', $text);
//moved to more global css generation process @version: 2.0
//$this->add_css_wrap[$unique_class]['a']['display'] = $do_display; //do_display defines if we should write display: block;
//$this->add_css_wrap[$unique_class]['a']['full'] = $do_full; //do full styles (for categories and tags separator)
$unique_class .= '-a';
}
if($do_ignore_styles) $unique_class = 'eg-'.esc_attr($this->handle).'-nostyle-element-'.$layer['id'];
//replace all the normal shortcodes
if(function_exists('qtrans_useCurrentLanguageIfNotFoundUseDefaultLanguage')){ //use qTranslate
$text = qtrans_useCurrentLanguageIfNotFoundUseDefaultLanguage($text);
}elseif(function_exists('ppqtrans_useCurrentLanguageIfNotFoundUseDefaultLanguage')){ //use qTranslate plus
$text = ppqtrans_useCurrentLanguageIfNotFoundUseDefaultLanguage($text);
}elseif(function_exists('qtranxf_useCurrentLanguageIfNotFoundUseDefaultLanguage')){ //use qTranslate X
$text = qtranxf_useCurrentLanguageIfNotFoundUseDefaultLanguage($text);
}
$text = do_shortcode($text);
if($special_item == 'true' && $special_item_type == 'line-break'){ //line break element
echo ' '."\n";
}elseif(trim($text) !== ''){ //}elseif(!empty($text)){
$use_tag = $base->getVar($layer['settings'], 'tag-type', 'div');
echo ' <'.$use_tag.' class="esg-'.$class.$post_class.$video_play.$ajax_class.' '.$hideunderClass.$unique_class.$transition.'"'.$ajax_attr.$transition_split.$delay.$hideunderHTML;
echo ($demo == 'custom') ? $demo_element_type : '';
echo $data_transition_transition . '>';
echo $text;
echo ''."\n";
}
}
/**
* Retrieve the value of post elements
*/
public function get_post_value($handle, $separator, $function, $meta, $catmax = '-1', $taxonomy = ""){
$base = new Essential_Grid_Base();
$text = '';
/* 2.1.5 category max option */
$adjustMax = false;
if( in_array( $handle, array( 'cat_list','tag_list','taxonomy') ) ) {
if(!empty($catmax) && $catmax !== '-1' && is_numeric($catmax) && intval($catmax) > 0) {
$catmax = intval($catmax);
$adjustMax = true;
}
}
switch($handle){
//Post elements
case 'post_id':
$text = $base->getVar($this->post, 'ID', '');
break;
case 'post_url':
$post_id = $base->getVar($this->post, 'ID', '');
$text = get_permalink($post_id);
break;
case 'title':
$text = $base->getVar($this->post, 'post_title', '');
break;
case 'caption':
case 'excerpt':
$text = trim($base->getVar($this->post, 'post_excerpt'));
if(empty($text)){
//strip essential grid shortcode here
$text = do_shortcode($base->strip_essential_shortcode($base->getVar($this->post, 'post_content')));
$text = preg_replace("/" break; case 'meta': $m = new Essential_Grid_Meta(); $text = $m->get_meta_value_by_handle($base->getVar($this->post, 'ID', ''),$meta); break; case 'likespost': $post_id = $base->getVar($this->post, 'ID', ''); if(!empty($post_id)){ $count = get_post_meta($post_id, "eg_votes_count", 0); if(!$count) $count[0] = 0; if(is_array($count)){ $text = ''.$count[0].''; } } else{ $text = ''; } break; case 'alias': $text = $base->getVar($this->post, 'post_name'); break; case 'content': $text = apply_filters('the_content', $base->getVar($this->post, 'post_content')); break; case 'link': $text = get_permalink($base->getVar($this->post, 'ID', '')); break; case 'date': $postDate = $base->getVar($this->post, "post_date_gmt"); $text = $base->convert_post_date($postDate); break; case 'date_day': $postDate = $base->getVar($this->post, "post_date_gmt"); $text = date('dd',strtotime($postDate)); break; case 'date_month': $postDate = $base->getVar($this->post, "post_date_gmt"); $text = date('m',strtotime($postDate)); break; case 'date_month_abbr': $postDate = $base->getVar($this->post, "post_date_gmt"); $text = date('M',strtotime($postDate)); break; case 'date_year': $postDate = $base->getVar($this->post, "post_date_gmt"); $text = date('Y',strtotime($postDate)); break; case 'date_year_abbr': $postDate = $base->getVar($this->post, "post_date_gmt"); $text = date('y',strtotime($postDate)); break; case 'date_modified': $dateModified = $base->getVar($this->post, "post_modified"); $text = $base->convert_post_date($dateModified); break; case 'author_name': $authorID = $base->getVar($this->post, 'post_author'); $text = get_the_author_meta('display_name', $authorID); break; case 'author_posts': $authorID = $base->getVar($this->post, 'post_author'); $text = get_author_posts_url($authorID ); break; case 'author_profile': $authorID = $base->getVar($this->post, 'post_author'); $meta_value = get_the_author_meta('url', $authorID); break; case 'author_avatar_32': $authorID = $base->getVar($this->post, 'post_author'); $meta_value = get_avatar( $authorID, 32); break; case 'author_avatar_64': $authorID = $base->getVar($this->post, 'post_author'); $meta_value = get_avatar( $authorID, 64); break; case 'author_avatar_96': $authorID = $base->getVar($this->post, 'post_author'); $meta_value = get_avatar( $authorID, 96); break; case 'author_avatar_512': $authorID = $base->getVar($this->post, 'post_author'); $meta_value = get_avatar( $authorID, 512); break; case 'num_comments': $text = $base->getVar($this->post, 'comment_count'); break; case 'cat_list': $use_taxonomies = false; $postCatsIDs = $base->getVar($this->post, 'post_category'); if(empty($postCatsIDs) && isset($this->post['post_type'])){ $postCatsIDs = array(); $obj = get_object_taxonomies($this->post['post_type']); if(!empty($obj) && is_array($obj)){ foreach($obj as $tax){ if($tax == 'post_tag') continue; $use_taxonomies[] = $tax; $new_terms = get_the_terms($base->getVar($this->post, 'ID', ''), $tax); if(is_array($new_terms) && !empty($new_terms)){ foreach($new_terms as $term){ $postCatsIDs[$term->term_id] = $term->term_id; } } } } } /* 2.1.5 category max option */ if($adjustMax && is_array($postCatsIDs)) $postCatsIDs = array_slice($postCatsIDs, 0, $catmax, true); $text = $base->get_categories_html_list($postCatsIDs, $function, $separator, $use_taxonomies); break; case 'tag_list': if(!$adjustMax) { $text = $base->get_tags_html_list($base->getVar($this->post, 'ID', ''), $separator, $function); } else { $text = $base->get_tags_html_list($base->getVar($this->post, 'ID', ''), $separator, $function, $catmax); } break; case 'taxonomy': if(!$adjustMax) { $text = $base->get_tax_html_list($base->getVar($this->post, 'ID', ''), $taxonomy, $separator, $function); } else { $text = $base->get_tax_html_list($base->getVar($this->post, 'ID', ''), $taxonomy, $separator, $function, $catmax); } break; /* case 'iframe': print '
HELLO!
