Scrappy Girl Around the World

I follow multiple travel blogs each day, and one of the sites I frequent the most is the one that belongs to Nomadic Matt.  I've been following for years, since I first felt the desire to travel, but was unsure where to start or how to research.  I've continued to follow his blog because he writes great articles (as do his guest writers), produces awesome travel guides, and even offers forums for travelers to talk to each other about their experiences and plans. So, today I just read a recent post from Matt.  I'm linking it here because I want anyone to read it who is willing.  It's called The Culture Shock of Coming Home .  It talks about how travelers feel when they have to adjust to not traveling; it sounds simple, but it's actually quite complicated.  I've joked with people I know that I often have "post-trip depression" after I get back, but it isn't a joke; it is real.  It's almost as if I feel uncomfortable because the person who is in...

I've been doing more planning for my big trip this summer.  I land in Munich, and my first stop after that will be Salzburg, Austria.  I've been researching both bus and train routes, pricing, seating options, etc. for a while now.  While I originally had my mind set to take the bus to Salzburg, I've since changed my mind.  On many of the travel blogs that I read and different discussions I frequent, the consensus seems to be that taking the train has a much more scenic route.  So, while the train will be a bit more money, I'm willing to spend it for the views.  Prior to this upcoming trip, I've only used trains in the UK and France, so I'm excited to experience train travel in other countries. Snacks on board a Virgin train in the UK The planning is also different for me this time because I've gotten quite used to traveling solo, but I'll be traveling with a friend (and fellow scrapper) this time.  That means that pretty much every decision mad...

A few posts ago, I wrote about trying to decide on whether or not to go to a conference while on my Europe trip this summer.  After a lot of research and soul-searching, I've decided to skip the conference.  Yes, I will lose the $100 I put down to hold my place as an attendee, but I just don't feel that it is the right time for me to be there.  While I love the idea of being more involved in the travel industry, I also have to be realistic about what my life is right now and what that means.  I have large student debt that I have to pay; I need to focus on that for at least the next year, rather than jumping into a time-intensive (likely) side venture that could also end up costing me additional money to start/maintain. At this point, I intend to just keep doing what I've been doing: posting here about scrapping and travel, as well as putting up videos on my scrappy YouTube channel.  Those things do take some work, but they are free (other than the cost of...

I've been spending a lot time lately researching different things for my upcoming trip to Europe this summer.  As I will be in several countries, that means lots of logistical things to figure out before I leave American soil.  However, one of the biggest decisions I need to make is whether or not to attend a travel conference that's happening while I'm over there.  That conference was actually the reason I planned the trip in the first place, but as I've been researching more, I'm wondering if it is even worth it for me to spend the time getting to and attending the conference. I've wanted to attend this travel conference for several years; I had actually planned a trip to go to the one being held in Ireland last October.  I ended up not going because I had a flare of my AS, which meant there was no way I could sit on planes for 10-16 hours and then walk for hours and hours every day during the trip.  While my back is in better shape (at least right ...

I am taking a trip to Central Europe this summer.  I will be traveling through southern Germany (Bavaria), Austria, and part of the Czech Republic.  I'm using the Munich airport, which gives lots of options for our overall itinerary.  Given where I'll be traveling, I already know that I will take tons of photos; my friend traveling with me may have to physically pull me away from taking a million gorgeous shots of architectural features of churches and old buildings. One of my biggest tasks before I do any more serious planning is to find a new camera bag for myself.  The one I've been using for the past several years really isn't conducive to long travel; it only holds my camera (while a lens is on the body), a backup battery, and maybe a few small things like lip balm, keys, and some cash.  The strap is fine in length, but frankly, it is not comfortable at all, especially if I'm wearing a sleeveless shirt when it's hot.  It will definitely be warm when ...

Tonight is New Year's Eve, and I have to say that I'm happy to see 2017 go.  There were some very good things that happened (including a great trip overseas), but there was also a lot of stress surrounding my jobs.  I am hoping that changes in 2018; I know that part of it rests on me in that I have to say "no" more than I have in the past year. Going into 2018, I'm looking forward to another big trip to Europe, which will likely include Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.  I'll be traveling with a friend, and while we may do many activities together, I'm sure there will also be times when I'm on my own, which suits me just fine.  I'm still very much in the process of doing a bunch of research on different airports and locations, but I'm excited to take this next journey. I spent most of my day scrapping today; I spent some great time with a friend who is also a scrapper.  I usually find scrapping with a friend relaxing, so it w...

