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Ciao for Now. 

XOXO

Travel Girl 

The Hardest Part of Being a Traveler

Happy Sunday Travel Bugs! How are my favorite globe trotters? I hope that you are enjoying many worldly adventures. Because let’s get real, down, and dirty about the hardest part of being a traveler. It’s not the red-eye flights, delays, long security lines, and allergic reactions, travel diarrhea, bleaching your water, peeing in holes, getting lost, making slight cultural faux pas out of honest ignorance, or not being able to understand the language. Sure, even the best traveler can come down with a debilitating case of homesickness or food poisoning that can be difficult to overcome. There may be times when the last thing you want to do after a sixteen hour flight is get on another airplane to catch a train just so you can hail a taxi. But that’s all part of the territory. You get used to and start expecting those things fairly quickly. Pretty soon ordering foreign currency is as normal as a trip to the grocery and you can make it through shockingly long flights and go through customs on autopilot. It’s all worth it for the joy of what we ultimately seek; an authentic experience that teaches us about the world. The hardest part of being a traveler isn’t the road, it’s when we’ve got this urge, this intrinsic need to fill a void, and every single fiber of our body is screaming go, but we can’t. The hardest part of being a traveler isn’t traveling, it’s not traveling. If I could, I’d travel 365 days a year. In fact, I’ve got routes marked, companies researched, and an ever growing list of cities and countries that I’ve absolutely got to experience, one day. It’s something that’s in my blood, a voracious desire that’s difficult to rope in and impossible to suppress. However, most travelers eventually if not routinely find themselves with this same dilemma-because we aren’t all millionaires with bottomless pockets or unlimited amounts of vacation time. So, while part of what we love is forgetting the real world for a while when we are an ocean away from our everyday realities, we are still bound by the rules we left behind when we return. So, what do you do when you are a traveler who’s stuck, like Travel Girl? Well, I treat the end of most amazing journeys as a bad break-up. Instead of torturing myself by watching sappy romance movies, I break out my travel films. I stock up on wine, ice cream, and by the end of this mourning phase, the staff at the Italian restaurant by my house will know my take-out order favorites by heart. I eat a lot in an attempt to numb the pain then wash the ice cream and pasta down with a healthy amount of red wine (lay off its good for your heart). I cry as I watch the people on screen living out the very thing my heart craves while I am stuck in my boring, bland, American apartment, and have to go into the office the next day. Eventually it gets better and I move from mourning to denial. This is when I scour the web and enter various contests that offer free trips as a prize. I also plan fake trips. I look up everywhere in the world I want to go, decide where I would stay, what airlines fly there, and start perking up. It takes a little bit for this phase to be over. And I never truly let it go- because some day- I’ll go on those trips and see those places. Just not until my bank account has recovered and my vacation time is replenished. Then, finally, I decide it’s time to join the rest of the world and stop flapping around like a fish out of water. The truth is the States have a lot to offer, and eventually instead of resenting it, I try to pick out the best parts of the journey I am missing and apply it to my life here. For example, my last international trip was spent doing a Surf Outreach with IVHQ in Muizenberg, South Africa. So, I followed this up with a flight to Charleston, SC and showed off my new surfing skills. Sure, I didn’t have to scan the water for Great Whites, but it was awesome to have a surfboard under my arm again. I could even practice getting better. Soon after, I woke up at 5am on a Saturday, drove two hours to Narragansett Town Beach, and rented a board. I spent the day surfing with an Australian who had moved to New England with his wife from Melbourne. We had a great time as he helped me out with my surfing and we exchanged travel stories. In fact, I had so much fun I forgot to be upset that I was stranded Stateside. Sure, driving home I wished I didn’t have to head back to my small town home and then daydreamed about visiting Australia. But I got to meet someone new and do something I love, which ultimately is the same fix travel provides.

So, when I got home I looked up other ways to get involved. The surfing was awesome, and Travel Girl is totally open to anyone in New England who needs a surfing buddy! (Hit me up!) But what I was still missing was the interaction with the kids. I googled surfing in Rhode Island, found Surfrider Foundation, saw they had an event coming up, and immediately emailed the chair to ask what I could do and if they needed help. They were ‘stoked’ that I was interested.

