This is What Happens When You Let Me Takeover Your Snapchat
Coachella is SoCal's favorite annual music and arts festival. Image courtesy of Coachella.
A pub crawl on a Tuesday, world-famous doughnuts, an NWA reunion and an evening with Disclosure—I'd say we had a pretty epic time on TripIt's Snapchat account
Snapchat is the street art of social media. It's ephemeral, indicative of the moment and reflective of your own signature style. One of the reasons I love watching Snapchat takeovers (when an individual or a group takes over someone else's account) is that you get to know someone completely new ... and intimately so. It becomes an unexpected vicarious journey, a stroll in a stranger's shoes for 24 hours.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be that curiosity when I took over TripIt's Snapchat account, first in Portland, Ore., and then again, during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
In Portland, I chose to follow the local slogan "Keep Portland Weird" and see where the day took me. It began at Voodoo Doughnut with a sugary breakfast of confectionaries named after celebrities (Marshall Mathers, Old Dirty Bastard). Next up was BrewCycle for a pub crawl like I've never experienced it before. It looked a little something like this ...
BrewCycle offers themed pub crawls, including a dive bar route. Image courtesy of Travel Portland.
Did you know that cannabis is legal for recreational use in Oregon? Neither did I, that is until a bunch of locals kept casually dropping it into conversation. Curiosity got the best of me, so went into a store to see what exactly I could purchase and how to go about it. You can see how that unfolded in the Snapchat story below (I know it's supposed to disappear after 24 hours, but I cheated and saved it).
Folks, the key to packing for your next trip is never fully unpacking from your last trip. As soon as I returned from Portland, I threw a few Coachella essentials (hats, bandannas, tiny shorts) in my suitcase and headed toward the desert. I was instantly afloat in pool parties with inflatable unicorns, Jell-o shots, Prince tributes and a flabongo. If you don't know what a flabongo is, you should watch the following Snapchat story. It also features stellar performances from Chvrches, RL Grime, Disclosure, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and a surprise NWA reunion. So you should probably check it out even if you are fully aware of the glory that is the flabongo.
Needless to say, I had a blast during this sponsored takeover of TripIt's Snapchat account. If you aren't following TripIt's Snapchat, you should be. It's a wild ride from one destination to the next, constantly updated with stories from travel bloggers around the world. Just this past week, for example, I watched as Lee Abbamonte, the youngest American to travel to every country in the world, ate and drank his way through Italy. Other days, I followed the adventures of Drew Binsky, The Hungry Partier, as he visited the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu for the first time.
Where will the next adventure take place and who will take the reigns? Well, I'm afraid you'll just have to tune in and see for yourself.
Here's how:
You can add TripIt (and me) via Snapcode. Just follow these quick steps.
1. Take a screenshot of the Snapcodes I've provided here.
2. Open your Snapchat and tap the ghost emoji at the top of the camera screen.
3. Tap the "Add Friends" button.
4. Tap "Add by Snapcode."
5. Tap the Snapcode image that's saved in your camera roll.
And of course, you can add us by user name: TripItCom and JoanJetsetter.
I'd be delighted to answer any of your travel-related questions on Snapchat. So fire away! Or just send a Snap to make me laugh. I need a break from this computer screen.
Any legitimate blogger must use a disclaimer. Here's mine: TripIt—an itinerary planning and travel organization app—sponsored the Snapchat takeovers. BrewCycle made the pub crawl excursion possible. Other than that, I paid for my trips to Portland and Coachella out of my own pocket. It was money well-spent. Views expressed are my own.