'; die(); break; */ default: $text = apply_filters('essgrid_post_meta_content', $text, $handle, $base->getVar($this->post, 'ID', ''), $this->post); break; } return $text; } /** * Retrieve the value of post elements */ public function get_custom_element_value($handle, $separator, $meta = ''){ $base = new Essential_Grid_Base(); $m = new Essential_Grid_Meta(); $text = ''; $text = $base->getVar($this->layer_values, $handle, ''); if($text == '' && $meta != '') $text = $base->getVar($this->layer_values, $meta, ''); if(intval($text) > 0){ //we may be an image from the metas $custom_meta = $m->get_all_meta(false); if(!empty($custom_meta)){ foreach($custom_meta as $cmeta){ if($cmeta['handle'] == $handle){ if($cmeta['type'] == 'image'){ $img = wp_get_attachment_image_src($text, $this->media_sources_type); if($img !== false){ $text = $img[0]; //replace with URL } } break; } } } } return $text; } /** * Retrieve the value of event elements */ public function get_event_manager_value($handle){ $base = new Essential_Grid_Base(); $text = ''; switch($handle){ //check for event manager case 'event_start_date': break; case 'event_end_date': break; case 'event_start_time': break; case 'event_end_time': break; case 'event_event_id': break; case 'event_location_name': break; case 'event_location_slug': break; case 'event_location_address': break; case 'event_location_town': break; case 'event_location_state': break; case 'event_location_postcode': break; case 'event_location_region': break; case 'event_location_country': break; } return $text; } /** * Retrieve the value of woocommerce elements */ public function get_woocommerce_value($meta, $separator, $catmax = false){ $text = ''; if(isset($this->post['ID'])){ if(Essential_Grid_Woocommerce::is_woo_exists()){ $base = new Essential_Grid_Base(); $m = new Essential_Grid_Meta(); /* 2.1.5 category max option */ $adjustMax = false; if($meta === 'wc_categories') { if(!empty($catmax) && $catmax !== '-1' && is_numeric($catmax) && intval($catmax) > 0) { $catmax = intval($catmax); $adjustMax = true; } } if($adjustMax) { $text = Essential_Grid_Woocommerce::get_value_by_meta($this->post['ID'], $meta, $separator, $catmax); } else { $text = Essential_Grid_Woocommerce::get_value_by_meta($this->post['ID'], $meta, $separator); } } } return $text; } }If you’ve been following my travels recently, you’ll know that I went to Taiwan TWICE this year! I created a bunch of videos from my time there, including How Taiwan Dates, The Convenience Store Country, and even got to interview the president of Taiwan!
One of the interesting stories I learned about while visiting Taiwan’s central city of Taichung, was about the Rainbow Village. This village for veterans was scheduled to be demolished until one of its inhabitants took the situation into his own hands (literally!) He grabbed a paintbrush and started painting brightly colored images all over his own house, then later his neighbors’ houses and even the alleyways.
This Rainbow Grandpa as he’s now known is almost 100 years old, but his actions saved the village, and it now attracts 1 MILLION tourists per year! Check out my video below!
Now, the Rainbow Village has gone global, inspiring the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s booth at The New York Times Travel Show! They have taken real photos of the artwork painted on the buildings and printed it onto a 3D replica made out of recycled cardboard!
On the other side of the booth is a landscape inspired by Taiwan’s beautiful mountain ranges, echoing Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s 2020 theme – Year of Mountain Tourism, which highlights the broad range of unique natural landscapes, flowers and ANIMALS that can be seen in Taiwan.
At the booth, you’ll also have the chance to see some Taiwanese aboriginal dancing – Did you know there were aboriginal people in Taiwan?!
You know what’s also cool? Both the Director Claire Wen of Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s New York office AND the Ambassador Lily L.W. Hsu of Taipei Economic Cultural Office (TECO) in New York are both women! Yas!! Taiwan dominates with women in power!
If you live in or near New York, I urge you to go check out the Taiwan booth, not just for all of the above, but because by visiting the booth you can enter a lucky draw to win a return flight to Taiwan and discover this great country for yourself!
You can find details of Taiwan’s booth at this and future events by visiting www.taiwan.events If you do pop by the booth, make sure you say “Ni hao from Dear Alyne!”
The post Taiwan’s Rainbow Village came to The New York Times Travel Show! appeared first on Dear Alyne.
]]>People always ask me for recommendations after trips, so here are my Paris recommendations all in one spot! If you want a discount on your next hotel booking use this Agoda link for 5% off!
