Land Of Marvels

A Travel Blog

10 Reasons You Should See More of the USA

see-more-of-the-usa

Right off the bat, I should mention that this post is mostly geared toward my American followers, but if you’re not, that’s ok too.  As an American, I’m learning more and more as I travel that while the rest of the world is amazing, we have some pretty incredible places right here at home in the USA as well.  Just this year Nick and I have explored the gorgeous Antelope Canyon, taken in the vast Grand Canyon, watched the sunrise over the beaches of Hawaii, stared in awe at the landscapes of Alaska, and chased Fall foliage in Vermont.  And while those were the highlights, next year we’re hoping to explore even more of the USA.  So if you had any doubts on how amazing America is, here are 10 reasons you should see more of the USA!

1. The USA has some of the most unique landscapes in the world.

From the evergreen forest of the Pacific North West to the prairies of Middle America to the swamps of Florida to the deserts of Nevada and the fjords of Alaska, the USA is home to some of most unique and incredible landscapes in the world.

2. It’s close to home.

If you’re an American, it can often times be easier to just travel within your own country.

3. It can be cheaper than traveling overseas.

Without having to go long distances, you can find great deals exploring your own backyard!

4. You can see more in shorter distances.

Wherever you head in the USA, there is a lot around every area.  It’s easy to base yourself in one section of the country and see a lot in short distances in your surrounding area.

5. There are so many diverse cultures within one country.

The USA is really like many smaller countries all in one.  By exploring the USA, you’re opening yourself up to seeing so many different diverse cultures but all within the borders of one country.

6. For whatever type of trip you want, you can find somewhere in the USA that has it.

If you want beaches, we’ve got it.  If you want desert, we’ve got it.  If you want evergreen forests, we’ve got it.  If you want to party, we’ve got it.  If you want to escape, we’ve got it.  If you want huge sprawling cities or wide open country, we’ve got it.  We pretty much have a place for whatever you want in any sort of trip.

7. No need to get the passports out.

While I love traveling abroad, sometimes it really is just easier to not deal with getting out passports, dealing with visas or making sure your cell phone has a foreign data plan.

8. There is no need to take so many vacation days.

While you might need a full travel day on each end of a trip abroad, if you stay closer to home you won’t need to burn so many vacation days!

9. It’s fairly easy to get around.

The USA is pretty easy to get around, whether by car, train or plane so a trip to any place in the US is going to be decently accessible.

10. It’s important to know and see your own country.

While it seems so fun and exotic to travel abroad, it’s so important to see more of our own country and see how amazing it really is!

How to Set Up Your Life to Save for Travel

how-to-set-up-your-life-to-save-for-travel

As someone who travels frequently, I often get asked questions about how I save money for travel and how I’m able to afford so much travel.  First and foremost, a major reason for that for me is I have 3 sources of income, which I’ll discuss below but by no means am I wealthy or have a trust fund I’m drawing from to fund my travel.  I work hard but I’m still able to save for travel and today we’ll discuss how to set up your life to save for travel, to prepare yourself for the realities of how much travel costs and how to set goals to actually make it happen.  So if you want to travel, here’s how to start financially!

Have multiple sources of income.

I still have a day job, actually I have 3 to be honest with you.  Something that maybe not everyone who reads of Land of Marvels is aware of, I work as an Interior Designer by day.  I work for an architecture firm, have my own side business as well and teach part time at my alma mater.  In short, I’m busy.  But having multiple sources of income also allows me to save more money for travel so I call it a win.

Nick and I both believe in working hard for what you want and both of us have multiple sources of income which really helps us save for travel and other things in our life.  If you are wondering how to get more income, get another job to start.  It can be a great way to make connections as well as bring in some more money to spend on the things you want!

Set up a separate savings account for travel funds.

One of the things we did really early on when we got married was set up a separate savings account for travel and it’s been one of the most helpful things we did.  This way, when we put money in this account, we don’t touch it for anything other than travel.  This is a great way to keep the money in there for only travel and not be tempted to pull from it for other scenarios.

