Marissa Ellsworth

this is your sign to visit Costa Rica✨ tbh, I didn’t have many expectations for Costa Rica; I had this resort bookmarked for a looong time and that was what mainly brought me to the country! this was my 15th country, and I can easily say it is one of my top 3 favorites, if not number 1🦥 the scenery is just so unreal and tranquil, and the people were so kind and welcoming. I cannot wait to come back and explore more of this beautiful country!!🥰 is Costa Rica on your bucket list? follow @mletraveldiary for more travel content!🫶🏼

ok let me just say this makes international travel 100x easier and cheaper, and I wish I had @thescrubba way sooner… last May I went to Europe for 2 weeks and RAN OUT of clean socks🙈 I tried to wash them in the hotel sink but it was such a fail hahaha they didn’t dry for like 2 days and they didn’t get as clean (which is why I love the internal washboard - it actually gets your clothes clean!)😅 this bag is perfect, especially since it’s so hard to clean your clothes on the go, and can also double as a dry bag for beach days🙌🏼 can you relate?😂 #ad #scrubbawashbag #travelhacks

Costa Rica recap🌴🦋🐒🤩👇🏼 overall, the experience that @theretreatcostarica provides to its guests is unreal and unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced! the staff go above and beyond to make you feel right at home - every person greeted us by name and made sure we were having the best time🥹 we booked the Immersive Wellness Program, which included a Healing Touch massage, 3 personalized meals a day, cooking class, customized spa itinerary and more! some of my fave highlights: ⭐️ the Spa treatments🧖🏽‍♀️ they are world class and there are so many options! I tried Reiki for the first time and it was magical, I felt like a different person coming out of my treatment✨ ⭐️ La Paz Waterfall Garden private tour🦋 this was nice to get out of the resort for a day and explore Costa Rica’s wildlife! ⭐️ the organic, fresh farm-to-table, anti-inflammatory meals!😋 they personalize your meals depending on your dietary restrictions (I have a severe tree nut allergy they were able to accommodate) and every single meal is different. the food was so creative and delicious! ⭐️ daily yoga and yoga nidra classes🧘🏻‍♀️ ⭐️ loose leaf herbal tea bar🍵 they had so many different herbal teas like chamomile, lavender, peppermint, green ,earl grey, and detox teas. we probably drank like 3-4 cups of tea every day, it was amazing🙏🏼 blog post coming soon…I genuinely can’t say enough good things about this place!🥰 have you ever gone to a retreat before?✨

HERE👇🏼👇🏼 sharing what I’d do if I started a new account, based off my experience starting this account in January! this is for you if you’re just starting out, trying to jumpstart an older account, or interested in ways to grow! 1. brainstorm for a couple weeks before posting! I would pick 3-4 topics I love talking about or are related to my niche, and just brainstorm as many ideas as I could. I have a “Content ideas” note in my phone that I constantly add to and revisit when I’m in need of inspo! it’s really tough sometimes, especially when you’re busy, to come up with new ideas so having this list comes in super handy🙌🏼 2. pick one platform to go all in on! when I started this account, I was also cross-posting to TikTok and YouTube and was honestly burning myself out. I don’t understand those platforms as much and didn’t have the time or interest to dedicate to figuring them out!😅 down the road I would love to start a YouTube account and post more long form, vlog-style videos! but for now, I think it’s important to really focus all my time and energy on just one platform (less=more)! 3. use a feed planner app to map out my content!🗓️ I currently use Feed Preview, so I can visualize what my feed will look like and make sure I have a nice mix of reels, photos, carousels, etc. this is definitely not a MUST if you aren’t as focused on aesthetics, but it really helps me! especially to see “oh I haven’t posted a video with tips recently, let me queue one up.” 4. connect with similar accounts to mine! this is something I’m still doing and I LOVE meeting and connecting with you!! DMs are always open🥰 this also tells the algorithm what your account is about so they can suggest your account to people who may be interested! plus, who better to learn from than people who are already doing exactly what you want to do!? what else would you add to this list?✨ follow @mletraveldiary for more content creator tips🫶🏼

words are SO powerful✨ change “I can’t solo travel” to “I haven’t traveled solo…YET” change “I can’t start a travel blog I don’t know where to start” to “I haven’t started a travel blog…YET” for me? I spent years not traveling to other countries because I thought it was too expensive, too complicated, too scary, etc etc and it really wasn’t until the pandemic happened that I realized how much I was letting my fears get in the way🥲 I promised myself once everything settled I would never take that for granted again, so here I am, doing what I love and not letting the opinions of others get in the way🫶🏼 I still have so many big goals and dreams I haven’t accomplished…YET!! I literally have a list titled “BIG GOALS” of all my future hopes for my travel blog business and it’s so exciting to work towards those goals every day! what’s something you’ve done that you never thought you could do? follow @mletraveldiary for more inspo and tips to start your own travel blog🫶🏼

