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round trip travel and lifestyle blog

10 Things I Love

July 3, 2019
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I’ve been doing this blog thing for almost five years, and although some of you know me, I thought I’d take a minute to reintroduce myself by giving you a list of 10 things I love.  At this point, you *hopefully* know I love travel, but here’s a little bit more about me and my interests:

1 . Carbonated beverages

A little random but so very true.  I swear by McDonald’s Coke and will go out of my way to get a Coke from said establishment.  I was grabbing Chick-fil-A for dinner with a friend, but I legitimately drove through McDonald’s to get a Coke there instead of with my nuggets and waffle fries.  I also consider myself to be a walking advertisement for La Croix, considering that I drink one at least every day, and it’s usually key lime-flavored.

2 . Jonas Brothers

I went to a private grade school and transferred to public for high school.  Both were great experiences, but the great thing about switching schools is your current friends didn’t see your peak of cringy-ness in sixth grade.  Let me explain.  In the sixth grade, I created and nominated myself president of my Jonas Brothers fan club called the STL JB Nuts.  The newsletter magazines I crafted were filled with re-written news stories, finish the lyrics sections, submitted fan artwork, contests, a watered down version of a Letter from the Editor and fun facts.  I would literally go to church, ask someone if she liked the Jonas Brothers and if she said yes (or sort of), I would promptly ask her for her email address to be added to my email list.  At some point, I decided to make scented trading cards, and no, I didn’t spray these Sharpie-ed index cards, I rubbed lotion onto the cards.  Oh, and also the magazines were sent from my personal email, pinkactress4jesus@gmail.com.

I don’t know if shame is the right word, but let me say again that most of my current friends didn’t know me in middle school.  All the face palming.  But now that the boys are back, I took the opportunity of creating a comeback issue of the STL JB Nuts and threw a themed party.  My life has come full circle, and I’m not sorry about it.

3. Grammar

I was that weirdo who looked forward to the spelling bee every January in grade school.  And in seventh grade, I won my school’s spelling bee, and although I remember that accomplishment fondly, I grimace at the picture that was taken following my big win: greasy hair, braces, a barrette that was not placed properly, holding a large inflatable bee.

No, I didn’t win in eighth grade, but I do love grammar, copyediting and spelling.  I love all the nitpicky things, which is exactly why I chose journalism as a career.

4 . Personality tests

I am all about the personality tests and love learning about others’ results.  I’m an ENFJ and a 3-wing-4 (achiever-individualist) on the Enneagram.  If you’re not into these types of personality tests, I’m sure it sounds like I’m speaking gibberish, but if you are, you have a pretty darn good idea of who I am and what motivates me.  I’m outgoing, emotional, and by-the-book black and white.  I’m motivated by accomplishments and resume-building opportunities, but I like to be special and my own person.

Wondering where you should travel based on your Enneagram type? I got ya covered.

5 . France

If you’ve visited this blog any number of times, you know I love France and French.  I’m almost finished with my dual degree in magazine journalism and French.  And to answer your question, no, I don’t want to be a French journalist.

I’ve been to France three times, and even though I don’t have any direct or strong family ties to France, it feels like a second home.  When beauty and practicality meet, I’m all in.  Whether it’s journalism — well-crafted verse with the practicality of distributed news — or a foreign language that allows us to communicate but also is just downright gorgeous, I’m in love.  The language, the geography and the lifestyle all captivate me, and I’m always planning my next trip there.  (I’m headed there next summer!)

6 . Writing letters and all things print

My handwriting is nowhere near calligraphy, and I prefer typing for most things.  But I’m a sucker for print, hence my professional pursuits in the magazine industry.  At the end of each semester, I like to write notes to my friends and tell them how much they mean to me.  I love buying stationery sets and really all things print.  I’m always on the brink of running out of wall space; post cards, maps and photos fill my walls.

7 . Routine

This past semester I went to bed most nights at 10:30 p.m. and woke up at 7:15 each morning.  I’d check the locks every night, and every morning I’d open the blinds after showering and getting dressed.  I’m a creature of habit and like to have my ducks in a row.  Ask anyone who knows me — I’m Type A to the bone.  I’m most productive in the morning and am absolutely worthless when it comes to productivity after 9 p.m.  

