(Why) I'm Not Too Proud for Group Tour, Part II

While I've already talked about the basics of my tour with Intrepid Travel in India, I never really talked about WHY I decided to do a group tour to India. Some of them are probably obvious, but I thought I'd talk about them a little:

I don't think I would have gone to several places on our itinerary. It's very easy when traveling in India to keep on the tourist trail in part because it's often hard to veer off of it. What I loved most about our tour was the fact that we stayed and experienced both large cities with major sites AND got a chance to see small, rural towns. Honestly, those experiences in more "off the beaten" path locations were really some of my favorite moments on the trip. Over the coming weeks, I'll share those experiences with you, but I know that I wouldn't have even thought of going to many of them. One place we visited wasn't even mentioned in my guidebook and barely comes up in a Google search.

Doing the washing in the town of Tal Waz (I think that's the name of the town. I'm not sure about the spelling.)

I knew being a woman traveling alone in India was not always going to be easy. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but I knew going in that my time in India was not always going to be hassle-free. I read a lot about the experiences of solo women travelers, and they were all a mixed bag. Mostly the answer was, "You'll be fine as a solo woman traveler, but....". Solo women travelers were a rarity (Black female solo travelers non-existent) in my three weeks in India. Our group did encounter or see a few women traveling alone, and there were moments where I felt like a little bit of a punk. Maybe I should have done this all alone? Maybe I can't hack travel like I think I can (I thought I'd overcome that insecurity with my solo trip to Brazil, but maybe not)?

On the streets of Jaipur within the Pink City walls

Can a woman travel alone in India safely? Totally! Would I want to travel solo in India as a Black woman for an extended period of time? I'm not so sure (I'll get into why in many posts). Also I did have 8 days of solo travel during the trip, so it's not like I didn't have the solo experience. I have to admit to you, though, that there were moments when I liked knowing that the men of Team Ozzie and our guide, Pancham, had my back.  I felt there were instances when I was alone that people (okay, fine, men, especially vendors) felt it was okay to a be a bit more aggressive than if I was walking with the male members of our group or Pancham. Although I'll have to tell you about the time I almost got into a fight in Darjeeling, but, that, my friends, is another story.

While we were on camels, our guide, Pancham, used another route. :)

Sometimes I needed to talk it out with someone. What I mean by this is that India can sometimes rattle you. I'd seen extreme poverty while traveling before. I've stood out as a traveler before, but India affected me differently than many places I've been. I call my time there "in your face, full frontal" travel. I think that's why I liked it so much. When I saw or experienced something, it was nice to have someone right there to say, "Hey, did you just see what I just saw?" I was processing so much between my travel journal (the first one I've kept in a long time) and writing e-mails to family and friends, but having someone who was experiencing the same things at the same time who could discuss it really helped me. I know that Team Ozzie and I may not have agreed about everything, but at least we could talk about it all together.

Me during a boat ride on Lake Pichola in Udaipur

For those who've been on group tours what were your reasons? Safety? Ease? A need for company? When would you NOT consider a group tour?

Intrepid Travel's Classic Rajasthan Tour/I'm Not Too Proud for a Group Tour, Part 1

At this point in my life, I feel like I've traveled a few places. I feel completely comfortable planning my own trips with multiple destinations, hotels, and local tours and guides, etc.  If that's the case, I'm sure a few of you might be wondering why I decided to go on a group tour for part of my time in India.

Before getting into the whys, let me describe my experience with Intrepid Travel. For those of you not familiar with Intrepid, it's an Australia-based travel company that offers tours all over the world. They pride themselves on small group tours of no more than 12 people and trying to expose their customers to more local "off the beaten track" experiences. I have no interest in being on a large tour bus (nothing wrong with that. It's just not me), and I really was impressed by the company's stated commitment to local charities and causes. Intrepid seemed to fit my travel philosophy, so I picked them.

Walking through the streets of Jaipur. Jaipur is BUSY.

