Travel Musings

The (Inevitable) Bucket List

Melissa Kaplan1

Sometimes, when I get bored, I play a little game: I ask myself if I could only visit ten more countries ever in my life, which ones would I choose?

Gah! That is a way more difficult decision for me than it probably is for most people. While I’ve been fortunate enough to see a lot of amazing places around the world, I’m by no means finished, and narrowing down my aspirations to just ten countries is downright wrenching. But it does provide some good entertainment and food for thought, as well as help me shine a light on where my travel dreams, and priorities, really lie. I suppose you could call my chosen ten countries an abbreviated version of my bucket list.

In the travel world, the whole concept of the bucket list can be quite controversial. Some people swear by them; others decry them as an artificial construct that reduces travel to nothing but checking items off a list rather than seeking out surprising new places, being spontaneous, and having authentic experiences. Those criticisms are fair enough; that said, I’m a bucket list girl, myself. I can’t help it. I have always been kind of an obsessive orderer of my universe, and I love to have a plan. For me, planning a voyage is half as much fun as going on one!

So yes, I have a bucket list of sorts (which may or may not be written down in my Iphone notes section just so I don’t ever forget the places I want to see). But believe me, it’s a lot longer than ten countries. So, playing along for a few minutes—if I did have to limit myself to this number, which places would make the cut?

Melissa’s (Inevitable and Abbreviated) Bucket List—In Reverse Order, Because That’s More Exciting…

10) East Africa

This is probably a bit of an odd choice for me, because I’m one of those weird travelers who has absolutely no desire to go on a safari. I mean, if the opportunity arose I wouldn’t turn it down, but I’ve never particularly wanted to get into a jeep and stalk wild animals on a dusty road in the middle of nowhere. Not my scene.

However, since I visited South Africa last year, I’ve developed a much deeper interest in Africa and I really want to go back and explore more of the continent—different countries, a different region altogether. I’d be interested in Kenya or Ethiopia, but if I had to pick just one country as per the game, I’d go with Tanzania, since the photos I’ve seen of Zanzibar island look too magical to be real. Someday!

9) Brazil—But not at Carnevale, thanks. Loud partying crowds stress me out and I’m not 21 anymore. But I’m all for discovering the legendary beaches, waterfalls, and fruit juices. And no major time zone change! Hurray!

8) Costa Rica—This one has been on my list for a while. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about it, most of them revolving around nature, animals, jungle and ziplining, all of which sound interesting. But I must admit it’s the beaches that draw me most. And the relative proximity; it’s one of the few places on my list that aren’t halfway across the globe. So I’m saving it for when I want a relatively easy and painless but still amazing and exotic trip.

7) India—Mysterious, complex, loud, overwhelming, frustrating, fascinating, and exotic. So exotic. India doesn’t top my personal bucket list, but it’s solidly in the middle. I want to go when I have at least a few weeks to really explore and do it justice—Rajastan, Jaipur, Mumbai, Goa. A nice long, luxurious train ride through some epic scenery. And of course, the Taj Mahal, and lots and lots of (Indian) food and yoga.

6) New Zealand—I owe my newfound desire to explore New Zealand from top to bottom solely to one person: Young Adventuress. Seriously, until I stumbled on her blog a few months ago, I had zero interest in going to New Zealand (so far away, and how different could it be from Australia anyway?) Well, I am now ashamed of my former profound ignorance about New Zealand, and am rapidly devouring YA’s website posts about Kiwi life, most of which feature so-staggering-they-look-fake snowcapped mountain ranges and big blue pools in the middle of nowhere. I’m a convert. I’m going!

5) Australia—Great Barrier Reef. Enough said. (Except for the Whitsunday Islands. Got to check those out too).

4) Vietnam—Vietnam is another country that’s only recently popped onto my radar and seems determined to stay in the upper tier of my bucket list till I actually make my visit happen (which if all goes as planned, will hopefully be next year). I’ve heard about the charming cities, the affordable luxury, the kind-hearted people and the incredible food. But what really pulls me in and won’t let go is Ha Long Bay. Those giant rocks rising out of the sea, amid a screen of fog that casts everything in the light of mystery and undiscovered beauty. If I see nothing else in Vietnam (and don’t worry, I will), I will absolutely experience that magical spot.

3) Slovenia—Ah, Slovenia. How has this trip not happened yet? I’ve come so close so many times! I’ve traveled through Italy and Croatia, your next-door neighbors. I almost pulled the trigger and booked a weekend trip to Ljubljana while I was living in London, but decided on Krakow at the last minute (not that I regret this, as Krakow is wonderful). But somehow, I’ve still never made it to this beautiful jewel of a land in Central Europe where lakes and mountains and waterfalls and beaches and wine abound, where the photographs are so beautiful they almost hurt my eyes, where there are apparently so many shades of blue in the water that you could spend your entire time there sitting back and counting them all. I’ve decided, as with Vietnam, that next year is the year for Slovenia. No more excuses. This is happening. I’m coming, Slovenia!

2) Bali—A lush, beautiful, mysterious island loaded with gorgeous beaches, magical foliage, and spas. So many spas. I am a craven lover of luxury, so you better believe that if there’s a spa involved, I’m in. That being said, the natural beauty and culture of Bali have already tugged at my heart, and while I’d like to explore even more of Indonesia, Bali is at the top of the list. I don’t care if it’s a cliché by now…if I haven’t been there, it’s new to me. This is one trip that’s got a solid timeframe on it: my next milestone birthday, I’m there. (Not on my actual birthday because that’s too close to a major holiday. But right afterward!)

`1) Russia/China/Mongolia and the Trans-Siberian Express

I know, I know, that’s cheating because it’s technically three countries, but so what? Is there any adventure more legendary, epic, or enticing than hopping on the Trans-Siberian Express and crossing nearly half the world’s land surface on a six-day train ride? I can’t think of one. Russia has been calling to me for years—it’s my “I’m so embarrassed I haven’t been there yet” country—but as much as I want to see Moscow and St. Petersburg, why stop there? Why not just take a train journey across the whole country, stopping off in little villages from European Russia to Siberia and popping into Lake Baikal for a dip? I can’t even write about it any more without making myself hopelessly travel-lusty, so I’ll stop there. For me, the Trans-Siberian Express will always be the ultimate bucket list item—so much so that I’ll be almost sorry to complete it. But not quite.

What’s on your bucket list, if you have one? Share all the where’s and why’s, please!

