Unique digital nomad travel adventures from around the U.S.
A trip to Bali was just the birthday present S needed to celebrate her big day. Luckily, she invited B and me along to Indonesia and together we explored Bali and threw in a little Java for good measure. This post will discuss our 13-day …
![European Christmas [A Travelogue]](https://i0.wp.com/janeseestheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/IMG_6735-e1521154486919.jpg?resize=760%2C400&ssl=1)
For 2017, we opted to try out a European Christmas instead of our usual celebrations. B and I joined together with four more people to take on The Continent during the holiday season. We’ve discussed the importance of keeping a travel journal, so we wanted …
Yeah for your birthday! I do not know very many people who enjoy getting older (besides kids that is). Regardless of whether you embrace getting older, pretend it isn’t happening or actively work to prevent it, those birthdays roll around once a year no matter what. I do not necessarily embrace getting older, but I figure you might as well enjoy your birthday. It is the only day you get to be selfish and no one minds. Official holidays are great, but you share them with everyone else in the state, country or planet. Since you may only know a couple of people who share your birthday (if that), it makes the day of your birth unique and special. (I am sorry if your birthday falls on a holiday.)
I suggest you take the time to make your birthday all about you. Naturally, I suggest you take a trip to celebrate. Since my birthday falls in February, I like to head somewhere a lot warmer than Idaho. This year, I am headed to Arizona to spend the big day (and weekend) with my girlfriends. Technically, I could visit them any old weekend (and I have). But it makes my birthday so much more fun if I plan a trip around it. I end up looking forward to it instead of dreading it. Growing up, I looked forward to snow days on my birthday. Now I look forward to a new adventure.
I like having a February birthday because travel is very affordable. Whether I go to another cold climate or head south, it is not too hard to find a decent price on a plane ticket. The crowds are thinner as well. R’s birthday falls in the middle of March. Unfortunately, that is the middle of spring break season and it can be difficult to find decent prices on flights, hotels and rental cars. Even if you want to go to places that are not considered spring break destinations, it just costs more to travel in March (same with summer and the holidays). If your birthday happens to fall during a peak travel time, start planning early. Also, you may have to think outside the box a bit. R had a great idea for her birthday this year, but flight prices would not cooperate. After a couple of weeks of research and brainstorming, she came up with a new, great idea: road trip to the other side of our beautiful state, rent a cabin and get spa treatments in Jackson Hole. The right adventure for your birthday is out there, you just have to find it.
Our friend C’s birthday falls between Christmas and New Year’s. If we could convince her to leave home for the holidays, she could go on an epic birthday trip each year. But alas, she is not quite ready to give up her family traditions. And that is okay. It is her birthday so she gets to do what she wants.
I have been known to go a little crazy on milestone birthdays. After I turned 29, I figured I might as well start planning something epic for 30. I was not even sure I minded turning 30, but I wanted to make sure I had fun plans just in case. The morning I turned the big 3-0, I woke up, put on ski boots and hit the slopes of Zermatt, Switzerland. It was sunny and warm and I will never forget the views of those blues skies and snow-covered mountains. The next year, our travel buddy S turned 30. She remembered our time in Switzerland and decided to make big plans herself. The morning she turned 30, we went scuba diving in Bali. (Side note: even without the skiing-in-Switzerland thing, I was A-Okay turning 30. However, when my little brother reached that particular milestone, I had a much harder time coping.)
That is the interesting thing about birthdays (milestone or not), you know they are coming. There are plenty of big events in life (e.g. promotions, kids, marriage, etc.) that you never see coming. But a birthday has a definite countdown. That makes it really easy to plan for. Last year’s birthday was 35. It was not a major milestone, but I was at a point in my career and my personal life where I could celebrate it in a major way—and I took full advantage. I spent the entire month of February traveling around Australia. On the actual birthday, I did a reefsleep on the Great Barrier Reef. It was an experience of a lifetime and I am so grateful I used my birthday as an excuse to sign up. It took me two years save and plan for that month-long trip, but it was worth every penny saved and every extra hour worked. You can bet I am already thinking about 40 and what I want to do for that. Do I want to turn 40? Hell no. But I am going to regardless, so I might as well plan something fun.
My coworker just celebrated his 50th birthday. He mentioned, probably around his 47th or 48th birthday, that he wanted to do something big for 50. Hawaii was brought up several times. I whole-heartedly agreed and encouraged him to make plans. It was actually frustrating to see the big day coming closer and closer without him committing to anything. (Side note: I know this coworker well enough to know that there were no financial, personal or professional reasons for his lack of commitment.) He did finally decide to take a trip to Texas to celebrate. He did not take the trip on his actual birthday, but he still called it his 50th birthday trip and he was happy with his choice, which is all that matters I guess. His experience taught me an important lesson though: if you do not seize the moment and make plans, birthdays, even the milestones, come and go just like any other day.
I realize that it is not feasible for everyone to go on a trip, big or small, for their birthday. If funds are holding you back, I would like to point out that even the smallest travel fund grows over time and if it takes you five years to save up a for a special birthday trip, I think it will be worth it. However, you may be dealing with unavoidable life circumstances that make travel unrealistic. If that is the case, then there are plenty of ways to make your day special. At the very least, one should take the day off work (in my opinion). I even know of a company that gives its employees a holiday on their birthday. It is a day to do what you want to do. Sleep in, get a massage, throw a party, treat yourself to a fancy dinner, get a manicure…or do nothing at all. It is your day to do what you want.
Your birthday is your special day. And whether you like it or not, that special day comes around once a year. I suggest you plan something fun. If you can swing it, I suggest you plan a trip. It will give you something to look forward to and is the perfect excuse to get out of town.
