How To Survive A Long Haul Flight

I have had my fair share of long haul flights, if you don't know what a long haul flight is, it a flight that is more than 6 hours and usually non stop flights. I have done several of these in my lifetime, I have gone from Chicago to Europe and have gone from Texas and Chicago to Peru, and most recently I have done Texas and Arkansas and Washington D.C to Singapore. 

I know what it is like to be in an airplane for long periods of time. I have also done A Beginners Guide: Airports & Traveling if you want to check that out. Anyways, this is for flights that are agonizing painful because trust me there have been times where I just wanted to punch the window. So, I am here to help you make you not punch the window and have the best flight experience that you can. 

These are my tips to help you make your flight the best it can be!

1. WATER: When you are flying you WILL get dehydrated because of the air pressure. During my flight to Singapore from Dallas, Texas the last four or five hours are horrible because  I am so dehydrated since, I am not drinking enough water. Then I get a biggest headache known to man. My advice is to buy the biggest water bottle that they are selling at one of the stores in the airport, so then you don't have to keep asking the flight attendance for water. If you ask, they will fill up your water bottle too. If you don't want to pay, bring your own large water bottle from home and fill it up at the airport.  

2. Get the isle seat: You know why you want the isle seat, it's cause you will have to pee because of the amount of water you are drinking. Another reason, you want the isle seat because you will not want to be squished between two people in the middle seat or have to jump to go to the bathroom when sitting by the window. Trust me, the window seat is only good for when you lift off and land.

3. Move around: When you are sitting on a plane for more than six hours some part of your body will go numb. So, walk up and down go walk up and down the isle, honestly people will not mind. It is good to get your body moving too, it will make you feel better. 

4. Snacks: When it comes to eating, eating healthy snacks is your best option. Don't eat any junk food. Eating junk food can make you sick, and that is the last thing you need on a long flight. I would suggest eating snack bars, some dried fruit, pretzels, any kind of nuts are good too!

5. Comfy, Comfy, Comfy: You are about to be on a long flight so, you might as well be comfy. The best way to be comfy is to get yourself a good neck pillow. You will also need a good

- Dressing comfy will make your flight be a bit better. Personally, I rather be comfy on my long flight than look fashionable at the airport. So, I usually like to wear a nice pair of joggers, and a comfy hoodie, t- shirt, and sneakers. 

- If you are flying in economy, and have enough room bring a small blanket because you can will get cold on the airplane.

6. Entertainment: When you are stuck on the airplane for long hours, you do not want to be bored. These the things I bring in my backpack that will keep me busy.

I picked a medium sized backpack, so that way I can just put it under my seat for easy access. 

- Electronics: Phone is essential, I would also recommend making yourself a music playlist so you can jam on the airplane. Next is my iPad, I will have lots of games, and movies on it. I just found out Netflix allows you to download movies and watch them later online, which is amazing for long flights. A portable charger is something I would carry because at the airport everyone is trying to charge their phone, and you never know if the plane has outlets. Headphones are essential too, I have learned that I like the apple headphones rather than the big headphones because for me the big headphones will hurt my ears and makes it hard to sleep. 

- Sleep: I would bring a neck pillow just for a more comfortable flight, along with a blanket and an eye mask. You never know if the person next to you will want to read when you are trying to sleep.

- Books: I will bring one paperback book and books on my iPad because if my iPad dies I will at least have my paperback books. I am a big reader, so I will buy a book series and try to read them on the plane for the way there and back. I have a coloring book to keep me busy because I can't just sit still and watch a movie. 

-  Bathroom: In this bag, I carry cleansing wipes to keep my face clean and hydrated. I will bring lotion because your skin can get dry on the airplane. Chapstick is good to have too, because my lips are the first thing to dry when i'm on the airplane. I will bring tissues, and my toothbrush just in case I feel like brushing my teeth or blowing my noes. Hand sanitizer is a must! You do not know the germs that are in airports, or if anyone is sick. 

Those are my tips on how to survive a long haul flight, because trust me I have had my fair share of bad flights. I just thought I could make your life a bit easier with my tips! Let me know what types of long haul flights you have traveled!