Asia, Eastern/Central Europe, Slovenia, South America, Travel Musings

Thailand Impressions

For some reason—probably just laziness—I put off recording my impressions of Thailand. But now that I’ve been back from my trip for a while and have re-entered normal life, I think the time has come. There is definitely much to share, both my thoughts on the country and of my own reactions to it and how it impacted the bigger picture of my life.

Overall impression: Thailand is pretty amazing. Temples, beaches, stunning natural beauty abounds pretty much everywhere. That said, there were some parts I enjoyed more than others, and some that burned themselves into my brain for all different sorts of reasons.

I really thought I was going to die in Bangkok. The first day, I couldn’t believe how dangerous every street crossing seemed to be: endless lanes of cars and motorcycles and tuk-tuks whizzing by with no apparent regard for pedestrian life. I was terrified to cross every street, truly feeling I was taking my life into my hands and wondering if I would ever live to see the beaches I’d come to Thailand for. In the end, I learned to be more aggressive and fearless and simply jump out with others when there was a brief break in car traffic, but it was an unsettling experience for sure.

My main impression of Bangkok: it was hot. Really, really hot. I have never been hotter in my life than in the day we spent tramping through the city’s temples, which should have impressed me much more and instead, sadly, just felt like impediments to my getting inside to air conditioning. I could admire them, but my physical discomfort was so strong that it sapped a lot of the excitement out of what I was seeing. Also, the crowds…at least at the Grand Palace, the first sight we saw, were out of control. Wat Pho temple proved much quieter, which was a welcome relief, as was the air conditioned massage pavilion where I got a foot massage for $9. Sweet.

On to Phuket. This exceeded my expectations in every way. So many people told me I would hate it because it was trashy, touristy, etc. But the truth is, Phuket has a natural beauty that nothing can really diminish. It also helped that our beach, Kata, was gorgeous and largely unpeopled, so we didn’t have to fight the crowds to enjoy it.

Koh Phi Phi, sadly, was a different story. Almost surreally beautiful, but largely dominated (at least the parts we saw) by selfie-stick wielding tourists who seemed not to want to take in the beautiful place they were seeing, but to snag their latest facebook profile picture there. I did my best to ignore them and appreciate how stunning the water and beaches were, but much like the Bangkok heat, my distaste for them seeped into my bones and marred the experience for me a bit. Looking at my photos, I can appreciate Phi Phi’s beauty far more than I was able to while I was actually standing in the middle of it. Oh, irony.

My big adventure of the trip was riding an elephant, which was quite an amazing yet frightening experience. It’s one of those things that sounds cool in theory; then you’re actually seated in a rickety seat a story off the ground on the back of an animal and you realize just how dicey a proposition it really is. Clearly, I was the only one who felt this way; everyone else on our trip seemed to have a wonderful time and not fear death-by-elephant-ride at all, which made me question my own fears…bringing up another subject I’ll detail a bit more below.

On my last day in Phuket, I decided to dedicate myself to pampering. I began with a five-star spa experience—1 ½ hours of apricot body scrub and massage at one of the fanciest hotels on the island. And oh, it was worth it. Not only was the massage incredibly relaxing, but the setting—lying in an open room with the sun-dappled trees and birdsong outside, just feet from the ocean—was divine. Then I went and had lunch at the hotel restaurant, with a view of the ocean that, in the words of one friend, looked like the kind of panorama that would inspire people to change their life plans and remain on vacation forever. I kept looking around at the awesome sea and beach view, grinning from ear to ear, just wanting to take it all in and remember for as long as I could how stunningly beautiful a vista it was. I want to be able to draw on that view of Phuket for the rest of my life whenever I need a pick me up, a reminder of how much beauty there truly is in the world.

It’s my new happy place.

So, those are my big impressions and memories of my Thailand adventure. But I also encountered a few revelations (to be dramatic) about myself, my travel style, and my life. Here they are, summed up briefly:

I realized that, the older I get, the more I feel the impact of external factors on my enjoyment of a place. Crowds, heat, tired aching feet; even long plane rides bother me more than they used to (though I did survive 40 hours roundtrip in economy class). I think I need to accept that I don’t have the same pluck or determination to power through things that I did as a twenty-something hostel stayer, and accommodate my travel plans accordingly. Shorter flights (when possible), nicer hotel rooms, and lots of AC are necessities for me now. And that’s okay.

One thing that struck me—and frankly, bothered me—on this trip was how scared I became by a number of the relatively routine experiences that everyone else seemed to love. I’ve always considered myself a fairly adventurous person, at least in some ways—what with my habit of traveling around the world solo and all that. But riding an elephant terrified me, even if I was able to enjoy it in a perverse way by the end of the ride. I wouldn’t even get near the baby tigers, as everyone else was happily petting them (kids included). Even snorkeling, which I always loved, proved scary when I was dropped off a boat in the middle of deep water with rolling waves I felt were about to suck me under. That day on the boat in Koh Phi Phi was the second time, post-Bangkok traffic, I really thought I could die on this trip—and I realized I was the only one in the group who had these worries. All my traveling companions seemed totally fine. This really unsettled me. I don’t like thinking of myself as a fearful person, especially if those fears could potentially interfere with something I really want to do. I’ve decided that, to counteract the fears that bubbled up on my Thailand trip, I need to make a conscious effort to do something that I’ve always been curious about but which has always scared me. I need to look my fears in the face and conquer them, to regain my self-respect and image of myself as strong and capable. So what’s the answer? Scuba diving! I’ve always been curious about it but the idea of being submerged under water with an oxygen tank makes me deeply uncomfortable. Time to do something about that. The next chance I get, I plan to take a vacation someplace where I can get certified and learn to scuba dive. It should be terrifying yet thrilling at once. Time to conquer my fear and woman up!

My biggest revelation came while lying on a beach in Koh Phi Phi at the end of the day. I was relaxed, happy, feeling great. The day had been full of madding crowds, but the beach was lovely and I’d had time to swim and snorkel and was now lying in a deck chair, eating watermelon and looking out at the beautiful water and shoreline and observing the bubbling activity around me. A pretty perfect Wednesday afternoon. Relaxing on that beach, I realized how fortunate I am to have had the opportunity to be there, to travel halfway around the world to Thailand and experience this stunning place. I had the good luck to have had experiences and privileges that 99 percent of the people in the history of the world cannot even imagine. And I am very, very appreciative of that. But lying there on the beach in Koh Phi Phi, I also realized the importance of balance—not just in the traditional meaning of work and life, but in what we give and what we get. Travel, I realized, is what I get from the world; the opportunity to explore this amazing planet we live on, which is an incredible privilege I know how fortunate I am to have. But in exchange for this, I need to give the world back as much as I can in return. Whether it’s through a job where I get to help people (hopefully) in some small way, or volunteering, or just doing my utmost to be the best person and version of myself I can be, I need to keep striving to contribute something meaningful to the world, and not give up even when the work gets hard and I get discouraged. Travel is a wonderful break from reality, but it needs to be more than that; it can and should be an impetus for us to want to give the best of ourselves to the world. And going forward, that’s just what I intend to do.