🎁GIVEAWAY CLOSED!🎁 I’m so excited to be teaming up with @circe_yoga this holiday season to give back and give YOU a chance to win a BRAND NEW YOGA SET from Circé! here’s how to enter: 🎁 like this post! 🎁 make sure you’re following @mletraveldiary and @circe_yoga 🎁 tag a friend for an entry and share where you’ll wear your new set (one comment = one entry, you can comment as many times as you want)! giveaway ends Friday, Dec 8 at 7:00 AM PST and the winner will be announced on our stories December 8 (winner chosen at random). this contest is worldwide!🌎 good luck!😊 *this giveaway is not affiliated with or sponsored by Instagram*

daydreaming of these daybeds 💭💙 drop the best hotel you’ve ever stayed in in the comments - need inspo for my next trip!!🤩✨

double tap if you can relate❤️ I legit check Google Flights at least once a day for funsies hehe - gotta stay on top of random flight deals from LAX!!!✈️ what’s your toxic travel trait? follow @mletraveldiary for more travel & Costa Rica content🫶🏼

📌La Paz Waterfall Gardens🦋🐛🐒🐆 REPOST bc my other one glitched🙈🙈 SAVE to add this to your bucket list; it’s a MUST when you’re in Costa Rica! fun fact: it’s the #1 most visited, privately-owned, ecological attraction in the country! 🐒 with over 100 different animal species, it’s the biggest animal sanctuary in Costa Rica! you can see everything from butterflies, macaws, hummingbirds, sloths, frogs, snakes, monkeys, to bigger animals like jaguars and pumas! 💦 there are 5 different waterfalls you can walk to, each next one somehow more impressive and astounding than the first! fair warning: there are a LOT of steps and our legs were shaking after walking down to all of the waterfalls😂 luckily there is a shuttle that takes you back to the top from the end, so you don’t have to walk all the way back up! 🚙 it’s the perfect day trip from San José as it’s about an hour away by car, and under 2 hours by bus. there are also a lot of tours offered; we took a private tour offered by our hotel! 🎟️ 2023 admission is $50 for adults, and $34 for children under 12! make sure to check their website for the most current rates. 🕓 we spent about 2 hours here, but you could easily spend all day! 🍴they offer a buffet lunch that is reasonably priced and includes many local different Costa Rican dishes! where’s the prettiest waterfall you’ve ever visited?✨

Costa Rica 🇨🇷🐒🪲🌿🌾🌺 cannot get over how lush and GREEN it is here!! lots more Costa Rica content to come😍 have you been to Costa Rica yet?✨

and this was at 8am….😂😂 still can’t believe how quick the crowds start…we took the earliest possible bus from downtown Banff to Lake Louise and it was ALREADY popping! obviously still worth it, and I’d highly recommend getting here as early as you can! it just gets busier as the day goes on🥲 can you relate?😂 follow @mletraveldiary for more travel content!🫶🏼

this is your sign to visit the Ice Castles this winter!!❄️ SAVE for later 📌 🌎they have locations in Colorado, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Utah (the one I visited!), and Wisconsin, all opening within the next week or so! 🎟️ tickets range from $20-30, depending on location! ☃️we went during the day BUT if you go at night, the ice castles will be lit up with rainbow LED lights (you can see on their ig page @icecastles_ ) it looks sooo cool🤩 have you ever visited an Ice Castle?✨ • • • #icecastles #visiticecastles #winterbucketlist

HERE👇🏼 I loooove solo travel, I truly think it’s the number one thing you can do for building your confidence and independence, especially as a female! that being said, here are 4 things I’d never do as a solo female traveler: 1. tell strangers that I’m traveling alone or that this is my first time in wherever I am! I usually say I’m meeting friends or my boyfriend at the hotel/restaurant/bar/etc now, this is totally different than meeting fellow travelers in my hostel or something, but I’m referring to people like your Uber driver or waiter or random guy at the bar. most people are normal and trustworthy, but I just don’t want to risk it! 2. walk around alone after dark! honestly I hardly do this at home as well - safety first!! I would rather JAM-PACK my day with activities and excursions, and then rest at my hotel/hostel at night. if I end up accidentally being away from my hotel after the sun sets, I’ll splurge on an Uber or taxi to get home! on that same note, if I do call an Uber or Lyft or other rideshare service, I double check the license plate before getting into the car! 3. not do enough research! if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m coming prepared!! especially when I’m alone, I like to have everything mapped out and booked ahead of time!! especially if the country I’m traveling to speaks another language, I’d rather not struggle to figure out where I’m going in public and draw attention to myself🙉 4. let FEAR hold me back!! especially from others - “that’s not safe” “you shouldn’t do that alone” etc etc. do your research and stay alert🫶🏼 can you relate? what else don’t you do as a solo traveler?✨ follow @mletraveldiary for more solo travel content🫶🏼