#BloggingDesk : My Best Advice for New Bloggers

May 17, 2017

I’ve seen a lot of posts lately from bloggers I’ve followed for a long time talking about how much blogging has changed in the last 5 years. And it’s completely true. When I first started blogging it was an entirely different world. It was more personal. It was more sharing. It wasn’t as “professional” if you will. And while I’m not sure whether it’s good or bad about all the changes in the blogging world, I think it’s a little bit of both at the end of the day. And while the whole blogging atmosphere has changed a ton, maybe people are still just getting into the industry and blogging community as a whole. So if you’re one of those people that are just starting out and you’re not sure what to do in this crazy, “make your own rules” part of the internet, here’s my best advice for new bloggers just starting out!

1. Your design matters.

This is something that matters a lot more now than it used to, but nonetheless the look and design of your blog really matters. Even if you do it yourself and keep it super simple, just make sure the design of your site feels modern and up to date. I’ve looked a ton of blogs over the years that I don’t return to because no matter how great your content, the site design and layout sometimes matters even more. No one wants to spend hours trying to figure out how to get around your site or looking at a horrible amateur design… that’s just the way of the world.

2. Don’t worry about the numbers.

While this might go against everything else out there, at the beginning, don’t worry about the numbers. And unless your going for the blog to be your whole income and profession, I would suggest not worrying about the numbers at all. Readers will come and go, but the most important thing about blogging is the community you grow around your site. Whether that’s 12 readers a day or 12,000, who cares? As long as you enjoy it, that’s all that matters.

3. Write for you.

This is perhaps the most important of all the advice I could give you. Write for you, and only you. A lot of of bloggers start to fade over time and you can tell that their heart just isn’t in it anymore. It’s easy to tell that and it’s such a hard thing to overcome as a reader. Every post I write, all these years later, I still love to write every word here on Land of Marvels.

4. Give it time.

In this era of the internet, truthfully some blogs explode overnight and some take years and years to gain a following. In the end, you just have to give it time and be patient.

5. Don’t drive people crazy.

One thing that’s a huge turn off for me is getting five million emails a day from blog newsletters or tweets about old posts from 10 years ago… we all have so much going on that for me, I’ll unfollow blogs that drive me crazy! Keep it simple and don’t bog everyone down with a ton of blog related spam.

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5 Steps to Make Your Dream Trip a Reality

May 16, 2017

As a travel blogger and someone who travels frequently, I hear the term “dream trip” thrown around a lot. And while this may mean different things to different people, when I hear that term I think of trips that you’ve been waiting years to take or a destination that scares you a little bit, but you just take the leap and book it. A dream trip for me is that trip that takes extra planning, that takes you to a place you’ve dreamt of for a long time. And as someone who has a few dream trips under my belt at this point, here’s my best advice for 5 steps to make your dream trip a reality!

1. Start saving.

Travel costs money no matter how you look at it and dream trips are often bigger and more expensive than an average getaway. So start saving money, now! What you often don’t see here on Land of Marvels were all the years of working really hard and living in a tiny apartment to save money to start our travels all those years ago. Even now, we work really hard (and multiple jobs) to save our money to afford to travel as much as we do. Start saving on the little things and then see how much you can set aside for however long down the road you intend to travel.

2. Plan ahead.

We book our travels way out, like sometimes 6-8+ months in advance… the reason? Actually it’s a number of reasons, a) you get better airfare deals way out, b) it gives us a ton of time to pay off the trip before we even leave, and c) it gives us a lot of time to plan for time off of work and get our life situated for when we’ll be gone. Planning ahead is smart on a lot of levels but the thing I love about it, is that when we end up leaving all those months later, the trip is paid off and we don’t come home with a huge credit card bill!

3. Keep saving.

So you’ve booked your dream trip months ahead of time and you don’t know what to do next? Keep saving money. You’ll need money for while you’re there, so don’t stop saving once you’ve booked and paid off your flights and hotels. Keep putting money aside and then use that as your spending money on your trip!

4. Embrace the unknown.

Sometimes the hardest part of planning and taking your dream trip is embracing the unknown that will for sure come. But for me, that’s one of my favorite parts of travel! Embrace everything that comes your way and just take it in stride. Travel won’t always be easy but it will always be fulfilling no matter the circumstances!

5. Travel + Repeat.

So you made it on your dream trip to a fantastic destination and now you’re home and you’re hooked! Start at #1 and do it all over again!

