“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography
One of my biggest issues about going places is that I always come home with way more then I left with. I don’t know about all of you but I like to buy things for all of my friends and family, and of course myself, whenever I go somewhere because it is nice to share a piece of the experience and have more than a fading memory to keep from your trip. I struggle with making sure I leave enough empty space in my suitcase that I can carry stuff home. This NEVER works out for me so I have come to the realization that the only way I can successfully bring home everything I buy is to either check another bag (which is expensive and annoying) or bring a small carry on and a personal item. What I do is pack an empty tote bag or duffle bag in my suitcase so when I am coming home I do not have to try jamming everything into my stuffed to the brim luggage. It is also useful if you bring someone with you that doesn’t have a lot of luggage (like my boyfriend) and make him carry one of the bags as a carry on so that you avoid any excess fees. Sometimes checking the extra bag is less expensive than having a spare person to carry your luggage though ;).
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and a safe, prosperous new year!
I know that as a college student, spring break is a big deal! People make trips to places all over the world but one of the biggest locations for eager college students is Cancun, Mexico. This is mostly due to the large night life that they have and beautiful warm location. This is a very tourist oriented area full of resort after resort.The last resort on the strip is Dream’s Resort and that is where I stayed on my trip just 2 weeks ago. Although the area is beautiful and the resort is very spread out and surrounded on three sides by the ocean, it had MANY issues. Yes, most of my posts were about the glorious aspects of travel but the truth is that sometimes things aren’t as great as you were expecting. I am writing this post as a heads up for everyone that if you go to Cancun, do NOT stay at Dream’s Resort.
It may seem alluring as it has dolphins on sight that you can swim with and like I said, it is surrounded on three sides by ocean, but their customer service and cleanliness was far less enticing. Upon entering the hotel we were left standing without any help for over 45 minutes. Our room was not ready so the concierge who finally came to help us took our personal luggage and said he would accompany it the entire time while we went to grab a bite to eat. Assuming we could trust them as we were in the VIP suites, we left our luggage filled with our electronics, money, and other valuables. When we returned our luggage could not be located and the concierge was gone. After searching for 20 minutes we reached over the counter and pulled our bags out without the least bit of confrontation. We were finally greeted by our concierge who still did not have our room keys still, 2 hours after they were due.
We got into our room and found dirty sheets, half full toiletries and hoped to take a warm shower after a day of travelling. Upon entering the shower we found the water rusty and cold. You would think this would be a one-time occurrence which would have been corrected but no, we had no hot water several times throughout the week. We were already not impressed but decided to keep an open mind. Throughout the week we continued to be unimpressed by the early closing times of bars and food services at the resort as well as dirty pools and lack of enthusiasm and politeness from the staff.
All I need to say is that if you go to Cancun I would not recommend staying at the Dream’s resort. Go, have fun, enjoy Cancun but do not do it there because I know you will enjoy yourself more elsewhere.
So this past week I spent in Mexico so I have a bunch to write about. Expect that in the next few weeks you will see all about the trip. This week I wanted to talk about my favorite of the excursions we went on and that was to a place called Xplor in the Mayan ruins. This place is a MUST GO if you are ever in the Yucatan Peninsula area as it is beautiful, fun, and historical.This place has over 2 and a half miles of zip lines that bring you across the spectacular Mexican terrain and some even drop you into the water of some of the ancient Mayan caves. After you zip across the tree tops you can swim through and paddle through the exquisite caves and see the stalagmites and stalactites. Finally, you get to finish your day by taking a four-wheeler type vehicle that they call an amphibious vehicle and drive around, through the caves, water, and adventure through the lush forestry. Check out some of the pictures below!!!
Awesome right?!? I have alot more so if you want to see more pictures let me know and I will show you some more of this awesome attraction.
I am writing early this week due to the holiday AND the fact that I leave for Mexico on Saturday to spend a fun filled week in Cancun!!! I can’t wait to tell you all about it.
With my upcoming trip as well as all my trips in the past, I find that the biggest stressor is how much airline tickets cost. We all know how much gas is for our cars and we cringe every time we have to fill up our tanks, but now we have to suffer when we fly places as well. You would think that since so many people are on a plane that the cost per person for the fuel would be minimal but apparently it is not. I don’t know the exact calculations but something just is NOT right!!!