Anyway, the moral of this story is—go to Thailand! Revelations and resolves aside, it was a fantastic trip, and I feel I only scratched the surface of this fascinating country. I’m already planning a return visit someday (something I very rarely do!) and hope to hit up some new places, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, and Koh Tao (scuba diving mecca!) among them. I don’t know when it will happen, but I am already happily anticipating another chance to explore the Land of Smiles, peel back more layers, and experience even more of its wonder and beauty. And if you’re anything like me, I can’t encourage you strongly enough to do the same.

Thailand, Travel Musings

The Challenges of Short-Term Travel

Melissa Kaplan2

Today I stumbled upon a blog post about a small country in Southeast Asia. The blogger began by noting that, sadly, she “only” had a month to spend in this particular place, and wished she could have stayed longer (it did sound quite lovely). But I couldn’t help shaking my head a bit at this statement: four weeks in one country?! I could probably see (at least the highlights of) Southeast Asia in four weeks!

I’ve long been a traveler who takes lots of super-quick trips. This is not particularly because I like them, but because that’s just the way my travel life has worked out. I never spent a summer backpacking through Europe as a teenager, or saved up for a six-month leisurely Southeast Asia trek in my twenties. I had no idea, for years, that either of these were viable options.

Growing up, I traveled a fair amount with my family—Bermuda every summer; Europe a few times to see family; trips in the U.S. to Boston, California, Atlanta, Cape Cod. I wasn’t travel-deprived, but neither did I consider long-term travel as something I might be able to do as an adult. I was twenty-four when I first heard the expression “backpacking through Europe” on a TV show I was watching. I was in my thirties before it even occurred to me that South America or Southeast Asia might be worth a look.

The travel bug hit me relatively late in life. And by the time it did, I had a career I couldn’t just pick up and leave easily. I did finally quit my job in my late twenties to move overseas, living in Prague and London for two years, both of which were amazing experiences and allowed me to squeeze in lots of side trips to other interesting European hot spots; but again, these were short weekend trips. The longest continuous trip I’ve ever taken lasted two weeks (Italy and Croatia). Usually, my overseas travels are squeezed into a week (if I’m lucky) or even a long weekend, if I have to be especially mindful of using up vacation days.

Despite all this, I’ve managed to visit nearly thirty countries. I’ve found a way to make short-term travel feasible for myself and have packed a lot of destinations into the past decade. I certainly can’t complain.

Yet reading this particular blog post made me feel a bit wistful. How wonderful would it be to have months on end to explore a new continent or country—to really get to dig in, uncover hidden secrets, not feel rushed, and truly get to slow down and enjoy the journey?

Making a Change

Not long ago, I decided I wanted to check out a new country in South America (which shall remain nameless until my plans firm up—there have to be some surprises, after all!) At first I thought I could fit it into an extra-long weekend and only take three days off work—saving up those precious vacation days, woohoo!

But the more I considered my potential itinerary, the more exhausted it made me feel, which is possibly a sign that I’m getting old, but whatever. Did I really want to fly twelve hours each way to be in a new city and country for only three days? The more I thought about it, the less fun it sounded to me.

On my most recent trip to Iceland, I only spent three days in the country. For Iceland, this actually worked out okay, because it’s compact enough that you can see a lot in that period and the flight time and jet lag aren’t prohibitive. Still, as much as I enjoyed my trip, it was rather exhausting to head to the airport straight from a full day of work (still answering work emails on the way to catch my flight), fly overnight, then three days later be back on the plane so I could repeat the journey and be at work again the next morning. In fact, several colleagues who are facebook friends and had been following my trip online were shocked to see me back already when I’d been posting photos of my visit to the Blue Lagoon literally the day before!

All this has made me realize something: I need to slow down. I love travel, I love seeing as many new places as I can possibly find the means to explore. But I need to do it at a more sane pace. I need more time to relax and unwind and truly enjoy the places I’m seeing. This may mean fewer trips, but longer, slower-paced, and ultimately, more rewarding ones.

I’m still planning to go to South America in the spring, but not for a quickie trip. Instead, I want to take off a whole week (hey, it’s not a month but it’s the best I can do), have several days to explore the capitol and surrounding countryside, and actually have a full recovery day on the other end when I get home. Planning a trip that way feels like a wonderful luxury, and I’m excited (rather than exhausted) just thinking about how great it will be.

I may never be able to while away half a year in Europe or Asia, but I think those who can are both very fortunate and onto something important. Slower, deeper, and more relaxing travel has all kinds of benefits, not the least of which is that it makes travel feel like a pleasure rather than a chore. And that’s the way it should be.

Are you a slow traveler, or do you prefer shorter trips? How do you fit travel into the rest of your life? Any tips or suggestions?

Iceland, South America, Travel Musings

My Favorite Happy Places

It’s a cold, gray, rainy day outside…looks like fall is finally here for real. As I sit and watch the rain come down outside my window, I can’t help but think there are a few other places I’d like to be today. Nothing better for inciting wanderlust than crappy weather!

So, if I had a magic wand or the ability to transport myself instantly around the globe (please, scientists, tell me you’re working hard on this technology), where would I go? What places call out to me the most on cold, rainy days, and bring back my happiest travel memories?

Here are a few of my favorite candidates—my ultimate list of happy places. (No coincidence that almost all of them involve plenty of sunshine).

Melissa’s Happy Places

Bermuda

I spent a week in St. George, Bermuda every summer in as a kid, and I can’t count how many happy, beach-filled memories I have from those days. Soaking up sun by a pool facing out over the ocean; snorkeling in the crystal-clear blue waters; running back and forth between the beach restaurant and our spot on the pink-hued sands all day long; admiring beautiful sunsets that seemed too glorious to be real. And there were also excursions into the pastel-hued capital city of Hamilton for lunch, shopping, and soaking in the essence of this very British tropical paradise in the mid-Atlantic. Take me back right now!