The Best (Somewhat) Hidden Gems in Europe

May 15, 2017

Europe is full of amazing cities: London, Paris, Rome, Vienna… but sometimes you just want to get off the beaten path a bit and experience something a bit more hidden. And while Europe is pretty well traveled and millions of people visit every year, there are still some smaller places that still feel like you are transported to a different time and will blow you away. So if you’re looking to get off the beaten path a little more in Europe this years, here are some of the best (somewhat) hidden gems in Europe.

Montepulciano, Italy

On our way out of Rome headed to Tuscany, our taxi driver taking us to get our rental car asked us where we were headed. I said Montepulciano. He ooooohed and awwwed in true Italian fashion and told me that Montepulciano was the most beautiful town in all of Tuscany. Turns out he was right. Montepulciano is a true gem in the Tuscany region of Italy and if you go in the shoulder seasons, it’s quiet and straight out of story book.

Bruges, Belgium

Belgium in general seems like it was created out of another world and another time, but little Bruges takes that ideal a step further. Set on little canals with buildings dating back centuries, you’ll feel catapulted to another time wandering through beautiful little Bruges. Grab a Belgian waffle from the open market and wander for a few hours – you can thank me later!

Northern Iceland

Iceland is becoming more and more touristy and while the Golden Circle and Reykjavik seem to be tourist central these days, we’ve opted on our last few trips to explore more of the other areas of the country that are still a little far for the tourism flood to follow. One such place where you can still find the quietness that Iceland used to have is in the North, which takes hours to get to and spans a decent distance to explore. But it’s here in the North that you’ll find the landscapes that take your breath away, where you might be the only human for miles around and where Iceland is still raw in its purest form.

Bushmills, Northern Ireland

Just 10 minutes from the Giant’s Causway in Northern Ireland lies the little town of Bushmills. If you’re a whiskey drinker, you’ll recognize the name and yes, this is where it’s made. And while many might recognize the name, the little town of Bushmills is a far cry from the cosmopolitan Belfast just a little over an hour away. Bushmills transports you back to old Ireland years and years ago and you’ll love the quaint charm of this little Irish town.

Hallstatt, Austria

Hallstatt is one of those places that seems to flood every bloggers photo feeds in the last couple years. It’s been on my list for a while and when we finally made the trek to this tiny little Austrian town beside a lake at the base of giant mountains, I was so glad we did. The location of Hallstatt is in itself pretty magical, as fog hangs along the mountains and the lakes shimmers around you, you’ll be in awe of the landscape around you. And then the town, with no cars and tiny little roads and tiny little houses, is so cute that you feel like it can’t be real. Hallstatt is well worth the visit, if only for a couple hours to wander – it’s so tiny, that’s all you’ll need!

The Truth About Traveling : Why I Travel and Write About It

May 12, 2017

A few months back, a friend of mine told me that they loved following my blog and my frequent travels because at that point in their life, they weren’t able to travel as much and it gave them something to look forward to and enjoy in the meantime. It struck me in the moment because often in the course of my busy life and getting 5 posts out every week, as well as all my other professional and personal commitments, I often forget to stop and really think about why I travel and subsequently write about it.

I think as bloggers, it’s easy to get caught up in pushing posts with information out to readers, hoping that it helps them plan their own trips or answers questions they might have about a specific trip or destination. But on the flip side, I whole heartedly believe that part of the incredible thing about travel is sharing it. Whether that means I just know you as a screen name who leaves a comment or a Twitter friend or someone in my personal life, I realized after that conversation with my friend that I travel because it feeds my soul in a way that nothing else does and I write about travel because I truly believe that sharing our experiences brings us closer in a way that is sometimes hard to do in other ways.

At 30 years old, I haven’t found anything else in the world that feeds my soul like travel does. There isn’t anything else that I’ve found that drives me as much or that sparks my creativity in the same way. And while the act of traveling is incredibly impactful in my life, I also find simultaneously that sharing it with all of you and having conversations about it completes that feeling of fulfillment. So as I reflect on the reasons why I am still blogging, just know as readers how much I value you and your contribution here on Land of Marvels! It’s because of you all reading this that I continue to write and share my experiences in the hopes that someday, all of our experiences will help to shape the world and create a better future for all of us!

5 Places to Travel in the Summer if You Don’t Like Hot Weather

May 11, 2017

As Summer is fast approaching, many people are looking at where they can spend their Summer vacations and travel to some place amazing. And while the majority of you out there are probably thinking from the title of this post, wouldn’t you want to go somewhere warm and enjoy the warm weather that Summer has to offer? Well, there are also some of us that don’t like hot weather or have a hard time with too high of temperatures. I don’t physically do well in hot weather and I’m often looking for places in Summer to head to escape the heat, so if you’re like me, here are 5 places to travel in the Summer if you don’t like hot weather!

