Abroad in Your Inbox Vol. 51

Happy Easter & Passover to those who are celebrating!

I’ve been really leaning into my Rich Mom persona lately (PS her name is Ahhhlexandra). Last Sunday I took my first tennis lesson with my gal pal Rachel through Toss and Spin. If you live in Chicago and are interested in picking up Tennis, I can’t recommend them enough. If you saw my Instagram stories you know how silly I looked but I gotta admit, I HAD A BLAST.

Suddenly I turned 30 and now I’m picking up all these hobbies lol. French classes, tennis lessons, what’s next? Bowling league!?! HAHA, that actually sounds fun.

I’ve been really trying to make an effort to carve out at least one day a week where I take a break. Idk if you can relate, but as an early entrepreneur I blur the lines between work and business hours all the time. I mean heck as I write this it’s 9 p.m on a Saturday.

But I always remind myself of how LUCKY I am that this is my job. I’ve been really working to reframe anything that I might think is a tedious task to try and remember to have a deep sense of gratitude that I GET to do that task. Because I remember in the not so distant past, a time when I was crying on my way to work every day wishing that I had this level of freedom.

And now, I HAVE IT.

This week ended on a truly high note when Linda and I attended an event for Belmond Hotels at the University Club of Chicago. Belmond hotels are some of the most luxurious and exclusive hotels around the world. The company was founded in 1976 when they acquired the keys to Cipriani in Venice, from there they started collecting carriages from the Venice Simplon Orient Express (yes THE Orient Express). What I love most about this brand is that each of its hotels has a truly unique flavor, decor and design that is representative of the destination.

Anyways, as many of these industry events do, there was a drawing at the end to stay at their properties in Brazil and sure enough, I WON! So, your girl is going to Brazil (when, who knows lol) to stay at their Copacabana Palace in Rio & the Hotel das Cataratas, just steps away from, Iguassu Falls!

IF YOU’VE BEEN TO BRAZIL AND HAVE TIPS - PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!

PS - pro tip, if you want to win more raffles, get bigger business cards ;) that’s my secret - they stand out in the bowl and are easier to grab.

IF YOU’RE NEW HERE, HEY!!! Abroad in Your Inbox is a weekly collection of news articles, blog posts, products, podcasts, videos & anything else that’s on the interwebs that will help you navigate this new era of travel, reignite your wanderlust, help you plan a future trip & hopefully leave you with a little smile.

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THE LATEST

IN TRAVEL

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  2. The Best Places to Travel in May, from Nova Scotia to Sicily

  3. You Can Still Get a Good Flight Deal This Year—Here’s How

  4. Global Entry tips: How to avoid waiting for an interview and get TSA PreCheck on your boarding passes

  5. 14 Best Road Trips in America

IN OTHER NEWS

  1. The First Lady on Showtime Is Like The Crown, but About Michelle Obama

  2. The Met Gala 2022 Dress Code? Gilded Glamour

  3. Where To Get An Espresso Martini In Chicago

CURRENTLY OBSESSING OVER

THESE MOROCCAN BAGS - I recently discovered this incredible Moroccan bag company thanks to my Pencil & Paper Creative Club Monthly Happy Mail Subscription. The company is called El Rakan and it was founded by a husband and wife duo who fell in love with the Moroccan artistry and wanted to create a company for their young son (who the company is named after). I can’t get over how affordable and adorable the bags are! I’ve linked some of my favs below!

THE BEST $10 YOU WILL EVER SPEND IF YOU DRINK RED WINE - Linda got a little aggressive with her hand gestures the other night and knocked over her glass of red wine right onto one of my favorite Trina Turk sets that just happened to be pure silk. Needless to say, I didn’t have high hopes for getting the stain out. Nevertheless, the kind staff at Venteux (you need to eat there if you haven’t yet) gave me this MIRACULOUS red wine spray and guess what?!? IT WORKED!!! I soaked the stain, then soaked the pants in ice-cold water the next day and to my surprise and delight the spray was GONE.

KURT GEIGER’S NEON BAGS - Need a hot bag for hot girl summer 2022? I’ve got you covered. If you’re a fellow color lover like me I think you’re going to love their new line. I’ve linked some of my favorites below!

THESE FLOWER SHOES - If you’re looking for the perfect shoe for the spring/summer you need to check out these Cecelia New York heels! I have the block heels in two colors and they are SO comfortable!! And I just got their slides which would be perfect for all your summer plans!

GEARING UP FOR MEMPHIS!

I’m getting ready to head down to Memphis in a couple of weeks and I decided to re-watch the video that I created for Memphis Travel last year and it got me SO excited to return. If you’ve not visited before, you HAVE to add Memphis to your list. I often feel like it gets overlooked by travelers who have a myopic focus on Nashville. But I’ve gotta say this cultural hub has truly something for everyone & the food and music scene is incredible!

Check out my Memphis Guide below and this written guide with all the locations laid out in 4-day itinerary!

HAPPY ENDING

The Old Gays TikTok is my kind of Easter content hahaha.

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Adventure Awaits!

xx Allecat

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