A Lazy Weekend in Hawaii

September 22, 2015

Last weekend we headed to Hawaii again (our third trip over this Summer alone) for work projects that were finishing up. Nick had a photography job there and I was seeing some of my projects completely finished which weren’t done on previous trips. We were a little “Hawaii-ed” out if you will after our two back to back trips in July and August, so this time around we decided to add an extra day and relax a bit more. We flew in Thursday night, worked Friday and then took Saturday pretty much off. It turned out to be a lovely lazy weekend in the islands with my parents, without having to run around crazy with work all day Saturday like our previous trips this Summer.

We didn’t even go to a beach or see the sunrise this time, we really just needed a day to rest so we laid around my parents house, took naps and had nice meals with beautiful views. It also happened to be super stormy while there and Oahu was having flash floods from the heavy rain, so having a lazy weekend was perfect this time around as it would have been miserable at the beach anyway. I also got the change to meet up with Kristin from No Destinations finally, which was so fun! All in all, our last weekend in Hawaii for the year (probably) was lazy and not filled too fill so that we could enjoy the time with my parents and our time in the Islands!

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The Truth About Traveling : When Life Gets in the Way of Living

September 21, 2015

Our trip a couple weeks ago to Amsterdam was a very spontaneous one for us, booking only a few weeks prior to our travel dates, which we hardly ever do. But to give you a sense of why we booked it, it had everything to do with needing some time together, just Nick and I, and forcing ourselves to take a break from work. This Summer has been insanely busy for us. Nick recently took a big promotion which has had him crazy busy with work as well as having a handful of photography jobs throughout the Summer. I started teaching part time at a local Art college, on top of managing a handful of projects in Korea, as well as finishing up construction on all of my own design projects in Hawaii and managing my own business. Add to that keeping up to date here on Land of Marvels, traveling for work and the general craziness that Summer seems to bring, to say the least, we’ve been insanely busy. Even our few Hawaii trips have been work pretty much non-stop while there. There have been a ton of nights spent late at the computer for both Nick and I, and while we do love being busy and we both love our jobs, the past few months have been a little crazy even for us.

In late July, it sort of hit me: we were spending all this time trying to get ahead in our professional lives and barely making it through the week, only to start again the following week. Our lives were go go go, but we weren’t making the most of each day or really living.

So when we decided to take a break over Labor Day weekend, we knew we needed someplace far enough away that would force us to stop and really take it in. It needed to be someplace with a direct flight and someplace that we could really sign off. So even though our trip to Amsterdam was way more than I would usually spend on flights for a quick weekend and it was really only 2.5 days there and it might seem extravagant to some, we spent the weekend wandering the canals and eating Dutch waffle cookies and spending time together, no work, no emails, no craziness, and for us, it was entirely necessary. The truth of the matter is, sometimes life gets crazy, sometimes you and your partner feel like you see more of everyone else than each other, sometimes life gets in the way of living. That’s exactly what happened to us this Summer and that’s exactly why we splurged on our long weekend in Amsterdam.

I truly believe in working hard, in pushing yourself. But at what cost? Sometimes our lives start to unravel, sometimes that stress of keeping up at home and work and general life can get to the point where you just have to hit reset. That’s what Amsterdam was for us, a reset, a refocus to what’s important in life. Because at the end of the day, when life throws you in a hundred different directions and takes every ounce of energy you have, sometimes you truly just need a change of scenery to clear your head and wander the canals of Amsterdam with the one you love without a care in the world.

Amsterdam Centrum : Flower Markets, Gouda + Landmarks

September 17, 2015

On our last afternoon in Amsterdam, we ventured down to Amsterdam’s central area (i.e. where all the tourists are) and wandered through the floating flower market and Dam Square. Suffice to say, we knew quickly we had to get out of there as it was just flooded with people and we immediately missed the quiet calm of the Nine Streets and the Jordaan. We did stop for waffle cookies and gouda cheese though to bring home while in the area. After a quick tour of the area, we headed back to the canals for the quiet calm that I love about Amsterdam away from the tourist crowds.

