Are You a Fierce Traveler?

I'm by no means a perfect traveler, but that doesn't mean I don't keep trying. I figure if I declare myself perfect, that means I have no room to grow and that would be boring. I often do things that make me wonder what I was thinking, but sometimes I do things that make me proudly say "That. Just. Happened." Some would call it being fierce. I hope you have some of those moments too. Today I have teamed with Fierce Fund to bring you one of my favorite fierce moments from my travels.

Here I am, blue-wigged, for the Fierce Fund

It's not always easy to communicate with others with there's a language barrier. You aren't going to be expected to speak every language fluently, nor do others expect it when you travel in their country. The point is that you try and learn from your experiences. My goal was to brush up on my Spanish before traveling to Ecuador. I did this by buying a game for my Nintendo DS called My Spanish Coach. In fact, we bought two copies, so Eric and I could practice at the same time. Not only was this a fun way to learn, but it helped me put together sentences, which has always been a problem for me. I highly recommend it for kids and adults alike. You can also get it for French, Japanese and Chinese (plus SAT, ESL and vocabulary). 

I learned as much as I could in the months leading up to our trip, which I knew would only get me so far if everyone only spoke Spanish. I was still ready to test myself out. Eric didn't grow up in Arizona, taking Spanish classes, so I knew more than he did when we arrived and did most of the communicating. This brought me to my fierce moment of the trip. While wandering around Quito, we noticed that practically every third store front was a jewelry shop. This was our second year of being married and we never had traditional, matching wedding rings. 

After browsing in several of these adorable shops, we picked a pair of rings we both really liked and I went inside and spoke to the sales woman. She only spoke Spanish, so with my language skills, I was able to convey to her what we were looking for and the rings we were interested in. She let us try them on and they fit perfectly. Fate! I was able to ask her how much they were and also learned a new word (par = pair). The pair were a bargain at regular price. We would have spent at least three times as much at home for the same thing. 

That's my wedding ring!

While I may have failed miserably at taking directions to our mountain lodge - which I feel was not totally my fault, as the only real directions I had were to turn onto a road that had no sign and turn right at a school - I had no problems taking direction to the nearest ATM from the shop worker. Most stores there don't take credit cards, even if what you're buying is hundreds of dollars. So, I went off to the ATM, got cash and came back to make our purchase. We headed home from Ecuador with a new set of matching wedding bands and feeling super proud of myself. Go me!

Every woman has a story of strength and should be rewarded for being awesome. The Fierce Fund celebrates and encourages you to be fierce. I think the blue really works on me, no? This was just one of my stories. Do you have one you want to share? Comment below! And if you want to help Clever Girls Collective support women and girls to be Fierce, and lfind out more about the traveling blue wig, visit http://www.clevergirlscollective.com/fiercefund to learn more about this girl-power project and vote for a great organization to win a $20,000 grant!

Disclosure: I was sent this wig as a participant in the Traveling Blue Wig Project, but this story is 100% mine! Want to rock this awesome Peggy Sue blue? Get one here.

Infographic: Busting the Biggest Travel Myths

Anytime you go anywhere you hear myths about traveling and about your destination, but how many myths do you actually believe are truths? Train travel is rarely cheaper than plane travel, I've never seen Bigfoot and my plane has never fallen out of the sky because I forgot to turn off my cell phone. So, what myths do you believe are true that aren't? Below are 10 of the biggest. 

Possibly, it depends on the cruise ship you are on, but many cruises don't include soda in their "inclusive" prices and charge you for each one you order or will sell you a card for the soda plan. It's not cheap, but it's cheaper than paying each time you want a soda during the day. Other than that, I wish I found money in the Bible, or anywhere, in my hotel room and that announcing being on your honeymoon got you anything, but a higher bill. Have you heard of another travel myth we can confirm or debunk?

