They have more than just corn in Indiana, but they also do have a lot of corn

My most recent trip was to Elkhart, Indiana. Not one of my bucket list destinations but it has three things I can't find anywhere else: My brother, sister in law, and adorable baby niece moved to northern Indiana last fall, and now it's one of the places I visit the most. I've been four times in the past year, and I'm sure I'll be back many more because, seriously, she is the CUTEST.

I now have two selfies of us like this. I think I'm going to keep it up for the next 12 years. Stick Out Your Tongue: A Photo Series will be released in 2030.

Both of my grandparents are from Terre Haute, Indiana. Well, my Grandpa technically is from Chicago (don't get it twisted because he will correct you) but grew up in Indiana. Then they moved out west to California where they had their kids, then those kids had kids, and then THOSE kids had kids. And then those kids moved back east when they realized SoCal was too expensive. I don't have any children, I'm not ready to be a mamma and may never be (which is FINE btw, women have value and worth even if they don't have children Y'all). So when my only sibling had his first child, it was a BFD. I was for sure meant to be an auntie. My aunts meant the world to me growing up, and I am stoked to get to be that for someone. She's not my kid, and it's insane how much I love this little person who I've only known for like 18 months.

I ALSO GET TO SEE THIS LITTLE CUTIE. I IDENTIFY AS A CAT PERSON, BUT THERE IS A HANDFUL OF DOGGOS I AM PARTIAL TO AND THIS LITTLE chihuahua IS ONE OF THEM.

Born on the west coast, moved to the east coast and never had any reason to visit the middle, it now looks like I'll be hanging in the midwest pretty often. When I first began visiting, I hunted for the cheapest travel option, of course, and that was to fly into Chicago, then take the Airport Supersaver bus to South Bend. It's a great travel option if you need to get between Chicago and Indiana; they stop at both Midway and O'Hare as well as many stops along the way to South Bend International Airport. And I can snag a flight from NYC to Chicago for an awesome price pretty easily. Taking the bus is an excellent option though it is a very, very long travel day. This last time I was able to find a great deal on a direct flight with United from Newark to South Bend, and it was terrific. I was there in two hours, and I hope to find similar flights in the future. The trip back, however, was not so terrific. I booked a basic economy ticket, which has its restrictions like no full size carry on or seat selection, but one thing I didn't notice was no online check-in which means you have to go to the counter to check-in. Be aware of this if you opt for a basic fare with United. I was not aware and got to the airport just after the cut off and couldn't get on my flight which was a total bummer.

THIS DIRECT FLIGHT IS ONE OF THOSE LITTLE PUDDLE JUMPERS WHICH I HATE. FLYING WAS NOT SOMETHING I GOT COMFORTABLE WITH VERY EASILY, AND THESE TINY PLANES ARE WHAT I IMAGINE HELL WOULD BE LIKE.

My brother turned 30 a few weeks ago, so I invited myself for a long weekend. When my sister in law and I were searching for a place to go to dinner, we, of course, used yelp. I can't imagine anyone reading this wouldn't know what yelp is or how great a resource it can be, but then I think of my mom who probably doesn't, so just putting it out there. Yelp is amaaahhzing; not the most useful in every country but here in the US it's my go-to for finding food and drink. And it did not fail in the Hoosier State. We went to Evil Czech Brewery which was way cool. The food was delicious, the brews tasty with quirky names (cashmere outside was my fave name), it had a funky vibe, and they make most, if not all, their items in-house, including the mustard. We loved it so much we asked to buy a soup cup full of it, and they were so sweet to accommodate. No joke, next time I visit my fam, I'm taking a checked bag and an empty mason jar to fill up with this mustard to bring back home. I got the Spanish Inquisition, one of their handmade sausages, with beer battered fries, and of course a side of the mustard. It was unreal. Even the kid's mac & cheese was fantastic; thankfully they gave a portion way too big for my niece because I kept picking at it. They had a real clear brand, which was environmentally conscious and posted about their 'nose to tail' philosophy in the menu. I very much appreciated the respect they seemed to genuinely have for animal life and the world as a whole. Definitely my kind of place.

