If there is one thing I have learned about living on the road - it's how to deal with hotels! And because I am sitting in a hotel in Regina, SK right now, on route home to AB, I decided y'all needed to hear...

mstydon's hotel tips + shit

'to travel is to live' - unknown

Okay... so these are no so much 'tips' as much as shit I know about hotels LOL

#1 - when looking for a hotel I book nothing less than a 4 (on a scale of 5) in the guest rating for hotels.ca - this is actually huge for me. I don't like germs, I have had an awful bed bug experience, and I just generally am fussy about where I lay my head!! My theory is that people will always say when shits bad, and speak up less when it's good! So if the hotel has a 4/5 rating or higher when there are 100+ reviews that means its awesome!! Go through the reviews, find all the worst ones and see what they say. 9 times out of 10 its "noisy" or "hard beds" or "staff sucked" - people just bitching to bitch... when it says "bugs" RUN!!!

#2 - if driving (which I usually am) ALWAYS check for parking & parking costs - this honestly can fuck ya real good!! I rocked up to a hotel actually here in Regina I think once, FUCK YEAH $98 hotel room, brand new hotel, fucking stoked... $50 to park my fucking car!!!!!!!!! WHAT?! Needless to say I check the "free parking on premises" filter all the time now!!

#3 - always carry a tiny spray bottle of diluted tea tree oil - that aus life LOL kidding! Started this long before Australia. Tea tree oil has soooo many uses and is easily my favourite essential oil! I give the bed and pillows, doorknobs, around the window and bathroom a quick spritz. Not only does it get rid of that hotel smell, it disinfects, prevents mildew, bla bla blaaa AND repels creepy crawlies! (like spiders, dust mites and bed bugs) PLUS I love using it on my skin and shit but thats a totally different post.

#4 - when not booking through an online agent like hotels.ca always check the bill - there are always weird charges, like the tourist levy - not one hotel manager EVER has been able to say where that money goes to... But if you ask they take it off right away! I travel 90% of the time for work, I am not a tourist LOL but also check for things like your personal information, what kind of card you paid with etc. The day before yesterday at the Hampton Inn in Thunder Bay ON, my bill said my name, but had a BC address and said I paid with a master card?! Like whatever I mean I paid ... but how do you keep that for your records?! An accountant would laugh at you!!

#5 - hotel tv sucks - travel with an ipad or lap top or phone even... netflix rocks! And stop complaining about the tv... it sucks... WE KNOW!!! No body goes to hotels for the tv - just like no one goes to cuba for the food!

I think thats it?! LOL

As much as I love my job, and I love traveling hotels get very tiring!! I would much rather airbnb - for some reason I don't feel as uncomfortable! This trip has been exceptionally hard and I am not sure why!

Sorry - this post is kind of a downer because I honestly just cannot wait to get fucking home! Or to be back in Toronto - either or LOL The first day was amazing - granted it started off great with one of my favourite people (nope... promised myself I wouldn't blog about him yet... but stay tuned - turns out, dating isn't so bad when the guy is amazing) but day 2 was hell!! What was supposed to be a 7 hour drive turned into a 10.5 hour drive with 7 hours of white out conditions. I know I know - my choice to drive, but come on! Does the transcan highway not deserve snowplows?! And ever since then I have been so sore and uncomfortable in my car and on the road.

I have had extra time to think about life and shit - not fun LOL

BUT on a happy note - the mstydon website/blog/facebook page is getting a facelift soon!! New logos coming right away!! And I also cannot wait to tell y'all about this new guy LOL I am a total smitten kitten!

Anywho - off to sleep I go I guess! Meeting tomorrow morning and then I WILL BE HOOOOMMMEEEEEE!!! DV here I come baby!!! For two whole nights!! HAHA!!

Chat soon // misty-dawn x