A Wander through Imperial China : Morning in the Forbidden City

December 9, 2016

Out of all the stops we were hoping to make in Beijing, the Forbidden City was high up on my list. An imperial complex of palaces, gardens and meeting halls, this ancient area of Beijing is the mark of Imperial China. The complex is huge and you could spend hours wandering the entire thing, surrounded by a moat and a high wall. We chose to make our way through the center and down one side, which turned out to be a long endeavor anyways.

It was freezing cold while we were there so we opted half way through to stop for a green tea and to warm up a bit inside one of the cafes on site, but the whole thing took us about 2.5 hours to make it through. From palace rooms to small gardens, from open meeting halls to intricate private areas, the Forbidden City is truly a site to be seen in Beijing.

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Visiting Tiananmen Square : History and Marching Soldiers

December 8, 2016

Our first morning in Beijing we were up super early due to jet lag so we waited around our hotel until the sun started coming out around 7am, grabbed our stuff and headed out, anxious to explore Beijing. We wandered through Beijing and walked the 30 minutes or so that it took to get from our hotel to Tiananmen Square, opting to walk and see the city instead of jumping on the subway. Being a Sunday and because we were up and out so early, it was a quiet morning walk through Beijing, letting us see a side of the metropolis that is this famous Chinese city. We wandered through little back alleys and down side roads, taking it all in – shops selling paint brushes, red lanterns hanging from the rooftops and colorful writing and designs everywhere.

I admittedly don’t know much about China or its politics, other than the general stuff we know about indirectly so as we headed first toward Tiananmen Square, I was interested to see this famous spot. I still know very little about the magnitude of this place in Beijing, though what I do know is that it was the site of protests for democracy in the 80’s and subsequently a site of mass casualties as the military took hold and tried to squash the demonstrators.

In truth, the morning we visited, the square still held a very eerie feeling. Troops were out marching, lots of them, in uniform – young Chinese boys being marched around by their commanders. I remarked to Nick several times that it felt strange, where as if I were in a public square in the US and saw hundreds of troops out marching, I would feel strange, like something wasn’t quite right.

The square was huge and desolate and seemed to carry a huge weight, as if everyone that comes there acknowledges that so many died there, so many fought there. Tiananmen Square isn’t truly much to look at aesthetically, other than the purpose of seeing it to remember what happened there. For me, it felt somewhat iconic, especially after our elections in the US when so many are exercising their rights to free speech and peaceful protest, rights we often take for granted and should always fight hard to uphold as many nations around the world have had many struggles around those ideals. Tiananmen Square is one of those places that definitely should be seen, if only just to remember what freedom really means.

How to See Beijing in 48 Hours (A Video Guide)

December 6, 2016

After spending 48 hours in Beijing and the surrounding areas, we had some pretty incredible travel moments, including a snowy morning at the Great Wall of China. This part of China is well worth seeing and if you find yourself with just 48 hours in the city and the surrounding areas, here’s how I’d recommend how to see Beijing in 48 hours in video format!

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Favorite Moments in China and Japan

December 5, 2016

It’s safe to say we had some pretty incredible moments on our recent trip through China and Japan. From magical snow on the Great Wall of China to falling head over heels in love with Japan, we knew after this trip that both countries will for sure be making repeats on our travel list and we’ll be back to explore more. And while our week in Asia was pretty incredible, some moments stood out more than others as we reminisced about our time there and here are some of my favorites!

Hou Hai Lake Area of Beijing

On our first day out exploring Beijing, we wandered through the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square in the freezing cold weather. After the Forbidden City, we wandered up to the Hou Hai area of the city somewhat on a whim and I’m so glad we did as it ended up being one of my favorite spots in Beijing! In a crazy busy city, Hou Hai, an old section of Beijing situated on lakes was absolutely lovely. Filled with shops and restaurants, this area was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise somewhat crowded busy city.

Great Wall of China in the Snow

As we watched the weather forecast approaching the day we were scheduled to go to the Great Wall, I was giddy with excitement when I saw snow. And while I knew it might not end up happening, the morning we woke up for our driver to pick us up and take us to the Great Wall, I anxiously looked outside and was so thrilled to see snow on the ground in Beijing itself and flurries still falling. We headed out of Beijing early to make it to the great wall by 9am and it snowed our entire drive. By the time we arrived at the Great Wall, we had about 20 minutes up on the wall where we were just a tiny handful of first arrivals as the snow was falling around us and the magnitude of this place was just truly awe-inspiring. It was quiet up there as the snow fell, before so many other tourists arrived just moments later, and I’ll always remember that snowy quiet morning up there on a wall centuries old, with so much history behind it. It was a moment I’ll never forget.

