You’re allowed to enter and leave from any country you want — they don’t have to be the same. I fly in and out of different countries all the time. Your first entry in the 180-day period is when your 90-day counter starts. These days don’t need to be consecutive — the total is cumulative. Once day 181 hits, the count resets itself.

For example, if I come to the Area in January and stay for 60 days and then come back in June for 10 days, that counts as 70 days in 180 days. Only days you are in the zone during the period count. If you go on January 1st and stay 90 straight days, you have to leave and technically can’t come back until July 1st.

However, not all travelers are allowed such freedom. Citizens from many countries need to apply for a Schengen visa ahead of time. You’ll be required to fill out paperwork beforehand and fly in and out of the country for which your visa is issued. (Even then, you still might not be granted a visa. Spoiler alert: citizens from African and Asian countries get screwed.)

You can find the specific rules regarding your country at the European Commission website or from the country that is your first point of entry.

So, with that being said, how DO you stay in Europe (i.e. the Schengen Zone) longer? How do you get around that rule? Let me break it down for you.

Part 1: Staying in Europe — The Easy Way

With so many visa rules, it’s easy to stay in Europe beyond 90 days as a tourist — you just need to mix up the countries you visit. The United Kingdom has its own rules that allow you to stay 180 days in a calendar year. Most non-Schengen countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, Croatia, Ireland, and some Balkan countries allow you to stay for up to 60 or 90 days. So all you need to do is spend 90 days in the Schengen Area, visit the UK, go to the Balkans, hang out in Ukraine, drink wine in Moldova, and have a pint in Ireland. If you align your schedule right, you can easily be out of the Schengen Area for 90 days and then head back into the Schengen Area.

I spent three months in Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and England as I waited for my clock to reset and then headed back into Germany for Oktoberfest.

So if you want to travel the continent for a long time without having to go through the various visa processes described below, vary your travel by visiting non-Schengen countries. There’s plenty to see elsewhere while you wait to wait for your Schengen Visa clock to reset.

—-> Need more tips for Europe? Visit my destination guide and get in-depth information on what to see and do and how to save money.

Part 2: Staying in the Schengen Past 90 Days

But what if you do want to stay longer in the Schengen Area? Then what? What if the six months you want to be in Europe is all in the Schengen Area? What if you want to live and work in Europe?

After all, it covers 26 countries, and visiting so many destinations in 90 days can be a little rushed (you would have an average of 3.4 days per country).

If you want to stay longer to travel, live, learn a language, or fall in love, then the “move around” option suggested above isn’t going to work for you. You need something else. Luckily, there are a few ways to do this — and I can’t stress enough the importance of the word “few.”

Staying more than 90 days in the Schengen Area isn’t easy.

First, let’s understand the rule…

The Schengen law states that you can’t stay in the Area more than 90 days. If you do, you’re subject to a fine and deportation. How that rule is enforced, though, varies greatly from one country to another. If you overstay by a few days or even a week, you’ll probably be OK. If you overstay longer, you might have problems.

Some countries do not mess around with visitors overstaying. For example, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, and Scandinavian countries are all very strict about entry and exit. If you overstay your tourist visit by longer than a week, there’s a good chance they’ll pull you aside. Two Australians I know were detained leaving Switzerland due to overstaying their visa by two weeks. They were allowed to go with just a warning, but they missed their flights and had to book new flights.

I know of someone who overstayed by six months, tried to leave from Amsterdam, and now has an “illegal immigrant” stamp on her passport. In order to enter Europe again, she must apply for a visa at an embassy and be preapproved: “I made the mistake of attempting to leave from the Netherlands after overstaying a Schengen visa and was caught. I overstayed by about a month, and they hand-drew some sort of insignia in my passport to note my overstay. They told me I’d have to contact the IND and find out if I would be able to enter the Schengen states again.”

(And another blogger I met just told me this happened to them too…so don’t overstay!)

Yet if you leave from Greece, France, Italy, or Spain — the southern European countries — you won’t have any problems, provided you (a) haven’t stayed over too long and (b) didn’t catch the immigration officer on a bad day. When I left Greece, no one even looked at my passport. One of my friends met a guy in France, fell in love, and decided not to leave. A year later, when she finally did, the French officials didn’t even look twice. Another friend flew into France and didn’t even get an entry stamp. Spain is notorious for not caring, and Americans who decide to overstay for months mention that as the easiest country to exit from.

