The Truth About Traveling : Sometimes It’s Magic

October 27, 2017

While I share a lot of my life online as a blogger and on social media, like all of us, what you see on the surface is only the tip of the iceberg of my whole life. And in the past few months, I’ve struggled with finding inspiration in the every day, in really enjoying what’s in front of me, in just really feeling whole. And while on the outside, everything seemed fine and my life kept running, inside I’ve felt anything but great. I think that feeling is a combination of a lot of things and many of them completely out of my control, but in the end, that feeling of just feeling like I’m not completely myself has lingered way too long. I realized this past weekend while in Paris that the root of that feeling is often due to things I can’t control but I do have the ability to regain some of that control by doing things I love to bring me back to life. And one of those things is to travel, to visit places I love and to just slow down and enjoy the moments.

All too often I take on too much in my daily life and I don’t stop to enjoy what’s in front of me. All too often I don’t linger over a 2 hour dinner or take croissants to the park, just to sit and enjoy the view. All too often I don’t stop and look around me at the beauty of wherever I am, all too often I’m going too fast. So this past weekend in Paris, I purposely did those things. I purposely lingered over long lunches and dinners and sipped French wine. I purposely took time to sit and watch the sunset as it dipped below the horizon. I purposely chose moments to enjoy that brought peace and purpose. I purposely slowed down. And I purposely stopped every now and then, when I wanted to just take in everything around me. I changed that feeling I had had before this trip and stopped it in its tracks, instead choosing magic in a place I love and learned an important lesson in the process.

While travel is usually the thing that brings me back to life, it isn’t always incredible and it isn’t always magical. Sometimes it’s hard and sometimes it’s exhausting and sometimes it’s a let down. That’s just the honest truth. And while that doesn’t make it any less worthwhile, it also means sometimes you come home from a trip not feeling energized or inspired at all. I’ve had lots of those kinds of trips. But this last one for a long weekend in Paris, with a day trip to London in the middle, was the complete opposite of that and sometimes, trips like this one, are pure magic.

Coming at a time when I sincerely needed it, this time in Paris, after more trips there than I can count anymore, it was a few days that truly soothed my soul. Travel has the ability to cure us, to excite us, to pull the best out of us and sometimes you’ll come across a trip that really makes a mark on your soul, that changes you to your core. Those are the travels that we all long for, that we search for and sometimes those travels will open us to the change we really need. Sometimes travel will bring together a person and place to create something that can only be described as magic and when that happens, savor it until the very last moment.

More The Truth About Traveling posts

Travel Tips : Criteria for Picking Hotels

October 20, 2017

In the reader survey a month or so ago, one of the things that people really wanted here on Land of Marvels was more information about how I go about picking flights and hotels and such for our trips in the lead up to the actual travels. I already did a whole recap of how I pick flights and what criteria I look for which you can catch up on here, but today I’m focusing on hotels and how I actually go through and pick hotels that we’ll stay on while we travel. There is a lot that goes into our hotel selections so I thought the easiest way to do this post would be in video format.

Keep in mind that I love a good hotel and that’s not an area we skimp on too much during our travels (we definitely save in other areas). Also, I’m very specific on hotels that have great design as my day job is as an Interior Designer so that’s one area that I really look at that might not be as important to you. All in all though, there are some amazing hotels out there and here’s how I look at criteria for picking them!

Great Hotels I’ve Stayed at Featured in the Video above:

JW Marriott El Convento Cusco – Cusco, Peru
Oberoi Udaivilas – Udaipur, India
Le Mas des Herbes Blanches – Provence, France
The Taconic Hotel – Manchester, Vermont

More Travel Tips Posts

A Complete Budget for a Long Weekend in Paris (from the US)

October 18, 2017

From the survey so many of you guys did for me a month and a half ago, one of the things you wanted to see more of here on Land of Marvels going forward was actual budget posts for trips. And while in the past, I’ve shied away from these a little bit, I realize that it’s super helpful to get an idea of how expensive travel is and how much you should budget for a trip. So before I jump into today’s post and future budget posts, let me preface this by saying that I don’t really try to stick to a strict budget when traveling. Of course we have a general budget for the whole trip, but we’re not pinching pennies by any means, so if you need to be on a stricter budget for your trip, then adjust as needed for your own situation. Here is a complete budget for a long weekend in Paris, coming from the USA.

If you’ve been following my Instagram, you’ll have noticed we were in Paris (and London) this past weekend and I celebrated my 31st birthday in my favorite place in the world. We booked this trip sort of a whim earlier this year when I found a great airfare and decided to jump on it. Below is the total budget for this trip, which included a total of 3 full days, 2 in Paris, 1 in London for a day trip, and a half day at the end. Hopefully this will help you plan your own long weekend in Paris and give you an idea of how much you might want to budget for your own adventures!

