Last month I posted about potential trips for 2007 and I mentioned about going back to Ireland in the spring.
I sent a couple emails out to friends and my sister to see if there was any interest. Up until tonight I hadn't heard anything from any of the people I ran this "potential" trip by.
Tonight I got an email from my friend Scott...my travel partner from the infamous 2004 Italy trip! He said he was interested in a week in Ireland. So now the ball is in my court. I'll talk to Scott and see what his thoughts are about what he would like to see and do while there and what his timeline would be. Then I also have to do a real "down and dirty" realistic trip cost to see if I can swing Ireland for a week in May of 2007 and then my 2 weeks in Turkey in September 2007. I've put the deposit on the Turkey trip but it's fully refundable until the end of December.
Oh.... what problems to have to consider...Ireland or Turkey, or both...I really want both, but don't know if I can realistically swing both, but going with a travel partner and splitting car rental and accommodation costs, it just might be "doable", that is if I can find a decent airfare to Ireland! :)
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Cautiously Optimistic!
Let's just say that after a meeting today regarding the grant I'm administering, I am feeling much better about going on vacation for 4 weeks!
A big item that I thought would have to be completed while I was out of the office (and therefore have to delegate to a co-worker or my boss) turned out to have been completed by a partner organization in this project...whew!
At least I left the office today feeling like a bit of weight has been lifted off my shoulders...let's hope I can keep it up for 5 weeks and leave on vacation without worrying about what's going on at the office!
Ok, enough entries about work! Next time I will have to think of a humorous travel post!
A big item that I thought would have to be completed while I was out of the office (and therefore have to delegate to a co-worker or my boss) turned out to have been completed by a partner organization in this project...whew!
At least I left the office today feeling like a bit of weight has been lifted off my shoulders...let's hope I can keep it up for 5 weeks and leave on vacation without worrying about what's going on at the office!
Ok, enough entries about work! Next time I will have to think of a humorous travel post!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Deep Cleansing Breaths!
This is my mantra for the next 5 weeks and 2 days...when it comes to work and going on vacation.
I've got a huge grant that I am administering and it wouldn't be so bad, but I am just beginning the start-up process (just received award notification at the end of June) and because it is federal funds the requirements are very detailed.
On the bright side, I put together a checklist of everything that has to be done from start to finish. Not only for my use, but my boss (or whoever will be handling things while I'm out) will be able to use it too.
One good thing is that as part of the start-up process a special environmental review is required and that involves 13 state or federal agencies that have to review the project and the project can't start until the agencies send me determination letters on their findings (essentially saying the project is ok or not based on their requirements). And knowing how "quickly" (wink wink) those agencies typically work I can go on my vacation in September and not worry about having to move the project forward until I get back, because I am pretty sure those agencies will take longer then the 4 weeks they said they take to review these requests. At least that is what I would like to think. But as long as I make sure all my information is accessible to my boss it should all be good...well, that's what I am telling myself...heck I deserve this vacation!
Of course, some days I handle this philosoply better then others, but I'm just anxious for this trip to begin. I've put so much time researching the destinations that I can't wait to get there and experience what I have been reading about for the last 9 months!
Here's to ...Breathing in...Breathing out...Breathing in...Breathing out...ahhh...I can feel the stress melting away as I type....yeah right! :)
I've got a huge grant that I am administering and it wouldn't be so bad, but I am just beginning the start-up process (just received award notification at the end of June) and because it is federal funds the requirements are very detailed.
On the bright side, I put together a checklist of everything that has to be done from start to finish. Not only for my use, but my boss (or whoever will be handling things while I'm out) will be able to use it too.
One good thing is that as part of the start-up process a special environmental review is required and that involves 13 state or federal agencies that have to review the project and the project can't start until the agencies send me determination letters on their findings (essentially saying the project is ok or not based on their requirements). And knowing how "quickly" (wink wink) those agencies typically work I can go on my vacation in September and not worry about having to move the project forward until I get back, because I am pretty sure those agencies will take longer then the 4 weeks they said they take to review these requests. At least that is what I would like to think. But as long as I make sure all my information is accessible to my boss it should all be good...well, that's what I am telling myself...heck I deserve this vacation!
Of course, some days I handle this philosoply better then others, but I'm just anxious for this trip to begin. I've put so much time researching the destinations that I can't wait to get there and experience what I have been reading about for the last 9 months!
Here's to ...Breathing in...Breathing out...Breathing in...Breathing out...ahhh...I can feel the stress melting away as I type....yeah right! :)
Thursday, July 20, 2006
44 More Days...
What do you do when it feels like the longest work week in the history of time? Add another trip countdown entry to my blog of course!
I just talked to CL this morning and her new suitcase arrived and she did a "mini-pack" to see how she likes the bag...hmmmm...I must be rubbing off on her! :)
So I think we are pretty much set as far as the trip planning and trip related purchases are concerned!
Suitcase....................Check
Backpack/day bag....Check
New walking shoes...Check
Convertible pants.....Check
Guidebooks................Check
It sure looks to me like we are ready, and only 44 more days. It will be trudgery getting through the next 6 weeks! Hey...when I say 6 weeks, it doesn't sound as long as 44 days! At least today it doesn't sound as long, I could change my mind by tonight!
Of course I have alot on my plate coming up at work which doesn't ease my mind about going away for 4 weeks of vacation. But I've planned this trip for a year and the work world won't stop just because I am on the other side of the planet! Someone will take care of whatever comes up or it will wait until I get back.
And on that note, I will end this blog with the song lyrics that are running through my mind at this very moment....
I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane...Don't know when I'll be back again!
I just talked to CL this morning and her new suitcase arrived and she did a "mini-pack" to see how she likes the bag...hmmmm...I must be rubbing off on her! :)
So I think we are pretty much set as far as the trip planning and trip related purchases are concerned!
Suitcase....................Check
Backpack/day bag....Check
New walking shoes...Check
Convertible pants.....Check
Guidebooks................Check
It sure looks to me like we are ready, and only 44 more days. It will be trudgery getting through the next 6 weeks! Hey...when I say 6 weeks, it doesn't sound as long as 44 days! At least today it doesn't sound as long, I could change my mind by tonight!
Of course I have alot on my plate coming up at work which doesn't ease my mind about going away for 4 weeks of vacation. But I've planned this trip for a year and the work world won't stop just because I am on the other side of the planet! Someone will take care of whatever comes up or it will wait until I get back.
And on that note, I will end this blog with the song lyrics that are running through my mind at this very moment....
I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane...Don't know when I'll be back again!
Saturday, July 15, 2006
A Saturday in the Life of Me....
Ahhhh....It wouldn't be a Saturday if I didn't spend some time at the local Starbucks drinking an iced carmel macchiatto and reading the latest Oprah magazine!
Although this doesn't seem like a "travel related" entry, it really is, well, kind of.
In an effort to become more familiar with my camera (yes, I've had it more then a year), I'm trying to use more of the special settings. For this picture I used the macro setting which I recently learned is for close up photos! So this is my first attempt and I think it turned out pretty good.
The next camera setting I want to tackle is the night photo setting but that's a bit more tricky since I have to place the camera on a stable surface or get a tripod (not likely at the moment).
So I will continue to post any "trial photos" that I think are interesting!
Friday, July 14, 2006
50 More Days....
CathyLee just ordered her "ultimate" roll-aboard carry-on for our trip. Looks like she may have gotten a better bargain then me. LL Bean has a 21" roll-aboard with more cubic inches then the suitcase I bought and about $30 less then what I spent. But it's all good. I don't think the one she orded expands, and mine does, so hopefully that will make up the difference in cubic inches! :) If not, I can always buy another bag during the trip...afterall, I've been known to do that in the past!
Last week I purchased my reading material for the trip. The second book in the Outlander series, it's 900+ pages so that should keep me occupied for a good part of the trip and I won't be reading every day. But it's a little "compact" paperback, so it won't take up too much room and if I finish it while traveling, I'll just leave it for the next occupant of the room!
I have been trying to post a picture of the cover of the Footprints Croatia Guidebook, but I am not having much luck posting it. I will keep trying.
Well, tonight I don't have any travel-isms to extoll, so I'm calling it a night.
Last week I purchased my reading material for the trip. The second book in the Outlander series, it's 900+ pages so that should keep me occupied for a good part of the trip and I won't be reading every day. But it's a little "compact" paperback, so it won't take up too much room and if I finish it while traveling, I'll just leave it for the next occupant of the room!
I have been trying to post a picture of the cover of the Footprints Croatia Guidebook, but I am not having much luck posting it. I will keep trying.
Well, tonight I don't have any travel-isms to extoll, so I'm calling it a night.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Footprint Guidebook!
I cannot speak highly enough about the Footprint Croatia Guidebook, 3rd edition that was published in May 2006.
In preparation for my trip to Central Europe with 9 days in Croatia (after the guided tour ends) I was in search for a really good guidebook to Croatia. I had been trolling the internet for months and back in January I purchased the Brandt guide to Croatia which was published in 2005. At that time that book was the most recent Croatia travel guide I could find. It's an OK book, but I wasn't really happy with it.
A few months later I was checking things out on both the Barnes & Noble website and Amazon.com. They both listed this Footprint guide, with the note that it would be published in May 2006 and available in June. I was waiting with "bated breath" for June 1st to roll around and when it finally did I made a bee-line for the local Barnes & Noble store. Considering where I live, I came to the conclusion even before I went into the store that the chances of the book being on the shelf there was slim to none. And I was right. So, I beat it over to the information desk armed with both the title and author. You can imagine my surprise when the clerk typed in the information and it came up as not available. They couldn't even order it! I was flumoxed!