Tip 1: Book Early or VERY late.
The best way to combat these high airline tickets is to make sure you book as early as possible. As soon as you have the dates set for you trip you should try to book. Some airlines will allow you to receive the discounted rate after you book if they have a sale later on. Other airlines will give you a credit for future flying or return the money straight out. Of course, if you change your flight times you may be hit with change fees (except on Southwest of course)!So be careful to make sure the time works for you. I would say that a good frame to book in to get the best deal is 3-6 months before your flight. Obviously this is impossible sometimes but the earlier the better in the airline industry. You may also find a great steal if you wait till the day before or day of a flight. The issue with this is that you are risking the flight being sold out, overbooked, or paying very inflated prices. If you get onto an empty flight then chances are you will get a great deal.
Tip 2: Shop around
Make sure you are looking at various different sites including direct with the airline but also through sites such as Kayak.com, CheapOair.com, Priceline.com, ect. These will pull pricing from various places to make sure you can see all your options. Act fast though because if you run a search on one of these sites, it could be gone before you click to book.
Tip 3: Search for Sales
Of course you would think this is obvious but many people don’t do it. One secret I will share with you that I received from a travel agent friend of mine is that airlines change their rates on a daily basis but new sales, promotions, and large price changes occur most often at midnight between Wednesday and Thursday. I know that means staying up late, but it could be the difference between paying $145 a ticket or $400 a ticket. (Crazy right?!?)
That’s it for today folks! I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving and keep an eye out for highlights from my Mexican escape this coming week!
This week I wanted to discuss Nassau, Bahamas. I went there this past June as one of the stops on my cruise and absolutely loved it! I am seriously considering booking a vacation there and staying for a full week. One downfall to cruising is that you have very limited time in one place so you don’t always get to enjoy all it has to offer.
When I was in the Bahamas, I spent the day in the Atlantis Resort and Aquaventure water park. The resort is all inclusive and has a huge casino in one of the many buildings along with multiple restaurants, bars, and clubs. I could have spent the entire day checking these places out but instead I spent the day sipping daiquiris on the soft, sandy beach, in the resort owned aquarium, and hitting the intense waterslides and rapids river. Can you see why I needed more than a day?!? I’ll let you look at the pictures and come to your own conclusions because they speak louder than any words I could possibly say.
The Atlantis Resort from a distance
Rapid River- mile long tube ride
The fishtank passageway
Inside the resort
One of the many restaurants
This waterslide goes uner the sharkfilled waters!!!
A view of the beautiful beach and crystal clear waters!
I can tell you that it is definately worth checking out and once you go once, you WILL want to go again!
Quit hanging on to the handrails . . . Let go. Surrender. Go for the ride of your life. Do it every day.
Hope you all had a great week and Happy Veterans Day! Thank you to all the Vets who have helped and are still helping defend our freedom here in the USA. Today I would like to talk about how ridiculous luggage charges are and how you can avoid paying hundreds of dollars when flying.
We all know that girls and some guys LOVE to pack their entire wardrobe when they go on a trip. I personally find that when I am going somewhere, especially when I need to fly there, that I tend to over pack by 2 or even 3 times the amount of “stuff” that I actually would need. I don’t know about all of you but I do not like having every days outfits laid out for me with no room for adjustments because who knows what my mood will bring for a particular day.
The downfall to this is that almost all airlines, except for Southwest, charge some sort of checked luggage fee. For those airlines that are now charging carry-on fees, my suggestion is to not fly them because if you do then other airlines are going to think that it will be okay to charge yet another uncalled for fee.
Step 1: Only Purchase a Medium Sized Suitcase
Why should I only purchase a medium sized suitcase you might ask… well the answer is simple, airlines charge in addition to their checked bag fee for anything that weighs over 50 pounds. Although that may seem like a lot of weight, you’d be surprised at how fast your clothes and shoes add up to over that threshold. Not only do they charge you an additional fee for anything over 50 pounds but the fee is extreme ranging from an extra $10 for being even a pound over to $100’s of dollars depending on how much you are over. As you can see, that extra pair of shoes that you packed may end up costing you a lot more than you bargained for.
