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How we broke the bed during our first night in Istanbul

Day 1: Finally we are in the beautiful city of Istanbul but, like so many of my other trips it didn’t come without a few hiccups.

The flight was long! 17 hours with a mask is one thing but drinking water, choking on it, and then trying to hold it in for the fear of getting kicked off ( you know Covid and everything) was a whole other ball game!

We landed at 5PM, took a bus to Taksim square, walked with all our luggage for what felt like hours, and we finally arrived at our Airbnb. Kenny was not happy, sure it was a bit small and there was no hot water, or working aircon even though it was 5 degrees outside, I still thought it was cute.

Accepting the fact that we won’t be showering for the third day in a row we laid down for a good night’s rest. Crack, boom! (or whatever a bed breaking sounds like). The bed literally broke in half with us on top of it. Kenny was livid, I couldn’t stop laughing. Maybe it was the lack of sleep or my way of dealing with stress but, this was the funniest moment of my life. In my head, I can hear Lente and Michelle screaming “Die Filistyne is op ons!” Which left me crying with laughter.

The landlord was kind enough to take us to a new room that was only lit with purple neon lighting and very noisy neighbors. Imagine a night club in a dungeon with a bed….. got it? Yeah, that’s our room. I slept with one eye open and looked for the nearest best hotel available! Needless to say, Istanbul did not disappoint in the entertainment area!

Is The Famous Bali Breakfast Worth It?

If you type in Bali on Instagram I bet you’ve seen a million of these pictures. “A floating breakfast!” What could be better right? WRONG! This was my second attempt at this and I failed horribly, AGAIN! The water was freezing which meant neither one of us was willing to dive in. Also, our cutlery drowned…

Awesome experience? Yes! A must-do in Bali? Hell yes! Practical? Not in a million years!


When attempting your first floating breakfast here are some tips:

  1. Take pictures before you eat. (It’s kind of the whole point)
  2. Remove yourself and your food from the pool.
  3. Go sit at a table like a normal human being and enjoy your breakfast afterward!

Traveling Solo In Bali

When I told people that I went traveling solo in Bali for 3 weeks, they were either confused and worried or felt really sorry for me. “Aren’t you scared?” “Aren’t you lonely?” “Aren’t you bored?” Is just some of the comments I heard on a daily basis from friends and family, to complete strangers. And you know what, I get it. Because before I did it, that is exactly what I was scared of. However, I have learned so much by traveling alone.

SELF LOVE!!! That is what I learned.
How to enjoy my own company, make new friends, and laugh at myself for running around a pool to get the perfect shot.
Life is fun you just need to slow down, take it in and do what truly makes you happy.

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When telling people I'm traveling Solo in Bali, their reactions vary from shock to pity. "Aren't you scared?" "Aren't you lonely?" "Aren't you bored?" And you know what, I get it. Because before I arrived, that is exactly what I was scared of. However, I have learned so much during this trip. SELF LOVE!!! That is what I learned. How to enjoy my own company, make new friends, and laugh at myself for running around a pool to get the perfect shot. Life is fun! And it's even more fun when you actually like yourself. I struggle with that everyday. But I'm happy to say that I'm getting to know myself and I'm not that bad 😉. . #nomadgirls #travelernotebook#solotravel #traveldiary #travelette#travellife #sheisnotlost#ladiesgoneglobal #shetravels#travelingishappiness#girlaroundtheworld #nomadgirl#theglobewanderer #travelogue#girlsborntotravel #storytime#travelblogger #passportlife#travelphotos #traveling #traveldiaries#visualwanderlust #cornersofmyworld

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Top 10 Best Women’s Wool Sweaters in 2020 (H&M, Topshop, and More)

With temperatures dropping, we’re all reaching for our favorite sweaters. There’s nothing better than a cozy wool sweater – slip it on and curl up with a good book or while enjoying a good movie. With a wide variety of sweaters to choose from, it may take some time to come to a decision. That’s why, when looking for a good wool sweater, you’ll need to decide between wool types, sizing, collar styles, and more.

Read The Full Article Here

Top 10 Best Women’s Denim Skirts in 2020 (H&M, Urban Outfitters, and More)

BDG Austin Tie-Dye Mini Skirt – Urban Outfitters

We’re all trying to hang on to the last rays of sunshine and flash a bit of leg where we can. However, wearing summery pieces may look a bit strange; not to mention how cold you might be! This is where the denim skirt comes in handy. The thick and weighty material is the ideal transition piece from fall to winter and can be dressed down or glammed up easily.