All through June I kept checking the websites, still not available. Then finally one day it said available, but a 4-6 week wait! UGGGGH...don't they know I'm leaving on September 2nd and I need to get my "ducks in a row". Ok, so maybe it's unrealistic for me to think that I am the center of the universe for Barnes & Noble and Amazon, but I did! :)
Then lo and behold at the end of June a miracle! The Barnes & Noble website had the book and it was available! I never ordered anything that fast in my life! A week later the book arrived and I did my little 'happy dance" around my living room. It was perfect timing. I got the book on a Thursday and I could spend the weekend going through it and that is exactly what I did.
Now, since I only needed information on a few places I was able to get through the whole book in 2 days, including using my trusty high lighter pen to note the information that most interested me!
So, what do I like the most about this book? Well, I like the way the chapters/information is formatted and it's very easy to read. The information flows well and it gives lots of restaurant recommendations. It gives just enough history information at the beginning of each section so that I don't feel bombarded and give up reading that portion. And I like the fact that even though it's a guide for the whole country it's not so thick that it will take up too much space in my bag!
I have to give credit where credit is due and thank one of my fellow fodorites on the Fodors website message boards for recommending this book to me. I was hesitant to order it online without being able to see if it contained the type of information I was looking for. But this guidebook was "right on the money" for what I was looking for!
In preparation for my trip to Central Europe with 9 days in Croatia (after the guided tour ends) I was in search for a really good guidebook to Croatia. I had been trolling the internet for months and back in January I purchased the Brandt guide to Croatia which was published in 2005. At that time that book was the most recent Croatia travel guide I could find. It's an OK book, but I wasn't really happy with it.
A few months later I was checking things out on both the Barnes & Noble website and Amazon.com. They both listed this Footprint guide, with the note that it would be published in May 2006 and available in June. I was waiting with "bated breath" for June 1st to roll around and when it finally did I made a bee-line for the local Barnes & Noble store. Considering where I live, I came to the conclusion even before I went into the store that the chances of the book being on the shelf there was slim to none. And I was right. So, I beat it over to the information desk armed with both the title and author. You can imagine my surprise when the clerk typed in the information and it came up as not available. They couldn't even order it! I was flumoxed!
All through June I kept checking the websites, still not available. Then finally one day it said available, but a 4-6 week wait! UGGGGH...don't they know I'm leaving on September 2nd and I need to get my "ducks in a row". Ok, so maybe it's unrealistic for me to think that I am the center of the universe for Barnes & Noble and Amazon, but I did! :)
Then lo and behold at the end of June a miracle! The Barnes & Noble website had the book and it was available! I never ordered anything that fast in my life! A week later the book arrived and I did my little 'happy dance" around my living room. It was perfect timing. I got the book on a Thursday and I could spend the weekend going through it and that is exactly what I did.
Now, since I only needed information on a few places I was able to get through the whole book in 2 days, including using my trusty high lighter pen to note the information that most interested me!
So, what do I like the most about this book? Well, I like the way the chapters/information is formatted and it's very easy to read. The information flows well and it gives lots of restaurant recommendations. It gives just enough history information at the beginning of each section so that I don't feel bombarded and give up reading that portion. And I like the fact that even though it's a guide for the whole country it's not so thick that it will take up too much space in my bag!
I have to give credit where credit is due and thank one of my fellow fodorites on the Fodors website message boards for recommending this book to me. I was hesitant to order it online without being able to see if it contained the type of information I was looking for. But this guidebook was "right on the money" for what I was looking for!
54 More Days...
until I leave for my Central Europe trip! And better yet, 53 more days of work...being the "smartie" that I am, I decided to take the day before I leave off from work. This way I will have a day to take care of any last minute issues, final packing and of course my last gym workout before a "grueling" travel day.
I have decided to try a new approach to alleviate jetlag. It will be interesting to see how it works. On my last overseas trip I didn't have any difficulty (that I can remember), I just recall going to sleep pretty early on the first night. But I got a tip from the Fodors website that sounded interesting and I thought I might give it a try.
The premise is to go onto the destination's time a day or 2 before leaving. In my case that would be Prague time. My game plan is to start on Thursday night and go to sleep as early as possible (like around 7pm) get up on Friday morning at about 3am (since it will be 9am Prague time). I will go about my day on Friday doing whatever needs to get done and going to sleep as early as possible. In a perfect world that would be 6pm, but not sure it that is feasible, but I will give it a shot. Then on Saturday, the day of departure get up at 3am. We will have to leave for the airport by around 6am anyway, so getting up at 3am is realistic. By doing this I should be ready to go to sleep by the time we board the plane at JFK for the flight to Prague.
It may sound absurd, but I'm willing to give it a try and thinking about it now, if I can accomplish this I will probably be so exhausted by the time I sit down on the flight from JFK to Prague that I may not even be able to hold my eyes open for take off! This would be great since it will provide me with 7 hours of sleep on the plane! Well, I can dream can't I? Of course I have to get through the 2 flights prior to arriving at JFK, but since they are relatively short flights I don't see any problems there. But then again, when it comes to air travel it's best to always expect the worst and if that doesn't happen my expectations will be exceeded!
Here's to a swift 54 days!
I have decided to try a new approach to alleviate jetlag. It will be interesting to see how it works. On my last overseas trip I didn't have any difficulty (that I can remember), I just recall going to sleep pretty early on the first night. But I got a tip from the Fodors website that sounded interesting and I thought I might give it a try.
The premise is to go onto the destination's time a day or 2 before leaving. In my case that would be Prague time. My game plan is to start on Thursday night and go to sleep as early as possible (like around 7pm) get up on Friday morning at about 3am (since it will be 9am Prague time). I will go about my day on Friday doing whatever needs to get done and going to sleep as early as possible. In a perfect world that would be 6pm, but not sure it that is feasible, but I will give it a shot. Then on Saturday, the day of departure get up at 3am. We will have to leave for the airport by around 6am anyway, so getting up at 3am is realistic. By doing this I should be ready to go to sleep by the time we board the plane at JFK for the flight to Prague.
It may sound absurd, but I'm willing to give it a try and thinking about it now, if I can accomplish this I will probably be so exhausted by the time I sit down on the flight from JFK to Prague that I may not even be able to hold my eyes open for take off! This would be great since it will provide me with 7 hours of sleep on the plane! Well, I can dream can't I? Of course I have to get through the 2 flights prior to arriving at JFK, but since they are relatively short flights I don't see any problems there. But then again, when it comes to air travel it's best to always expect the worst and if that doesn't happen my expectations will be exceeded!
Here's to a swift 54 days!
Sunday, July 02, 2006
2 Months and Counting....
Yay! It's July 2nd and that means 2 months from today I will be jetting off to Prague! The anticipation is killing me! Since my trip is now just 2 months away I feel I can officially begin the countdown!
As nerotic as it may sound I spent a few hours this weekend doing a practice pack to see if everything on my packing list will fit into my bags. I'm glad I did this because I have downsized even more. Yes, I did a practice pack a few months ago, and deleted stuff then too. But, it's all looking good now. The completed packed roll-aboard carry-on weighs 25 pounds, so I'm "good to go"!
As I continue to downsize I keep telling myself "pack as if you are going away for a week". As long as I keep telling myself that and know I will have to do laundry along the way it really makes packing light a whole lot better!
As nerotic as it may sound I spent a few hours this weekend doing a practice pack to see if everything on my packing list will fit into my bags. I'm glad I did this because I have downsized even more. Yes, I did a practice pack a few months ago, and deleted stuff then too. But, it's all looking good now. The completed packed roll-aboard carry-on weighs 25 pounds, so I'm "good to go"!
As I continue to downsize I keep telling myself "pack as if you are going away for a week". As long as I keep telling myself that and know I will have to do laundry along the way it really makes packing light a whole lot better!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
2007 Trip Plans Shaping Up!
I know some people don't understand my addiction to travel. I sometimes wonder which I love more the planning and preparation of a trip or the trip itself. I've thought about this alot lately.
I love doing the research about a destination I have chosen to visit. I become so engrossed in reading about the history and culture the customs and culinary delights that I often consider myself a travel agent extrordinaire, albeit just for myself or a few select travel companions. I feel that seeking out as much information on a location as I can get will enable me to have numerous choices of things to do, places to see and food to eat while I am traveling and I just love that!
So this brings me to the topic of this blog entry. I have my 2006 trip planning well under my belt, save for a train ticket that I will purchase when I arrive to get a better deal then if I were to purchase the ticket through a broker on line. So I turned my sights on planning a 2007 trip calendar. There are so many places on my wish list that I was torn on where to start serious consideration. But after much lurking/reading on the Fodor's message boards and watching several of the Rick Steves travel shows I have determined that for 2007 my "big" trip will be to Turkey!
And yes, it will be a solo trip, for now anyway. If a friend decides to join me that would be great, but I am not going to sit back and wait for someone else to suggest it! And yes, it will be another group tour and yes, with Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door. I put my deposit in last week for September 24-October 6, 2007. It should be an interesting trip.
Now why another group tour? Again, it comes down to a few things. 1. I wouldn't feel comfortable traveling completely on my own in Turkey due to the language issue and with a guide I would have help. 2. Although I like traveling solo, I also like to be able to sit down to a meal with others who have shared daily experiences and 3. I really like the Rick Steve style of travel. So there it is, my first 2007 travel commitment.
I've also planned a long winter weekend trip out to Tucson in January 2007 to visit friends. Believe it or not, I was actually able to use frequent flier miles for this trip and only had to pay the $10 tax for the flight.
Now the big question is...should I plan a spring trip for 2007? I'm leaning toward saying yes to this because of how I am handling this years travel withdrawal I am going through. In 2006 I have only one (albeit a long one) trip planned...4 weeks in Central Europe. But that is not until September and the last time I packed my bags to go anywhere was in November 2005 (the infamous Thanksgiving trip to Tucson). So my thought is for 2007 I need to sprinkle even a one week or long weekend trip sometime in the spring so it will be between my Tucson trip in January and my Turkey trip in September (remember this is for 2007).
