On vacation I cut down a lot on my technological distractions. I like to unplug while I'm out sightseeing and tend to only take photos. We watch a lot less TV when we travel and spend more quality time with each other. Of course, when we have been together 24/7 it can get a little stressful and that's when we will chill out separately at our accommodation. I use my mornings for quiet time and decompress by checking and answering emails while eating sipping my coffee and eating a bit of breakfast. This gives me the personal time I need to start the day. When we get back after a long day out, we talk about our day, but we can often be found in different parts of the room reading or playing on a handheld game. This alone time gives us enough decompression to do it all again the next day.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Super Useful Travel Links
Happy Friday! I've been poking around this week and decided to run a bonus edition of Super Useful Travel Links. A lot of sadness is coming out of Syria and Egypt (again), making it impossible for anyone to travel near those places. I mean, not like most normal people have Syria on their travel list, but a bet a bunch of you have had Egypt on your list for a long time and every time you hear that there are riots and uprising think "Whyyyyyy?????" Yep. Me, too. So, this week I found a bunch of ways to save money on your trips - that other people wrote!
Some people love to make their own travel videos, but carrying an extra electronic device and everything that goes with it - extra battery, charger, etc. - isn't always something you want to do. And if you're one of those people who just uses their smartphone for photos and video, it's definitely not going to look too professional. Vine is good if you only want to take postcard snippets to share straight to social media, but what if you want a full-length video for your travel memories? Techlicious has the best apps for amazing smartphone videos. I'm loving the concept of Vyclone and may just try it out on my next trip.
As you know, I love to save money. This year I'm using Airbnb for my accommodations in London and Paris and have saved a ton. Not only have I gotten awesome apartments that have all the amenities I need - washer/dryer, kitchen, convenient location - but I am also spending less on places to sleep than I did the last time we stayed in hotels. 7 years ago. A great new blog called Independent Travel Cats also recognizes the awesomeness that is Airbnb and their post on it shows you how to use it, how it can save you big bucks and how to use it to meet locals who can give you valuable travel info.
I'm no stranger to the farmers' market. Not only does it give me a chance to try the local foods, but it also saves you money by giving you affordable food that you can make meals with instead of eating out at restaurants. Many markets even have food trucks and local bakeries where you can buy breakfast or lunch, too. Want to save even more at the farmers' market? VocalPoint has some great tips, though I don't think many markets give out big discounts near the end, nor do I feel like that is the way to treat farmers who put their life and soul into bringing you their amazing foods, but the other tips are spot-on.
It's been a long time since I've been to Texas for longer than a day, but this list of suggestions on unique things to do and places to eat in Texas from Daily Candy really makes me want to take a road trip. I also just watched an episode of Tripping Out where Alie and Georgia went to Marfa and showed so many funky things to do there and in the area that i was ready to hop a plane to the city I'd never even heard of. Sleep in an antique luxury RV and take pictures of the fake Prada shop? In!
Is the staycation dead? Priceline seems to think so. They polled their users and the majority of them are taking real vacations now. Everyone is sick of staying home and coming up with creative ideas to do to save money. Possibly, the percentage of travelers is so high, because they are actively using Priceline to find places to stay or they are not including staycations that are in addition to their traditional vaca. Do you think the staycation is dead? If you're still taking one, you can get some fun ideas on my Pinterest board. There's everything from turning your backyard into a movie theater to engaging in a scavenger hunt around your city.
Living in the US, we get pretty spoiled with large meal portions, free refills and complimentary bread and water in restaurants. Europe is not the same. You don't get to take your leftovers home if you don't finish your food, free refills don't exist and ice is almost a myth. If only I had known this piece of advice before my last trip, I could have saved a lot. The blog EuroCheapo explains why you should never BUY water in Paris.
Have you seen any great money-saving posts lately?
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Fixes for Common Travel Problems Part 2
There are many things that can go wrong when you travel. In this series of posts, I help you to find solutions to common travel problems, because it's less stressful to travel when you can eliminate some of the things that have easy fixes. One of the most irritating issues when traveling, especially for me, is dryness. Air travel is just drying. the recycled air doesn't have any oxygen pumped into it, so basically you are sitting in stale air the whole time you are on the plane. Gross, right?
Here are some of the best ways to combat dryness when you fly and even when you visit arid climates:
Hydrate! It's an answer to most everything: staying healthy, staying alert, keeping up your energy, being able to sleep. Say away from beverages that don't help you stay hydrated, like coffee, juice, alcohol and sodas. Water is the best choice. Buy a big bottle or two after you get through security to take with you on the plane, because waiting for the drink cart to come around is not always a good option. If plain water just sounds boring, bring along ice tea or other drink packets you can add to it for flavor.
Moisturize - Use a heavy-duty moisturizer or just double-up on it on the days you travel. You may also want to keep a travel-size lotion or lotion bar/stick with you to keep your hands and arms and any other exposed skin from getting all dry and cracky.
Don't pile on the products - Travel days are good for going minimal. The least amount of beauty products you can get away with is the best way to go. Wear a tinted moisturizer if you need some coverage, mascara and tinted lip balm can complete you look and help keep as much moisture in your skin.
Moisturize - Yes, it's important. Do it! Lip balm is your friend. Keep it in your pocket and reapply, reapply, reapply. Nothing sucks worse than feeling like you've been out in the desert for 5 days after getting to your destination.
Turn off that vent - That vent above your head only blows stale, germy air on you and will dry you out even faster and possibly give you the cold that that guy in 12B has. You don't want that. Stay healthy and feel less like you rolled around in dust on your trip.
Eat your veggies - You're probably not going to buy food on the plane, because it's ridiculously expensive, has little nutritional value and doesn't really fill you up, so bring your own healthy, non-salty snacks including fresh fruits and veggies that will not only make you glad you have them, but will keep up your energy-level and give you more hydration as well. For more ideas for fun make-ahead snacks for your trips, check out my Yummy Takealongs Pinterest board.
Gum! This should always be part of your carry-on and easily accessible. Not only can it help you deal with air pressure, but chewing gum can get the saliva flowing in your mouth, so you aren't feeling like someone stuffed cotton around your tongue after hours of being on the plane.
Moisturize! See above. This is one of the most important ways to keep your body from quickly drying out.
Do you have other ways to keep the dryness away while traveling?
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