Forgive the blurry pics, I was just so hungry and excited I couldn't think straight... or hold the camera straight. Food from left to right: Spanish Inquisition, Carne Asada, pretzel with house made beer cheese & buffalo curds. gaaahhhh.

I haven't explored much of Indiana. Every time I've gone it's been short trips, there's usually some family function to attend, and my sole focus is to spend time with my niece, bro and SIL, which is a lot of lounging around the house. A few highlights I've had over the last year:

• One visit we drove around Notre Dame, and the campus was be-yoo-ti-ful. People were jogging, and families were walking all around the lake. I'd love to go back sometime and get out of the car to see more of it close up.
• Another time we watched a storm roll in from way far off; I'd never seen anything like that before. It was mesmerizing, and I could spend many a night just sitting on a porch watching the thunder and lighting creep up on us.
• Most times we stop at least once by Culver's, my sister in law's favorite place and THE fast food chain of the midwestern U.S.
• I've seen a lot of Amish out and about with their horse and buggy, but it would be interesting to visit a community and look at the goods and food for sale.

Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to hanging out in Elkhart, but this last trip got me a little more excited about learning what else is in the area. I can be a bit judgy and at times have some closed-minded opinions about particular places, as I did with Indiana, assuming it wasn't very interesting. Adventure can be anywhere and just because a city isn't on everyone's 'must see' list doesn't mean it isn't worth exploring. I apologize to you, Hoosier state, for devaluing you based on preconceived notions, and I promise to get to know you better. If you've got favorite places in the area, let me know in the comments so I can check it out next time I'm in town!

Those Indiana storms on them Indiana nights. Any Tom Petty fans? I was really into Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in high school.

That's Money Honey

Bargain shopping is in my blood. It's like a sport for the women in my family. So it makes sense I'd love the budget part just as much as the travel. I'm a cheap ass.

I was raised by a single mother who had to be frugal for survival's sake. Don't get me wrong; I had a wonderful childhood. My mom was fantastic, our family was supportive, and I never went without. But money was tight, and us kids knew what was necessary and what was extra. Like grocery shopping was necessary, brand names though were extra. Haircuts, necessary. Going to a professional stylist? Extra (oh yes I got more than one perm at the college beauty school).

My bro and I at the fair, being very diplomatic. We wouldn't have dared ask mom for any fair food. We knew it was out of the question and she had plenty of PB&J's in her backpack.

As I grew up and had an income of my own, those budgeting skills were gold. I was fortunate to reach a point where I had enough to spend on extras. But every time I did this guilty voice in my head would say, 'don't waste your money on that!' I have to remind myself if I find value in something then the money is worth spending. I'm lucky to be financially sound and why not enrich life when I can by spending some dough, amirite?!

Still, I don't like spending money on something if I KNOW I can get it for less. The first trip I planned for Amsterdam was a balance between 'oh that has a value' and 'hold on, can I get it at a better price though?' First, I decided I wanted to go somewhere, scoured search engines (Kayak is my go-to) and set up airfare alerts for a bunch of destinations. (Hopper is an amazing app that watches fares and suggests the best time to book for the lowest price). Then when the fare was an 'OMG can't pass that up' price I bought a ticket, and there was no going back

Amsterdam

Ugh, take me back. I loved Amsterdam and fit in so well it was stupid. Since I look very Dutch, I got asked for directions a ton and one time I was able to point them the right way.

Going off season saves $$ plus I'm easily overwhelmed by crowds and enjoy visiting during less popular times like winter when it's colder than most people like. New York is cold too so if I have to bundle up why not do it somewhere new? I settled on December; it's at the beginning of winter when the weather is milder and Christmas is pretty big in the Netherlands which meant decorations, lights, seasonal markets and lots of gezellig (the Danish have hygge, and the Dutch have gezellig). Also, NYC during Christmas might be magical but working in Times Square throughout the season is a GD nightmare which makes it a perfect time to use that PTO.

