The Truth About Traveling : When It Gets Hard to Travel

April 21, 2016

While it may seem on the outside like Nick and I are traveling constantly, in all actuality, we are home in Portland and working more often than not. And while we do both travel fairly consistently for work (me to Hawaii and Nick to Seattle), 85% of our time is spent at home in Portland, living our life and working. And not long ago, I was having a conversation with some friends of ours about how as we get older, it seems our work load increases, our lives get busier and we have more responsibilities and it gets harder and harder to take time off, or even just time for ourselves.

Nick and I are insanely busy as of late, with multiple big project deadlines to make, all of our side projects and just general life upkeep like trying to make time for family and friends. And when I’ve been trying to make time to plan some of our upcoming trips, it got me thinking, it’s getting really hard for us to travel as much as we’d like. It’s getting really hard to schedule the time off of work, it’s getting really hard to find the time to plan these trips in the detail I’d really like to and it’s getting really hard to get everything done at home in order to be able to jet off somewhere amazing. And I think there comes a time in many people’s lives like we are now, things start to slide off the priorities list. But…. and that’s a big but…. I refuse to let that happen to travel in my life.

Yes, we are crazy busy. Yes, we spend a lot of weekends at home in our office working. Yes, I don’t have enough time in the day to do everything I want to. And yes, I’m exhausted most days by 8pm. But…. travel is the one thing that gets me out of the craziness of daily life. Travel is the one thing that allows me to shut off, to not worry about the emails coming through or the phone calls that need to be made or the student work that needs to be graded. Travel is the one thing that pulls me into my element fully, that makes my Type-A self step away and really see the world in a different way.

And so, the moral of this story is that even when life is crazy and when you feel pulled in a million different directions, be sure to keep your priorities in order so that you can be yourself and live life to the fullest. Be sure to travel (if that’s what you want to do), to see the world, to step away from your phone and watch the sunrise over the Eiffel Tower or to wander the streets of Rome at sunset… both of which I hope to do on our trip to Europe where we are currently heading. So, don’t let the craziness of planning and taking time off for vacations or travel let you stop doing them… we all need an escape every once in a while and travel is definitely that for me. So if it is for you too, splurge on that dream trip or plan a small getaway in order to get back to taking time for yourself, because at the end of the day, we can only handle so much and sometimes it takes a step back to realize that.

Thoughts on “Re-doing” Rome

April 19, 2016

In just a few days we’ll be back in Rome, after spending a few days in my beloved Paris. Ahh Rome, this famous city conjures up a lot of memories for me. A few years back (four-ish actually), when we returned from our honeymoon to London and Paris and Nick got his first taste of International travel, the next city on his list to see was Rome. I wanted to see it too and to experience Italy, to have amazing food and wander the cobblestoned streets of ancient Rome. So we booked a trip. And then it seemed all Hell broke loose.

Still to this day, I’ve never had quite as horrible of a travel experience as we did en route to Rome that fateful October a few years back and it left a permanent stain on the city of Rome, through no fault of its own. Long story short, we flew Air Canada from Portland to Toronto, Toronto to Rome. Before knowing our favorite travel routes at that point, we landed in Toronto to a huge worker strike by the Canadian equivalent of TSA. Which meant planes couldn’t take off because no one could get through security, so planes landing, like us, sat waiting for gates for hours. That would have been bad enough, but later that evening when our flight to Rome was about to take off, we boarded, got out to the runway only to then be turned back due to mechanical issues and have the flight canceled. At this point, we’re in a different country (cell phones didn’t work without fees), were left in long lines to get rebooked and then eventually shuttled to hotels. To make matters worse, because of the security workers strike, it was taking on average 2-3 hours to get through security, so we ended up getting to the hotel, sleeping a couple hours and having to be shuttled back again so we’d have time to get through security for our rescheduled flight. Eventually when we did make it to Rome, we had lost a couple days of our trip and had a horrific experience getting there which took away from our vacation.

So while our days exploring Rome that first time were fine, we were tired, annoyed and not in the right frame of mind to enjoy the city thoroughly. Add to that that we were new travelers, we made all the wrong choices like lunches in the high tourist areas (which were terrible) and seeing the famous sites in the middle of the day (hello crowds). So this time around, I feel like I’m finally ready to experience this famous city as it should be.