I've been back from New York for less than 2 weeks, but I'm already dreaming of another getaway.  For those of us with wanderlust, this is just how things are.  Besides being addicted to travel, I also have a passion for art, and the Impressionists specifically.  When I heard a few months ago that a major Degas exhibit was coming to the United States, I was extremely excited!  However, there's only one problem: the exhibit is only coming to Denver.  I knew immediately that I'd regret it if I don't go, so I put it on my watchlist for flights.  It's an advantage for me that I grew up in Colorado, and I go to Denver frequently for both work and to see friends; I know my way around Denver pretty well.  The issues for me with seeing this exhibit were time and money, as there is other travel I want to do in 2018. I set up some alerts, as I always do (I mentioned this in a previous blog post), and waited to see what would come up in the next few weeks ...

I am getting excited for my NYC trip next month.  Granted, it will be quick (not like the leisurely 5 day trip I did last time); I will basically only have 48 hours in the city.  However, since I don't have super-long list of must-do/must-see items, I think it is totally doable.  The main reason for going, similarly to last time, is to see a show.  Well, last time I saw 2 shows, but the point is, theater was the motivation for getting on the plane.  This time, I'm seeing the off-Broadway show " PUFFS: Or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic ".  A bonus for me on this trip is that I now know someone who lives relatively close to the city.  I met this person through an online group that is scrapbooking-related; it happens that we share a love for Harry Potter and Harry Potter-related things.  So, she is going to come into the city to share the PUFFS experience with me.  Score!  She's also an art pe...

While the 100 Days Project has ended, I'm still catching up on posting about it.  Today I'm covering days 91 - 95. 91)  This was a busy day, so I didn't have much time to spare for crafty stuff.  I decided to download and edit photos I took recently at an orchestra performance. 92)  My Citrus Twist order arrived today.  I bought the Jameson kit (from January 2017) again, plus an extra stamp set.  When I had a monthly subscription with them, I received the Jameson kit, but I used almost all of it, so I decided to order it again.  So love it!  I even did an unboxing/review of it to encourage people to pick it up when it was on sale ($18, originally $36). 93)  For this day, I posted another process video using my photos from Edinburgh.  This one was still 6"x8" pocket pages, but it features photos that had a red and gold focus.  I really had to think about what I could use that would match with them, also because I had a rece...

NYC is a go!  I've been watching flight prices, as I normally do when I want to go somewhere.  Let's be clear: I am a budget traveler.  I don't make the kind of money where I can say, "Oh, that flight is $600, plus a fee for a bag, plus food on the flight?  Sure, that's fine."  Nope, that's not me.  I'm always hunting for the lowest prices on the routes I want and ways to avoid any extra fees.  I scored my flight to JFK for just under $200; with my back issues being worse lately, I did decide to pay the $2 for an aisle seat assignment so that I have more room to stretch a bit.  I know that the bag I'm bringing is small enough that it qualifies as a carry-on with this airline, so there's no extra fee there.  Woo hoo! View from Top of the Rock (from my trip in April, 2015) So, when I knew I could work this around my jobs in December, I went for it.  That's a great price for flying from MSP to JFK, and the timing worked well for me....

Today I want to talk about using Airbnb when I travel.  And not just using Airbnb, but specifically using Airbnb as a woman.  It is sad that I have to even think about it that way, but as I live in the real world, there you have it.  When I was first traveling on my own, I stuck with hotels in busy places, as I felt safer and I tended to be closer to city centers.  For most touristy activities in larger cities, that's a great place to be.  However, travelers pay a price for that, and I felt it.  I wanted to be able to put more of my money into actually enjoying a city rather than into a room I'd hardly be in each day.  Enter Airbnb. As a female traveler who often is globetrotting solo, I felt that I had to be smart and careful in my choices with Airbnb options.  For instance, after I do a preliminary/mainly generic search for what I want, I start narrowing down the options. 1)  I look at the owner of the property; I tend to immediatel...

Today I'm going to talk about some research and planning that I've been doing.  My next European trip happens in October; I am visiting Amsterdam and then it's on to Ireland.  While most of the bigger things have been set for a while (plane tickets, hotels, current passport, etc.), the smaller bits and pieces are slowly getting done.  Here is an example of things that I recently researched for my time in Amsterdam. Centraal Station How long does it take to get from the airport to Centraal Station ?  I chose a long layover (about 10 hours, which means only 7-8 hours of free time) in Amsterdam so that I'd have some time to explore the city before I head over to Ireland.  With only that time to work with, I wanted to be sure that I went about my sight-seeing in an efficient manner.  I can't really afford to get lost, but I still want to get a good taste of the city's architecture, culture, and overall vibe.  I usually use whatever tools are easily ...