Coming in at number one on our top 10 list is a denim blue pencil skirt from H&M for its comfort and versatility. Check out what else made our list for the best denim skirts this season!

Take a look at our buying guide for tips on choosing a denim skirt that complements your figure.

What is Sustainable Fashion and, Why is it Important?

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We all want to feel great about our clothes since they are an everyday necessity and for many an important expression of individuality. But, do you ever stop and think about the conditions they were made in and, how your new outfit impacts the environment?

The fashion industry’s current take on manufacturing clothes is one of the main causes of many environmental impacts. 97% of materials used to make clothes are new resources, with only 3% of it being recycled materials. An estimated $500 billion is lost every year due to clothing that’s barely worn and rarely recycled. It simply ends up in landfills or burned and if nothing changes, the fashion industry would have used up a quarter of the world’s carbon budget by 2050.

That’s not even talking about the workers making these clothes. Minimum wages, long working hours, poor health, and safety conditions are the reality for most garment workers in fast fashion.

Simply put, sustainable fashion is fashion made ethically. It’s producing clothes, shoes, and accessories in an environmentally and socio-economically sustainable manner. It’s also focusing on the consumer to think more sustainably about their fashion consumption. In short, sustainable and ethical fashion means your clothing is Eco-friendly and people-friendly.

SEO Guidelines For Beginners In 2020

With SEO becoming more and more important in our everyday lives, taking time to sit down and learn the ins and outs of SEO may be daunting. Explaining SEO to a potential client who doesn’t understand it or trying to figure out how it works, without listening to long lectures and technical terms is even harder.


So let me help you out. Think of SEO as a massive closet that you have to sort out (bare with me). You have to channel your inner Marie Kondo and find the keywords that “sparks joy” in Google.


Take a look at your page, article, website—whatever it is your working on. What is it about? What describes your site and who are you trying to target? Let say you’re a beauty brand—great now Google “beauty.” Millions of searches will come up and in between all of those searches is your page.


If you have a hundred shirts and you need to find a specific one, you would definitely need some organization. You can hang it on hangers, separate it according to style, occasion, or color. Why? So that you can find the perfect shirt instantly.


Now think of Google as a massive closet. You want people to find you instantly between hundreds of similar brands. Well then, you will have to start organizing using keywords that people often search for and then defining those keywords into the specific brand you’re selling. This will help clients find you instantly.


So here is your cheat code to sort out your closet!

Heading

  1. Headings should be less than 65 characters and more than 30 characters. 
  2. Keep the heading straightforward and to the point. 
  3. If the heading is too short (under 30 characters) it will be difficult for search engines to understand what the content is about and decrease your likelihood of ranking. 
  4. Headings that have more than 65 characters risk losing part of their heading in the search results page.

URL

  1. The length of the URL (slug) should not exceed 120 characters. 
  2. Don’t overcomplicate your URL structure. 
  3. Focus on using keywords that are relevant to the article. 
  4. Your URL should only contain numbers, letters, and dashes. 
  5. Avoid using these characters     ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) [ ] ? { } ; : “.,

Keywords

  1. Add keywords that relate to the content of your article. 
  2. There will be a list of keywords for each new article. 
  3. Be sure to incorporate these into your article. 
  4. DO NOT use keywords randomly. 
  5. Be sure to check whether or not the keyword makes sense in the context you’re using it. 
  6. If you need more keywords or would like to add extra keywords check out the general keyword list. 
  7. You can use any of these words throughout your website if it fits. 

Article Length

  1. When a page has a low word count Google can’t detect what the content is about. 
  2. If Google doesn’t know what the content is about, it can’t rank your content for the search terms you are targeting. 
  3. Each page should contain 2200 words.

Let me know what was your biggest challenges when starting out with SEO. What resources helped you and what is your favorite SEO tools to use? You can comment on this post or let me know on LinkedIn.

How to Become a Copywriter When you Don’t know Anything.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. And with everyone trying to generate income from home to keep themselves afloat, it’s not shocking that more and more people are looking into copywriting.

Copywriting can be used as a freelance side gig or a full-time job that allows you to have more flexible hours. SO, instead of boring you with all the details you’ll eventually learn but, don’t need to start, here is how I got my first writing gig WITHOUT experience.

Craigslist and FB groups

If you have little to no experience this is the place for you. You just need that one person to give you a chance.