8 . Being with people

For virtually all of my childhood, I shared a room with my younger sister, and the four kids all shared one bathroom.  I’m the third of four children, and it wasn’t until college that I ever had a moment to myself — if you can believe it.  Although I’ve grown to need and appreciate time alone, I do love spending time with people and meeting new friends. Going home is still plenty busy with a grandparent and a fat and sassy Persian cat named Lambchop having moved in.  (And while we’re on that note, I’m a big cat lady.)

9 . Exercise

For the longest time, I hated the fact that I wasn’t good at sports.  At some point in my life, I have tried all of the following: swimming, softball, soccer, tennis, golf, volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, cheerleading.  Swimming lasted the longest, and I wasn’t too bad.  But I’ve come to the point where I’m starting to embrace the fact that I just can’t kick or catch a ball to save my life.  In the fifth grade, we had contest in P.E. class to see who could punt the football the farthest.  We had two attempts, and my first one literally went negative distance.  So there’s that. 

Alas, when it comes to physical activity for competitive purposes, I don’t shine, but I do strongly value physical activity more for my mental health than appearance.  From Zumba to pilates, yoga to barre, I like staying active.  I told my roommates that whenever I was stressed out, they should ask me when is the last time I’ve worked out because I notice a big difference when I’m working out regularly.

10 . Being put together

One thing you should know: I’m a recovering perfectionist.  There might be a total of one week during any given year that you can find me without nail polish on my fingers and toes.  I feel naked without my planner.  I’d never gotten a B until college, and we are not going to speak of that one-credit hour science class on volcanoes. 

In high school, I always dressed up: dresses, jumpsuits, skirts.  Seriously.  I can count the number of times I wore yoga pants and tennis shoes to high school on one hand.  In seventh grade, my parents told me I was doing too much homework and made me start logging my study hours with a cap at three hours.  My dad told me if he could make it through law school with a max of three hours six days per week, then I could make it through the seventh grade.  The bottom line is I like being put together, and that’s not always something to be proud of.  It creates a facade that I don’t make mistakes or that my life is always exciting because I do and it’s not.  Forever a work in progress.

So there it is, a small peek into my life and interests.  Thanks for joining me in this blog community.  Go ahead and introduce yourself in the comments or on social!

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Comments

  1. Paul says

    July 3, 2019 at 7:07 pm

    Hi, my name is Paul and I knew I was going to follow your blog the second you mentioned how much you love the coke from McDonald’s. It’s just so much better than everywhere else. Anyway, looking forward to reading more of your posts in the future!

    Reply
    • roundtriptravel says

      July 3, 2019 at 8:42 pm

      Haha, thanks, Paul! It is so much superior!!!

      Reply
  2. Deigo Jones says

    July 4, 2019 at 12:31 am

    Hi, i am Deigo. Loved your post, specially the way you had expressed it and also going to follow you. Cheers

    Reply
    • roundtriptravel says

      July 4, 2019 at 9:16 am

      Hi Deigo! Thanks so much, and happy travels!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
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About

Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
learn more about my story

Want free access to my 30-minute travel budgeting course?

Hi, it's been a minute, and I'd love to reintroduc Hi, it's been a minute, and I'd love to reintroduce myself👋

🇺🇸I'm a Missouri girl living in southern France where I teach English to French kiddos and update my blog, Round Trip. I moved here in the height of Covid last fall, and boy, do I have some STORIES that I dish in my brand new magazine (keep scrolling for the dirty deets)

🐝I majored in magazine editing and would love to talk your ear off about the Oxford comma. Oh, and I won the school spelling bee in 7th grade. Yep, I peaked😂

💃I'm a middle child, and I don't let my family forget that. I've always loved the attention, and I suppose that manifests in my addiction to glitter and leopard print.