Itinerary

I picked Intrepid's Classic Rajasthan tour through the state of Rajasthan, one of India's largest and most traditional regions. My 15 day (more like 13 day) tour went to the following places:

Delhi
Agra
Madhogarh
Jaipur
Ranthambore National Park
Bundi
Bijapur
Udaipur
Pushkar

I have to admit that Classic Rajasthan wasn't exactly my first choice tour, but I am glad I did it. In addition to the monsoon season that engulfs the country from June to about the end of September, April and May are NOT the easiest times to travel through India. Most of the country, with the exception of the mountain regions, is HOT. April and May are definitely the beginning of the low season for international travelers to India, and therefore many of the tours I wanted were not being offered. Based on my plans for this year, I decided to take my chances traveling to India in late April. Classic Rajasthan is one of Intrepid's most popular India itineraries and had numerous departure dates, so I felt like I would be going on an interesting tour that many other travelers had experienced and critiqued.

In Udaipur, near the banks of Lake Pichola

The tour could be a little whirlwind at times. At many of the places above, we were only there for a night, but I don't think we really needed to be in certain towns any longer than that. I liked that we had a mix of private cars, trains, jeeps and buses. We really got to see Rajasthan's countryside in depth that way.

Accommodations

We weren't in five star accommodations. Not even close (I'll blog about a five star hotel in Delhi though), but the hotels were were always clean, comfortable and often had wifi access, which I wasn't expecting.  Many of the hotels were called heritage properties, i.e, local historic homes and castles (yes, castles) that had been converted for use as hotels. One of the possible drawbacks of a group tour like this is that you don't pick where you stay. If that is of utmost importance to you, then find a company that provides that information up front.

My room at Castle Bijapur 

My Group

Because we were traveling in the off season, my group was tiny. There were only 5 of us. My four other trip mates were actually two Australian couples, one of which was on their honeymoon! Both couples were fairly well-traveled, curious and open people, and I felt very lucky to have been matched with such nice folks. I read another blog post describing this tour that stated that the blogger's group size was 18 people (more than Intrepid advertises). I'll talk more about that later in this post, but I was glad to avoid that. I was very nervous about who would be on the tour (you're spending 2 weeks with these people!), but we had a very nice time. I learned a lot about Australia, and I hope they learned some more about the U.S. I'll refer to them throughout my posts as Team Ozzie. :)  

Team Ozzie walking through Udaipur. You'll see their faces at some point.

Also I was expecting to be the oldest in the group, but I wasn't by a long shot. For some reason (maybe my American travel biases?), I thought that this style of travel wouldn't appeal to people older than me. One couple of Team Ozzie was in their late 40's/early 50's. Our tour leader, Pancham, said he once had someone in their 80's on one of his trips! According to some members of Team Ozzie, for whom this was their 4th Intrepid trip, they've traveled with a range of ages. I found that pretty refreshing.

[Confession: I was nervous about the group because I'd had a few bad travel group experiences with Australians before. I wasn't worried about me not liking them, but THEM not liking me. Luckily, the travel spirits were with me by giving me very nice travel partners, and I feel like my good travel karma was repaid on this trip. Much love to Team Ozzie!]

Our Tour Leader

I also feel like we lucked out with our tour leader, Pancham. He's born and raised in India but has traveled all over the world working on the Queen Elizabeth II prior to becoming a tour leader with Intrepid. He's super funny, knowledgable beyond belief, and I always felt like he cared about our experience during the trip. We all joked that he tended to crack the whip with the local staff, but I think he was concerned about the level of service our group received. I like to call Pancham a "Walking India Encyclopedia." He could identify wild birds, tell you about the preparation of an Indian dish, rattle off random facts about the Indian economy and Hinduism. Plus, he's super into food. Score! He never led us astray with his restaurant suggestions.

Pancham 

For those considering a group tour like Intrepid, I would think about the following things:

1. Are you traveling during the peak or off season for your destination? There are definitely pros and cons to both. It will affect everything from group size to the atmosphere of the locations you'll visit.

2. Confirm the maximum size of your group, if that's important to you. Size can matter. While my little traveling family of 5 was great, companies like Intrepid have sister companies, and groups may be consolidated together. 18 or 22 people isn't necessarily bad, but it may not be the small group experience you're looking for.