A few places have popped into my mind for a spring 2007 (think end of May/early June) trip. I loved Ireland so much last year and I was there the same time of year and it was lovely. I'm contemplating renting an apartment for a week and stay in one place and do day trips. So this would also entail renting a car, which may be an obstacle since I'm not comfortable driving a manual transmission (and automatics are pricey) and I would be driving on the opposite side of the road and in all likelihood I would be going it solo. Plus the airfare will probably be around $800-$900.
The other destination I have been considering for sping of 2007 is the Pacific Northwest, more specifically Seattle. I've checked out a trip with Backroads Tours that would be a hiking/walking trip, but that doesn't go until mid-June and I really wanted to take advantage of the Memorial Day Holiday to reduce the number of vacation I would be taking. So now I am mulling over maybe just doing a long weekend and concentrating on just Seattle. Afterall, my Seattle trip that was supposed to be in January 2006 got cancelled and it would be nice to be in Seattle in another month than January! Plus the airfare to Seattle would be half the price to Ireland. But part of me is just drawn to Ireland and if I could would go back every year!
Decisions, Decisions! I am happy that I will be going to Turkey and have promised myself that I will not start researching/reading about that destination until I am back from my jaunt around Central Europe!
As my mother says "Don't wish your life away"! :)
Happy Travels!
I love doing the research about a destination I have chosen to visit. I become so engrossed in reading about the history and culture the customs and culinary delights that I often consider myself a travel agent extrordinaire, albeit just for myself or a few select travel companions. I feel that seeking out as much information on a location as I can get will enable me to have numerous choices of things to do, places to see and food to eat while I am traveling and I just love that!
So this brings me to the topic of this blog entry. I have my 2006 trip planning well under my belt, save for a train ticket that I will purchase when I arrive to get a better deal then if I were to purchase the ticket through a broker on line. So I turned my sights on planning a 2007 trip calendar. There are so many places on my wish list that I was torn on where to start serious consideration. But after much lurking/reading on the Fodor's message boards and watching several of the Rick Steves travel shows I have determined that for 2007 my "big" trip will be to Turkey!
And yes, it will be a solo trip, for now anyway. If a friend decides to join me that would be great, but I am not going to sit back and wait for someone else to suggest it! And yes, it will be another group tour and yes, with Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door. I put my deposit in last week for September 24-October 6, 2007. It should be an interesting trip.
Now why another group tour? Again, it comes down to a few things. 1. I wouldn't feel comfortable traveling completely on my own in Turkey due to the language issue and with a guide I would have help. 2. Although I like traveling solo, I also like to be able to sit down to a meal with others who have shared daily experiences and 3. I really like the Rick Steve style of travel. So there it is, my first 2007 travel commitment.
I've also planned a long winter weekend trip out to Tucson in January 2007 to visit friends. Believe it or not, I was actually able to use frequent flier miles for this trip and only had to pay the $10 tax for the flight.
Now the big question is...should I plan a spring trip for 2007? I'm leaning toward saying yes to this because of how I am handling this years travel withdrawal I am going through. In 2006 I have only one (albeit a long one) trip planned...4 weeks in Central Europe. But that is not until September and the last time I packed my bags to go anywhere was in November 2005 (the infamous Thanksgiving trip to Tucson). So my thought is for 2007 I need to sprinkle even a one week or long weekend trip sometime in the spring so it will be between my Tucson trip in January and my Turkey trip in September (remember this is for 2007).
A few places have popped into my mind for a spring 2007 (think end of May/early June) trip. I loved Ireland so much last year and I was there the same time of year and it was lovely. I'm contemplating renting an apartment for a week and stay in one place and do day trips. So this would also entail renting a car, which may be an obstacle since I'm not comfortable driving a manual transmission (and automatics are pricey) and I would be driving on the opposite side of the road and in all likelihood I would be going it solo. Plus the airfare will probably be around $800-$900.
The other destination I have been considering for sping of 2007 is the Pacific Northwest, more specifically Seattle. I've checked out a trip with Backroads Tours that would be a hiking/walking trip, but that doesn't go until mid-June and I really wanted to take advantage of the Memorial Day Holiday to reduce the number of vacation I would be taking. So now I am mulling over maybe just doing a long weekend and concentrating on just Seattle. Afterall, my Seattle trip that was supposed to be in January 2006 got cancelled and it would be nice to be in Seattle in another month than January! Plus the airfare to Seattle would be half the price to Ireland. But part of me is just drawn to Ireland and if I could would go back every year!
Decisions, Decisions! I am happy that I will be going to Turkey and have promised myself that I will not start researching/reading about that destination until I am back from my jaunt around Central Europe!
As my mother says "Don't wish your life away"! :)
Happy Travels!
Saturday, June 10, 2006
A Better Plan????
I believe I have conjured up a better alternative to getting a train at 2:30 in the morning! Well, at least I think it's a better plan :)
So after much research and banging my head against a wall, or so it seemed, I came up with this plan...Rent a car!
My original thought was to rent a car in Bled, Slovenia where the tours. My plan was to pick up a rental car the last night of the group tour so CL and I could get an early start the next day and drive to Split to catch the fast catamaran to Hvar at 5pm. You can imagine my shock when I started pricing car rentals and the cheapest one came back at $517! We only wanted the car for one day, but since we would be renting in one country and dropping off in another there was a monumental drop off charge...300 Euros!
Hmmmmm...what to do now? Well, if we could get into Croatia to rent a car maybe the prices would be cheaper. But I didn't want to miss the last night of the group tour. So then my brain goes into over-drive thinking through how this can be done, but I know it can be done and not for $500!
After going over the various scenarios in my head here is the plan I came up with and CL agreed...Thank God she is so easy going!
We will take the 5:20am train from Bled to Zagreb, Croatia's capital. It's approximately a 3 hour train ride. We get to the main train station in downtown Zagreb at about 8:30am, this is on a Tuesday. I found there is an Avis rental car desk at the Sheraton Hotel Zagreb which is only a few blocks from the train station so we can walk there easily pulling our wheely-bags behind us. This worked out perfectly because even though we will only need to rent the car for a few hours the cost is about $100. Now you are probably wondering why don't they take the train all the way to Split. Well....it's because the train will not get us there in time for the last fast catamaran at 5pm, and by driving once we get out of Zagreb the A-1 Highway is a brand new, straight shot from Zagreb to Split. And I have from a reliable source the drive from Zagreb to Split on the A-1 is about 3 hours with good traffic conditions. So in my mind I have told myself it should take about 4 hours, because I have giving us 1 hour to negoiate getting out of downtown and onto the highway. And since we are going to drop off the car at the Split airport which is outside the city, the drive may be a little shorter. Once we drop off the car we just hop on the city bus that will take us directly to the ferry terminal!
Now, I know this sounds like a lot of changes in modes of transportation. But even with the train ticket to Zagreb, the car rental, the gas, the tolls, the bus to the ferry terminal and the catamaran, the cost of that is less then renting a car in Bled and about the same amount as a direct train ticket from Bled to Split.
Even though we will be spending an entire day "in transit" we will be getting to Hvar in the early evening and that was my goal for that day. Then we have 3 days to bum around Hvar! :)
All is well in the world of Croatia travel planning! :)
So after much research and banging my head against a wall, or so it seemed, I came up with this plan...Rent a car!
My original thought was to rent a car in Bled, Slovenia where the tours. My plan was to pick up a rental car the last night of the group tour so CL and I could get an early start the next day and drive to Split to catch the fast catamaran to Hvar at 5pm. You can imagine my shock when I started pricing car rentals and the cheapest one came back at $517! We only wanted the car for one day, but since we would be renting in one country and dropping off in another there was a monumental drop off charge...300 Euros!
Hmmmmm...what to do now? Well, if we could get into Croatia to rent a car maybe the prices would be cheaper. But I didn't want to miss the last night of the group tour. So then my brain goes into over-drive thinking through how this can be done, but I know it can be done and not for $500!
After going over the various scenarios in my head here is the plan I came up with and CL agreed...Thank God she is so easy going!
We will take the 5:20am train from Bled to Zagreb, Croatia's capital. It's approximately a 3 hour train ride. We get to the main train station in downtown Zagreb at about 8:30am, this is on a Tuesday. I found there is an Avis rental car desk at the Sheraton Hotel Zagreb which is only a few blocks from the train station so we can walk there easily pulling our wheely-bags behind us. This worked out perfectly because even though we will only need to rent the car for a few hours the cost is about $100. Now you are probably wondering why don't they take the train all the way to Split. Well....it's because the train will not get us there in time for the last fast catamaran at 5pm, and by driving once we get out of Zagreb the A-1 Highway is a brand new, straight shot from Zagreb to Split. And I have from a reliable source the drive from Zagreb to Split on the A-1 is about 3 hours with good traffic conditions. So in my mind I have told myself it should take about 4 hours, because I have giving us 1 hour to negoiate getting out of downtown and onto the highway. And since we are going to drop off the car at the Split airport which is outside the city, the drive may be a little shorter. Once we drop off the car we just hop on the city bus that will take us directly to the ferry terminal!
Now, I know this sounds like a lot of changes in modes of transportation. But even with the train ticket to Zagreb, the car rental, the gas, the tolls, the bus to the ferry terminal and the catamaran, the cost of that is less then renting a car in Bled and about the same amount as a direct train ticket from Bled to Split.
Even though we will be spending an entire day "in transit" we will be getting to Hvar in the early evening and that was my goal for that day. Then we have 3 days to bum around Hvar! :)
All is well in the world of Croatia travel planning! :)
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Should I stay up all night to catch a 2:30am train?
Here's my situation....