That being said, I don’t think it’s wise to overstay. No matter where you are, you can get away with a few days. Maybe a week, especially if you’re heading home. But a few weeks? A few months? The risk is too great. I love going to Europe enough where I wouldn’t want to be banned.

Can you extend your Schengen visa/stamp? The Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forums, while a mess of random posts, are good for one thing: stuff like this. I came across one great quote: “This topic has been discussed ad nauseam here on the boards for years. If someone found a way to extend a Schengen, we would have heard of it by now.”

He’s right. Simply put, you cannot extend your tourist visa or entry stamp. There’s a 90-day limit, and that’s that.

OK, so what’s a tourist to do?

1. Get a working holiday visa

Working holiday visas are easy to get and the best way to extend your stay — even if you don’t want to work. Citizens of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand (and often South Korea and Japan) are eligible for one- to two-year working holiday visas from most of the Schengen countries. Applicants must apply for this visa from a specific country and be younger than 30 (though, in some cases, like for Canadians working in Switzerland, you can be as old as 35).

Additionally, know you can get multiple working holiday visas. An Australian reader of mine got a two-year Dutch working holiday visa and then got one from Norway to stay two more years. While she and her boyfriend (who also got one) did odd jobs in Holland for a bit, they mostly used it as a way to travel around the continent. Note: This type of visa won’t allow you to work in any other country than the one that issued it.

To find out more, visit the embassy of the country you want the visa from in order to apply. Individual countries give these out.

For Americans, there is no working holiday visa in the Schengen Zone. However, American citizens who are in school or within a year of graduation can get a working holiday visa for Ireland. That will allow you to live and work in Ireland – and thus travel around Europe!

2. Get a long-term-stay visa

Unfortunately, the majority of the countries do not allow long-term-stay visas for visitors. In my pursuit of a long-term visa for Sweden, I found that there’s no universal long-term tourist visa for the Schengen Area. Schengen allows for a C- or D-class visa (the letter varies on the country), which is a semi-permanent residence visa for up to one year. But the specific visa and requirements vary from country to country. Some countries are harder, some are easier, and others are nearly impossible despite being in the same visa treaty zone. (I don’t understand the variance either. Same zone, different rules — it makes no sense. You’d think if they were to all have the same rules they would abide by the same visa.)

But there are a few countries that do offer long-term visas and they aren’t too hard to get:

France

France offers a long-term visitor visa for a period of up to one year. The application process takes up to one month. According to the French Embassy, “The ‘visitor’ visa (or visa ‘D’) allows you to enter France and stay for more than three months. Long-stay visa holders will be allowed to reside in France for up to 12 months according to the validity of their visa and purpose of stay.”

To get this visa, you must set up an appointment at the French consulate near you. You can’t walk in — you must make an appointment.

At this appointment, bring the following documents:

One application form filled out completely and signed

One ID picture glued onto the application form

Your original passport, which must have been issued less than 10 years ago, be valid for three months after your return, and have at least two blank pages left

A letter certified by a notary public that promises you won’t engage in work

A letter of employment stating current occupation and earnings

Proof of income (you’ll need bank statements or copies of your investment portfolio)

Proof of medical insurance that includes evacuation insurance

Proof of accommodation in France. (The French consulate never returned my emails, so I was unsure how you could have this before you even get to France. One could use a friend’s address or, lacking that, “rent” a place (one where you can get a refund) for the purposes of the interview. It’s a little fuzzy.)

Note: You can’t apply for this visa more than three months before your arrival date.

You can visit the French Embassy website for links to local embassies and consulates for more information.

Sweden

Sweden also offers a long-term stay tourist visa for a maximum period of one year. The process is easy but long — up to eight months! It’s not something to do at the last minute (though if you already in the country, the process only takes a couple of weeks). You’ll need two copies of the following documents when applying for the visa:

Residence permit for visitor’s application form

Notarized copies of the pages of your passport that show your identity and the validity of your passport, as well as copies of all the other visas/stamps you have

A bank statement showing your means of supporting yourself for the duration of your stay

A return airplane ticket

A letter from your insurance company stating you’re covered overseas

Applications can be delivered in person during visiting hours (no appointment needed) or mailed to a Swedish consulate.

After your documents are received, you’ll be required to have an interview with one of the immigration officers. Most people who apply for this visa have family in Sweden. If you don’t, you’ll need to have clear reasons as to why you need to stay longer and show ample proof that you can support yourself (i.e., “I want to meet Swedish guys/girls” won’t cut it!). If you’re applying in Sweden, you’ll need to put a local’s address on your application form, and that person will have to accompany you to your interview!

