The Travel Seven: Samantha Murdock

Name: 
Samantha Murdock

Home City/Country: Long Island, NY

Occupation: Boutique Owner, Travel Agent and Founder of Just Us Girlfriends NY

Website/Links:
 Just Us Girlfriends NY

Passport Stamps Include: Morocco, Spain, France, Italy, Senegal, The Gambia, Canada, Mexico, Belize, Jamaica, The Bahamas

1. My best travel memory so far is…The first time I visited Barcelona, Spain. It was my first time in Europe and I was traveling with a group of women I had never met before—we met them for the first time at the airport, crazy right?!
I had no expectations from this trip and honestly Spain wasn’t even on my travel radar, I just went because I was dealing with a break up at the time and I felt a need to get away. This turned out to be one of the most amazing trips ever. I made some great friends, saw some great works of art, partied like a rockstar and I completely fell in love with the city. To this day it’s still my favorite place to visit and I go back whenever I can.

2. My favorite hotel & why…The Mount View Grand Resort and Spa in New Hampshire is hands down the best hotel I’ve ever been to. The service is first class with the best food I ever had…anywhere! They also have a movie room where you can pick a movie from a list with your desired time, and watch it with your friends. My friends and I got dressed up in our pajamas and watched movies every night, and they give you free popcorn! The hotel also made my friends and I an outside fire pit and gave us things to make s ‘ mores with. The spa and pool are also great.

3. My must-haves on any flight are… A blanket, lotion and a brand new magazine.

4. When I’m on the road, I absolutely hate… Not having wifi! I live and work on my phone so I hate being cut off from the matrix.

5. My dream destination or vacation is… I want to go to Thailand during The Festival of Lights. That’s first on my bucket list.

6. The three things I can’t travel without are… My cell phone, a sweater or jacket and my converter to plug my electronics in.

7. The top lesson I’ve learned while traveling is… I’ learned much more from traveling than I ever did in college. I dual majored in Art History and History and I love learning about different people and their cultures. And while you can learn a lot from books, online, etc nothing compares to actually visiting a place, meeting the people and experiencing the culture first hand.