What Living Louder Means To Me

I started this blog January 2, 2015, but i never really explained to everyone what living louder really meant to me. I started this blog at 18 years old, and I am now 20 years old so I have time to think and explore new things with this blog. This is something I really love doing, and has been an outlet for me. I created this blog, so I can express whatever I felt that needed to be said, so with that being said this is what living louder means to me...

Living Louder to me means exploring things that makes you wonder. 

Living Louder means doing things that seem impossible, but you know you can do them.

Living Louder means experiencing things you would never though of doing.

Living Louder means meeting new people, and making new friends from all walks of life.

Living Louder means taking risks that you never though of doing.

Living Louder means stepping out of your confront zone to pursue something.

But most importantly...

Living Louder is not just the action it's about being able to share your experience, thoughts, and feelings with other people around the world.

I started this blog because I wanted to share every part of my life with people. I do not want people to live in a little bubble for the rest of their lives. I want people to go out, and explore life and be able to share it with their love ones, friends, and anyone that comes there way. 

I vowed to myself on January 2, 2015 that I would live louder and I intend to keep that promise!

I hope I can encourage everyone to live louder, and step out of your comfort-zone today!

The Ultimate Guide To Being The New Kid At A New School

As most of you may know, I have moved multiple times. I have moved to different states, and different countries. So I have been the new kid at school multiple times, wither it was in elementary school, middle school, high school, and even going to college. Moving has taught me so many things, and made me become the person I am today. But for all those new kids, who are being the new kid for the first time, or are feeling apprehensive about moving to a new school here are some tips.

Tips:

• Be Confident: Walking into a new school can be very intimating. The goal is to just stand tall and act normal there is no need to be scared, because trust me you are not the only new kid at your school. If you are confident, and tell yourself that you will have a good day, and meet new friends you will.

• Get Involved: If you did something in your old school that you did, or was interested in doing but never did.. well this is your chance. It will also help you meet people with common interest. This can help you meet people outside your regular classes.

• Introduce Yourself: I know this may seem, very obvious but it's also one of the most important. The best part is if you don't know something you can always use the excuse that you are new to the school, and you just did not know. When starting a new school, all students are in new classes so they do not know if there friend is in that class, so introduce yourself because that person will have friends that you can be introduced to. 

• Find Good Conversation Starters: Something as simple as "I like your outfit" can be a good conversation starter. Then you can introduce yourself and then you can talk about the class you are in or how nice you think your teacher will be. You can also exchange schedules and see what classes you have together, and if you happen to have the same lunch you can eat lunch together. 

• Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions: A new school can be pretty scary, so if you don't know where a class is or a hallway is don't be afraid to ask the teacher or another classmate.

Outfits: 

Here are some ideas for outfit on the first day of school. Your outfit should really effect who you are as a person. This will also help you make friends if someone mentions they like your outfit.

• The first outfit you can really show your personality and play around with it. 
• I had a guy option as well, if any of you fellows don't know what to wear on the first day of school. 
• The third outfit is for people who have to wear uniforms, don't worry you can always accessorize and have some pretty cool shoes.  You can also try new hairstyles, or wear hairbands, or bows. You can still play around with your outfit, even though you have a uniform.

First Day of School Outfits by livinglouderxo featuring a short sleeve tee

Now that I have given you some tips, and outfit ideas to help you conquer your first day of school, go out and be yourself and i promise you will make friends. It's only scary when you make it scary. Next thing you know, you won't be the new kid at school and you will be able to help other new kids feel less nervous on their first day because you became their friend.

My Summer Lazy Day Routine

Lets admit it, we all just have one of those days where we just want to sit on our bed and just have a lazy relaxing day. I wanted to share with you guys my favorite things to do on a lazy day. 

Waking Up:

• On my lazy day, I wake up at the time I feel refreshed and ready to wake up. So that usually consists of me pressing the snooze button a million times.
• Then I lay in bed awake, sometimes I browse through my social media until i'm ready to get up.
• When I finally decide to wake up, I put on my comfy slipper and head to the bathroom.

