Journeys With Jojo

How to Cruise Properly

When I was 10 I went on my first cruise. My grandma offered to take my mom and I because both my moms parents died in April. My grandma then extended the invitation to my aunt and cousin. That’s right, girls trip! Well the vacation was so much fun and so sussesful that we did it every year! We only missed one and last year was the last. I’m 22 now so we went on 11 cruises! I guess you could call me an expert. Nbd. Anyway! With all my experience comes my wisdom!
Wisdom 1. Book excursions through the cruise line. Some may see more expensive than what you could get on land but you’re completely protected in a lot of ways by doing so. If the excursion is cancelled, you get your money back. If the tour runs late, the ship will wait for you. The transportation to said tour is already included. The ship is still affiliated so you’re likely won’t robbed or killed. Like I said the transportation is included so if you choose to take a taxi you may end up paying close to same price anyway because all of the countries that ships go to have plenty of con artists. Not everyoneis of course but traveling presents safety hazards that we don’t like to think about because we’re on vacation and want nothing more than to be carefree!
Wisdom 2. Don’t buy stuff on the ship. Save your money. You can find it anywhere else in the world. Take that money and do a spa treatment or buy your souvineers in port.

Wisdom 3. Book a cruise that caters to you. Carnival I found to be very kid friendly. They have plenty of adult activities too but there was a lot for kids. Royal Caribbean is a little more sophisticated. There is SO much to do on the ship for all ages but there is a more adult feel to it. I loved both but I may have to choose RC as the favorite. Princess and Celebritity are also very popular but definitely geared more for adults. Do your research on what you’re looking for on a ship and who you’re going with. Bonus tip: all ships serve basically the same food so don’t let that sway you.

Wisdom 4. Do ballroom dinners every night. You are assigned a table and time for every night in the grand ballroom. Everything is free minus the alcohol of course. You can do two soups, two desserts, whatever! They will make everything amazing and it’s fun! You get to be all dressed up and eat your gourmet food. There is something different every night and a full menus to choose from. Try a new food! If you don’t like it, they’ll bring you something else. We always enjoyed this because it was our family tune an d we could talk about our day. We often paired off and did different stuff so this was a mice fine to catch up and have a nice meal.

Wisdom 5. Dont care about what other people think of you! If you want that 4th margarita, fine! You’re on vacation! If you want a plate full of desserts, go for it! Pizza at 3am, no problem! If you want to rock climb but are terrible or decide after a few rocks, it’s ok to get get down. Cruises are about getting out there and having fun!

Wisdom 6. Take a short cruise if you or someone with you has never been on a cruise before. You never know if you’re going to be sea sick. You also might not like cruising! Crazy, but I’m pretty sure there are people who don’t. And the last thing you want is to be stuck on a floating prison for a week if you hate it.
Wisdom 7. Try something new. Do the surf simulator, rock climb, take a dance class, go to comedy or musical production! It doesn’t matter! As long as you’re having fun, go do it. This is a fantastic opportunity to have your first spa treatment or do something adventurous!

Have fun, beyond the sea.

Enjoy the journey!

-Jojo

Daily Dose of Jesus

You may or may not be spiritual but something that benefits everyone is reading the bible. I started reading the bible every day. It doesn’t have to be a lot at all but something is better than nothing. I’d also like to suggest a book with paper pages. Not your bible app.
For anyone, reading the bible daily helps you with your reading. It gives your mind something other than your smart phone screen. Reading more aids in being able to read more. I noticed I was able to read a little faster once I started reading the good book everyday. Which for me, was a big deal.
So I started my routine originally at night and I loved that. Like end the day right, kept mind in the right place or would give me some peace before sleeping. But then I started doing it at lunch time in break. And let me tell you, that was nice. It was that kick I needed to get me through the rest of my day at work or school. And let’s face it, sometimes we need that. I have overall loved every job I’ve had but there are days that make you super stressed or in many unfortunate situations for some people, days that make you just want to get up and quit. Reading the bible for me really gets me through it all and leaves me hopeful and helps me relying on God like I should be doing already. He’s going to be with us every step of the way so why not show him we believe that.
If you’re looking for a stronger connection with God, this is also the way to do it. Learning about him more through written word gives you a stronger connection to me partly because it feels more “historical ” like yes! This really did happen. And that feels so nice when practicing faith. There are gonna be days where you feel like you don’t have time or you’re just exhausted. Or you’ve had a hard day and practicing faith can be tough on rough days. But God can heal all things. He wants to heal you and your day. He wants your love and for you to have peace. The bible is one of his many gifts to us.
Why not try and use it?

Enjoy the journey.

-Jojo

How to be the most Epic Maid of Honor

You know what one of my major dreams for my life has been? Being my best friend’s maid of honor. From age 5 to now at 22 my bff has (what used to be unfortunately) changed over the years. My truest and best friend though, Katie, made my dream come true. The moment I found out she was engaged I was constantly hoping I would be her MOH because I wanted it so bad! The only reason that I thought I wouldn’t be is that she has a sister but her sister is MUCH younger so luckily the spot was mine! All year I was sorting out what I could do for her and what she wanted and how to be the perfect girl for her. So I thought I’d share because overall, I think I did a dang good job.