Paris

I don’t think it’s possible to be unhappy in Paris. Some trips have been better than others, but it’s always a magical place. If I had my way, I’d spend today strolling through the Louvre all morning (after a breakfast of chocolate croissants), then head to Angelina’s for the World’s Best Hot Chocolate, followed by an afternoon in the gardens of the Tuilleries, strolling around the 6^tharrondissement to pop into the multitude of cafes Fitzgerald and Hemingway once frequented, and finishing up with a steak and frites dinner at Le Relais De L’Entrecote. Books, art, food, cafes, and chocolate: this city has everything I need to live life to the fullest.

Barcelona

Barcelona is beautiful, lively, sunny, and above all, fun. Fun! Yes, there are museums and famous works of architecture and other such serious travel fodder, but honestly, my best memories of this magical Catalan city are of strolling through La Boqueria market picking out my lunch for the day, relaxing on the Placa Reial under the palm trees, and exploring the tapas offerings in the wonderful restaurants while drinking sangria and cava. It’s a place that offers temptations and delights around every corner, and reaffirms just how enjoyable travel, and life, can really be. And it was sunny each time I visited!

Andaman Coast, Thailand

I visited Thailand for the first time this year, and fell hard for the Andaman Coast. It’s one of the most beautiful corners of the planet I’ve ever seen, with seemingly endless stretches of golden beach, calm blue water, and an overall vibe that’s blissfully relaxed and welcoming. How can you not love a place that offers both $9 massages and an endless variety of fruit smoothies?

Cape Town, South Africa

I’ve only been to Cape Town once, but it was an incredible week of exploring places that still bring back fond memories and make me excited to return. I loved wine tasting in nearby Stellenbosch, and would give just about anything to be in the warm sunshine (when it’s chilly January weather back home) gazing out over a panoramic spread of green vineyards and bright blue sky as far as I can see. Not to mention the beaches, the view from Table Mountain, the great restaurants surrounding the harbor, the charming brightly colored houses of Bo Kap…it goes on and on, and I can’t wait to go back and see even more sometime soon. Cape Town, and South Africa, are one of my newest happy places on this magical planet.

Where are your happy places? Have you been to any of these—if so, what do you think?

France, Spain, Thailand, Travel Musings

Iceland: The Perfect Country for First-Time Travelers

When it comes to traveling, many of my friends fall at two different ends of the spectrum. I have some friends who are incessant globe-trotters with passport stamp counts that far exceed mine. On the other hand, I have friends who don’t own passports at all, and have never traveled outside of the U.S.

From the latter camp, several have told me lately that they really want to travel overseas. I know that this can be a rather intimidating prospect when you’re doing it for the first time, especially if you decide to go solo. So for travelers planning a first foreign trip, the choice of destination can be very important.

All of this got me thinking, on my recent trip to Iceland, that this country would be an absolute perfect locale for someone taking their first overseas trip, and hopefully kick off a lifetime of exotic adventures (or at least a few more down the road).

Why is Iceland such a great choice for a first trip outside of the U.S.? Plenty of reasons!

It’s easy. I’m not one to say that every trip needs to be to an “easy” country…there are loads of fascinating destinations off the beaten track which are hugely rewarding and worth seeing, despite some bumps and discomfort along the way. But that’s not the ideal way to begin with your first overseas trip. It’s fine—even desirable—to go someplace easy and slowly adjust to the rhythm of travel and life outside your usual comfort zone. Iceland fits the bill here. Its capital city, Reykavik, is easy to navigate; the people are friendly and helpful; and everyone (or just about everyone) speaks English (at least in Reykavik and the surrounding area). All this ease can help smooth the way for first-timers, and let them focus less on logistics and making themselves understood and more on enjoying their trip to the fullest.

Quick flight, minimal jet lag. Flights to Reykavik from Washington, DC are about five hours (slightly longer coming back). There are cheap direct flights on WOW air, and Icelandair also offers reasonable fares, as well as their famous offer of a seven-day stopover on the way to or from another destination. Additionally, the time difference is four hours—not nothing, but roughly comparable to the experience of flying from the East to West coasts in America. For a first trip overseas, this can help minimize the painful aspects of adjusting to a new time zone after a sleepless night on a plane (or maybe that’s just me). Iceland is very doable, even for those who aren’t used to long-haul flights. If you can handle a flight to California, you can manage a trip to Iceland.

Reykavik. I fell hard for Reykavik (blog post coming on this soon). It’s one of the most enjoyable cities I’ve ever spent time in, and as one who loves cities and has visited plenty, I don’t say that lightly. Reykavik has just about everything a first-time overseas traveler (or anyone, really) could want: ease of navigation, friendly English-speaking locals, lots of great restaurants, good (if expensive) shopping, and even some fantastic sea views to remind you that yes, you are in Iceland. I really loved it and can’t wait to go back. I suspect many newer travelers would be enchanted by Reykavik too.

The countryside. Of course, Iceland isn’t all about its (medium-sized) city. Once you leave Reykavik behind, whether in a rental car or on a tour bus, you’ll discover an amazingly diverse landscape of geysers, parks, and my favorite, waterfalls. It’s easy to get out of the city to explore these natural wonders, which provide a great counterpoint to Reykavik’s urban delights. And of course, before you head to the airport for your return flight, you can spend a few hours basking in the Blue Lagoon, which may just be my new happy place. So much natural beauty and unique attractions within striking distance of the city limits? It’s just another plus for travelers who want to see as much as possible before heading home. Any first overseas trip should be filled with a multitude of special memories; Iceland makes that incredibly easy.

A sample of Europe, without going all the way. Iceland—particularly Reykavik—reminded me quite a bit of Europe (which technically, it is, but situated conveniently in the Atlantic halfway between the Old and New world landmasses). But Reykavik often felt like a very Central European city to me: streets lined with fascinating architecture, plenty of unique shops and restaurants, loads of charming cafes, some great museums…pretty much all the things I love and miss about Europe were right here. While I would strongly encourage all travelers to visit Europe at least once in their lives (and hopefully more!), Iceland is a really great place to get a feel for Europe without having to go all the way over there. It’s a great “European sampler” before taking the plunge to explore the continent.

Of course, Iceland has some drawbacks, the main one being that it’s really rather expensive—though cheap flights help balance things out and it CAN be done on a budget. But no country is perfect. And when I think about possible destinations to recommend to my friends who are about to dive into the exciting world of foreign travel, I can think of no better place than Iceland for them to start.

Happy travels!