Italy

Like the other countries, Italy will let you in if you can afford it and promise not to work. You’ll need the following documents to apply:

A long-term visa application filled in and signed at the consulate. You must appear in person.

One passport-style photo

Your passport, which has to be valid three months over the planned stay in Italy. The passport will be kept during the application process.

Documented and detailed guarantee of steady income, as well as proof of financial means, such as letters from the bank indicating the status of your account, including the amount of money in the account.

Proof of lodging in Italy

A letter specifying the reason for your stay in Italy, length of stay, and where you plan to reside

A notarized background check

This visa is issued solely to those who are planning to move to Italy and not work.

Greece, Spain, and Portugal also offer long-term-stay visas, but they’re geared to people who are retired or plan to work in the country and have a lot of assets. They aren’t meant for people passing through, but you can always try and apply anyway. They have a lot more requirements and are really meant for people who will live there.

Additional notes:

The rules are not universal. In some cases (depending on your country of citizenship), additional documents may be required. You’ll want to check with your local embassy for specifics, but you aren’t restricted from applying for these visas from your home country.

All of these visas will require you to show proof that you either have income, have a lot of savings or both. This is about proving you don’t need to work. They’re adamant about not letting these visas be someone’s back-door way of getting into the EU and finding a job. While most didn’t give an exact number, I would say that if you don’t have at least $25,000 USD in your bank account when you apply, you shouldn’t apply. It’s hard to say for sure how much you’re required to have, as the embassy websites aren’t specific. It’s most likely at the discretion of the immigration officer, but the more money you can show, the better. For citizens coming from developing countries, this number might be higher, and you may even need someone to vouch for you.

Because of Europe’s open-border policies, while you need to enter and exit from the country that issued you the visa, but you can be anywhere in Europe during the length of your visa. Once a country has issued you one of these short-term-stay residence visas, you’re a “resident,” allowing you access to anywhere in Europe. 

EVEN MORE ADDITIONAL NOTES:

For U.S. citizens, France has a bilateral agreement that allows the US citizens to stay an additional 90 days beyond the Schengen limit – without a visa!! Seriously. You can spend another 90 days in France. You can enter from any Schengen country, stay 90 days in France, and then fly home. But you have to go home. You can’t go elsewhere. You have to leave Europe so you can’t use your time in France as a sneaky way to reset your Schengen clock.

Additionally, Denmark and Poland also have bilateral agreements with the United States that let citizens stay an additional 90 days in each country separate from the regular Schengen Zone visa. The Denmark rule applies the same way as the French one. You must travel directly from another Schengen country to Denmark. After your stay in Denmark, you cannot transit through other Schengen countries to get back to the US, you will have to fly directly or transit through non-Schengen zones. The Denmark additional 90-day stay is applicable for citizens of Australia, Canada, Chile, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the US.

If you want to visit Poland, you must enter and leave Poland via a non-Schengen country where you will be stamped again (i.e. direct flight from NYC). So you could do 90 days in the Schengen, fly to the UK, and then fly to Poland.

Now, in theory, one could say thanks to borderless travel you could get your “extra 90 days in Denmark” and then just travel around, fly out of Denmark, and no one would be the wiser. One could say that. But I’ve noticed a lot more intra-Europe passport checks in the last year in the wake of the refugee crisis and rise of right-wing governments across the continent. I got yelled at in France for not having my passport with me while on a train to see a chateau. I wouldn’t recommend it but, in theory, I guess it could be done.

3. Get a “student” visa

All Schengen Area countries offer student visas that are easy to obtain so long as you’re enrolled in a recognized university program. This would require you to pay for the course, but it will virtually guarantee you a visa.

The best country to do this in is Spain (Portugal also offers a student visa that is easier to get than other countries), where a whole industry has sprung up to help “students” study Spanish. There are tons of schools that will allow you to enroll and write letters stating you’re a student there. (You’ll also need to apply in your home country!) This blog post details the process in great depth.

One thing to note is that this process is expensive since you have to pay for the class, visa fees, and required background checks, but if you really want to stay a full year, it might be worth the cost.