At a glance:
Oh BONJOUR so nice to see you here!
This was my THIRD trip to Paris – so I wanted to find unique things to do in Paris, in addition to my old time favorites! I’m a 29 year old world traveler who’s been to 70 countries. My Mom is a AGE UNDISCLOSED recent retiree who has been to 1 country in the last 20 years! We have totally different travel styles, backgrounds, ages etc. We clash a lot and don’t travel or think in the same way. Which is why we decided it would be a great idea to…
Take an 8 day trip to PARIS…together! Let’s see how it went 
Where we stayed
We booked our hotels via Agoda since we are working with them on this project! I wanted to find UNIQUE hotels and consequently I searched and found…
Kube Ice Hotel.
This hotel is in the 18th arrondissement which is on the outer edge of the Paris Circle (check the map). The neighborhood is predominantly African, Indian, Moroccan and consequently if you love that type of food and clothing, you’re in luck! We ate Biryani (Indian flavored rice) for 8 Euro and it was AMAZING. The hotel itself though has a completely different vibe: a big hipster courtyard and one of the nights they had a huge costume party! The bar is very happening, and there is ANOTHER bar that is an ICE BAR!! ITS AMAZING! AND HUGE! It has a French flag frozen in the wall, an ice car, and it’s not very busy so you can pretty much get it all to yourself. The rooms are very big and even your bathtub in your room is shaped like an ice cube!
Agoda also has a new part of their website which offers apartments and homes to stay in! We wanted to try it out since I love home vibes (hello laundry machine!) but we didn’t have time since we found something even more awesome. That brings me to our second hotel…
THE GROCERY STORE Boutik!
Okay so this Boutik hotel has 2 amazing and unique places to stay in Paris. It’s an apartment you rent, not really a hotel with many rooms and a reception desk. One of the two locations looks like a LIBRARY (SO COOL) but it was fully booked! SO we booked the one that looks like a CUTE CORNER GROCERY STORE (they were almost fully booked but we found one night)! It’s a super cute quiet place that is really…I mean wow. So unique. Pretty hotels with pools and a view are a dime a dozen, but this was incredibly unique and I’ve never seen anything like it before! It’s really spacious with a sort of living room area, upstairs and downstairs, very clean, big modern bathroom and tub, and great location in the center of Paris near the Seine. I wish I could have stayed longer! One warning – there is no AC (but they do have fans) so if it’s the middle of summer and you’re heat sensitive keep that in mind. We invited some local friends over, ate cheese and bread and fruit, and played cards until late at night. Definitely the kind of place you’ll want to share with friends as you’ll love it so much, and sharing the experience makes it even better. We also slept INSANELY WELL because the bedroom totally blacks out – so set an alarm or you’ll sleep peacefully until next year hehe. Location is great, central and lots to do in the neighborhood! The blinds are electronic so you’ll feel very modern and chic.
What we did: Musee d’Orsay, Shakespeare and Co, THRIFT SHOPPING, Vegan cooking class!
Musee d’Orsay! Ok this is not unique but Paris has many museums and this is the one my mom was most excited to see. It has Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, Manet, and currently – an amazing and very interesting exhibit about black people In French history. There’s also an exhibit about women painters and how they were disadvantaged. Loving the inclusivity there and their giftshops are full of art themed notebooks and cute things that I wanted to buy all of!
Shakespeare and Co! This amazing bookstore has an insane history: At night, young writers sleep on these benches for free, in exchange for a few hours work, reading a book a day, and writing a 1 page story of their life. It’s right across the river from Notre Dame, like a 1 minute walk, so it’s a great place to spend some time and look at Notre Dame since it was burned down, you are not able to enter during renovations. They also have a cute healthy cafe that I like to sit and relax in with lots of vegan and vegetarian options like a sushi roll, a korean glass noodle salad, quiche, and more.
“Shakespeare and Company is an English-language bookshop in the heart of Paris, on the banks of the Seine, opposite Notre-Dame. Since opening in 1951, it’s been a meeting place for anglophone writers and readers, becoming a Left Bank literary institution.”
Thrift Shopping! Shocking to believe, but thrift shopping was popular even before Macklemore! Growing up I exclusively shopped at thrift shops when I was paying because hello I was 14 and had no money and because thrift shops are COOL AND SUSTAINABLE LIKE ME! I still remember my favorite skirt was 50 cents. Gray plaid and closed with safety pins lolol. Here in Paris there are many amazing vintage shops. We did a challenge: a full outfit for under 100 Euro! And it was easy! Ours were way under budget. And the best part was many of them are on the same street so it was easy to look around! We visited “FREE’P’STAR” and the Kilo Shop which was 2 doors down. Kilo shop you shop BY WEIGHT! But of course the items I liked were specially marked to be sold NOT be weight and were the most expensive things. I HAVE EXPENSIVE TASTE even at a thrift shop
Vegan Cooking Class at “Les Potager De Charlotte“! This was my Mom’s favorite activity! I’m vegetarian and she’s not, but we both found a compromise in that we both enjoy healthy food! So we took a vegan cooking class and it was AMAZING! Quicker than taking a cooking class is simply enjoying a meal there! The restaurant was called “Le Potager de Charlotte” and it was perfect because it was also run by a Mom (Charlotte) and her children! The food is fresh and gorgeous and both restaurants have an amazing atmosphere. They decorated with beautiful green moss and the chef David is obsessed with making sure every dish is perfect – go and enjoy and let me know what you thought! Can’t wait to go back!
What else we ate: Bistro Des Augustins.
GRATIN. SLICED POTATOES BAKED WITH CHEESE AND CREAM. EAT WITH BAGUETTE. ORDER AN ITALIAN SALAD. ENJOY. I ate here two nights in a row, I took a taxi to eat there, it’s so good and totally affordable. Around 11 euro for each dish. Water is free and they make a nice natural orange or lemon juice. It’s about 7 minutes walk from Notre Dame overlooking the Seine if you sit outside to eat (like all Parisians do!) We ate other things but this was my favorite. “French Peasant Food” as our waiter called it! (NOT vegan but yes vegetarian)
SUMMARY: Paris has unique things to do that will please EVERYONE!