We have our few days there hardly planned, left more for quiet wandering, catching the sunrise at Piazza Navona and the sunset on the Ponte Sant’Angelo. We’ll be taking local suggestions for restaurants and finding tucked away spots that aren’t tourist traps and exploring away from the crowds. This time, I want to embrace all that Roma is truly about, I want to see it, I want to feel it, with fresh eyes and a fresh heart.

Sometimes places we visit don’t stick with us for one reason or another the first time we visit. Rome was such a place for me. I had a hard time with it. But this time, knowing what to expect, I hope I can fall in love with it, I hope I can fall in love with Italy and experience all the magic I know it has to offer.

Traveling to Italy?

Check out my archives for more posts on Italy!

5 Ways to Live a Travel-Oriented Life

April 18, 2016

I often get asked, “how do you fit so much travel into your life?” And that’s a very long winded answer to that question because there are so many aspects of my life that are travel-oriented. But in short, if you want more travel in your own life, here’s 5 ways to live a travel-oriented life of your very own.

1. Start Planning.

Travel doesn’t just happen in life, it has to be planned. I spend countless hours and days every month planning for the year ahead, planning flights and hotels, planning days and itineraries. Planning how much money we’ll need, planning how many days we’ll need. Travel takes A LOT of planning, so start now!

2. Collect moments, not things.

If you want to travel and make travel a huge part of your life, you’ll need to start collecting moments, not things. If you want to spend your money on travel, then you don’t need a huge house or that new car. If you want to spend your money on travel, then you don’t need all those new clothes. Travel becomes where your time and funds go if that’s what you want. So look at it this way: your life starts to evolve by collecting amazing memories and treasures from around the world instead of thinking about material things.

3. Learn languages.

There is nothing more wanderlust-y that learning languages from countries you want to travel to. To live a fully travel-oriented life, learning languages from around the world can transport you to a place without even being there yet!

4. Work travel into your job.

One of the reasons I travel so often is because I do travel for work a lot. I fell into this work lifestyle, but if you want to travel more, this a great way to see a lot of different places. See if you can work travel into your current job or if not, see if you can find a job you’ll enjoy that also includes travel.

5. Be a citizen of the world.

One thing a lot of people forget is that to really live a travel-oriented life, your attitude and perspective have to change. You are no longer just a citizen of wherever you live, but a citizen of the world. You are a part of a huge planet and we’re all connected more than we think.

What NOT to Bring When Carry-On Packing

April 15, 2016

As we’re preparing to head to Europe next week and we’re busy getting everything ready to go, I thought it was time to do a whole series on packing for travel! So all this week, we’ll be talking about how to travel for 10 days all in carry on luggage. So stay tuned for tips, tricks and tried and tested solutions for carry on packing!

So all week we’ve been talking about what to pack and how to pack it for a carry-on only trip to Europe for 10 days, but… what about what NOT to bring on your trip? Well here is a tailored list of the items that I hear people packing for travel and what you can take out to make your packing more efficient and easier to do carry on only for 10 days worth of travel!

Don’t pack all of your makeup/beauty products.

When at home, you might be accustomed to using a bunch of different makeup or beauty products on a regular basics. When packing for a trip (particularly with carry on only), be sure to only bring the items that you actually NEED. One mascara, one foundation, one whatever… but you get the idea. Generally I bring 1 foundation, 1 concealer, 1 mascara, 1 powder and 1 blush for my makeup routine. If you need anything else, you can always buy there or go without. All that stuff takes up a lot of space so be sure to eliminate any unnecessary items.

Don’t pack large shampoos/conditioners.

Even if you were to check bags, never bring large shampoos and conditioners when you travel! They are super heavy and a pain to lug around. Plus they will always get pulled out of your carry on bags which is even more of a hassle. I buy 3-4 of the small travel shampoos and conditioners before leaving and they as you use them, you can throw them away and on the way home, ideally they’ll be all gone and you’ll have more space in your bag.

Don’t pack a lot of jewelry.

I don’t travel with very much jewelry for a couple reasons. First, it’s easy for stuff to get lost in the shuffle of traveling, so any expensive jewelry should stay at home. As to other jewelry, I don’t wear a lot in my daily life, but when traveling, I’ll only take what I can wear on the plane. Jewelry is also really hard to pack in luggage properly, so wear what you need on the plane or keep it in your purse and that way it’s less hassle to keep tabs on it while traveling.