CL and I will be ending the group tour portion of our Central Europe trip in Bled, Slovenia. Our last group tour day is a Tuesday, but technically the tour will pretty much be over at the final dinner with the group on Monday night. CL and I have a reservation and made a deposit for a studio apartment in Hvar, Croatia starting Tuesday night. The reservation is through a travel agency, and we have an email confirmation with the apartment owner's name and phone number to contact. So I am assuming we will need to call the owner to arrange a time to meet and get the apartment key and directions to the apartment.
Our plan is to take a train from Bled to Split, Croatia and then catch a ferry or catamaran to Hvar. The dilema I am facing is that the last fast catamaran from Split to Hvar leaves at 5pm. If we get the 7:45am train from Bled that will put us in Split at 4:30pm. The trouble is that the train is not likely to be on time so we would miss the fast catamaran that would get us to Hvar around 6pm. Or if the train is on time, and luckily the train station is just steps from the ferry terminal, but with cutting it so close time-wise the tickets for the catamaran might be sold out by the time we get there.
Now there is the option of the 8pm regular ferry which takes about 2 hours. But this ferry does not dock in Hvar town (where our apartment is located) it docks at Stari Grad about a 20 minute bus ride from Hvar Town and we would be arriving around 10pm, so we will have lost the daylight. With this late arrival time I am thinking this will be an inconvenience to the apartment owner and I would prefer getting to Hvar in the day light.
So the alternative is getting a 2:30am train from Bled so that we could catch the 7am train in Zagreb and arriving in Split around noon time which gives us several options of either the regular ferry or the fast catamaran to Hvar. But this means, most likely, staying up after the final dinner so we could catch the 2:30am train and then sleeping on the train, but have a 2 hour wait in Zagreb...uggghhh! Such troubles to worry about...I guess the best thing to do at this point is talk to CL and see if she is up for the 2:30am option, since that is what I am preferring at the moment, unless she can think of another option.....Oh well!
Stay tuned!
CL and I will be ending the group tour portion of our Central Europe trip in Bled, Slovenia. Our last group tour day is a Tuesday, but technically the tour will pretty much be over at the final dinner with the group on Monday night. CL and I have a reservation and made a deposit for a studio apartment in Hvar, Croatia starting Tuesday night. The reservation is through a travel agency, and we have an email confirmation with the apartment owner's name and phone number to contact. So I am assuming we will need to call the owner to arrange a time to meet and get the apartment key and directions to the apartment.
Our plan is to take a train from Bled to Split, Croatia and then catch a ferry or catamaran to Hvar. The dilema I am facing is that the last fast catamaran from Split to Hvar leaves at 5pm. If we get the 7:45am train from Bled that will put us in Split at 4:30pm. The trouble is that the train is not likely to be on time so we would miss the fast catamaran that would get us to Hvar around 6pm. Or if the train is on time, and luckily the train station is just steps from the ferry terminal, but with cutting it so close time-wise the tickets for the catamaran might be sold out by the time we get there.
Now there is the option of the 8pm regular ferry which takes about 2 hours. But this ferry does not dock in Hvar town (where our apartment is located) it docks at Stari Grad about a 20 minute bus ride from Hvar Town and we would be arriving around 10pm, so we will have lost the daylight. With this late arrival time I am thinking this will be an inconvenience to the apartment owner and I would prefer getting to Hvar in the day light.
So the alternative is getting a 2:30am train from Bled so that we could catch the 7am train in Zagreb and arriving in Split around noon time which gives us several options of either the regular ferry or the fast catamaran to Hvar. But this means, most likely, staying up after the final dinner so we could catch the 2:30am train and then sleeping on the train, but have a 2 hour wait in Zagreb...uggghhh! Such troubles to worry about...I guess the best thing to do at this point is talk to CL and see if she is up for the 2:30am option, since that is what I am preferring at the moment, unless she can think of another option.....Oh well!
Stay tuned!
Friday, May 26, 2006
How to handle money while traveling....
There are so many topics when it comes to money when traveling I'm going to "impart" some of my wisdom on that here...
The age of the ATM is upon us and I have to admit that I have yet to use an ATM while vacationing abroad. The last several trips I have taken I used my bank's foreign currency section on their website and ordered currency before going on my trip. I know, this was probably not the smartest move for several reasons:
1. The exchange rate wasn't the best
2. There is a transaction fee/shipping charge I had to pay
3. Walking around at my destination with alot of cash probaly wasn't such a great idea (luckily nothing happend!)
But, in my defense I have to say that I liked having the local currecy when I landed and didn't have to search the airport for an ATM and it made getting transportation from the airport easier.
I have learned my lesson now. So, for my "big" September trip where I will be traveling for a month to 6 different countries I have decided to go the way of the ATM and not have any local currency on me when I arrive and just find an ATM before leaving the airport. I figure since I will not be checking any luggage on this trip the time I save not waiting for my luggage I can spend searching for an ATM! :)
The other plus side to using ATM's and getting cash in local currency that is withdrawn from my bank account at home is that even with having to pay a transaction fee for using an ATM not affiliated with my bank at home I will be getting the best (inter-bank) exchange rate. Yes, I know I will be paying an ATM transaction fee, but I'm getting the better exchange rate...makes sense to me...well kind of. At least by using local ATM's at my destination I won't have a whole month's worth of cash on me and be a target for a pickpocket.
Which brings me to my next bit of advice on money and that is use a moneybelt. When I was a college student on a study abroad program and traveling alot by train and staying in hostels I faithfully used a moneybelt. As I got older I let the moneybelt go by the wayside. I haven't used one in quite some time, but having read some rather distrubing stories about pickpocketing I am now convinced the moneybelt is the way to go. I didn't use one in Ireland last year, but never felt theatened. Several years ago in Australia and New Zealand I didn't use one but I used a small backpack instead. I felt safe everywhere I went except on the city streets in Auckland where I wished I had a moneybelt on, simply for reassurance. So in September I will have the moneybelt on and have peace of mind.
Debit cards versus credit cards. I use both in my travels but have stumbled across some words of wisdom about debit cards. Do not let a debit card out of your sight! There are scam artists all over and if they get your debit card number and sell it and that number gets used for purchases the money is not going onto your credit card, but coming out of your bank account! So, my debit card is my ATM card and I will only use it for making withdrawals at an ATM.
Now for credit cards, the same warning kind of holds true, try not to let it out of your sight, I know that can be difficult espcecially if paying for a meal in a restaurant when the server takes the card to put it through the machine, but many European restaurants now bring a hand-held device to your table if paying by credit card that you swipe through so the server never touches your card. But if your credit card does get stolen and I know this is little consolation at least the money that is being charged to your credit card is not coming directly from your bank account. And, typically credit card disputes like this can be cleared up more quickly then the debit card disputes. so a word of caution is to use debit and credit cards very carefully.
The age of the ATM is upon us and I have to admit that I have yet to use an ATM while vacationing abroad. The last several trips I have taken I used my bank's foreign currency section on their website and ordered currency before going on my trip. I know, this was probably not the smartest move for several reasons:
1. The exchange rate wasn't the best
2. There is a transaction fee/shipping charge I had to pay
3. Walking around at my destination with alot of cash probaly wasn't such a great idea (luckily nothing happend!)
But, in my defense I have to say that I liked having the local currecy when I landed and didn't have to search the airport for an ATM and it made getting transportation from the airport easier.
I have learned my lesson now. So, for my "big" September trip where I will be traveling for a month to 6 different countries I have decided to go the way of the ATM and not have any local currency on me when I arrive and just find an ATM before leaving the airport. I figure since I will not be checking any luggage on this trip the time I save not waiting for my luggage I can spend searching for an ATM! :)
The other plus side to using ATM's and getting cash in local currency that is withdrawn from my bank account at home is that even with having to pay a transaction fee for using an ATM not affiliated with my bank at home I will be getting the best (inter-bank) exchange rate. Yes, I know I will be paying an ATM transaction fee, but I'm getting the better exchange rate...makes sense to me...well kind of. At least by using local ATM's at my destination I won't have a whole month's worth of cash on me and be a target for a pickpocket.
Which brings me to my next bit of advice on money and that is use a moneybelt. When I was a college student on a study abroad program and traveling alot by train and staying in hostels I faithfully used a moneybelt. As I got older I let the moneybelt go by the wayside. I haven't used one in quite some time, but having read some rather distrubing stories about pickpocketing I am now convinced the moneybelt is the way to go. I didn't use one in Ireland last year, but never felt theatened. Several years ago in Australia and New Zealand I didn't use one but I used a small backpack instead. I felt safe everywhere I went except on the city streets in Auckland where I wished I had a moneybelt on, simply for reassurance. So in September I will have the moneybelt on and have peace of mind.
Debit cards versus credit cards. I use both in my travels but have stumbled across some words of wisdom about debit cards. Do not let a debit card out of your sight! There are scam artists all over and if they get your debit card number and sell it and that number gets used for purchases the money is not going onto your credit card, but coming out of your bank account! So, my debit card is my ATM card and I will only use it for making withdrawals at an ATM.
Now for credit cards, the same warning kind of holds true, try not to let it out of your sight, I know that can be difficult espcecially if paying for a meal in a restaurant when the server takes the card to put it through the machine, but many European restaurants now bring a hand-held device to your table if paying by credit card that you swipe through so the server never touches your card. But if your credit card does get stolen and I know this is little consolation at least the money that is being charged to your credit card is not coming directly from your bank account. And, typically credit card disputes like this can be cleared up more quickly then the debit card disputes. so a word of caution is to use debit and credit cards very carefully.