*Sidenote – my hope is to continue to do a post like this going forward for most of our trips if they are helpful, so stay tuned for lots more budget posts in the months to come!

AIRFARE

$1,250.14 for 2 people – roundtrip from Seattle to Paris on Delta
Connecting flights for Portland to Seattle roundtrip were paid on Alaska Air points and cost $0

HOTEL

$696.72 for Hotel Le Notre Dame for 3 nights

TRANSPORTATION

$290 for 2 people – roundtrip Paris to London on the Eurostar Train

EXPENSES ON THE GROUND – this section includes everything we spent once on the ground in the destination like food, metro tickets, museums, etc.

$400 cash for everything while traveling, including our day in London

TOTAL = $2,636.86

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY

Fly on budget airlines like WOW Air or Norwegian Air
Stay in cheaper hotels or rent apartments on AirBnB
Buy food from markets instead of eating out at restaurants
Walk instead of taking taxis or use public transit like the Metro in Paris
Be organized for your days while traveling so you don’t use extra money getting from place A to B when they are super far apart – plan out your days so you see things in the same areas and don’t have to go too far

Headed to Paris?

Here are all my posts on the city.

Where to Stay in France

5 Lessons the Past Decade has Taught Me

October 16, 2017

This past weekend I turned 31 in my favorite place in the world, spending the last few days wandering the streets of Paris under the changing Autumn leaves and it was divine. Though as this birthday came and went, I got to thinking about how much we change as we get older and all those articles I always read about how you start thinking about life differently in your 30’s versus your 20’s, they are all starting to make more and more sense now. I think that once solidly in your 30’s, we start to look at the world and people a little differently, we’re more settled in ourselves, we’re more successful, we’re more experienced and that all is bound to have an effect on us and in our growth as people.

There are some important lessons I’ve learned along the way in the 31 years I’ve been on this planet, many of them recently in the past couple of years or in the past year alone, but in all of them, I’m finding that turning 31 has put everything into closer perspective and so much is making more and more sense. So as I head deeper into my 30’s, many of these lessons are shaping who I am and where I’m headed and I couldn’t be more grateful for what the past decade has taught me.

Some friends may fade away.

I’ve had friendships comes and go my whole life, but there is something about this past year that’s brought this into heavy focus. This year I had to finally walk away or distance myself from some friendships in my life that were not offering me what I was offering them. I felt like my time and my attention weren’t being respected and while it felt horrible at the time to move away from a friendship that had long been in my life, sometimes people grow in different directions and it’s necessary to move on. As we get older and each of our lives change, some friendships will grow stronger and some will fade away and that’s totally alright.

My goals have become more long term.

In my 20’s, I felt like my goals were really important but most of them were short term. In the next decade of my life, my goals have shifted and I’m looking further out into the future to accomplish things on that list. It’s more important to me to save money for things down the road or retirement, instead of worrying so much about the short term. This I think comes from being settled and content in the life I have right now, therefore able to look to the future more than I ever have been able to before.

Professional growth is a slow and sometimes painful process.

I love what I do professionally and I’m able to be a part of a number of different parts of my field, but after almost a decade in the professional world, one of the biggest lessons I’m finally learning – professional growth is slow and won’t happen immediately. That promotion, that income raise, all of that takes time and sometimes a long time. After almost 10 years, I finally feel like I am where I should be professionally but a lot of that has been my own doing, instead of waiting around for a company to do it for me. I started my own business early in my 20’s as a second income stream and I teach part time at my alma mater college as a third income stream. I went out and got more experience and made more money on my own all the while still putting in time at my architecture firm job and building up my resume. It’s important to remember that professional success doesn’t happen overnight and patience and your drive to make it are the most important things you’ll need to get ahead professionally.

Work Hard, Play Hard – and don’t apologize for it.

Nick and I work really hard, long hours, multiple jobs and it seems we’re always adding something else. Between us, we have about six income sources and each of those takes a tremendous amount of work and upkeep. We work a lot of evenings and weekends to keep everything up, but the reward for that? We’re able to really live the life we want and spend money on the things that make us happy. For us, a lot of that is travel and going to great restaurants to enjoy amazing food – those are the things that mean a lot to us and what we want to spend our hard earned money on. In my 20’s, I felt a constant need to explain to people that while we spend a lot on travel or whatever else that we enjoy, we work really hard to be able to do that. In my 30’s, my lesson learned is: who cares what they think? This decade has brought that out in me a lot – we shouldn’t always be apologizing for the life we want to live. If someone else has an issue with it, who cares? As long as I’m not hurting anyone or being careless with my money, it shouldn’t matter.