So, yesterday I helped run a surf competition for NESS (New England Science and Surfing), something I never would have done had I not gone to South Africa. Again, I woke up early, got in my car, and hit the road. Sure it was an hour drive down the highway not a flight over the Atlantic but at least I was going somewhere. I had a destination and I was on my way to try something I had never done before. Prior to this weekend I had never been to a surfing completion, I definitely had no idea how to run one. However, I met surfers and ocean enthusiasts from the Ocean State, high fived the young surfers in the competition after warm-ups, and got to know them. It felt great to be out on the beach, carrying surfboards, and joking with the kids. I felt like I was back in my element, despite that it was a totally new experience. In a way, you could say, I found a way to hanker that adventurous element through something an hour not a continent away. Had I not gone to Africa and done the Surf Outreach, I’m sure there’s little likelihood of me, Travel Girl, who grew up in the Midwest, helping to host a surf competition. But that’s why travel makes us better people. Because even long after the trip, when we are reliving the journey in our minds and staring at the globe in search of our next destination, we keep what we have learned cumulatively and are able to implore those lessons as we search for the person whom we will ultimately become. As we push our boundaries and constantly stretch our comfort zones, we might not even realize how far we have come until we find ourselves back at home doing something we never thought possible.

I guess what Travel Girl is trying to say is, I feel for those of you who get stuck yet can’t shake the travel bug. It happens to us all but know that you are not alone. Next time you feel the familiar sensation of itchy feet and can’t find a realistic way to work out the funds for an international trip, look closer to home. Being travelers it’s easy to get caught up in the go big or go home mentality. But sometimes, you can translate your experiences abroad in places that aren’t so exotic. Every once in a while it’s okay to settle for going smaller, and with any luck you may find the rush you get is just as great. That’s all for now, but remember whether you’re reading this from your hometown or across the ocean from where you call home, don’t ever lose your travel lust. Not traveling for a traveler may be the hardest, most frustrating obstacle, but we’re lucky, because we always know, eventually, it’ll be time to hit the road again and go big. Ciao for Now. XOXO Travel Girl

Travel Girl Favorites

Bonjour world, and happy Friday! In celebration of the weekend I’ve decided to share my all-time travel favorites with you. What kind of gal pal would I be if I didn’t hook you up with some sweet places to hit on your travels around the world? So, here are Travel Girl’s All Time Travel Favorites (in no particular order). 1.)Favorite Place to Stay. It’s no secret that a fabulous trip to a killer destination can easily be ruined by a crappy accommodation. So, let me provide you with my very favorite place to stay: Senhora da Guia Boutique Hotel in Cascais, Portugal. This is a must hit if you ever find yourself wandering about Portugal in search of a place to stay. What’s the best part? It’s tough to say. The saltwater pool overlooking the ocean provides a gorgeous view of the Atlantic and the Jacuzzi just inside will warm you up if you get chilly swimming. Their buffet breakfast is literally the best I’ve ever had. We are talking grilled vegetables, scrambled eggs, homemade pastries, rolls, yogurt, fresh fruit, granola, cereal, endless smoked salmon, fresh orange juice, coffee, desserts, and even heated milk. You can enjoy this savory breakfast at a table with magnificent water views on the balcony out back. The staff was friendly and considerate while not being intrusive and our room was spotless. Another bonus? This town is a fast 40 minute train ride to Lisbon, and a quick bus trip to Sintra. You can still experience the capitol while avoiding staying somewhere super busy and loud and also take a day trip to explore the remains of the Portuguese Empire in Sintra. As for Cascais, the town offers numerous restaurants, a beautiful beach, and some of the most stunning scenery I’ve ever encountered. All in all staying at Senhora da Guia was a dream come true. Don’t believe me? Go see for yourself, I dare you.

2.)Favorite Place to Grab a Drink. So, on holiday nothing is better than an amazing cocktail or two. Maybe you’re a beer snob or into flashy mixed drinks but at the end of the day Travel Girl loves a good glass of wine. I’ve tasted wine everywhere from Bordeaux to Cape Town and if you want a chic ambiance and an outstanding selection of reds, whites, and everything in between hit The Kensington Wine Rooms in London. Not only is the service fantastic, the dark wood elegantly homey, and the wine worth swooning over, they have a selection of forty wines by the glass to choose from. If you like wine, this is definitely somewhere to hit on your next trip to England. Who knows, maybe I’ll see you there…