Iceland, Travel Musings

Why People Don’t Travel

Melissa Kaplan3

Lately, I’ve been immersed in the excited flush of planning several different trips, both imminent and long-term. I’ve been riding the high that comes from knowing that soon, I’ll be somewhere new, exotic, and exciting, on the verge discovering a new country and corner of the globe. This feeling thrills me like no other.

As I’ve been making my plans, I’ve also been talking with friends about theirs. Some of my traveler friends are off on extraordinary journeys of their own soon, inspiring me to consider adding new locales to my ever-expanding bucket list.

But not all my friends or family members are avid travelers. Some barely travel at all. And when I take a moment to pull myself away from the whirl of travel planning, writing, and reading the latest stories from the travel blogging community, I’m reminded that, in fact, this is life for the vast majority of people in the world. Limited travel, if any at all.

Why is that?

I have a few thoughts on this, which have been crystalizing in my mind as I’ve considered this question. Of course, we can start by eliminating the very obvious reasons people don’t travel: they’re flat broke, they’re ill or incapacitated, or they’ve recently landed in jail. Not everyone can travel all the time, as much as they may want to do so. I get that. And some people just have zero desire to explore the world. I absolutely don’t get that, but everyone is different, and that’s okay. Not everyone needs to be a travel junkie.

But I know a lot of other people who fit into a different category. They’re young, healthy, have time and enough money to get out and see the world…but they don’t. Why not?

Here are a few of my thoughts on why people who can travel, and say they want to, end up never following through:

They Want to Travel, But Only if They Can Do it in Luxury: I’ve written before about how many people seem to conflate travel and vacations, assuming that if they’re traveling they will be staying in luxurious surroundings, and if they can’t afford to do that, they should just stay home. Travel CAN be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be as expensive as people think. You could probably spend a month in rural Vietnam for what a few days in a fancy Parisian hotel would cost you. But a lot of people I know aren’t interested in leaving their house if they can’t go someplace nicer. Their desire to travel and see the world seems to be inextricably linked to being able to partake in fancy meals and hotel suites. Nothing wrong with that, if you can afford it. But I think that’s where a lot of people get stuck: they have visions of themselves ensconced in luxury and when they are told they could have a great trip in a budget hotel or a hostel while taking buses, they’re suddenly not that excited about seeing the world anymore. It’s a mismatch between the kind of travel they want and the kind they can actually afford, which causes them to throw in the towel on travel entirely.

They Only Want to Go to Certain Places (Which Probably Cost A Lot): Who doesn’t dream of going to Italy? I love Italy. I completely understand why people who haven’t traveled a lot have it, or Paris or London, at the top of their wish lists. Those are amazing places with tons of history, culture, beauty, and amazing food. Everyone should see them if at all possible. But none of those places are all that cheap—they can be done on a budget, of course, but they’re not really ideal budget travel locations. For the type of trip most people want to have (see above), Italy, France, and England require shelling out quite a bit of cash. There are plenty of destinations to be seen for much, much less money—Southeast Asia and Central America, for example, could be seen over a few months in what many people would pay for a week or two in London. But most people who aren’t die-hard travelers wouldn’t think of going to those places, and aren’t really that interested in seeing them. They want London, Paris, or Italy. And when they can’t find a way to finance that in the style they like, rather than checking out another much cheaper (and fascinating!) corner of the planet, they instead choose to stay home. What a shame.

They Want to Travel, But Only if It’s Easy: Travel requires a certain amount of work, especially when one is on a budget. I can recall flying eight hours to get to Copenhagen (not even all that challenging a destination), then having to find my way to the train station before dragging my suitcase to my hotel. At the train station, all the signs were in Danish, no one I met spoke any English (my guidebook led me astray here, and my two memorized words of Danish weren’t any help). Everything worked out fine, but it wasn’t an ideal start to my trip, and I can imagine it would have frazzled a lot of people who aren’t used to navigating foreign cities on their own. It’s not always easy to travel. You have to be willing to put up with annoyances and inconveniences, and step out of your (English-speaking) comfort zone. Not everyone is prepared to do that.

They’re Waiting for the Stars to Align: I know a lot of people with travel dreams. They always have some place in mind they’d like to visit someday: Greece, Africa, Russia, France, Australia. Some big, larger-than-life travel dream they’ve packed away for the day they’ll be able to do it because everything they need will magically come together. They’ll win the lottery; their spouse or friend will finally be ready to go; they’ll be through with this enormous project at work that keeps dragging on; the value of the dollar will rise; they’ll finally get around to taking that language class. Someday, all the stars will align and then, and only then, will this trip happen. I’m sorry, but this is no way to live. I’ve traveled to almost thirty countries on five continents and I did not manage this by waiting for the stars to align. Just do it! Save some money, buy a flight, secure the needed vacation time, buy a guidebook, and go. Yes, even if you have to travel solo (which I think is another major reason people don’t travel—they only want to embark on a voyage if they have a travel companion). Life is short. If you have the time and the money, or can find a way to get either, just go on your dream trip this year. Waiting for the stars to align is rarely a successful strategy, in travel or in life.

They Don’t Prioritize Travel: “I want to travel, but it’s expensive/I’m so busy/I’ll get to it once I buy a house/get a promotion/finish this chapter of the book I’m reading.” I’ve heard these statements a lot. In other words, people say they want to travel, but for one reason or another they’re just not making it a priority in their lives. The money that could have purchased a plane ticket to Istanbul instead gets spent on a new Ipad or a shopping spree at the mall or dinners out with friends. This ties in closely with the stars aligning: people often wait for travel to happen to them, as if it were a gift that was going to be given out at Christmas instead of something you need to work towards and keep as a goal in your life. The world isn’t going to come to you, and you’ll never get to it if you don’t put travel at or near the top of your priority list.

They Think They Will Always Have Time to Travel “Someday”: Something that has always baffled me is people who say they want to travel, so they’ll do it after they retire. Really? If you’re in your twenties or thirties, why would you postpone something you really want to do for another four decades or so? Most jobs do provide vacation days—use them! That’s what they’re for! And how do you know you’ll still be physically able to travel, or still have the desire to do so, when you’re in your seventies? Personally I think it’s insane to delay your travel dreams that way, and it dims the likelihood that they will ever actually come true. Maybe you can’t travel this month or next year, but please, if you want to travel, get out there and do it as soon as you can make it happen. There are no guarantees in life, and we can’t always count on an endless stretch of time in the future to see the world. So don’t wait around. Take control. Do it now.

Any other thoughts on why people don’t travel, despite saying they want to? Share!