My Mom and I DID have a couple clashes, but thats pretty good for an 8 day intense trip together! We really enjoyed all of the activities and found things we could BOTH love! My favorite was thrift shopping and the cooking class and she loved the cooking class and the museum. We BOTH loved game night at our gorgeous Unique Grocery Store Boutik room – it was a night to remember!
And as always, the best thing about a place is the unique people you meet!
The post Unique Things To Do In Paris! appeared first on Dear Alyne.
]]>If you came here for the Priority Pass Discount: Click Here.
(The link was broken when I posted it on stories originally, sorry about that!!)
ANYWAYS! We had a lot of fun in the Priority Pass lounge in Singapore!
What follows is my experience with visiting the Priority Pass Airport Lounge!
I’ve always loved traveling. Ever since I was a kid and saw pictures of the Mayan Pyramids, of Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, and all of those amazing gigantic ruins, I knew I had to visit them when I grew up! So I saved money, pinched my pennies and traveled every summer of college. Because I was a student I was on a tight budget, so I spent a lot of time sleeping on cold airport floors, squatting next to random electricity outlets in weird places (like…behind unattended counters ), and trying to calculate which snacks were the healthiest, biggest, and cheapest.
I can’t count how many times I tried to charm the front desk agents at the Airport Lounges to give me the access codes to their fast free wifi (this always failed). Those long layovers with no solid internet were awful – especially knowing that good Wi-Fi was literally a step away in the lounges. Lounges that cost up to $75 to visit.
Fast forward to now! I fly almost every week of the year so the time spent in airports adds up! I heard about a company called Priority Pass, which lets you access lounges without flying first class. Essentially it’s a card (or e-card that you scan on your phone) that gives you access to over 1200 airport lounges worldwide.This, is cool! Because the times I tried to enter lounges without a pass, they would charge me
I also like this company so much that I invented a slogan for them-
“Someday first class but for now…Priority Pass! ” Tada!
Here is a video I made of my Priority Pass experience!
So…. How much does Priority Pass cost?
Priority Pass has 3 options as you can see below. For a frequent traveler like me, option 2 or 3 would be best. For someone who just pops in now and then I would start with Standard to see if you like it. You can also get a discount of up to 20% this month here :
Priority Pass Dear Alyne Discount
We’ve been stuck at airports for long layovers before and paid $75 EACH for access to a crap lounge. That’s over $200 for 3 people for ONE VISIT. It’s simple math. If over the course of a year you would want to visit more than 5 lounges then you’ll save money with the pass. If you plan to just visit one or two and rough it in the main airport areas then it’s not worth it.
What will most likely fit most people’s lifestyle the best is the “Standard Plus” membership for $299. It comes with 10 FREE visits. Any visit after your first 10 free ones are used are discounted to $32. (About half price of normal entrance). So essentially you’re paying $30 per visit with priority pass. Pretty good.
Why it’s worth it:
- Free Food. Yes. Each lounge literally has a buffet of free food. Pasta, potatoes, curries, each location is different. It is all you can eat!
- Free alcohol, water, beverages. You know how much a big water in an airport usually costs. WATER. Is like $6. And alcohol will run you even more. In these lounges you can drink as much as you want, water, soda, alcohol etc for free. It’s all included.
- Free fast Wi-Fi.The thing I hate most on earth is being stuck on a long layover after a long Wi-fi-less flight with NO INTERNET. IT MAKES ME CRAZY. Partially because then I can’t plan my trip, contact my family, or get any work done. That’s why I love using the lounges. Free fast Wi-fi.
- Outlets and workspace. Endless outlets and workspace to actually get things done. Paying $30 is worth it to have peace of mind that I can send or receive work files I need, and charge all my equipment for long flights ahead. Also there are private workstations so I can sit and work. Time and money and 2 hours working hard in a lounge can make me back a lot more than the $30 I spent.
- Random perks: Massage chairs, showers, these are some relaxing perks that exist in some of the lounges!
Why it’s not worth it:
• If you travel only once or twice a year you can just pay for a lounge pass. But if you’re a couple entering a lounge just one time, that’s $75 each – that’s $150 so even then…it might be worth it to get the $99 membership because the guest is only $32 then you’re only spending $107. So yeah. Do the math but it will usually save you money.
Try Priority Pass now for up to 20% off. 
Below are examples of some of the typical lounges.
You can check the Priority Pass App or Website to see what lounges are under Priority Pass for your most commonly used airports.
So, if you are the type of person who eats at the airport, buys water or drinks, or pays for Wi-Fi, Priority Pass could actually save you money. It’s pretty amazing!!
Bonus: you get to feel like the cool fancy person who gets to use the lounge. 
The post My Priority Pass Experience appeared first on Dear Alyne.
]]>
We all comment on photos every day…but what if I told you, that ONE COMMENT is all it takes…to be on a plane to an amazing, healing retreat in BALI?
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Boys and girls,
I present to you…
“Win a 9 Days Trip to Bali, value 2390€ in Two Simple Steps:”
This is an insane opportunity. This retreat is worth paying for, and Cristina is giving away a spot for free. AMAZING! I will be personally sending this to all my friends and telling them to apply :p
I’ll let my friend Cristina who is running the retreat take over from here. She has the best vibes ever and I’m so excited for whoever wins!
__________________
STEP 1: LEAVE A COMMENT HERE
STORY TOPIC: “Separating From My Partner Has Taught me… ((THIS))”
We are awarding the most authentic comment, so let the truth of your own unique experience be the answer, that flows naturally into expression.