I'm not even sure where this. We drove through this town on the way to Bijapur. 

3.  Confirm that your guide is local. While I'm sure that a non-Indian/non-local guide would have been fine, I think it helped that Pancham was familar with local customs and food, speaks both Hindi and English fluently, and just knows what's up. I'm not saying that a non-Indian/non-local guide can't be helpful, but having someone who can communicate well and knew what was safe for us in a variety of situations made our trip easier.

4. If you're traveling solo, are you willing to pay a "single supplement"? One of the worst things about traveling solo on group or packaged tours is that companies will often charge you for being a single traveler. That makes no sense to me! You're taking up less space and resources. Intrepid gives you the option of paying a single supplement only if you would like to guarantee a private room for all or most of your trip. I paid the single supplement, and, in the end, I probably didn't need to because there were only 5 of us. That being said, I wasn't sure if other people would book after I did. I wanted my own room. I need a little alone time. :)

So that's a little background about the group tour portion of my trip. I'll get into WHY I chose the group tour route in another post.

Have you gone on a small or large group tour? What did you think about your experience, and would you do it again?



I am in no way working in partnership with Intrepid. This post isn't sponsored. I got nothing free from them. Yadda, yadda, yadda. 

I Became a Backpacker in my 30's

Okay, the title of this post is kind of pushing it. I now own a backpack, but I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm a backpacker. By the way, many people use the term "backpacker" to refer to a certain way of traveling on a tight budget for long periods of time that usually means traveling light (hence, with just a backpack or very light luggage), staying in hostels, and trying to get away from mass tourism. I'm not going to really touch on that phenomenon in this post, as I've never considered myself a backpacker.

However, I now own a backpack!

A few hours before heading to the airport for my flight to Delhi. Our apartment was a mess with all of the packing. 

For the first two weeks of my trip to India, I was on the Classic Rajasthan tour with Intrepid Travel (more on that experience in another post). One of Intrepid's recommendations was to make sure that we could easily carry our luggage, and their pre-trip materials suggested that we either pack very light or carry a backpack. Pack light? That. Does. Not. Compute. :) Okay, fine. I can pack light to some degree, but for three weeks? 

I really didn't want to spend the money on a backpack. Ones that could hold what I needed for the length of trip I was going on were well over $100 USD. :(  Plus, I usually don't feel the need to carry one for the type of travel I tend to do. I can pack a 20 inch carry-on for almost two weeks worth of travel depending on my destination (warmer places are easier to pack for me).

In the end, I decided to buy a backpack. Here's what I bought:

REI Tour 60 Women's Travel Pack. The smaller day backpack is missing from this picture. 

Did I fit everything into my backpack? Of course not. Especially since I brought an arsenal of products with me, which I will tell you about later. I did have one small additional bag with "stuff" that I probably could have done without but ended up using that bag to fit souvenirs. I also carried my travel purse/daypack (remember that?) to keep important items close to me, like my electronics. 

Was it worth it to have a backpack? Here's what I think:

What I liked about the backpack

-My backpack kept me honest about packing clothes. I only packed 10 days' worth of clothing for three weeks. That was a challenge for me. I did have my laundry done at one point during the three weeks, but I found a way to make do with what I had. I wore many things multiple times; and, unlike some destinations, I didn't feel the need to look fashionable in India. ;)

-I will say that I always felt like I could carry my stuff myself when I wanted to. While we often had help with our bags, my backpack definitely made it easier to get through extremely crowded and frenzied train stations (especially ones with lots of stairs) and other places.  

-We traveled on so many different modes of transportation that I'm glad I had something that I didn't mind taking a beating. It's not like I baby my luggage, but I do want it to last as long as possible. This backpack seemed to do okay getting hit from all sides and enduring Rajasthan's never-ending dust.

Our luggage being packed on top of a jeep. I used to say a little prayer when our stuff was on top of moving vehicles in India. You would, too. Trust me. 

What I didn't like about the backpack

-Sometimes the backpack just felt bulky and cumbersome, although I will be the first to admit that mine was packed to the gills by the end of the three weeks. 