You won’t be happy every single minute of your life, but overall, live a life you enjoy.

My mom and I were talking about this a few months back and we were saying how we notice a lot of people assume we should be happy every single minute of your life. A lot of people think you should be happy every day and every minute in your marriage or in your job or whatever, but the truth is, you just won’t be. You won’t be happy every minute of your life, but the important part to learn is to build a life that overall you really enjoy. That doesn’t mean you’ll have a smile on your face the whole time, it doesn’t mean your relationships will be perfect, it doesn’t mean you’ll love your job every single day. It just means that overall, when you look around at the end of the day, even on a bad day, you are happy wth the life you’ve built and the way you’re headed. Because when you’re living a life you don’t like, that’s where the real problems begin. Build the foundation of your life on things you love and in return, you’ll end up happier.

More Personal Posts

The Perfect Fall Itinerary for 4 Days in Paris

October 11, 2017

I can’t even count anymore how many times I’ve been to the French capital city and since Nick and I got married years ago, we’ve made it a yearly ritual to spend time in Paris, sometimes more than once a year because we love it so much. Paris is one of those cities that you could visit a hundred times and never see everything, so in my opinion, the best way to see one of the world’s most famous cities is to simply just wander it, to take everything in and not worry so much about seeing every single tourist site. Here is all the information you need for the perfect Fall itinerary for 4 days in Paris.

DAY 1 : EXPLORE THE LEFT BANK

Arrive in Paris!

Take the train from the airport to your hotel on the RER Blue line and get off at the St. Michel/Notre Dame stop.

I like the Hotel Oratio in Paris to stay.

Do a quick outfit change, freshen up and head out to explore, starting with lunch at St. Regis on the Île St. Louis.

Head back across the river and spend your first day just wandering the Left Bank.

Don’t miss stops at Jardin du Luxembourg, Panthéon, and the St. Germain neighborhood.

Just before sunset – jump on the metro from wherever you are on the Left Bank and head to the Eiffel Tower to take in the light show as the world goes dark. I prefer the views from the Trocadero, but find a spot to take it all in!

DAY 2 – SEE THE SIGHTS

Start early with a croissant from a local boulangerie on the Île St. Louis.

Grab a crossiant and an Orangina from local shops in the neighborhood near your hotel to start the day off right.

Head off to see the sights!

Start at Notre Dame Cathedral and St. Chapelle Chapel. Then make your way to the Right Bank and wander past the Hotel de Ville. Walk or catch the metro to the Louvre and spend your afternoon wandering the museum, followed by a wander through the Tuileries Gardens on the Louvre Grounds.

Spend your evening shopping and eating on the Champs Élysees.

After your day of seeing the sights, head to the famous Champs Élysees and wander until you see the Arc de Triomphe at the end. For a more authentic Parisian meal, try to venture off the Champs Élysees down the side streets.

DAY 3 – EXPLORE THE RIGHT BANK

Have a leisurely breakfast near your hotel, then catch the metro to head over to the Right Bank.

Start by wandering around the Palais Garnier Opera Building, then shop for a while with some of the best shopping in Paris right around the corner!

Then make your way toward the Montmartre neighborhood and the famous Sacré Coeur Basilica, where you’ll have panoramic views all over Paris. This spot is amazing at sunset!

DAY 4 – TAKE IN A QUIETER PARIS + WANDER

Spend your final day in the City of Light just wandering neighborhoods and seeing less popular sights.

Begin in Le Marais neighborhood and stop for a leisurely breakfast in the many restaurants in this area of the city. After your French omelet wander to the Place des Vosges and take a seat on one of the many benches, taking in a beautiful Parisian day.

Head back toward the Left Bank by crossing the Seine through the Île St. Louis and take in this old section of the city and tiny narrow alleyways.

At twilight, jump on the metro and head to the Tour Montparnasse to spend your last evening in Paris with incredible views of the city from the top of this tall building. As the city lights up, you’ll be overwhelmed by the magic of Paris!

Headed to Paris?

Here are all my posts on the city.

Where to Stay in France

The Best Cities in Europe for a Long Weekend (from the USA)

October 9, 2017

People often think we’re crazy when we fly off to Europe for a long weekend, usually trying to make a 3-day holiday into a European escape. And while, yes, it’s a ways to fly for such a short period of time, sometimes with flight deals you might be able to fly to Europe from the US for cheaper than it costs you to fly from coast to coast within the US – like when I got $350 round trip tickets to Stockholm from LA for a winter weekend in Scandinavia, often I can’t even fly from Portland to New York for that! So when the price and the timing is right, it can often be an amazing experience to jaunt to Europe for a long weekend, though certain cities are easier than others to trek to another continent for only a few days. And while all of these cities do deserve more time to really explore, most of them are perfectly ready for your long weekend adventure too!