You are a story worth loving <3
Your answer can be as short or as long as you feel, the winner will be selected purely based on authenticity. Many people have gone through separation and divorce, but yours is unique to you, so don’t hold back from giving your most heart-felt answer. The most meaningful & inspiring sharing wins our all-inclusive 9 days retreat in Bali, value 2390€, “Healing & Revival after a Separation” & will join an exclusive group of like minded men and women from all across the world for this Joyful Transformational Experience (July 30 – August 7, 2019, Ubud, Bali).
STEP 2: SHARE THIS POST ON YOUR PROFILE
The winner will be announced on the 15th of June and the awarded answer will be published on our YOUniverse Facebook Page. In order for us to be able to tag you and announce the winner, please don’t forget to also share this post. We are truly engaged in what we are co-creating as a team here at YOUniverse and we appreciate you engaging through your uniqueness and post share as well.
If you want to know more about this journey, you can find all retreat details and benefits here: www.youniverserevival.com. The winner gets to enjoy all of it for FREE.
Leave your comment below & looking forward to meeting your unique beautiful Self in Bali!
Feel free to TAG a friend or SHARE this post with your loved ones that can benefit from it.
Follow Youniverse Revivals page to keep an eye on what we are creating at YOUniverse. Many more beautiful gifts awaiting you there.
___________
Hey it’s me Alyne again! I REALLY want someone from Dear Alyne to win! This is an amazing place to go to learn, heal, and groooow.
So search inside and write a beautiful comment sharing your feelings and growth below! May the best person win!
The post Write your way to Bali (Win a 100% free, healing retreat!) appeared first on Dear Alyne.
]]>Past topics you’ve asked me to cover include How to find the best places to stay when you travel and How to Stay Healthy and fit while traveling.
But today we tackle a VERY common question in my inbox.
Turns out, all of you want the cheapest travel insurance! I get messages from you on Instagram every day asking “Alyne, which travel insurance do you use!?”
If you know me, you know I’ve been on the road (or rather…in the air) for 3 years now. BUT I NEVER HAD TRAVELERS INSURANCE. And I knew I wanted the cheapest travel insurance, too. Because I really hoped to never have to use it, so I didn’t want to waste hundreds of dollars a month on something I wasn’t planning to use much. I wanted it as a “just in case”.
Three reasons I never got travel insurance:
1.) Because.
I.
Am.
Cheap.
2.) I kinda hoped/thought I was maybe insured (lolol).
Until age 26 I was under my Moms insurance in the US so I kinda hoped it would have covered me abroad (I have no idea if it did, and I was lucky I never got injured!).
3.) I’ve never actually BELIEVED in insurance. I mean, I believed that they try to rip you off and find every possible loophole to NEVER PAY OUT. Call me pessimistic if you will, but I’ve heard one too many stories of someone who thought they were insured but their insurance found a loophole to not payout. FOOL ME ONCE SHAME ON ME.
I kept thinking “I should get travel insurance” but I didn’t have the energy to research it and didn’t trust anyone. Then I heard about Safety Wing! I knew someone who worked there personally so I trusted it more, and asked lots of questions and decided to try. It’s not meant to be primary insurance, but it’s pretty dang good travel insurance for like LITERALLY $1.30 A DAY.
Why I call Safety Wing, “The Best and Cheapest Travel Insurance”:
1.) I can sign up during my trip. Most companies only cover you if you sign up before a trip while still in your home country. This obviously doesnt work for me as I travel full time. There is no “home country” that I leave and return to.
2.) Home country coverage: The US has some of the most expensive health care on earth. A tiny injury there will cost THOUSANDS. Almost no travel insurance covers me in my home country. But this one does. yass queen.
3.) CHEAP AF: $37 a month. Do you understand how amazing that is? But…does cheap mean low quality? Nope. Safety wing is backed by Tokyo Marine, one of the best and biggest insurance agencies out there. IDK how its so cheap but I think it’s bc it’s a new company so jump on it now amigos. Also probably cheap bc most users will be young without health issues.
4.) Low YEARLY deductible. Some deductibles are PER CLAIM. But here it’s PER CYCLE. So if you sign up for 1 year, your deductible of $250 lasts the whole year. So if I submit 5 claims of $200 each. I get back $750. Pretty cool.
5.) Designed with Digital Nomads in mind. DIGITAL NOMADS ARE THE FUTURE! I’m glad the world is preparing for it!
BUT…DOES IT WORK???
YES!
DETAILED ANSWER:
Yes. I submitted a claim like a normal person and within 30 days got a check in the mail back. It was easy to submit the claim too. I’ve had other insurance where it was such a pain to fill out the paperwork that I just gave up and didn’t ask for my money back. I’m SO RELIEVED to have found travel insurance that actually works. I’m going to submit 2 more claims this week and will keep you updated to see how those go but SO FAR SO GOOD! And it’s definitely the cheapest travel insurance I’ve found with a good value. Let me know if I’m wrong!
MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH!! This is just my experience and what I choose to use.
Here’s the link if you want to research Safety Wing (always research!!).
Happy searching and good luck!! Hope this helps 
And if you know other great companies or have questions share your experiences below!
XxAlyne
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In the photo it may appear I attempted a seductive New Years Outfit but no, my shirt was torn by handcuffs.
**Nas posted on his Instagram about what happened earlier tonight at the Barcelona airport and I’m getting a lot of messages but I have zero energy so I’m writing it once for everyone here. I just typed it out no reviews so sorry for the simple writing style. Thank you for reaching out. I’m fine just sad that this stuff happens. And I’m happy I’m in a position to shine a light on it, but sad for people who have no recourse.**
I was just tackled in a the Barcelona airport by the security guards. What? What did I even just write?!
I can’t believe it happened.
This is not the kind of stuff that I’d expect to happen to me.
I am a middle class woman with zero police history of any kind.
I wasn’t even in any fistfights as a teenager or child.