Step 2: Use the Largest Sized Carry-On that is Accepted On Your Airline
The trick is to walk the line of too big to be carry-on and just big enough that it needs to be gate checked. Gate checking is when your carry-on luggage is too big to be stored under the seat in front of you or in the carry-on compartments so they check it at the boarding gate for no additional fee. The luggage then is waiting for you as you exit the airplane instead of having to wait at the luggage carousels. This trick works to maximize the amount of things you can carry onto the plane with you and reduces your checked bags thus dropping additional fees you may incur. Remember, everyone gets 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal item. (Essentially this is a second carry-on bag but HAS to be smaller like a purse or briefcase)
Step 3: Research the Checked Bag Fees Before Booking Your Flight
Although an airline may have the lowest flight cost around, they may be making up for that low fare by charging you $50-$100 for a checked bag. You may be thinking you are getting a great deal until you arrive to the airport and find yourself paying astronomical fees for your luggage. Personally, I like to fly JetBlue because their luggage rates are reasonable and the planes are updated with many features like televisions for every seat. If you know you are going somewhere for an extended period of time or where you will need a lot of luggage then I would seriously consider flying Southwest. Many people dislike this airline because there is not assigned seating but if you are flying with a great deal of “stuff” then it is the most economical option. Southwest has no checked bag fee for the first 2 bags of luggage. This is unheard of in the airline industry so take advantage of it!!!!
If you follow these 3 easy steps then you are sure to save yourself a bundle on the hidden costs of flying and be able to spend that much more on the things you really want to buy.
Hope everyone fared well in this weeks crazy weather! No matter where you are in the world, unfortunate weather circumstances have been devastating lately, most recently hitting the east coast of the United States was Hurricane Sandy. Although this is not this weeks topic, I want everyone to know that if you would like to help the Hurricane Sandy relief effort you may donate through the American Red Cross website by clicking on the link below. Anything helps those in need and just remember that you never know when you may need a helping hand!
On a brighter note, I would like to talk a little bit about Japan and everything it has to offer. I grew up in a military family and moved around a lot as a child. One of my many homes was in Japan where my two younger sisters were born. I lived in Okinawa which is where the United States Marine base is located and was there for about 3 years. I actually started kindergarten there which caused me to be younger than my entire class because they start school at 4 instead of 5! It was always funny telling people I had lived in Japan and my sisters were born there because the response was always the same. “So can you speak Japanese”, and the answer is no, I cannot. I was so young when I lived there that any Japanese I could speak is long gone from my vocabulary. You know what they say, “if you don’t use it you lose it!” (Very true in this case!!!) The other question I always got was “So do your sisters look Japanese?” I used to look at people like, seriously are you asking me that right now! Obviously they don’t look Japanese just because they were born there. My parents’ ethnicity does not just magically change because we live in a new location! The stereotypes are so ridiculous that you often miss the fact that I lived in a foreign country for several years and could be asking me way more interesting questions.
While I did live on a military base, I did get the chance to travel to some beautiful places. One of my favorite things to do there was go pineapple picking. Just like here in the US where people go apple picking, in Japan they go pineapple picking and if you have never had a fresh pineapple then you are missing out! Not only are these pineapple plantations HUGE but they smell amazing and are really a beautiful sight.
If you get the chance to make to Japan you should also try to visit some of the tourist attractions. If you want to see something truly beautiful then check out Wakayama or any of the other waterfall sites. These locations have huge waterfalls that are spectacular on their own but they also have exquisite gardens that make the scene breathtaking. I for one love to sightsee which is why you will notice all the recommendations I have usually tie into their visual appeal.
Finally, just something crazy that might make you want to visit Japan is that since the islands are so small and the population so large, it is not uncommon to see a parking lot that looks like this
Oh, and my dogs species originated in Japan. I have a Japanese Akita named Kawaii which is Japanese for cute. Isn’t she adorable!!!
“Every day you have the opportunity to learn and experience some-thing and some-one new. Seize the opportunity. Learn and experience everything you can, and use it to change the world.”
If you have been following my blog from the beginning you will have found out that I will be discussing some of the places I have been through the years. I figured that mixing this in with some money saving tips will give you guys a good feel about planning these trips but also to give you some ideas of where you may want to go.