A couple tips before we get started though to make the most of a European long weekend:

Find a direct flight so it saves you time on the ground.
Fly the red eye Friday night, so you arrive Saturday morning and get to be there for the weekend.
Try to find a flight that leaves in the afternoon on Monday so you get a morning at your destination on the last day.
If you can, pick a destination you’ve been to before so you can relax a bit more and not need to see everything.

LONDON, ENGLAND

Merry ol’ London is a great spot to spend a few days taking in everything British. It’s easy to get to since it’s a major European hub and so many flights (even from the West Coast) fly direct to the British capital. There are also a lot of budget options to get to London Gatwick these days, with Norwegian Air flying direct from LA and Seattle on the West Coast. From the US East Coast, it’s a short flight over the pond, and even from the West Coast, because they fly over the North part of the planet, it’s still a fairly quick overnight hop.

And for a long weekend, base yourself in the heart of it and explore what’s right around you. Our favorite is the Hotel Ampersand in Chelsea, within walking distance of all the main spots to see and a quick Tube right anywhere else. Spend your long weekend drinking tea and indulging in Sticky Toffee Pudding and I promise, you’ll come back to thank me later.

HOW TO GET THERE: I personally love the non-stop flights from Seattle and LA on airlines like Norwegian Air (for cheap prices) or British Airways (for comfort). If you’re on the East Coast, it’s even easier and quicker!

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND

Oh Iceland… one my all time favorite places in the world, referenced by our yearly trips there for 4 years and counting. Now, let me preface this by saying, I think Iceland is best explored outside of Reykjavik and warrants longer and more frequent trips to really see the country. But if you only have a long weekend and are dying to get to Iceland, there is still so much you can do and see by basing yourself in Reykjavik and exploring the surrounding areas. Base yourself at our favorite hotel in the Reykjavik, the Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel and rent a car to make the most of your time in Iceland.

Flights are quick to Iceland, even from the West Coast where you’ll get there in less than 7 hours – really not much longer than it takes to get to Hawaii. You’ll find great deals on carriers like Iceland Air and WOW Air and this little island in the middle of the Atlantic will seriously change your life forever.

Spend your few days there with brunches at Cafe Paris, jaunts to Vik and the Golden Circle and take in everything that this spectacular country has to offer.

HOW TO GET THERE: Iceland air serves a ton of airports in the US, including Portland and Seattle in the Pacific NW. WOW Air also offers super low fares to Iceland so check their website too!

PARIS, FRANCE

Ahhh Paris. My favorite city in the world. Believe me, you don’t have to do much to convince me to spend a long weekend, or anytime really, in the French capital. When we got married and spent our honeymoon in Paris, Nick and I both realized that we loved the city so much that we’ve since tried to make it back there once every calendar year… sometimes more than that in a year. So far, our yearly trips have made us fall more and more in love with the city. And while you could explore Paris for weeks on end and never see everything, a long weekend wandering the romantic city streets of Paris is always a good idea, a la Audrey Hepburn.

Paris, like London, is such a major hub that it’s easy to find direct flights here and whether you’re flying into Charles de Gaulle or Orly, it’s super easy to get into the city center on the RER trains. Same as London, here in Paris, base yourself in a neighborhood and don’t worry about straying too far from that area. I’d recommend the Left Bank in the St. Germain area, staying at Le Notre Dame Hotel so you’re close to everything!

HOW TO GET THERE: From the West Coast, Seattle, San Francisco and LA all offer non-stops to Paris on many airlines. I like the Delta flight from Seattle non-stop to Paris, as well as the Air France flights from San Francisco and LA.

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

I love Amsterdam and for us in Portland, it’s a super easy long weekend destination since Delta flies a direct flight there. As mentioned above in the tips, flying direct for a long weekend in Europe really does make a difference. If you don’t have to connect, you’ll save so much time on the ground at your destination so check out flight options that fly direct to Europe from your closest airport and base your decision on that.

With that said, Amsterdam is an amazing city for a long weekend escape and will be a true escape, especially when you stay at the Pulitzer Amsterdam. To start, much of the beauty of Amsterdam is the city itself and wandering around the canals and row houses is a treat within itself. The food is also a huge bonus, so pick up some frites while you stroll and I promise, it will the best weekend you remember!

HOW TO GET THERE: While we don’t have a ton of International direct flights from Portland, one we do have, thanks to Nike being headquartered here, is a direct Delta flight to Amsterdam which makes it super convenient. But if you’re in other cities in the USA, Amsterdam is super easy to get to on airlines like Delta and KLM.