-I felt that it was hard to find some items in the bag when I wanted them. Again, this is probably just my lack of experience efficiently packing a backpack, but sometimes I felt like I had to take out too many things just to find what I needed. I probably should have gotten a bigger bag, but I couldn't justify the money. 

Either way, I feel like I got an understanding of what many travelers experience just by carrying a backpack, even if it's not my usual travel style. I didn't get to backpack through Europe, Latin America, or South East Asia, as many travel bloggers do, but at least I can say I actually own one. :) 

Have you ever used a backpack while traveling? Do/did you like using one? Do you have particular type of luggage that you like to use? 

Pictures of Me

I'm bad at making sure that I have pictures of me when I travel. I've been looking through pictures of our past few trips, and I realize I have very few good ones of me to add the TAO Facebook page now that it's switched over to timeline. Husband J is a great travel partner, but he is NOT good at saying, "Hey, let me make sure you have a picture of you in front of x spot." It's not really his fault. I could just ask more. I guess I have no one to blame but me?

I've never been into taking pictures. I don't mind taking them when I am at events or for special occasions, but it's not something that I go out of my way to do. I know some people who would take pictures of themselves all day just for fun. I found doing that a little frivolous, a waste of time and vain (Don't worry. I have others ways that I can be vain), especially when this was back in the day before digital cameras and the opportunity for unlimited shots. Waste an exposure on just me? Nah.

Well, I'm over it now. Bump that! I'm going to make sure I get better pictures of me on this trip!!

What about you? Are you the first in front of the camera? Do you shy away from taking pictures when traveling or otherwise? Do you take pictures of yourself just for fun?

Feel free to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and on Pinterest! I'd love to hang out with you there!

Husband J & the Canada Curse

When Husband J and I visited Buffalo, New York last year we were supposed try to hop over the border for a quick 36 hour or so visit to my family in Toronto. I haven't seen many of them in over 20 years, which is downright ridiculous considering how close Toronto is to New York (it's a one hour flight from NYC).

Husband J and I had our passports ready, and we went off to LaGuardia Airport to leave on our U.S. Airways flight last Memorial Day weekend. We were a half hour from boarding when our flight got cancelled. It was a bright sunny day, and everything seemed to be going fine in terms of flights leaving. The airline gave no reason why our flight got cancelled. Remind me to stay away from U.S. Airways, if I can.

We hemmed and hawed about whether to continue our weekend trip. Part of the reason we wanted to go at this time was because my friend was pregnant (She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl a few months later). We figured it would be easier to visit that weekend than when they had a newborn. With such little time, it seemed that we would have to ax our time in Toronto. I was a sad panda. It pained me to have to tell my family that I wasn't going to be able to see them after all that time.

I really did look like this. I was so upset.

Apparently, this is the fourth (or more instance) Husband J has almost gone to Canada. Between work and weekends away, each time he's tried to go to our neighbor to the North, something gets cancelled or botched.

I've decided to name Husband J's string of bad luck with trips to Canada as the Canada Curse. Even though we didn't make it to Canada, it might be for the best. We are going to plan a long weekend that will focus solely on going to Toronto so that we can give this exciting city AND my family the attention and time they deserve.

For now, the closest Husband J has gotten to Canada was drinking some Molson and Labatt's beer (think Canadian Bud Light) and staring at the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

Here's to you, Canada.

Have you had a string of bad luck when it comes to traveling to a certain place?

By the way, check out posts about my time in Buffalo, New York here.

US Airways; Sad Panda

Uencounter.Me

Hey, all!

I don't know if you've noticed it yet, but there is a big, orange badge on the left side of the blog now. Yours truly is now a featured blogger on a site called Uencounter.me. What's that? Well, it's a new site that is essentially a virtual pin map with a social twist.

I love maps. Sometimes I just look at them for the fun of it. You all should be used to my dorkiness by now, so this should not come as a surprise. I used to have a great map connected to my personal Facebook profile, but after one of the many Facebook changes, it went away. Now I've got one that won't go away. I can pin many of the places, I've been with descriptions of what happened there and who accompanied me. I can follow others who are pinning the places they've been or lived and even join discussion boards.

