Why I Travel

I can't express the joy it brings me when people read, appreciate, and interact with my writing. If you follow me regularly, you noticed that I took about a week off. I think I got a little overwhelmed by the advertising side of blogging. I keep forgetting why I started this in the first place. As nice as it would be to be one of those people who can support themselves travelling, blogging, and taking photos, I highly doubt I will ever be one of those people. Therefore, I have to remind myself to enjoy the little things. The small victories of writing a piece that makes a person want to do something, or go somewhere. That is enough.

I have been wanting to write a piece about why I travel for a while because I'm asked about it frequently enough. I went on a date a few days ago with a man who shared my love of travel and the entire time was spent discussing our previous adventures and adventures yet to come. I could spend hours discussing this topic with complete strangers so this post is long overdue.

1. I'm a sensation junkie. This is not to be confused with an adrenaline junkie. The feeling of an adrenaline rush is horrible to me, as it too closely mimics the feeling of a panic attack. What a sensation junkie is, is a person who loves the feeling of experiencing something, anything. I love suspenseful movies and TV shows, travelling, food (especially trying new food), new books (I VERY rarely re-read a book I've already read despite how much I may have loved it), getting tattoos, changing my appearance in any way.

Cyprus 2015

2. Travel is the only time I can truly focus on the now. I have bipolar disorder and a pretty severe case of anxiety so most of my days are spent scrutinizing every mistake I have ever made and fretting about every mistake I have yet to make. When I travel, I have no option other than to focus on the moment I'm in, otherwise I'll miss the place I'm in. It's the only time I can truly appreciate the present.

Cyprus 2015

3. It makes people look at me differently. When people find out I travel, all of a sudden, I'm fascinating to them. I don't want to say that I'm boring otherwise, but now, they want to hear my stories, find out where I've been, where I'm going, they want to "ooh" and "aah" at my adventures and live vicariously through me if they, themselves are not a traveller. I don't know if I just don't look like a traveller, or maybe there are just so few of us out there, but people seem to be awed by those who wander, especially those who wander frequently to far off destinations.

4. I get stir crazy when I stay in the same place for too long. I went on two international trips last year and am going on at least two (possibly three) international trips next year so this year I have had to refrain from using my passport and it's driving me insane. The temptation to buy a ticket to anywhere is ripping me apart. I want to live in the moment. I want to see something different and try something different. I want a new story to tell.

5. Every single trip is so unique. I'm planning two trips next year. One is to Scotland and the other is a trip around Europe. The trip around Europe took me all of two days to plan whereas the Scotland trip took me over a week. Depending on what kind of experience you want to have, you can build your trip around it. And, as much as I complain about planning these trips, I secretly kind of like it. Hitting that turning point where everything all of a sudden falls into place is rewarding beyond belief.

Some of the fauna in Iceland, geese.

6. There is so much history and so much of the world out there! I love feeling that connection to a place from long ago. The feeling at the Wailing Wall, for instance, is not something I can ever forget. I'm not a religious person, but I cried. The atmosphere was so thick. The emotions of all the people that were there that night, of all the people that were there on nights for thousands of years before all flood into you. There is nowhere else I would have been able to experience a feeling like that. And that's the thing, you never know what you are going to experience until you actually get there. I had no idea that this was how I was going to react at the Wailing Wall!

7. And finally, it's an addiction. I'm addicted to the feeling of getting on the airplane, of getting off the airplane, of wandering the streets of a new city, of trying new food, of seeing new wildlife, of experiencing history, of being able to talk about it and relive the experience over and over again personally and for others through my writing. It's an addiction to knowing that I've done something out of the ordinary. Yes, it's cost me a lot of money, and time, and there is no flight long enough to discourage me because it is always beyond worth it.

These are just a few reasons why I travel. There are so many other great reasons for wanderlust. Make me happy and interact with me, what are some of your reasons for travelling?

Safe Travels,

Guest Post: My Anxious Reality

Sometimes, not often, but sometimes, there are more important things than travel in my life. Anxiety can be one of those things that swallows me up and makes it seem like it is the only thing that matters. Today's post is such a timely piece by a fellow blogger and new friend, Madison Huffman. Madison writes this amazing, inspirational blog called In Pursuit of Dreams. I look at her blog regularly for my dose of feel good and she has been kind enough to have me as a guest on her blog as well. I highly recommend you check her out. Just being on her page will make you feel better. In the meantime, please enjoy her story.

My Anxious Reality 

This feeling lurks behind every decision and trails me while I’m running my daily errands. It whispers at first, making everything seem just a little more difficult than usual and it grows into a shouting that shuts me down completely. Living with anxiety isn’t pretty and it can strike at the most inconvenient times. Even something as simple as making a doctor’s appointment can feel like an impossible feat. It took me a long time to come to terms with and become familiar with anxiety and how I could function during times of high stress. 

