First things first, Lisa and Cheryl are wonderful friends of mine. Their zest for life, adventure and travel is infectious. And that spirit continues in their book. It’s a quick, fun read as they recant their tales from a backpacking trip throughout Europe. You’ll laugh as they drive through Italy with underwear hanging from the back of their car (dryers tend to, well… not dry in Europe), empathize with an encounter with pickpockets in France, share in the frustration of missing that one, perfect, photo spot on the Island of Santorini in Greece and chuckle at their muddy trek into the cow and horse pastures of Austria.
Yesterday I shared why I love the airplane in-flight map. Today, I thought I’d share another one of my little joys of traveling, the airplane magazine route map.
Every time I fly I always reach (cautiously) into the seat back pocket and grab the latest issue. I flip to the back and dream. You see, traveling is quite complicated. It takes money, planning and time. Flying to South Africa takes over 30-hours door-to-door!
I’m fascinated by in-flight maps. I love them. To me, they represent the realism of travel. I take a picture of them on every flight.
When most of us look at our world. We see it through flat maps and round globes. Growing up, I use to dream of jetting across continents. I never thought that it would actually happen.
So now, when those dreams are coming true, I always take a picture. I want to remember the moment, when fantasy became reality. It’s one of the small ways I still retain that childlike wonder in me.
Yesterday’s post about My Travel ABC’s really had me thinking. It asked me a lot of questions about my favorite travel memories that had me at a loss for words. A loss for words because:
A – I couldn’t decide which of my many adventures was my favorite
and
B – I’ve had so many that I’ve forgotten about many of them. Digging through my archives jogged my memory on things I’ve forgotten about just a few years back!
This was surprising on so many levels, and a reason to reflect…
I was recently invited by Debbie Beardsley from European Travelista to participate in “My Travel ABC’s” – an alphabetized summary of my travels. So enjoy a trip down 26 memory lanes…
A: Age you went on your first international trip: I was young when I went to Canada; Toronto and Montreal. We went to Canada’s Wonderland, Ontario Place, the CN Tower and in Montreal… an indoor maze, the Biodome and the Humor Museum – all in French.
B: Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where: Hmmm…. I like Stella Artois. I had some for the first time in London. But I really am a fan of Sam Adams (though not foreign).
Last week I was flying home from Calgary, Canada and sat next to a passenger who took it upon herself to take her shoes off for the entire flight.
Her feet smelled.
I posted my disgust of this selfish act on my personal facebook page and was met with quite a backlash. Apparently, my circle of friends thinks that it is perfectly acceptable to odorize an aluminum tube for 3 hours with complete disregard for the comfort of others.
Now, I will admit that when I fly business class I remove my shoes. But…
Today’s story is a guest post from the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) about a Teddy Bear who has accumulated quite a few airline miles of it’s own. It’s cute and fun, enjoy.
*****
The headline might be a bit unusual, but for the Traveling Teddies, it’s business as usual! These aren’t real bears of course, but rather, stuffed animals that are the stars of the Traveling Teddy Bear Program sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers. The program is a collaboration between SATW members and elementary schools across the world. Since 1994, SATW’s professional travel journalists, photographers, and publicists have taken Traveling Teddies with them as they cover the globe, sending postcards, souvenirs, and travel journals home to the young students.
I’ll be embarking on my next adventure very soon and thought it would be fun to send a few of you a postcard from my new destination. The rules are simple:
Contest Rules
Read the hints below.
Complete the submission form below with your best guess.
If you’re correct, I’ll mail the first few respondents a postcard from that destination.
Winners must have a mailing address in the United States.
All entries must be received by Monday, August 29th, 2011.
Friends and family who already know where I’m headed aren’t eligible.
I live close to the airport. How close you may be asking? Close enough that when your plane touches down, you can call me from the taxiway and I’ll get to the terminal just before your bag reaches baggage claim. I think I’m going to use this as a selling point when I sell my home.
In any event, I sometimes take a taxi home from the airport because it works out to be cheaper than parking my car for 3 days. But every time I take a taxi, I am faced with an ethical dilemma. I’ll explain in a moment…
Since I wasn’t allowed to sit in George Washington’s chair, I decided it was time to leave Philly and travel to Washington D.C. The original plan was to take the Chinatown Bus from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. The thought of taking an inter-state bus for 3-hours sent shivers down my spine. Who really takes busses anymore? Would there be shady people on the bus? What is bus transportation like? Well friends, let me tell you, I was way wrong.
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