Bathroom Routine:

• The first thing I do is wash my face using the Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser
• Then i'll have a nice relaxing bath, my newest obsessions are the bath bombs from Lush.One of my favorites is Big Blue it reminds me of the ocean and is super relaxing.
• When i'm in the bath I like to read, and I am  currently reading "Me Before You" by JoJo Moyes.

My Outfit:

• On lazy day, I love to lounge in my most comfortable clothes. They usually consist of sweatpants or leggings and a comfy tee-shirt. 

•  For shoes, I would either wear slippers, or fuzzy socks. Fuzzy socks are personally my favorite. 

Lazy Day Snack: These are snacks I love to eat when I'm watching Netflix and just relaxing.

• The first thing I always have on my lazy day is tea, I am such a big tea drinker. One of my favorite tea's are Harrods London English Breakfast  another one is Tazo Tea Passion.
• You can never go wrong with a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich in bed as a snack. 
• If I want something healthy, i'll eat seaweed chips. Some people don't like it, it is an acquired taste.
• But with every lazy day, I know I always break out the junk food and candy because you can't go wrong with your favorite bag of chips, and favorite candy.

Rest of the Day: These are the activities I love to do on my lazy day.

• Number one thing I love to do on lazy day is watch Netflix or watch YouTube videos for hours. 
• As I had said before, reading is something I love to do on lazy day, wither its in the bath or in bed. 
• Another thing that I love to do is read magazines, and listen to music. I'll read Seventeen or Teen Vogue, and I love to make music playlist for my upcoming week. 
• The very last thing I do on my lazy day is write in journal, it's just relaxing to write down your feelings and things that have happened throughout your week. 

I hope you guys enjoyed my summer lazy day routine, and let me know what you guys do on your lazy day. 

"Give yourself something to look forward to that isn't a person"

My New Adventure: Singapore Move

SURPRISE I AM MOVING TO SINGAPORE 

As you may know, I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and attend the University of Arkansas. However, my family has a tendency to move a lot. I have lived in Dallas, Texas for about 4 years now. Before Dallas, Texas I had lived in Oklahoma, Chicago, London, New Jersey, New York, and Peru. However, I am about to embark on the greatest adventure yet.

 I am moving to Singapore! 

And yes, I know Singapore is super far! It's also half way around the world! However, I will still be attending the University of Arkansas in the states. I have never been to Singapore, so this will be a completely new experience for me, but am excited. Here are some facts about Singapore, if you are not familiar with the country.

Singapore Facts 

• Geography: Singapore is an island located off the coast of southern Malaysia

• Language: In Singapore they have four different languages; English, Tamil, Malay, and Standard Mandarin

• Currency: They use a Singapore Dollar. The one I have in this picture is two Singapore dollars. Two Singapore Dollars is $1.45 in the United States. The person on the Singapore Bill is Yusof Ishak who was the first President of Singapore.  

• Flag: Singapore Flag was adopted in 1958, when they became self governed from the British Empire. 

• Video: Here is a video I found on YouTube that shows things about Singapore.

So I will keep you guys posted on all the things that happen in Singapore. Hope you learned some interesting facts about Singapore.

A Wedding Toast To My Best Friend

Ladies and gentleman, friends, family, relatives, everyone who came out to witness this beautiful ceremony among these two wonderful people. For those who do not know me my name is Maria and I am the maid of honor. We are so happy to be here for this joyous occasion celebrating Tehya and Zach’s wedding.

I met Tehya my first year of college at the University of Arkansas. As a first year student not knowing many people I decided to do potluck and have a randomly assigned roommate. I honestly glad I did because then I would not have been able to meet one of my best friends. Tehya and I shared so many similar qualities it kind of scared me at first but then I loved it! Now Tehya has grown into an amazing woman. It is an honor to know the person she has become, and to have stood beside her on her special day as her bridesmaid and best friend. Tehya has always had a kind heart, brilliant mind, and always knows the right thing to say and do.

