Unique digital nomad travel adventures from around the U.S.
Unfortunately, not-so-fun travel moments happen. It is not all hearts and flowers and there are definitely some unpleasant moments on the road. For me, those parts pale in comparison to all of the fun stuff. However, I think it might be worth mentioning the not-so-fun …
Travel resolutions and goals are the best in my opinion. 2017 was an incredible year for travel. I knocked off not one, but two bucket list items (Australia and the Azores), had a lovely Christmas in Europe and experienced many, many weekend adventures. I am …
Recently, I was asked to be on a panel at work to discuss work-life balance. Apparently, the organizers felt my tendency to travel whenever possible qualified me for the position. I was skeptical and not anxious to participate. However, I did not want to be rude, so I reluctantly joined four other coworkers to answer questions and discuss how we balance our personal life with our professional one.
The reason I was skeptical about being part of the panel was that I did not feel qualified to offer insight and provide advice. Most of my acquaintances have a job, spouse and children. Every day, they struggle to meet the demands placed on them. Although I have a lot of hobbies and interests, I am not pulled in nearly as many directions. It seemed rude to talk about travel when some of my coworkers are barely keeping their heads above water.
Thankfully, my fears were unfounded. The panel went well and I think I was able to provide some useful insights. Best of all, I learned some tricks myself. R suggested I share some of those insight and tricks. Of course, like everything we write here at Jane Sees the World, it will focus on travel. But feel free to apply it to any part of your life you feel needs a bit more balance.
That was the first question asked of the panel. To me, work-life balance means I am content both professionally and personally. That does not mean I am not facing challenges and trials. That does not mean I am not stressed or worried. There are so many things in this world we cannot control. But I have control over where I work and I have control over what I chose to do in my spare time. So as long as I am content with my decisions concerning those two things, I feel like my life is balanced.
Not surprisingly, my biggest priority in life is to travel as often as possible—and my job affords me that opportunity. Luckily, I love my job and the company I work for. I am content with the professional side of my life. Sure, I get stressed and annoyed with certain coworkers. But I also gain a lot of satisfaction from the work I do. In addition, I am blessed to work for a company (and boss) who supports my need to roam and use up all of my vacation hours.
It would be easy for me to say that I am not content in my personal life. Ever since that darn travel bug bit me, I have not been able to get my fill of trips and adventures. There is definitely a part of me that longs to travel full time and continually explore this big old world. I suppose I could quit my job and teach English in a foreign country somewhere. But upon further introspection, it is not that simple. As much as I enjoy a fun trip overseas, I also enjoy health insurance, a retirement plan and Christmas bonuses. My profession provides a level of security and satisfaction that is difficult to measure, but is very important to me nonetheless. So for now, I work to travel and I feel like I have the best of both worlds. Perhaps that will change in the future. But for now, I am content to go to work and travel whenever possible.
If you do not feel content either professionally, personally or both, it is time to do some soul searching. If you are content professionally but not personally, could it be that you are spending too much time at work? It amazes me how many people do not use their vacation hours (to the point of losing them). That was one piece of advice I offered as a panelist: use your vacation hours! On the other hand, if you are not content professionally, could it be that you are not being challenged enough? The only person who can answers these questions is you and taking a hard look at your life is the only way to identify what may be off-balance about it.
Much like a trip, finding work-life balance starts with a good plan. First, you have to have that hard talk with yourself and do some prioritizing. Next, you have to set some goals. You will never achieve that balance you are looking for if you just sit around waiting for something to change. I recommend setting small goals. They help keep you focused and make you feel good when you accomplish one. You do not want to go too big too soon. That will lead to feeling overwhelmed and you will probably quit.
If you want to travel more but just do not know where to start, then start small. Take a road trip over the weekend. Fly to a neighboring state and visit their capital city. Book a cruise (by far the easiest form of travel). The trick is to just do it—make a reservation, put a deposit down, ask for time off. Do something. Waiting around for the right time? Yeah, that will never happen. You control what you do in spare time. So take control.
Another key tip to work-life balance is finding your tribe both professionally and personally. R and I enjoy many of the same activities. We have similar tastes. We are at the same place in life. Most importantly, we both make travel a priority. The other panelists talked about their spouse and kids and the activities they enjoy doing together. Find those friends and family members who enjoy the same things you do and then go out and do them! I promise you’ll feel better.
