Jen A. Miller Consulting

Tag: travel

7 Life Changing Attitudes I Learned in Iceland

This February I had the chance to take a trip of a lifetime; a week in Iceland with my best friend. Why Iceland? I wanted to visit somewhere that would inspire me to take on new challenges in 2016. From all that I’d read about this arctic island, it seemed like the perfect place to test the boundaries of my comfort zone.

While my friend and I had bet on an adventure, we could never have imagined what was in store for us when we arrived. From snowmobiling across a glacier to snorkeling in nearly freezing waters, each day we were met with a new and exciting feat. Over dinner each night, we fell into the practice of recapping the lessons our adventures from the day had taught us. In pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones, we inadvertently began to recognize the attitudes we’d adopted to assure a truly rewarding trip.

When our time in Iceland drew to a close, my attention turned to my life back home. I wondered how things might change for the better if I brought those learned attitudes into my regular routine. While I’d challenged myself to a trip that would leave me inspired, I returned with a new ambition; to develop a truly rewarding life by practicing these 7 attitudes.

Watch now to learn what they are!

Trip Sponsor: Arctic Adventures

April 28, 2016
Experience a Taste of the Cafe Culture ft. on The Hungry Traveler

Coffee Addicts Rejoice! A Look at the Cafe Culture of Vienna

At age 26, with over 30 countries added to my passport, I’d consider myself a fairly well-traveled girl. While I’ve hit the standard tourist stops across Europe– Spain, France, Germany, UK–one country that had someone managed to miss my path was Austria.

If I’m honest, I’ve never had a strong desire to visit Austria. Aside from knowing it as the setting which brought Fraulein Maria and Captain Von Trapp together (Sound of Music fans anyone?), I knew very little about the country. Yet when the chance to pay a visit to Vienna came up, I jumped on board, fully excited to step foot into the city of Do Re Me.

Within minutes of arriving to the city I’d fallen in love with Vienna. Beautiful architecture surrounds you in every direction, classic music is seemingly always playing in the background, and perhaps best of all, on nearly every corner you can find a delightfully quaint coffee shop. Vienna is a city with a rich heritage of cafés and there are many waiting to lure you in with their magnificent smells wafting out from within its doors.

Of all the coffee shops one could visit, the most famous is Cafe Landtmann. Head on over to The Hungry Traveler to get the scoop on this famed spot and to learn a thing or two about indulging in true Viennese cafe culture.

September 25, 2014
How to Take the Perfect Vacation Pics

6 Tips to Capture Your Picture Perfect Vacation

When I sat down to create my vision board at the start of the year, “Be More Creative” was one of the goals that topped my list of 2014 resolutions. For me, part of accomplishing this goal meant becoming more familiar with the DSLR camera I’d purchased. Fortunately, the year has afforded plenty of reason to flex my newly forming photography muscles. The most recent of which was the trip to Cannes and Vienna from which I’ve just returned.

In the days leading up to the trip I kept my “DSLRs for Dummy” book by my bedside to brush up on my beginner photographer skills. Then, camera in hand as we jet set across Europe, I set out to capture the perfect vacation pics. Though I still have a great deal to learn, I’ve picked up a few basic skills from which any camera-happy single girl could benefit.

Whether you’ve got a vacation of your own coming up or would simply like to pick up a few new tricks, here are 6 tips to help you capture your favorite days in the most memorable of ways.

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August 21, 2014
How to Pack Your Beauty Products

8 Must-Know Packing Tricks for Your Next Trip

This week I take off for a 10 day trip to Europe to visit two countries I’ve yet to explore. First stop–Cannes, France where my boyfriend and I will meet up with a group of his old college friends. Beach days, bike rides, and shopping the open air markets are all on the agenda. From there we head off to Vienna, the current residence of one of our travel mates. With no formal plans, our main mission is to soak up the city like a local.

France and Vienna fall somewhere on the list as the 32nd and 33rd countries that I’ve had the pleasure of visiting. Most of my travel was done in college through study abroad, service trips, and a short stint interning at an airline. Though post-graduation, I’ve made it a point to spend time abroad at least once each year.

All of this to say that, over the past decade or so, I’ve grown into a fairly well-seasoned traveler. While I don’t claim to be of Samantha Brown or Anthony Bourdain status, I do have quite a few travel tips and tricks up my sleeve. One particular area I’ve learned to master is the art of packing.

5 years ago when I paid my first visit to Europe, I brought with me the largest suitcase I could find and had it packed as full as it’s zippers would allow. Trust me– you only make that mistake once. My new rule of thumb is to never pack more than a carry-on. Of course, with limited space and TSA rules to abide, this poses a certain set of challenges, especially when it comes to packing beauty products. However, I promise that with the right know-how and a little creativity you can pack everything you need without upgrading to a checked bag.

Read on for 8 of my favorite tricks on how to pack your beauty products. And if you’re wondering what to pack make sure to check out my favorite beauty travel essentials!

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August 4, 2014
How to Stay Safe While Traveling Alone

Planning a Solo Vaca this Summer? Shalini has 10 Tips to Help You Be a Smart, Single Traveler

A few months ago, I decided that this was the summer I would go to Europe. The only issue was that I had no one to go with. For a while, I frantically tried to find friends to travel with me, but then I realized that I had never truly gone anywhere by myself. I went to the same college as my older sister, and I had friends in all the places I’ve moved to. I never knew what it was like to go somewhere completely alone where I would have to figure things out for myself. Since, I didn’t have anyone to go with, I figured now was a great time to test myself to see what I can do.

I decided to go to Italy, and today wrapped up the last day of my one-week solo vacation. Looking back, I want to brush my shoulder and say, “That was a breeze!”, but, in truth, a lot of planning, preparation, and worrying went into this trip. However, since I arrived, it has been one of the most enjoyable experiences I have ever had, and I am so happy I made the decision to come. I prepared for this trip by researching tips from other solo travelers, and I learned a few valuable lessons that every Single Girl traveling alone outside the country should know. Here are my top bits advice to help you stay safe while traveling alone.

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July 17, 2014