Discovering Tea Latte’s in Japan

I know this might seem like a stupid thing to include, but seriously, the Starbucks in Japan are amazing. Their selections are way better than ours in the USA and we stopped multiple times for a snack while out and about in Japan. One of my favorite things I came across was their tea latte in Japan, which is so delicious, I couldn’t get enough of them!

Watching the Shibuya Crossing

One of the things we kept noting while in Tokyo was that, while it’s home to so many people, we never really felt overwhelmed with crowds. I think that’s due to an incredible organization and layout of the city, though the one place we knew we’d see huge crowds was at the famous Shibuya Crossing. We ventured to this famous spot our second day in Tokyo and grabbed a tea latte from Starbucks (they have an amazing location overlooking Shibuya Crossing) and a spot by the window to watch the thousands of people cross the street. It truly was a pretty amazing site to see!

Snow in Rikugi-en Garden

Our second day in Tokyo it was forecasted to snow. And it was actually kind of a big deal as Tokyo hasn’t had snow this early in the Winter for something like 50 years, so everyone was talking about it. The snow started about 6am and stayed falling consistently for the whole day. Wanting to see something of a Japanese Garden with the Fall colors and the snow, we headed to the Rikugi-en Garden and I can’t recommend it highly enough. This place was magical! Between the amazing foliage and the snow falling overhead, it made for some breathtaking moments!

Traveling to China?

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Traveling to Japan?

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#BloggingDesk : How to Find Blogging Inspiration

November 30, 2016

People often ask me how I find the inspiration for enough content to post 5 times a week here in Land of Marvels. In truth, there are plenty of times when I run out of inspiration but I’ve found a way to work around that by keeping a running list of ideas and digging into that list when I’m feeling low on ideas. Blogging is hard, and especially if you post consistently, it’s hard to keep ideas flowing long term. So today in our #BloggingDesk series, I’m sharing my best tips for how to find blogging inspiration and keep your ideas flowing for the long haul!

To start, my biggest life-saver for keeping my blog running even when I’m short on inspiration or really busy in my personal life is to schedule posts ahead. I try to keep posts scheduled for at least a week or two out, sometimes more. This way, I’m always ahead of the game and not searching for inspiration the day of a post which makes it harder. I also keep a running list of ideas as I mentioned above. I actually keep many – one on my phone, one on my computer and sometimes just jotted down wherever I am if I think of something. This way, I have a constant on-going list of ideas to draw from when writing blog posts.

But, sometimes my list of ideas is running low or I might just not feel like writing any of those ideas in the moment – when that happens and I’m running low on inspiration, here’s what I suggest!

Flip through Magazines

One of the first places I head when I’m low on inspiration is a magazine. Just flipping through graphics or articles always helps me get new ideas. I’m not saying copy their ideas at all, but certain photos or certain phrases might jog something in you. Actually, I think advertisements are amazing inspiration as often they have quotes or phrases that might get an idea going.

Scroll Pinterest

Pinterest is another place I find a lot of ideas. Photos or quotes often bring to mind certain things that I might want to post about. Having images easily available to scroll through fairly quickly and the ability to save them right then and there is great for bloggers. Again – don’t copy other peoples’ ideas, but take an idea and make it your own!

Look back through your Archives.

I also find often that looking back through my own archives on Land of Marvels will jog my mind for ideas. Sometimes you might want to update a certain post idea or perhaps you have a new spin on something you’ve written. You can also go back and see which types of posts are popular or that people like the most and then build on that for ideas.

Set it aside and come back.

If you really are low on inspiration and nothing seems to be working, my best advice is to just set it aside and come back later. There are some days I’m really inspired to write for Land of Marvels and other days that I’m just not, no matter how hard I try. So write when you feel that inspiration, and write a bunch of posts and schedule them ahead, and then if you’re not feeling inspired, set it all aside and come back later.

Travel!

The one thing that always inspires me to write is travel! So when in doubt, do what you love and you’ll be sure to find inspiration to write about!

Looking for more posts on Blogging?

See our archives here for Blogging posts.

