#BloggingDesk : Real Life vs the Highlight Reel

May 3, 2017

As a travel blogger, I realize that we do somewhat of an injustice to real life in this forum on the internet, we share gorgeous photos of incredible destinations around the world, the most beautiful corners of our homes, or unique views of our home cities. And while it may seem to everyone else that life is a beautiful little slice of paradise where nothing ever bad happens and everything is constantly picture-perfect, that’s a huge disservice to the world and to our communities and to ourselves. We’ve all been there, scrolling through our Instagram feed which feels more and more curated these days, where people we follow seem to be living a dream life without the huge to do lists, never ending errands and personal issues that plague most of us on a daily basis.

But here’s the deal: don’t believe everything you see. We have to be able to distinguish between real life and someone else’s highlight reel. And yea, there are moments in my life that feel like magic, times when I’m traveling or at home and everything seems to fit into place and I think to myself “this is amazing.” But that’s about 5% of my life – the other 95% is working late, to do lists that never seem to end, errand after errand, chore after chore, trying to keep up on my DVR and hustling so I can afford to keep traveling or chasing those dreams on the horizon.

For me, in all honesty, the past few months have not been a highlight reel. And while yes, we’ve taken multiple trips in that time and a lot of it has been wonderful, behind the scenes you don’t always see all else that’s going on. Between insane amounts of work and deadlines that have had me working very long hours in the evening and on weekends and while traveling, to family issues that I don’t always share, home maintenance issues costing more than anticipated and dealing with the IRS on some mistakes our old accountant made years ago, we’ve definitely not had a smooth ride of it as of late. And I’m not telling you all this for any other reason other than I’m right there with you. Real life isn’t always glamorous or easy or beautiful, sometimes it’s straining and tiring and feels like everything is flying at you at all times and you’re just trying to your best to not get hit. There have been moments when I really did seriously consider just selling everything I own and moving to a little horse farm in the middle of Iceland to get away from it all.

But here’s the thing – even in those times when we feel like our lives aren’t what they should be or what we’d like them to be, there are moments when I look around and realize how very beautiful this life is however chaotic or crazy it might seem or how un-Instagram it might feel. So the next time you’re feeling like someone else’s highlight reel is how your life should look, just remember that they aren’t showing you everything. And since I don’t think the idea of social media is changing anytime soon, we still have to make a conscience effort to not compare ourselves to someone showing us only 5% of their life and we have to remember that we’re all going to struggle sometimes, we’re all going to go through things in life but at the end of the day, if you can look around and take it all in, breath and keep going, that’s all that matters.

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Travel Tips : What to Do When a Hotel Cancels your Reservation

May 2, 2017

During our trip to DC we were driving out to Lexington, Virginia on Saturday for a family wedding. We had booked to stay at a little boutique hotel in downtown Lexington about 7 months prior to the wedding through Hotels.com. Friday while we were still in DC, I got a call from Hotels.com telling me that the hotel had overbooked and that we would have to pick another hotel to move to. I told them I wanted to call the hotel first to see what was really going on and that I’d call them back. Long story short, I think it was the hotel that somehow moved our reservation (even though they had rooms) and it was all taken care of in about 20 minutes. But if for some reason a hotel cancels your reservation or moves you, here’s what I would always suggest doing!

Go directly to the hotel first.

Instead of going through whoever you booked through (in my case Hotels.com), call the hotel directly first and find out what’s going on. In my case, it was an error in their system which then got directed to Hotels.com and my reservation with them so the hotel was able to straighten it out right away.

Then go back to your booking agent.

Even if you get it sorted with the hotel, be sure to also call your booking agent (in my case Hotels.com) and confirm with them that the hotel has your reservation shown in their system. You want to make sure it’s good on both ends with them and with the hotel.

Demand that your reservation be honored (especially if it was booked way out).

If they fight you on it, demand that your reservation be honored, even if that means you have to be upgraded to find a room for you. In my case, I had booked 7 months out and mentioned that as well that I shouldn’t be the room canceled when I had booked so far in advance.

If they can’t honor your reservation, demand compensation.

If for some reason they really are overbooked and you get bumped from your room, demand that you get compensated not only for the refund of your booking but also an extra compensation for the hassle of the situation. You might have to be firm with them, but it’s worth it. I ended up getting my reservation back from the hotel as well as a $100 voucher for a future Hotels.com booking which made up for the inconvenience.

An Evening with Thomas Jefferson : Twilight at the Tidal Basin

May 1, 2017

One of the monuments that we’ve never stopped and fully seen in Washington D.C. is the Thomas Jefferson memorial at the Tidal Basin. We’ve driven by it before, but this time we were determined to see it in person. So we headed there around sunset after leaving Georgetown and made it just in time for the twilight colors of the evening and the moody clouds overhead to highlight this beautiful monument and the surrounding monuments at the National Mall. We missed the best cherry blossoms in the area, but the Tidal Basin is still one of those spots in DC well worth seeing!