📖This week I launched Round Trip: The Magazine, a 20-page print + digital experience. It’s jam-packed with articles about how I moved to France during a pandemic, the best French villages to add to your bucket list and how I saved $7,000 to move abroad. I spill the tea on how travel and life abroad has taught me the best lessons about insecurity and confidence, heartbreak and love👀

So very nice to meet you! Bop over to link in bio to check out this week's magazine launch❤️

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(giveaway) What's a magazine launch week without a (giveaway) What's a magazine launch week without a giveaway?!💥 I recently announced my latest project, Round Trip: The Magazine. This 20-page physical + digital magazine is jam-packed with articles on how I made the move to France during a pandemic, the best French villages to visit, how I saved thousands of dollars to travel and the lessons I've learned through travel. And lots, lots more!

🎉Here's how to enter my giveaway (it takes 30 seconds!):
1️⃣Like this post
2️⃣Follow moi @round.trip
3️⃣Tag a pal who's missing travel like CRAZY

BONUS: Share this post to your story and tag me to get an additional two entries.

This giveaway is not sponsored or affiliated with Instagram in any way. Winner will be selected at random and notified via DM. No purchase necessary. Flat lay design by the wonderfully talented @mariiela_garciia

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😳Here’s a little secret for you: I was terrif 😳Here’s a little secret for you: I was terrified I would fall flat on my face. Now I’m happy and loving every second of life in France, but let’s rewind the clock back to one year ago, shall we?

⏰I was a mess. Last spring, it’d already been several months since I submitted my application to teach English in France. My heart was set on living abroad. And it was shattered as headlines and exclamation points littered the world with this virus called Covid.

🙈Between March and August, I might as well have had the words “I don’t know” tattooed on my forehead. My heart was constantly in flux: do I keep fighting for a dream that exists only in abstract? Or do I give up my dream to move abroad because life is too complicated or rather it’s just not possible?

🍳I had put all my eggs in one basket. I’d told everyone that the plan was to move to France, and now all of life’s questions could be summed up in a slew of question marks. I feared embarrassment and failure. But more than anything, I had long dreamed of living in France. It wasn’t only a question of pride but of passion.

⏩Fast forward to today: I’ve been living in France for six months, and although it’s not always perfect, I’m in love with my life here. Sincerely. I take walks around my neighborhood, look around and constantly say to myself, “Is this seriously my life?”

❓I get a lot of questions about my life in France. And for this reason along with the journey to get here, I decided to create something. This week, I'm launching Round Trip: The Magazine. It’s a 20+ page magazine (digital or physical — you pick!) filled with stories, travel tips, language learning ideas, bucket list destinations and beyond. Plus, a password-protected online portal with bonus content.

🎊And it's available now — link in bio!

#lacorniche #marseille #marseillecity #roundtripthemag #marseillefr #mediterraneansea #magazine #entrepreneur #microinfluencer #microinfluencers #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder10k #france
(big news!) ☎️Travel called — it wants you b (big news!) ☎️Travel called — it wants you back. The cabin fever is real as we’ve been cooped up in our homes for the past however many months. Whether you’re booking a flight ASAP or wanting to play it safe for a while, many of us have been daydreaming about travel. We miss the thrill of takeoff, the exhilaration of exploration, the elation of discovery.

✈️That's why TODAY I’m launching Round Trip: The Magazine, a 20+ page physical + digital experience. It’s jam-packed with articles about how I moved to France during a pandemic, the best French villages to add to your bucket list and how I saved $7,000 to move abroad.

❤️My heart in creating this magazine is to provide a more immersive, intimate experience than my blog posts and Instagram stories. 

🍵It’s more than just the practical tips but also the raw + real, juicy deets. I spill the tea on how travel and life abroad has taught me the best lessons about insecurity and confidence, heartbreak and love.

I’ve spent HOURS pouring my heart into these pages, and I’m confident these words will not only help you plan your future trips but also inspire you to chase your passions harder.

Today the pre-sale (and sale price!) is available to my email subscribers. Not on the list? Comment 💥and I'll add you to the list. Allez-y !

#lacorniche #magazine #blogger #bloggervibes #roundtrip #roundtripthemag #marseille #marseillefr #marseillecity #marseillefrance #mediterranean #mediterraneansea #selfpublished #microinfluencer #microinfluencers #bloggersunder10k #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder2k #entrepreneur #france #vivelafrance
Sometimes I just don’t believe my life🙈 Toda Sometimes I just don’t believe my life🙈

Today we took a casual 20ish minute boat ride to a nearby island I can see from my backyard. We hiked up to the ancient fort and danced to music mere feet from ruins — all with views of the Mediterranean Sea and Marseille in all her sunny glory.