As those feelings became prevalent in my life, they began to impact how I lived. For a while I didn’t dare approach situations that made me uncomfortable or nervous because I couldn’t bare the thought of feeling that crippling emotion. I didn’t want to wake up in the middle of the night shaking, breaking out in a cold sweat, and feeling like I couldn’t breathe and that the world was crashing down around me. However, you can only be stuck inside a box for so long without wanting to break out. I craved freedom and the ability to live life unhindered. With growth came strength and knowledge of what ways kept me calm when I felt that inner turmoil. These were some of the tips that helped me along my journey of living with anxiety:

1. Focus on your breathing. When I felt that panicked feeling growing, it always helped to sit down, close my eyes and focus on my breathing. Shifting my focus to something steady kept my mind from racing down an anxiety ridden path. Even if my anxiety attack was in full swing and my breathing was strained, it helped to focus on steadying it instead of allowing it to swing more out of control. 
2. Don’t think of all your problems at once. Something I’m guilty of doing is spiraling downward if I have a lot of issues. It’s easy to let your mind jump from one problem to the next until they seem so big that it’s not possible for you to surmount them. So, before you add up all your problems into a list that’s too long, decide to tackle one thing at a time. Life tends to figure itself out, so don’t stress over what you can’t control.
3. Explore your options. Try counseling even if you’re embarrassed about it. Chances are it’ll help you to talk things out more than you could’ve imagined. I went through counseling and it sped my progress along much more quickly than if I’d have stuck it out alone. If that’s not entirely effective and you still need more help, talk to your doctor about medication. You can start with the smallest dosage if you’re not super comfortable with taking medication, but if there’s a chance for reprieve, wouldn’t you take it? Don’t be afraid to look through the many options out there and find what’s best for you.
4. Don’t shame yourself for your struggle. What gave me the most anxiety was feeling like I shouldn’t even have anxiety. When you realize what you’re feeling is valid, the load will seem a lot lighter.

The journey of discovering what works for you can be long and feel treacherous. Have faith even in the midst of your darkest, most overwhelming times that you can and will overcome everything before you. You don’t struggle alone, there are many people, including me, on the struggle bus with you. Trust your unique process and you’ll be well on your way to a thriving, successful life.

This was so helpful for me based on where I am in my life right now. Thank you so much, Madison. Once again, her blog is In Pursuit of Dreams and it's 100% worth checking out.

Safe Travels,

Unlucky Travels Series: Hong Kong

Hong Kong was never on my bucket list as it always appeared to be a taller Seattle to me. For the record, I was right. Despite that, I wouldn't dream of turning down an invitation for an international trip, especially to visit my sister.  She and her husband had just moved there and invited me to stay with them. I was, of course, ready for some bad luck, but from the get-go, this was a fail of epic proportions: my flight from Seattle to Vancouver was delayed, and ultimately cancelled due to fog. Fog that was, apparently, ONLY in the SeaTac area. Sidebar: who ever thought to build SeaTac airport in the current location was a moron. It is the hub for all bad weather. Of course, I flipped out on the poor gate attendant because I have yet to learn how to keep my cool in these situations. I managed to get on a flight to Vancouver a few hours later as the fog cleared up minutes after our flight was cancelled...oh, and this was on Thanksgiving.

Me posing with my statue: the year of the rabbit.

I made it to my sister's house to find a very polite little note in my suitcase stating that it had been rifled through by airport security.  I was, once again, the "randomly" selected passenger to be more thoroughly searched. Perhaps my hissy fit at the airport had something to do with it? If you've never been to Hong Kong, here is the idea: the roads are very cramped, winding, and there is a lot of travel that has to be done by water and public transportation. If, like me, you are prone to motion sickness, be prepared. The first few days were manageable, but after a while, I was almost incapacitated by nausea, and vomiting.

My stomach got a bit of a respite when my sister and I went to Thailand for a few days, but as soon as we returned to Hong Kong, it was back to the porcelain throne and stomach cramps. At the peak of it all, my sister and I made a trip to go shopping, and in order to get to this quaint little shopping town, we had to take a ferry and a two hour bus ride (I might be exaggerating but only slightly).  About five stops from the town, I had to drag my sister off the bus because I knew I wouldn't make it, so we walked the rest of the way there. I threw up a couple more times there, then a couple more times on the bus back from there as an unfortunate old lady tried to sit next to me, and I incoherently signed to her that she did NOT want to sit that close to me (all while ralphing into a plastic bag).  We made it back to their house and I spent the next 17 hours in excruciating pain, trying to keep even a drop of water down. We went so far as to try and reschedule my flight as I could not leave the couch, but, since I'm not a millionaire, that wasn't an option.  They were nice enough to place me in an aisle seat in the coach plus section of the plane though.  Perhaps I should complain of uncontrollable vomiting more often on flights?  First class: here I come.