Where to Stay in Amsterdam

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Exploring the Jordaan in Amsterdam

September 16, 2015

Exploring the Jordaan in Amsterdam might not boast as many of the picturesque canals as the Nine Streets, but it has a charm all its own as well. Row houses line tiny streets that feel tucked away, bicycles take up every inch of free space along the roads and cobblestones line the streets in this beautiful neighborhood in Amsterdam. Set close to the Nine Streets area, but feeling a bit more removed from the tourist groups, the Jordaan offers a unique appeal.

We spent hours just wandering the tiny back roads in this area, stopping for photos along beautiful row houses all nestled together along cobblestone streets. We remarked at the cute bikes with wooden crates on them and the ancient buildings in the area. For some time away from the hustle of central Amsterdam, the Jordaan is the perfect spot to spend an hour or two!

Where to Stay in Amsterdam

Traveling to The Netherlands?

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The Nine Streets in Amsterdam

September 15, 2015

The majority of our short trip to Amsterdam was spent just wandering. Before we left, Nick and I specifically knew we didn’t want to have any plans, just to wander the canals and walk hand in hand without any itinerary. And that’s exactly what we did. Any tourist coming to Amsterdam is coming to see the beautiful canal lined streets, the gorgeous brick row houses and the bridges upon bridges upon bridges. We were no different. Even though we’ve been to Amsterdam previously, Amsterdam’s Nine Streets are perhaps some of the most scenic spots of a city I’ve seen in my travels. From the leaning row houses to the bridges that light up at night, Amsterdam’s Nine Streets are not to be missed on your itinerary for the Netherlands.

This area in the famous canal belt of the city is lined with trees and bicycles and home to many people in the city. It’s the perfect place to just wander and take it all in. Also amazing here, are the tiny little alleyways you’ll find nestled in off the canals, totally empty but remarkable all the same. So if you find yourself in Amsterdam, don’t miss a wander through the Nine Streets area of the city!

Traveling to The Netherlands?

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What to Wear in Amsterdam in September

September 14, 2015

More What to Wear posts for more destinations here!

For our quick long weekend to Amsterdam, I knew we’d be walking a lot, so when I started packing I stuck with basics that could be used for both full days there and would be comfortable. To change up my look a little each day, I alternated between boots and my white Converse, as well as switching out scarves. It was actually quite cool and rainy while we were there, layers were key for Amsterdam this time of year. Here’s what I packed for Amsterdam in September!

What I Packed:

What I Wore:

Outfit Details:

Calvin Klein Raincoat w/ hood (similar) | Tan Boots (similar) | Madewell Black Denim |

Madewell Scarf (similar) | Dooney and Bourke Cross Body Purse

Outfit Details:

Calvin Klein Raincoat w/ hood (similar) | Madewell Black Denim |

Dooney and Bourke Cross Body Purse | White Converse Low Tops

Traveling to The Netherlands?

See all of my posts on the country here!

Amsterdam in September : Favorite Moments

September 9, 2015

When we return from a trip, I love remembering those special moments that made our getaway that much more unique and memorable. This long weekend to Amsterdam was full of special memories, but some will remain as my favorites for one reason or another. Traveling is all about those special moments, and savoring them so that we remember what is so special about our beautiful world!

Watching the Sunset along the Canals and then being poured rain on.

Last time we were in the city, we didn’t really see much of the canals after dark for one reason or another. So this trip, on our first evening in Amsterdam, we really wanted to see the canals and bridges light up against the dark city as I’ve seen in so many other amazing photos. So we headed out as the sun was beginning to set and found a bench to wait on as the colors started to light up the sky. It had been gray and rainy all day, but just at sunset the sky opened up and gave us a pretty gorgeous sunset. Although our joy was short lived, as literally 2 seconds later dark gray clouds filled the sky and opened up to pour rain on us. We decided to go eat dinner and come back to wait out the rain, but it was such a funny moment, all of a sudden in the middle of a downpour.

Finding a tiny alleyway with no one around.

One thing I love about Europe in general are the cute little alleyways you’ll find all over. In Amsterdam, there are tons filled with gorgeous row houses and they are quiet and empty. We found one in particular while wandering around and stopped for a bit there to take photos and just take it all in. I love finding quiet spots in the middle of a busy city to just stop and really enjoy your surroundings.

