This summer I have a lot of travel lined up for Tea Drops and my personal calendar. I have a few short trips to Los Angeles(work/fun), one to Cabo (fun!), and one to Hawaii (surprisingly, work!) and just returned from Chicago this past weekend. Travel always presents a fair share of challenges from finding fun/interesting actvities in a new city, to staying connected, to keeping some semblance of a routine even when on the road.
Luckily, I've stumbled upon some fun new apps recently that I've found incredibly helpful this past week while on the road, that I wanted to share with you. Hopefully as you pack and plan for your summer trips, you'll find these helpful to have in your back pocket too!
Periscope: Sometimes I feel a little behind the curve in only discovering Periscope a few weeks ago, especially when I see Oprah using it like a pro, but then I meet twenty-somethings who have no idea what I'm talking about when I mention it. Basically, periscope allows you to live broadcast to your friends (and complete strangers) from anywhere in the world. It's like you are live on television, sharing a fun experience directly with friends while it is happening. On our Tea Drops Periscope, I shared several broadcasts with our followers last week from setting up our tradeshow booth in Chicago, to beautiful/scary tour from Skydeck in Willis Tower (103rd floor), to visitng an insane Italian foodie heaven called Eataly. It's for those moments when you are experiencing something that is just TOO GOOD not to share with others, and now you can share it in real-time. When you join, come follow Tea Drops on Periscope @myteadrop -- we always notify via Twitter when we are broadcasting live.
Headspace: Being constantly on the move can be mentally draining. Finding time to disconnect on a trip can be tough (even if its for a vacation), since our normal routines are compromised. It's tough for me even when not on vacation to find time to just sit and be still. But, I think it's so critical to have a few minutes in our day to tune out and calm our overactive brains. That's why I'm so excited I discovered Headspace. Headspace is a free app that takes you through a ten-day mental rest exercise. It's like meditation but less formal/intimidating, where you are taken though a guided 10 minutes helping your mind focus and tune out at the same time. I've tried lots of forms of meditation, but really like Andy's (the Headspace character) approach. It leaves you feeling very relaxed at the end of the session. I also like that the sessions are only 10 minutes each and sequentially build upon one another, teaching you new techniques with fun/engaging videos. It is also super travel friendly. One day last week, I had a ten minute block while waiting for some furniture to arrive at my trade show venue and decided to Headspace right there on the floor. It was so relaxing and the perfect way to use that time.
Goldstar: Often times, you just want to know what cool things are happening in your city (or visiting city) that very day! It had been difficult for me to discover events/shows to attend, especially last minute, until I discovered Goldstar. I love that it helps you discover more, while simultaneously spending less -- you simply type in your zip code and list of events populate for that day or even the next couple of days with the ability to purchase tickets at a discounted rate. The other week, I disovered a fun Improv show to go to (only a few hours before showtime) and tickets were free on Goldstar! Events range from food festivals, to concerts, to theatre so there is a lot of variety in the types of activities you can discover.
