Meet Lauren Daniels | Travel Blogger & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Daniels and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, what matters most to you?
Honesty is very important to me. Not only is it important to be honest with friends and family, but I also practice honesty on my travel blog, Lulu’s Everyday Life. First, I do not share any posts on places that I have not visited. I also do not share anything about cities, activities, or restaurants that I did not enjoy. I do not want my readers and followers to spend time doing things that are not enjoyable.Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Every year when I was growing up, my family traveled around the U.S. I always stole my mom’s camera on vacations and took a ton of photos (most were not so great). When I was about 11-years-old, I started learning photography techniques and improving my photography. When I was 13, my parents got me a camera for Christmas and I could not put it down for days. In high school, my parents encouraged me to combine my love for travel and photography by creating a travel instagram page; I called it Lulu’s Everyday Life. About a year later, I decided to create an entire website where I could feature my photos and I could have a travel blog. I am not by any means a professional travel blogger or photographer. Travel blogging and photography are simply hobbies for me; I find the time between college, work, and extracurricular activities to do these things I love and share them with the world. Finding time for the blog or photography can be difficult and I am not able to travel a lot. When you look at a lot of other travel bloggers, you learn that they quit their 9-5 jobs to travel the world, they are now on the road practically full-time, and their sole income is from their blog. Something that sets me apart from other travel bloggers is that I am happily pursuing a career in a field that is completely unrelated to travel. I just completed my degree and am in the process of applying to graduate schools to earn a doctorate. Through all of this and throughout my future career, I would like to continue writing on my travel blog and sharing my photography.If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh I love this question! I love showing friends/visitors my city; I think Houston is underrated in terms of tourism. I would for sure take them places like Shipley Do-nuts and Common Bond Bistro & Bakery for breakfast. For lunch or dinner, I’d take them to El Tiempo, Beck’s Prime, Kenny & Ziggy’s, Barnaby’s Cafe, Niko Niko’s, Hugo’s, or Istanbul Grill. You can’t forget to stop at Sweet Paris Creperie for dessert and Karbach Brewing Co. or Saint Arnold Brewing Company for a pint of beer! Houston has so many different restaurants and cuisines; it’s pretty amazing how many types of food you can try here! If the weather is good, you can even get food to-go from one of these restaurants and take it to one of Houston’s beautiful parks, like Discovery Green, Eleanor Tinsley Park (my favorite spot for a sunset picnic), or Hermann Park. As for activities, I would for sure check out the museum district. The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Holocaust Museum Houston, and Museum of Fine Arts Houston are some of my favorites. There are 19 museums just in the museum district, so there are plenty of options to choose from. I would also visit Houston Zoo! Even as an adult, I’m obsessed with our zoo; I may be a biased Houstonian, but I think Houston Zoo is one of the best in the nation. Personally, I also think we have one of the best theatre districts in the nation, so I would for sure go see a play, musical, or ballet! Space Center Houston is a must when visiting H-town. You can see the mission control center and the astronaut training facility, and you can also touch moon rocks (yes, this is still cool to do as an adult, don’t let anyone tell you differently). If you’re here for a week, you definitely have time to check out The Galleria (Texas’ largest shopping center) or go to a sports event (go Rockets!). If there’s still time after all of these fun activities, you could see alligators in their natural habitat at Brazos Bend State Park or you could head to the beach in Galveston. Lastly, you can’t leave Houston without stopping by the Gerald D. Hines Water Wall Park!The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I couldn’t be where I am today without my family. My parents and my brother have shown me unconditional love and support through all of my endeavors. My parents actually encouraged me to start my travel blog, Lulu’s Everyday Life. My parents are also the ones who sparked my love for travel, so I dedicate everything to them. I also have great friends who support and encourage me and deserve credit, too.

Website: www.luluseverydaylife.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luluseverydaylife/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luluseverydaylife

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGDLoWHoDK2nRYKe9zLiuyw

Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/luluseverydaylife/