What Extras to Spend Money on for Travel (and what not to)

November 28, 2016

We are home from our amazing trip through China and Japan and while we get our photos and thoughts together, I have a fun week of posts ahead before I launch into Asia posts!

It seems these days that travel not only costs money for the basic things like flights and hotel, but there are so many extras that add up really fast. Everywhere you look it’s pay extra for this and pay extra for that, so in a world where that could go on forever, it’s important to know which ones really are worth it and which are not. So today, here’w what extras to spend money on for travel and in my experience, the ones that aren’t worth paying the extra!

Pay for… a good hotel.

I’m a firm believer in splurging on good hotels. That doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune, but paying for a good hotel, whatever that means to you, is important. After you’ve been out walking and seeing the sights all day, it’s important to have someplace to come back to relax and get a good nights sleep. Travel is exhausting, so if you can make it easier on your body, that’s a good thing.

Pay to… pick your seat on a flight.

A lot of airlines now aren’t letting you pick flights when you book a ticket, instead they make you pay an additional fee to choose seats, particularly on budget airlines. For me, this is something I’ll spend the money on and save elsewhere. Especially on long flights, seat choice is really important for a comfortable flight. I suggest paying the fee to choose where you want to sit as you’ll be in that seat for hours on end and you want to get a good one.

Pay for… good luggage.

Investing in good luggage was a game changer for Nick and I. After years of cheap luggage from TJ Maxx, we finally had had enough of our suitcases arriving with huge holes in them or the plastic broken through. A few years ago we invested in Tumi luggage for both of us and it’s been amazing! Those suitcases are like tanks and I’m always amazed at how much travel they go through and still look amazing! Paying the price for good luggage will be a long term investment, even though it might be more than you like up front, it’s well worth the life cycle cost of those items.

Pay for… TSA Precheck/Global Entry

I’ve mentioned these programs multiple times here on the blog because they are travel life-savers. We have Global Entry which includes TSA Precheck, but you can also just apply for precheck as well. Both save us so much time in airports whether it’s going through specific security lines or when coming into the country from abroad, we have saved hours and hours of time in airport due to these programs and I can’t recommend them highly enough!

Don’t pay for… checked luggage.

I’m a firm believer in carry-on only luggage when you can. The prices the airlines are charging now for checked luggage is beyond ridiculous plus you run the risk of your luggage getting lost. I’ve traveled carry-on only for up to 2 weeks of travel and it’s well worth the extra work to get to your destination and not have to go grab luggage that you paid and arm and a leg for.

Don’t pay for… fancy travel pillows.

It amazes me what people pay for, especially when it comes to travel. I see time and time again people getting on flights with brand new (as they’ve bought them in the airport and they are already 10 times what you’d pay outside the airport) travel pillows with all sorts of bells and whistles. If you’re using a pillow, it’s probably to sleep and travel pillows are pretty much all the same. Buy one before you get to the airport to save money and it will be good to use for years, even the cheapest version.

Travel Tips : Packing Carry-On Only for an Autumn Escape

November 17, 2016

We are preparing to head to Japan and China tomorrow so I was packing recently for the trip. As I’ve mentioned a few times before, we most travel carry-on only and as a lot of people always have questions for me on how to do that, I thought instead of telling you – I would show you! So for tips on packing carry-on only for an Autumn escape, here is exactly how I pack for a trip, what I take and how I fit it all in!

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Travel Tips : Secrets of a Frequent Traveler

November 15, 2016

I hear a lot from people, “I don’t know how you travel so often!” Most of the time people are referring to the actual act of travel, airports, long haul flights, the exhaustion, the time it takes, etc. For some reason (well actually, we know the reasons) people hate the actual act of travel. And I get it, airports are annoying and time consuming, flights can be long and space limited, the food is bad and expensive and if it weren’t for the thrill of arriving at your destination, it can often seem like travel is just a horrible waste of time, money and energy. But here’s a secret, it doesn’t have to be.

If you don’t travel often, you might not know the tips and tricks of how to bypass a lot of the “headache” of travel. So today, I’m sharing with you the secrets of a frequent traveler, how I get through the travel process (usually) fairly easily and without a ton of headache. And while there are still the occasional issues (hello leaving Iceland!), most of the time travel is pretty effortless for Nick and I as we’ve learned how to bypass all the inconvenience of the actual act of travel and now you can too!

Learn to enjoy the journey.