Don’t pack guidebooks – instead do LUXE guides or light small books.

I NEVER pack guidebooks. They are usually too heavy and take up a lot of valuable space and we aren’t the type of travelers to pull them out on the go and use them anyways. Instead though, I always being LUXE guides for destiantions as well as any Streetwise maps that I have for wherever we are in the world. Both the LUXE guides and Streetwise maps are light, small and effective for pulling out on the go to look something up.

Don’t pack traveler’s cheques/special travel credit cards, etc.

Back in the day, everyone used to use traveler’s cheques instead of cash when traveling. Now I hear all the time from my bank about special credit cards or debit cards to use when traveling. In all honesty, these are all just ploys to make money. There really is no need to purchase extra items like this before a trip. We travel with cash (we’re just careful with it) and we also use our standard credit cards (just make sure you have 1 with a chip for international travel – I recommend the Sapphire Preferred card) and you’ll be fine. There are ATM and banks everywhere you’ll be, so that’s not so much of a worry as it used to be. The key with this is, just be careful with your money and your belongings and you’ll have nothing to worry about.

How to Fit Everything in Your Suitcase when Carry-On Packing

April 14, 2016

So you’ve done the organization and prepared all of your outfits for a trip, now to get all those clothes into your suitcase! It’s often the most arduous task of packing, but when done right, it’s really amazing how much you can fit into a carry on. Here’s my best tips for how to fit everything in your suitcase.

First, get the right luggage.

We travel a lot, so investing in good luggage became a necessity. A couple years ago when we desperately needed new luggage, we went with Tumi as our primary luggage source. We opted for the Tegra Lite line without the expandable option which they have now. Mine is white, Nick’s is gray and they are both the best luggage we’ve ever traveled with. I can’t recommend them high enough not only for ease while traveling but also with how much they hold!

Next, confirm what you’re taking.

The trick to being able to fit everything in your carry on luggage is confirming what you actually need and what you don’t. So be sure to follow my guide for what you should take for a 10 day trip to Europe from yesterday so that you don’t waste space packing items that you don’t really need.

Pack shoes in the side with the grooves (for the handle) and flat clothes on the other side.

In roller bags, there is always a side with grooves since behind there is where the collapsable handle is. In that side of your bag, pack shoes in those grooves (but remember to wear your heaviest pair while traveling so not to take up more space) and use the other flat side to pack all of your clothes. There are various ways to do this and everybody has their favorite, I still find just folding everything as flat as it can be and stacking them works best for me. But some people say rolling is better or folding everything together… to each their own. Figure out which way works best for you and your luggage, and then go with that.

Pack clothes, shoes + miscellaneous items in your roller bag and toiletries, electronics + your purse in a carry on shoulder bag.

When we travel for 10 days with carry on only, I take my Tumi hard side (roller bag) and another large tote or shoulder bag for my second personal item carry on. In your roller bag, pack all your clothes, hairdryer, and other miscellaneous items that you won’t need in-flight. In the shoulder bag, I pack my camera and other electronics like laptops, iPads, etc. as well as my purse and any in-flight necessities like food or water. Combined, these equal your standard 2 carry on item limits for most airlines and you should have everything you need while traveling!

Carry On Packing : What You Need for 10 Days in Europe

April 13, 2016

We are headed to Europe for a Spring time visit next week and we’re only bringing carry-on luggage. So when packing for this trip, I needed to make sure and bring enough clothes for all the days gone, but also outfits that could mix and match together so that I could fit everything into my Tumi hard side carry-on for the journey.

For us, we’ll be spending time in Paris, Rome, Tuscany, Vienna, Santorini and Athens, so my outfits needed to meet a variety of temperatures and needs per city. The main thing to remember for a trip like this is to layer so that if it’s cold you’re good, and if you’re hot, you can take off layers as needed. Another tip is to try and say within similar color families. For this particular trip, I stuck with blues and navy’s (instead of black basics) and light pinks that double as a khaki sort of color to go with everything.

So if you’re heading to other side of the pond during the Spring, here’s what you need for 10 days in Europe that fits into carry-on luggage:

Tips for packing only Carry-on to Europe:

-Stick with 1 color family (for example: pick blues or blacks) and build on that.

