Why Instagram could be the key to planning an incredible vacation

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Do you have trouble being happy all the time? For so long I was pretty happy and content no matter what came my way. But lately I've had a dark cloud over my head that I haven't been able to shake. A lot of it has to do with some disappointing things that have happened which I haven't shared. But part of it is also a self esteem issue. The more my career has required that I be in front of the camera instead of only behind it, the more I've worried about how I look and how I feel and the more I've worried, the bigger the dark cloud has become. I'm working hard on the part of the problem that's just mental. But sometimes I need exterior solutions as well and I've found it lately working with @NYDJ because they make clothes for real women like me. Their jeans, in particular, I don't know how they do it but when I put them on, I feel two sizes smaller! It's no coincidence that my "Get Happy" shirt is NYDJ also. It's that physical reminder I need when I look in the mirror, to do the work and banish my dark cloud in whatever ways I can. Every day. Thanks for helping me be #FitToBe my best self, @NYDJ! #sp Photo by @dante.vincent, who always seems to see the best in me.
A post shared by Kirsten Alana • she/her (@kirstenalana) on Apr 17, 2016 at 4:55am PDT

For any travel-junkie, seeking out wanderlust is a necessity. And one of the easiest places to find a unique place for vacations -- either domestically or abroad -- can be found right on your smartphone. Take it from travel photographer Kirsten Alana, who not only posts her incredible travel snaps onto her Instagram for her 200,000 followers to obsess over, but also sources inspiration straight from the app.

As Alana notes, Instagram has evolved into a travel guide, where users can find everything from restaurants to natural landscapes all across the globe. It helps even some of the most seasoned traveling pros, like Alana, plan for her next big excursion. And she has some incredible new vacations in store that fans will gush over.

We recently sat down with the incredible travel photographer to talk about how she started on Instagram, how she chooses cities and countries to shoot for her blog, and more!

YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, click here. And come back at 6 pm EST for more exclusives on Kirsten Alana, including what she's learned on her travels.

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I was supposed to be here right now, in my beloved Paris with @fleurishing, staying in a lovely @hipparis apartment. Instead, Susan is there without me and I am living vicariously through her via snapchat. I hope you'll follow her as well (here and on 👻 @ hutchsusan) because she has such an incredible eye and a talent for sharing Paris in a way few others do. #fleurishinginfrance
A post shared by Kirsten Alana • she/her (@kirstenalana) on Apr 16, 2016 at 2:25pm PDT

When did you begin posting your travel photos on Instagram?
I think the month the app launched I put up a photo. It was right away. And it was because it was the first social media app to be solely about photos. Even then, Facebook was about a million other things and it was so all over the place. From the very beginning, Instagram was made for people like me, people who just wanted to share photos and nerd out about photography. So I was an early adopter. Then finally by the time I was on it for three years ago, people really caught on to it. It did take me a long time to build my audience, but they're all mine. They're engaged and loyal and I built it from scratch, so it's been a fun journey.

How do you choose a place to photograph?
Cuba was a vacation trip that me and boyfriend really wanted to do. That was from a photographic standpoint since I just really wanted to get in there and shoot. I had seen the photos and I knew that I could shoot them differently than everyone else. It was expensive; we booked before all the walls fell down in terms of restrictions. I really choose locations based on what I want to photograph, it's that simple. My boyfriend is a hobby photographer and we talk about where we want to photograph and that's where we go.

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So, Cuba isn't the only place I've recently been where old cars and colorful facades could be found in abundance. More on the trip during which I took this photo, and how you can win your own trip, starting tomorrow....
A post shared by Kirsten Alana • she/her (@kirstenalana) on Apr 1, 2016 at 6:57pm PDT

What's one place you haven't traveled to that you would love to visit?
Faroe Islands because of Instagram. Everyone goes there and posts these beautiful landscape shots. Also New Zealand and I want to go to Morocco, Mongolia, Burma, Nepal, really anywhere photogenic. If you've seen great photos somewhere, I want to go and take great photos for myself.

Where do you find inspiration for choosing places to travel to?
I love geo-tags! Instagram is as much a travel guide now as it is to share photos. It's evolved as a place to start our inspiration for travel.

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Quelle année! (What a year!) From the highs to the lows... From the highest point in NYC where I took this photo to the lowest point on earth at the Dead Sea, I've traveled far and wide this year but I've always come home and during the last 12 months more than 100,000 of you have joined me for the first time since I joined @instagram five years ago. It's been quite a ride! Thank you for being here with me, thank you for following along as I just try to figure it all out one day at a time. As we go forward into 2016 tomorrow, my hope for all of you is that this is your best year yet! And that no matter what the next 12 months hold, what you feel most of all next December 31 is profound gratefulness to be alive! ✨
A post shared by Kirsten Alana • she/her (@kirstenalana) on Dec 31, 2015 at 9:42am PST

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