Adding to the List

"Travel Light - prejudice and preconception are unnecessary baggage" - Unknown



I've posted my list before on here and I've found some new places to go. So I'm updating it here. Hopefully the next time I update, it'll be to cross some off as well.

1. Visit the world's only pub inside a tree (South Africa)
2. Eat at Giolitti - one of the oldest, family owned gelateries in Rome (Italy)
3. "Fly" through the rainforest (Costa Rica)
4. Stay in an Ice Hotel (Norway)
5. Stay on a working dude Ranch (USA)
6. Go on an African Safari (Kenya)
7. Visit the Outback (Australia)
8. Hiek Cinque Terre (Italy)
9. Go Dog Sledding (Sweden)
10. See the Northern Lights (Sweden)
11. Ice Skate in Rockefeller Center (USA)
12. Walk the Great Wall (China)
13. Eat Sushi (Japan)
14. Deliver postcards from the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
15. Ski the Swiss Alps (Switzerland)
16. Christmas at the Biltmore (USA)
17. Camp at the Carvaza Gas Crater (Turkmenistan)
18. Visit the other Georgia (Georgia)
19. Drink wine in Bordeaux (France)
20. Dive off the Great Barrier Reef (Australia)
21. Watch the Changing of the Guards (England)
22. See the Running of the Bulls (Spain)
23. Sail the Strait of Gibraltar (Spain/Morocco)
24. Ride a Camel (Egypt)
25. Ride the Orient Express (Eastern Europe)
26. Celebrate Oktoberfest (Germany)
27. Celebrate Carnival (Brazil)
28. See elephants paint (Thailand)
29. Tour the Sewers (France)
30. Learn Spanish (Spain)
31. Walk Abbey Road (England)
32. Hike Brooks Range (Alaska)
33. Celebrate Easter at St. Peter's (Italy)
34. Ride the Moscow to St. Petersburg wide gauge railroad (Russia)
35. See the Gigantic Carved heads of Easter Island (Polynesia)
36. Play Blackjack in Monte Carlo (Monoaco)
37. Float down the Amazon (South America)
38. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Dublin (Ireland)
39. Trek through Karakoram (Eastern Europe)
40. Snowmobile (Finland)
41. Sit on the Lawn at Wimbledon (England)
42. Walkt the fabled Bund in Shanghai (China)
43. Take cooking classes in Paris (France)
44. Shop the makret at Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)
45. Watch the sunset over Machu Picchu (Peru)
46. Take Surfing Lesson (Australia)
47. Take the Chunnel from London to Paris or vice versa (England)
48. Eat street food in Bangkok (Thailand)
49. Ride the train down the Malaysian penisnsula from Bangleole to Kuala Lumpur (Asia)
50. Journey along the Silk Road (China)
51. See the Acropolis of Athens in the moonlight (Greece)
52. Tour the ruins of the "rose-red city" (Jordan)
53. Ride the Chihuahua-Pacifico railroad (Mexico)
54. Swim with the dolphines (New Zealand)
55. Spend Bastille Day in Paris (France)
56. See Stonehenge (England)
57. Attend a Venice Biennale Art Exhibit (Italy)
58. Fish for wild trout (Scotland)
59. Shop the yearly sale at Harrod's department store (England)
60. Sail into the harbor of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
61. Stand at the Wailing Wall (Jerusalem)
62. Visit Peace City in Hiroshima (Japan)
63. Visit the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg (Russia)
64. See the Royal Jewels (England)
65. Walk Milford Track (New Zealand)
66. See the Sydney Opera House (Australia)
67. Taste vintage Port (Portugal)
68. See Angel Falls (Venezuala)
69. Snorkel Bora Bora (Polynesia)
70. Walk the Hall of Mirrors (France)
71. Climb the Harbor Bridge (Australia)
72. Tour the Kremlin (Russia)
73. See the Viking ruins & runes (Greenland)
74. Watch the sunset from Capitoline Hill (Italy)
75. Visit the Valley of the Kings (Egypt)
76. Ride through the Panama Cannal (Panama)
77. See the remains of the Berlin Wall (Germany)
78. See the Rosetta Stone (England)
79. Stand amoung the Tulips (Holland)
80. See the fountains of Vill d'Este (Italy)
81. Ride double-decker buses around London (England)
82. Hike the Grand Canyon (USA)
83. Visit Lake Baikal (Russia)
84. Visit the Turtle Sanctuary (Seychelles-Africa)
85. See the David (Italy)
86. Tour Jane Austen's country (England)
87. See the Flamingos at the Lake Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania)
88. Float the Sepik River (Papus New Guinea)
89. See the hieroglyphoc stairway in Copan (Honduras)
90. Set foor on the Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam)
91. Drive on the Autobahn (Germany)
92. See the Danube (Czech Republic)
93. See the Great Sphinx (Egypt)
94. Visit the Blue Mosque (Turkey)
95. See the Paelolithic art in the Caves of Altamira (Spain)
96. Eat Limburger cheese in Limburg (Belgium)
97. Stand on the grounds of the first Olympics (Greece)
98. Tour the Baja (Mexico)
99. Take a class at Oxford (England)
100. Stand at the beaches of Normandy (France)
101. Drink a Manhattan in Manhattan (USA)
102. Swim with the Whale Sharks on Isla Holbox (Mexico)
103. Experience Vaugan Town (Spain)
104. Protect the Sea Turtles' Nesting Grounds (Greece)
105. Kayak the Galapagos (South America)
106. View Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
107. Hike the Incan Trail (South America)
108. Eat my way through the Iowa State Fair (USA)
109. Pet a Hemingway cat in Key West (USA)
110. Cross a glacier on foot (USA)
111. Visit the Spanish Riding School of Vienna (Austria)
112. Watch the races of the Il Palio Festival (Italy)

