Soletrips Travel Co.

Soletrips Travel Co. is now on WhatsApp.

“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” - Jennifer Lee⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Damn. I am feeling this today. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Things that set my soul on fire:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Good food⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Traveling⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Being comfortably uncomfortable in new places⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Photography⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Art ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Inspiring others⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Family time⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What sets your soul on fire? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
How are you being fearless in pursuing it?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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2022 has got me going like a honey badger!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And a honey badger don’t give a F&*k !⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I am going to be crushing this year and I won’t let this Covid crap stop me!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I spent the last couple of days designing how i would like this year to look. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I took the time to really think about what adventures I would like to go on, what skills I would like to learn, and what challenges I am up to facing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I took the time for self- reflection and day dreaming, ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And this is what I came up with:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Yearly Goals: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Learn how to free dive⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Secure a sponsorship to go to Antartica⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Win an art / photography competition⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Become a level A1 in Portuguese⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Surf more⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Write a cookbook ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Save all 5 (dollar and euro bills) that i get⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Go to Noma in Copenhagen⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Monthly Goals:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Do 2 things per month that are out of my comfort zone⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Cook a different cuisine 2 a month (go to Earth Roulette online, spin it, and cook a meal from whatever country pops up)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
20 hours of Portuguese⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Go hiking 3 times⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Read 1 book⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Post a piece of writing or poetry once a week⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What are you planning for this year? I want to know what is driving you!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#2022

Booking a trip back to San Fransisco! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What are your must do’s? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I know with Covid everything is questionable. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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But a girl can dream right?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It’s feeling like summer here in Madeira, Portugal. Yesterday and today have reached almost 80 degrees. I am definitely not mad about it! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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MANATEES ! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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They have been one of my favorite animals for as long as I can remember. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In fifth grade, our entire class, I think it was the entire school actually, had to participate in art competition / show. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Somehow, I managed to snag second place for my painting of the majestic manatee. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I mean who doesn’t love a sea cow, after all. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This was my first manatee encounter. It was in a canal between the houses down in Miami. There was a human turd floating nearby. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It was the best day! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Since then, I have seen many manatees, it’s a must every time I am in Miami. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What is something that you have to do every time? No matter what?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I can’t believe this photo was taken a year ago, ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It was my first time visiting Madeira. A small Portuguese island that is actually closer to Morocco. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Some people refer to it as “The Hawaii of the Atlantic”.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And she really is a gem: a giant volcanic rock poking out of the ocean covered in banana trees, sugar cane, and flowers. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This particular evening we were going out squid fishing. Which if you have never done it— I highly suggest taking a trip. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Being on the boat at night with nothing obstructing the view of the Milky Way above or the skyline of the island was simply MAGICAL.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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On the way back in, we got to see the bioluminescent plankton! It was a surprise and as beautiful as ever. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So this is me, just being happy as a clam, driving a boat through the ocean on Madeira. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Fast forward a year.......⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And this is the new home base!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you ever want to plan a trip to this incredible place, slide into the DMS.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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......Around this time, three years ago, I was frantically running around.....⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀..........Gathering all of the things I would need for the next adventure............⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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72 days traveling around AFRICA .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We would kick-off the trip with a few days in AMSTERDAM (Hello Stroopwafels).⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Then we would jump on over to Kenya and we would eventually work our way through Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It ended up being a little over three months on the continent and a TRIP OF A LIFETIME!!!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We did an overland tour , we basically took a sup’ed up safari truck and tents and camped most of the way down. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We visited national parks, game reserves, a giant seal colony, sand dunes, jungles, deserts, oceans, lakes, rivers, and saw all of the animals. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We continued from South Africa to Cambodia, where we stayed for six weeks. Then on to Thailand for another six weeks before we eventually made our way back to our new home in Reno, Nevada. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Seven months, thirteen counties, and four continents later!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Okay. 🤤🤤🤤
Nowhere close to Philly...
Improvised Philly Cheesesteak

An egg in a pile of flour?! What?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
HOMEMADE FRICKEN PASTA⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Maybe it’s the sweat and sometimes the blood and tears that go into making it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
When I first started making pasta it was a dirty job. My entire kitchen, body, living room, and dog would be covered in flour. I would roll out the dough with a wine bottle because I didn’t have a roller. More often than not I would use a squirrelly pizza cutter to cut the pasta and I would hang the noodles to dry on hangers attached to the the k***s on my cupboards or on the back of my barstools. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It was comedic. It was never consistent but I learned something new every single time. And you know what I got really fricken good at making homemade pasta. And it’s addicting. I have a hard time even buying store bought pasta these days. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I guess what I am trying to say is... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Make the damn pasta! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Don’t be afraid to try it because you don’t have the right tools or the right equipment. Don’t be afraid to make a mess. Don’t be afraid to try something new...Follow for all of the pasta inspiration⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And if you want a little guidance on the way, a little push to take the plunge be sure to check out The Pasta Queen. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
She offers courses in rolling out the dough (dancing is required), equipment free courses, and virtual tours of Italy including recipes from different regions. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To sign up go to http://alessandralauria.com/home-Alessandra-Laurie ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And thank you for introducing me to the Pasta Queen, my life will be forever changed. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Day dreaming of the days spent in the Serengeti 🐆🦓🐘

In 2018, I spent 3 months exploring Africa. It was absolutely incredible.

We were lucky enough to spend the night in
tents in the middle of the Serengeti. Walking around at night we could see all of the eyes that surrounded us (hundreds of hyenas), we could hear the lions roaring in the distance, giraffes and zebras casually strolled by, and rodents of sorts scrambled by.

The stars that danced across the sky that night — indescribable.

I was also so incredibly sick for the whole experience. Let’s just say I couldn’t keep anything in, I mean anything, for days!

Have you ever been ill on a trip? What did you do? I need all of the tips, tricks, and hacks to help when you accidentally swallow something you shouldn’t.

Share your horror stories with me, I want to hear them.

Also, if you are interested in a trip to Africa. Not so much a luxury trip but a once in a lifetime one be sure to check out (this is in no way a sponsored post, I truly just loves this particular tour)