I don’t watch scary movies because I don’t like violence. And until i was a teenager, I considered Aladdin a scary movie and Fern Gully of the horror genre (to be avoided at all costs).
So that makes what happened to me a few hours ago even crazier.
I was pushed, grabbed at, handcuffed, and shoved to the ground by both a young male and older female “security guards” at the Barcelona airport.
I was unarmed and didn’t touch either of them. My shirt was ripped open and my hand crushed. The man “security guard” tried to arrest me because I was holding my phone filming. [EDIT* FILMING AFTER HE GRABBED MY BREAST AND KEPT HARASSING US PHYSICALLY AND VERBALLY. I started filming because i got scared of what he would do so I knew I needed it on camera to protect myself.
To people who say its not legal to film in airports, I say that after an officer of the law touches my body I will film to protect myself.
He put on gloves, and prepared his handcuffs and scraped them across my body on my chest, ripping open my shirt as I screamed.
I was screaming like I’ve never screamed before. And literally no one, no passer by’s and no other airport employees did ANYTHING. No one even SAID ANYTHING. They just watched. It was unbelievable. No “Hey what are you doing! What’s going on!” It was so scary. Because imagine if this was happening with the security or police on a back street with no bystanders, no security cameras. Imagine what these types of people would do.
Something even worse happened recently in Barcelona. A homeless man’s dog was shot dead by the police. People asked me my opinion on it, asked me to make a video, but I remember thinking “it must have been the one bad officer, the one bad one making everyone look bad.”
But after being assaulted by two trained licensed security guards… now I’m not so sure.
After it happened, their supervisor came. I tried to tell him what happened and even with my ripped clothing he was on their side. He did not believe me. “I’ve known her for 8 years, that could not have happened.” He kept saying he’d watch the cameras and I said PLEASE, watch the cameras.
So how did this even happen?
It’s hard to explain, but pride, egos, and bravado are the only explanation I can think of right now,
We went 2 hours early to check in for our flight and get some work done. There was a problem with the tickets because Malta Airlines had generously tried to surprise us with an upgrade for one leg of our trip, from Barcelona to Frankfurt. The problem was, the other leg was now null. So Nuseir tried to take care of it, calling Malta and having them speak with our Lufthansa desk agent (who was lovely).
The customer service people on the phone got impatient and were rude to her. We could hear them through the phone. The woman got flustered and stressed and upset, and it triggered “the monster”. The monster was a bald small middle aged male employee who heard her phone call and decided it was all our fault. Long story short he trundled over to her desk, told her that she shouldn’t help us, and blamed us for the workers on the phone for being rude. Workers that we were 0% connected to. We had also felt bad for the lady, so why was he taking it out on us, and in such a vindictive way? I literally don’t know. We had been completely normal and chill the whole time.
He started saying things like “If you say another word I’ll make SURE you don’t get on your flight” and “I have the power to stop you from boarding”.
Like it felt like a dramatic movie and he was reading from a script but to the wrong audience. He hit a button to call security and we assumed when security came they’d be upset with him for calling them for no reason. Unfortunately that was not the case. Instead they barrelled up, already aggressive, assuming we were guilty of something?? And told us VERY AGGRESSIVELY to leave the airport. We were like…what is going on here.
We finally got our boarding passes and walked away. Nuseir turned to take a photo of the desk and what happened and they saw him and ran at us, yelling and trying to take his photo, threatening him and being crazy in general. He shouldn’t have taken a photo because it was so high blood levels already, but even more importantly they shouldn’t have lost their minds because of a photo. A simple professional “Hey, we don’t allow photos here can you please delete that?” would have sufficed. But they were aggressive, physically intimidating us and verbally threatening, until the male pushed Nas even after he deleted the picture per his request.
I got so angry and scared, a security guard was pushing us? The protector was pushing us? In the US everyone knows…NO physical contact unless its self defence. I started defending Nas and the guy started to come at me, so I stepped back and he stepped up to me and pushed my shoulder trying to take my phone (which I hadn’t done anything with). I got scared and told him DO NOT TOUCH ME DO NOT TOUCH MY CHEST and he grabbed my breast and gave me a malicious look. The look that said “I’m a security guard I’m the boss and I’ll grab your breast if I want to.” I almost didn’t want to mention this part because compared to being tackled to the ground by two people trying to handcuff me it doesn’t seem as important. But it’s so so scary. This is not a safe world for us. This is Spain, not the wild west.
When we handed them our boarding passes at the gate, we found out the mean desk agent had contacted the gate and told them not to let us board the flight. After all this they wouldn’t let us on. Luckily these agents were nice and we spent an hour explaining everything to them and they listened and believed us. We didn’t have time to report it to the police because hours had been wasted and the guys needed to go make the video for the day. We booked an airport hotel and this is where we are spending new years (instead of in a lovely suite with the team at the Hilton in Malta – so sorry we couldn’t make it!). It would have been nice to be in Malta where I feel safer and taken care of but that’s life. I’m of course grateful nothing worse happened but I feel so sad for the people it does happen to. I asked the tapes to be reviewed so hopefully at least the male worker will be fired. He had only worked there 1 month. The woman on the other hand I’m sure will stay in her position. Another threatening mean spirited person with power.
Wow. That was long! And this was my “abbreviated version”.
GOODNIGHT MY SWEETS. LOVE U. AND DONT WORRY ABOUT ME I’M FINE. Just…I guess be careful and aware out there, and have a safe New Year’s Eve! We’ll be sleeping a few hours then catching a new morning flight that I really hope goes smoothly. Thank you for being awesome friends and readers and people.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND:
I’m not mad at the airlines or the airport. I’m just disappointed that people get away with these things and that they happen. Just wanted to share this as a record of what’s going on since I wasn’t able to make a police report. Hope this doesn’t get you down, it’s not meant to! Just information. HAVE A LOVELY DAY! ADIOS!
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]]>Today I want to talk about a MAGICAL and BEAUTIFUL place I got the chance to visit: the African country SEYCHELLES!