If you have travelled at all internationally then you know that the world is so much different than it appears to be from a purely American stand point. Don’t get me wrong, I love the U.S. but our culture has lost many of the original values and norms that you find in foreign lands. One of my favorite places in the world is Germany. I have a great deal of German heritage and am roughly 75% German. I still have family in Germany that never moved the U.S. so I get a little bit lucky in that I don’t have to pay for hotels at every stop I make when I go there. Staying with a family in a foreign country is amazing because you are fully submersed in their culture and have no choice but to live how they live. I do find it kind of weird that extended families live under one roof and that every morning people go to the corner bakery for freshly baked hard rolls, but OH MY GOSH are they wonderful (To be honest I love all of the food in Germany, except for Liverwurst)!!! I may find their traditions odd but I love them just the same!
In Germany some places that you NEED to check out are the Berlin Wall in well, Berlin, because it has so much history and making the connection between what you read in a history book and actually seeing it and touching is completely mind boggling. You should also visit at least one of the concentration camps that were built during the Second World War because although it is part of the history that Germany tries to ignore, it is something that has shaped the worlds views on prejudice. The first time I went to a concentration camp I was only 8 years old and had no idea what a concentration camp was. I walked around looking at the pictures and with all my innocence I began to realize what happened. When it came time to walk through the gas chambers I refused to walk through fearing that they would miraculously turn on, even though this particular concentration camp had never opened for use. I still remember the dramatic fit I through in front of all of the tourists because I was petrified to walk through. I probably could have done without the traumatizing realization at such a young age but later on in life when I learned more about the tragedy of WWII I was really appreciative of the experience.
If you were to do only one other thing in Germany I would suggest that you visit a castle or two. All of Europe is filled with such rich history that the United States doesn’t have so getting to embrace it and see things that we grow up only watching in Disney fairytales is so cool! My favorite castle is called Nordshwanstein located in Munich. This castle is literally like a real life Cinderella’s castle. It is fun to walk through and imagine if you were the one living there.
These are only a few of the MANY places you should check out in this beautiful historically rich country and I greatly encourage you to go experience all it has to offer. If you have any questions regarding other places to check out or more information about the places mentioned above let me know and I would be happy to go into more detail!
My quote this week is pretty simple, “Was ist das?” . This means “What is that” in German. I chose this because when I was in Germany, I learned to communicate with my cousin who is roughly the same age as me and I would ask him “Was ist das?”and point to things. He would tell me how to say what I was pointing to in German and I would say it in English. When you go to a foreign country take the chance to learn and ask “What is that?”
As I talked about a few weeks ago in my limo posting, I just had a birthday where I turned 21! I have always been one of those people who just goes a little crazy on the big birthdays such as having a huge sweet 16 so I thought I might as well do my 21st just as big. My birthday was on Thursday the 18th but since everyone works on Thursdays I decided to celebrate on a Saturday, when the nightlife that I have been craving to experience is in full swing. If you read my earlier post you will see how I started this trip, in a pink Cadillac Escalade limo and 20 of my closest friends.
The limo arrived at precisely 8PM and I was ready to hop in and take Boston by storm, but then the limo asked, where to birthday girl? If I wasn’t prepared I would not have had any idea how to answer this question but luckily I did some research. I currently am taking a social media marketing class and one of the earliest things that we learned was that the most influential form of marketing is word-of-mouth marketing. I took this into account and made a Facebook post to get feedback from my peers on where they like to go when hitting the Boston bar scene. I got feedback that if I wanted hangout type bars then I should check out Sissy K’s in the Faneuil Hall area or Lansdowne Pub in the Fenway Park area of Boston. If I wanted a more club type atmosphere I was directed to Tequila Rain and Royale. I figured that I would give each type of atmosphere a shot and see what I liked the best. Turns out that I liked both! I tried Sissy K’s and another bar right next to it however the bar that was not recommended was terrible! It was small and smelled of stale beer and body odor. It became even more clear to me how important these peer recommendations are to a company.
Although you might not be the time of readers that cares to hit the city bar and club scene, you can learn something from my experience. Before you go to someplace new you should ask around and see what your friends, family and acquaintances liked and didn’t like. The chance that you will like/not like a place is a lot more likely if it comes from a peer rather than merely doing a search on the internet. If you can take anything away from this posting let it be that your peers are your greatest tool and should be utilized to their full potential! Ask around because it could mean the difference between loving your new experience or hating it.