So the new ones added are in green and the ones (only 2, sigh) are in italics.... one day, one day.

In Less than Two Weeks...

"If pleasures are greatest in anticipation, just remember that this is also true of troubles." - Elbert Hubbard



I can't wait for my facebook status to be "Je suis a Paris!" Less than two weeks for me to be in the City of Light... walking the streets that inspired the lives of Hemingway, Picasso, Child, Dali, Stavinsky, and so many more. I have lists of places to see and the planning is overwhelming... I have only SEVEN DAYS in a city with museums that can take months to see everything. It's a little much and I'm so concerned I'm not going to be able to see it all.

Reality Check: I will NOT be able to see it all. This I know for sure. So I've got to quit freaking out about what I'm going to miss and enjoy my time there. And while I don't plan to sleep, I also plan to return, to see it all again and experience Paris (with the rest of France) at a slower pace. So this trip will be about some of the must sees: Effiel Tower, Versailles, Mona Lisa, etc. And the food... Have I mentioned how excited I am to eat the food? I've gone on a Paris diet... not going out with friends to save money for eating in Paris... why should I eat a processed hamburger when I'll be able to eat Parisan cuisine!?!? And the wine? My taste buds start to do a happy dance in my mouth when I think about it. I have decided, if the opportunity presents itself, I will try escargot... It just seems appropriate, don't you think?

Following my desire to be more adventurous and experience more of life, trying this delicacy in a new country for the first time seems like a step in the right direction. So we'll see. It's not a goal but an opportunity. Haven't added it to the bucket list yet but am looking to include it on this trip.

Speaking of the List, what's there that I need to make sure I cover on this trip?

#29 Tour the Sewers

#70 Walk the Hall of Mirrors

and possibily...

#43 Cooking Classes in Paris

although, when I wrote that, I was thinking more along the lines of a 6 week intensive class, not an afternoon session but I won't turn my nose up at that either.

I've just finished "My Life in France" by Julia Child - she mentions attending afternoon lectures at Le Cordon Bleu open to the public for a small fee. I wonder if they are still a part of the school? If so, I'll definitely want to drop in... again, not good enough for a check on the list but still an experience not to be missed.