4. Get a freelancer visa

There are a few countries that offer freelancer visas for the modern day digital nomad (or wannabe digital nomad). This process is a little more complicated and not for the casual tourist. These visas are meant for people who actually want to live in Europe. For the casual tourist, you’d probably get denied. While your freelancer visa is being processed, it would extend your Schengen as countries give you extra time while they process the paperwork. So, in theory, you could apply knowing you’ll get denied to buy yourself some more time but that would be a lot of effort for nothing so probably don’t want to do that.

Germany offers the best freelancer visa and is the country most used by people who want to reside in Europe. If you’re a freelancer, artist, or have some form of income, this is the visa to get (and it’s quite easy to get). It’s perfect and will give you one to two years in the EU. This isn’t a business visa where you move your company to Germany, but a visa for contract workers, artists, web folks, and other freelance-type jobs.

You need to apply for this visa when in Germany. The process usually takes about a week. You simply need the following documents at your visa appointment:

A completed application form

Two passport photos

Bank statements — like the other visas, they want to know you have money just in case you don’t find work. As before, the more money, the better.

A copy of your résumé.

Proof of residency — You’ll either need to be on a rental contract or be on someone’s rental agreement. You need to bring an official copy of the rental agreement to the immigration office. Adam of Travels of Adam, says, “All I’ve ever had are short sublets. You still have to register at a local city office, but all I’ve done is show up with a printed-out lease from the Internet and submitted that. Once you do that, you get the official form from the local office and that’s all the visa people want to see.”

Health insurance — you need to have German insurance that’s valid for at least one year. It’s easy to get once you’re in Germany, and you don’t need to be a German citizen to get it.

Bring a German speaker with you just in case there’s a need for translation. The process is pretty straightforward. You might get lucky and get the visa that day. Or they might review it over the course of a couple of weeks. But if they do that and your 90-day Schengen visa is close to expiring, they’ll give you a temporary three-month visa extension while they process your request. In theory, one could apply for the visa knowing they won’t meet all the requirements simply to get the three-month temporary visa.

It’s very rare someone is denied this visa if they can show they have a job, income, or money in the bank. How they determine an “artist” is actually pretty loose too. I have tons of friends who have gotten this visa.

Additionally, the Czech Republic also has freelancer visa. It’s just as complex to get and you’ll need at least $6,000 USD in your bank account as proof you aren’t going to leech off their services. The lovely folks at Wandertooth, who did this process last year, walk you through the steps.

In recent years, Spain has also created freelancer visa called the “autonomo” that also follows a similar process. You can read more on this website, Spainguru.

These three countries are your best bet for this type of visa. While other countries offer them, they require lots of proof of income, taxes, and that you actually plan to live and operate your business in the country.

5. Get married

Fall in love with a European (or at least a friend) and apply for a marriage visa! You’ll get to stay there while the application process goes through.

********

The best, easiest, and most effective way to stay in Europe long-term is to increase the number of countries you visit so you’re in the Schengen Area for only 90 days. As I said, there are a lot of countries not in the Area, so this is easy to do.

If you’re like me and want to stay longer than 90 days, be prepared to work the system.

If you do want to stay in the Schengen Area beyond the 90-day limit, you need to apply for one of the visas listed above. When you go to the interview, make it crystal clear that you have enough money to support yourself, you’re not looking for a job, and give good reasons why you need to stay longer. “I want to spend more time drinking in Greece” will get you nowhere.

In the end, it’s not impossible to stay longer in the Schengen Area. By working the system a bit and using the few loopholes that do exist, one can legally stay past 90 days and enjoy all Europe has to offer without worrying about being barred for life.

Want more advice? These articles will help you plan an extended trip to Europe: —> How to Live and Work in Spain —> What to See and Do in Europe —> Cheap Ways to Travel Across Europe —> How a Eurail Pass Can Save You Money

Updated June 2018 with the latest information and resources.

The post How to (Legally) Stay in Europe for More Than 90 Days appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt

From tech and coding to design to fixing bugs getting readers books when downloads fail to scheduling social media or running the forums, it takes a village to run this website. I simply couldn’t run the website, write, travel, eat, sleep, or anything in between if I didn’t have the support and help of an amazing group of people – and I think it’s time you formally met them all! So, without further ado, here’s team Nomadic Matt:

Erica

Erica has been working for me for over three and a half years and is my director of global operations i.e. right hand woman. She keeps this ship afloat. In her own words:

I grew up in Connecticut and went to school in Virginia. During a quarter-life crisis at age 21, I chose to finish my last year of college on an adventure in Qatar! From that moment on, my life revolved around traveling cheaply with the money I earned from waitressing. That budget got me to teach English in Isaan, Thailand, and South Korea; farm on St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean; and volunteer in rural Zambia. At age 26, I returned home to Connecticut, determined to get a job in travel. Soon after, I met Nomadic Matt at a travel meet-up in NYC, and the rest is history.