I made a podcast for you comparing the different modes of travel to hopefully help you decide which is best for you. Check it out and let me know your favorite ways to get away!
During the week I have been working on making reservations for the celebration of my 21st birthday which is on October 18th. All of my friends are already 21 so we decided that a night of bar hopping in downtown Boston would be perfect! I live about 45 minutes away in Derry but going to the city and experiencing the excitement of ordering my first, second, third, fourth, and so on (you get the picture), legal drink. At first I contemplated getting hotel rooms for me about 20 of my friends but came to the conclusion that the cost of travel, the hotel, the cover charges at bars, and my drinks was going to get very expensive quickly. After some brainstorming I came up with the idea to take a limo down with my friends for the night that way we could bring our own alcohol in the car and bar hop in style without having to spend as much on the overpriced drinks at the bar, but still get the full experience.
Step 1: Find the baseline
A limo is no cheap feat either, so knowing how to get the biggest bang for your buck is important. I am a thrifty girl and I love to save money where I can so the first BIG thing to know is that you can’t settle for the first price you are given. Shopping around will show you all of your options. I bet most of you don’t know that there is a site very similar to kayak.com or priceline.com and it is called limos.com. If you use this site you will get a listing of many limousine services in your area, their cost, and what type of vehicles they have to offer. I started off by going here and to my surprise was then emailed by several of the limo services with special offers and discounts. I received special incentives which made the deals even sweeter!
Step 2: Call around
The next step in finding the perfect deal is to look at the listings on limos.com and make the calls! Call several places (I called 5) and get different prices. The price they show online isn't always the best price and getting personal makes them want to work on the price with you. Let them know you are shopping around! This will make them want to be even more competitive on their price. When you call you should ask how much their rates are, does it include gratuity, availability, and also get pricing on a few of their vehicle styles.
Step 3: Review your results
I had gotten 5 places to provide pricing on vehicles ranging from a 10 person stretch town car to a 30 person party bus and all the options in between. I love spreadsheets, (I know I am a nerd) so I put it all into an easy to compare format that I could quickly narrow down. I found that a few of the options were WAY over priced and immediately eliminated them. After I narrowed my options down to what vehicle I wanted, a 20 person Cadillac Escalade or a 10 person stretch Dodge Charger, I was ready to get down to business.
Step 4: Call back and Negotiate
After I chose my vehicle, I found that only 2 of the 5 places I had called offered these vehicles for the night I wanted. I decided to call the two locations and play the prices of the other business off each other to get them to drop their pricing. I first called Celebrity Limousine and informed them of the pricing I was looking for. This was my second choice because I really wanted the 20 person Cadillac Escalade, in PINK. Celebrity did not have it in pink but their pricing was a bit better. They were not willing to move at all on the price so I called Premier Limo and said I wanted to go with their company but their pricing was a little too high. I had previously been quoted $960 all-inclusive for 5 hours of service. After informing Premier that Celebrity gave me a price of $860 for 6 hours all-inclusive, Premier offered me 6-hours all inclusive for the original price of $960. Since I really wanted the pink vehicle I agreed!
Morale of the story, I got my pink limo for a decent price of $960 total split among 20 people for only $48 a person! Check out what it looks like!!!!
And of course for you quote for the week which ties into my planning efforts for this trip:
The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.Napoleon Hill
I have never written a blog before nor have I read any but I think it is supposed to be like a written dialog and depending on the purpose would cause the formality to change.
I have decided to make a blog about traveling the world. I wanted something that I know alot about and could write continuously on to keep the theme connected. Throughout my posts I hope to touch on ignite conversations on:
Modes of traveling (Flight, Cruising, Driving)
Domestic vs International Travel
Great Travel locations!!!
Where I have been
Where I want to go
Money saving techniques
Planning your travel
& More!!!!
I am aiming to help people save money as I try to do when I am booking my vacations, but also to get people excited about travel because the world is such a big, beautiful place and not experiencing all that it has to offer is truly a waste.
I love quotes so I think that I will find insightful quotes that I think go along with each post as a way to wrap it up.
Leave this post thinking about this...
"Genuine beginnings begin within us, even when they are brought to our attention by external opportunities." William Bridges