Monday, May 22, 2006
100 Things you'd ever want to know about me (or not!)
Some interesting (or not so interesting) trivia about me:
1. I was born in New Jersey
2. My sister was born on my birthday 2 years after I was born
3. In kindergarden Carl Sylvester pulled the ears off my knitted wool cap that had a dog face and ears on the back
4. I went to public school for kindergarden but I went to Catholic school 1st-3rd grades
5. Upon entering public school in 4th grade I had to go to remedial math and english classes because I wasn't at the same level as the other public school kids
6. I took dancing lessons from Miss Anne's from the time I was 2 until I was a freshman in high school (ballet, tap and jazz)
7. By Senior year of high school I was taking college level Spanish classes and could read a novel in Spanish (and understand it)
8. In high school my favorite subject was history
9. In high shcool I was terrible in the math and sciences
10. I was on the high school swim team all 4 years and the track team for 3 years
11. I was on the high school flag team (part of marching band) for 2 years
12. I gained an enormous amount of weight at one week of summer band camp during high school
13. My first "real job" was when I was 13 and I worked as a summer day camp counselor for a group of 5 year olds and earned $50 for the whole summer (plus tips) at the swim club my family belonged too
14. The next summer I was the baby pool lifeguard and made about $40 a week
15. The summer I was 15 I was able to work as a lifeguard at the "big" pool.
16. I spent 5 summers working as a lifeguard at various swim clubs and pools
17. When I turned 17 I became a certified water safety instructor and I taught alot of swimming lessons
18. I baby sat during the winter months for 2 families from the time I was 14 until I graduated from high school
19. The best road trip I ever took was with my mom when we went to look at colleges in Pennsylvania (I will never forget the song "We Built This City" and will never order Shrimp with rice, potatoes and spaghetti again!)
20. The minute I rode into Providence and the Johnson and Wales Campus I knew that was where I was going to go to college...no doubt in my mind
21. I was the captain of the high school girl's swim team and the only one on the team who wanted to swim long distances
22. Between the high school swim team and the Boy's and Girl's Club swim team I was on, during the season I practiced/swam approximately 4 hours a day (lost that band camp weight!)
23. Although I was on the high school track team I hate to run. I was a shot putter, but couldn't master any of the other field events
24. The first boy I dated was the captain of the high school's boy's swim team and he was the son of the Boy's and Girl's club swim team coach
25. The best swim meets were at West Point Academy
26. I gave up dancing lessons when I started getting serious about swimming
27. I varsity lettered multiple years in swimming and track
28. My first international trip was when I was 15 with a group from high school my Spanish teach put together
29. I am still best friends with my best friend from junior high and high school
30. My best friend from lifeguarding was Allyson Gage and we spent alot of summers together working, swimming and going to Friendly's ice cream parlors.
31. Alot of summers as a youngster were spent at the Jersey shore, especially Ocean Beach with the Dowlings and their boys
32. We always preferred going to Point Pleasant instead of Seaside Heights
33. The most memorable Broadway show I have ever seen was Evita on the night after the Tony awards and Patti Lupone was presented with dozens of red roses
34. After seeing Evita I memorized the entire score of the show that summer
35. My second international trip, to Paris and London, was with the same Spanish teacher who I went to Italy
36. Things I learned on these first 2 international trips, never wear high healed sandals on cobbleston streets in Italy, always check the time you have the alarm clock set for because it could be 3 in the morning, it is the same time on the ground as it is at the top of the Eiffel Tower (some in our group didn't know that)
37. As a teenager the hardest thing I ever had to do was say goodbye to my mom when she dropped me off at college the first time
38. One of the best things I ever did was decide to go to Johnson and Wales University in Providence and chose to live in the only all girls dorm on campus, it was like living in a sorority house
39. I loved college and Providence
40. I was smarter then I thought I was at 18 when I picked to major in travel and tourism management
41. I was a Resident Assistant in the dorm for 2 years and was a senior RA when I was a junior
42. I lived off campus my last semester of college in a house with 5 other girls and only 1 bathroom
43. I worked for CVS after my first year of college and loved working there as a part time job
44. During college I worked at a MASH themed restuarant in Providence called Trapper John's owned by a former Providence mayor, Buddy Cianci, who was elected to the mayors office again, after I graduated
45. My sophomore year of college I did an internship at a travel agency in Johnston, RI and coordinated a FAM trip with my class, we went to Holland, Belgium, and Germany
46. Sophomore year of college I went on spring break to the Costa Del Sol in Spain with my friend Stacey who was from Philadelphia
47. I bought an awesome leather bomber jacket in Spain that I still have and wear
48. Before scrapbooking became "all the rage" I put photo albums together as scrapbooks while I was in high school and college
49. My first month at college I lost 15 pounds and mom sent me back with a boxful of food
50. I spent the last trimester of my junior year of college doing a study abroad program in Montreux, Switzerland
51. The 4 day weekends during study aboard and my Eurail Pass were 2 great things about those 3 months of study abroad
52. I got into the University of New Hampshire in their sports medicine program (didn't get into their hospitality program) and was to be a walk on to their women's swim team...that didn't happen
53. I was able to graduate college a trimester early, in February in stead of May. A week after my last class I started my first full time job and was living in Philadelphia
54. After working 8 months as a management trainee in Philadelphia I got a promotion and I moved back to NJ and started working in NYC
55. At the age of 22 I was living a dream (what I thought was my dream), working in NYC
56. I spent 2 and a half years working in NYC at 48th and Broadway (Times Square)
57. My freshman year of college I rang in the New Year in New York City in Times Square
58. I saw Bruce Springsteen at Giant's Stadium. The seats were in the very last row at the top of the stadium and I had to use binoculars to looks at the concert on the big screens set up at the sides of the stage...yes, I was that far away
59. My first solo travel was during my study abroad and I went to Vienna by myself for a long weekend
60. My first Club Med vacation was to the island of Martinique and I went by myself
61. I've been to 3 Club Med villages, 2 in Mexico and the one in Martinique
62. I moved to Hilton Head Island in February 1993 for a job transfer/promotion
63. The day I came back from my last Club Med vacation I repacked my bags and went to Hilton Head for a job interview
64. I've been on 2 Carribbean cruises
65. I've been to the Hard Rock Cafe in
London, NYC, Puerto Rico, and Dublin
66. I've been to the Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Atlanta, Orlando, and Las Vegas
67. After 8 years in the hotel business I left that industry to work for a local government
68. After living in Hilton Head for 8 months I joined Weight Watchers and lost 94 pounds in 1 year
69. After becoming a Weight Watcher lifetime member I worked for them part time as a meeting receptionist and a meeting leader
70. I am a certified SCUBA diver
71. I am a certified aerobics instructor and personal trainer
72. I've been snorkling at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
73. I've climbed to the summit of the Sydney Harbor Bridge
74. I've seen the musical Les Miserables in London and New York
75. I bought my first house (a condominium) at the age of 27
76. I bought my second house (a single family house) at the age of 32
77. I've celebrated Chinese New Year (the year of the monkey) in Hong Kong
78. I've vacationed in a villa in Tuscany with 20 friends
79. I've petted a kanagroo
80. The longest flights I've been on were 20+ hours
81. I've been to the biggest bronze buddha in the world on Lantau Island
82. I started listening to country music when I moved to South Carolina
83. I started line dancing when I moved to South Carolina (thank you Alan!)
84. I've seen Hootie and the Blow Fish and Edwin McCain at the Old Post Office in Hilton Head BEFORE they became successful musicians
85. I became an Irish citizen through my family ancestry
86. I thought New Zealand was the greenest place I had seen until I went to Ireland
87. I have been white water rafting on the Chatooga River in South Carolina
88. I have been to the Cliffs of Moher
89. I have taken a black taxi tour of Belfast, Northern Ireland
90. I have run a 5K race in 30 minutes
91. I met Rachel Ray while she was filming an episode of $40 a Day in Hilton Head
92. I saw Chris Farley at the Hilton Head airport (original one) and didn't know it was him until after he left
93. I've shopped at the L.L. Bean store in Freeport, Maine at 3 in the morning
94. Some of the best food I have had has been in Italy
95. All the other best food I have had has been prepared by my mom
96. I still keep in touch with my favorite high school teacher every year at Christmas
97. I used to ice skate every day after school in the winter during junior high school
98. I'm an avid reader of "chick lit" books
99. I have flown to San Francisco and Phoenix on frequent flyer mile tickets
100. I never thought I would live in South Carolina for as long I have been here
101. I never thought I would get to the end of this list!
1. I was born in New Jersey
2. My sister was born on my birthday 2 years after I was born
3. In kindergarden Carl Sylvester pulled the ears off my knitted wool cap that had a dog face and ears on the back
4. I went to public school for kindergarden but I went to Catholic school 1st-3rd grades
5. Upon entering public school in 4th grade I had to go to remedial math and english classes because I wasn't at the same level as the other public school kids
6. I took dancing lessons from Miss Anne's from the time I was 2 until I was a freshman in high school (ballet, tap and jazz)
7. By Senior year of high school I was taking college level Spanish classes and could read a novel in Spanish (and understand it)
8. In high school my favorite subject was history
9. In high shcool I was terrible in the math and sciences
10. I was on the high school swim team all 4 years and the track team for 3 years
11. I was on the high school flag team (part of marching band) for 2 years
12. I gained an enormous amount of weight at one week of summer band camp during high school
13. My first "real job" was when I was 13 and I worked as a summer day camp counselor for a group of 5 year olds and earned $50 for the whole summer (plus tips) at the swim club my family belonged too
14. The next summer I was the baby pool lifeguard and made about $40 a week
15. The summer I was 15 I was able to work as a lifeguard at the "big" pool.
16. I spent 5 summers working as a lifeguard at various swim clubs and pools
17. When I turned 17 I became a certified water safety instructor and I taught alot of swimming lessons
18. I baby sat during the winter months for 2 families from the time I was 14 until I graduated from high school
19. The best road trip I ever took was with my mom when we went to look at colleges in Pennsylvania (I will never forget the song "We Built This City" and will never order Shrimp with rice, potatoes and spaghetti again!)