And it is amazing that we even ended up visiting, because the plan was to stay in Ethiopia where we were making videos then, but the Wi-fi was poo no matter what we did. So we looked for direct flights out, and we found the Seychelles!
We had no regrets and loved it! I think they loved us too 
cause we even got interviewed in the papers there.
If you love nature, undiscovered places, and want to visit a different side of Africa, read this article for a better idea on what to know about this tiny island country and what to do there.
SEYCHELLES BASICS
The Seychelles is a tiny…
… tiny African country to the east of Kenya.
And it’s completely VISA-FREE which means it doesn’t matter what country you’re from, you’re allowed to visit the Seychelles!
It’s also known for amazing beaches, with HUGE boulders, beautiful waters and powdery sand. It feels like real paradise.
WHAT TO DO IN THE SEYCHELLES?
1) Help save the earth by buying coral
We found that the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles (MCSS) lets you ADOPT coral! and it’s really easy. You can choose your own coral from their kiosk and pay for it with a small donation.
Then the volunteers will head under the sea and plant your coral for you. You even get a certificate to show you that you own the coral. How cool is that?
Here’s the video about this: We killed the ocean
2) Curieuse Island – Small island with giant turtles
This little island off the coast of the mainland has many GIANT tortoise population. I really wish we had a chance to go there and see the friendly tortoise giants, but we were too busy. 
I know I will go there when I return to the Seychelles though!
3) Experience the culture where the MEN cook for you
Seychelles has a matriarchal society, so it’s common to see men cooking in the kitchen while women handle other household chores.
Idk about you but I think it’s only fair for housework to be divided between men and women!
You can go experience this for yourself if you do a homestay or stay in a hosted AirBnb, probably! P.S. If you’re going to get an AirBnb (and it’s your first time), you can use my voucher for a discount!
We have a video on this too, check it out: Where MEN cook!
4) GET MARRIED, APPARENTLY!
We found that it’s really easy to get married in the Seychelles. You just need your passport and your birth certificate, and it takes only 5 days to process!
One of our girls in my Facebook group, Girls Gone Global, got married there (wedding photography, cake and all, for just $3000.)
Also watch the video Nas made about this: How we got MARRIED!
WHERE TO STAY IN THE SEYCHELLES?
Okay so this is one of my favourite parts simply because the hotel I stayed in was AMAZING. We were hosted by Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa, which has some of the friendliest staff (like in all other Hilton hotels we’ve been to) and some of the most beautiful rooms I’ve stayed in.
I mean, LOOK AT IT.
It’s BEAUTIFUL, it’s HUGE.
And it has an INFINITY POOL FACING THE SEA.
Which means you get to chill with snacks and drinks and just ENJOY THE VIBES
The villas cost under 600 euros per night. It’s a lot, but worth splurging on for an anniversary or special night!
And that’s my guide to the Seychelles! Leave me a comment if you have any questions and I hope you’ll visit too! 
For more exciting places to visit check out this guide to what we did in Albania!
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]]>Here is a list of things you need to check before you travel. This will save you so much hassle in the long run.
1) Unfreezing your credit cards
Always remember to call your credit card company to let them know you’re going overseas. You don’t wanna end up in another country only to find out you can’t use your card when you want to buy something.
Pro-tip: If you’re using a debit card, it’s a good idea to disable the automatic tap-to-pay feature, just in case your wallet is stolen. That way, if your card does get stolen, no one can use the money in it!
2) Country specific requirements
Some countries might have certain requirements when you enter. Like when I went to the Seychelles from Ethiopia, I found out that I needed to have proof of yellow fever vaccination. Go Google the country you’re travelling to and do some research before hand to prevent stuff like this from delaying you!
Also many countries require you to have an onward ticket to enter!! (An onward ticket is proof that you have another flight to catch eventually, to make sure you’re not gonna overstay.) So if you travel one way like me, then you need to contact a travel agent to get you a sort of “fake” onward ticket or book a 24 hour refundable ticket (on websites like Expedia) and cancel it when you land! All you need is a confirmation number to show the airline. I’ve almost missed so many flights because I didn’t know I needed an onward ticket!
3) Travel insurance
Okay many people overlook travel insurance, but it’s such a lifesaver if you get into any trouble or accidents. I use SafetyWing, which is a subscription based insurance for just $37 a month. The customer service is super responsive, and everything is so hassle free. Check it out here if you want to try it too.
4) Passport validity
A lot of countries need your passport to have at least 3-6 month buffer before it expires, or they might turn you away! Even if you knew this already, it’s easy to forget, so make sure to set a reminder in your calendar when you need to renew it!
Are there any things you always forget when you travel? Let me know in the comments!
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]]>Part 1: Feeling lost without a career or direction in life
May 29th, 2018.
Hello everyone!
I am Tamara and I am 24 years old. I am very happy that Girls Gone Global group exists, and I will pour all my love into it. Thank you Alyne for creating this group!
I will just jump right into it. I graduated exactly a year ago and I have not been able to get a job despite over 30 interviews with really great companies. I know everyone goes through something like this, I don’t know why I am going through this. Especially because I have really tried hard. Even before graduating, I kept focusing on what my next steps would be, but I achieved nothing.
What frustrates me the most is that I might have studied the wrong major for me (business). I know it is a useful skill to have and a great backup plan, and there are a lot of career options. But I feel so lost.
I didn’t know if I should at first, but after being encouraged by brave ladies in this group, I decided to spend all my savings to a last-minute trip to Southeast Asia last January.
I just wanted to leave everything behind for at least a short period of time, which resulted in almost two months of backpacking.
In a temple in Bangkok, I met someone my age working in the United Nations – that’s my dream job, and I was awestruck to have met someone working there. After some talking, I asked how he got in, and he told me about his master’s degree on International Studies in one of the most important universities in Asia, Nanyang Technological University (NTU). With his help, I applied there as well.
