Oh!!.... The Places You'll go!

It is better to travel well than to arrive. ~ Buddha


I love to travel. In fact, I have three travel magazine subscriptions ( yes I know three is a little much I recently cut back). I'm the kind of traveler that looks for the heart of the experience through culture, people (especially children),music, architecture, the agriculture, local drinking establishments and restaurants. I, for the most part, avoid over-indulgent, expensive hotels/resorts , however, am not opposed to a dose of room service with a side of of 1,000,000,000 thread Egyptian cotton sheets with another side of a spa treatment every now and then.

The last big trip I took was to London and Devon/Totness to visit my friend Kore and her boyfriend Lumin. It was a perfect trip mixed with the bustle of London and a 4 hour train ( of which Kore and I were both unfortunately very sick and hungover) ride to the English countryside where the violets and primrose were just beginning to bloom. It was a prefectly balanced trip bewteen city and country and I hope to jet set somewhere over that way again soon. But I'm sure my next trip will most certainly be to my family in MI whom I miss dearly, and it's been way too long. Until then I cut out little places from my magazines of where I want to go and things I want to see and do and glue stick them into a life book I started a couple years ago. I realize I may never be able to do it all, but it's so fun to dream about all that is out there. It feels even better to come back from a trip and check off that little nook of a foreign farmers market or antique shop in my book and write the date I completed it in my lifebook.

If you love to travel, make it a goal. Dont let money or time away deter you. Set aside money over a period of time and save it. All the while make a book of the things you would like to experience. This fuels you when you want that Starbucks coffee everyday versus making it at home. And when you return from your travels call me and lets have tea so I can listen to your journey.

Although I am not an expert at travel, through my little magazines and some creativity of my own, I want to share some little tips that possibly could make your journey even even more memorable or maybe just a little more comfortable.

1. My friend Aspasia and Kore both know Im candle obsessive, and even when I travel I always bring one. It adds such warmth and homeyness to a hotel or B&B room. But if I buy any candles while on vacation (or incense) I try to buy two of them. One I will use for the rest of the trip, and the other to burn when I get home and want to return to the place I was, even only for a moment. Try it. This is a good one. When Kore and I tramped all over Greece, it was the incense that stayed with us the whole time.

2. Grab newspapers and save any little ticket stubs. You can laminate them and give them to friends as bookmarks. I personally make my own little collage cards to give to people on certain occasions and use them for postcards to send or a card with a Little note on the back. Whatever you do on your time away, find a way to recycle those little things and make them meaningful from you to others.

3. Music. I love music. Music is huge to me when traveling. If I forget my ipod, Im lost. But if you go somewhere where there is a different flavor of music , go into little record shops, buy cd's, or even better yet, just keep a log of songs that are influential to you or remind you of that place. When you get home create your very own playlist and it will take you back there all over again.

4. If it's not obvious ( see #1) Im big on fragrances and smells. I always pick a shampoo I never use regularly. For example, when I went with my parents to the Bahamas I bought this delicious coconut smelling shampoo. Now when Im in the mood Ill buy some and use it and the memories comes back to me. Along with nice, shiny hair. bonus.

5. Dr. Bronners Organic Castille soap. This stuff can be used for just about anything, I think it has almost 20 uses. Laundry, body , face, even brushing the beavers. I personally dont recommend it for shampoo, left mine a little greasy. But anything else its an all propose, all organic miracle. I suggest doing some research though on the recipes, most times you will have to dilute it in water.

6. I am an accessory whore. I really am. I love scarves, necklaces , bracelets, and anything else I can wear to spruce up an outfit, with nothing short of looking like a Christmas tree. So when packing earrings I recently learned a new trick to get over sized buttons and place one pair in each of the holes. That way, you dont have to dig in your jewelry bag for the other. * I cannot take credit for this idea , but have to share it does make getting ready easier my ladies :)

So there you have it. See the world. Let the world see you and call me when you get back.

Where do you want go?