I spend a lot of time in airports and on airplanes and I will tell you, the first secret is to figure out how to enjoy the journey of traveling somewhere. I love flying for a number of reasons. For one, I love the idea of traveling somewhere. That feeling gets me through the tough parts of travel, that idea that I’m headed somewhere new or somewhere different. Secondly, I love the idea that for however many hours I don’t have to answer emails or phone calls, that I’m essentially “unreachable.” I don’t often get the chance in my daily life to watch movies and TV shows for hours on end or to just sit and write without any distractions. Learn to enjoy the long flights or time spent in airports to do the things that you don’t get to do normally.

Use the perks of frequent travel.

One thing that frequent travelers will always tell you – use the perks of that frequent travel. And even if you aren’t a frequent traveler, you can use a lot of these as well!

The first – Elite Status. Let me know just tell you, my life changed when I made Alaska MVP Gold elite status a couple years ago. If you travel, even every once in a while, pick a loyalty program through the airline you use most often and work up to their elite levels. From early boarding to free treats onboard, being elite with an airline is a huge perk to making travel more enjoyable. Every time I get handed a free chocolate onboard Alaska flights and am thanked for being a valuable Alaska Air customer, it just makes me feel even better about travel.

The second – TSA PreCheck + Global Entry. When this first came out about 4 years ago, we jumped at it and signed up immediately. We got Gobal Entry which also includes TSA PreCheck, but if you only travel within the US, you can also just apply for PreCheck on its own. Basically, TSA interviews you and then decides if you are able to be prescreened for security and border control. With TSA PreCheck you get to go through a dedicated security line, you don’t have to take out liquids or electronics, don’t have to take your shoes, coat or scarf off and you literally just put your bags through and then walk through a metal detector and you’re on your way. PreCheck has saved us so much time at airports over the years that we smile every time we go through – it’s SO easy! We only show up about an hour before our flights any more as we know we’ll just speed through security.

Now Global Entry is equally amazing and has probably shaved hours off our time coming into the US. With Global Entry, when you enter the US from abroad, you don’t have to wait in the long immigration lines. You head directly to kiosks where you scan your passport and finger prints, it prints you a receipt which you give to the agent and then off you go. No waiting AT ALL! We are able to have shorter connections when coming into the US because Global Entry saves us so much time. Especially at larger airports like LAX, we walk up to these huge long lines and bypass them entirely. It’s only $100 for 5 years – and believe me, it’s well worth it and beyond!

Carry-On Only

Another secret of frequent travelers – don’t check luggage. Not only do you have to get to the airport way early to check bags, it also costs money these days. And on top of that, it’s super annoying and a huge hassle if the airline loses your bag en route. I started doing Carry-On only years ago and very few trips do we check luggage. We have found that really for up to 10 days, it’s fairly easy to pack in carry-on bags only – especially when you have great luggage like our Tumi hard sides. In short, this will save you a ton of time and money, plus the peace of mind for always having all your luggage with you at all times when traveling.

Don’t try to see everything.

One mistake that a lot of travelers make – trying to do everything in a place. A secret of frequent travelers – don’t try to see everything. Pick and choose specific things that you really want to do and see, that way you won’t stress yourself out and you’ll really enjoy your destination. Also know you can go back and see more, but you’ll enjoy your trip more and be less stressed at the end by pacing yourself and knowing that seeing a portion of the things on your list is more worthwhile to really see them, not just fly by in an effort to see everything all at once.

What I Can’t Travel Without : My Favorite Travel Accessories

November 14, 2016

Over the years of frequent travel, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. Though perhaps what makes travel easier and more accessible are the travel accessories that I’ve found through the years. Travel can be difficult and exhausting, but finding what works for you as an individual traveler can save you time and bad headaches along the way. I’ve traveled a lot and thus have come up with certain things that I can’t travel without and today I’m sharing with you my favorite travel accessories so that you can make travel easier too!

Tumi Hardside Carry On Luggage

A few years ago my small cheap carry-on I had bought at TJ Maxx broke on our way home from India, like as in a huge hole tore through the side of it and I had to tape it en route home. Needless to say, it was a hassle. After that, I made the choice to really invest in good luggage. For us, it’s become a necessity with how often we travel and truly great luggage was needed. I looked around at a ton of different luggage companies and decided ultimately on Tumi. I loved their hard side carry-on options as well as their color choices. I really didn’t want just black luggage, so when I found their Tegra Lite option in a matte white, I was sold. Unfortunately they don’t have the white option anymore, but their other colors are just as beautiful. Nick upgraded his a year or so ago to the light gray option and neither of us have been disappointed. The bags are sturdy, easy to maneuver and hold a ton!