We also find it’s easier for this account to put larger lump sums in at a time, instead of monthly transfers so it builds up quicker.  So whenever we have larger sums of money, like birthday money or bonuses from work – those usually go straight into the travel account.

Be organized and plan in advance.

One of the reasons we are able to travel so economically is because we plan way in advance.  For example, right now in October we have our travel booked and paid for through July of next year.  By booking a year or so in advance, you not only get better prices on a lot of travel like flights, you also have that entire time to pay it off.  By the time our trips roll around, we don’t owe anything on them other than daily expenses while there which makes it a lot less stressful!

Cut out the unnecessary items and try to lower your bills.

I know a lot of people turn their noses up at this and say that the small amounts you might cut from things like this don’t really add up to that much.  But let me give you an example: We just refinanced our townhouse, bringing our mortgage down by about $400 a month.  On top of that, I called Comcast (our internet and cable TV provider) and told them I was quitting unless they could drop my bill by $80 – they did.  Then we checked our ATT cell phone bill and found a better plan that was $40 a month cheaper.  With those 3 things, our bills came down $520 a month!  That’s a huge amount that now can go to travel!

On top of that, I clean out my closet every couple months and take my clothes to resale or put things on Craigslist or Ebay that many people would just throw away.  The moral of the story is that if you make an effort to lower your bills or cut out unnecessary items, it’s amazing how much money you can save and then in turn, how much can go to travel.

#BloggingDesk : When Your Blog Doesn’t Go Viral

blogging desk and tips for blogging

As a long time blogger, I think it’s important to touch base on the topic of blogging every now and then and to communicate in our community about where this internet forum is headed.  Blogging has changed a lot in the past years, and as someone who started blogging on and off nearly 10 years ago, I can tell you with certainty, this game is a completely different beast than it was a decade ago.  In today’s installment of #BloggingDesk, I wanted to touch on what happens when your blog is great and has a following and a direction and everything is great, except one thing.  Today we’re talking about what happens when your blog doesn’t go viral.

So take my blog, Land of Marvels, for example (but there are lots of other great examples too!) – I have been blogging on Land of Marvels as a serious travel blog for about 2-ish years.  Before that, I had True Colours, which many of you followed, but it wasn’t taken nearly as seriously and it wasn’t all travel-related, so I’m not counting that period of my blogging career for this discussion. In the 2-ish years since Land of Marvels was born, I have grown a large following across many different platforms, thousands of people that follow this blog and that read, comment and play a part in this community I’ve built.  I get a lot back from Land of Marvels in terms of working with travel brands across the world and I have had some amazing opportunities come my way through this little blog of mine.  So without a doubt, it’s been successful in lots of ways.  I love the community here, a place that like-minded travelers can come together and discuss our world.  All in all, I wouldn’t trade all of this from Land of Marvels for anything… except that my blog has never “gone viral” if you will.  I don’t have millions of followers or insane page views.  I couldn’t make this a full time job as of now and my blog hasn’t blown up on the internet and become a success overnight.

And while that hasn’t happened (nor am I sure I really would want it to, but that’s a story for another day), I think it’s worth discussing.  Some bloggers become mega-hits, but the moral of the story is that if your blog doesn’t go viral, if your content isn’t seen by millions of people and your Instagram account doesn’t have as many followers as some small countries, that doesn’t mean your content and what you’re doing in the blog world is any less valuable.  We need blogs of all sizes, the personal ones we can still relate to that haven’t become a world-renowned business.  We need the blogs that capture small audiences, the ones that we connect to and that we value the relationship we can build with the writer.  We need the blogs that we know are still really written by the author, not endless writers hired to fill content.  We need the blogs that are like small local businesses, ones that we can still enjoy in the quiet that doesn’t have tourists lining up out front – if you’ll go with that analogy.

“Going Viral” is a whole monster in itself.  And even at my level, I’ve had my fair share of hateful rhetoric pointed toward me, forums discussing whether or not I’m lying about my childhood in the Middle East (I’m not by the way), telling me I have no idea what I’m talking about, or attacking my character.  And I learned early on that I just couldn’t get into it with these people – in short, I couldn’t let myself be reeled in by the haters.  So if that’s happening to bloggers in my arena and size, what comes with “going viral,” with having millions of people follow your every move?  That’s something I’m not sure I’d even want to deal with to be honest.