I think back to a year ago when my life felt heavy and full of question marks. I think of all the hoops I jumped through and all the doors God opened for me to be here. I think of the daily prayers for answers, long walks to let out the stress and the anxious tears.

And friends, it was all worth it. What a beautiful thing reflection is! What an amazing thing it is to see the pain that was and the joy that is! 

The months leading up to moving to France were absolute mayhem, but oh, I am so beyond glad I didn’t quit when it was hard. Because I am in absolute love with my life in southern France☀️
Been kinda quiet on the socials as of late👀I've Been kinda quiet on the socials as of late👀I've been soaking up the Marseille sunshine with long walks, picnics and the not-so occasional ice cream😋

💪I've also been hard at work. For the past two months, I've been creating my latest project, Round Trip: The Magazine. I've sent out surveys, edited and workshopped this piece for hours upon hours. And I am delighted to say I am all set to launch in APRIL!!

🤔What is this so-called magazine, and why should I care? Alas, in September, I moved to France to teach English — yes, in the middle of a pandemic. It's been quite the wild ride, and along the way, I've been getting lots of questions about my journey here.

I also wanted to take my blog to the next level. As much as I love sharing my travel tips + life abroad peeks on my blog and social channels, I longed to provide a more immersive, intimate experience. Ya know, like a coffee date with your best gal pal?☕

Given that I have a degree in magazine editing, I thought it only fitting to answer the questions, share my stories and dish all the dirty deets in magazine format. And I am sooo stoked for next month's launch!! Want to be first to hear when this magazine drops and to get the pre-sale price? Comment with ⭐and I'll add you to my insiders list.

#microinfluencer #microinfluencers #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder10k #marseille #marseillecity #lacorniche #faussemonnaie #malmousque  #lepetitnice #ansedelafaussemonnaie #mediterraneansea #mediterranean #blueskies #southernfrance #jaimelafrance #vivelafrance #france #francetravel #americansabroad #americansinfrance #americaninfrance #expatlife #americanabroad
🍷😋Best eats + sips in BORDEAUX: 🍦@glace 🍷😋Best eats + sips in BORDEAUX: 

🍦@glaceriedumas_bordeaux Tori and I stayed in Bordeaux for two nights, and we visited Glacerie Dumas twice. Long story short: it was delightful. The first night I ordered ice cream macaron sandwiches. And the second night I ordered their chocolate ice cream topped with chantilly. 

🍜@padang8padang I am always in search of a good bowl of pad thai, and this fit just the bill. My pad thai packed flavor, and I was so bummed that my tummy wasn’t big enough to finish the whole bowl. Reasonably priced and steps away from a darling square. 

🍔@cafekokomo Located in a bubbly square, Café Kokomo serves up burgers, fries, lemonade and more of your American favorites. The best part of all (okay, close) is that they handed out those gummy Krabby Patty candies with our order. AMAZE.

🍇L’Oenothèque: Tor and I decided to make our wine tasting at our Airbnb. We found a wine shop right across from Église Notre Dame de Bordeaux. The kind shopkeeper helped us pick out a selection of regional wines for our charcuterie night, and she even pointed to where they came from on her map of Bordeaux. The shop isn't super active online, so here's the address: 1 Place du Chapelet

What are you craving for your trip to Bordeaux? Save this post for your next trip to southwestern France. Link in bio has more Bordeaux food + activity recs❗

#padangpadangfr #padangpadang #padangpadangbordeaux #glaceriedumas #glaceriedumasbordeaux #glaceriedumasfr #bordeauxeats #bordeauxrestau #eatbordeaux #macaron #icecream #bordeauxdessert #thingstodobordeaux #bordeauxcityguide #bordeauxmaville #cafekokomo #cafekokomobordeaux #LOenothèque #Oenothèque #bordeauxwine #bloggersunder2k #bloggersunder5k #bloggersunder10k #bordeauxfr
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