20. The minute I rode into Providence and the Johnson and Wales Campus I knew that was where I was going to go to college...no doubt in my mind
21. I was the captain of the high school girl's swim team and the only one on the team who wanted to swim long distances
22. Between the high school swim team and the Boy's and Girl's Club swim team I was on, during the season I practiced/swam approximately 4 hours a day (lost that band camp weight!)
23. Although I was on the high school track team I hate to run. I was a shot putter, but couldn't master any of the other field events
24. The first boy I dated was the captain of the high school's boy's swim team and he was the son of the Boy's and Girl's club swim team coach
25. The best swim meets were at West Point Academy
26. I gave up dancing lessons when I started getting serious about swimming
27. I varsity lettered multiple years in swimming and track
28. My first international trip was when I was 15 with a group from high school my Spanish teach put together
29. I am still best friends with my best friend from junior high and high school
30. My best friend from lifeguarding was Allyson Gage and we spent alot of summers together working, swimming and going to Friendly's ice cream parlors.
31. Alot of summers as a youngster were spent at the Jersey shore, especially Ocean Beach with the Dowlings and their boys
32. We always preferred going to Point Pleasant instead of Seaside Heights
33. The most memorable Broadway show I have ever seen was Evita on the night after the Tony awards and Patti Lupone was presented with dozens of red roses
34. After seeing Evita I memorized the entire score of the show that summer
35. My second international trip, to Paris and London, was with the same Spanish teacher who I went to Italy
36. Things I learned on these first 2 international trips, never wear high healed sandals on cobbleston streets in Italy, always check the time you have the alarm clock set for because it could be 3 in the morning, it is the same time on the ground as it is at the top of the Eiffel Tower (some in our group didn't know that)
37. As a teenager the hardest thing I ever had to do was say goodbye to my mom when she dropped me off at college the first time
38. One of the best things I ever did was decide to go to Johnson and Wales University in Providence and chose to live in the only all girls dorm on campus, it was like living in a sorority house
39. I loved college and Providence
40. I was smarter then I thought I was at 18 when I picked to major in travel and tourism management
41. I was a Resident Assistant in the dorm for 2 years and was a senior RA when I was a junior
42. I lived off campus my last semester of college in a house with 5 other girls and only 1 bathroom
43. I worked for CVS after my first year of college and loved working there as a part time job
44. During college I worked at a MASH themed restuarant in Providence called Trapper John's owned by a former Providence mayor, Buddy Cianci, who was elected to the mayors office again, after I graduated
45. My sophomore year of college I did an internship at a travel agency in Johnston, RI and coordinated a FAM trip with my class, we went to Holland, Belgium, and Germany
46. Sophomore year of college I went on spring break to the Costa Del Sol in Spain with my friend Stacey who was from Philadelphia
47. I bought an awesome leather bomber jacket in Spain that I still have and wear
48. Before scrapbooking became "all the rage" I put photo albums together as scrapbooks while I was in high school and college
49. My first month at college I lost 15 pounds and mom sent me back with a boxful of food
50. I spent the last trimester of my junior year of college doing a study abroad program in Montreux, Switzerland
51. The 4 day weekends during study aboard and my Eurail Pass were 2 great things about those 3 months of study abroad
52. I got into the University of New Hampshire in their sports medicine program (didn't get into their hospitality program) and was to be a walk on to their women's swim team...that didn't happen
53. I was able to graduate college a trimester early, in February in stead of May. A week after my last class I started my first full time job and was living in Philadelphia
54. After working 8 months as a management trainee in Philadelphia I got a promotion and I moved back to NJ and started working in NYC
55. At the age of 22 I was living a dream (what I thought was my dream), working in NYC
56. I spent 2 and a half years working in NYC at 48th and Broadway (Times Square)
57. My freshman year of college I rang in the New Year in New York City in Times Square
58. I saw Bruce Springsteen at Giant's Stadium. The seats were in the very last row at the top of the stadium and I had to use binoculars to looks at the concert on the big screens set up at the sides of the stage...yes, I was that far away
59. My first solo travel was during my study abroad and I went to Vienna by myself for a long weekend
60. My first Club Med vacation was to the island of Martinique and I went by myself
61. I've been to 3 Club Med villages, 2 in Mexico and the one in Martinique
62. I moved to Hilton Head Island in February 1993 for a job transfer/promotion
63. The day I came back from my last Club Med vacation I repacked my bags and went to Hilton Head for a job interview
64. I've been on 2 Carribbean cruises
65. I've been to the Hard Rock Cafe in
London, NYC, Puerto Rico, and Dublin
66. I've been to the Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Atlanta, Orlando, and Las Vegas
67. After 8 years in the hotel business I left that industry to work for a local government
68. After living in Hilton Head for 8 months I joined Weight Watchers and lost 94 pounds in 1 year
69. After becoming a Weight Watcher lifetime member I worked for them part time as a meeting receptionist and a meeting leader
70. I am a certified SCUBA diver
71. I am a certified aerobics instructor and personal trainer
72. I've been snorkling at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
73. I've climbed to the summit of the Sydney Harbor Bridge
74. I've seen the musical Les Miserables in London and New York
75. I bought my first house (a condominium) at the age of 27
76. I bought my second house (a single family house) at the age of 32
77. I've celebrated Chinese New Year (the year of the monkey) in Hong Kong
78. I've vacationed in a villa in Tuscany with 20 friends
79. I've petted a kanagroo
80. The longest flights I've been on were 20+ hours
81. I've been to the biggest bronze buddha in the world on Lantau Island
82. I started listening to country music when I moved to South Carolina
83. I started line dancing when I moved to South Carolina (thank you Alan!)
84. I've seen Hootie and the Blow Fish and Edwin McCain at the Old Post Office in Hilton Head BEFORE they became successful musicians
85. I became an Irish citizen through my family ancestry
86. I thought New Zealand was the greenest place I had seen until I went to Ireland
87. I have been white water rafting on the Chatooga River in South Carolina
88. I have been to the Cliffs of Moher
89. I have taken a black taxi tour of Belfast, Northern Ireland
90. I have run a 5K race in 30 minutes
91. I met Rachel Ray while she was filming an episode of $40 a Day in Hilton Head
92. I saw Chris Farley at the Hilton Head airport (original one) and didn't know it was him until after he left
93. I've shopped at the L.L. Bean store in Freeport, Maine at 3 in the morning
94. Some of the best food I have had has been in Italy
95. All the other best food I have had has been prepared by my mom
96. I still keep in touch with my favorite high school teacher every year at Christmas
97. I used to ice skate every day after school in the winter during junior high school
98. I'm an avid reader of "chick lit" books
99. I have flown to San Francisco and Phoenix on frequent flyer mile tickets
100. I never thought I would live in South Carolina for as long I have been here
101. I never thought I would get to the end of this list!
Monday, May 15, 2006
Is this a dream that could come true?
Ok, so my thought for this post kind of relates to travel but in a round about sort of way. I love to travel, that's pretty evident, otherwise why would I have named this blog Marcy's View of the World. But as I've said I "toil away" at a job to feed my travel addiction as well as my need for food and shelter! :)
So, could it be possible? Am I willing to take a risk? Should I finally figure out what I want to be when I "grow up" and find a job that I absolutely adore? And would that job be travel related or not???
I think part of my problem is that I want to seek out fun and adventure, at least my definition of fun and adventure, but the "realistic" side of me keeps holding back. I need health insurance, I need a place to sleep at night that's dry and warm (or cool when need be), I need a steady income, I need security, but I want to "play" too, and I think I'm trading off a job that I find less then thrilling (at the moment) for that security.
And security is not a bad thing. I like getting that bi-weekly paycheck and knowing if I break my leg or need to stay in the hospital that I have insurance to help me out and I've worked hard for the things I have, I love my house, I've got a car that's paid for, I can travel and I've accrued lots of vacation and sick time at work if I ever need it. BUT, sometimes I think "Wouldn't it be great if I could just toss care to the wind and find a job that I LOVED, even if it wasn't secure?"
The other issue I struggle with is...would it be any different if I did have a significant other? Would it be easier financially? I'm pretty sure it would be and I wouldn't have to painstakingly watch my spending. Or would it? I've heard horror stories of people's marriages or relationships that are just horrendous. So which way is better? So you can see my connundrum, well, it's certainly a connundrum for me.
I know, I know...after having one of my "pity parties" for myself I always stop and think, why do I feel this way? I have it really good. I do have a good job that provides well for me, I'm hard working and that has paid off, I'm finally, after years of living accumulating credit card debt, getting to a place where cash is becoming my preferred method of payment. And, look how fortunate I am to have a great little house and a paid off car, how many people can say that? And I have a terrific family and friends and get to do what I want when I want to. But my mind always seems to drift off into..."What If" land. What if I was married, what if I had a job I LOVED, what if I sold everything and moved to Ireland? Sometimes the questions just keep coming.
Is all this a sign of discontent? If so, what am I so discontented about? Is it the job, the single syndrone or any other crazy thing I can come up with at the moment? If I don't know, how can I find out? Am I a "scaredy cat", or is it that I take my responsibilities too seriously? Maybe one of these days I will figure it all out. But for now, I will continue to dream as I do, and when I am ready to make my dreams come true I will be ready to do just that.
So, could it be possible? Am I willing to take a risk? Should I finally figure out what I want to be when I "grow up" and find a job that I absolutely adore? And would that job be travel related or not???
I think part of my problem is that I want to seek out fun and adventure, at least my definition of fun and adventure, but the "realistic" side of me keeps holding back. I need health insurance, I need a place to sleep at night that's dry and warm (or cool when need be), I need a steady income, I need security, but I want to "play" too, and I think I'm trading off a job that I find less then thrilling (at the moment) for that security.