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, when I found $350 round trip tickets from LA to Stockholm in January, I called Nick and said, “umm just a heads up, we’re going to Stockholm for the weekend because it’s too good a deal to pass up.” Seriously, I can’t even fly to the East Coast for that price! For those that haven’t jumped on the Norwegian Air bandwagon yet, welcome to the club! Flying from all over the US to Europe, their prices just can’t be beat!

But back to Stockholm – a city I fell hard for when we visited. From Swedish meatballs to incredible architecture, I can’t wait to get back and explore this city more. And while I wasn’t crazy about Copenhagen, mostly because of the high Scandinavian prices, Stockholm offers a similar vibe at a fraction of the price!

HOW TO GET THERE: The best deals to get to Scandinavia, especially from the West Coast, is on Norwegian Air which offers many direct flights to places like Stockholm for amazing deals.

BARCELONA, SPAIN

This list wouldn’t be complete with a Spanish city on it… and oh Spain, what a wonderful country. I think the easiest and best long weekend though in a Spanish city would be Barcelona. It’s easy to just wander Barcelona’s center and take in enough for a long weekend, especially based at the Room Mate Gerard Hotel in the center of the city. It’s also a mecca for food and you could spend your entire weekend just stopping for tapas left and right, followed by churros con chocolate of course.

Barcelona is also a big hub and easy to get to. Norwegian Air flies a direct flight from LA and many other cities in the US, making it affordable and easy to get there. And bring home some jamon croquetas for me, ok?

HOW TO GET THERE: A lot of airlines fly from the US to Barcelona, but for a great deal check out Norwegian Air from LA to Barcelona (and other cities around the US).

Travel Tips : How to Fly Better

October 6, 2017

I’ve always loved flying. And yes, I know many people look at me and say, “you like being crowded into tiny seats for hours on end with people you don’t know and horrible food and having to pay for every tiny little thing?!” And my answer (most of the time) is yes, I actually do. There is something about getting on an airplane that is just magical to me. First, you’re headed somewhere different which already gives me an amazing feeling. And also – when else in your life do you just get to sit and do nothing but watch movies and tv shows for hours on end? For me, that hardly ever happens, so give me a long-haul with a great movie selection and I’m game, tiny seats be damned.

I think though that learning to love flying is also a practiced habit, it’s years and years of experience on planes that allow me to love it now, even in economy which is usually where you’ll find me with a giant scarf and headphones. And while flying is still a tough experience for a lot of people, there are a lot of little tips and tricks that can make it so much better. I’ve learned over my years and years of flying that in order to enjoy it, you have to know how to fly better and that includes all the tips I’m sharing with you today in order for you to love flying on your next adventure!

Pick your seat in advance, even if you have to pay for it.

I’m a huge advocate of picking your seat in advance on airplanes, even for short flights. And even if you’re flying on an airline that makes you pay to pick your seat, do it. A great experience flying, especially on long hauls, is dependent on you being comfortable and your seat has a lot to do with that. Along with this is realizing what type of seat you like to have when flying – some people like the aisle, some the window, some near the bathrooms, some near the front of the plane.

Personally, on domestic flights I prefer to be closer to the front and when flying alone, I prefer an aisle seat so I don’t have to climb over a stranger to get to the aisle. On International long hauls, when Nick and I are usually traveling together we try to snag the sections of most airplanes that have just 2 seats instead of 3 by the windows. Most airplanes have this configuration in the back and offer it at a premium price, which for us to not have a 3rd person in our row is totally worth it. Also on long hauls, sitting in the back has its perks being near the restrooms and space to stand up and stretch, you’ll also usually board first in the economy group. Also usually on large planes, they start serving food and beverages from both the front and back, hence you’ll be one of the first ones served when in the air.

Always have earphones.

I recently got to the airport for a short flight and had a little bit of a mini freak out when I realized I had accidentally left my headphones in my school bag instead of my purse. Luckily Nick had an extra pair with him I could use, but truthfully earphones are your best friend when traveling and allowing you to actually love flying. Whether it’s listening to calming music or watching something on your phone or iPad, your earphones will keep you sane and entertained while flying. They are also a great hint to chatty seat mates that you don’t want to spend the whole fighting talking with them.

Work your way up to elite status with airlines and always collect your miles.