So the moral of the story today is this, don’t let “going viral” become your version of success.  If your blog blows up, great.  If it doesn’t, great.  Either way, blogging should still be about connecting to readers, to being confident in what you’re producing and how you’re cultivating an online community.  Blogging should always first and and foremost be about you, about who we are as creatives, as travelers, as humans.  Don’t let not “going viral” make you feel any less important in this online community, because we need everyone and each blog is just as important as the last for a multitude of reasons.

Looking for more posts on Blogging?

See our archives here for Blogging posts.

Travel Tips : How to Apply for a Chinese Tourist Visa

If you follow me on social media, you might remember I had to fly down to San Francisco for a couple days in the past couple weeks to get our visas for our visit to China upcoming in November.  As I went through the visa process, I wrote this post sitting in the San Francisco airport on my way back to Portland a few weeks ago so I could make sure and keep all the details straight. We’ll be headed to Beijing and the Great Wall in November and if anyone reading this is thinking about heading to China as an American – just be aware you have to get a visa before your visit and you have to actually do it at a consulate.  So without further ado, here are my best tips for how to apply for Chinese Tourist Visa.

1. Find out which consulate general you need to apply though.

The first step in your Chinese visa journey is to figure out which consulate covers your home region.  For me in Oregon, the consulate I had to go through was in San Francisco.  So visit their website to find out where the consulate general is located you’ll have to apply through.

2. Figure out if you want to go yourself to the consulate to apply or if you’ll use a 3rd party agent.

For us, since San Francisco was the closest consulate for us to apply for our visas, we had a choice.  I could go down and do it myself (having to go down once to drop them off and then go back about a week later to pick them up).  Or you can hire a 3rd party travel agent to go for you.  However, when we looked, it was about $250 for us to use a 3rd party person plus we’d have to send our passports off through the mail to them, which makes me nervous.  So we chose to just have me fly down 2 days to take care of it myself.  Anyone can drop off and pick up your visas, so I had no problem doing Nick’s and mine, even through Nick wasn’t present.

3. Be sure to have all the paperwork in order before you arrive at the consulate.

I sat with 2 other American women while I waited at the consulate and both of them were on their return trip to the consulate because they had forgotten vital paperwork the first time around.  Be sure you read the Chinese Consulate’s website all the way through and confirm you have everything.  To be sure, here’s a quick run down of what I made sure to have:

-Valid Passport (signed)

-Copy of passport document page (separate from your passport itself)

-Flight itinerary showing your arriving and leaving from China

-Hotel reservation information in China

-Passport photo (just 1)

4.  Arrive early in the day and leave lots of time for your consulate visit.

I arrived at 10:20am at the Consulate General in San Francisco to drop off our visa request.  When you arrive you’ll go through a metal detector and be given a number.  I waited for a full hour and a half before my number was called.  Once I was called, it literally took about 2 minutes with the agent and then I was on my way.  I think the trick is to get there early as it’s really busy!  But plan multiple hours for your wait time just to be safe.  And don’t go on Friday – when I returned to pick up our visas on a Friday, the consulate was twice as crowded as my first visit on a Tuesday.

5.  Do not lose the pick up slip they give you at the consulate.

After you hand over your application and passport, you’ll be given a small white slip showing your pick up information.  Do not lose this slip!  I was talking to the woman next to me at the Consulate who does this often and she said she’s heard horror stories when you lose the slip.  So be sure to keep it safe.  Typically, normal tourist visas for China take about 4 business days.  My slip was scheduled for 3 but be sure to look at the date on your slip to be sure.  They will also hold your passport and visa for 90 days, so even if you can’t get back right on the pick up date, no worries.

6. Go back after the date on the pickup slip to pick up your passports with visas.

I flew back down to San Francisco a little over a week after I had dropped off my visas; just confirm you go back after the date they give you on the pick up slip.  Once there, head to the “Pick Up” line – no need to take a number.  Once in line, it goes pretty quick.  To pick up and pay for our visas only took me about 20 minutes, even though the consulate was even more crowded than it was the first day I had been there.

