TIPS TO ORGANIZE A TRAVEL ON A BUDGET (PLANNING MY MOROCCO TRIP)

Two months in Portugal is wayyyy too long, but there's always a good excuse to stay longer: a friend birthday party, my 30th anniversary, finish the Etics, Culture and Environment in People Course and now we gotta stay until Carnival which is a real blast, everybody on crazy and funny costumes, brazilian music, a lot of singing outloud, dancing until the sun rises. And next day the same, during 4 days. Doesn't it sound like a gypsy wedding party? ;)

For a long time Morocco is on my travel list and finally it's gonna be real, after Carnival.

My passion of traveling is not only when I'm already there, enjoying the landscape, the different culture, the gastronomy is the whole process: Planning, Being there and Reflection.

CHALLENGE - TAKE ONE THEMED PICTURE PER DAY *WEEK THREE*

Shame on me. While in Lisbon completly forgot about this challenge and I was doing pretty good, taking one picture per day. Today I took 5 pictures for the challenge, just because I don't want to give up and I simply adore taking pictures.

 Day 17 - What's in your bag? I just bought my Boom Festival Ticket and the seller kindly gave me many Boom Postcards and Stickers (theme: feminine) and I've been giving them away to my friends just because they are so inspiring and pretty.

LISBOA OR LISBON OR LISBONA OR LISBONNE

::Source::

I don't get the point why they translate city names? Isn't it the identity of a place? Same thing when people call me Martha when I'm Marta. I understand is all to make it easier for people who can't pronunce well because of the language, but common let's make an effort. At least I smile when a foreigner says Lisboa instead of Lisbon or Porto instead of Oporto, doesn't it sound much better Milano instead of Milan?

::BEAUTIFUL SOULS WHO INSPIRE ME :: ALEX WIRTH ::

I'm excited to introduce you to my teenager time boyfriend Aless. We had a cool relationship when we were around 16. He was the grafitti dude, I was a stylish hiphopper, but so many things changed back then. I never thought one day we would share this passion for travels until 5 years ago.

Aless opened up his heart and decided to accept to write a text for this blog. He trully inspire me with his life story, the way he travels, that he still works in the way and that finally he found the peace of mind. Love you dude!

VINTAGE TILES IN QUARTEIRA (ALGARVE, PORTUGAL)

Today I felt like a tourist in my own hometown: it was a sunny day, took my camera, Ricky and here we go!

I love traditional things and tiles are magical. Quarteira is filled with tile houses, mostly are hand painted. Some looked mandala inspired. And together with the tiles, the doors, the door number, a window.

CHALLENGE - TAKE ONE THEMED PICTURE PER DAY *WEEK TWO*

Oh boy, this week was terribly busy, for a long time I didn't feel the stress mode, responsability, the feeling that there's always something to do. I even though about smoking a cigarette again!!! I quit smoking tabacco for almost 3 years.

By the pictures you can see my busy week influence but this week I promise to go back to my photography learning and try to do my best.

 Day 10 - Mom. She has the coolest hair, it's awesome when you have white hair, can dye your hair any bright color.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

One day late but been pretty busy with the party we are organizing :) Read more here.

Long time ago I used to celebrate Valentine's Day with my boyfriend, dinner in a nice and fancy restaurant and then go home and spend romantic time together. Nowadays I think it's just another comercial day, to make us cosumists, spend money in gifts (that sometimes the other person doesn't need but you have to buy something) and dinners out. I respect people who celebrate it, but isn't Valentine's Day everyday? Just like Children's Day or Mother's Day? We should celebrate LIFE everyday with our family and friends, doesn't matter if there's a reason to celebrate or not.

TRAVEL JOURNAL PEEKS

I'm pround of my Asia and Australia Travel Journal, it's full of stories, colors, happy moments, images, tickets, postcards, junk I collected from the ground and much more.

Like I mencioned before in this post about my most recent travel journal I like to keep journals to go back and read all my adventures, how's going my progress as a human being, what changed in me and my opinions and on. While taking pictures of this journal I realized how much I miss to travel to a different culture country, last six months we travelled in Europe and California and the culture is pretty much similar as in Portugal. I miss unique hand crafts, dancing, songs, food, religion, people's faces.

CHALLENGE - TAKE ONE THEMED PICTURE PER DAY

 

365 Days Pictures Project doesn't aplly to me because I don't feel is challenging enough but I wanted an excuse to take pictures everyday in other to work my creativity and Photography skills. 

When I read this post at We Blog You called Desculpas há muitas or There are many excuses I didn't think twice and started to take part right the way. The point is to take a picture per day with a theme as you can see in the picture above, during February, and then post in instagram or facebook with the hashtag #desculpashámuitas.

WHY DID I CANCEL MY VISA CARD?

 

:: Source :: Great marketing to make people get a Visa... You will get a super cute card of your favourite cartoons. Oh well, I had a pink Hello Kitty one when living in Maine, USA.

The other day I was thinking about my Visa Card and that next month they will charge me 25€ again just to have it. It came out pretty handy when I need to book flights or to sell worldwide in my etsy vintage shop online with paypal. But the truth is I don't need it anymore! I don't know about your country but in Portugal if you have a Debit Card you can get a MB NET associated. You give the amount you want, the bank staff give you a number (like a visa card number) and you can use it during one year, if you don't use the whole money they will give you back. 

INSTRODUCING MY 4 LEGS BROTHERS

When I was a kid and people used to say that some animals are better then human beings i didn't understand the reason why. As I grew up, I experienced some desilutions and disappointments with friends and finally got the idea.

I love animals so much and I'm glad my parents adopted a cat and a dog, you see, with my lifestyle is hard to have pets. On the road I've seen many travellers carrying their dogs, their company. But, in my opinion, the most amazing story is this portuguese couple who decided to travel one year in South America, bringing their caravan and their 2 dogs. Along the way they adopted another one so now they are 2 plus 3 dogs. You can read about their adventures (in portuguese) in this blog. Very inspiring with interesting South America tips.

HUNTING VINTAGE AT RELATIVE'S

Hunting Vintage Items is one of my favourite hobbies, it's the History behind each item and the unusual design quality items that fascinates me. Now a days mostly of stuff is made in China with low quality.

The other day I had the brilliant idea of checking out my father's godmother house and as a granny, 80 something years old, she has the coolest fabrics, kitchen ware, singer sewing machine and all those antiques you wish so hard to have to yourself.

So this is what I brought for myself, or better, to my Etsy Online Shop. All items here are ready to ship worldwide to find new homes to love them.

WELCOME THIRTY

Jumpy picture at Annapurna Circuit, Nepal.

"How old are you Marta? 

-  I'm thirty years old.

- And you aren't married? No kids yet? You don't own a house? What about a job?

- No... I don't.

- You have to hurry up!"

This is what our society think, or what the mass media makes us to think. People don't think by themselves anymore, their mind is "programmed" to think when you turn 30 YOU HAVE TO live a serious life with this concept. But you don't. You live the way that makes you happy, not what others tell you what to do. Age is just a number and I don't feel 30 at all. The energy is not the same as you are 18, when you were partying all night long, no sleeping and next day working all day long. If I do something like this now I fall asleep at work :D