Here's what's making January a happy month for me.NOT traveling - yep, you read that right!Sometimes, it's just nice to stay at home and be lazy. Or stay at home and be super productive (hello, organized linen closet!) Or just stay home and just be. That's what January is going to be like for me and that suits me just fine! I had a great time chatting with the team from CBC Radio's Ontario Today program about the trials and tribulations of holiday travel. My verdict? Just stay home. My next trip (destination: London ON) is in February and I can't wait to go into it relaxed and refreshed. Welcome Home! What's the First Thing You Do? On my last trip to Bulgaria, I awoke at 3:00 AM after a very short, very fitful sleep to meet up with a driver to bring me from Plovdiv to Sofia for an early flight to Paris, where I spent a blissful day walking and eating and walking some more. Scooting back to the airport, I caught my flight to Montreal and from there I just made it onto the train to Ottawa. Pulling into the train station, I dragged my luggage to my parked car to retrieve my parking stub, headed back inside to pay my balance, and drove home. It was SUCH a long, full, incredible, exhausting day. When I arrived home, I was greeted by an equally joyous yet exhausted doggo. Oliver himself had recently been on an adventure -to the doggy hotel as Ryan too was away that week - and a friend had kindly picked up him before closing time and dropped him off at my house so I could reunite with him without delay. With a quick walk (for Oliver) and a bite or two of macaroon (for me!), it was time for bed.
What followed was the BEST SLEEP IN THE WORLD! For both of us, actually, as Oliver was blissfully flaunting all the rules and sleeping in the bed next to me. There are no words to describe that moment before you drift away in what you know will be the perfect, jet lag busting sleep, your final day of busy chaotic travel behind you and your body swathed in soft, fuzzy, sweet scented pajamas. Sure, Bulgaria and Paris were wonderful. But reuniting with my own bed and my beloved fur boy was SUBLIME! As much as I love to travel, I'm always anxious for the last 24 hours of a trip to pass so I can return home. As luck would have it, some of my most aggravating delays have corresponded with my final flight home, putting my fuzzy pajamas tantalizingly out of reach. Not every travel day goes as smoothly as my return from Bulgaria did. So frustrating! There's nothing so nice as sleeping in your own bed, on your own sheets, wearing your favourite pj's - you know, the impractical fluffy flannel purple polka dot ones that you never take on the road. Throw in a long, hot bath, some homemade food, a cuddly pet or two, and you have a one outstanding homecoming! I'm not the only one who feels this way. Everyone I know who is passionate about travel is also passionate about returning home, connecting with the people and things they love as they re-calibrate from their latest adventure and adjust to 'normal life' Find out what other travel bloggers think is the best part of coming home! Have you ever seen a ghost when you traveled? When you visit Herstmonceux Castle, you might not be alone! There's nothing like a spine-tingling ghost story! Growing up on Cape Breton Island, dramatic tales, often touching on the spirit world, were an intrinsic part the cultural fabric of the island, which combined rich oral folklore with some of the best music and literature in the world. The swirling Scottish, Acadian, and Mi'kmaq traditions of storytelling complimented each other well and contributed to the island's legendary ceilidhs.
No doubt this cultural background contributed to my love of seeking out ghost stories when I travel. Already a big fan of walking tours of all shapes and sizes, I discovered that ghost tours were my perfect form of evening entertainment. Affordable, convenient, entertaining, and fun, ghost tours combined light exercise and a bit of light history with the chance to meet new friends and discover new parts of town. And if they ended at a pub, so be it! They were a great way to relax and let someone else worry about directions for a change, and as a female solo traveler, I appreciated the chance to part take in a safe evening activity. So do I actually believe in ghosts? Belief is a bit of a strong word, but I DO stand by my ghostly story - and I'm sure these other bloggers do as well! Here's my story of a visit to Herstmonceux Castle in England when I felt I wasn't entirely alone. Everyone has enemies. Mine always surface when I travel. Here's an intimate look at my many moments of travel embarrassment and hillarity.It’s natural to have some reservations, some nervousness, some fears about travel. While most people have concerns about bed bugs or pickpockets, I have some unique nemeses that I try to avoid on every trip. They sound so silly but these are the source of much travel embarrassment!! Here are my 5 most fearsome adversaries. Roosters There’s bad blood between my family and the rooster community. As a young girl, my father regaled me with his childhood tales of being attacked by roosters in the barnyard, assuring me that these crafty, vindictive birds would peck your eyes out if you were to trip and fall! Such charming bedside stories! True to form, roosters stalked my guest house in Malawi, making it necessary to take a wildly twisting route to circumvent their territory. I flew down the red dirt road as the roosters chased me, clucking wildly, their bloodlust only heightening by my fear.
This wouldn't be my last encounter with the rooster community, who shadowed me relentlessly on Oahu and Maui. My future dream trip to Kauai seems a perilous fantasy, as the island is famous for its wild chicken population. Nachos, Starbucks, trashy magazines - not all travel habits are good ones!Time for nachos? Yes please! While I’d like to pretend I spend all my time seeking out culturally appropriate baked goods or reveling in the café culture, my dark and shameful truth is that I’m a travel nacho girl. Paris, Zermatt, Lilongwe, Derry – nachos, nachos, and more nachos!
I can’t say why nachos hold such an appeal for me. I don’t have a memory of trying them for the first time or consciously making them a travel tradition. In fact, I often avoid ordering nachos, as I feel guilty that I don’t want a more authentic regional dish! I'm an indoor girl but I do love to get in touch with nature when I travel. Here's why!I can’t claim to be an outdoorsy girl. I’d much rather read Jane Austen and sip wine than brave the bugs, sun, sleet, and dirt of the great outdoors. I’m a bit of a chicken (we all remember the Segway and ziplining anti-adventure), but one way or another, I’ve always managed to find myself outside, SPF 110 and bug spray in hand, ready to try something new. Here are some of my favourite travel activities in the great outdoors.
Arts, culture, theatre, and travel go hand in hand.When I first started to travel, I assumed that seeing the world was all about attending glamorous galas and visiting the theatre every night. I wish that was the case! I’ve learned to blend my love of the arts with some value driven practices so I can enjoy the experiences more frequently.
What's my travel motto? I Scream for Ice Cream!Ah, ice cream. The most beautiful food in the world! Like all self-respecting children, I grew up loving ice cream and now, as a super important grownup, I still make time for ice cream in all my travels. For reasons unknown, my early childhood years were dominated by maple walnut, as repulsive a flavor ever I tried. Did everyone else have parents are cruel as mine? Things perked up considerably with the arrival of the Ice Cream Barn. When I picture the ultimate escape, I think of water.I’m a confirmed water baby. Growing up on Cape Breton Island, I spent my childhood summers at the beach, collecting sand dollars and sea glass, jumping off the wharf, eating ice cream, and battling jelly fish (who top the list of my mortal enemies). I don’t think I’ve ever owned a “cute” swimsuit in my life. With my sensible black Speedo tank suits, I’ve put myself through 6 years of university, teaching swimming lessons and lifeguarding. I’ll join in aquafit class with the Golden Oldies at any YMCA. I’ve been snorkeling in Cape MacClear in Malawi, Hanauma Bay in Oahu, and Molokini Crater in Maui. I’ve never hesitated to dive right into the waves and have a blast! |
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