9 Travel Resolutions for 2014

I recently discovered a travel blog I absolutely love. Kate McCulley maintains Adventurous Kate: Solo Female Travel. Kate is part of a brave class of travel writers who quit their 9-5 j.o.b. to travel the world continuously. Confession: I'm slooowly gearing myself up for that possibility (oh, the possibility!). Of course, the moment I stated the intention, I was flooded with an awareness of resources and websites and a network of amazing people who've done exactly that. Spend some time surfing around her site, particularly the "How I Saved $13,000 For Travel In Just Seven Months" post. It's so inspiring to me because it's so completely normal. Student loan payments, Netflix automatic debit payments, weekend brunches with friends...she lays out how she massaged a seven month travel budget out of her real life. A life that looks quite a bit like mine. And by "quite a bit" I mean exactly.

In this post, however, I want to share her discussion of 2014 travel resolutions. Even if every resolution doesn't resinate with you, at least one is bound to. Get inspired and get out there! Click here to read her full post, as the annotations below are mine.

1. Spend Christmas 2014 on the beach

I just spent Christmas 2013 on the beach. I've spent many a winter holiday on the beach, but it's a great reminder that this tradition never disappoints. Traveling far away during the holidays also conveniently pulls you out of the shopping, parties, guilt, gift, consumption treadmill that I dislike so much.

Corona del Mar, Orange County, California - December 2013

2. Get into points and miles

I've long since mastered the Delta hub of Salt Lake City and American Express / SkyMiles Platinum and I are longtime friends (cha-ching); however, I love her suggestion to study the three primary alliances (Star Alliance, OneWorld, Skyteam). I think this is savvy knowledge for any traveler and similar to my wonky obsession with plane models and knowing which seats are the most strategic/comfortable on each.

3. Visit that destination you have always, always dreamed of visiting

Denmark. Hands down. There are many others, but all roads lead home. I don't know if 2014 is my year for this or not. I'm still researching my family history and the perfectionist in me is inclined to over-plan this one to death. Hmmm, so maybe realizing that should actually force my hand. Get over it, and go already.

4. Become a better travel photographer

I recently completed a travel photography course that I absolutely loved. I'll be blogging about it soon, but for now check out Traveling Light: The Spirit of Travel Photography. Some of you may remember the other photography course I took from Laura Valenti Jelen, Candela: Finding Inspiration Through Photography. The brilliant thing about both courses is they aren't technical discussions of manually controlling your aperture. Both courses cut to the philosophical and emotional core of making photographs. It's changed my entire approach. Entirely.

Cafe Du Monde, French Quarter, New Orleans - December 2013

5. Try staying in an Airbnb rental

Yes. This. This is big for me. I dream of making my way around the world, traveling continuously for at least one year, staying in Airbnb rentals and/or house sitting. Affordable, local experiences, far more memorable than a Hilton (though I love Hilton Hotels and should Hilton Hotels decide to sponsor my adventures, I will not say no. (Are you listening, Hilton Hotels?)).

6. Get your passport or renew it

I'm on my third passport in as many decades of life, so I'm all over this. Done and done.

7. Get outside your comfort zone

In other words, in no particular order, I need to tackle: stifling heat and humidity and sweat, backpack instead of suitcase, couch surfing, Southeast Asia, camping...I could go on. I also realize I just described some people's ideal travel experience. We all have our comfort zones.

8. Start a travel savings account

Done. Automatic withdraws from checking account each month. The trick is never touching it. The bigger trick is creating travel investment accounts. Why piddle around with 0.9% interest when you can put it in the market at higher yields, take it out once it's grown, and bon voyage! Yes, I rattled that off like I knew what I was talking about. But hey, investing for this purpose is on my list of Stuff To Figure Out In 2014.

9. Travel solo for the first time

Done it. Absolutely love it. Will do it again. A lot.

peek-a-boo...you get used to creative selfies when you're flying solo

What resolutions should we add to this list?

Bon voyage! Love,
me

Traveling by cargo ship #traveltuesday

I have a confession to make. Over the past couple months, I've been breathlessly seduced by the notion of traveling on a cargo ship.

Yes, I'm serious. I'll even sign the Piracy Declaration to prove it.

Rebecca Hall, a writer, recently traveled from Greece to Hong Kong and shared her story with NPR's Weekend Edition. Thirty seconds into the piece my heart was racing and I hung on every word. This needs to happen.

Once she completed her journey, she spoke again with Rachel Martin and told her about life on board.

Both audio clips are under five minutes, so listen and fall in love. Trust me.

I immediately set about googling this phenomenon. How did I not know this is A Thing? Matador wrote a how-to for cargo ship travel in 2008. 2008! So many years spent not traveling on cargo ships. So many. The Matador article is excellent, very practical. They tackle the most obvious questions: Where can you go, what will it cost, what is life like on board, how does one begin planning for this? Some of the links are 404, being that the article is half a decade old at this point, but I did my own digging.

A la Carte Freighter Travel is a reputable Canadian travel agency that deals with these unique itineraries. I'm particularly drawn to two itineraries: Tahiti to The Marquesas Islands, and the Norwegian Costal. I mean, seriously. How fascinating would it be to make your way down the Norwegian coast delivering supplies to remote fishing villages? And how about this for a description of the Tahitian ship's mission: "It connects local communities, calling at the principal villages, as well as several remote areas, on every inhabited island." Gah! The adventure of it all. The RMS Saint Helena also sounds amazing, but with 128 civilian passengers, it's a more crowded experience than I'd prefer.