View from a high point in Hong Kong.

Moral of the story? Skip the boats and busses in Hong Kong. Take the train.

Safe Travels,

Rita's Favorites: Seattle Edition

I've lived in Seattle (or the area) for the majority of my life. While that might make some people experts on the city, I am definitely no expert. I can, however, rattle off a handful of places that are a must see...at least in my opinion. There are so many amazing places around here, and some are a hot spot for tourists while some are more hidden gems. Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order):

1. The Great Wheel. Yes, it is pretty much a giant ferris wheel but don't call it that. The difference between the "great" wheel and a ferris wheel is that a ferris wheel has open baskets and the Great Wheel has enclosed baskets. And while this is a tourist hotspot, the views are pretty awesome.

2. Marcela's Creole Cookery. There used to be an amazing Cajun restaurant on Capitol Hill called Kingfish Cafe and it was my weakness. When they decided to shut down, it left a giant, gaping, spiceless hole. And then I found Marcela's. The shrimp and grits are scrumptious and their bread pudding has actual whiskey in the sauce (you can taste it!), and it's not some gelatinous blob with sugar but actual bread. Overall, totally worth it. Even though the service could use a little caffeine jolt.

A cooking class at Marcela's.

Me getting ready to go ghost
hunting.

3. The Seattle Underground Tour. They have the standard underground tour that you can take any time of day, the paranormal tour which you take at night and walk around trying to find ghosts with EMF readers and such, and you have the underworld tour where they tell you all the raunchy secrets of Seattle past. I've been on the regular tour and the paranormal tour and loved them both. I've had friends who took the underworld tour and were crazy about that one too. In case you didn't now, the Seattle of now, is built on top of the old Seattle which is, amazingly, still standing and available for tours!

4. The EMP (Experience Music Project). The building is one of the biggest eye sores and all of us Seattleites are a bit miffed by it, but if you are a music/pop culture fan, this place is the place to go.

5. Pacific Science Center Laser Dome. This is an absolute must. This might sound juvenile but there is something so fantastic about getting drunk and heading to a laser show (though I have a friend who would disagree since my drunken giggling ruined her first laser show for her. Sorry, M.). I've only seen the Pink Floyd show but they have Daft Punk, and others as well. Totally worth the price of admission.

6. Pike Place Market. This is kind of a given for anyone visiting Seattle. Pike Place Market is a mecca for fresh fruit, veggies, fish, honey, flowers, etc. They are famous for their fish throwing antics. It is a mad house on weekends, so I try to avoid it then, but it is really fun if you don't mind a big, slow-moving crowd.

7. Frye Art Museum. This one is more obscure for sure. It is a free museum in the First Hill neighborhood that has some more random collections. They have some amazing pieces there on occasion and hey, it's free. You can't complain at that price! I love it because it's small and much less crowded and pretentious than some of the larger museums. Don't get me wrong, I love the SAM but sometimes, I don't want to pay that much and sometimes, I don't want to be surrounded by that many people.

8. Salty's on Alki. There are a lot of mixed reviews on this one but I'm a solid proponent of the Salty's Brunch. Normally, Salty's is just a restaurant but on Saturday and Sunday mornings it is an all-you-can-eat buffet with an emphasis on seafood brunch. The oysters are shucked right there in front of you! Make your reservations early and check it out.

Any favorites that you'd like to share?  Don't be shy.

Safe Travels,

Top Tips to Save Money for Travel

The most common question I get from people who know how little money I make is “how do you afford to travel?” And for me personally, there is very little else I will sacrifice as much for as travel. Even with all the best intentions, my saving efforts are usually thwarted and the result is a very broke lifestyle for a month or two before and after the trip. For me, this is entirely worth it, but I realize that this is not the case for most people. When I manage to stick to my budget, and saving plan, I feel a whole lot less stress and it makes the trip that much more enjoyable because I’m not worrying about how I’m going to pay my phone bill when I get home. Since downgrading my life this year, it has become that much harder to just travel on a whim so I’m forced to be more diligent in my saving efforts. Here are my top tips to save money for travel:

1. Figure out roughly how much money you will need for your plane ticket, your hotel (or other accommodations), food, and other miscellaneous spending money. Once you have that number, add a few hundred more dollars to it. By nature, I worry a lot, especially about money, so knowing that I have a spending cushion puts me more at ease. I never have to think twice about splurging on a beautiful piece of artwork because I know it's in my budget. Fringe benefit: if you don't spend all of the money set aside, you have more for when you get home, or to set aside for a future trip.