Ooh la la... Lookie here. (This is why I love the interwebs... an idea pops into my head and I can research it right away).

Culinary Demonstrations DAILY in Paris. With TASTINGS. I am in heaven. Also, options to tour the Parisian markets (something Julia did often in her training) to see how to properly pick produce, then followed by a cooking demonstration. Or a food & wine course, how to pair with foods, tastings included. I may stay at Le Cordon Bleu the whole time. Oh dear, Jennie may hate me by the end of the trip because of my obsession with Julia and cooking and Paris and food but I'm about to pop with excitement! ("French people eat French food every day!" - Julia Child).

And so I dream, 11 days to go...

Planning, Wishing, Hoping

'For what it’s worth: it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again." - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button



So, I'm going to lay something out there. Put it in writing to make it a little more real. Give a thought that's running around my brain a little more room to stretch it's legs. As I've mentioned a million times, I love to travel and I want to do more, see more and explore more of the world. Lately all I've been reading are travel blogs and websites (I'll list them later). I escape my world of budgets, decisions, markets, target accounts, and deadlines by becoming absorbed in their adventures.



And I want more. Instead of reading about koalas, I want to see one myself. Instead of researching work/stay vacations, I want to have one. Instead of being green with envy everytime I hear of a friends' trip, I want to be the one creating the jealousy. And I'm not just talking about a trip to Panama City Beach (nothing against the Redneck Riveria, but I want to see the original one). I want to go on my own gap year.

When I started this blog, I was living in Chicago because I had wanted something different in my life. I still do. I loved Chicago and I'm glad I was there but a part of me looks back on the money I spent and time I wasted which could have been spent seeing the world. Instead of thinking: "that's what I should have done" - I'm going to take this desire and turn it into that's what I'm going to do. And actually make it happen. Here's what I'm thinking about:

Timing:
I just bought a house and I have several remodeling projects going there. I need at least a year for multiple reasons before I'll be ready to leave so that will allow me to complete those projects. At this point, I think I'd want to rent the house but selling it would give me a little more money to travel with... Decision to be made. If I rent, then I have to arrange for property management and designate money for those costs. If I decide to sell, then I have to wait until March 2011 to avoid any capital gains taxes. Either way requires a little research and planning. I love my house, hate to let it go but I'm not going to let it prevent me from taking this trip.

I'm sure the timing for my departure will have more to do with work and finances than capital gains. However, my house is an obligation I can't ignore. Plus in today's climate, it's hard to expect any return on an investment in real estate. By holding it longer, I'll get a better return but it will also delay my trip... things to consider.

Finances:
I have a couple of other financial goals to accomplish before I can devote all extra money to a travel savings. Nothing huge so I'm currently going to add an additional line item in my savings spread sheet until it become necessary to seperate the money. Currently, I keep it all in the same account for a greater percentage return but I know how much is designated to each priority. Since I now have another looming priority, I will be sticking to a more strict budget and pushing through these nagging debts to increase my savings potential.

Everything I've read about how much money I'll need basically boils down to one question - how do I like to travel? If I can rough it and share space, then I'll be able to stay on the road longer. I know myself well enough that I'll want to spoil myself every once in while and I also know that missing an experience because of the price tag will be frustrating for me.

My goal is to travel indefinitely for an extended time. Work my way around the world and experience different cultures for extended time periods - this is going to take some crafty budgeting. One thing, I've already read about and think is a good idea, having fly home money in a CD. Place a designated amount in a different account, earning interest so that it's there when you're ready to come home.

So I think I'll set my goal at $25,000. That's a lot of money and I know it'll take me a while to achieve that goal outside of my other financial goals. But I think it'll be money well spent.

Logistics:
Since the only place I've been outside of North American is New Zealand, I know I want to start my trip in Europe and go around the world from there. I have friends living in England, France, Germany, Japan, Argentina, and Australia. I need to refresh all of these connections and see if I can find make some new ones:) Anyone know of safe places to sleep?

