DRESS: Revolve/SCARF: (old) H&M – more options here/SLIDES: Zara – more options here/EARRINGS: Oscar de la Renta – more options here

Reporting live from Cartagena, Colombia! I’ve been dying to visit this beautiful city for years… I cannot tell you how happy I am right now to be here. (Pretty sure I said the same thing in Mexico!)

Truth be told, this trip is completely unsponsored…

I’m not here because of a brand. Or a hotel. I’m here because I want to be here! After spending most of my life training for ballet (despite having a dad who’s a pilot) and many years working hard in PR and on my blog, I finally have the time and resources to travel. I guess you could say I have the “travel bug” because ever since Mexico, I’ve booked so many more trips – including this one that was impulsively (surprise, surprise) booked within a short notice! Big thank you to Chelsea, my amazing photographer, for jetting off with me…

If there’s one thing I’ve learned the past two months it’s that there’s something about visiting a new city that reinvigorates your spirit, especially if you’re a “creative” (whatever that means). It gives you a new perspective on life. And above all, helps you realize how much you’ve been given and how much you have to be grateful for… Sure, I’m not exactly visiting the most “glamourous” cities and that’s ok. Because I love the juxtaposition between grit and glam. I love meeting people who don’t have much yet, remain humble, grateful and warm. It just goes to show you that what you have does not dictate your happiness. Happiness, despite your shortcomings or what you may lack (i.e. material things), truly comes within… from rich relationships… from the small things, like a fresh coconut on a hot day… from dancing in the streets with your friends on a Friday night… from random smiles from street vendors in Cartagena.

Trust me, as I sit here sipping on my fresh squeezed orange juice at the hotel (right now, we’re the only ones here), I’m reminded of the times where I sipped on a cup of coffee in my studio apartment and thought, “when will life get easier for me?” After a tough break up, working three jobs, barely hanging on… I never imagined in a million years being able to pick up and venture off to a new city with a moment’s notice. Today, I feel very grateful and I promise I’ll do my best to capture the same feeling in my photos… so you can experience the same thing with me.

Stay tuned for more!

Xo, Stephanie 

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[Chelsae Anne | Photographer]