See similar options here and here.

Logitech Travel Bluetooth Keyboard

When we travel, we only have one laptop between Nick and I. Our little Macbook Air that we love is shared between us while traveling and there are times when we both want to be working while on the road or in the air. Often, especially on flights or at night in hotels, Nick will want to be editing photos or answering emails and I’ll want to be checking emails or working on blog posts. So instead of buying another laptop which would have been expensive, we found an amazing alternative which works so great. Most of the time, I was only working on writing so I just really needed a keyboard. Enter the Logitech Travel Bluetooth Keyboard. This fun, light and colorful option is exactly what I needed. It connects seamlessly to my iPhone and allow me a full keyboard to type on wherever I am. I use it on planes, in hotels, really wherever I need to.

See it here.

ESCAPE Duffel Bag

This past Summer I was really in need of a duffel bag. While on larger trips our Tumi hard side luggage is amazing, sometimes you just need an overnight bag. Tired of using reusable bags with my stuff just thrown inside, I started looking for a good duffel. One of my good friends has an online shop and I’d been eyeing the ESCAPE duffel bag she sells for months before I finally bought it. And after I did, I took it to both Alaska and Iceland for weekend trips and LOVE it! I got so many compliments on it and it holds a ton of stuff, all the while by looking incredible. The canvas bag that’s hand painted with leather handles and amazing leather buckles, it looks vintage but with a modern sturdiness.

See it here.

Phone Stand

After I got my Logitech keyboard, I needed something to hold my phone up so that I could type and see the screen when traveling. We looked all over and didn’t want to spend a fortune on it. Finally, Nick found these amazing (and cheap) options that work perfectly. We got a pack of a bunch of them in all different colors and they have been the best option, not only to stand my phone up to type and write, but also to watch movies while traveling.

See it here.

Coach Makeup Bag

Years ago when I was living in Hawaii, I headed out one day to the Coach outlet on Oahu. I didn’t really need anything but I left with a makeup bag in the standard coach plaid pattern. Now years later, I still have it and it still looks brand new and I’m so glad I purchased it. Traveling a lot means bringing a lot of toiletries around with you and a good makeup bag is really important. This one holds a ton, never looks worn thanks to the great leather material and is still stylish at the same time. Invest in a good toiletries/makeup bag for travel, you won’t be sorry.

See a similar option here.

Luggage Tags

Luggage tags are a must for frequent travelers and over the years, I’ve gone through a lot of them! I finally have a pair that I love though! My main one with my name and information is from With Love from Kat’s Gigi New York line and has my initials on it. I keep this on the bag all the time, even when I have to check it since it has all my contact information on it.

See it here.

The second tag I keep on my luggage is one just to make me happy. It’s a white leather tag that I came across on Etsy a few years ago and it says one of my favorite quotes on it: Not all those who wander are lost. It’s one of my favorite travel accessories that I own and every trip, when I glance down at it, it just makes me happy and inspired to travel!

See it here.

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What to Wear in Vermont in the Fall

November 11, 2016

More What to Wear posts for more destinations here!

Packing for our Vermont trip this Fall was like packing for my dream trip – plaid, down vests and boots, all my favorite kind of clothes! Even though we only had a couple days on our drive through Vermont and New England, it was really cold while we were there (it actually snowed one day) so I needed both comfortable clothes to drive in (as we drove a lot!) as well as warm clothes for when we stopped in each place. What I brought ended up being perfect, so if you’re headed on a similar adventure, here’s what I packed for my travel style for Vermont in the Fall!

What I Wore:

Outfit Details:

Topshop Wool Toggle Coat (similar) | Old Madewell scarf (similar) | Old Vince long sleeved t-shirt (similar) |

J Crew Navy Vest (similar) | Paige khaki jeans | Dolve Vita burgundy boots (similar)

Outfit Details:

Topshop Wool Toggle Coat (similar) | Cashmere tartan scarf from Scotland (similar) |

Madewell Dark Denim | White Converse Low Tops | Gloves

Headed to Vermont?

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A Wander through Imperial China : Morning in the Forbidden City

Visiting Tiananmen Square : History and Marching Soldiers

How to See Beijing in 48 Hours (A Video Guide)