On the work side of things, it is just as important to bond and make friends. You spend a lot of time at work and studies show that fostering relationships at work lead to happier, more productive individuals. I enjoyed this article about why having friends at work is so important and suggest you read it. I am lucky enough to have an excellent group of work friends. So great, in fact, that we sometimes hang out outside the office. If you feel out of balance, take a look at your relationships. Some discontent at work may be solved by fostering a friendship or two.
Another piece of advice I offered up while on the panel was to use the tools that will make your life easier and/or help you accomplish your goals. The example I shared was about saving money for Australia. I set up an automatic deposit into a separate savings account in order to save the money I needed for that trip. It was the single-most important thing I did to save money and it worked like a champ. After I shared that example, two of the panelists shared similar examples. Although their efforts were not focused on travel, they used similar tools to save money for a specific purpose. With all of the technology available today, it is stupid not to let it work for you and help you accomplish your goals.
Work-life balance is a tricky thing. And it is different for everyone. The key is to find what makes you happy and go for it. For me, that is travel. As long as I have an adventure or two around the corner, I can deal with just about everything else.
Travel with parents, grandparents, first-timers and other novices is a different experience and requires a little different preparation. A couple of weeks ago, I traveled to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, with my parents. My dad has Lyme disease and we were told a specialist there might …
One of the main things people ask when B or I return from a foreign country is ‘how was the food?’ Food is something everyone can relate to because no matter where you go and what you see, you still gotta eat. This post offers …
Without a good small item packing checklist, you may well forget something super useful on your next trip. When it comes to packing, I am not a big supporter of “just in case” or “what if.” That is the fastest way to over pack. Plus, you end up hauling around a bunch of stuff you do not need and/or want. There are stores all over the world and it is easy enough to pick up the things you have forgotten or the things you did not realize you would need. That said, there are a few exceptions.
Below is a list of 10 items that I take on nearly every trip. I do not always need them, but I am sure grateful I have them when I do. What makes them worthy of being hauled around on every major trip I go on? First, they are small and light. Critical components of things you put in your bag that you might not use. They are also things that might be harder to find in a foreign country. Or maybe they are easy to find, but you have to buy a lot of them. Finally, they are things that when you need them, you need them now! You have better things to do on your vacation than track down these miscellaneous items.
I have never regretted packing the following 10 items. In fact, more often than not, I am grateful I had them in my time of need. Below the following list is a free printable of my small item packing checklist to help you remember these useful items the next time you go on vacation.
Broken zipper? Lost button? Tear in your coat? There is a tiny but mighty solution for an array of wardrobe and gear malfunctions. In certain situations, a safety pin = lifesaver. They are small and weigh next to nothing. If you never use one, great! But if the need arises, man, you’ll be grateful for one of these little dudes. I have fixed more than one broken strap on a bag with a safety pin. I have even used one to keep the drapes in my hotel room closed (there is nothing worse than two inches of light shining on your face when you are trying to sleep). Grab a few, hook them together, and throw them in your bag.
I like to keep a couple plastic baggies of different sizes tucked away in my bag. They come in handy for repackaging food, holding a wet swimsuit or gathering beach glass. They lay flat so a back panel or pocket is the perfect place to tuck them. You can usually pick these up on the road from any grocery store, but you typically only need one or two and not the whole box.
R is especially good at packing wipes. Lately, she has been busting them out as soon as we sit down on the plane to wipe down our trays and such—which are particularly germ-ridden. However, there are countless situations on the road where a wipe can help you with a quick clean up and there is a particular wipe for almost every situation. Stain? Tide has you covered. Makeup remover? No problem. I am more of a general-use kind of girl, but packing a couple of different kinds of wipes is a good idea.
For example, there was this time in Australia when a bottle of purple nail polish broke in my toiletry bag. Not only was there purple nail polish all over everything in that bag, but I ended up with it all over my hands while trying to clean it up. It was a disaster. R busted out a little nail polish remover wipe and after just a couple of minutes, my hands and bag were in relatively good shape. That little wipe was a lifesaver.