And while we had only applied for a 90 day tourist visa, we were given a 10 year multiple entry visa which is a huge bonus to not have to do this again in the future if we want to revisit China!  Long story short, give yourself time to do this process but in the end, it wasn’t too bad!

Traveling to China?

See all of my posts on the country!

Dreaming Ahead into the Future

dreaming-ahead-title

I turn 30 tomorrow.  And as with any big milestone, I’ve spent a lot of time in the preceding days to this birthday thinking about what turning 30 actually means to me.  Some people hate getting older, some people dread milestone birthdays.  For me, I’m actually really excited to be 30.  I’ve always felt like somewhat of an old soul, like my age never really fit with my personality.  Finally I feel like I’m at a point in my life where my age fits.  30 feels good.

I actually had a different post written for today that I had prepared a while back but when I read it back, it just didn’t feel right.  Sometimes I think the tiniest moments can change us, can make us feel something different.  And even that post I had written a few weeks ago, within that time period, I somehow feel different.  Sometimes life has a way of moving us deeply without us even being truly aware of it.  Something in the lead up to this milestone birthday has changed me.  And even though I can’t fully put it into words, I feel different.

So as I turn 30 tomorrow, I will relish in the small moments, the insignificant ones, the ones that change us.  The ones with people I love, the ones watching the colors change in the Autumn leaves, the ones wandering through my city in the early morning hours or the ones spent doing what I love.  The scary truth about life is that we’re not promised tomorrow, we’re not promised 30 or 40 or 50.  The most important part of our lives is taking in each and every moment, no matter what age or milestone birthday… in the end, those moments all matter and put together they build a life, they build a person.  And at the end of the day, no matter what age, I just want to be someone who helps others, who follows my heart, who stands up for those who can’t stand up for themselves and to fight for what I believe in.  At the end of the day, I just want to take in the moments, to live each day, each year on this planet to grow and dream and learn and fully live.

I kept thinking in the months prior that 30 would be this huge thing but in reality, I’ve come to realize that while I’m really looking forward to 30, I’m also so content and fulfilled in my life at 30 that no matter what comes ahead, I’m already happy and age really is just a number.  But every milestone birthday is another reminder to take a look at our lives and to fully embrace where we are, who we love and where we are headed.  So as I enter a new decade of my life tomorrow, I’ll savor each moment, appreciate the past but constantly be dreaming ahead into the future.

30 Travel Memories to Make Before 30

30 travel memories to make before 30

As I’ve roamed all around the world in the past 30 years of my life, and as I approach turning 30 on Saturday, I got to thinking about all those amazing moments I’ve experienced over the years.  There are just some moments that stand out among the rest while traveling, some moments that you have to see with your own two eyes, to feel with your own heart.  So if you’re looking for an incredible list of moments to experience… here you go… the best 30 travel memories to make before 30.  Now go get exploring!