1. Engagement excitement. Nothing hurts worse than having one of the most precious people on the planet not be pumped for you. That personally happened to me with one of my close friends and I was kind of crushed and it was beyond difficult to not let it spoil my day. Be supportive no matter what. If there’s an issue with the guy or your feelings talk about it like 2 weeks later. But that day is HER day, be excited because THAT is what she wants and needs from you. You can always take it a step further and get an engagement gift as well! I got her some cute apparel that said stuff like “He Put a Ring on it” and “Feyoncé”. MOHs love Etsy!

2. Listen to your bride. She stressed? Ask what you can do. Take her to a movie to get her mind off of the pressure or get your nails done! I have my girl a basket of goodies. Living 6 hours away made weekend visits straight to the point and we didn’t get to do all leisure fun we did in high school. The basket has wines, a note, candles and just nice little goodies.

3. Talk about the bachelorette party with her. Surprise her by all means if that’s what she wants but make sure you know what she is comfortable with. If that means no strippers, you don’t hire strippers. If that means she wants to go boating, see a movie, go clubbing, whatever, you look for the way to make it work or close to it.

4. Be a team player. Involve the other bridesmaids with what you want/can. The bride chose you for a reason, she knows you did the work and you are the one who can handle the job. She will appreciate the fact that you care for her other friends.

5. Bridal shower. That’s your job too. To throw a stellar shower for her. Pick a theme, games, decorate the crap out of your place or wherever you’ll have it because this is the main shower of the wedding process. Ask the bride for the guest list and then run with it. Katie is into photography and is an extremely talented graphic design student. I made her shower theme “capture the moment”. Photo Booth, camera decorations, and her art work displayed. As well as a few other bridey decorations! Again, it’s all about Etsy and DIY.

6. The most fun night or weekend ever! Originally we were looking at cruises but Katie got worried about the price. Totally understand. I then tried to get a free beach house in Jacksonville beach! And I did but then they pulled out. So it came to a weekend in Orlando and that was an amazing choice. We stayed at a gorgeous apartment like hotel with our own hot tub! Two girls per room, oven, fridge, alcohol, the works! Night one, limo around with our dranks and hit up the normal hen party joints- no strippers. Day 1(2) we did universal studios! That night was hot tubbing, drinking, chillin. Sunday was Hamburger Marys for lunch then relaxing with spa masks and watching the videos we made. With the few of us who stayed that night we went to downtown Disney for some sightseeing and a drink or two ;). It was SUCH a blast!

Along with planning the party I gave them all a welcome bag complete with shirt, sunglasses, chap stick, and hair tie. All wedding and bachelorette related topics.

7. Speech! Yes you will speak at her wedding. Even if it terrifies you. You will do it and she will do the same. Go for two minutes. I memorized mine but got a little tongue tied and that’s ok! It still turned out. You can watch it her for a foundation if you have no idea what to say.

Most importantly, even though being MOH is your dream come true, remember it’s about this girl whom is your sister. Either by blood or by heart. Listen to her and love her.

Enjoy the journey!

-Jojo

What They Don’t Tell You About Going International

When it comes to planes and traveling, I am the most chill person you’ll meet. I’m still packing the day of, not ready by the looks (but I totally am). However there are some things you should know.

Going on multiple planes, traveling a lot, can make you sick. I remember when I came back from Italy. I had to change planes in Munich from Rome, get to New York, then Jacksonville when my mom lived. The next day I flew home to pensacola where I go to college. That’s 4 planes in two days. Plus I was on a tour bus for a week in Italy. That’s a lot of germs, and altitudes and just not my daily routine. As I was getting in the car at the airport, I automatically threw up. It sucked.
This is not the case with every flight but you need the address of where you are staying in this foreign country very accessible. When I went to japan I had to fill out this customs form on the plane. It asked me basic questions like what was I doing there, where am I going, where am I staying, am I super rich and carrying like a million dollars with me. I could answer these easy! Except I didn’t have my friends address. I knew what city and area she lived in but I for sure did not have the street address. I thought maybe it would be ok, it’ll work out, whatever. I get all the way to the immigration man and he can’t let me through and I’m told to go the room. You know the room I’m talking about right? You see it in movies and I saw it in real life. The questioning room. I kept my cool as best I could. Luckily there were a few people that understood enough English to understand my situation. But I still had to wait because they had to follow protocol. They put me on a bench by the immigration line and I was told to wait. I waited. My plane had gone through and then the next. I was the only one in there minus then men in the booths and a couple people to help foreigners through the line. I was so excited but then I was so scared I wasn’t getting sent back to my country! I started crying… By God’s grace a line helper woman took pity on me and beckoned me to come with her. She wrote the address of a hotel in the city and I was able to go through. Eternally grateful to that woman. After getting enough tears away I finish the process and make it the airport where there would hopefully be wifi to contact my friends. As I’m looking down at my phone I hear “Jordan?” I look up and have instant tears while I’m greeted with screams and tears of joy. Immigration is still to this day one of the most emotional experiences of my life.

