Abroad in Your Inbox Vol. 61

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MUSIC FESTIVALS HIT DIFFERENT WHEN YOU’RE 30 LOL

Friend, if you ever doubted that I was committed to this Sunday newsletter, think again. As I write this I am currently the conductor of the hangover train and quite literally on a train from Chicago back to the burbs after attending 2 days of Lollapalooza (a music festival that takes place every summer in Chicago). My head is throbbing, my feet are full of blisters and I’m wondering why I thought it was a good idea to eat Taco Bell at 1 a.m.

ANYWAYS, I do have a point to make…

I’m going to say something controversial and I hope you don’t lose all respect for me… I’m not a huge concert person……I know that sounds weird but concerts usually involve things that I’m not too fond of like: standing for long periods of time, being smooshed in crowds, loud music (duh) & waiting (you know when the artist is typically fashionably late…)

My two exceptions to this rule are festivals & Beyonce concerts. I love a music festival. And here’s why it’s my exception. Music festivals bring in the element of crazy fashion, art, and other things to keep me occupied rather than simply waiting for the singer to show up on stage. Plus when I get bored I can easily walk away to watch someone else.

This is why when my gal pal gifted me with some extra wristbands to Lolla I was GAME. But my goodness, going to this festival in particular at 30 was a new kind of experience. Takeaways below.

Here’s what I loved about this weekend at Lolla:

  • Spontaneously deciding to attend this festival with my best gal pals

  • Seeing Bob’s Dance Shop BOTH days and dancing my booty off (follow them on IG they’re iconic)

  • Having Rare Bird Beauties to help us get festival ready

  • Randomly bumping into some of my favorite humans

  • All the brand activations that were creatively put together

  • The $60 Lolla carafe of rose that fits an entire bottle of wine in it

  • Matching with my bestie Lexi & 100% not knowing we ordered the same outfit and then owning it

  • All the college dudes that hit on me until I said I wasn’t interested cause I was 30 - LOL

  • Being in the VIP section to see Kygo perform so I didn’t have to be smooshed in the crowds haha

Here’s what I didn’t love about the weekend at Lolla:

  • The $12 walking taco that gave me severe heartburn so much so that I had to leave early and miss Dua Lipa (who I was most excited to see)

  • The giant blisters I got on the bottoms of my feet from making a rookie mistake and wearing new shoes

  • Getting told by the Tito’s brand rep that I wasn’t allowed to sit on one of their cocktail “tables” that looked more like an orange stump of metal because it cost them $40,000 to make each one (who made that genius decision)

  • Also the $60 carafe of rose wine that fits an entire bottle of wine in it cause I blame that wine for making me feel like poop today

  • Waiting 45 min for a “surprise” performance by one of the headliners at Soho House only to see Big Sean walk around on stage and then announce he will be spending the evening with his dad lol.

Overall, it was an incredible experience and I’m always the person who says HELL YES to new experiences, at any age. It’s just kind of wild to me to think of all the energy I had at 21 and now only 9 years later I’d be leaving early because I had bad heartburn and secretly being so happy to be in bed at 10:30 in comfy clothes.

Do I sound like a grumpy 75 year old in a 30 year old’s body or what?!?! hahaha. Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Here’s some fun photos from the weekend.

IF YOU’RE NEW HERE, HEY!!! Abroad in Your Inbox is a weekly collection of news articles, blog posts, products, podcasts, videos & anything else that’s on the interwebs that will help you navigate this new era of travel, reignite your wanderlust, help you plan a future trip & hopefully leave you with a little smile.

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THE LATEST

IN TRAVEL

  1. How Long Does It Take to Renew a Passport? - A very important read as I’m having a lot of clients renew or get passports and if you’re in a similar position and traveling in the next 4-6 months this needs to be a top priority.

  2. The Democratization of Airport Lounges - this was an interesting read, especially as I’m someone who firmly believes that lounge access is key to a stress free, chic airport experience.

  3. Southwest Flight Credits Will No Longer Expire—Ever

  4. Which TikTok airport travel hacks work and which ones will just get you into trouble?

  5. 17 Castles You Can Book on Airbnb, From Scotland to Italy

CURRENTLY OBSESSING OVER

  1. My New White Cowboy boots - I don’t like country music so really I have no business wearing these. But they’re cute and I love how well they pair with skirts and dresses so I pulled the trigger lol.

  2. My cute clear purse - You’ll need one of these for concerts, sporting events, and festivals. This one was $23 and the perfect size.

  3. These new face masks - My idea of a perfect night is sitting with one of these on my face while I watch Schitt’s Creek lol

  4. The lounge set I am currently wearing that comes in a couple of different colors and is perfect for summer

2020 CHICAGO RECS THAT STILL HOLD UP

I made this Chicago neighborhood video series on Youtube in 2020 but the recs still hold up and you should check them out whether you’re visiting Chicago or just want to explore your own backyard.

HAPPY ENDING

I SAW THESE GUYS LIVE AT LOLLAPALOOZA TWICE AND THEY WERE EVERYTHING I IMAGINED AND MORE!

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Adventure Awaits!

xx Allecat

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