1. Autumn in Paris

2. Machu Picchu at Dawn

3. Getting lost in the souks of Marrakech

4. Riding an elephant through the streets of India

5. Hawaiian beaches at sunrise

1

6. The electric chaos of New York City

7.  Seeing Orcas in the Wild in the San Juan Islands of Washington State

8.  Exploring Antelope Canyon in Arizona

9.  Seeing the Midnight Sun in Iceland

10.  Wandering Hyde Park in the early morning hours in the Spring in London

2

11.  Wandering Trastevere in Rome eating gelato

12.  Driving windy Tuscan roads at sunset in Italy

13.  Sitting on the canals of Amsterdam eating Dutch waffle cookies

14.  Watching the water splash against the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland

15.  Snacking on churros con chocolate in Spain

3

16.  Devouring Weiner Schnitzel the size of your head in Vienna

17.  Boat ride on Lake Pichola through Udaipur, India

18.  Witnessing the Taj Mahal in the fog at sunrise

19.  Street food in Bangkok after dark

20.  Exploring rice terraces in Bali

4

21.  Driving the Great Ocean Road in Australia

22.  Wandering Sydney’s Opera House at Dawn

23.  Enjoying lamb stew in a Dublin pub

24.  Helicopter ride over the wilderness of Iceland

25.  Holding a baby alpaca in Cusco, Peru

26.  Seeing the Eiffel Tower light up at night

5

27.  Enjoying Sticky Toffee Pudding in a Scottish pub

28. Seeing the canals and bridges light up after dark in Amsterdam

29. Witnessing a glacier up close in Alaska

30. Playing with Icelandic horses on the side of the road in Iceland

6

30 Things the World Has Taught Me Through Travel

30-things-the-world-has-taught-me through travel

As I gear up to my 30th birthday this Saturday, I’ve spent a lot of time lately contemplating what turning 30 actually means to me.  And part of that means thinking about everything I’ve learned, everything I’ve seen and everything I’ve done.  A big part of my life is travel and as I get older, I truly believe that travel teaches us more than anything else ever could.  And so in honor of my milestone birthday this weekend, here are the best 30 things the world has taught me through travel.

1. As much as we constantly hear how different we all are, we are actually all the same on the things that really matter.

2. The world is huge and tiny at the same time.

3. Don’t burn bridges – we are all interconnected.

4. Seeing something with your own eyes is infinitely better than the photos.

5. There are moments when time truly stops – when you are in a moment that seems to last a lifetime.

6. And yet at the same time, the world flies by us in seconds.  Appreciate the moments while they are there.

7.  No adventure is too big or too small – they are all worthwhile.

8. At the core, 99% of the human race are good people.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

9.  The best feeling in the world is traveling the world with someone you love by your side.

10. Half of the journey of travel is enjoying the actual journey getting there.

11. No matter how many places you travel, there is always more to see.

12.  And seeing is just part of traveling – the other half, and perhaps the most important half – is actually feeling a place.

13.  No matter what color our skin, what we wear or what God we pray to, we all want the same things out of life: to be happy, to fall in love, and to be loved.

14.  No matter how hard you think your life might be at any given moment, there is always someone else that has it harder.

15.  While we have overcome so much in our world, we still have a long way to go to make sure everyone is safe and has the rights they deserve.

16. Travel is the best education money can buy.

17.  If you want to travel, there is always a way.  It’s up to you to figure out what that way is, but it’s always possible.

18.  While travel is incredible, it’s also important to know where “home” always is.

19.  When you’re having a bad travel day, the cure is to laugh when you really want to cry.

20.  The actual act of traveling can be really stressful, exhausting and draining.  But the moments when you step off the plane at your destination outweigh the negatives every time.

21. Even when you don’t love a destination, you can always learn from it.

22.  Sometimes the places or things you have no expectations for in your life, end up being the places or things that make the most difference in your life.

23.  Never stop exploring.

24.  Let yourself be drawn out of your comfort zone – you’ll grow from it.

25.  The world is not nearly as dangerous or terrible as people would like you to think.

26.  Travel lets you walk through history with your very own eyes.

27.  The things we think are important in the West, are the things that people around the world in hardships know aren’t important at all.

28.  At the heart of everything, no matter where we go, remember we’re all just imperfect people trying to do our best.

29.  Never stop dreaming.

30.  Travel, beyond a doubt, will be one of the very best things you ever do for yourself in your life.  So book that ticket, head out on that airplane and see the world – you won’t regret it.

5 Places to Go Now!

places to go now

Some places that we visit ebb and flow in terms of what they offer a traveler or how easy it is to get there and get around, etc.  There are destinations that are important to see in specific time frames, or before they get to the point of being an overcrowded tourist haven.  Some places you just have to prioritize for whatever reason and today, I have 5 places to go now, as in like, ASAP for various reasons.  So if you’re looking for places that should be seen now, instead of waiting, these 5 are the places to go NOW!

For an epic Roadtrip… head to Iceland!

Southern Coast Iceland

I can’t even fully put into words how much Iceland is changing and after three trips there (starting four years ago), I can honestly say – if you want to go to Iceland… book those tickets!  The country has become a full on tourist destination and to really experience the quiet raw landscape of this incredible country – go NOW!