Never, ever travel without earplugs. They are not foolproof, but they can certainly make an unpleasant experience more bearable. Trying to sleep on the plane is hard enough. Doing it without earplugs and with a crying baby behind you? Impossible. I use them on the plane, in hotels with thin walls, at concerts, on long bus rides, etc. There are many shapes and sizes to choose from, but they will all be small and lightweight. Most will be very affordable as well. Because they are so pack-friendly and crucial, it is a good idea to pack an extra pair.
This one might seem strange, but I cannot tell you the number of times having nail clippers in my bag has come in handy. Hangnails are a bother and can even be painful. Nail clippers take care of them in a jiffy. In a pinch, nail clippers can also work as scissors for cutting things like threads and price tags and opening packages. I have never regretted putting them on my small item packing checklist.
It never hurts to have a bill or two stashed somewhere in case of an emergency. This is separate from the cash you plan to spend on the trip. It does not need to be a lot. Just $20 or so in a pocket you rarely use or hidden within your toiletries could really come in handy.
A good friend of my dad tucks money into the owner’s manual of his car in case of an emergency. I like this idea a lot. So much so that I started doing the same thing. You just never know when a $20 bill will come in handy…assuming you remember you stashed it…and where you stashed it.
We have talked before about the types of medication you should pack for vacation. If that is not your thing, I recommend you carry some sort of pain reliever at the very least. There are small packages that do not take up much room and when you unexpectedly get that headache, sprained ankle or sunburn, you will be grateful for that small package of ibuprofen.
Too often, I over pack when it comes to snacks. I am not entirely sure why. Unless you are roughing it, there is really no need to weigh your bag down with all of your favorite treats. It is way more fun to find new, foreign treats anyway. However, it is a good idea to pack something in case of emergency like a granola bar, fruit leather or bag of nuts.
There was this time in Indonesia where the day just got away from us. We had good intentions to get some food, but one thing led to another and before we knew it, it was past dinnertime and we still had not stopped to eat. As we waited for a bus to take us back to town, I started to feel light-headed. I checked my bag and there in the bottom was a small bag of peanuts. I dug in and I must say, peanuts have never tasted so good! They were able to tide me over until we got a proper dinner later that night.
Tweezers are a lot like nail clippers—more of an afterthought. You may pack these anyway for some eyebrow maintenance. But if not, I suggest you start considering it. I have had a couple of sliver situations in which I was eternally grateful to have a pair handy. They can also untangle necklaces and tighten loose screws on glasses. Normal-sized tweezers do not take up a lot of room. However, there are mini, travel-sized tweezers on the market that take up even less room and are perfect for my small item packing checklist.
Do not pack an entire roll of duct tape (obvs). But a small amount can really come in handy the same way those safety pins do. In fact, between duct tape and safety pins, you should be able to fix just about anything…at least temporarily. I only recently replaced a fan that I like to take to warmer climates whose duct-tape fix has held up for years. You can buy small, travel-sized rolls or you can roll a bit of your own. (Unroll the desired amount and tear it off the roll. Then start at one end and tightly re-roll your strip.) How much you need really depends on how prone you are to breaking things. I find carrying around 10-12 inches adequate to handle most jobs. Anything bigger is going to necessitate a trip to the store for a whole roll.
Recently, R and I’s small stash of duct tape came in very handy. The doorknob to our place in Bruges, Belgium broke and the owner was unable to fix it until the next day. Duct tape provided a temporary solution. I am actually not sure what we would have done without it and I am so glad it is part of my small item packing checklist.
A collapsible bag is not necessarily something you should pack on every trip. However, I have found it to be more useful than not. More and more, I find myself not only packing one, but using it while on the road. A bag like the BAGGU reusable folding bag is a great option. It is good-sized and sturdy, but it folds up small and flat.
When packing for a trip, it can be easy to overlook the small things. But it is often the small things that help to make a pleasant journey. Luckily, the 10 (plus one bonus) items listed above can easily be packed without adding too much weight or bulk. And you will be grateful for your little lifesavers should an unfortunate travel situation arise.
