Shereen Rayle's Blog, page 45

Exploring Mongolia at Home

I know I'm behind on my last few staycations, but that means you're getting a double dose back-to-back. A few weeks ago we traveled to Mongolia, which has always been a destination on my travel list. I know it's weird pick, especially for someone who doesn't really love outdoorsy activities, but for me, the outdoor part of Mongolia is the whole point. 

I'll be following up with a wish list, but for now, let's talk about our first actual outdoor (like in the yard, not just the covered porch) stayc...

How My Travel Outlook Has Changed

I've been seeing a lot of people saying they can't wait to go on vacation. Admittedly, I'm one of them, but unlike before this pandemic started, I have some new reservations. While I'd usually be researching flight prices and things to do right about now, I'm just not in the headspace to be doing that with Covid numbers still on the rise, even with vaccinations rolling out at a pretty good clip. Let's talk about why.

Will I travel this year?

We did a road trip in February, and while it was short, ...

How To Save Money When Buying A Car

With all this talk about road trips, you might be thinking about getting a better car that's road-trip ready. The pandemic had lots of rental companies selling off much of their fleets in order to make it through the tough times. Now that travel is bouncing back, those few cars left are in high demand and with high demand comes high price tags. We've seen some rentals as high as $300 a day. So, maybe you were thinking about getting a new car, or at least an upgrade, that can handle more long-hau...

Happy King's Day!

Yesterday we celebrated King's Day on our Destination Date Night. I'll be writing up a proper blog post of our staycation and an accompanying post, but for now, I thought you might like to learn more about it, and you can see our photos on my newest Instagram post, Instagram story, or if you're reading this later, you can also see the story posts in my Covid Travel highlights.

Though there was no normal King's Day celebration this year, we watched some former year celebrations and a set from Mart...

Using Freebies to Stay Within Your Budget

No matter where you go on vacation there are bound to be free things to see and do. Right now, with many things closed, or in the process of reopening, freebies are actually easier to find, because they might be the only options. These things are a great way to make your trip dollars go further and allow you to do even more.

As a fellow budget traveler, not only am I looking for fun and exciting stuff to do on my trips, I'm also looking for affordable ones. While I may want to cram as much in as ...

Mother's Day Travel Gift List 2021

This past year has seemed both really long and really short. All the days kind of blend together, but we're slowly getting back to work, unless you're like us who worked the whole time, getting vaccinated, and starting to look forward to traveling again, even if it's just a road trip, or not until the last quarter of the year. 

Last year was tough on everyone, and Mother's Day seemed pretty weird. I reverted back to childhood and handmade a gift for my mom and made her brunch, because we were fre...

This past year has seemed both really long and really sho...

This past year has seemed both really long and really short. All the days kind of blend together, but we're slowly getting back to work, unless you're like us who worked the whole time, getting vaccinated, and starting to look forward to traveling again, even if it's just a road trip, or not until the last quarter of the year. 

Last year was tough on everyone, and Mother's Day seemed pretty weird. I reverted back to childhood and handmade a gift for my mom and made her brunch, because we were fre...

Essential Barcelona Travel Tips

So, last week I brought you our Barcelona destination date, where we had tapas and did a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter. If you're interested in visiting Spain, with a focus on Barcelona, you might want to figure out what to do and where to go and some of the basics. These two infographics give you a bit of everything, including a walking tour to get around the city and see all the major sites in one day!

photo credit




From Visually.





Right now is the perfect time to start planning your next vaca...

Packing Light for Your Summer Road Trips

Summer is coming and that means packing light should be easy. Well, I've learned that isn't true for a lot of people. While I'm like "throw a bathing suit, some sandals, sunscreen and a pair of shorts in a bag", others are sitting there wondering how they can cram 10 pairs of shoes into a carry-on for a 4-day trip. No! You need my summer packing tips!


Even though you may be road tripping, remember that you will also need room for food, drinks, purchases, and whatever else you need to make your tr...

Our Barcelona Staycation

Well, we're all in the process of getting vaccinated and hoping to get back to travel by the end of the year, but that doesn't mean we're quitting our staycations. In fact, I had a thought that we might continue to do these (just fewer) even after we get back to normal. Our most recent Destination Date Night took us to Barcelona and a meal full of tapas.

Usually I like to find something familiar and something that might be a little unique. While it's not always possible, I was able to do Barcelon...