Ooh I Want to Take You...to Aruba

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Aruba Tourism Authority for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

The weather is getting chilly now that fall is here, which means you're either super excited to start wearing boots again or you're longing for the warm days of summer and wishing you were kicking back on the beach somewhere with an umbrella drink in your hand. We never made it to the beach this summer, though we took advantage of plenty of opportunities to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. The Caribbean is looking pretty good to me right now. Where would I go? Somewhere with culture, great food and crystal clear water. Aruba totally fits all those criteria.

Aside from amazing water activities and the obviously amazing opportunities for working on your tan, there are plenty of other things to do in Aruba that are both fun and budget-friendly.

Aruba Aloe Museum – Aloe is in pretty much every beauty product that is moisturizing, it helps alleviate the ouch of a nasty sunburn and also heals cuts and scrapes. Not only can you take a tour of the factory that processes aloe gel from plants introduced to Aruba in 1840, but you can visit the museum and purchase any number of aloe products. The tours run every 15 minutes and are free.

Butterfly Farm – Nothing is quite as beautiful as a butterfly and when you add into the mix exotic flowers. Put on your brightest colors and take a quick tour of the butterfly farm. After your tour, you can stay as long as you like and return for free anytime during your trip. You can’t beat that, right? On top of it all, you’ll have some awesome pictures.

Animal sanctuaries – If you’re an animal lover then Aruba is a great place to visit. You can visit the Donkey Sanctuary and the Bubali Bird Sanctuary.

• Before cars came to Aruba, donkeys were brought to the island as a mode of transportation. Now, with no need for these beautiful pack animals, the small herds still surviving on the islands were rounded up in 1997 and brought to the newly opened Donkey Sanctuary, where they would get proper care and nutrition. The preserve is run entirely through donations and “adoptions”. Visit with these adorable creatures, tour the grounds and go home with some donkey-related souvenirs from the gift shop.
• If bird-watching is on your list of cool things to do, then head over to Bubali Bird Sanctuary, which is within walking distance from the resorts area. More than 80 species of migratory birds call the reserve home and are free to observe.

Arikok National Park – Want to see funky bugs, go hiking and experience a natural pool? Then head to this national park that makes up almost 20% of the island. For just $10 per person, you have an endless amount of things to amaze you. Native plants that you may have never seen before inhabit the park. Many different kinds of rocks can be observed. There are even small, but spectacular beaches along the coastline.

Look for gold – Okay, not really, but you can view the ruins of gold mills on the island that were built by the first prospectors. If you are into history and abandoned places like I am, you will want to make time to visit at least one of these old mills.

Pamper yourself – Though not really cheap, the Body and Soul Spa at Tierra del Sol Resort is full-service and a great way to treat yourself to a luxe spa or salon treatment for the same price as one you would get at home.

Sample the local cuisine – You know I love food, especially trying new ones wherever I go. Aruba is chock full of restaurants and bars that serve up fresh seafood and other delicious entrées. If I were planning a trip there, here are a few of the affordable eateries I’d check out:

• Charlie’s Bar – This place has character. The outside of the building is adorned with signs and artwork and inside you can order churrasco, Creole calamari, shrimp scampi and pasapalo, plus items you’re probably more accustomed to, like burgers and fresh fish. 
• Hadicurari – Choose from a huge menu which ranges from the Caribbean or French breakfast to the all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. Everything sounds delicious. I’d love to try the grouper sandwich and the fried goat cheese appetizer.
• MooMba Beach Bar and Restaurant – I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want to dine on the beach or eat something from a “Caribbean chic” menu. With items that feature their fresh-caught fish and something called pina colada shrimp, I don’t know how you can go wrong eating here. Also, the name is fun, which I enjoy.

Aruba really is a place that has something for everyone, whether you like to swim in the ocean, dance the night away, learn more about the local history or eat gourmet cuisine. After checking it out for myself, I think I might have to put Aruba closer to the top of my list of places to visit. Learn more about the awesome things to do in Aruba when you visit the Aruba travel page on Aruba.com. What would you do if you were planning a trip to Aruba?