Tip for Iceland: Rent your own car and don’t do the tour bus thing… you’ll thank me later!

For an easy to get around Urban Escape… head to Portland!

city break in Portland Oregon

My home city has become quite a destination in the past few years for people all over the world.  While we used to call Portland our best kept secret, a lot of people have finally caught on to all the wonderful things about my lovely home city.  Portland is both a huge urban metropolis but also tiny neighborhoods, each with their own unique vibe, all combined together.  Combine that with world renowned restaurants and an epic micro-brewery scene, Portland is a city you should visit now before we keep growing as fast as we are!

Tip for Portland: Get out of downtown and explore neighborhoods like the Pearl District and the NW Alphabet District!

For a quiet and scenic Beach Escape… head to Oahu’s Windward side!

windward side of Oahu

If you’re looking for those beaches you see photos of, with no one around, you want to head to Oahu’s Windward shore.  While this part of the island is still mostly local, it’s becoming more and more of a hot spot for tourists and the beaches are getting crowded.  Go now to find those serene white sand beaches that stretch for miles without another person in site!

Tip for Oahu: Go to the more crowded beaches at sunrise or early morning, you’ll be the only one there!

For a majestic Scenic Overload… head to Alaska!

scenic Alaska

I have a feeling Alaska is sort of what Portland was 10 years ago … a really great best kept secret.  If you’re someone who loves a great landscape, huge snow capped mountains and endless fjords, Alaska is your spot.  I fell head over heels for Alaska recently and I cannot wait to go back and explore more!  And for a State that has glaciers and ice caps, now is the time to see them.  With Global Warming and Climate Change, we don’t know how much longer wonders like those will be here!  Go now to really experience the majestic scenery of our most Northern State.

Tip for Alaska: Take the Glacier cruise out of Seward for incredible wildlife and glacier sightings!

For a charming Food Haven… head to Vienna!

charming Vienna

If you want some place with incredible food and a charming personality, Vienna is the spot to go.  Still with less tourists that many spots in Western Europe, Vienna is a gem.  From Viennese chocolate cake, apple strudel, and weiner schnitzel, I ate my way through Vienna and you should too!

Tip for Vienna: Don’t miss coffee and dessert at Cafe Central!

Travel Tips : What to do when You Get the Dreaded SSSS

what to do when you get SSSS on your boarding pass

Often times, we look at travel as this romanticized experience where everything is amazing and everything is perfect.  And while some trips do go off without a hitch, I’ve definitely had my fair share of bad travel experiences.  But perhaps none quite as bad as my recent experience at the Keflavik airport leaving Iceland.  After a great long weekend in one of our favorite countries, we arrived to the airport that is usually a breeze to travel through.  In reality it ended up being one of those Hell-ish travel days that haunts you for a while after.  So before I get to the point of this post, what to do when you get the dreaded SSSS on your boarding pass – a little back story so you understand the full extent of what happened to me and how you can keep it from happening to you!

The day we left Iceland, we arrived to return our rental car at Keflavik airport a solid 3 hours before our flight.  We had grand plans of heading in to the Saga Lounge and relaxing before our flight after driving around all morning.  Upon arriving at the Rental Car return center (a few blocks from the airport terminal) we dropped our car and headed in the building to return the keys.  Now we’ve rented cars all over the world and usually you just drop everything off and they send you a receipt later.  Often times they don’t even look at the car and send you on your way.  I stood in line for a solid 55 minutes.  By the time we were all done (and we had literally no damage or issues either – so it should have been quick), we were rushing to the terminal building with only 90 minutes to go before our flight.

img_6684

We had tried to check in for our flight online the night before and it wouldn’t let us.  Which in retrospect, should have been a red flag.  But we didn’t think much of it since it’s international and often times they make you check in at the counter to check passports.  Upon arrival in the terminal, we couldn’t use the kiosks either, directing us to a gate agent.  She gave us our boarding passes and since we were in a hurry, we didn’t even look at them.