Alaska

I often dream about someday owning a little vacation house in Alaska so we can escape there during the Summers and get some cooler weather. Alaska is a great place to head all Summer long for long daylight hours and cooler temps than most of the continental US.

Iceland

You’ll definitely find a respite from hot weather in Iceland in the Summer and while they might get into the 70’s and low 80’s a few times throughout the season, most of the time in the peak months you’ll still be cooler here than most of the rest of the world.

Australia /New Zealand

If you want Winter in the Summer, head to the Southern hemisphere to places like Australia and New Zealand where their seasons are opposite.

Maine / New England

Most of the upper North East United States stays somewhat cooler in the Summer months and as you get farther North in to States like Maine, you’ll find much more pleasant temperatures than farther South.

Scandinavia

Countries like Sweden and Denmark offer mild cooler Summers than most of the rest of Europe. So if you’re looking to beat the heat, you could head to cities like Stockholm or Copenhagen for a bit of a respite.

How to Pick an Airline : Should I Choose Low Cost or Not?

May 10, 2017

I’ve been helping some family members look at airfare deals lately and it got me thinking that I haven’t written too much here on Land of Marvels for how to pick an airline for your travels. There are so many choices out there now for travel all over the world and sometimes it’s hard to know which airline might be the best choice for you. Should I choose low cost or not? Should I upgrade or not? All these questions are valid and hard to know the answers to, so today here’s my best tips for choosing whether a low cost carrier might be the best option for you or not.

Are you flying for an experience or just to get to your destination?

The first question you should ask when picking a low cost carrier or not is your motives when flying. Do you want an experience, decent food, a comfortable lie flat seat and attending flight attendants? If you do, then you’re probably better sticking with the normal large carriers and upgrading to a higher class than economy. But if you’re flying just to get to your destination and you don’t really care, then a low cost carrier might be the perfect option for you at a huge discount!

Not all low cost carriers are created equal.

The first and most important thing to know about the low cost airlines out there is that they are not all the same and they are not created equal. There are some that are way better than others so it’s helpful to get all the facts and then choose. For example, for cheap flights within Europe I much prefer EasyJet over RyanAir due to a few different factors. Flying from the US to Europe, I much prefer Norwegian Air over a lot of other carriers because they fly Dreamliners and the plane is a lot nicer. So do your research and find out what each airline choice has over another and then make your choice.

Pay to pick a seat, but not to buy a meal.

I will always suggest picking a seat when booking, even if you have to pay for it. There is nothing worse than being stuck in a horrible seat for 10 hours. So even if you have to pay, pick your seat when you book your ticket. Also take a look at the seat maps before you book so you know where you’ll want to sit. On different airlines, I like to sit in different places – for example, most of the time I like to choose to be near the front of the cabin or in an exit row, but on Norwegian Air, they have 2 rows in the back by the window with only 2 seats and a ton more leg room that I always book. So take a look at the seat map and then pay to book your seat when you book your flight.

On the low cost airlines, most of them make you pay for a meal. In truth, usually the food is pretty bad anyways so I opt to buy food at the airport before my flight instead and bring it on the flight.

Upgrade the day of the flight, not when you book.

Most of the low cost carriers still have a business class section on the plane and while it’s not going to be the lie-flat pods that most large airlines have, it’s definitely an upgrade from economy. When you book, usually those upgraded seats are still pretty expensive compared to the cheap economy fares. The trick is to wait until the day of your flight or whenever you can check in and upgrade then. Usually the upgrade costs + your fare is a lot less than you’ll pay farther out.

Go direct versus stopovers.

Low cost carriers are popping up all over these days but they are still only flying out of certain airports and it’s worth figuring out whether having stopovers or having to travel to other airports to fly out of is still cheaper than just a normal fare on another airline. For example, when we fly Norwegian Air to Europe we have to fly out of LAX (though they are starting to fly out of Seattle this Fall which I’m really looking forward to!). So even if we’re getting a super amazing airfare deal (like our $350 round trip tickets to Stockholm in January), we still have to get to LAX and have a layover, etc. Another example is flying Iceland Air to mainland Europe, where you have to say go from Seattle to Reykjavik and then on to Mainland Europe with a layover in Iceland. You’ll want to see if it make sense financially and time-wise to have stopovers. I always try to go as direct as possible as it just relieves a lot of stress!