After waiting for 6 months they will let me know this May if I am accepted or not! I am incredibly passionate about this topic, International Relations, but I feel like I know nothing at all, so I have been reading and reading for now. I even finished an introduction textbook. It is one of the top programmes, so it is not easy to be accepted. Even if I get accepted, I might only be able to attend if I get one of the several scholarships I applied to…
Hopefully I will be able to enjoy this new path and find myself in it, but currently, it has been very hard. I studied in another city and now I came back to my parent’s home in a place where I barely know anyone. I do not go out. I barely talk to anyone. I just started a non-paid internship – for resume experience. I feel pressure from far away friends and from my relatives. The more time that passes the less hope I have that my life will change course. I do not really know what I am doing. If I do not get this master’s degree, I will just have to continue trying.
I have always said that I wanted my career to be first. That as a woman, I never wanted my life to depend on my parents or husband, if I happen to marry. But now, I literally have no career and I just feel so lost.
I am currently living in Arizona, but I was fortunate enough to travel while growing up. I was born in Spain, moved to Chile, then moved to Mexico, and now I live here. I consider myself Mexican as my parents are. I love food, traveling, reading, learning, and video/photo editing.
Check out the second post in the series here!
The post My life changed, and a big reason is Girls Gone Global – GGG (1/3) appeared first on Dear Alyne.
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And Albania has a special place in my heart because it’s where I went on a month long solo trip and found myself.
I stayed in a HUGE and CHEAP villa where I had an amazing view, and every day felt like a dream.
So if you’re going to Albania too, here’s what I did in case you want some footsteps to follow in 
WHERE I STAYED IN ALBANIA
1) Vila Amantia
This is that villa I stayed in for my solo trip. It is only $60/night! See the link below for more details!
It’s a very rustic and beautiful place with stone walls and a view of the city from the balcony. And it’s got FIVE bedrooms. It’s really huge!
And if you haven’t used AirBnb before, go to this link to get a free voucher from me!
Address: Vlore, Kaninë (You’ll be given the exact location only after confirming the booking.)
Website: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2921528
Price: It’s only $58 per night per person (or room)
2) The Plaza Tirana
Photo: The Plaza Tirana Facebook page
This place is probably the best hotel in Albania. It’s brand new, central, and room we had came with an amazing view and even had its own full size Jacuzzi and SAUNA!
It’s located in the city, so you can walk to places like the nearby shopping mall or museum really quickly..
Address: Rruga 28 Nëntori, Tirana.
Website: https://www.plazatirana.com/
Price: You can get it for as little as $120 per night on certain sites.
3) Cavaliero
Photo: Cavaliero Facebook page
This Beautiful and simple hotel restaurant comes equipped with large well decorated rooms and delicious meals. It’s right near the border of Albania and Montenegro (about 7 minutes away), and we stayed here for 3 nights to just work in the hotel because we enjoyed it so much.
This is a gorgeous resort-hotel we stayed in at Schkoder.
Address: Bajza, Shkodër, Albania
Website: https://www.facebook.com/cavaliero15/
Price: Give them a call to check the current rates!
4) Xheko Imperial Hotel
Photo: Xheko Imperial Facebook page
I felt like a queen here with all the fancy decor! If you’re gonna treat yourself, check out the imperial room. For a romantic date night head to their roof top which has little canals and a lot of charm. This is one of the most beautiful building interiors in Albania!
There are lots of art galleries and bars nearby if you wanna check them out too!
Address: Ibrahim Rugova nr. 56/H2 Tiranë, 1019
Website: https://www.xheko-imperial.com/en/
Price: It’s $120 a night!
WHAT I DID IN ALBANIA
1) Rented a car and drove down the long winding roads to see the BEAUTIFUL NATURE
Lots of places in Albania are simply STUNNING. If you love driving. Rent a car and explore! Just ask the host or concierge at your accommodation for tips on where to head to for the best nature.
And since Albania is so undiscovered, you will rarely see any other tourists, which is yet another reason why I love Albania!
2) Hiked in Kaninë! I saw the castle and caught the beautiful sunset too
Or if you want a specific place to visit, check out Kaninë. There’s an castle there and the sunsets are beautiful.
Make sure you go there in the late afternoon so when golden hour hits you have time to snap Instaworthy pics like I did with Nas.
Check out the location here!
3) I visited Ksamil beach then swim to out to the Ksamil islands nearby!
And yes, even the beaches in Albania are so amazing! The water is so clear and blue, it reminded me of the Maldives.
You can just chill by the shore or if you’re up for it, go for a swim out to the nearby Ksamil islands.
Get info about the location here!
4) Met the president of Albania!
It was incredible meeting the president of Albania. When you visit Albania, you might want to check out the museums to learn more about their past. They even helped saved Jews during the holocaust! There is a very small museum about it in Berat.
5) Visited Theth and the mountains there (it feels like Switzerland!)
I don’t think I could ever get tired of the scenery at Theth. And I felt a little like I was in the Sound of Music! All I needed was a traditional dress LOLOALOAL.
Prepare a lot of snacks when you drive out because sometimes you can end up driving for hours on end!
See more amazing pictures and check out the location here!
6) Checked out this tattoo parlour in a communist bunker!
I saw a video about this tattooist, Peter on VICE years ago.
I’m not into tattoos myself, but I thought it was really cool to see this dedicated man run his shop in a communist bunker in the middle of nowhere! To find him, head to Schkoder and ask around 
7) Stopped for a coffee at one of the many coffee shops in Albania
Albania has the highest number of coffee shops per capita IN THE WORLD (Nas made a video about this too). People love to just hang out in them, and I don’t have any one place to recommend because there so many that are great!
And since each cup costs only around 50 cents, go forth and BUY AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.
So here’s my quick list of the best places to visit and stay in Albania. This is one of my most favourite places in the world and I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!
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