I think Uencounter.me is such as great idea is because it's not just a map but a way of connecting to people. There is a section where you can search for your long lost friend from camp or that person you met while traveling years ago. Plus, there is also a section to THANK people. Imagine getting a chance to say thank you for the first time (or even the second time) to someone who's touched your life. Essentially, Uencounter.me is a way of virtually connecting through the places we've been.

If you click on the badge, it will take you to my pins, which have links to my blog posts. It may look like I've only got a few, but if you narrow the map to very local and specific places, you'll see that I've got about 40 pins up so far with more to come. Feel free to check me out there, and become one of my "links." I warn you that Uencounter. me can become addictive. :)

Happy Weekend!

P.S. Disclaimer: I have received no funds to be a Uencounter.me featured blogger or write this post. The day I start making funds off of blogging, I'm going to write it in big, bold letters because I will be soooo happy. :)

Friday Brain Dump

Hey there!

I know that I've been pretty quiet here this week, but that's because I've been busy working (well, who doesn't get busy doing that?) as well as planning what is going to be a RIDUNKULOUS spring and early summer for me. I'm trying to finish out March as organized as possible, which means more work now and less blogging. More details about some of my plans next week!

Things I've been thinking about this week:

1. I was filling out a visa application, and I had to put my country of birth. I look at the drop down menu, and I see "Antigua & Barbados." Huh? I'm not from Barbados. I have friends from the lovely island and even dated a few guys from there, but I've never set foot on Barbados. :) Antigua and Barbados are, um, like, two separate countries.

Antigua

See where Barbados is? Not really close... :)

It's pretty in Barbados, too.

I tried to tell one of the women processing the application that they made a mistake on the application itself. It's Antigua & BARBUDA, Antigua's smaller sister island, which is pretty remote and beautifully unspoilt (and hopefully won't become overdeveloped as Antigua is becoming). I suspect no one has pointed this mistake out yet, and so they've had no real reason to change it on the application. I was just amazed that such a big glaring error has gone pretty much unnoticed and unchanged.

2. Sometimes the weather calls for a fruity cocktail with an umbrella in it. It was VERY warm this week in New York City (March is usually overcast, rainy and chilly), and everyone (including me) is having some major spring fever.

Topanga Canyon cocktail

Hibiscus Infused Absolut, Lychee Liquer, Raspberries, Orange Crush soda from Super Linda

3. Really?! Hmm....I wish her, her fiance, and the baby the best of luck.

4. For some reason, the Knicks won BEFORE Carmelo Anthony joined the team, and while he was injured. The same thing happened with his old team, the Denver Nuggets. I think he's bad luck. I'm sad Coach D'Antoni resigned. :(

When I think of the Knicks, I look just like you do now, Mike. Sigh...

5. I've been in a banh mi phase lately. Right now I'm giving a slight edge to Banh Mi Saigon in Manhattan over Hanco's in Brooklyn. I tried both of their pork sandwiches, and I think Hanco's bread is a tad better as well as their spice. I liked the seasoning of the pork on the Banh Mi Saigon version. Maybe I'll just have to try some more? :) Any other banh mi recommendations in New York City?

Hanco's Banh Mi via my Iphone

Happy Weekend!

Caribbean Map; Barbados; Snooki cover; Mike D'Antoni;

5 Things I Learned on Passport Day 2012

I should have mentioned late last week that this past Saturday was Passport Day in the U.S. My bad. What is Passport Day?

Well, the U.S. State Department's Passport Services division opens up passport agency centers all over the country for an extra day that so U.S. citizens can have some extra time to acquire and renew passports without an appointment. I was able to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the U.S. Passport Services Agency puts everything together to make sure that U.S. citizens can have the proper travel documents they need.

This particular passport agency in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood has a special place in heart because it's where I got my first U.S. Passport! It was the year 2000, the year after I became a U.S. citizen. I knew that I could get my passport at the last minute in person (I was worried about sending my very new citizenship documents via the mail. Just being honest.). While the process ate up most of my day, I came in at 9am and had a passport by 5pm.