Seeing the canals and bridges all lit up at night.

As I mentioned above, this was one thing we really wanted to accomplish on this trip and we did! After dinner and waiting out the rain, we returned to the specific bridge we wanted our photo from and Nick ended up getting a gorgeous shot of the bridges and canals all lit up against a dark evening in Amsterdam.

Sitting on the edge of a canal, eating waffle cookies.

On our last day, we spent a good part of the afternoon just wandering and finally ended up sitting on the edge of a canal, watching the boats go by and eating waffle cookies. It was cool and gray, sprinkling slightly here and there, which was exactly the weather we had hoped for and such a wonderful memory, sitting with Nick just watching the world go by.

Traveling to The Netherlands?

See all of my posts on the country!

Travel Tips : How to Do a Long Weekend in Europe

September 8, 2015

Having just returned from a long weekend in Europe, it dawned on me that I think this is the first time we’ve done that in a true 3-day weekend and not taking an extra day or two on the end of it. Over Labor Day this weekend though we squeezed in a trip to Amsterdam leaving Friday night and arriving home Monday which was a true long weekend in Europe without taking any vacation days. A lot of people might be wondering how to do a long weekend in Europe and I’m here to share my tips.

We booked this trip super last minute as a celebration of some big professional milestones this Summer and for Nick and I to just really spend time together someplace unique with no emails, no work calls, just enjoying each other’s company. Though as we wandered the canals of Amsterdam this weekend I got to thinking what makes a long weekend in Europe successful and how to do it to your best advantage. So here’s how to do a long weekend in Europe and make it work!

1. Book direct flights.

To make the most of your time wherever you’re headed, for a quick weekend, booking direct flights makes all the difference. We flew Seattle to Amsterdam on the way (opting for better flight times out of Seattle) and direct Amsterdam to Portland on the way home, which made all the difference. It cut out all that extra time that you’d spend transferring through multiple airports and it’s one of the reasons we chose Amsterdam for this quick weekend. Book direct flights to wherever you’re headed.

2. Stick to one destination.

For a quick long weekend getaway in Europe, stick with one destination. Don’t try to fit in visits to a whole bunch of different places (even though it’s tempting). Pick 1 city or 1 destination and stay there.

3. Pick a destination that you’ve visited before.

To really make the most of your time, it helps to pick a place you’ve visited before, even if for just a short time. We were in Amsterdam last October for a couple days, so we knew the layout of the city and had a good idea of what our time there would be like. It’s harder to do a quick long weekend escape to someplace you’ve never been since you’ll spend so much more time trying to get your bearings.

4. Just wander.

Usually when we travel we have an itinerary for each day which gives us an idea of what we’re doing or where we’re heading. For a long weekend getaway, just wander. Throw the itinerary out the window and just take it all in around you. To make the most of your short time in a destination, just wander.

5. Stay close to the city center.

Picking a place to stay for a quick long weekend getaway to Europe is really important. The location where you base yourself in a destination will allow you to see the most you can, so base yourself in the city center, close to where you’ll be exploring so that you don’t waste time in transit.

5 Reasons to Fall in Love with Travel

September 3, 2015

Ahhh travel. Is there anything better than the feeling you get when you’re headed to a new place? Or that exploration of a foreign spot or coming home after and feeling like you’ve truly changed from the inside out? There are hundreds of reasons to fall in love with travel but when I really sat down and thought about it, there are 5 reasons to fall in love with travel that stand out to me, that I keep coming back to over and over, and why I keep on seeing the world, why I keep traveling and why traveling will always be a huge love of my life.

1. The lead up.

There is no better feeling than the excitement before a trip somewhere. That excitement that just beams out of us. For me, it hits me mid-flight when I think about what’s on the other end. That lead up makes me fall in love with travel over and over again, no matter if it’s a place I’ve been before or somewhere new and foreign, it’s an incredible part of this crazy wonderful thing we call travel.

2. Opening up your eyes and mind.

There is no better way to open your mind, heart and eyes than to travel. Traveling shows you how millions of other people out there live and breathe and love. It shows us that we have more in common than different and that we really don’t know everything or the best way to do anything. When you travel, you let yourself be opened up to new experiences, new people, new places. It opens our hearts, it opens our minds, it opens our eyes.