Travel Musings

Return Trips

When it comes to travel, I’m not a sentimentalist. I don’t generally look backwards, reflecting on the beauty and majesty of places I’ve been to and vowing to go back to see them again. Rather, I am always looking forward—to the next city, the next country, the next adventure.

This trait can obviously be seen as either good or bad, and there are compelling arguments either way. But one thing it means is that when I am enthralled enough by a place I’ve visited to seriously think about returning there, rather than seeking out some new exciting corner of the globe I haven’t made it to yet, it must really be something special.

So, here they are—a list of places I not only loved, but was captivated enough by to want to return to, whether to explore more, to delve deeper, or—in some cases—in hopes of a do-over.

The “I Want to Go Back Because I’m So In Love With It” List

South Africa—I spent nearly a week last year in Cape Town, and I fell in love with the city and its surroundings. And by extension, I fell in love with the rest of South Africa, even though I didn’t get to see it (yet). I absolutely want to go back to Cape Town itself, have more time to wander the streets, explore its neighborhoods further, and make another trip into wine country. I’d also like to see more of the surrounding areas I didn’t get to, such as the Cape of Good Hope. And definitely want to see more of South Africa—I have a deep fondness for it after my time there and I really want to explore further. Maybe on the luxurious Blue Train?
Paris—“There is never any end to Paris,” as Ernest Hemingway said. And there’s never any end to my longing for it either. Paris is a city I just want to go back to and experience over and over—not to see new things, but to rediscover the ones I already love. Café Angelina, Les Deux Magots, wandering through the Latin Quarter and the Left Bank, and just soaking up the magical feeling of being in a city and country I love and getting a rare opportunity to exercise my pitiful French vocabulary…none of it ever gets old. I always, always wish for more time in Paris, and one return trip after another.
Bermuda—I’m one of the luckiest people in the world, because I spent my childhood summers in Bermuda. At least part of them. My parents bought a timeshare there and from the age of 9 well into my 20s, I was in Bermuda almost every year for the last week of July. The backstory: my parents met while working in Bermuda years ago, and they took a trip back when I was young and decided to buy some property so they would have a place to return each year. I spent idyllic childhood days at the St. George’s club, frolicking in the pools, swimming in the beautiful blue ocean and playing on the pink sand beaches that surround them. I loved walking around St. George’s harbor, seeing the old-fashioned stocks in the town square and imagining the day when they were still in use, and taking boat rides out to other parts of the island and the bus into Hamilton, the charming pastel colored capital city, for day trips. Bermuda was my first experience with international travel, aside from a brief trip to England and France with my parents when I was seven (I know, spoiled rotten!), and the beauty, relaxation, and sense of being in a place so different from home was something I looked forward to every year. Maybe it even helped inspire my love of travel! If I have kids of my own one day, I am determined to bring them to Bermuda at least once, to see the magical island where their grandparents met and their mother spent so many happy summer days.

The “I Want to Go Back Because There’s Still So Much Else To See” List

Croatia—Croatia! How I love you. This country could easily have fit on the “so in love with it” list, but I’ve put it here because as much as I loved my first visit and my time in Dubrovnik especially, my main reason for going back is because of all the other parts of the country I still want to see. As I plan my long-anticipated Slovenia trip, I’m also trying to squeeze in a little nearby Croatia exploration, specifically Zagreb and the Plitvice National Park waterfalls. But I’m not stopping there—I also want to visit Hvar, which looks like pretty much the definition of island paradise, and perhaps some of the towns on the borders with Slovenia and Italy. So much more to delve into in such a relatively small country! If you haven’t seen Croatia yet, bump it up to the top of your list.
Italy—I’ve been to Italy twice and seen most of the major cities and the Amalfi Coast, but I’m still not done. I need at least one more trip to see the Cinque Terre seaside villages, Lake Como and Milan, Sardinia and Sicily. And I may need an entire trip to devote just to Tuscany, the food, wine, and glorious panoramic views. Although I spent two days in Florence, I had to move on before I could explore any of the surrounding Tuscan villages, which has me kicking myself retroactively. Next time I go, I’ll be sure to spend time in Siena and San Gimignano, at a bare minimum. And I’m sure I’ll just return with a longer list of places to see on my next visit. I think Italy will be a lifelong recurring travel theme for me….
Argentina—I’ve only been to Buenos Aires (in fact, it’s the only place I’ve been to so far in all of South America—I need to fix that!) and I really enjoyed it. An elegant, historic yet fun city with great food, majestic cafes and lots of Evita memorabilia everywhere—pretty much perfect for me. But I really want to return and see more of this enormous country—Iguaza Falls (I seem to be developing a bit of an obsession with waterfalls lately) and the wine country of Mendoza top my list. I think at least a few weeks’ return trip is in order….
Thailand—I loved my recent trip to Thailand and the places I got to see, especially Phuket. But what excited me most when I left was the knowledge that there was still so much more of this fascinating country to come back and explore! I’m already mentally planning my next trip, which will hopefully include more time in Bangkok (in the modern, rooftop bar section of the city, away from the tourists and temples, though I’m very glad I saw them this time), Chiang Mai in the north, and Koh Samui for a different island experience. I also want to spend some time in Koh Tao, and hopefully learn how to scuba dive there! From what I’ve heard, there’s no place better to do it.

The “I Want to Go Back for a Do-Over” List

Turkey—I wanted to love Istanbul. Oh, how I wanted to love it. And while I saw a lot of amazing things during my trip there—Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar and a luxurious old-world hamaam being among them—the trip itself was marred because, as a single blond woman traveling alone, I felt singled out and targeted for unwanted attention, even harassment, a lot. Most people I met were kind and friendly, but a few bad apples put a pall on my experience. I really want to change that. I want to go back to Turkey and explore different regions—especially some smaller villages along the Mediterranean coastline, and maybe Cappadocia—to see another side of the country and enjoy the beauty and tranquility I didn’t get on my first visit there. Turkey is at the top of my travel re-do list.
Mexico—Technically, I’ve been to Mexico, but does spring break in Cancun during college plus an afternoon hopping off a cruise ship really count? I don’t think so. I want to go somewhere far less touristy, settle in for a week or so, visit Mayan ruins, snorkel, relax on quiet beaches and eat delicious local food. And I want to explore the Pacific coast, as so far I’ve only seen the Yucatan. Mexico is such a vast and fascinating country; I need to return and create a memorable trip that gives me time to relax and get to know it without the touristy hustle-and-bustle. And no more Senor Frog’s!

Are there places you want to go back to, whether because you loved them so much, want to see more, or want a do-over? Share!