Heading to Washington DC?

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Travel Tips : How to Handle a Loud Hotel Room Neighbor

April 28, 2017

We recently had an unfortunate incident at our hotel in Alexandria (The Alexandrian) on our recent trip to the DC area and while we’ve stayed in hundreds of hotels around the world, this issue was our first of the kind. Long story short, we arrived back at the hotel around 7pm from our day around DC and realized that our neighbors had about 4-6 people in their room and seemed to be drinking and talking really loud (like we could hear every word loud). We figured they would calm down so we watched some TV and then proceeded to get ready to go to bed since we had be on the road early in the morning to head to a family wedding. Around 9pm, they still hadn’t quieted down so I called the front desk who sent someone up to the room and asked them to quiet down. After that, our neighbors proceeded to get louder and make comments like “our a**-hole neighbors are calling the front desk on us…” So we dropped it and hoped they would quiet down. In the next 5-6 hours they never stopped and after another phone call to the front desk at 3am where they were still going strong, where nothing happened, we resorted to a horrible night sleep. The following morning I complained again upon check out and they did take our parking charge off and then followed up by email with extra Marriott points which was nice, but in my opinion not enough. Upon further research, if this happens to you, you actually have more leverage than you think with hotels, so after going through this, here’s what I would suggest for how to handle a loud hotel room neighbor.

Call the Front Desk Multiple Times

I called twice, but in retrospect, I should have kept calling until someone did something about the situation. A front desk person knocking on their door and asking them nicely to quiet down wasn’t doing anything so they should have resorted to calling security or doing more about the situation. If they don’t do enough, keep calling. This is also a good timeline and record for you the following day when you complain to say that you had to call down numerous times.

Don’t Approach the Neighbor Yourself

I read a lot on the internet about situations like this afterwards and everyone of them said not to approach your neighbor yourself. Whether they might be drunk or rude or physically abusive, it’s better to let trained hotel staff handle the situation.

Ask to Move Rooms if they Don’t Offer

No one I spoke to in the two times I called the front desk offered to move our room and they should have. In retrospect, I wish I would have asked to move rooms immediately upon the first call at 9pm and we would have had a good night’s sleep. If they don’t offer, ask to move rooms and push them to do it.

Request Compensation if they Don’t Offer

When we checked out the following day, the chipper girl at the counter beamed “how was your stay?” I replied with honesty, “actually last night was horrible.” Upon that, I explained what happened and that we basically spent $200 something for a hotel for the night where we didn’t even get to sleep. When they didn’t offer anything other than an “I’m sorry to hear that” I immediately asked for compensation of some kind. She did take off our $80 parking tab for 2 nights, but to be honest in my opinion for something that was more in their control they should have done more.

After we left, I also tweeted Marriott and expressed my discontent about the situation and the manager of the hotel reached out via email and offered me 5,000 Marriott points which was a nice touch after the fact, though I wish the hotel would have done more to make us a priority during the situation itself.

Shopping + Townhouse Dreams : An Evening in Georgetown

April 27, 2017

One of my all time favorite areas in the DC part of the East Coast is Georgetown. Every time we’re in that area of the country, Georgetown is a favorite stop for me. Between the restaurants and shops in the area to the incredible townhouses that I can only dream of buying one day, I love a wander through this DC neighborhood. It might be crazy expensive and filled with people, but we made it over there to spend an evening exploring during our recent trip. We needed to go to CB2 while in town to pick up something for our upcoming bathroom remodel, so we headed there first, parked the car and then proceeded to wander the area through the evening. We stopped for dinner at J. Paul’s which was delicious and then took our time walking back to the car, through rows of historic townhouses. And evening in Georgetown is a do not miss while in the DC area!

Heading to Washington DC?

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History, Lanterns + Row Houses : Exploring Old Town Alexandria

April 25, 2017

On this most recent trip to the Washington DC area we decided to stay in Alexandria, Virginia rather in DC itself. We chose Alexandria for a couple reasons, first we had never gotten to explore this cool historic area on past trips to the area and second because we were flying into Raegan airport and Alexandria is about 5 minutes from there. Looking back, I’m so glad we chose to explore Alexandria a bit on this trip and I really fell in love with the area.

Old Town Alexandria is gorgeous to start, filled with old brick row houses, real lanterns with candles and history everywhere you look. I could have explored down the little side streets for hours, pretending to purchase the incredible townhouses in the area. We spent about a day and half in Alexandria and while we didn’t see it all, we definitely fell in love with what we did see and can’t wait to get back again in the future!