For as long as I have known her, the most important thing in her life has always been her family and her friends. She is an amazing friend - loyal, patient, generous, and kind. Tehya and Zach have an amazing bond together. I won’t go on too much about when they met, mostly because I wasn’t actually there, but I witnessed it through the eyes of Tehya when she told me the story. I could see it in her eyes she really loves Zach and that she was crazy about him. For a while Zach, I was a little jealous of you stealing my best friend, but as you become her husband I would like to pass on the best friend role to you. Because I know I won’t always be there for her when she needs me but you always will, and I know you will do you’re very best to protect her as I have. I cannot think of a better fit for my best friend then you. I hope you know you are a very lucky man to be able to have Tehya as your wife for the rest of your life. You look as happy today, as you did when I first meet you two in college.

Anyways, Tehya looks stunning tonight and Zach you look a little stunned. Therefore, here is some advice for you. Number one, she is always right. Number two, she loves food but she hates cantaloupes. Number three; never say no to a movie nights with her. Number four; always make your side of the bed because she is not going to do it for you. Finally, number five; love her with your whole heart.

So here, we are at their wedding night. They have finally made it after years of being together; their love grows stronger and stronger every day. High school sweethearts that defied the odds. From here on out they will be conquering every obstacle that comes at them. 

Today we do not only celebrating where they are right now, but also their beautiful future together. If everyone would raise their glass now and join me in congratulating the beautiful bride and handsome groom. Congratulations. I love you both, and wish you all the best. 

Top 5 Ways To Get Over A Breakup

Every girl has a relationship that they think will last forever, and then once it's over it is hard to pick up the pieces. Breakups are tough but so are we. We all have our own way of getting over someone, but just remember you deserve so much more. So here are some ways to get over a breakup..

1. Treat yourself: 

• Go out with your friends- Have a girls night out or go get lunch its nice to get out and just have some fun with friends. 
• Eat your favorite food - Go out and buy some chocolate or your favorite candy and favorite snacks or just go to your favorite restaurant. 
• Do something you love- If you enjoy drawing, go draw. If you enjoy taking pictures go do it. Don't let anything hold you back from doing something you love
• Go to a spa- Go get your nails done or go get a massage. Just relax, its nice to just treat yourself with a good spa day. Even if you just want to do your own pedicure or even your own face mask.
• Go for a nice walk- Enjoy the beauty of nature, and its nice to just get you thinking and clear your head. 
• Listen to your favorite music- Don't listen to breakup music it will just make you sad. Listen to upbeat music that makes you just want to dance and get up. Music that makes you happy is just a must to have on reply.

2. Time:
I'm not going to lie you don't just wake up one morning and you are suddenly over your ex. It will take some time to get over your ex, no matter how long you were together. This is something that everyone says "you just need time" and that's what you hate hearing no matter what, but its true!

3. Delete: 
As hard as it is you have to delete your ex from social media and your phone this is one of the hardest things to do. As much as you don't want to do it now, if you don't you will just want to text him or stalk all his social media to see if he has been hanging out with any girls. This will just make you feel worse. So just do it early it will help you out in the long run.

4. Write It Down: 
Write down your feelings on paper. This will help with getting your feelings out and not keep them from being bottled up. It can be a letter to your ex boyfriend, and you don't need to send it, or you can write it for yourself.

5. Remember You Are Worth More:

A year from now you are going to look back and laugh at this. Don't let a guy keep you down, you are stronger than that. Show him that you are better without him. You are worth so much more and he needs to realize that he lost something really special.

That are some different ways to get over a break up. Remember that you are worth so much more, and don't need him to be happy. I hope these tips have helped you. (:

My College Experience (So Far) at The University of Arkansas

It has been a while since I have written a post. It has probably been because college has taken up most of my time. So far The University of Arkansas has been an amazing experience. I have meet so many new friends, gone outside my comfort zone, and had so many new experience. Oh the picture above is this trail that leads to my dorm. It is so pretty especially in the fall. With that being said I am going to tell you about my experience at The University of Arkansas so far.

As i said in my last post I live in Pomfret, and that there have alot of fire alarms go off and they still do. Here is a picture of Pomfret when the fire alarm went off on a school night at like 2am. They didn't let us in the building for 30 minutes. There was also an incident where the whole power on campus turned out. Yeahh... it turned off! The power was out for quite some time about 3-4 hours. The power went out because a squirrel got in to the power-box and turned off all the power in the university.That poor squirrel got fried :(

 So far I have only gone to one football game. It was University of Arkansas vs Texas Tech University sadly we lost 24-35. But overall it was a pretty fun game. The student section is pretty fun, because everyone is screaming and chanting. The tailgating is pretty fun too! Whenever there is a football game the college campus is just crazy with people screaming and its super fun.