Don't be like me when I got my first passport. Plan ahead, and get your passport BEFORE you need it. Passport agencies like this one are scattered throughout the U.S., but these centers should really be your last resort. They are only for people who are traveling within 14 days of the date of their appointment at the center. You can't show up there expecting to get a passport that you don't need immediately.

It's much better to handle your passport issues via the mail (I had a great renewal experience via mail that only took three weeks back in 2010) or at an authorized passport acceptance facility as a first timer. Here's a link with info on the process.

Behind the closed doors. Woo hoo!

Here are the 5 NEW things about passports that I learned on Passport Day:

1. All those annoying documents they ask for are for a reason. In order to issue a passport, Passport Services needs proof that you are a U.S. citizen as well as whether you are who you say you are. An interesting NYC point: Since many folks here don't drive, many people don't have basic ID such as a State ID (what I have) or the more common (everywhere else) drivers' license. Having even the most basic form of ID can help make obtaining a passport easier.

Production room where last minute passports issued by the passport agency are actually made

2. The Smart Travel App is like having the State Department website on your phone!

I always make sure to take a look at the U.S. State Department's dedicated travel website Trave.State.Gov. It's a treasure trove of information. Well, now I can have this all on my smart phone!

Download it like I did (I did it while I was at the Passport Agency!). It will give you country specific travel information regarding things like visa requirements, basic country information as well as the most recent travel warnings issued by the State Department.

It's on my phone now! I used it yesterday to settle a debate with Husband J. He won. :(

3. Passports for minors (persons under 16) are only valid for 5 years, whereas passports for adults are valid for 10 years. Parents, take note!

4. When is the best time to obtain or renew a passport? Avoid the times when families are most likely to travel such as right before summer vacations in June, winter breaks in February or around Christmas time. There's usually a bump in applications for passports and renewals during those times. Think ahead, and don't wait until the last minute to get yours, or it might take longer than expected!

A blank passport book. When I got my renewed passport in 2010, I was surprised by all of the pretty artwork. It really is nice.

5. Passport Cards vs. Passport Books - Since they started issuing them back in July 2008, 4.5 million passports cards have been issued. Should you get a card or a passport book, i.e., a traditional passport? I say get the book, BUT passport cards are great if you are a frequent traveler between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean (including Bermuda) by land or sea, e.g., driving across the border or going on a cruise. If you are traveling BY PLANE to ANY destination, you need a traditional passport book. Passports books are accepted more commonly, which is why I'd suggest it overall, but it all depends on your circumstances. The passport card is a handy additional form of ID should anything ever happen to your State ID or drivers' license. There's also nothing stopping you from getting both!

A blank passport card

Interesting stuff, right?

I want to thank the friendly and helpful staff at the Passport Agency in NYC for taking the time to speak with me and the other bloggers who toured their offices for Passport Day.

Okay, everyone. Regardless of what country you live in, get your passport!! :)

Money, Travel & Me - Financial Obstacles? (Part 1)

I've been writing this blog for an awful long time and one thing I have not discussed yet is money. I don't like talking about money (Does anyone?), but you can't really think about travel and not think about budgets, costs and personal finance.

I think the best way to tackle this discussion is to talk about how I financed my travels before Husband J. Honestly, with two incomes to pull from and another person's considerations and tastes to contend with, it has changed the way I travel. Also, with both of our salaries, it is/was easier to stay at nicer places and do certain types of activities that I probably wouldn't do myself. Husband J and even me, at certain points, have done well for ourselves financially through our jobs. I'm not going to lie to you about that. That being said, during my early travels, I had to learn how to work the little I did have and that taught me a lot about my priorities and how I wanted to handle parts of my finances.

In Rio de Janeiro, on my last self-funded trip

Before I talk about financial strategies both practical and mental that I used to figure out how to find the money to travel, I thought I would let you know that it wasn't always easy. I have had circumstances that didn't make it easy to fund traveling anywhere but to the grocery store and to my job much less to the places I've been.

Let me give you a picture of what my financial life was like in the past:

1. I had/have student loans. I still have outstanding student loans. I went to what many people consider a very good (well, I liked it) private university for my undergraduate degree as well as law school afterwards. Law school should actually be called "Loan school" because that's how most people finance their legal education. In the U.S. if we choose certain educational paths, we have to pay for it somehow, plain and simple.