One thing that helps tremendously when you travel is if you have elite status with airlines. I fly a ton every year with Alaska Airlines, particularly multiple trips to Hawaii and back for work, so my miles with them add up quickly and I gain their MVP Gold status every year. With that elite status, it helps with flying tremendously with things like free first class upgrades (which I get often!), free treats when flying in economy and priority boarding. It’s so worth it to collect the miles offered whenever you fly and try to fly on the same airline or their partners so you can hopefully try to get to elite status. Being an MVP with airlines can help you enjoy flying way more than without it and makes the whole experience better from start to finish!

Bring entertainment with you – don’t rely on the airline.

I’m always shocked when I get on the plane and people around me didn’t bring any entertainment and relied on the airlines. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten on a plane that’s supposed to have amazing in-seat TV’s and find out the plane got switched and there aren’t any or they don’t work right or the collection of TV shows and movies is pretty dismal. I always load up my iPhone Plus with lots of movies and TV shows to last me the whole trip. I’m a fan of binge watching TV shows when flying and I’ll save some of the shows that I know Nick won’t want to watch for long haul trips. Lately, my go-to has been working my way through all the seasons available of Vikings. And you don’t need an iPad or a tablet either, your phone is just fine!

For a cheap and easy way to stand your phone up on the airplane, check out this post!

Always travel with battery chargers.

My mom gave me a cute little Kate Spade battery pack for my phone a few years ago and I never travel without it. There are so many times while flying and traveling in general that you can’t find a phone charger or you’re on a plane without power outlets (oh the horror!) and having a quick small battery charger is a lifesaver.

Sign up for Global Entry – now!

I’ll never stop singing the praises of the Global Entry system if you’re a US citizen. Basically you are pre-screened by the government and deemed a n0-risk traveler so that you get access to the TSA Precheck system, which allows you to fly through airport security without having to remove everything you own. We usually fly through our Precheck security line in under 5 minutes, seriously.

And perhaps even better, if you travel internationally a lot, when coming back through Immigration and Customs, you go straight to a kiosk instead of waiting in those long lines and saving a ton of time coming back into the country. We’re able to make connections after an International flight that you never would make waiting in normal Immigration lines that sometimes take hours to get through. Seriously, it’s a life saver when traveling and will make your time at the airport easier, hence your actual flight more enjoyable!

Bring your favorite type of airplane pillow with you always.

I’m pretty sure you can divide people into groups of personality types based on what type of airplane pillow they like. Nick likes the wrap around the neck kind and he prefers one that he can blow up on the plane so it’s not one more thing to lug around. Myself? I prefer a standard little rectangular pillow that I can mold how I want to. Whatever type you like, buy one and never leave home without it. I also use mine as an armrest a lot when I’m not sleeping to soften the airplane armrests so your elbow has something soft to lean on throughout the flight.

Never travel without a scarf, or many scarves.

If you’d ask Nick what my biggest weakness is in life, he’d probably say my obsessions with scarves. I love scarves and I wear them year round. But what a scarf really is perfect for, is flying. I never travel without one, even for quick, short trips, you’ll always find a scarf around my neck or in my bag. Scarves can serve so many purposes when flying, from being a blanket when you’re freezing on an airplane to bundled up for added comfort behind your pillow to sitting on them when the airplane seat needs a little more cushion to be comfortable. I usually wear a scarf when flying and have an extra in my carry-on bag below my seat just in case. And when it’s too hot in airports to be wearing a big scarf (like in the image above), tuck it in the top of your carry-on bag and have it ready for when you need it.

Bring snacks and bottled water.

The food quality is unfortunately dwindling on airplanes these days and unless you know the food you’ll get is going to be good (like Alaska Air’s amazing fruit and cheese plate), bring your own snacks to have throughout the flight. We always buy a few little things at the airport just to have in case we get hungry and the food on board is bad. It’s also super important to stay hydrated throughout a flight so bring your own bottled water with you on board as well. We usually grab a couple bottles of sparkling water and a one large bottle of regular water so we have options while in the air.

Ask at the counter about upgrades, you never know!

It’s always more comfortable to upgrade your seat when flying, even if that’s just upgrading to a premium economy or more leg room seat. And while sometimes they’ll cost you an arm and a leg and it’s not worth the price, sometimes you’ll be surprised at what you can get when you ask at the counter. Sometimes airlines offer a decent deal right before the flight to fill seats if you want to upgrade, especially is you’re flying on a slow day. It’s worth asking – but always be nice!

More Travel Tips Posts

A Pretty Extraordinary Life

October 4, 2017

I think often in our modern society we’re consumed with this idea of a “big” love, of finding that one person to complete you, of the idea that someone will walk into your life and all at once, everything is changed. We see it in movies where all at once, everything seems to fit and everything is perfect. We see it on social media as friends and family want us to see them and their partners in a certain way. And yet, sometimes what gets lost in that “perfect” love we see all around us is the reality of real love, the every day partnership, the routine, the normal.