2. Start early: you want to make sure you have your tickets and accommodations booked in advance. I start saving for these about a year ahead of the trip, and make the purchase whenever prices are lowest. There is a lot of differing advice on when you should purchase (i.e. on a Tuesday, at midnight, three months in advance, on a full moon on the equator, etc.) and if you follow any of that, go for it. I generally just keep an eye out for lowest prices and purchase when the price looks right.

3. Do some math: once you know how much you need, and when you need it by, you can figure out how much money you need to set aside per week, month, day, whatever. Make a plan, and stick to it!

4. Save for the fun things (food included): once you have the big purchases out of the way, you can start saving for the fun stuff! This is where the cushion comes in. Make sure you have enough to not worry about running out. This requires doing some research. There is a big difference between going to Iceland and going to Thailand. In Thailand, $400 USD might get you through an entire two weeks easily, while in Iceland, that might get through a week.

5. Make it pretty: I'm much more likely to set aside money if I have somewhere festive to put it. Maybe a shadowbox with a fun note on the front, or even a big mason jar. If it strikes your fancy, use it.

6. Cut back: I know this sucks, but for those who are serious about travel, it is a priority. That means fewer happy hours, venti lattes, and yes, giving up that gym membership. That's right, you officially have an excuse to "quit the gym." But instead of leaving that money in your bank account, withdraw it, and set it aside in your pretty shadowbox, or mason jar. This way, you'll be making fewer changes to your spending habits but still setting money aside. Make your own coffee, and pay yourself the $4 you'd be paying at Starbucks.

Whatever you do, do NOT dip into what you save. That has been my biggest mistake. It's so simple to just grab a $20 out of the pot, but don't do it. If you plan ahead and stick to your plan, you can do it. Next thing you know, you'll have enough saved up for that trip of a lifetime.

Safe Travels,

Photo was edited by me, but you can find the original at pixabay.

Unlucky Travels: Israel Part III

Part II left off with the gentleman sitting next to me on the plane taking off his pants. I should probably clarify that though he did take off his pants, he was wearing shorts. I didn’t think it would be appropriate to prolong my gaze trying to ascertain if they were boxer shorts or actual shorts but suffice it to say, he was not entirely bottomless, nor was he entirely clothed.

Finally, I get to Israel: jetlagged, exhausted, and traumatized. We are placed in a taxi to a Kibbutz at the northern part of Israel, roughly 110 kilometers (or 68 miles) away. In case you are curious, a kibbutz is a communal settlement which basically means that everyone who lives in this community pitches in to make it function. I have pretty intense social anxiety, and interactions with a bunch of strangers is terrifying to me. As I mentioned in Part I, while everyone was getting to know one another before I arrived, I was trying to not be remembered as “the girl who cried in front of everyone at the airport.”  So I was quite a bit behind socially. The next day, we were taken to the Jordan river to go rafting. While rafting, the girls in my group decided to be flirtatious with a group of boys in a neighboring raft and get into a water fight. Me, being the graceful creature that I am, got splashed in the face with some of the water and managed to get a horrible eye infection which rendered me half blind for the duration of the trip because I couldn’t wear contacts in that eye.

This is our camel. We named her Lola.

Now the major wrap up, the highlight of the trip, and the pièce de ré·sis·tance: the heat exhaustion. I don’t know if any of you have ever experienced heat exhaustion, if you have not, I highly recommend you avoid it. Right before I realized what was going on, I started having sever panic attacks and then started throwing up. This was on our way to the Bedouin tents, which, I’m sure, were made more interesting as I was hallucinating the entire time. What I do remember vividly is drinking some very strong tea and coffee and riding a camel. After that, it’s a blur of being served food (which I did not eat),  passing out on some fluffy cushions in a giant open air tent, and being woken up to be told that I look very cute when I sleep, which was a nice compliment as I’m pretty sure I was drooling and twitching like a puppy chasing an imaginary fox. I woke up very early the next morning to rush to the bathroom to dry heave for a few minutes before making the pre-dawn hike up to Masada. After watching the most beautiful sunrise, we sat in the baking sun with minimal shelter for another hour and a half. At which point, I tried as hard as I possibly could to make it to the restroom (I had it in my sight!) before dashing sideways into a secluded, little ruin to throw up…on top of one of the holiest mountain in all of Israel. I’m pretty sure I’m damned for life now. After that, I had to take a tram instead of hiking down. I spent the next three days not eating. At least I looked fantastic upon my return.

I think it’s time for a second trip to Israel so that it can prove it doesn’t hate me.

Safe Travels,

Disclaimer about photos: none of these were taken by me.  They are all linked back to their original owners.