-Wear your coat and other heavy items on the plane.

-Use scarves and purses to change up your outfits instead of packing more tops and pants.

-Bring one pair of shoes that goes with almost everything (for me, that’s white Converse).

-Layer, layer, layer – that way you’ll be fine regardless of climate.

Carry On Packing : Preparation + Organization

April 12, 2016

The first and perhaps most important part of being able to travel for 10 days to Europe with only carry on’s is to prepare and organize. I actually start this process weeks in advance and never leave packing until the last minute, mostly because it stresses me out but also because there is no way you can be totally organized when you’re just throwing things in a suitcase at the last minute.

So here’s how I prepare and organize before I pack for a 10 day trip:

Start collecting outfit ideas weeks prior to your trip.

A few weeks before we’re due to travel, I go through images I’ve saved on my computer or on my Pinterest boards and make a folder of outfits I like for a specific trip. This helps me to visualize what my looks will be for certain places and helps me wrap my brain around what I might take.

About a week before your trip, lay out all your outfits on your bed.

Generally about a week before our trip, I’ll take out all the clothes from my closet that I’m thinking of taking that match my outfit ideas that I’ve collected. I lay them all out on my bed and lay them out outfit by outfit so I can see how many I have. At this point, I always go through and try to match similar colors that go together as well. So for instance, if I have a heavy navy blue theme, I might try to go with more blues than blacks so that everything will match and go together.

Try on all the outfits you laid out.

After I have all my outfits laid out on the bed, I then go through and try them all on. Once I find a look I like, I’ll take a picture of it so I can remember exactly which items went with what. I often find at this point that sometimes what I think I want for a certain outfit ends up changing when I try it on, so better to do this before you leave than later on!

Take another look through and discard any repetitive items.

Once I’ve tried everything on and I’ve settled on my outfits for however many days and I nights I need, then I go back through and see what I can weed out. Sometimes I’ll start with double the amount of scarves that I end up taking, or I’ll start with 4 pairs of shoes and narrow that down to 2. Go through and see, what can I live without and what has to stay. At this stage, I usually discard about 1/3 of what I had out.

Fold everything and set aside for a day.

Before packing, I like to fold everything I decided on packing and let it sit out for a day or two. I might be waiting to see what the weather forecast looks like or maybe I’ll change my mind on a particular outfit, so it’s nice to leave it out and think about what you’re packing for a day or two.

5 Side Jobs that Can Help Pay for Travel

April 11, 2016

I’ve talked a lot about how we pay for our travels here on Land of Marvels in the past and if you’ve followed the blog for any length of time, you’ll be aware that both Nick and myself both have multiple jobs that allow us the income to travel as frequently as we do. We both have full time day jobs (mine as an Interior Designer for an architectural firm in Hawaii and South Korea, Nick as the ECommerce manager for a West Coast company). In addition to our “day jobs,” which I put in parenthesis because really, are any jobs truly only done during the day anymore? But anyways, I regress, in addition to those day jobs, we both have multiple side jobs that allow us some extra income throughout the year. I have this blog, which is very little income, as well as teaching part time at a local design college as well as running my own Interior Design business, Reverie Design Studio. Nick has a photography business, Nick Nieto Photography, and between the two of us, we keep quite busy.

My point in all this is that side jobs can do a lot to help you pay for travel, if that’s a priority in your life. For us, it is, so any income to supplement our lifestyle can help us travel more and farther. So if you’re looking for some extra income to help you travel more, here are 5 side jobs that can help pay for travel and can be a fun outlet along the way as well!

1. Teaching

I teach part time at a local college in my elected field and it’s become a huge passion of mine. So take a look at your skills and see if you can add a class or two to teach something in your field at a local college.

2. Photography

If you’re into photography, hire yourself out in your free time. I know a ton of major photographers that started out as a side gig and transitioned into it full time. Just put yourself out there and see if you can gain some clients on the side.

3. Blogging

Obviously, being here on a blog, I couldn’t leave this one out. And while I hardly make any money off of my blog, there are definitely ways that you can if you want to pursue it. I just don’t have the time personally to put into pursuing those financial options, but if you want to, see how you can make your blog more financially viable and if you can earn a little bit more money for travel.