Today marks the anniversary that I first started dating Nick, 12 years ago. At the time, we were just naive kids and yet, when I look back on our relationship, yes there have been pretty amazing big gestures and moments when I felt like we were on top of the world together. And yet, what’s held us together over these past 12 years, hasn’t been those big romantic gestures or the “instagram” moments of our life – what’s held us together are all the moments in between.

Some of those in-between moments have been wonderful, some memorable, many others not as memorable. Some of them have been completely heartbreaking, the sobbing crying on the floor kind of heartbreaking. Some of them have been completely routine, like watching Netflix in bed while on our phones trying to catch up from a busy day. Some of them have been incredibly exciting like those moments traveling the world together or celebrating success in our careers. Some of them have been deep sadness and some have been extreme joy. In truth, a relationship is a series of moments, some big, some small, some good, some bad – but in the end, it’s the string of those moments that makes a strong and steady partnership over time.

As I look back on these past 12 years together, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. We’ve weathered long distance and family issues and tragedies. We’ve grown together and we’ve grown apart. We’ve figured everything out as we go along. We’ve built businesses and traveled the globe. We’ve chased dreams and made big decisions. We’ve butted heads and disagreed. We’ve learned from some mistakes and we’re still trying to figure other things out. But through all of it, what makes me the proudest of what we’ve accomplished is that 12 years later, through the good and the bad, we still want to be together at the end of the day. We still would rather be at home in bed early watching Netflix after a long day than out with friends. We’d still rather be together all weekend, cleaning the house or building Ikea furniture, than out during our own thing. No matter what storms we’ve weathered over the years or what’s in store for us for the next chapter of our lives, one thing is for sure, the small moments of a relationship are the glue that holds everything else together. So enjoy that evening at home in your pajamas binge watching your favorite shows or the seemingly ordinary weekends doing housework. Those moments, along with some amazing adventures thrown in here and there, make a pretty extraordinary life.

Where to See Wildlife Around the World

October 2, 2017

One thing that may surprise people that don’t know me personally is that I adore animals. And while I don’t have any of my own at the moment, I love animals and often fall head over heels in love with them when we run into animals when traveling around the world. Some destinations stick out in my mind as especially incredible when we’ve come across wildlife around the world and some places are especially incredible with the wildlife they offer a traveler. So if you’re like me and go crazy over animals, then these are places you have see and animals you have to fall in love with!

KOALA BEARS – AUSTRALIA

When driving along the coast outside of Melbourne, Australia we were told we’d come across an area just full of koala bears. So we drove and drove and drove and when we were nearly giving up, we saw something move in the trees above us, pulled over to the side of the road and looked up at a whole group of wild koalas just hanging out in the trees right above our heads. Some had babies on their stomachs, some were just munching away on the leafs. Needless to say, it was a pretty incredible sight seeing koala bears in the wilds of Australia and one any animal lover would faun over.

ICELANDIC HORSES – ICELAND

I’ve always loved horses and upon our first visit to Iceland all those years ago, I fell hard in love with the Icelandic horses. Now, there is something extra magical about Icelandic horses and the way they are so friendly that sometimes it seems like it’s all set by the country to make you fall in love with Iceland even more. Icelandic horses are so friendly that they could be at the far side of the field as you stop on the other side of it, and within minutes you’ll have them all the fence next to you, nuzzling your hands. They are long haired and beautiful and one of my favorite parts of visiting Iceland.

ORCAS – SAN JUAN ISLANDS

The San Juan Islands off of Washington State are gorgeous in their own right and the scenery is beautiful there. Over Memorial Day a few years ago, we spent a day driving around San Juan Island and had just pulled into the parking lot of Lime Kiln Lighthouse when people starting shouting. We asked what was going on and they said a pod of orcas had just shown up right off the shore. We ran down the little pathway through the forest toward the lighthouse and spent the next hour sitting in awe as we watching the whales jump in and out of the water, putting on a show for the small crowd that had emerged. At the time, I really wasn’t feeling well (it ultimately ended up being Strep Throat) but at the time, I hadn’t a care in the world as I watched in wonder at these magnificent creatures.

LLAMAS – MACHU PICCHU

When we went to Machu Picchu, we woke up our second day there before the dawn to be in line at the entrance to get into the park right before sunrise. Now the day before we had scoped out where we wanted to head for the sunrise that next day and the spot Nick wanted to photograph from was way up high on the hill, going up very steep ancient stone steps. So that morning we got into the park before the dawn, we headed straight up. With the alititude and it being 5 in the morning and me not being very good at hills already, I had to stop half way up. So I sat down on a rock and told Nick to head on up on his own and I’d watch the sunrise from where I was. He did go up to the top and yet, about 15 minutes later came back to where I was and said, “I have good new and bad news. The bad news is that it’s still a pretty steep hard climb to the top, but the good news is that there are a whole bunch of llamas at the top.” Literally with that, I picked myself up and headed on up the mountain without another word. You see, he knows, you mention there are cute furry animals at the top and I’ll get myself up there. Needless to say, making into the top and spending the next hours hanging out with llamas at Machu Picchu is still at the top of my list for the best trip ever.