Tips for Alexandria

-Eat at the Fish Market. It’s a super old well known spot right on the main street near the water and the seafood is divine!

-Grab ice cream at Pop’s. We went twice and I was partial to their coconut flavor.

-Wander up and down King Street. This is the main drag through the Old Town, filled with shops and restaurants.

-Be sure to explore down by the water. The Potomac River runs on the edge of Alexandria so be sure to head down to the many parks and waterfront areas for great views.

Heading to Washington DC?

See all my posts on the city here!

Why Every American Needs to Visit Washington DC

April 24, 2017

I’ve been to Washington DC a handful of times now and each time I leave with a feeling very specific to the destination. The capitol of the United States is one of those places that holds so much history, so much weight and so much hope, all simultaneously. No matter who might be residing in the White House or what party you might vote for, Washington DC is one of those places that really needs to be experienced by every American, to see where we come from and to see what we’ve built over the years, together. So if you haven’t visited yet, here’s why every American needs to visit Washington DC.

History is everywhere.

Driving or walking around DC, it’s incredible how much history is all around you. Perhaps no other city in the US has so much history. Whether it’s wandering the halls of George Washington’s home or standing beside the Washington Monument or looking across the tidal basin at the Jefferson Monument, it’s impossible to not be blown away by the history of our nation. So much all those history lessons we learn in school are somewhat intangible in real life, but to stand there and see these monuments, it brings it all to life.

No matter what your politics, DC is inspiring.

I happen to be in the group of people at the moment not agreeing with much my government is doing or who happens to be in office, but regardless of politics, DC is awe inspiring. To walk the streets where our nation is governed, where laws are created or abolished, where so much has come about in the history of the US is incredible moving.

We can’t move forward until we know where we’ve been.

I’m a huge believer in learning from mistakes and as a country or as a world, we can’t move forward without knowing where we’ve been and what mistakes we’ve made along the way. Seeing places like the Vietnam memorial where endless names are etched into stone or seeing a giant statue of Abraham Lincoln and thinking about what was happening during his lifetime in our country, we have to look back in order to look forward. Seeing these places with your own eyes is incredible eye opening to how we might be able to move forward in the future.

Heading to Washington DC?

See all my posts on the city here!

How to Avoid Crowds at Landmarks around the World

April 21, 2017

I often post photos from our travels around the world and get the comment “how’d you take that photo without anyone around?” Unfortunately with travel we’re often visiting spots that are dubbed “tourist spots,” landmarks or places that attract a lot of people, hence making it difficult to really enjoy a place without being swarmed by crowds. But the good news is, there are definitely ways to get those amazing photos without anyone around and here’s how to avoid the crowds at landmarks around the world!

Find an Alternative Angle

At lots of landmarks or tourist spots around the world, there are usually multiple viewpoints or angles to see places. The Eiffel Tower for example in Paris is seen from many vantage points and finding an alternative angle can often lead to much smaller crowds. I find that most of the day, the Trocadero on the other side of the road from the Eiffel Tower offers a gorgeous view of this famous monument with a lot less people than right under and behind it. The best spot perhaps is to go down the stairs to the banks of the Seine River by the Trocadero and sit on the banks of the river and watch the Tower light up at night. You’ll find hardly anyone down there!

Go When It Opens

One thing that we almost always do when traveling to major monuments is to be there right when the spot opens. At the Taj Mahal in Agra, India for example, we arranged to be there right at sunrise when the gates open. This is probably the best advice I can give to get away from crowds when traveling as most people don’t want to get up early on their vacations but for amazing views and a quieter experience, this is genuinely one of the best ways to do it.

Stay Nearby

We often find that a great way to have easy access to monuments around the world and to get clearer views and more access at off-peak times is to stay nearby. When we visited Machu Picchu in Peru, we decided to splurge more than we normally would to stay right outside the monument at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge which proved to be an amazing decision. We were able to access the park multiple times and often at low visitor hours which meant we had more freedom to see Machu Picchu without huge groups of people.

Go in the Off Season

While I always suggest to people to travel in the off season for a number of reasons including lower costs, it also offers way less crowds. A spot that gets huge crowds during peak season like The Great Wall of China outside of Beijing, is way less crowded in the Winter. When we went in late November on a snowy day, we had about a half hour at the beginning of the day with the wall totally to ourselves which I’ve heard from other people is almost unheard of during peak months in the Spring and Summer.

Go Late in the Day

While some landmarks are best at the very beginning of the day when no one wants to wake up early, others are worth visiting late in the day when everyone else is tired and has been exploring all day. Especially places in warm climates where people have already been out in the heat all day and need to retreat back to their hotels in the late afternoon are great to explore late in the day. For example, when we explored the Angkor Temples of Siem Reap in Cambodia, we found the thinnest crowds from about 3-5pm after everyone was exhausted from the day of exploring.