Please enjoy a free printable of my small item packing checklist: Janes_Sees_the_World_Packing_Checklist_Small_Things
On Jane Sees the World we’ve casually mentioned planning a trip in pretty much every post. Then again, it is a travel blog, so this probably makes sense. Both B and I have been asked many times over the years how we pick where to …
When choosing a backpack to travel the world with, there are many things to think about and take into consideration. My first backpack was a lesson in what not to buy. We went on a couple of good trips together, but I learned some important …
Iceland is h-o-t, people. A Jane reader asked us the other day about whether we had written anything on it as her friend was planning a trip there soon. (If you are like us, it seems like every other day you hear about someone you know visiting the land of ice and fire.) Well, yes, as a matter of fact, C wrote a terrific guest post a while back about the trip she and her family took to Iceland. But before C’s clan descended on the island, C, B, and I spent a long weekend in Iceland getting a taste for Reykjavik and its surroundings. Here is what we saw and did during our short sample of this delicious country.
We purchased a package deal from Iceland Air that covered our flight, hotel and some excursions. We flew to Seattle and then on to Reykjavik, landing on the morning of the November 1. The flight wasn’t bad at all–around seven hours so we were able get some sleep.
First up on our itinerary was a stop at the famous Blue Lagoon. This was a must see for B, as she does enjoy herself some geothermal activity. Part of our package was the Spa Comfort Experience, which meant we got admission to the lagoon, some algae for a facial, and a fancy drink. For those who haven’t heard of it, the Blue Lagoon is essentially a giant swimming pool full of hot water pumped from a nearby geothermal plant. It is full of rich minerals which give it a lovely milky blueish color. This was especially striking against the black lava fields that the lagoon is set smack dab in the middle of.
We did some research about visiting hot pots (hot pools) in Iceland and learned that it is quite the traditional experience and you should follow the rules, like washing completely before you enter. (I wussed out and kept the swimmer on in the communal shower.) None of us decided to get a massage on the floating table, but we very much enjoyed the soothing warm water which helped us ease out the kinks from the flight. It was a great way to begin our vacation. After a nice, relaxing soak, we were ready to take on Reykjavik.
Our hotel was on the edge of town, but luckily that didn’t mean much as Reykjavik is quite compact. We were able to check in and walk to the downtown area, which saved the expense of taking a cab back and forth. The word ‘Iceland’ is about the only thing that we could distinguish in the Icelandic language. It is a seriously foreign language and our rudimentary understanding of the romance languages was of no use to us. Fortunately, most people speak fluent English. It was quite striking to me that their English was so good; it was difficult to tell if people were native Icelanders as their accent was so minimal.
We had picked out a few destinations for the downtown area and spent the rest of the day checking some of them off.
This country has a few characteristics that result in beautiful hand-knit sweaters. 1. It is freezing most of the time, thus necessitating proper attire. 2. It can be dark a large part of the winter, so there is plenty of time to knit. 3. Icelandic sheep are the fluffiest and furriest sheep I’ve ever seen, hence an abundant supply of raw materials.
With all of these things going for it, we knew we were going to be purchasing a LOT of wool products and wanted to deposit most of our change in a store where adorable little old ladies hand knit sweaters, scarves and mittens. (I didn’t actually see an adorable little old lady knitting, but in my mind that’s what happens.) The prices at this store are also much more reasonable than other stores around town and I picked up my souvenir from the trip here, a beautiful long cardigan lopapeysa (sweater).
Next on the list of things to see was the KronKron store. B had found some KronKron shoes on the interwebs a few years before and really wanted to see them live and in person. This store sells a variety of clothes, but we were there to check out the shoes. If you visit their website and are remotely shoe-oriented, you will see why. These things are seriously works of art with unique designs and materials. Sadly, they were as expensive as works of art so we left empty handed.
Next we visited the Icelandic Phallological Museum. Yep, it is just what is sounds like. Perhaps not the most obvious place for a group of ladies to visit, but it was interesting, if a little small. (Pause for jokes about how size really does matter.)
At this point in the day, we were getting a little jet lagged so we headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.
Our next day was spent again exploring downtown Reykjavik. Highlights included the following:
This market was a rabbit warren of stalls selling all sorts of weird stuff. We ended up purchasing some black lava earrings, but if we were in need of old records, vintage suits, crappy plastic toys or any assortment of knitted items, this is the place to go.