I have also made some amazing friends throughout my college experience and awesome things i've got to do. I went to Little Rock Arkansas with my friends, I went to a bonfire with my friends too which was so much fun! 

                                              

On the right is when I went to Little Rock with my friend for a church retreat. On the left is me and my roommate in our dorm.

So that is my college experience so far but hey i'm only a freshman my college experience is just beginning.

My Teen Court Experience

For the past couple years I have been in this program called Teen Court. You deal with real teen cases such as theft, assault, minor in possession, minor in consumption, and ect. I have learned so much and made friends that will last a lifetime. I'm going to share my experience and hope you can take something from it or do something new and exciting.

I started teen court because one of my friends mentioned to me and she thought it was something I would like doing. So one day in the summer I decided to go to one of the training to be an attorney and I liked it. I continued going, but I was never a good public speaker. The more I went the more I got use to talking in front of people. Going up in front of my peers and debating a case really gave me confidence to go up and talk in front of crowds. The friends I had made throughout this experience as really impacted me we weren't just friends we were family. We had our wins and we had our loses and we fought our cases like crazy wither it was objections or bad cases we went through it all together. I saw them every Tuesday no matter what even if I had a big test coming up I would go just to take a breather and clear my head. It was never boring there, and I always left smiling.The ladies in charge of teen court were family to us always there to give advice and make sure we stayed out of trouble and always looking out for us. Teen court is definitely something I wouldn't have been able to do on my own but with the help of my friends I was able to step out of my confront zone and explore new things. Leaving teen court I feel I was able to help teens make wiser decisions and learn from their mistakes and be able to give back to their community. I learned so much from this experience and something I will always remember.

Court is adjourned 

Reasons Why Every Girl Needs A Guy Best Friend

Many people believe guys and girls can't be just friends, but I believe that is false. Guys can be more straight forward and help you more than girls can. So here are some reasons why every girl needs a guy best friend. 

1) They do not judge you. Girls can be very judgmental at times but with guys when they know you and don't like you in that way they see you differently and do not feel the need to judge.

2) They are your perfect wing man. With girls it's pretty obvious when your best friend talks to your crush they know something is up. When guys talk to guys they don't find it that obvious, which is super easy for your guy best friend to swoop in and ask about you 

3) Help you when you have guy troubles. Guys know how other guys think making it easier for them to tell you if they have a crush on you or how and why they act the way they do. 

4) They are always completely honest with you. Unlike a boyfriend if you ask if they like this outfit or if this makes you look fat they will lie to not hurt your feelings. Guy friends will tell you an honest answer because they really care about you and want you to know the truth.

5) There is never any drama. Girls can have drama any once in a while but with guys they just shake it off and they just go with the flow.

6) They teach you what they like in girls. As girls we never know what guys look for in a girl... with guy friends at least they can tell you what they look for in a girl and what they don't which can be similar or different for guys.

7) You can eat whatever you want without judgement. When you go on a date with a guy you sometimes watch what you eat so you don't look like you are pigging out. With girls sometimes they count the calories which makes you not want to eat something fattening. With guy best friends you can eat whatever you want and they do not care.

8) Teach you things your girl best friends can't teach you. They teach you how to do more manly things such as help you understand football, teach you lessons on guys, and how to love yourself by being you.

9) Your own personal body guard. When you have been through a bad breakup or feeling victimized your guy best friend will always be there and have you back no matter what. He is there for you and have his friends on call for backup in case anything were to happen to you. 

10) They love you like family. They see you as your little sister and nothing more. They love you no matter what happens or what they do. He is your best friend that will always be there for you no matter what.

It takes some time to find a best guy friend that you can trust and have your back no matter what. But having one is defiantly something that is essential in a girls life. 