5 of the Most Magical Travel Moments in the World

May 9, 2017

Travel for me is magical; it brings out these kinds of moments that often get overlooked in our daily lives and routines, moments that I have no other word for than pure magic. Whether it’s a sunset that paints the whole sky in spectacular color or standing alone among ruins in an ancient place imagining all those that walked that ground before you, travel has a way of evoking magic all around us in a world that often attempts to remove anything extraordinary we might find. And while moments like I’m describing don’t happen all the time and not on every trip or every place I visit, I have found over the years of frequent travel that those magical moments are the reason I keep going – they are the spark that I crave to explore more. And while they might not happen all the time, there are some moments that you can chase yourselves, some that happen more than you think. So if you’re craving a little something extraordinary in your life, here are 5 of the most magical travel moments around the world and they will for sure change your outlook on life and our world in general.

The Great Wall of China in the Snow

One of the top travel memories in my entire life occurred when I was standing on the Great Wall of China in late November, snow slowly falling around me, a quiet stillness embracing my every breath and not more than 4 other people nearby. We arrived right as the Great Wall opened, and in the 30 minutes before the tour buses arrived, I spent those moments completely enveloped in the world around me. I remember looking at Nick and all I could muster was “wow” to describe the scene around me. Magical is the only word I can come close to when describing that snowy morning on the Great Wall of China.

Machu Picchu in the Dawn Fog

Machu Picchu is one of those destinations that is magical is every way; it’s incredible and awe inspiring. But when I felt like I was truly overcome with a sort of magic was the second visit of our trip when we arrived at the monument in the early dawn hours and climbed up the ancient stairs to the top of the hill above the famous ruins. Once up there, I stopped for a bit to catch my breath after a steep climb and the high altitude making it hard to breath. As I sat on an old stone looking out over the mountains of Peru, I watched as the thick fog that was enveloping everything slowly seemed to peal away, revealing a scene straight out of a movie as Machu Picchu suddenly appeared right below me. It was one of those moments that I relive over and over and something I’ll never forget.

Cruising the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska

As someone who love animals and a scenic adventure, I was especially excited for our cruise on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. And even though the rain was pouring and while it said August on the calendar, it felt more like January with the cold wind sweeping off the water, I couldn’t pull myself away from the top deck of our boat, cruising out over open water seeing otters and whales and puffins and glaciers. I just remember staring out at the open expanse of ocean before me, as the fog hugged the coastlines around us and watching humpback whales jump in and out of the water and thinking, this is pure magic. There is something about witnessing nature at its best that makes me rethink everything about our world and see the beauty in everything around us.

Waterfall of the Gods at 3am in May

One of the most distinct travel memories of my whole life occurred in a country I adore, Iceland. And while every trip we’ve taken to Iceland has been memorable for different reasons, when we drove North on our second trip there, that’s when the real magic happened. We were staying in Akureyri in Iceland’s North for a couple days, a region that is remote and hard to get to. And after hours and hours of driving the previous day, we decided to wake up in the middle of the night and head to the Waterfall of the Gods at 3am. As this was in late May, we were able to experience the midnight sun where the sun never fully sets, but results in an ambient soft light all through the night. I’ll never forget that moment standing above the famous Waterfall of the Gods at 3am, with just Nick and not another human soul for miles. The pure beauty of nature was what made the magic in that moment, the sheer power of this massive waterfall and the pure transient nature of humans on Earth. And yes, the photo above was really taken at 3am!

Sunrise at Lanikai on Oahu

I have a love/hate relationship with Hawaii and while I’ve lived there and travel back and forth often for work, I can’t deny the beauty in corners of the Islands. And while Hawaii can be stunning all over, for me nothing quite exudes that magic like watching color spill across the sky at sunrise at Lanikai Beach on Oahu. If you make it to the Windward side of the island before the sun rises, you’ll be treated to an intense painting of color over a teal ocean and white sand beaches with no one around. It’s one of those moments when you’re just thankful to be alive (and awake so early) and in awe of what our Earth really is.

How the Middle East Changed My Life

May 8, 2017

With so much in the news lately about the Middle East and with what’s happening in that part of the world these days, I find myself continuously drawn back to my memories of growing up there. If you’re new here, I’ve written a lot about my birthplace and subsequent childhood in Saudi Arabia and honestly, the Middle East change my life. I’ve also talked a lot about being a third culture kid and what that meant for me when I finally moved back to the States as a pre-teen girl, not sure of where I belonged, not sure of where my life would go while trying to balance my life in Saudi and my citizenship in the US.

When you hear about the Middle East, you might feel horrible about what’s happening in Syria. You might wonder how loved ones are doing while being deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan to fight against terrorists, or you might not understand what’s going on in that part of the world and immediately assume all Muslims are out to get us. When I hear about the Middle East, I think of home. I think of the place that accepted me, that taught me about acceptance, that showed me no matter who we pray to, no matter the color of our skin or the head covering we might wear, we are all the same.