Book a Private or Specialty Tour

While I’m not a big tour group person and would normally opt to explore on my own, there are certain places where you are required to have a tour guide. In those instances, I find it’s best to hire a private or specialty tour guide as that means you’ll often have more access in smaller groups of people. When we went to Antelope Canyon in Northern Arizona, we booked the specialty photography tour and while it was more expensive, it meant that our tour guide actually blockaded off sections of the canyon for our small group as we went through, meaning we got incredible photos without tourists wandering through.

An Ode to Airports

April 20, 2017

There is something magical about the allure of heading to a far away place, of packing for a weekend, or a week or longer, of knowing that in so many hours you’ll be some place different, perhaps some place you’ve never stepped foot in before. And while the allure of travel is often left alone to long flights filled with gazing out of windows at sunsets 30,000 feet above the Earth or watching the night sky come alive with stars against the black darkness all around, while the allure of going someplace is often left to that magical moment of arrival in a foreign place… we often forget about a fundamental piece of our travels, that gateway between where we begin and where we end up: airports.

I often get asked if I enjoy the act of travel, no, not the gorgeous places on the other side of the world but the actual act of getting somewhere. I often get asked if I like spending so much of my life on airplanes and in airports around the world and the honest truth is: I adore it. I’m not sure if my affinity for airports began as I was traipsing around the world as an expat kid with my family or if it’s been an acquired taste after so many years of travel, but either way, I love airports. I love the feeling of arrival, both the arrival at an airport in my hometown, knowing that in the hours to come something amazing is coming. I love the feeling of arrival when I step off the plane somewhere far away. I love the feeling of that chaotic frenzy at airports, people from all over the world, converging into one structure, the excitement, the busy-ness, the allure of something we’re all trying to reach.

Airports are a hub for some many different types of people, and I think in a lot of ways, that’s what draws me to them. A place where it doesn’t matter where you’re from or who you are, but that for a brief few hours, we are all in the same place, all with the same goal to get somewhere that we need to be.

And yes, the food is usually not great and the stress that travel often brings can often be a downside for some to spend any extra time at the airport than they need to, but for me, I actually don’t mind spending a couple extra hours in a terminal somewhere, watching the people around me and imagining where everyone is flying off to. Airports are a network of dreams, connecting people to places in a way that we often overlook.

So the next time you’re spending a layover wishing your flight would leave sooner, look around. Look around at the couple heading off on their honeymoon, or the college kids heading to Europe for the first time. Look around at the family heading home after a long time away, or the business man heading home to his family. Airports are the modern way of connecting us, both figuratively and physically. We are all doing the same thing in airports, leaving somewhere and going somewhere, so whenever you’re headed somewhere next, try to embrace the beauty of the act of travel itself just as much as the destination.

How to Best See Bavaria and Austria : A Roadtrip Route

April 18, 2017

The areas around Bavaria, Germany and North Western Austria are world renowned for their stunning beauty. Between the Alps and the forests and the castles, this area of the world has lots of see and a road trip is perhaps the best way to see it, as you can stop and go as needed and it’s easy to get around from place to place. So if you are headed to this area of the world, here’s my advice for your roadtrip route and how to best see Bavaria and Austria, including stops in Munich, Bavaria, Innsbruck, Hallstatt and Salzburg.

And for each destination, here is where to stay in Austria!

Day 1 – Leave Munich bright and early!

Drive from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle, the famous castle that Disney modeled his castles after.

Spend time exploring the castle and the little town next door, then jump back in the car and head through the Alps towards Innsbruck, Austria!

This drive is full of amazing vistas and viewpoints, so stop whenever you can to take it all in! When you arrive in Innsbruck, head to the Old Town and grab a spot at the al fresco cafes in the main square for some people watching and a tasty dinner of weiner schnitzel and apple strudel. Stay in Innsbruck and enjoy the city for the night.

Day 2 – Leave early for Hallstatt!

You’ll want to start bright and early for your second day of the roadtrip, making the trek back to the tiny little town of Hallstatt, Austria. What this town lacks in size, it makes up for ten-fold with it’s stunning beauty and landscape.

After a few hours exploring beautiful Hallstatt, make the hour drive drive back to Salzburg, Austria where you’ll stay for the night and have the afternoon to explore.

Day 3 – Sleep in and meander back toward Munich.

On your final morning, take your time and sleep in while in Salzburg and enjoy the city. Then take your time and meander back to Munich through Bavaria and enjoy the sites along the way.

Traveling to Germany?

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#BloggingDesk : Real Life vs the Highlight Reel