Testing the waters @alcazarps . Also, let’s talk about how Instagram can be great but also kind of deceiving. •• A lot of people message me saying how much they envy my travel. I am so grateful every time I get the opportunity to explore somewhere new and create content that I have to agree - I love doing this work. •• But that’s the thing; for all the cool Instagram pictures and fun-looking adventures, this still is work. When some people talk about how they envy my “vacations”, it can be hard to explain to them that (most) trips for bloggers/content creators are anything but vacations. •• Doesn’t this poolside scene look nice and relaxing? During my Palm Springs weekend, you know how much time I actually spent laying by the pool? The time it took to listen to two songs on my iPhone (so...9 mins?) the morning before I left. My weekend was: wake up at 7:30, breakfast at 8, then plan out good locations for shooting, spend the rest of the day carrying all my gear, visiting as many places as possible to get video footage, photos, take notes, learn all I could about the area, and then get back to the hotel at around 11 PM. I had a great time because learning all I can about a destination and experiencing as much as possible is what drives me, but there was no doubt my days were busy as hell. •• Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love what I do. But travel and vacation can be two very different things. And what we post on Instagram can often be less than accurate regarding our actual days and experience. •• So here’s to more transparency all around. I’ll upload pretty pictures, but I will always try to tell you the real story behind them as well. . . . .