I whole-heartedly believe that traveling makes friends of strangers, and the more friends there are in the world, the more peace there is in the world.

13 Facts about Me

At 15, I helped build a schoolhouse in Nicaragua.

Living in a termite clay hut without electricity or running water in Zambia for six months was probably one of the most trying (and simple), exciting (and boring), and perspective-shifting experiences of my life.

I’ve cut off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, twice!

I once hunted for possums on the island of St. Vincent with a bunch of Rastafarians. We caught four and made soup.

In Costa Rica, I stayed at in a sustainable living community called Rancho Mastatal, where I learned how to farm yuca, make beer out of turmeric, and build a house out of cob.

When I was 15, John Stamos kissed my cheek after I saw him in Cabaret on Broadway.

I taught English in South Korea for 14 months and was able to easily save enough money for 21 months of non-stop travel.

This music video I made used to be one of the top hits when you searched for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In Zambia, my friend and I were given a live chicken as a present. We were vegetarians, so we traded it for a pair of second-hand jeans at the market.

I got 19 people (the students and teachers on the FLYTE trip) into an airport lounge for free. I think that’s a travel hacking record!

I’ve attended a Qatari princess’s wedding sporting mink eyelashes.

In Korea, I dated a guy who spoke no English and we basically communicated through drawing pictures and reciting American rap lyrics.

I think Matt spends a majority of his day editing out my exclamation points from my research, emails, newsletters, etc! (Matt says: This is very true.)

Christopher O.

Chris joined the team as the part-time manager of the forums back in 2015. Since then, he’s branched out into the Superstar Blogging program and our soon-to-be-launched community platform, Nomadic Network. In his own words:

I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and spent my formative years listening to punk rock, reading Star Wars novels, and generally getting up to no good. After ditching my lifelong plan to be a lawyer, I decided to give travel a try. I headed to Costa Rica on a whim and have never looked back! It wasn’t long after that trip that I took a break from university (where I was studying history and theatre) to move to a monastery in Japan in 2007. I’ve more or less been wandering around ever since. Some notable adventures include taking the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia and Mongolia, walking the Camino de Santiago twice, and going on a 10-day road trip around Iceland with complete strangers. When I’m not traveling, I live in Sweden and can be found reading, writing, or struggling to improve at chess.

13 Facts about Me

I spent nine months living in Buddhist monasteries.

I lived in a tent for a year.

I was once stalked by a jaguar and chased by a crocodile — on the same trip.

I haven’t had alcohol in 13 years.

I’ve broken all my fingers and toes, and my nose three times, and I’ve fractured both my wrists.

I worked on an organic farm for 11 years.

I co-owned a restaurant in Canada.

I grew up next door to Avril Lavigne.

I once ate an entire nine-course meal (I was the only person there to eat everything!).

I played inter-mural Quidditch in high school and was our team’s Seeker.

I have a Star Wars tattoo.

I’ve been vegan for 12 years.

I have a scar from a fight that broke out over which Norse god was “the best.”

Chris R.

Chris, aka The Aussie Nomad, is a (kinda) former blogger who does all the tech and development work for the website. He keeps it running, fixes any errors you find, and deals with my constantly changing design desires. In his own words:

I’m living the good life in Western Australia by the beach with my amazing family. I got into the world of blogging after quitting my job, backpacking around Europe and, as all Aussies do, undertaking a working holiday in the UK. Like all of us who travel and fall in love with it, nobody wants to go home afterwards.

That adventure got me into creating a travel blog many years ago, which is how I first came to know Matt. I have since repurposed my IT skills from my old life and formed my own business to help out other bloggers with their websites.

13 Facts about Me

I love Belgian beer (and I even married a Belgian).

I’ve worked with Matt the longest out of anyone here. (Take that team!)

I took off to backpack Europe when I was 29.

I’m an advocate for Vegemite and believe all visitors to Australia must try this national treasure.

One of my favorite activities is to take a long road trip, especially with family and friends.

I have no idea how four-way stop signals in the U.S.A. don’t all end up as accidents.