Seaplus is also a site highly recommended around the interwebs. It doesn't seem to have been updated since 2011, but the information is detailed and seems solid, including photos of the ships and passenger cabins. Another travel agency site that's recommended often is The Cruise People, based in the UK. Their site employs excessive clip art (which is to say, any clip art), but the info is extensive. They do have a Twitter account, so all hope is not lost.

So...you may still be asking yourself (hi, mom): Why? The Matador article pretty much nailed it: "You can travel almost anywhere by cargo ship. Just think: anywhere global commodities are shipped are places that you can disembark and spend time soaking up the local culture before re-boarding." Brett, author of Tripping Overland (a blog about circumnavigating the globe without stepping foot on an airplane), posted about his trans-Atlantic voyage and articulates many of the anti-establishment slash adventure sentiments that he and I share. The photo above is his, btw. Also, the ocean is the very definition of freedom. If you've ever been on a ship (commercial cruise liner in my case) in the middle of the giant Pacific under an endless sky, you know that the world is huge and anything is possible. Finally, why not? Even when I travel to well-worn destinations, my goal is always to experience local life off the beaten path. Sure, I've knocked out tourista must-sees all over the world, but that's just to snap the photo and get it out of the way. The romance is in getting lost (not lost in pirated waters on a cargo ship, mind you, but you know what I mean).

This is happening.

Love and little fishing villages,
me

5 Ways to avoid airline fees #traveltuesday

Today's Travel Tuesday post highlights an article written by my friend Joseph Peterson, a freelance writer living in Washington, DC. His article tells fellow wanderlusters how to:

1. Get savvy with a knowledge of different airlines

2. Manipulate the now-tricky world of baggage fees

3. Reserve your ticket without hidden fees

4. Navigate internet deal sites

5. Decide on credit cards and reward programs




Check it out. Leave a comment for me below, or for Joseph on his original article, and let us know how you avoid airline fees.

Love and frequent flier miles,
me

Travel the world + hold down a 9-to-5 gig #traveltuesday

1. If you're not familiar with The Travel Hack blog, you should be. There. You're welcome.

2. The Travel Hack site is run by a young woman living in the UK. She works a 9-to-5 job (granted it's for a travel company), did not wake up one morning with a trust fund, and posts down-to-earth tips. If you're as wanderlusty as me, you consume any and every travel site you can click your mouse on, but let's be honest, many are pretentious and unrealistic and just plan gross. This is not.

3. One of my favorite posts on the site is called How to travel the world with a 9-5 job. Many of the tips I realized I already take advantage of, like extending work trips into mini-vacays, for example. There are other tips that I think are really useful. Such as:

Always travel over weekends or bank holidays. 

Stay local and stick to short flights. I definitely think this works better if you're living in Europe, or some other squishy cluster of countries; though I'm sure North Dakota would make a lovely weekender.

Try to find a way that traveling can benefit your work. 

Learn to sleep on planes...and take advantage of red-eye flights to maximize your time away.

Bon voyage!

Love and happy trails,
me

Sweet street food in Budapest #traveltuesday

There's no better way to connect with the heart of a culture than through food. It's our universal language, tangible and immediate. Street/market food is particularly insightful.

Christmas Market, Vorosmarty Square, Budapest

I recently spent time in eastern Europe and was pleasantly surprised by the authenticity of the Christmas markets. To be honest, I sort of anticipated a proverbial tourist trap (and there certainly was a bit of that). I found the trick is to hit public markets right at dinner time and you're surrounded by locals {tweet this travel tip}. As they leave work and head home, they meet friends for a mug of mulled wine and enjoy dinner at large communal tables with neighbors and total strangers. If you time it right, you're easily lost in a completely local experience. I visited countless markets in five different countries. It was fascinating to watch the food, crafts, and languages change along the way. What never changed was the festive, communal feeling at the market. My favorite sweet treat also followed me from country to country.

I fell head over heels in love with trdelník. Sweet dough is wrapped around a long wooden/metal pole and rotated over an open flame, buttered along the way. When it's crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, it's torn off the pole in segments and rolled in cinnamon, sugar, and crushed almonds. Pure heaven. Oh my. I still crave it.

May your food always be an adventure,
me


This travel higlight is also featured on AFAR.com. Feel free to add it to your own wanderlist.

These photos are pinned to my wanderlust board. Re-pin and spread the love of adventure!

Hike down down down to Penobscot Bay #traveltuesday

Dyce Head Lighthouse | Castine, Maine

Castine, Maine is a quaint fishing village settled in 1613. I'd never heard of it before I spun the proverbial globe and asked a friend where I should take my next vacation. Her mother-in-law summers in Maine (as do many New Yorkers who use "summer" as a verb) and she gushed about the charm of Castine. She specifically recommended the Pentagoet Inn (B&B), which did not disappoint. Sight unseen, tickets were booked and off we went.

Castine is surrounded by the Penobscot River/Bay. Perched on the tip of the peninsula is the Dyce Head Lighthouse. The grounds (private residence) are beautiful, but the real gem is the footpath that leads to the water. First you walk through the rolling green yard, hike through dense woods, and finally pop out onto a steep wooden staircase leading straight into the bright blue water. Well, straight onto a rocky cliff. It's perfect for adventurous souls to climb around and explore, but when the tide comes crashing in it's not for the faint of heart. If you're up for it, it's breathtaking. {click to tweet and share the adventure}

I will never forget the sunset that night on the rocks, water crashing as the tide rose below. Only in the deserts of the Southwestern United States have I ever experienced the deep silence that also surrounded us that night on the cliff in Maine. It was one of most peaceful vacations I've ever had.

Love, 

me


This travel highlight is also featured on AFAR.com. Feel free to add it to your own wanderlist.

These photos are pinned to my wanderlust board. Re-pin and spread the love of adventure!