Facts About Peru

I was born in Lima, Peru and it is one of my favorite places in the world. In March I was able to go back and revisit my home. I want to share some facts about my culture and home, and hope one day you will be able to visit this beautiful country. 

Food

Everyone always tells me that the food is their favorite, and there are so many varieties. Here are some of my favorites.

• Ceviche- This is a dish that contains tilapia fillets that is cooked with lemon and has onions and peruvian corn and served with sweet potato and can be spicy. This dish is one of my favorites, but it's also not for everyone.

• Inca Cola- This is a soda that is very popular in Peru. Its bright yellow, a lot of my friends said it tasted like bubble gum. Personally to me it doesn't, but I've been drinking it my whole life.

• Alfajores- These are my all time favorite dessert. They are cookies with a sweet caramelized center, and covered in powdered sugar.

Places
There are so any places to visit in Peru being such a beautiful country.

• Machu Picchu- It is up in the Andes mountains and is one of the seven wonders of the world. Elevated up 2,430 m above sea level but it's defiantly worth the climb.

• Lima- This is the capital of Peru, and the city I was born in. It is a beautiful city and you can looks out into the ocean.

Facts about Peru

• The Peruvian flag is red and white 
• Peru is the sixth largest producer of gold
• A traditional dish in Peru is guinea pig 

Pictures from my trip

 These four photos were from a show I went to in Lima Called "Brisas Del Titicaca" where they served food and saw dances from different parts of Peru.

These are from a place in Chosica called "El Bosque." You can go swimming go up and hike all the way up to a mountain and over look the whole town. When I went they were having their anniversary of the Bosque and they had dancers and singers and my cousins made me go up there and sing. Then days later I find out I was in their magazine. In the last picture is a dessert called Picarones to me they taste like donuts with syrup and are so delishious! But watch out for the bees!

                                                                

Towards the end of my trip I went to Santa Maria beach. In March in Peru it's like the end of summer and there weren't that many people at the beach but it was still beautiful. The  sea food is especially good there because they catch it fresh. 

Those are some facts about Peru and a couple a pictures from my spring break trip. I hope you liked them and go visit Peru one day.

A Beginners Guide: Airports & Traveling

Airport

Summer vacation is here which means everyone will be traveling. Traveling can be very stressful especially if you have never traveled anywhere or never traveled abroad. I love to travel and have been almost everywhere, but it can be overwhelming if you haven't. These are some of my tips to help you with traveling & airports.

1) Pack The Essentials: When traveling I like having a Longchamp Le Pliage Handbag because its big enough to fit all my items and have them handy. Just be careful when flying with liquids they have to be under 3.4 ounces per container. In my makeup bag I like to have my chap stick handy because your lips will become chapped due to the air pressure. To me gum is very essential. When lifting off your ears will feel like they are about to pop but chewing gum before lift off and before landing helps them not to pop.

Travel Bag Essentials by livinglouderxo featuring white handbags

2) The Comfier You Fly The Better: If you are flying a long flight a short flight it's always better to wear something that you will be comfortable in. Let be honest the seats on the plane are not the best, and its better to wear something that will make you feel comfortable and stylish.

Travel Outfit by livinglouderxo featuring leather tote bags

3) Know The Way Around The Airport: Airports can be very overwhelming; be able to know where you are going and where your terminal is located. Depending on how well I know the airport i'll print off the map (on their website) or have it handy to be able to get around and not get lost.

4) Check If Your Flight Is On Time: Once you have passed security, check the screens located around the airports to make sure that your plane is leaving on time. Sometimes planes may be running late or have changed terminals so be aware of your flight time and terminal. Then head to your terminal or if you have time buy yourself a snack.

5) Get Ready...Get Set...Fly: Once they start calling first class business class and etc be ready to board. Once getting on board find your seat and be courteous of all the other people trying to get through while putting your carry on in the overhead compartment. Depending on where you sit don't immediately put on your seat belt until everyone in your row is there, because then you will have to unbuckle and re-buckle which is inconvenient. Then once the flight attendants put on the safety video be ready to lift off.

I hope you liked my traveling tips and hope you have a safe flight wherever you are going. I promise it's not as scary as you think (: