How to Survive Work Travel

*Hi there! Super excited to have a guest post~ here on Ampersand. Just like how I love sharing cool new things with you, I love when people share awesome ideas/tips/events with me! Meet my friend Brianna–blog enthusiast & fan of Ampersand. Y’all can follow her her on Instagram.

Brianna

Brianna is a PR professional in the city of brotherly love. When she’s not working, you can find her watching goat videos, taking trips to Target or finding the best happy hour in the city. 

Last month, I traveled to Chicago for work for five days. While many people think work travel is a luxury, planning and implementing a 100 person conference is a lot of hard work and doesn’t come with much down time or opportunities to explore. After traveling over a handful of times for work, I have mastered a system that allows me to keep as close to my normal schedule as possible. Below find some ways to stay sane and survive work travel!

Hold Yourself Accountable

I realized,  during the same trip last year, I barely left the hotel or saw the light of day, so I knew I needed to change that this year. A few of us started a group text and made prioritizing sanity and working out part of our days. Holding each other accountable with wake up texts and a guaranteed workout buddy is the best way to make sure you get in a good sweat. I also got an Apple Watch for my birthday and have become addicted to hitting my steps every day. Even though the conference was on one floor, I was constantly running back and forth and able to hit over 10,000 steps every day. I also chose to take the steps over the escalator or elevator whenever possible. My watch keeps me accountable and helps motivate me to make the decisions I would usually make if I were at home. 

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The best free & affordable yoga classes in Philly!

The Best Free & Donation Based Philly Yoga Classes You Need to Try This Summer

*Hi there! Super excited to have a guest post~ here on Ampersand. Just like how I love sharing cool new things with you, I love when people share awesome ideas/tips/events with me! Meet my friend Brianna–blog enthusiast & fan of Ampersand. Y’all can follow her here on Instagram.

Brianna

Brianna is a PR professional in the city of brotherly love. When she’s not working, you can find her watching goat videos, taking trips to Target or finding the best happy hour in the city. 

Before you get any crazy ideas from the title of this post, I’m not a yogi (not even a wanna be yogi), but as someone who often needs to decompress, I find yoga is an excellent option. I cannot put my leg over my head but I excel at laying still, usually falling asleep, at the conclusion of class.

I belong to a gym and prefer to do my workouts there – I pay, therefore I go. But as the warmer months hit, I find it hard to sit inside, knowing that I am missing out on sunshine. Enter free yoga because the lovely city of Philadelphia understands the need and desire to decompress outside. I use it as a way to see the city, meet new people and get a workout in. Plus, it’s trendy to do yoga and I like being trendy. I also like Instagram and Instagram-able moments – no shame in the game. 

Here is a breakdown of some of my favorite free (or donation based*) outdoor yoga classes in Philly!

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What to Expect from Your First SoulCycle Class

Last weekend, I reached my peak state of basicness: I went to a SoulCycle class. I know, hard to believe it’s taken me this long, but my curiosity finally got the best of me & I wanted to see what the hype was (S/o to Aminah for taking me, you’re the bomb.com). Well, everything you’ve heard about it is true and I get why people are obsessed with it because SoulCycle is absolutely LIT.

SoulCycle is more than just an exercise class, it’s a true experience. That sounds super dramatic & ridiculous, but it couldn’t be more true. It’s not just a spin class. You may roll your eyes at “finding your SOUL” while riding a stationary bike, but trust me, you have to be there to believe it. Yes, it’s an extremely hard workout (you will sweat A LOT) but you actually do walk out of there feeling incredibly empowered.

So if you’re even remotely considering SoulCycle, just sign up & give it a try. And just so have a head’s up, here’s what to expect from your first class. 

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