Leblon Beach in Rio

2. I don't come from a family that is well off or even close. My mother is the bomb, and I don't know how she raised me by herself. She came to the U.S.A. without any immediate family and was the sole breadwinner of my small family unit. (Love you, Mom!!!) I tell people that I'm a poor girl that has lived a rich girl's life (without the nice clothes). It's true. Neither my mother nor has my family ever funded any of the trips I've taken. My travels have been because I found a way to do it on my own somehow.

At Maracana Stadium in Rio for a great soccer game. Read about it here.

3. I have had credit card debt (in the past). Lots of it. When you spend three years of your twenties trying to live on nothing, it's hard not to rack it up (See #1). I have no qualms saying that I used to have credit card debt, especially now that it's been paid off for years. At the same time, I didn't let it stop me from doing what I wanted to do.

I'm not writing all of these things for travel street cred, but to let you know that even not so great finances or lack of an inheritance should keep you from travelling. I also tell you these things because I hate reading travel blogs that don't mention any of these issues.

In the next post in this series, I'll let you know some of the strategies, opportunities and mental outlooks that I used to find a way to see the world. It's not necessarily rocket science, but I hope it shatters the idea that travel is only for some people. It's for you, too.

Stay tuned...

Tuesday Travel Pinspiration - Wish List

Over on Pinterest, I've been keeping a little wish list of places that I'd like to go. I thought I'd share some of them with you. This is by no means an exhaustive list. As if I would only have five places on a travel wish list. Pshaw! :)

Stonehenge - England

Okay, so who constructed this? Aliens or the English? :)

Utah, USA

After one of my early Fantasy Travel Friday posts, I really do want to see this part of the U.S.A.

Sydney, Australia

Chris Hemsworth look-alikes and beach culture. I'll take it.

Taj Mahal - India

One day soon, I hope.

Ha Long Bay - Vietnam

Ha Long Bay looks so magical.

Have you been to any of the places on this wish list? What was your experience like? Are any of these destinations on your wish list?

Stonehenge; Canyon Lands, Utah; Sydney Opera House; Taj Mahal; Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Where Are YOU Going?

Can you believe it's March? I can't! Eeek!!

Hey, all!

I hope your week has gone well and that you had a extra special day on Leap Day.

I was thinking the other day about the fact that I love sharing my travels with you all, but I also know that I would love to hear about where you all are going. Then I thought, "Why don't I feature the folks who are a part of the TAO community and where they are going?"

So, that's what I'd like to do. I'm going to call this feature - Where are YOU Going? My goal is to feature at least 10 of you by the the end of 2012. I know that it's a lofty goal, but I hope you'll help me.

Here are the ground rules:

1. You've got to leave your city or town. I don't care if your trip is to another part of your state or province, but you must leave home. Your trip does not have to be international. It's lovely if it is, but there are lovely places to visit in the countries where we live. Domestic travel is still travel!

2. Timing. This can be a trip that you've taken or one that you are going on this year. If you have already taken your trip, then it must have been not be earlier than 2011. Why? I want some of the information I'm requesting to be current.

3. You don't have to be a blogger. If you are, that's great. I will definitely include a link to your blog. However, please don't feel like you have to be one to be featured. I'd like to feature any and everyone who's interested.

4. I'll need the following information:

-Destination

-Accommodation(s)

-When did/When will you travel there?

-What were your favorite sights?/What sights are you looking forward to?

-What and where was your favorite meal or food to eat at your destination?/ What food are looking forward to trying there?

-3 tips that you would give to anyone planning to a trip to this destination

-A picture of the destination that you took (if you're in the pic, all the better, but no worries if you don't want to be)

-You can write as little or as much as you want

-If there is a piece of information that I've requested that you don't want to share, just let me know.

That's it. So will you help me? Pretty please?! If you're interested, just e-mail me at my contact e-mail here on the blog (Click on the contact tab above). I can't wait to feature you all!

So...Where are YOU going?