Next we arrived at the longest line I have ever seen waiting to get through Passport Control.  I had Nick wait in the horrendous line and headed up to the front just to confirm this was indeed the line we needed – in the end, it actually was for Canada and the UK.  So we moved on up to the USA line which was way shorter (still long, but better) and as we were close to the front we remarked that we would literally only get through the other side and have our flight board in 10 minutes.  Little did we know what was still ahead.

Upon the other side of passport control they were checking boarding passes.  I showed them mine and it was only then that I saw the SSSS printed on the bottom corner.  Immediately I knew this was not good.  The agent told me I had been randomly selected for a second security screening and that I’d need to wait in the line right there.  I remarked immediately that my flight was going to be boarding any minute and she said it didn’t matter, I had to do this and that the flights would wait. (I found out later Nick was documenting all of this via Instagram Stories since he couldn’t wait with me in the line – so at least we could laugh about the whole debacle later…)

img_6683

Well long story short, I spent 2 hours in this line along with a solid other 30+ passengers headed to all different US locations.  Once we finally made it to the front of the line, I was made to take all my shoes, scarf, and coat off.  I was patted down.  My luggage was dumped open and every single thing taken out.  I was questioned and my passport taken by the agent (which always makes me nervous).  In short, they searched me like I have never been searched before.  All I kept thinking the whole time was that thank God it was me chosen and not Nick, because it would have taken so much longer to go through all his camera bag!

At the end of this whole horrendous day, they did hold the flights for everyone but even though this was no fault of our own, the flight attendants and passengers were not nice about it when we finally got to board and didn’t offer any help finding space for our bags or anything.  We also ended up missing our connection in Seattle as well as I’m sure leaving others with missed connections since we were over an hour late arriving in Seattle.   The whole situation was handled horrendously by the Keflavik airport and Iceland Air and it will be a while until I opt to fly through Iceland again due to this issue and their airport being not up to par with how many people have started flying through there.

In short, if you get the dreaded SSSS which so many travelers have bemoaned before, know that you’re in for nothing short of horrible when you arrive at security and in all honesty, there isn’t a ton you can do about it.

But if it happens to you, here’s a few things to remember to ease the pain:

-If you can’t check in online the day before and you should be able to, it’s probably a good idea to be at the airport way earlier than you should need to be.

-If you are held up due to security screenings by the airport, they have to hold your flight.

-While I was so angry the whole time, I quickly realized that wasn’t going to help anything.  So try to stay calm and just deal with it the best you can.

-Let the airlines and airport know how horrible your experience was.  You might not get anything back but the more people that complain, something could change.

-Be patient.  As hard as that is, most of these security screenings take a long time.  So try to stay calm and patient throughout as best you can.

What to Wear in Iceland in September

Travel Style for Iceland in September late Summer Early Fall in Iceland

More What to Wear posts for more destinations here!

When our September trip was approaching to Iceland, I started gathering together the clothes and accessories I would need for the long weekend.  September in Iceland can still be quite cool, especially on the coasts and it’s usually windy, so even though a lot of the stuff on this list seems like it would be more for winter, I was glad to have it, even in September!

packing-list-for-iceland-september

What I Wore:

outfit for Iceland

Outfit Details:

Barbour Yellow Jacket (similar) | Distressed Denim | Old Zara Scarf (Similar) |

Old Zara Leather Backpack (Similar) | Burberry Rain Boots (Similar) | Ear Muffs | Madewell Sunglasses

outfit for Iceland

Outfit Details:

Barbour Yellow Jacket (similar) | J Crew Navy Vest (similar) | Gap Long Sleeve Shirt (similar) |

Black Leggings | Burberry Rain Boots (Similar) | Madewell Sunglasses

 

Headed to Iceland?

See all our posts on the country here!

Travel

Travel Tips
Truth About Travel
Destinations
What to Wear

Life

Portland
Thoughts
At Home with LOM
Expat Kid in Saudi Arabia

Favorite Destinations

Paris
London
Iceland
Tokyo

Travel Reviews

Hotel Reviews
Restaurant Reviews
Activity Reviews
Airline Reviews

Disclaimer

All content on this blog, including photos and written words, are my property and may not be taken without my written consent to do so.