The Harpa is a conference hall right on the edge of the water in downtown Reykjavik. You can’t miss it, it is a cube building made of glass that looks purple and blue. It is really quite pretty. You can spend a lot of money and get all dressed up and go to a fancy pants performance, but since we are cheap and not particularly cultured we opted for a light show. This light show sounded cooler than it actually was–we went into a square shaped room and they displayed scenes from Iceland on all of the walls and ceiling. There was one little bench in the middle of the room so we figured people just stand around and watch, but we opted to lay on the floor and take it easy.
That’s not a typo. That’s the name of the Icelandic Lutheran Cathedral that is the tallest structure in Iceland. It is a white, pointed building and has lovely views of the city and harbor if you climb to the top. I like Lutheran Cathedrals; they have such clean lines and are simple without feeling austere. The Hallgrímskirkja did not disappoint on this front. There is a giant statue out front dedicated to Leif Erikson, the first European to land in America, which, as Americans, we appreciated.
The second excursion included in our package was a tour to see the Northern Lights. This was supposed to be on a boat on the water, but it was crazy windy and the powers that be replaced a water experience with a bus. We weren’t complaining. Our bus picked us up and near as we can figure, took us to the middle of nowhere to remove all light pollution and give us the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights…that is, if the Northern Lights were active. They weren’t. After a few cups of hot chocolate and nothing but cloudy skies, we headed back to our hotel. Wohn, wohn, wohn.
The main activity for this day was our final excursion, the Golden Circle tour, a chartered bus ride that took us to several interesting spots away from the city.
Our first stop was a giant greenhouse where a very industrious family grows tomatoes (year round) for pretty much the whole island. We walked around the greenhouse and sampled some tomato soup. B was fascinated by the geothermal element, which provides both heat and light to the greenhouse. Iceland really knows how to harness its renewable energy.
Next we visited a gorgeous waterfall called Gulfoss. The Hvita river goes down a few little drops and then plunges twice, deep into a canyon below. The wind was ferocious at this stop and even though we were in our winter gear, it was still bone chilling.
This is the place where all other geysers get their name. It was a bit like Yellowstone National Park and Old Faithful; every so often a big plume of steam would get released from the Strokkur geyser and hot water gurgled out of smaller geysers all around the area.
The Pingvellir National Park is the place in Iceland where the two tectonic plates are pulling away from each other. It is a remarkably pretty area with dark lava, green moss and blue rivers. A few weeks ago, I was watching a documentary on the Vikings and learned that Leif’s dad, Erik, was kicked out of Iceland after the governmental gathering at Pingvellir. Cool.
After we returned to the city, our last stop of the day was the Perlan. This large structure on the outskirts of the city used to be hot water storage tanks for the city, but was converted into a meeting space/restaurant/shopping center/performance hall. Walking up to it, I was struck by how much it reminded me of R2-D2. You can go out on the observation level and see pretty much 360 degrees. The view was very nice, which made up for the lackluster food we had at the restaurant.
The next day, we packed up and got ready to head home. This meant stopping at a grocery store for one last container of Skyr, a yogurt that puts all other yogurt to shame, and buying many skeins of Icelandic wool, just to get rid of our extra Kronurs. Then we headed to the airport for our flight back to the U.S. and work the next morning.
During this quick trip to Iceland, we were able to get a good feel for Reykjavik, see some of the natural wonders that make this country so spectacular, and briefly experience the everyday happenings of the Icelanders. Iceland isn’t a cheap country. In fact, it is one of the most expensive we’ve been to, but our package tour helped a great deal. Flights from Seattle, lodging and the three adventures cost us about $1,000 each. Not cheap, but really not that bad for a fun getaway to a new country.
Iceland is an amazing country. Just look at C–less than a year after our long weekend, she had convinced her family to go visit for a much longer vacation. It is well worth the trip, even if it is just a quick weekend like what we did. A word of warning though: the secret is out. Tourism in the country has grown exponentially in the last few years. So much so that Iceland has decided to increase a tourist tax in an effort to get the industry back in hand. When you go, you should expect to see lots of other tourists. That being said, where there’s steam there is usually a geyser, so the tourism is justified.
After spending the month of February staying and playing Down Under, I have a pretty good idea of Australia travel costs. This post is a follow up to an earlier post about planning and saving for that month-long trip. I knew I wanted to follow up after …