Croatia, Eastern/Central Europe, France, Thailand, Travel Musings

Seattle, And the Pleasure of Staying in the Moment

Travel Musings, US travel

I visited Seattle a few months ago, after spending Memorial Day weekend there. It’s fair to say the city met and perhaps even exceeded my expectations, mostly because I didn’t have that many going in. I just wanted to do a few things: relax after a hectic work month and busy Thailand trip by walking around the city, shopping at Pike’s Place Market, and eating a lot of delicious food; and catch up with my good friend who was making the trip with me, finally getting a chance to have long, in-depth conversations in person for the first time in way too long.

I was excited to see Seattle, a city I’d long wanted to visit, but I was determined not to fall into the trap of “box-check syndrome” and run around trying to see and do everything possible during my brief stay. I didn’t want to be a tourist; I just wanted to be a connoisseur of the best Seattle had to offer, to enjoy it on its own terms without a strict regimen of must-sees.

By that standard, the trip was a resounding success. And I came away from Seattle with a few realizations—perhaps not exactly new, but more finely tuned—about what makes for a good travel experience, and indeed, a good life. But more on that shortly….

Seattle itself, despite the grey clouds that hung over us 90 percent of the time and temperatures that refused to budge out of the mid-sixties (come on, it’s nearly June!) is a delightful city. It has pretty much everything in it that I love for a relaxing weekend getaway: farmers’ markets, water views, cozy cafes, and great brunch spots. How could life be better?

My friend and I began our Saturday by heading over to Pike’s Place Market, which, along with the original Starbucks pilgrimage, was the one touristy thing I really wanted to do. It did not disappoint; in fact, it exceeded my expectations. I love outdoor markets (one of my favorite parts of traveling in Europe), and I could have spent hours wandering through the stalls sampling cheeses, olive oils, piping hot apple cider, and other delights, as well as taking in the lively street life and the rows upon rows of beautiful flowers for sale, which I absolutely would have bought had I had a place to take them back to aside from my hotel. Afterwards, we headed over to the Olympic Sculpture Park, which was a bit light on sculpture but made up for it with beautiful, peaceful green spaces complete with sweeping views of the blue water of the harbor and rows of wildflowers ringing it. We sat on a park bench, where I proceeded to enjoy the homemade chocolate peanut butter cup with Mediterranean sea salt (!) I had purchased that morning in a tiny chocolate shop near the market. Delicious.

That afternoon, we headed over to the Space Needle so my friend could ascend to the top. I declined as paying money to ride to the top of tall buildings is not really something I’m enthusiastic about (she said it was great and well worth doing, however). On our way over, we stumbled across an outdoor festival, and donated a few dollars to get inside. We spent time sitting on the grass, people watching and listening to live music being performed on stage while we devoured the most enormous heaping serving of curly fries I have ever encountered. Literally, they fried an entire batch of potatoes in front of us, divided the fryer portion into two halves, and gave us one. It cost $8 and was probably worth more, but neither one of us could finish it and frankly I never felt much like eating again for the rest of the day. Still, the whole thing made for a memorable Seattle experience!

Sunday morning we woke up with food once again on our minds, and took our rental car over to the Capitol Hill district for brunch at Oddfellows Café. This restaurant had been highly recommended as a brunch spot in my Lonely Planet, and I always like to check out at least a few guidebook-recommended places in any city I visit, so this fit the bill. Happily, it did not disappoint. We began with an order of piping hot beignets, little donuts covered in white confectioners’ sugar, washed down with the daily brunch punch special—I can’t recall exactly what this included, but I think there was lavender and lots of hard liquor involved. Pretty interesting. Then, the main event arrived: I ordered a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, which thoughtfully was served with a side of healthy, likely organic greens to make me feel marginally less guilty about my brunch choices. Conscience assuaged.

And wow, what a breakfast sandwich—I am not normally a huge fan of biscuits but this one was ENORMOUS, piping hot and buttery, crumbling a bit as I ate it but still sturdy enough to stand up to the crispy bacon—I love when restaurants actually follow my bacon-cooking instructions!—and eggs stuffed inside it. I almost managed to finish it, which was no small accomplishment, and it kept me full for most of the rest of the day. On my way out I snagged a chocolate chip cookie at the counter which I ate for dessert that night and which also had sea salt on top of it. I heartily approve of Seattle-ites apparent desire to add this ingredient to every chocolate product.

After brunch, I wanted to check out another guidebook spot, Victrola’s Coffee Roasters, a famous little café just a few blocks down the street. Neither my friend nor I are big coffee drinkers (Seattle sacrilege, no doubt) so we opted for non-coffee alternatives; in my case, a hot chocolate. I tend to be wary about ordering hot chocolate in unknown coffee shops, because often times even great coffee baristas don’t make this drink in quite the way I’d like—I need LOTS of chocolate and minimal sweetness. I was thrilled to find that Victrola had it covered. They used a rich chocolate syrup melted into hot water and a swirl of heart-shaped froth on top to make a visually stunning and scrumptious treat. Plus, the relaxed vibe, exposed wood decor and great people-watching view from our window seat made it a really charming place to hang out for an hour or so. If I lived in Seattle, I have no doubt I’d be a Victrola regular.

After our coffee shop detour, it was on to the Puget Sound ferry to ride out to Bainbridge Island. I didn’t know a whole lot about Bainbridge except that it was a popular day-trip from Seattle, easy to reach in less than an hour, and made for a great excuse to get out on the water. Any chance for a boat ride is one I’ll quickly seize, so I enjoyed the windy but picturesque ride over to Bainbridge, and getting to see a different view of Seattle’s landmarks as we drifted away. Many photos were taken—yes, embarrassingly, even including a few selfies. Sorry.

Bainbridge itself proved an unexpected delight, and a great example of how having no expectations and keeping an open mind about a place can pay off in spades. When we got to the island, we were given a map and quickly figured out that Bainbridge was best known for its shopping, cafes, and a multitude of wine tasting locales. Yes please! I’m not a huge wine drinker, but I really have come to enjoy wine tasting—the fun, relaxed ambiance, learning about different wines, the ceremony of the pouring, and of course, the accompanying cheese. My friend and I did a tasting—or rather, she did the full tasting and I stuck to a single serving of Riesling, which was excellent and complemented our cheese plate perfectly. The winery’s owner was a really fun and engaging women who clearly loved her job (I would too!) and the afternoon was complete once she put on “Midnight Train to Georgia,” and got most of the wine drinkers singing along.