I'd prefer to leave in either September or January; either way I'd avoid the crowds of the summer. If I depart in the fall, then I can enjoy traveling for a while before finding a job for the winter season and if I leave in the new year, I can travel before finding a job for the summer tourist season. Or I can go straight to a work destination. I'm open to suggestion. I'd hate to feel trapped somewhere but working vacations knock out your biggest expense: lodging.

Gear:
I have an awesome backpack which my parents gave me for my trip to New Zealand. It worked perfect before and I know I didn't fully utilize it then so I'm confident it will work.

I have a bad ass camera and a point & shoot little camera. That would be a tough choice. A friend who has traveled extensively said electronic equipment makes you a target. But I couldn't image not taking one.

I have clothing for every situation and I'm a pretty good packer when limited with space. Shoes will be my biggest obstacle - I like to have options.

I think I'd like to be able to take a computer with me so I'll be on the market for a new laptop for traveling. I need/want a new computer anyway so I'll just make sure it fits the needs of my trip as well.

Passport is burning to be used so no worries there:)

Those are my thoughts for now... I'll keep you posted on achieving my dream. Cross your fingers for me.

My New Motto

"If someone asks you on an adventure, never refuse." - Amelia Earhart

I've always been open to possibilities and looking for the next adventure but I never put it so simply in words before. So when I read this quote I was struck by how simple and complete it is for my attitude.

While in NYC this weekend, I was telling a friend I didn't have a job I was passionate about and motivated for on an emotional level and she said you could, what's the gut answer when someone asks you about what you love. And it's travel.

Any suggestions on how to turn that into a career?

New York City!*

New York is the biggest collection of villages in the world.
- Alistair Cooke

I just returned from a go-go-go weekend in the city that never sleeps, NYC. From my wild cab ride into the city, to the Broadway play, to sitting in a cafe surrounded by three different languages, to the sight of taking off over the city of lights, I was in love. Cities have an energy not found in small town America... they take alot of energy and I am not fully recovered but I am in love.

I saw several friends and was a total tourist... I walked and walked until my feet were screaming and swollen. Then I walked some more. I window shopped on 5th Avenue, ate bagels and lox, watched street performers, had an outrageously priced dinner, danced until dawn, ate NY style pizza, walked through Times Square at midnight, viewed Macy's flower show, rode the subway and so much more.

It was so fun and it's so calming to be home again.

I went for a friend's bachelorette party, hence the dancing until dawn and outrageous dinners. I'm so glad I did. The bride to be is a friend from college and she's lived in London for the past eight years so the 20 or so girls there were from all over the world. Accomplished and intelligent ladies who were well read, well traveled and motivated to have a good time. It was a blast and I always walk away from these encounters in life more motivated to do something (anything) with my life.

Outside of the bachelorette party, I saw another frined from college and got to spend some great time with her. It was great to talk with her and catch up, see her life and find out how we had grown. Her sage advice and encouragement came at a needed time so I'm thankful for how everything went down.

I've always said I want to live in NYC at some point in my life... I think I've been putting it off in hopes I'll have more disposable income than I currently do. Everytime I go to the city, I come away with the desire to try it all... to act, to write, to work four jobs to be able to live in that amazing place. I love the passion eminating from the streets, the superiority complex shared by the citizens of that fair city, and the understanding shared by all that anything, and I mean ANYTHING is possible there. Because don't you know? "... if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere."

*In my mind, I'm saying that like the cowboys in the Pace Picante Salsa Commercial.

Weird

I had the weirdest dream last night... it's sketchy in my memory but I do remember a couple of things:

1. The boy of the moment (makes sense, talked to him on the phone before I went to sleep)
2. Vampires (the Twilight series are the last books I read)
3. A guy from high school (this one is RANDOM, I haven't seen him lately and I added about 10 inches to his height)
4. A sporting goods store (this was the setting for the dream, I think we all worked there)

Did I say it was weird? I mean, really really weird.

Does anybody know what any of these things in my dream represent?