A lot of people in my own country and around the world don’t know anything about the religion of Islam other than what is spread falsely. Many people couldn’t even pinpoint on a map where Saudi Arabia or Jordan or Syria even are. So with that mindset, how can we even begin to help heal the divides? How can we even begin to start to change the view? When we think of these places as geographical countries that we just hear about on the news instead of home of millions of human beings, how can we even possibly all move forward together in understanding?

After we moved back to the States, I spent the next handful of years really struggling. I didn’t feel like I fit, I didn’t feel like my peers understood me or where I came from, I didn’t feel like myself. It took me a long time to come to terms with who I was and what my background meant for me going forward and it was because of how the Middle East changed my life that I fully realized who I am. I might be fair skinned with blue eyes and born to American parents, but the Middle East will always be a part of me, it will always be my compass. The Middle East changed my life. When I process world issues, I think about the first 12 years of my life as a little blond girl at home among the mosques. When I hear someone say something completely ignorant about the Middle East, I remember back to all the amazing Muslims I call friends. When I see world leaders making comments about how hurtful Islam is as a religion, I know they must have not ever stood in the middle of an Arab city and heard the chanting from the magical call to prayer.

My childhood in Saudi Arabia might not have been conventional but it’s the single most important part of me. It’s my guide. It irrevocably changed my life and I am profoundly grateful for the lessons I learned there and the guidance that my experience there still gives my heart every single day.

Interested in reading more about my childhood in Saudi Arabia?

See all of my posts on the country!

On the Horizon : Road Trip to Yellowstone

May 5, 2017

Welcome to my newest series here on Land of Marvels! One of my favorites things about the travel blogging community is the resource for information – connecting with other people all over the world to help us travel better and enjoy it more! So in this new series, I’ll be posting about places we’re headed upcoming in our schedule and asking the community for information. My hope is that it won’t be just information for myself but also for anyone else planning a trip to these locations!

And so when we have a trip planned somewhere, I’ll do an “On the Horizon” post about it and ask for suggestions and comments for those locations, perhaps tips or specific places to see so that we can all be proactive about planning trips together!

Our next trip upcoming at the end of May is a really interesting one and I can’t wait! Let’s jump into advice for Glacier National Park and Yellowstone (as well as surrounding areas)! We are road tripping from Portland up through Eastern Washington into Montana, down into Yellowstone and then back through Idaho and Eastern Oregon so if you have any advice for any of the locations below, please let me know in the comments!

Cities/Locations we’ll be visiting or staying in:

The Palouse – Eastern Washington

Kalispell, Montana

Glacier National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Sun Valley, Idaho

Baker City area of Eastern Oregon + Wallowa Mountains

Over to you … what do you recommend?

5 Reasons Why I’ll Always Love a Great Landscape

May 4, 2017

While I’m truly a city girl in my day to day life, over the years of traveling, I often find myself drawn to incredible natural great landscapes and places that are outside of the big cities around the world. And while I still love a few days in a city like London or Paris, a great landscape really pulls me in and offers something entirely different. So the next time you’re wondering where to travel to, here’s 5 reasons why I’ll always love a great landscape!

1. A sense of peace.

Sometimes when we travel, I just want to go somewhere peaceful, somewhere that will soothe me and that offers an escape from our busy daily lives. Great landscapes around the world can offer that calm sense of peace that you might not get in a city.

(Photo – The Great Ocean Road outside Melbourne, Australia)

2. Awe at the world around us.

I’m constantly in awe at the incredible planet we live on and the world around us. Traveling great landscapes around the world always pulls this home for me and makes me realize how lucky we are to call this beautiful planet home!

(Photo – Antelope Canyon in Northern Arizona)

3. Landscapes awake a spiritual side of us.

In some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes I always feel a sense of a spiritual awakening if you will. An incredible view gives you a feeling deeper than you can explain sometimes and often in those spots, you’re also not around as many people which adds to that feeling of spirituality.

(Photo – Godafoss Waterfall in Northern Iceland)

4. You’ll experience more away from the crowds.

The big cities of the world are wonderful, but there is something about being out in nature away from the crowds of people and really just connecting to what’s around you!

(Photo – Rolling hills of Tuscany, Italy)

5. It’s just beautiful.

And finally, the great landscapes of the world are just simply beautiful and draw us in with their unique features. Our world really is a beautiful place and when you can get out there and witness the beauty for yourself it really makes a mark on your soul.

(Photo – Fall colors in Vermont, USA)