3. Exploration.

There is something about wandering a foreign place, exploring, getting lost, finding hidden gems and finding your way back again. That exploration is good for the soul, it’s good for our minds. Exploring this planet we call home is not only a necessity in my opinion, it’s also an exercise in strength, in curiosity, in learning. Exploring a place that you don’t know is an incredible feeling and it opens us up to a literal world full of exploration.

4. Growing as a person.

I truly believe that you can’t learn what you get from traveling any way else. There are some things in this world that are just meant to be seen with our own eyes, touched with our own fingers or explored with our own feet. Whether it’s been the Angkor temples of Cambodia or the colorful cities of India, or the Eiffel Tower in Paris or wandering the Thames in London, there are countless places on this Earth that have made me grow, that add to your experience as a person. Seeing those things, feeling them, exploring them, and coming back home after teaches you to grow as a person more than perhaps anything else in the world. I am forever changed after each trip I take no matter how close or far I go, because travel moves us, it envelops us and teaches us lessons we can not learn any other way.

5. Memories made.

I can’t even tell you how many memories I’ve made around the world in different places, unique experiences that have shaped me, that have created stories in me that I will forever remember. Moments like seeing the Eiffel Tower from our balcony in Paris on our honeymoon, like riding in the back of a tuk tuk through the streets of Udaipur with Hindi music blaring and the world flying past us, like standing in the middle of the Icelandic wilderness without another human for miles, like watching the sun set over the Manhattan skyline, like hiking through a slot canyon in the middle of New Mexico. I could go on and on. But the truth is that travel creates incredible stories within us, each different, each unique and those memories made will forever shape us as we go forward.

How to Travel and Pay a Mortgage

September 2, 2015

Nick and I travel a lot. If we’re not a plane each month, it’s a rare occurrence. And whether it’s for work (which is a lot of the time) or pleasure, travel is a huge part of our lives. Some of that has come from our own choices but some of it is also due to circumstance and professional work. 90% of my work is still in Hawaii and Korea, so travel and time zones are still a huge part of my daily life for work. We haven’t let our busy lifestyle of travel keep us from other things though either, like owning an apartment and having a mortgage. I know it totally depends on circumstance, but for the majority of people out there it’s entirely possible to travel and be able to own a home and have a steady home life too. So here are my tips on how to travel and pay a mortgage!

Don’t live outside of your means.

This I think is one of the biggest things to conquer. So many of us spend way more than we make, or buy that big house that we can’t afford. Living within your means is the first step to being able to conquer travel and a mortgage. It’s so important to not get in over your head. We still live in our little 500 sq. ft. apartment and while we love it, we could definitely have gone bigger over the years. But we didn’t because our mortgage is small and we’re perfectly fine for the time being in a smaller space, which gives us a lot of extra money to travel. Figure out what you can afford, and don’t try to push that limit.

Manage your priorities.

Having a lot of travel in your life is all about priorities. For us, it’s one of the top priorities so we spend our time, energy and money making it work into our lives. If your priority is a big house, kids and a dog, then you might not be able to add travel into that mix too. It’s about figuring out what you want in your life and working your budget out around those priorities.

Take risks.

I’m a big believer in following my heart and taking risks when they feel right. Whether that means jumping at an opportunity (even if it might cost more than you expected) or researching something to take a risk on, I think that when you have your priorities set and a budget examined, you can afford to take more risks. Whether that means investing money to make a profit or jumping at a trip, taking risks is part of growing.

Find extra ways to make income.

Many might not realize this, but I have 3 solid jobs plus this blog and Nick has a full time job plus his side photography work. We both work a lot and there are many nights when we’re both on the computers getting stuff done to get ahead. We work hard, but we know that any of that extra income can fund the things we love in our lives like travel. There are always ways to make more money to put toward life expenses like a mortgage and extras like travel; look into tutoring in your specific field, teaching or opening your own side business. There is a world of possibilities out there to make more money, but you have to be willing to work hard and to know that it might make your life a little crazy for a while.