Happy Weekend!

Traveling & A Clothes Purge

Hey there!

So, I know that there haven't been many actual "travel" posts recently. I just want to say that the travel is coming. If things work out the way I want them to, then April, May & June are going to be something of a whirlwind. Yippee! In the meantime, indulge me while I write some "travel related" posts.

Maybe it's a Caribbean mother thing, but my mother never allowed guests to see her home looking a shambles. I have inherited that, so it is even shocking to me that I am revealing what my closet and bedroom looked like when I did some spring cleaning and clothing purge last year.

EEK!!! My bed eventually did recover.

I just want to say that I feel as if I've grown as a person by showing this picture. :)

While I was aggressively performing my twice per year clothing purge, I finally decided to let go of some items of clothing that I'd been holding on to. Many of them reminded me of travels that I've taken or were bought while I was away.

Although the pic doesn't really show it, this is a black corduroy blazer that I picked up in South Africa. I arrived in Cape Town in late August, which is the end of winter/beginning of spring there. It was cold. Yes, South Africa is on the African continent, but it can get VERY cold. I was wearing a coat for my first month there. I bought this at a cute boutique a few blocks away from my internship's office. I think the women who owned the store loved me because I would drop money when I went (more like the equivalent of $20 or $30 USD, but at the time that was a lot of rand). It was nice being a student with access to US dollars when the rand (South African currency) was trading at $10USD to $1R. For a variety of reasons, I did a lot of retail therapy when I was in South Africa (breaking up with someone half way around the world deserves a shopping trip or three).

Status: At the Salvation Army. Hopefully someone bought it.

Until recently, these Merrell walking shoes were the only real outdoorsy gear I owned. I now forget when I actually bought them. Husband J grew up being very outdoorsy, so he gets a little excited when I buy outdoorsy things and resemble an L.L. Bean catalog model. I used these quite a bit during our trip to Turkey. These will get a lot of use this year.

Status: At the bottom of the closet, rearing to go.

I bought this shirt in a souk in Morocco. I obviously had much shorter hair then because I often don't wear this shirt because the sequins catch my hair. I'm always having to pull my hair from out of the sequins. I think I bought this and a longer dress-like thing for my Mom. She still wears hers.

Status: Not sure. It's probably gone to the Salvation Army.

I usually buy clothing and shoes with the intention of wearing them. What was I thinking even buying these? I love a nice, sexy shoe but I can't believe how high shoes are these days (Yes, I am an old lady). I can't wear this. I wore them for a little while during my trip to Las Vegas. I figured that I could look scandalous there, and it would be okay. I've never worn these again. They are so uncomfortable. I feel awful because it was a wasteful purchase, but I hope they get new life on someone else's feet.

Status: Salvation Army or on someone else's feet

I got this green pullover the first and only time I've been to Martha's Vineyard. Menemsha is a smaller fishing village on the island that doesn't get as many visitors as Oak Bluffs, Edgartown or the other more touristy summer towns. Husband J and I drove out there and enjoyed how quiet it was compared to the rest of the island.

Status: Still in the closet. I like this shade of green

By the end of the afternoon, my closet looked normal again.

I've always had my own closet since living with Husband J. I am convinced it is the key to a happy marriage. ;)

Do you have any clothes, shoes or other garments in your closet that remind of you places you've been or shopping you've done there?

Tuesday Travel Pinspiration - At Night

I thought I'd show more than one pic today. I realized that I started pinning all of these pictures of popular sites at night. Perhaps there is something about lights and the moon?

The Eiffel Tower - Paris

via Ambiteuse

The "Classics" geek in me can't keep away from ruins.

The Acropolis - Athens

by Anthony Aytomanitis

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure where this is....anyone?

via Stay Classy Always

In honor of Carnaval....

Christ the Redeemer (from the back) - Rio de Janeiro

via Amazing Tourism Traveling

Laissez Les Bons Temps Roulez! Happy Mardi Gras!

Bourbon Street - New Orleans

via Examiner.com

Which one of these pics is your favorite? Have you seen any of these places at night? What did you think?

Feel free to follow me on Pinterest here.