It is more common to fly overnight. Now this all depends on you as person if you want to travel overnight or not. When I went to Italy and Japan, I flew overnight and was able to sightsee the day I arrived. I arrived in Italy in the late morning like 9-10am and in Japan in the early afternoon at around 2pm. Immigration took a while in Italy because of all the incoming flights, so we left for the hotel around 11am. After that woman took pity on me in Japan the process was less than 5mins because I was literally the only person there. Now my experience arriving in Brazil was totally different. I was excited when I first got there and for the first two hours or so but I was really tired! I flew out of Orlando at 5am and then Miami to São Paulo at 9:50 with 7pm arrival. Seemed easy to me but with the drive from Jacksonville to to Orlando starting at midnight to arrive around 3am it made sense why I would be tired. Luckily immigration was very easy to deal with there, which honestly surprised me. The hardest part of my trip was in Orlando when the woman at the counter told me I “couldn’t go to Brazil with this passport”. Fun fact, a visa wasn’t required after June 1st for 2016 due to the Olympics but she needed a lot of verification for that apparently. I was sweatin for awhile there though! I had to wait roughly 20mins for my luggage but like I said, it is way more common to fly overnight so it was practically empty and I went right on through to my wonderful fiancé and future in laws!

You are gonna be dead effing tired. Whether you sightsee or or just sleep when you arrive in this new country, you’ll want to pass out and sleep for a year. With that being said, you’re going to be the most excited that you’ve literally ever been! Every time I step foot on an international flight (leaving home) I just have the quick small smile. Total happiness. Then I get the excitement jitters flying through my body in the last 30 mins or so of my flight. I try to keep myself constantly distracted during the flight with movies, music, and sleep but when I see the time til arrival dwindling I get antsy. Upon arrival, it’s so exciting. Like ridiculously exciting and you really don’t need sleep. Maybe I got tired early on in Brazil is because once I got to their home we walked around the apartment building and ate pizza in their apartment so I wasn’t doing anything per sae. Now it could’ve been the traveling since midnight and not being able to rest much on the planes that knocked me out or the fact that it was actually night time but we’ll have to see for my next adventure!

Doing a tour isn’t always the best way. You are constantly going to be moving with a group from place to place and being in the most touristy parts of the country. Now that’s great as far as safety and really seeing the highlights but there is a lot you will miss. I did a tour in Italy, the only thing I missed out on that I wanted to do was Pompeii but I WILL go there again. Italy was expensive (expected) but the food was kind of… Subpar (not expected) traveling with a group I was always surrounded by non-Italians. I truly missed out on what I was most looking forward to. Lucky for me, my mom’s family is Italian so I am blessed with that food once a monthish. And maybe that gave me higher expectations anyway but Italy practically needs a full redo. I loved it 100% don’t get me wrong but I want to go and experience more and fall in love with not only the sights but every possible nook and cranny in the country! The people, the culture, the food.
Now that being said, not doing a tour also presents it’s obstacles. Making your own plans means you may not have anything to do from time to time. To me, that’s one of the worst feelings when in another country because you want to see and know everything you can. Not being on a tour also brings safety concerns. Being in Brazil with my fiancé who is actually Brazilian has shown me that I can’t do whatever I want. I was looking up things to do while the two of us are in Rio for a few days and when I brought up a short hike in a national park he was soooooo not about it. I was so sad! I am a complete nature and animal lover! I want to take a trip to the amazon someday too! He said Rio is so dangerous and there could be people in the areas where you can’t see. He confined us to areas where a lot of people were gonna be all the time. This is one of those times where I basically had to suck it up and be like… Thanks for loving me then roll my eyes.

The most important thing you should do when you travel is stay safe. Even if that means giving up a hike or attraction. Nothing out there is going to be worth dying for. The world will become safe one day, I pray we are all around at that time so we can experience everything we want to.

Enjoy the journey!

-Jojo

His Plan, Your Journey

I am generally a person who stands up for what I believe in. God is a pretty big part of my life and I aim to make him a bigger part everyday. So what do those first two sentences have in common? Connection! Check this out:

So this was my very first tattoo. I got it when I was 19 after my freshman year in college. In kanji, it means God. My God who lead me to everywhere I needed to be. Even the places I didn’t want to go, I went, and there’s reason after reason to be grateful. Originally, UWF was my top school but of the public variety. I wanted to go to Stetson, not too close to home but far enough and convenient enough for my one year younger high school senior boyfriend to visit. UWF is 6 hours away~practically in Alabama. So just go ahead and imagine how that went. BUT I was placed in the international dorm even though I was a native Floridian. Crazy right? I got the most lovely girl from Japan in the absolute tiniest dorm on campus. I loved that first semester so much. Unfortunately she was only there for fall but I had a room to myself in spring! Sort of an upside. Anyway, that girl and that dorm changed my life. For my whole life. It lead to a change of major, a part time job on campus, a trip to japan, my husband, and a future I believe to be extremely bright.

Follow your heart and your soul where you feel it’s sending you.
God has plans for you.
Big plans.

Enjoy your journey.

-Jojo