At that point, we decamped for some ice cream at one of the shops lining the Bainbridge streets, and then it was time to hop back on the ferry for dinner at a barbecue place in Ballard with one of my old roommates from Praha days, who, as luck would have it, lives in Seattle now. After we finished our meal, she invited us back to her house and we got a glimpse of her neighborhood, a residential, leafy area outside the maelstrom of the city, which offered a great peak into a side of Seattle most tourists never get to see. Food, wine, ferry, and friends: the day was a resounding success.

As lovely as Seattle was, I think the thing I will take away from it most isn’t a single sight or experience, but rather, how nice it is to visit a city without a long planned agenda of items to check off but rather, with the intention of simply enjoying it. I think often, we hard-core travelers tend to lose sight of the fact that above all, travel should be fun! We want to get inside places, to experience them on a deep level, immerse ourselves in the cities and towns we visit, and that’s great. But when you only have a few days to see a city, it’s actually quite freeing to just decide on a few things you want to do—see a market, have brunch, and hit a famous café, for instance—and just let the rest unfold as it will.

I realized on the ferry trip back to Seattle from Bainbridge, as I relaxed and tried to take in the beautiful view of the city panorama growing closer and closer on the shoreline horizon, just how fleeting the ride really was, and how fleeting my two-day trip had been. I wanted to try to hold onto every moment, record the memories of all I was seeing in some inviolable place in my brain where they would remain forever. But I’m not sure that’s really possible. I may not always remember the exact way the Seattle skyline looked to me as our ferry pulled up, or the exact colors of the wildflowers in Olympic Sculpture Park, or the distinct flavor of the cheese I sampled in Pike’s Place Market. But what I will (hopefully) always remember about Seattle is that I got a chance to experience a lovely city for a weekend, see at least a little of what makes it special, and relax and have a wonderful time. I hope the memory of how much I enjoyed Seattle will linger long after the specific details I tried so hard to record begin to fade.

And of course, I’ll remember the brunch. And the chocolate. J

Top 15 Travel Life Lessons

What has travel taught me about life—the big lessons and the small? I thought it would be fun to share a few of my thoughts on the subject. In no particular order, here goes:

My Top 15 Travel Life Lessons

Trains are the most fun way to travel. Getting to spend hours eating, reading, and staring out the window watching landscapes unfold while someone else does the driving and you get to stay on the ground—as long as the distance is reachable by train, it’s always my favorite way to go.

The only food worth eating on Amtrak trains is the cheese and cracker package. Avoid the rest.

Jet lag is best beaten by staying awake until bedtime in your new destination, then collapsing for eight hour or so and waking up ready to face the new day. Get into the rhythm of your new time zone fast. Don’t be one of those people who’s always looking at your watch/cellphone saying “It’s only 4 am back on the East Coast…” It doesn’t matter. You’re someplace else now. Adjust asap and you’ll be very glad you did.

I’ve never regretted paying extra for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When I visited Capri on my Italy trip a few years ago, for example, I initially hesitated at paying about 11 euros (as I recall) to enter the world-renowned Blue Grotto, with its magical light, via a tiny boat. I hadn’t planned to spend the money, but I finally decided I’d come this far, so how could I not go all the way? And it was such a great decision. If you travel halfway around the world to have amazing experiences, don’t do things halfway.

That said, you don’t need to have an experience that doesn’t appeal to you just because others tell you that you should, especially when you’re on a budget and money is involved. Be open to new opportunities, but also listen to your heart: do you really care enough to shell out for this, or take time out of your trip for it? I’ve been to the Eiffel Tower several times but have never forked over the fee to go up to the top, because it simply doesn’t interest me. I’ve never regretted that either. It’s all about knowing what’s important to you, and what you can gladly live without.

Talk to new people you meet during your travels as much as possible. This is actually something I’m still working on. As an introvert, I generally don’t tend to go out of my way to chat with strangers. But when traveling, it can really make a difference and help connect you with new people and gain fresh perspectives. Even the creepy guy my friend and I met in the hostel in Budapest gave us a great restaurant recommendation that led to the best meal of our trip!

No matter how excited you are to see monuments, museums, and whatever else a new place has to offer, it’s also really important to build in some relaxation time. Have a picnic in a park, while away an hour or two in a café over coffee, or just sit in a plaza and people-watch. Whatever you choose to do, remember that balance is just as important in travel as it is in day-to-day life, and often your best travel memories will be of the times you allowed yourself to slow down and enjoy the moment.

It is possible to pack two week’s worth of clothes and toiletries into one small suitcase. It’s even possible to pack several months’ worth of belongings into two suitcases. I’ve done it, and I recommend it highly. You almost never need as much as you think you will, and less luggage = more freedom!

Take lots of photos. They will be your best souvenirs.

Write down your travel experiences. One of the reasons I started blogging is to do exactly that: have a better and more organized way of recording my thoughts on the places I’ve been. I’m not great about notebook writing on short trips, but when I lived in Praha for a year I was pretty good about journaling, and I’m so glad I have that memento now from my time there.

If at all possible, seize the opportunity to live in a place that interests you, even if only for a few weeks or months, rather than just traveling there. I don’t say that to minimize travel: it’s fantastic to see as much of the world as possible and you can have a great experience in a new place in even a few days. That said, the rewards of digging deeper are manifold, and I’m so glad I lived in Praha and London and had the chance to get to know those cities on a deeper level than I possibly could have if I’d just passed through for three or four days.

When it’s hot out and you’re walking around all day, don’t forget to sunscreen and hydrate! Simple advice, but it saved me in Bangkok and Rome.

As did the gelato in Italy. When you are in that country, or anyplace that excels at ice cream, you have carte blanche to eat it as often as you like. My usual rate is two cones a day. You’re on vacation; just go for it!

Your passport is your single most valuable possession when you travel. Do not let it out of your sight; do not put it down for just a minute and then forget where you left it. ALWAYS either have it with you or stored someplace safe you can easily access it.

While bucket lists are fine, keep your mind open to new possibilities, and seize opportunities to travel any place that interests you. I’m currently contemplating a trip to Guatemala—which was never really on my radar before—because a friend lives there and has invited me to visit. Now I can’t stop thinking about how incredible it would be to go there. Always remember that the world is huge, diverse, and fascinating, and probably contains hundreds more incredible places than any one person would ever get to see. So don’t dismiss a destination out of hand because it wasn’t on your travel wish list for as long as you can remember…chances are that if you go, you’ll love it, and come away with an even richer appreciation of what makes our world so astonishing.

Anything you’d add to this list? Share your thoughts below!

Travel Musings

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