Where more popular job search boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, or Ziprecruiter might not even give your CV a second look – Craigslist or FB groups can be more forgiving.

Try to reach out to businesses from different countries where English might not be their first language. This will automatically give you a head start to help them with their copywriting. As simple as it may seem, speaking English is a skill, use it!

Connect with people similar to you who are just starting in the industry or who has been in the industry for years and know what it’s like to need that one chance.

Fake it till you make it

In today’s time and age we all know that everyone wants 10 years experience but, only a few are willing to give you a chance to reach that. The solution? Fake it till you make it! Harvest skills you need and see how you can apply it to your new role.

Whether you were writing papers in school or writing your grandma letters for her birthday use it to your advantage. Accept that you’re not perfect and that learning a new skill may take time, but if you learn fast and work hard nothing can stop you.

Just write

Whether you post on FB or start a blog, just write. Try to write every day or if you’re like me every other day.

The only way you can improve yourself is if you constantly push yourself to do more, work harder, and be better than you were the day before.

Writing isn’t only going to help you improve drastically, it’s going to give you the self-confidence when you apply for the next job. Keep in mind that the more you right the bigger your online presence becomes.

Apps that will save your life

If you’re not yet confident enough to write and submit your work I highly suggest the following apps.


Grammarly: Improve your grammar, spelling, and word choices instantly with this google chrome extension.

Hemingway Editor: This app will let you know how your text reads. By assigning different levels to your work, you will know how easy it is to read and if it will fit the “voice” of your employer.

Believe in yourself

Your biggest fan will always be yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself and what you’re trying to “sell” with your words other people will have a hard time doing it. Work hard, learn fast, and don’t be afraid to fail.

“If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough”

– Jillian Michaels

Lies Society Made us Believe.

When you start listening to people talk about the future the main thing that always comes up is AI. “Robots” are going to take over the world and leave us without jobs. Honestly that’s not the thing that scares me the most. What scares me is how we are addressing that issue. By creating our own human robots to compete with the real thing.

We give parents and kids a blueprint to adulthood. Tell them what to say and how to act. We tell them to, “grow up, act your age!” “Oh you don’t think like us, you’re weird!” “You just want attention, stop trying so hard, why can’t you just be normal?” “Your parents must be so disappointed…”

So without further a due here is the blueprint to life that society has imprinted on our lives:

Step 1: Get a degree!
Will you go into massive debt to pay for college? Maybe.
Will you walk out with your dream job? Probably not.
Will you compete with thousands of graduates for the same internship position? Absolutely.

Let’s be honest most of us walk out of college book smart but, a complete idiot when it comes to applying it in real life. Making your degree USELESS! On the other hand, if you didn’t spend money you didn’t have on a degree that you don’t use, applying for high-paying jobs is almost impossible. This forces us to fall in line and follow the path that has been laid before us.

Step 2: Work 9-5
If you finally obtain your dream job congratulations. You just traded 40 hours of your week for money, sleep deprivation, and anxiety. So let’s just get one thing straight, the 8-hour workday was invented by American labor unions in the 1800s. People are still working those same hours just because we’re accustomed to it and it’s what society expects of us.

If there is one thing COVID-19 has taught us is that you don’t need to sit eight hours a day in an office to get your work done. A study done in New Zealand showed that by giving their employees one day extra off in a week without lowering their pay made them 20 % more productive and happier.

If this is the case why are so many of us still exchanging our happiness, and quite frankly, our sanity for a job we tend to hate?

Step 3: Dreams come after you retire

Whether it’s backpacking through Southeast Asia, getting a motorbike, or going bungee jumping, how many items are on your bucket list that you keep pushing for “when I have time”, “after I get that promotion”, “after I retire.” Our dreams become an afterthought – something we can still do after we work.

The sad reality is that only a few of us actually retire and have funds to sustain that retirement. Some keep pushing away their dreams to simply never reach a point in their life where they can pursue it. Another reason we don’t like thinking about our bucket list is that some of us simply never reach retirement age or are in any physical condition to go bungee jumping at 70. This leaves us with a bitter older generation hating millennials and wondering, “what if?”

Step 4: Now what?

So my question is now what? What are we actually living for? Why do we follow the restrictions placed on us by our family, friends, and community? Why do we feel like outcasts and weirdo’s when we refuse to bow down to the “norm”? Maybe it’s just me but, I feel like the world needs one long-a$$ vacation and society, you need to chill!