And security is not a bad thing. I like getting that bi-weekly paycheck and knowing if I break my leg or need to stay in the hospital that I have insurance to help me out and I've worked hard for the things I have, I love my house, I've got a car that's paid for, I can travel and I've accrued lots of vacation and sick time at work if I ever need it. BUT, sometimes I think "Wouldn't it be great if I could just toss care to the wind and find a job that I LOVED, even if it wasn't secure?"
The other issue I struggle with is...would it be any different if I did have a significant other? Would it be easier financially? I'm pretty sure it would be and I wouldn't have to painstakingly watch my spending. Or would it? I've heard horror stories of people's marriages or relationships that are just horrendous. So which way is better? So you can see my connundrum, well, it's certainly a connundrum for me.
I know, I know...after having one of my "pity parties" for myself I always stop and think, why do I feel this way? I have it really good. I do have a good job that provides well for me, I'm hard working and that has paid off, I'm finally, after years of living accumulating credit card debt, getting to a place where cash is becoming my preferred method of payment. And, look how fortunate I am to have a great little house and a paid off car, how many people can say that? And I have a terrific family and friends and get to do what I want when I want to. But my mind always seems to drift off into..."What If" land. What if I was married, what if I had a job I LOVED, what if I sold everything and moved to Ireland? Sometimes the questions just keep coming.
Is all this a sign of discontent? If so, what am I so discontented about? Is it the job, the single syndrone or any other crazy thing I can come up with at the moment? If I don't know, how can I find out? Am I a "scaredy cat", or is it that I take my responsibilities too seriously? Maybe one of these days I will figure it all out. But for now, I will continue to dream as I do, and when I am ready to make my dreams come true I will be ready to do just that.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
The "It Must Be Nice" response...
Right off the bat I will admit that I have taken this topic from a post on the Fodors website. The post there got alot of responses and although I did not post a reply on that website it got me thinking about if people ever tell me this when they find out about one of my trips.
I'm sure that I've had people make similar comments to me, but can't recall any specifics. And as many of the Fodorites posted, it does kind of "get on my nerves". What irritates me is when people ask me about my vacation/trip plans and I tell them and then they give me the "roll of the eyes" and a smart-alec remark.
Such as when I tell them I am going to Eastern Europe (because if I told them Central Europe as it is correctly called from a geographic standpoint they would have no clue where I was talking about) they immediately want to know why I would pick there to go on vacation? Well, maybe because it's an area of the world that interests me or maybe I'm intrigued by the culture and history and I want to not only relax during my vacation but also learn a little something. One person asked my travel partner who I'm going with on my upcoming September trip, why would we want to go see Auschwitz? (I know I probably spelled that wrong!) Well, it's part of history and it intrigues me.
Then there are the people that can't believe I'm going to Europe because it's so expensive, well if you plan accordingly it can be affordable and because I choose to drive a 7 year old car that's paid for and not have the latest big screen HD TV and digital cable I can put my pennies in a "travel account" because that's what I like to do, it's a hobby and it's something (travel) that I make a priority in my life.
So maybe the "It must be nice" is because those people are jealous or envious or want to do it too, but don't have the nerve. It hasn't happened so much with my Central Europe trip because I am going with a friend and that seems so much more acceptable to people then when I tell them I am going by myself.
It's true, when people have asked me in the past "Who are you going with on your trip?" and I tell them no one, they look at me like I have 7 heads and come from another planet. Like they would never be caught dead traveling solo. Well, if you've read this blog before you know my feelings about traveling solo...LOVE IT! :)
Well, why wouldn't I travel solo? Sometimes I travel with others, but the majority is on my own, and it's because some of the places I want to see, my friends don't want to, but I won't let that stop me, why should it stop me? Granted even though I am traveling as a single traveler many times I go on a group tour, so I'm not always "alone".
And why should I wait until I retire? How many times have you heard that someone makes all these grandiose plans for retirement only to turn around and a day, a week, a month or year after retiring they have a heart attack, stroke or get hit by a bus. For that matter any of those things could happen at any time, so my philosophy is do it while I can, and that way I won't say, "I wish I had done more traveling" when my time is up, I will say "I have such great memories"!
So, my reply to "It Must Be Nice"....Yup, it sure is!
I'm sure that I've had people make similar comments to me, but can't recall any specifics. And as many of the Fodorites posted, it does kind of "get on my nerves". What irritates me is when people ask me about my vacation/trip plans and I tell them and then they give me the "roll of the eyes" and a smart-alec remark.
Such as when I tell them I am going to Eastern Europe (because if I told them Central Europe as it is correctly called from a geographic standpoint they would have no clue where I was talking about) they immediately want to know why I would pick there to go on vacation? Well, maybe because it's an area of the world that interests me or maybe I'm intrigued by the culture and history and I want to not only relax during my vacation but also learn a little something. One person asked my travel partner who I'm going with on my upcoming September trip, why would we want to go see Auschwitz? (I know I probably spelled that wrong!) Well, it's part of history and it intrigues me.
Then there are the people that can't believe I'm going to Europe because it's so expensive, well if you plan accordingly it can be affordable and because I choose to drive a 7 year old car that's paid for and not have the latest big screen HD TV and digital cable I can put my pennies in a "travel account" because that's what I like to do, it's a hobby and it's something (travel) that I make a priority in my life.
So maybe the "It must be nice" is because those people are jealous or envious or want to do it too, but don't have the nerve. It hasn't happened so much with my Central Europe trip because I am going with a friend and that seems so much more acceptable to people then when I tell them I am going by myself.
It's true, when people have asked me in the past "Who are you going with on your trip?" and I tell them no one, they look at me like I have 7 heads and come from another planet. Like they would never be caught dead traveling solo. Well, if you've read this blog before you know my feelings about traveling solo...LOVE IT! :)
Well, why wouldn't I travel solo? Sometimes I travel with others, but the majority is on my own, and it's because some of the places I want to see, my friends don't want to, but I won't let that stop me, why should it stop me? Granted even though I am traveling as a single traveler many times I go on a group tour, so I'm not always "alone".
And why should I wait until I retire? How many times have you heard that someone makes all these grandiose plans for retirement only to turn around and a day, a week, a month or year after retiring they have a heart attack, stroke or get hit by a bus. For that matter any of those things could happen at any time, so my philosophy is do it while I can, and that way I won't say, "I wish I had done more traveling" when my time is up, I will say "I have such great memories"!
So, my reply to "It Must Be Nice"....Yup, it sure is!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
The Countdown Has Begun!
The other day, May 2nd to be specific, the realization hit me that in exactly 4 months I will be heading out for my Central Europe "excursion". So, now it's actually less then 4 months away...YIPEEEEE!
I have been immersing myself in all information that I can soak up on Prague, Krakow, Eger, Budapest, Plitivice, Rab, Bled, Hvar and Dubrovnik. And believe me there is a wealth of information out there. In fact, I may be suffering from a bit of information overload at this point. But I am getting really excited. I just sent off my final payment for the Rick Steves portion of the trip and have as many of the little details taken care of for the "extra 10 days" that I can possibly handle to this point, so I'm feeling pretty good. I've even found out about a terrific evening marionette performance in Prague that I think CL and I will enjoy. I don't want to pre-order the tickets for that though until I find out what might be planned with the group tour for any or none of the nights in Prague. I can find that out easy enough closer to the departure date, but from what I have read I can most likely get tickets the day of or day before the performance, so not a big deal there.
Now that I'm feeling "settled" with the September 2006 trip I started thinking about where to go in 2007...ok, so it's a disease with me...this travel pre-occupation...see I really do need to work in the travel biz! Coincidentally while I am thinking of 2007 I get the email from Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door announcing they are opening up their 2007 tours. How could I not take a look at what they have to offer since Scandinavia and Turkey are high on my list, but yet pretty "polar opposites". The more I read the description of the Turkey tour the more intrigued I became...so...cut to the Fodor's website (as usual). I've been reading some very interesting stuff on Turkey and believe I have just found my "big" destination for 2007. If I put down my deposit now, I have my pick of tour dates, but I am leaning towards late September/early October 2007, which seems to get the vote as "great time of year" to visit Turkey from my fellow Fodorites. Sooooo, I'm 99.9999% sure I will be visiting Turkey next year...but I've had to stop myself from doing any "major" research just yet, since I keep telling myself that I haven't even been on this year's "big" trip yet! Patience is a virtue I need to practice! So, for now I have not committed to Turkey, but my little voice is telling me to "Just Do It"! Hey, I've got nothing to lose and so much to gain!
Happy Travels!
I have been immersing myself in all information that I can soak up on Prague, Krakow, Eger, Budapest, Plitivice, Rab, Bled, Hvar and Dubrovnik. And believe me there is a wealth of information out there. In fact, I may be suffering from a bit of information overload at this point. But I am getting really excited. I just sent off my final payment for the Rick Steves portion of the trip and have as many of the little details taken care of for the "extra 10 days" that I can possibly handle to this point, so I'm feeling pretty good. I've even found out about a terrific evening marionette performance in Prague that I think CL and I will enjoy. I don't want to pre-order the tickets for that though until I find out what might be planned with the group tour for any or none of the nights in Prague. I can find that out easy enough closer to the departure date, but from what I have read I can most likely get tickets the day of or day before the performance, so not a big deal there.