PUFFINS – ALASKA

While puffins are most well known to be seen in Iceland, in all our trips to Iceland we’ve still never seen them there. However, on our visit to Alaska and cruise of the Kenai Peninsula, we saw our first puffins and I couldn’t have been more excited! Our wildlife cruise allowed us to see all sorts of animals in the wild, but for some reason, the puffins were a huge plus!

BISON – YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

When driving through Yellowstone, you’ll see wild bison everywhere! I was envisioning them off in the distance or seeing one here or there, but no, they are everywhere! And on top of that, they come up super close to tourists and at times, I wanted so badly to just run up and hug them. Don’t worry, Nick (and the National Park security) stopped me every time.

MONKEYS – CAMBODIA

While monkeys can often be a nuisance and in many countries, carry a lot of diseases, there is still something that I love about a furry monkey running around. In Cambodia while exploring the Angkor temples, monkeys were part of the experience. Running along side you, sleeping around in the temples and finding shade in the forest, and while I refrained from interacting with them, they are still super cute!

ELEPHANTS – INDIA

I’ve always loved elephants and a few different times in my life I’ve had the privilege of interacting with these magnificent creatures, but while in India, we had the change to spend some time with an elephant and the experience, like the other times I’ve had, was truly magical. Elephants have an ease and a wisdom to them that not many other creatures have and India is an amazing place to have an experience with one that you’ll always remember.

#BloggingDesk : Finding Your Expertise

September 29, 2017

In a world where there are a million and one blogs out there and each one has it’s own take on something or falls into a certain category, sometimes it’s hard to tell them all apart. Sometimes one lifestyle blog looks just like another lifestyle blog, or this travel blogger is giving the same advice as this travel blogger – how do we differentiate ourselves to make our own blogs stand out among the crowd?

One of the biggest things in my experience here on Land of Marvels has been to figure out what my expertise is versus someone else. Why would someone read my blog versus another travel blogger and what information would they gain. So if you’re just starting out blogging or if you’ve been at it for a while, I think as bloggers, we all need to stop every once in a while and think about what we’re offering the blogosphere and to do that, we need to figure out what our expertise is and what is is that we can individually offer and here’s my thoughts on how to do that.

First, ask yourself what niche your blog fits into?

I think one thing that a lot of bloggers do is try to fit into a lot of categories. As a reader though, I prefer to know what type of blog I’m reading. That’s not to say it can’t overlap a couple categories, but I wouldn’t suggest trying to have a lifestyle – travel – fashion – cooking blog. Because if you do, then readers will start to wonder, are you really an expert in all of those categories. Pick one or two and go from there.

In that niche, what makes your blog unique?

So within those categories that your blog fits into, what makes it unique? Is it a good design or an active readership? Figure out how to set yourself apart from the millions of other blogs out there really similar to yours.

What is your expertise?

This seems like it’s often hard for people and bloggers specifically, but the great blogs out there have a real trust with their readers that what the blogger is writing is truly their expertise. I travel a lot, therefore, I know more about travel than the average person, so I feel comfortable sharing my travel experiences and tips with people who don’t travel a lot. I also grew up abroad as an expat kid, so a lot of my expertise or opinions on things stem from my experience during that part of my life that other people might not have. Take what you know a lot about and parlay that into your expertise – writing about that on your blog.

How can you add your expertise to your blog so that readers know immediately what that entails?

Going off of the expertise you came up with from above, then think about how you actually merge that with your blog. Do your readers know your story? If not, how can you relay it to them? Do your posts reflect the expertise you are saying you have? One of the ways I’ve done this on Land of Marvels is through my popular Travel Tips series. Over the years, I’ve shared travel tips for things all over the map for readers to learn from my mistakes and pick up tidbits of knowledge along the way, sometimes that I’ve learned the hard way, saving them the hassle. Figure out how to relay your expertise into meaningful communication with your readers and go from there!

Looking for more posts on Blogging?

See our archives for Blogging posts.

The Truth About Traveling : Sometimes It’s Magic

Travel Tips : Criteria for Picking Hotels

A Complete Budget for a Long Weekend in Paris (from the US)

TOTAL = $2,636.86