Do you ever book a trip and wonder if you should get a hotel or Airbnb? I've thought this many times and after a little mixture of using both, I finally know what I like. For awhile, I kept thinking, "Which is it Lo? What one do you like better?" Then, I realized I really like using both, but for different occasions. That being said, I'll break down under what conditions I'd chose a hotel and what conditions I'd chose an Airbnb. Let's dive in!

I've decided when I'm traveling alone, I'd much rather stay in a hotel. I like being surrounded by other people and I feel way more comfortable. I have one door to lock and I'm not worried about various windows being broken or doors I didn't know about.

The bathrooms are usually much bigger too and the extra space feels relaxing. At an Airbnb, you don't know the neighbors or area well enough to know it's safe. Lastly, the front desk is a phone call away and most hotels have security cameras!

When Trey and I went to Juneau, we rented an Airbnb. It was a very cute and cozy loft! However, sometimes the app can be a little misleading. Even if you click "entire home," you can still end up with a place attached to the owner's house. It wasn't a huge deal, but we had to be pretty quiet and share the driveway.

In this case, if you KNOW you have the entire place to yourself and the owner lives at a different property, go for an Airbnb! They can make a trip way more affordable and fun, especially abroad. Plus, you can save more by making your own meals if you have a full kitchen. Though, before you go, make sure you know how you both want to spend your time. If sitting by the pool or getting a massage is a major want, then definitely opt for a hotel!

When you're with your family, you might have different priorities. If you're visiting relatives, staying in a hotel might be more comfortable. You can come back and order room service or get a drink at the bar downstairs. This will also be a good idea for a beach vacation, if you don't know the area. Often, hotels have private beaches and restaurants within walking distance.

When we were in San Diego, there was a trolley tour that took us all around town. Keep this in mind, because tourist businesses like that, make pick up spots convenient to popular hotels. We didn't have a rental car either, but the hotel had enough amenities, that we really didn't need one!

If you're heading to a national park, I'd go for an Airbnb. These properties will be cheaper because they are outside of the park. This way, you can pack up lunches in your kitchen and ditch the crowds at the end of the day. Also, Airbnb is the PRIME place to find unique places to stay. Match your national park vibe with a rented cabin!

With a group of friends, I'd almost always choose an Airbnb. You can book these for dirt cheap, if y'all are splitting the price. Did I mention this is the prime time to check out their "Experience" tab? Visit the Bali Swing or take a local cooking class, with a huge group, there's always someone to tag along with you!

If you're looking to do a ski trip, I would definitely check out Airbnbs, before booking a suite at a ski lodge. There's plenty of places you could snag with a private hot tub and great view :)

It's crazy how long I've wanted to write this post. Maybe two years now? Anyway, I know God pushes me to write these when the idea has come full circle. I want the best content for y'all and planning trips can be so fun when you have great advice. I hope you found this helpful!

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I've been known to be a little TOO chill. In some cases it's great, because hey, flexibility is awesome. However, there are situations where my calm really looks like I just don't care. It's interesting though, how if you care too much you're dramatic and if you don't, you're not being realistic. This week I'd like to break down stressful seasons of life and just talk out loud about what things have really encouraged me...

If y'all haven't seen my social media lately, you might not know I'm pregnant. Yay! That being said, you could guess I'm stressed out about 100 different things. Although, that totally hasn't been the case until this week. I had a couple to-do lists and calendar reminders, but honestly, I felt kind of fearless about the whole thing.

This past year I've been working hard at letting things be what they are and just focusing on my main priorities. So, things have felt pretty smooth and achievable. That is until this week.

My dad owns a detasseling business and so every July has basically been a blur of corn. (For those who don't know, detasseling is pulling the top off of a corn stalk, so the male can pollinate the female.) This is his 41st year detasseling and this year feels crazier than ever. We have more fields to cover and my parents recently moved to Lincoln, making it a little more difficult to manage crews in our hometown.

While working on employee paper work for that, I've also been doing social media marketing for my friend's business. Then, in my free time, I've tried writing extra blog posts so I won't get super behind when the baby comes. Up to this point, things have felt pretty manageable.

As you can imagine, difficult things like to come all at once. I started a new class Monday and man, this syllabus was STACKED. I'm not sure five hours a week would've gotten all that homework done. Next, I called the apartment place I've grown to like a lot, to find out the only units available are $100 more than we originally thought. Plus, I'm trying to create a blogging course and there just doesn't seem to be any time for that.

LOL, these things are so tiny. Although, when you string about ten of them together, you feel like everything is falling apart. Today, I'm just so thankful for my devo time. I can write out every feeling or complaint and shove it aside. Yesterday my bible plan reminded me of a really great verse.

Philippians 4:6
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Guys, I'm not sure how many times I've heard that verse or how many pillows it's on, but it hit home. It inspired me to ugly write for the rest of the morning and seriously leave those problems on paper. I scribbled down a prayer for every anxious thought and an idea for how to move forward.

On Sunday, I watched an Elevation sermon and the pastor talked a lot about how God + the devil use disappointments to rock our boat. He said it's what we do with these disappointments, that define us.

I really like that because I will forget the simplest things. It's hard to split up each problem and give it a moment. To present them to God one by one and say, "How can we fix these?" 

I've learned that inserting words like "slowly" and "gradually" into my prayers, have really given me a chance to breathe. It's weird how forgetting to simplify, can make us feel embarrassed. I can't tell you how many times I've thought, "Seriously, how did you lose your chill?" 

Recently, I noticed I should switch my thinking. These pivotal moments should be seen as GOOD, not bad. They show how I learned something once and need to follow the steps to do it again. When this happens, I need to address this to myself softly. "You're doing great, but is there a different way to break up the busy?" 

It's hard to think that in these chaotic seasons, there is still chill inside of me. It doesn't leave, but I need to be more intentional about reaching for it. There's nothing embarrassing about teaching yourself something again. In fact, it's pretty courageous.
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