Now that I'm feeling "settled" with the September 2006 trip I started thinking about where to go in 2007...ok, so it's a disease with me...this travel pre-occupation...see I really do need to work in the travel biz! Coincidentally while I am thinking of 2007 I get the email from Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door announcing they are opening up their 2007 tours. How could I not take a look at what they have to offer since Scandinavia and Turkey are high on my list, but yet pretty "polar opposites". The more I read the description of the Turkey tour the more intrigued I became...so...cut to the Fodor's website (as usual). I've been reading some very interesting stuff on Turkey and believe I have just found my "big" destination for 2007. If I put down my deposit now, I have my pick of tour dates, but I am leaning towards late September/early October 2007, which seems to get the vote as "great time of year" to visit Turkey from my fellow Fodorites. Sooooo, I'm 99.9999% sure I will be visiting Turkey next year...but I've had to stop myself from doing any "major" research just yet, since I keep telling myself that I haven't even been on this year's "big" trip yet! Patience is a virtue I need to practice! So, for now I have not committed to Turkey, but my little voice is telling me to "Just Do It"! Hey, I've got nothing to lose and so much to gain!
Happy Travels!
Monday, April 10, 2006
Kayaking with "The Council"...and Kevin
My latest "outing" with friends, otherwise known as The Council of Wise Women (and Kevin) was a GREAT DAY! Even though the start of it looked like it might be a "weather-challenged" day, it turned out to be perfect weather!
Of course, with any momentous event in our daily lives, I should give some background information on how this GREAT DAY evolved.
Donna's birthday was back at the end of March, the 26th to be exact. Typically the birthday person will pick a restaurant and we will all go there for dinner. Donna decided she didn't want her birthday celebration with us to be centered around food (and I was happy for a change in the routine too!) and she mentioned that she would like to go kayaking. We all thought that was a terrific idea.
Dori heard good things about a kayak outfitter called Swamp Girls and called them to get the details. Turns out they are based in Hardeeville, SC and would be able to do a Sunday kayak trip for us to Ebenezer Creek, near Rincon, Georgia about an hour from where we live.
So we all met up at Belfair's recreation center on Sunday, and by "we all" I mean, Donna (Happy Birthday Girl!) Melissa, Eddye, Dori, Me and of course our "token male" Kevin. We pile into Donna's car and off we go to meet the Swamp Girls (Sue and RoseMary) at a gas station at the intersection of Highway 278 and I-95. No problem, we even manage to get there only 2 minutes late! :) It's about another 45 minutes to get to Ebenezer Creek, but it's no worries since we are following Sue (aka...SwampBoss) who is towing 8 kayaks...it would be kind of hard to lose track of her!
We get to the launch site and get everything set up and kayaks adjusted, have a brief paddling lesson, meet the other 2 guides who are coming along with us (Don and Mary) and one other solo paddler Mac (from Savannah), who Sue said was a doctor and Eddye hoped was a psychiatrist if he was coming with our group! :)
We all get into the water (in our kayaks of course!) one at a time and start paddling. Sue gives a really nice commentary on the environment and points out lots of interesting things, mother and baby eagles, alligators, herons...it was really peaceful. The creek/swamp was very placid and the water level was very low so we got to see the roots of the cyprus trees...very cool.
After about an hour of paddling we pull up onto another landing with a little picnic shelter and it's LUNCH TIME. The Swamp-chef (RoseMary) had pasta salad, cold chicken, chips and salsa, pineapple and strawberries and "killer" brownies (which could quiet possibly be THE BEST brownies I have ever tasted...secret ingredient...rum...who knew!) AND since it was Donna's birthday, Mary had made a German Chocolate cake, needless to say, there weren't may left-overs! And our kayaks were much lighter on the afternoon paddle! :)
When we were finished with lunch we headed back out onto the water and paddle for another hour or so before going back to the landing where the cars were parked. By the time we finished helping get the kayaks out of the water we were back in the car around 3pm-ish and heading for home...or so we thought. We took a wrong turn at one point and got a bit turned around, but between Melissa calling Sue the SwampBoss to get directions and asking a passing car, we managed to get back to I-95, we just took the scenic route! :)
We were back at Belfair shortly after 4pm. It was a great time, what a fun way to celebrate Donna's birthday, and I can't wait to see the pictures from this outing.
This was a great way to see a beautiful area. And since some of our group hadn't kayaked before it was the perfect first time experience since we didn't have to fight the tide. And the best part is that my arms (or abdominals) are not sore from paddling!
Happy Paddling!
Friday, March 31, 2006
I'm Marcy and I'm a "Travel-holic"....
OK, so even now I think I'm becoming obsessed with my travel addiction...does that even make sense?
I have been compulsively trolling the Fodors website message boards. Well, technically only the Europe message board recently, but hey, doesn't that make sense because in just a mere 5 months time I will be traversing the nooks and crannies of Central Europe? Anyway, any chance I get to log onto Fodors I do and some of the trip reports on that board have me in stitches! They are so funny, and some truly (as expressed by other posters there) have the potential to become terrific comedy movies! :)
But in my defense I have picked up some really great tips/advice from fellow travel junkies. Such as a huge list of recommendations for restaurants/activities/sites to not miss while in Krakow, or at lest definitely try to fit them in. And not just these recommendations, but also links to some fantastic websites for the cities or countries I'll be in to get a feel for the location and find out if there are any events that might be of interest to check out while there.
I can't say enough good things about the friendliness of the other "Fodorites" on that board for sharing information.
So, enough about Fodors...my other "issue" if you can call it that, is my ever constant thoughts of travel and the places I want to visit next. Maybe the trouble is that I have subscriptions to Budget Travel and National Geographic Traveler magazines, which just add fuel to my fire while exposing me to places I hadn't ever really thought about going to but after reading a great article about someplace immediately want to either (1) jump on a plane there or (2) put it on my Places to See List. Ohhhhh...such things to have "dilemma" over. And by the way, I think I'm doing pretty good with just 2 travel magazine subscriptions, it could be worse...much worse! :)
Some days I truly think I need to get my butt in gear and do work in a travel related field...but traveling for pleasure won't pay the bills that traveling usually seems to create...
So, for now I will just suffer from wanderlust and continue my monthly armchair travels with as many real journeys as I can fit in!
Happy Travels!
I have been compulsively trolling the Fodors website message boards. Well, technically only the Europe message board recently, but hey, doesn't that make sense because in just a mere 5 months time I will be traversing the nooks and crannies of Central Europe? Anyway, any chance I get to log onto Fodors I do and some of the trip reports on that board have me in stitches! They are so funny, and some truly (as expressed by other posters there) have the potential to become terrific comedy movies! :)
But in my defense I have picked up some really great tips/advice from fellow travel junkies. Such as a huge list of recommendations for restaurants/activities/sites to not miss while in Krakow, or at lest definitely try to fit them in. And not just these recommendations, but also links to some fantastic websites for the cities or countries I'll be in to get a feel for the location and find out if there are any events that might be of interest to check out while there.
I can't say enough good things about the friendliness of the other "Fodorites" on that board for sharing information.
So, enough about Fodors...my other "issue" if you can call it that, is my ever constant thoughts of travel and the places I want to visit next. Maybe the trouble is that I have subscriptions to Budget Travel and National Geographic Traveler magazines, which just add fuel to my fire while exposing me to places I hadn't ever really thought about going to but after reading a great article about someplace immediately want to either (1) jump on a plane there or (2) put it on my Places to See List. Ohhhhh...such things to have "dilemma" over. And by the way, I think I'm doing pretty good with just 2 travel magazine subscriptions, it could be worse...much worse! :)
Some days I truly think I need to get my butt in gear and do work in a travel related field...but traveling for pleasure won't pay the bills that traveling usually seems to create...
So, for now I will just suffer from wanderlust and continue my monthly armchair travels with as many real journeys as I can fit in!
Happy Travels!
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Another entry to my "Places to See List"!
How could I forget South Africa!
Ok, so maybe since my friends Sandy and Alan just sent me a link to their pictures from their recent trip to South Africa it spurred my memory that this was yet another destination I had read about and thought I needed to add to my list. So, here it is!
Sandy and Alan's pictures were AMAZING! They truly have a great eye for catching some wonderful shots. The scenery of South Africa was breathtaking and that's just my opinion from looking at the pictures. But also the shots from where Nelson Mandela was a prisoner were thought provoking.
I had read an article in one of my travel magazines several months ago, can't remember which magazine it was, I'm thinking most likely my National Geographic Traveler, about South Africa and the article really brought the country to life and at the time I was reading it I kept thinking this would be a wonderful destination to visit. Then lo and behold I get the email from S&A with their pictures...they always seem to be on the "cutting edge" of travel...lucky ducks that they are! :)
Geez, my list keeps growing and growing, maybe I should cut down on my travel magazine subscriptions (yeah...right!) and I have become a fodor's message board junkie! Especially the Europe board...what funny trip reports and some really really helpful advice. I've posted several questions regarding my upcoming trip to Central/Eastern Europe in September and have gotten a wealth of knowledge from the other "fodorites" on the site. I highly recommend that site to anyone planning a trip!
Ok, so maybe since my friends Sandy and Alan just sent me a link to their pictures from their recent trip to South Africa it spurred my memory that this was yet another destination I had read about and thought I needed to add to my list. So, here it is!
Sandy and Alan's pictures were AMAZING! They truly have a great eye for catching some wonderful shots. The scenery of South Africa was breathtaking and that's just my opinion from looking at the pictures. But also the shots from where Nelson Mandela was a prisoner were thought provoking.
I had read an article in one of my travel magazines several months ago, can't remember which magazine it was, I'm thinking most likely my National Geographic Traveler, about South Africa and the article really brought the country to life and at the time I was reading it I kept thinking this would be a wonderful destination to visit. Then lo and behold I get the email from S&A with their pictures...they always seem to be on the "cutting edge" of travel...lucky ducks that they are! :)
Geez, my list keeps growing and growing, maybe I should cut down on my travel magazine subscriptions (yeah...right!) and I have become a fodor's message board junkie! Especially the Europe board...what funny trip reports and some really really helpful advice. I've posted several questions regarding my upcoming trip to Central/Eastern Europe in September and have gotten a wealth of knowledge from the other "fodorites" on the site. I highly recommend that site to anyone planning a trip!
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