P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!! I didn't touch a computer for the past two days or else I would have posted this in a more timely manner - it's my motto: Better Late than Never!!!

I want...

I found this today from some old work files... not certain if it's mine or a take off of someone else's work - it rings true to who I am so I'm claiming it.

I want memories and dreams.
Inside jokes.
The thrill of a good debate.
Metaphors with bad intentions.
Long walks and long conversations.
Movies and poetry.
A day at the races.
Sunsets.
Spontenaity.
Parks and beaches.
Classic rock at 80 mph.
Sinatra and Johnny Cash.
No Doubt and Tim McGraw.
Museums on Saturday afternoons.
Bars and casinos.
A laugh and a smile.
A kiss and a gaze.
Naps.
Forgiveness.
A shrug and a whistle.
A shot of innocence with a dash of cynicism.
Misunderstood, but only at night.
A pair of aces in the hole.
Someone who believes.
Morals.
Hand holding.
Wandering and sitting.
Exploring.
Little presents and big surprises.
A jukebox embrace.

Flattery

will get you everywhere with me...


Yesterday was Sunday and I was basically been hanging out around the house. I made some brownies, done some laundry, answered emails, etc. Nothing really.


I am about to move so I started going through my room to start packing the small things - things I can have packed for a couple of weeks and not miss. Pictures are a part of this category for me. I love having pictures of my family, friends and animals around me - reminding me of good times and special events. I've gotten in the habit of taking special pictures and getting them enlarged to an 8x10 prints. As I was going through a stack of pictures, I found 2 old pictures of my sisters and I on different family trips. I had wanted to blow them up and I needed to get it done before my mom noticed the pictures missing. Plus I had a picture of my nephew from his baptism last week that I wanted to print as well.

So I head to Wally World - not my favorite place - to get my prints made. (In a few months, our store will have the machines which produce prints and I am so excited!) I stand and wait forever... (WARNING: rant to follow: People, come on! If there are three people waiting for the machines, and you have over 350 pictures from your trip to Italy, offer to wait!!! You're going to be there forever anyway and I am not a patient lady.) So, once it was my turn, I made prints from our pictures and then pulled out my camera for my memory card to print the picture of William. I do my thing and then go to the counter to pay.

I hand over my prints for the Wallygirl to ring up and put in a folder. She stops at the picture I took of William - she studies it for a few moments. Here's the picture in question.





It's a good picture (if I may say so myself), and I had zoomed in on William, enlarged it, and changed it to print in sepia. It had turned out really well. The people waiting to use the machine after me had also seen it and ooed and awed over it. I was super excited.


So I'm waiting on the Wallygirl to finish packaging up my pictures and after studying my picture of William, she looks up at me and says, "Is this a professional shot?"


I shake my head and say "no". She looks back at me meeting my eye and says, "You took this?"

"Yeah, it's my nephew" I answer her, thinking she's just going gaga over a cute baby picture.


"You sure? 'Cause it looks like a professional pic," Now I'm beginning to hear the edge in her voice and I look back at her.


"Yes." I say firmly, opening my purse. "I have one on my camera if you need to verify it."


"Oh, no. I just have to ask." She turns away, packages my prints and rings me up. I pay and leave the store, smarting from her implication that I was 'stealing' my picture.

I get home, frame the pictures and place them around my room. I was still a little prickly in mind to what the Wallygirl had said until I really look at the picture - it looks great and could be mistaken for a professional picture. So, I'm going to take it as a compliment. It's the first time any of my pictures have been mistaken for "professional" shots. Which makes me one step closer to the job of my dreams.

So, if any of you need a photographer - I am available!

Pictorial Capacity

I lack the creative eye that I would love to have... My secret fantasy job is a traveling photographer who never settles and who captures THE shot. But I have no, none, nada talent as an 'artist'. I do, however, have a dream and a digital camera. Therefore, you must suffer my art.

Here are some pictures I took at Amelia Island as a storm was rolling in...

So, what's your dream?