3.)Favorite Place to go for Dinner. Who doesn’t love to eat? Travel Girl does, and it’s even better when you can enjoy a meal abroad that consists of local food that is fresh, high quality, and thought up by some of the greatest chefs in the world. Are you hungry yet? The most delectable meal I’ve ever eaten was in Copenhagen’s Nørrebro district at Manfreds & Vin. Known for creative combinations, organic produce, a wine list of four-hundred plus natural wines, and a hipster feel that allows you to enjoy amazing food in a casual way, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the simplicity of the presentation and a bill that does not break the bank. Go with a group and try their 7-course sharing menu. You can tell them if you have diet restrictions or food allergies, but trust the people in the kitchen to surprise and wow your taste buds with seven courses chosen by the season, availability of fresh ingredients, and the Chef’s mood. Some of our dishes included steak tartar served over boiled potatoes, roasted shallots and onions with a goat-cheese dipping sauce, cabbage salad with a light yogurt dressing, grilled eggplant, a soft boiled egg with spring peas and raw mushroom on a bed of warm grains, roasted cauliflower with anchovy sauce, and braised beef which melted in your mouth. I’m honestly still trying to figure out what would be more fulfilling, sex with my celebrity crush or dinner at this place. I know it’s a stretch, but I’d put my money on the braised beef. 4.)Favorite Place to watch the Sunset. When I’m not sampling wine or contemplating unanswerable food versus sex hypotheticals, Travel Girl does enjoy the natural beauty that comes with diverse locations on varying trips. One of the humblest ways to appreciate a place and reflect is to take time out of your day and lose yourself in the lusciously warm hues of a good old fashioned sunset. The best part of this favorite is that it can be done anywhere in the world, and even better it’s free! While this is a simplistic pleasure that I appreciate everywhere, I’ve got to say one sunset in particular has always stuck in my mind as a sort of a pseudo five minutes in heaven. If you want to have your socks knocked off and your breath taken away, sit beside the Niger River in Segou, Mali at the end of the day. Not only did the sky turn miraculous colors as I watched the sun sink beneath the horizon, but you can see fishermen coming in for the day with their catch, and the outline of banana boats against the sky as they float by. If you ever make it to Segou, take it from me, you don’t want to miss a sunset on the Niger.

5.)Favorite Place to go to the Beach. Now, this was a really difficult choice. As you will come to realize, there’s only one thing Travel Girl loves more than the big city, and that’s a beautiful beach. If you’ve got both, like Cape Town, Honolulu, and Los Angeles- to name a few, that’s even better! I’ll take any beach any day of the week. But if I had to choose one beach out of all the sandy paradises I’ve visited, I’d go with St. James Beach in South Africa. This beach is consistently named as one of the world’s most beautiful and it’s easy to see why. Nestled between Muizenberg and Simon’s Town this beach boasts picturesque views of the ocean, a lovely tidal pool carved out for the kiddies, and the iconic colorful huts for which it’s known. The walk from Muizenberg Beach to St. James beside the sea with the waves crashing into large rocks is probably one of the most idyllic strolls I’ve ever taken. Want to spice it up a bit? Do this walk at high tide when the swells are big and race down the sidewalk dodging the water as it crashes in. As far as beaches go, St. James is tip-top.

Well, that’s it for now, but I promise to share more of my favorite locales with you in the very near future. May your weekend be full of adventure, fun travels, or even some well-deserved rest and relaxation. Thanks for reading and we’ll catch up next week. Ciao for Now. XOXO Travel Girl

Travel Girl

Greetings cyber world and welcome to my new blog, “Just Trippin”! I’m a girl with an insatiable desire to travel the globe and believe in following your gut, getting out of your comfort zone, and doing things that scare you. I’ve definitely had my share of adventures from high tea at The Corinthia Hotel in London to cage diving with Great White Sharks in Cape Town. (The tea was fabulous and the Loch Var Smoked Salmon finger sandwiches were divine. The Great Whites were gorgeous, although I happened to get in the water with one who tried to take a bite out of our cage.) I’ve spent a lot of time trying to decide whether or not to start a travel blog, started one, then became irrationally insecure that my writing was on public display for all to see and deleted it. However, at the ripe old age of thirty I’m ready to try again, so that I can share my worldly ventures and awesome experiences with all of you. If you’ve got a passion for travel, a zest for doing things that invoke a little adrenaline, and a serious need for an escape from the ordinary, we should get along just fine. That should conclude my first post, but I hope you will put me on your map. I’ve got lots of travel stories to post and many more left to live. Ciao for Now. XOXO Travel Girl