I recently joined Twitter, though I'm not sure why or what it's really for. Since joining Twitter I have, of course, started following some people and groups. One of my favorites is Lonely Planet. The publisher of these essential books (I say this, though I'm more of a Let's Go or Rick Steves kind of girl) tweets several times per day highlighting various articles available through their preferred websites or bloggers. Needless to say, I'm hooked. Here are a few of my favorites from yesterday and today:
5 Ways to Beat the Post-Travel Blues:
This article is a quick lesson on how to avoid that all too common post-travel depression. Yes, I've been home longer than I was even away (I was in Europe for 7 months and I've been home for about 9 months), but there's something about long-term stays abroad that leave a mark. I became accustomed to a certain way of life, certain sights, sounds, smells, types of people, daily routines and foods (I'm really missing YOP these days). Now that I'm home I can't help but feel down when I think of something I enjoy or crave that simply isn't available here. This article makes 5 suggestions-
Dream Big- this suggests that you allow your imagination to run wild whilst planning your next adventure. I have already chosen a few graduate programs to apply to in France (this will happen in roughly 4 years after I've saved the tuition and am ready to take a career break) and have weighed the pros and cons of each program based on many factors, not the least of which is location. I have also planned a trip for Leigh and myself to visit Southeast Asia in Fall of 2012 (see below). This has been really fun in spite of the fact that all my plans are years away. For the short term, I've enjoyed planning our Hawai'i vacation in April. I am starting to think I've missed my calling by a mile: I should have been a travel planner or travel writer, not a lawyer!
Start a Piggy Bank- CHECK! Last month I opened a savings account with my credit union. This isn't necessarily a travel savings account, but more a generally "we will soon want things that cost real money" account. We plan to put $500 or 10% of our incomes in each month, plus our permanent fund dividends (when we qualify to receive them in 2012 and beyond) each year, plus our tax returns IF we dont' need that for other things. Hopefully this will build up quickly so we can weigh our options: a long trip somewhere? a house? new car? grad school tuition?
Be a Tourist in Your Own Town- I must admit I've failed miserably here. By the time we got settled in here in Anchorage the weather turned to absolute shit and we've been laying low ever since. The roads have been clearer lately, so maybe it's time to plan a driving trip somewhere. There are several interesting towns and cities within 5 hours drive of Anchorage and there are activities in Anchorage itself we haven't done yet (e.g. cross-country skiing, dog sledding, ice skating, and oodles of hikes!).
Share the Love- this refers to hanging out with other travel loonies. I haven't really met anyone to share my experiences with yet (except for Leigh, who humors me a great deal). But I am in touch with some friends who are living abroad, which is helpful.
Make Art- Aside from some photos and postcard collages, I have again failed here. I really should take more time to allow myself to be inspired. Not only from my memories, but also from this beautiful place where I currently live. In the meantime, I'm reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in French to challenge my brain. It's proving very difficult at times but also really fun, like a puzzle. Not exactly creative, but a step in the right direction.
5 Countries to Visit for Under $500:
This article highlights Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai and some of the islands), Vietnam (Hanoi and Saigon), Laos, Colombia, and Argentina. While I have no plans to visit South America anytime soon, the bits about Thailand and Vietnam have only caused my excitement about Leigh's and my upcoming 2012 trip to Southeast Asia. We have all but decided to take one month off from work to visit Thailand and Vietnam in late September/early October. After some number crunching it looks like we can do this trip for 2 people in a great deal of comfort for about $4,000, INCLUDING roughly $2,800 in airfare. How many places are there where young people like us can live well for one month for relatively so little? I have more or less planned our trip out to the very last detail, including lists of places to stay and how many days we'd like to visit each city. In the name of spontanaeity, however, I've left some things up for last minute decisions so we don't feel overplanned. But, as you can tell, I'm really psyched about this trip and can't wait for the time to come to start buying tickets and securing time off!
As for Colombia and Argentina, we've been watching a lot of Anthony Bourdain recently and have been really impressed with these two countries. In fact, South America generally looks amazing. There's the topographical diversity, the Indigenous and European fusion in art and architecture, and did I mention the food? I'm imagining that any trip to SA would include several meals consisting 90% of red meat. YUM! But that will have to wait some years because my imagination is all booked up at the moment.
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