Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend

So this year my boyfriend decided to celebrate his birthday in Las Vegas, now I have been to Vegas 5 times so it’s getting pretty overrated to me. So I did my research like I always do and saw I can take a day trip to this beautiful wonder of the world, Antelope Canyon. I ended up taking the day trip solo, because everyone else stayed behind to watch the Bears play (we all know how that ended this season, and would never recommend staying behind to watch a game over experiencing something magical). So running on no sleep with sore and cut up feet, thanks to standing in new heels all night waiting for Nelly to perform Country Grammar, I was off to my day trip.

This is a trip that I recommend you booking through a travel agency, ahead of time. I looked into different blogs and played with numbers to see how much it would be to go alone or to go with a group, and the group turned out to be the best option. Antelope Canyon is on Navajo Indian reservation, so you need a Navajo Indian as a guide. Rather than trying to find one, you’re better off having a tour group do it for you.

Website that I used for the tour: https://www.taketours.com/las-vegas-nv/1-day-antelope-canyon-horseshoe-bend-fully-guided-bus-tour-from-las-vegas-624-4794.html

So my tour was scheduled to leave at 4:15am, I got on the bus and they fed us “breakfast” which was some sponge cake. Then I knocked out for the 4 hour drive. I woke up during a pit stop and had to figure out where we were because I woke up in the middle of a snow storm. Our guide went into Subway to pick up our lunch and then we were off to Antelope Canyon.

Once we got to the Navajo Reserve the individuals who signed up for the upper Canyon got off first. They loaded up in a covered pickup truck and were on their way. The rest of us who signed up for the lower Canyon stayed on the bus and made our way over to the souvenir building to get ready for our tour. You are not allowed to bring bags or purses down with you, so make sure to not bring too many valuables on the day trip.

Once we got into our groups were had to make our way down to the entrance of the Canyon, this was about a 10 minute walk. I advise you to jump in front of the group and make friends with your assigned tour guide, I ended up doing that since about 90% of my tour only spoke Mandarin and wanted to talk to someone for a bit. Come to find out, my tour guide was a professional photographer and makes money on the side doing photo shoots and photography of the Canyon.

Once we made it to the entrance we had to climb all the way down to the Canyon, thankfully there are stairs, but many were very steep. Word of advice, on the steep ones climb down backwards, like you’re climbing down a ladder, you can thank me later.

Once you made it to the ground you can start taking your beautiful pictures. If you have an iPhone like me, use the “Vivid Warm” or “Vivid Cool” filter. You’re pictures will turn out amazing, that was the advice given to me by my photographer tour guide. Take as many beautiful pictures as possible, the tour goes by fast. But do me a favor, live in the moment. It’s absolutely breathtaking down there, take it all in and realize how blessed you were to make it. It’s honestly surreal, you feel like it’s not real life by the beauty of it.

Our next stop was Horseshoe Canyon, that was absolutely breathtaking as well. I highly recommend wearing hiking boots for this one. The 10-15 minute hike there isn’t horrible but the altitude makes it more difficult. The rocks are a little slippery so be very cautious when getting to the edge.

I highly recommend taking this tour, while it is an all day trip is is so worth it. This was honestly the best part of my entire trip. I would recommend the following to enjoy your Antelope Canyon Day Trip to the fullest:

• Book the tour ahead of time, they charge a fee if you book your trip on the Las Vegas Strip. I was lucky enough to purchase the last seat on the bus too.
• Choose the Lower Canyon, the tour guide told us that it was the better of the two. 
• Bring food your own, their food packages are not worth the extra cost.
• Dress in layers if you are traveling in Fall and Winter.
• Bring a book to read or something to watch, it’s a long trip.
• Wear waterproof shoes or hiking boots, your feet will get wet in the canyon.
• Enjoy the moment, we live in a very “social media” society. You can post your pictures later, you can’t do this again.

I hope every single one of you get to experience this beautiful place, it’s breathtaking and you won’t regret it. I asked the mother and daughter that was in my group if this was real life, and they had to reassure me it was. Even if you have to do a solo trip there like me, do it! Life is way too short not to live it fully.

Con Amor,

Adriana 💕

I am a homeowner!

Hello everyone! I apologize for being away for so many months, but I have some big news to share. As of November I have become a homeowner! This was a goal that I have had as a little girl, I wanted to have my own bachelorette pad that was was owned, not rented. My dad always raised me to believe that I should be able to reach whatever dream possible and that I should be so independent to the point I will never need to depend on anyone.

Let me tell you, going through the home buying process is not an easy task, even a harder task when you have endless projects at work and taking a double load for an MBA program. There is no thing as impossible when your determination is so high, everything is possible with faith and determination.

I will be going through some steps that will help anyone that will be going through the same journey.

Payoff as Much Debt as Possible
After going to school for pretty much my whole life, it is very easy to rack up debt for classes, supplies, books, and materials. Before I decided to purchase a house I wanted to pay off as much debt as possible.

After cutting down my debt my credit score went up 120 points, the higher your credit score the better rate you will get. Also the lower your debt to income ratio is the better chance you have to get approved for a loan.

Save For a Down Payment
Put your money away for a down payment, obviously the more you save the better. If you are having trouble saving up a down payment many states and counties have assistance programs for first time home buyers.

Find The Right People For You
This one is major and something I cannot stress enough. Being a single Hispanic woman with no children, many people in this process did not take me seriously. So make sure to create a team that understands that your needs and wants is priority. Do your research and look at all of your options.

My realtor was a little older than I am and was knowledgeable in my area. He was very understanding and patient with what I wanted in a house.

My home inspector was literally my savior. He got me out of a contract for 2 different houses after finding out I will be getting myself into a messy situation. He was very thorough through the entire process. Even my realtor said that he was the most thorough inspector he ever met.

My mortgage broker was unfortunately a different story. He was recommended through the realtor's office and he was a male chauvinistic and unorganized individual to say the least. When I would ask specific questions he would never want to give me the correct answers, or he would not explain it to me because he thought I wouldn't understand. So I had to do a lot of my own research when it came to the mortgage.

Do Not Go Over Your Budget
I had a very strict budget for myself that I did not want to go over it. I was approved for a higher mortgage, but after lots or research I found that your mortgage should be 25% of your salary. I wanted to stay as close to that as possible. I have also seen too often that people get sick or lose their jobs, then they are stuck with such a large mortgage payment and stress about making the monthly payments, then could possible lose their home.

Do Not Settle
I had my heart set on a little older house, I wanted a solid house with good bones and character. Although I looked at many different styles of houses and townhouses, I knew that I would not be happy until I found what I wanted. With that being said, there is no such thing as a perfect house that has everything on your wishlist. You will be looking forever if that is your ultimate goal. You can always remodel a room, build a garage, add a deck, etc, but you can't change the area, land or neighborhood. As long as the house has 80% of what is on your wishlist, put in your offer.

After putting putting offers on 12 different houses, and having 2 home inspections go wrong, I was about to give up until my little 2 bedroom house that was built 1900 fell in my hands. Although there were times I wanted to give up, I kept on hanging on and I am so glad I did.

I hope these tips help you on your house hunting journey or help you prepare for that chapter of your life. Make sure to surround yourself with a positive tribe and don't get discouraged if finding your house becomes difficult. I cannot wait to share more tips about homeownership!

Con Amor,

Adriana 💕