I do not drink Fosters. It’s a terrible beer. No one in Australia actually drinks it.

I like to think of myself as an amateur photographer.

I failed kindergarten as I wouldn’t say goodbye to the teacher.

My first job was working in a supermarket.

I can’t sleep on a plane – no matter how long the flight is.

I can name every Thomas the Tank Engine character thanks to my son.

I don’t drink coffee or get people’s love for it. Tea all the way!

Raimee

Raimee is the newest team member and does all our social media. She schedules posts, tweaks my terrible photos so they look good on Instagram, builds our content calendar, and creates all our quote & Pinterest graphics! In her own words:

When I was just 14 years old, I took my first international trip to Honduras and Belize with my family. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on experiencing new cultures, connecting with people from all walks of life, and learning about myself and the world through the power of travel! After graduating with a degree in advertising and marketing from Michigan State University and four years as a digital marketing specialist, I realized that corporate life was not for me. My insatiable need to experience the world beyond a desk led me to search for a job-related to travel. I’ve followed this blog for many years, and now I get to work for it remotely while I strategize, manage, and report on the social media accounts — and I love every second of it!

13 Facts about Me

I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I’ve read each book at least 10 times, and, if I told you how many times, I’ve watched each of the movies, you probably wouldn’t believe me.

I once “hung out” with Daniel Radcliffe at a Red Wings game in Detroit, and actually kept my cool the entire time.

Visiting the Harry Potter studio tour in London was one of the best days of my life.

My mom was obsessed with the 80’s horror movie Evil Dead directed by Sam Raimi, so she named me after him.

After having visited about 30 countries, Iceland is still my favorite.

My biggest travel dream is to take a road trip around New Zealand!

The most fun I’ve had on a trip was on my first solo backpacking trip through Europe when I used Couchsurfing.

I used to play the saxophone.

I conquered my fear of heights by jumping off a cliff in Croatia — twice!

I love languages and was close to being fluent in German during college.

I’m terrified of flying.

In another life, I would have been a film director/producer. Maybe some day!

My favorite number is 13.

Nomadic Matt

And, finally, there’s me. You probably know a lot about me after nine and half years of blogging (sometimes I forget how long it’s been), but here’s a quick refresh:

Growing up in Boston, I was never a big traveler. I didn’t take my first trip overseas until 2004. That trip changed my life and opened me up to the possibilities the world had to offer. One year later, I went to Thailand, where I met five backpackers who inspired me to quit my job and travel the world. In 2006, I left for a yearlong backpacking trip — and have been “nomadic” ever since.

13 Facts about Me

I love politics as much as I love travel and will debate for the joy for it.

I love to cook — and I’m kinda good at it too!

When I was in high school, I was my state’s champ in “Magic: the Gathering.” I know — super nerdy, right? It got me a free trip NYC with my friend (who came in number two!).

I always worry about the future and often use my time back home to develop skills needed for the Zombie Apocalypse. Shout-out to my prepper friend Vanessa for teaching me about seeds!

I once met Paul Giamatti on the streets of NYC and he was as grumpy as I imagined.

I am an unabashed Taylor Swift fan and can’t wait for her new album!

Kevin Spacey is my favorite actor, and I’ve seen The Usual Suspects twenty times.

I believe aliens exist. It’s mathematically impossible they don’t.

I’m terrified of flying.

I learned to swing dance so I could throw myself a Gatsby-themed birthday party.

Both sides of my family came through Ellis Island and you can see their names on the wall where they list all the immigrants.

I used to be the head of a program by the Massachusetts Sierra Club that promoted energy efficiency.

I went to college to be a high school history teacher.

***Also, I’d like to acknowledge our part-timers too: Candice, who helps with admin and research; Richard, our fearless copyeditor (whose efforts I often ruin by changing posts last minute); Keith, our design genius; Brice and Julie, our user experience gurus; and Courtney, who keeps our charity, FLYTE, up in the air with her executive directing wizard ways!

So there you have it! The Nomadic Matt team! It’s weird to think this blog I started to simply be online résumé for freelance jobs now requires eleven people to run. I always thought the more systems, automation, products, and passive income I set up, the easier it would be. I could just sit on a beach. But it seems the more we do, the more we create, the more projects I tell the team we’re taking on, the more help we require. I guess that is the nature of the beast but I would have it no other way. I love what we do here. We help a lot of people realize their dreams.

And a guy couldn’t ask for better co-workers to help make that happen.

The post Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.