4. Mentoring

Similar to teaching, a lot of community centers and educational facilities are often looking for mentors for students. If you like working with kids, this might be a great option and might offer a little bit of extra income.

5. Coding/Website Design

If you have any skills in the coding/website design arena, offering to work freelance for people in your off-hours is a great way to earn some extra money. People are always looking for people with these skills and can actually become quite a great source of income.

Vacation in Hawaii if…

April 8, 2016

Hawaii is one of those places that people either love or hate. It’s a place that definitely has a different set of guidelines than other US destinations, a place that has its own culture, its own very unique vibe. So if you are thinking about a vacation in Hawaii, here’s what you might want to think about before booking those (often very pricey) tickets!

Vacation in Hawaii if… you love the beach.

You’ll get lots of beach time in with a vacation to Hawaii. But keep in mind that millions of other people want this too, so the tourist beaches are very overcrowded.

Vacation in Hawaii if… you’re trying to escape the cold.

Hawaii’s temperatures stay pretty steady above 70 degrees F all year, with of course some random days in there that might be colder. But for the most part, you’re always going to get warm weather in Hawaii. Also keep in mind though that Hawaii actually gets quite a bit of rain, so while it might be a warm rain, you might get a few days of rain at any given point mixed with sun breaks.

Vacation in Hawaii if… you loved a laid back vibe.

Hawaiian time is a true thing and the laid back vibe is alive and well in the Islands. So if you want to not worry about doing anything on your vacation, Hawaii is your spot.

Don’t vacation in Hawaii if… you don’t like the sun/heat.

I have a hard time with extreme heat or intense sun due to my light skin tone and Hawaii is often pretty harsh for me. So if that’s you, Hawaii might not be the spot for you.

Don’t vacation in Hawaii if… you want a cheap vacation.

Hawaii may be a number of things, cheap is not one of them. Prices are already high and getting higher in the Islands for all things tourist-related. Actually it’s expensive for locals too, but tourist areas are through the roof on pricing. When my parents come to Oregon (they live in Honolulu) and we go out to dinner, they are always shocked at how cheap it is to eat here rather than in Hawaii. It’s much noticeably higher, so don’t travel to Hawaii if you’re on a strict budget.

Headed to Hawaii?

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How to Spend 24 Hours in Honolulu

April 7, 2016

So you only have 24 hours to spend in Honolulu…. whether you’re just passing through en route to another island or you’re headed to Asia from the US, Honolulu is a very common stopover city. I often do 24 hours in Honolulu for work, flying over one day and home the next, but as a tourist, there is still a lot to see and do in the famous capitol of the Hawaiian Islands in just 24 hours. So if you have to stop over somewhere en route through the Hawaiian Islands, here’s how to spend 24 hours in Honolulu!

Head to lunch at the Shorebird in Waikiki

Most flights from the US get into Hawaii around 11am or shortly after because of the time changes, so take advantage and grab lunch at a spot right on the beach with gorgeous views of the Waikiki strip and Diamond Head.

Spend your afternoon shopping at Ala Moana Center

After lunch, head to Ala Moana Shopping Center for an array of some of the world’s best shopping. They pretty much have everything now and the mall is giant. So wear your walking shoes, you’ll be doing a lot of it here.

OR at the beach in Waikiki

If shopping isn’t your thing, spend the afternoon at the Waikiki beach. My favorite spots are down near the Hawaiian Hilton end, where it tends to be less crowded and has stunning views of Diamond Head.

Dinner at Signature in the Ala Moana Hotel

Splurge on a memorable dinner at Signature, a restaurant high on the top of the Ala Moana Hotel. The views are so worthwhile here, with panoramas out over the ocean, up to Manoa in the mountains and all of Waikiki. Try to eat near sunset and you won’t be disappointed!

Wake up to see the sunrise over the harbor.

One of my favorite spots to see the sunrise is in the Harbor area of Waikiki near the Hilton Hawaiian Village. With views out over Diamond Head as well to the East over the harbor, the sunrise colors are gorgeous most days and well worth waking up for them.

Grab an aca’i bowl for breakfast with local fruit.

Before heading back to the airport, grab an aca’i bowl with local fruit on top and enjoy it on an empty beach before everyone else is up and about. Then grab a cab to the airport and head off on your next adventure!