Amsterdam Light Festival

The Amsterdam Light Festival (not the festival of lights like I kept saying - very different) is a display of artwork using light as the medium. Chosen designs are displayed along the canals in the city center. I didn't get to but a night cruise during the festival would be way cool.

Since I was going alone, I opted for a hostel room with Stayokay Vondelpark. I would use them again. It wasn't the most poppin' party place (no smoking), but it had everything I wanted at a great price. I opted for a private room with an en-suite bathroom because I find value in being alone at the end of the day and it was worth the extra cash for this introvert. As a larger lady, I'm also not keen to climb onto a top bunk in any of those dorm rooms. I did pull the mattress off the top bunk in my room (it accommodated up to two people) and doubled up for some extra cushioning. It helped a lot, those hostel mattresses are flimsy, and I have a lot of LBS that need cradling.

Breakfast was included, which I always prefer. Not only is it budget friendly but also gives extra motivation to wake up early and get going. I'm pretty sure it's technically against the rules, but I did pocket a few items each morning to have lunch later. And I was not the only one. I saw a lot of reusable containers come out at breakfast every morning and felt like I was underprepared with only my Ziploc baggies.

Included Breakfast

I mean come on, slices of bread, meat, and cheese? It was like they were trying to tell us to make a sandwich for later. And hard-boiled eggs and pears were perfect for on the go.

Since the budget was of the utmost importance on this trip, I got an I amsterdam city card. It included unlimited public transport for 96 hours, free or discounted entry into a ton of museums and a free canal cruise plus discounts to other restaurants all for a little over $100. There are options for 24, 48 or 72 hours at lower prices but since I was there for five days figured I'd go with the 96. Just be sure you pay attention to when your transit portion runs out and use your canal ride before it does. I was a dummy and thought the canal ride was part of the museum entries and didn't use it in time. I love going to museums and frankly hate going with other people unless they like to take their sweet ass time too. So all those included and discounted entries were a dream. I went to SO MANY.

Van Gogh's Paints & Palette

It was so freaking cool to see Van Gogh's actual palette and paints in person and I def got a little emotional. It was just so surreal.

• Rijksmuseum - obviously impressive. It's HUGE, and if you want to see a lot, you'll need a full day at least. The Hercules Segers exhibit was fascinating; I spent 2 hours just on that.
• Stedelijk - super funky modern art and a trip to walk around. Visit a coffeeshop beforehand if you really want to trip out if you know what I mean...
• Van Gogh Museum -  incredible. Van Gogh is one of my faves, and it was delightful to see so many of his works.
• Dutch Resistance Museum - is a must see. It was tiny, so you could do it in a couple of hours time. It was full of stories about different ways the Dutch people resisted Nazi occupation, in whatever ways they could. Some were big organized groups while others were small individual acts. Walking through less than a month after the 2016 Presidential election, I was raw let me tell you. It was inspiring, and thought-provoking and I recommend stopping by if you can. One of my favorite things I did.
• Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder - aka Our Lord in the Attic Museum - a very cool bit of history. It's a clandestine Catholic Church from when Catholicism was illegal in the Netherlands and preserved immaculately. Worth checking out regardless of being religious or not and a fascinating example of tolerance, something the Dutch do well.
• Rembrandt House Museum - cool but if I could do it again, I would have skipped it and spent more time at Rijksmuseum.
• Amsterdam Museum - an excellent way to get a grasp on the history of the city - informative and if you're a history buff you should go. It was one of the first museums I went to, and it set the scene really well for exploring the city the rest of my stay.

Religious Artwork

I laughed so hard at this cow at Rijksmuseum. He clearly thinks the virgin mother story is bs and I was living for it.

My entire trip to Amsterdam was pretty much just museums, smoking jays in coffeeshops and eating war fries on the street. And it was perfect. If you are supes thrifty, you can do an Amsterdam getaway on a very modest budget. The entire trip -  flight, room, transportation, food, all of it - cost under $1,200. If you do go, be sure to get at least one freshly made stroopwafel (they are delicious & iconic), eat as many Flemish fries as possible (a million toppings to choose from but I recommend the war fries for sure) and have a blast!