As we might have mentioned once or twice, we spent Christmas this year in the Benelux region of Europe. Apparently, these countries are pretty small and close to each other geographically and culturally, so they get their own cute acronym. (BElgium, NEtherlands, LUXembourg.) We had …
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 …
This week we are excited to have a guest author, my friend from grad school, Genevieve Brown. Like us, Genevieve enjoys traveling. Unlike us, she sometimes travels with a side of volunteering. We asked her to tell us a little bit more about volunteering abroad, and this post is for us just as much as it is for you. Thanks, G!
Volunteering abroad incorporates the excitement of traveling to a new destination and the rewarding experience of working with communities on service projects. It offers a richer travel experience and the chance to learn and share.
Despite all of the pros of volunteer travel, there are a lot of things to consider before booking that trip.
The first thing to consider is money. Unless you are planning to serve abroad long term, or you are highly skilled in an in-demand field, most likely you will have to pay for all or most of your expenses. Many people book a trip through volunteer sending organizations that have developed relationships with in-country organizations, provide housing, and handle some of the travel logistics. Some people fundraise part of the cost of their volunteer trip.
If you decide to book through a volunteer sending organization, the next thing to consider is how to vet that organization. You want to make sure the group you are traveling with is not a third party booking agency but an organization that has established relationships with the community and is running an ethical, reciprocal, and sustainable operation. It is important to ask a lot of questions before booking. Some questions to consider include the following:
How long have you been working in the community?
How do you match volunteer skills with the needs of the community?
How do you ensure that the project is really needed/wanted by the community
What does my fee cover? (in-country travel, meals, housing, etc.)
Do you have foreign liability insurance?
For more questions see: http://
Another important consideration is the impact you might have on vulnerable populations. Orphans and people who have experienced violence or trauma etc. are especially vulnerable and having a foreigner come in for a short period may actually do more harm than good. Even when working with people in poverty it is important to realize the privileged position you may hold as a foreigner and yet understand that your privilege does not align with actual knowledge of the community and its needs. A willingness to listen and learn is a key component to a successful volunteer trip.
Volunteering abroad can be a rewarding experience, especially when you go in with the right mindset and expectations. No, you are not going to “change the world” but when done with humility, you will have an amazing cross-cultural experience.
If you do plan to volunteer abroad, make sure to check out this article.
Genevieve Brown has over a decade of experience working in the field of volunteer travel. She has developed international standards for volunteer sending organizations and advised nonprofits on sustainable projects. She currently consults nonprofit clients on standards, evaluations and management issues.
Salt Lake City is not the most exotic location on the planet. However, there are plenty of fun things to do and see there. It is an especially good location to begin a trip out west. Due to its proximity to Idaho, it makes an …
Recently, R and I spent a day in Boston, Massachusetts. Now one day may not sound like much, but even a short amount of time in Bean Town is better than no time at all and I am going to share with you some tips …
R and I spent five and a half days driving around and exploring São Miguel Island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. Locally, it is referred to as The Green Island. I just called it stunning.
Turns out the Azores make a great micro trip. We are part-time travelers with full-time jobs, so we have to maximize our weekends, holidays and vacations days. It is very easy to see all of São Miguel Island in a relatively short amount of time.
We knew it would be pretty and we figured we would have a good time. It was and we did. However, there were definitely some surprises in store for us on this particular adventure. Most were good. But there were a few that were not so good. Below are 10 surprising things we learned about São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal:
At 293 square miles and with a population of 150,000, São Miguel Island is the largest and most populous island in the Azores. However, large is relative. Five and half days was more than enough time to see the entire island. By the fifth day, we were actually struggling a bit to find something new to do and we even went back to a couple of places. I did not realize how manageable the island is until we had been there a couple of days. It really is possible to see and do everything on your to-do list in less than a week.
Everything I read said it was easy to drive a rental car around São Miguel Island, that the roads are well maintained and relatively car free. This is all true. But what I failed to read anywhere was a warning about the teeny-tiny streets through towns. Every car on the island is small because they have to be. The roads are narrow and although they are sometimes a one-way street, often they are not.
The most challenging part is maneuvering around parked cars. People park pretty much wherever they want. So you have to figure out how to get around them, often with oncoming traffic. Oh, and sometimes there is also a pedestrian or two walking down the street because sidewalks are microscopic or nonexistent.
Perhaps, if you are vising from another part of the world that has a similar driving situation, you will not be fazed. But coming from the western U.S. (where everyone drives a truck), this was a whole new driving environment for us and one we were not mentally prepared for.
Okay, so we knew the official language was Portuguese before we left. But what we did not know was that many of the islanders would only speak Portuguese. We got around and bought stuff just fine, but it has been a long time since I have visited a place where English was not readily known. It was a bit more challengimg, but it was also a nice change of pace.
I knew the weather could change on a dime and we expected rain at some point. However, we mostly enjoyed gorgeous, warm weather. So warm, in fact, that most of the clothes I packed were all wrong for the weather (60s in Idaho means something very different than 60s in the Azores). With the sun and the humidity, my long-sleeve shirts were completely useless. I am not sure if we just got lucky or what, but I recommend preparing yourself for warmer rather than cooler weather.
Side note: hurricanes do make it to the Azores (who knew?), although they are rare and more mild. One rolled through the day after we left and although the danger was minimal, there were driving restrictions.
I actually had high expectations for the food based on everything I read. But my reality was much different and overall, I found the food to be just meh. Our first restaurant meal, chosen because of a local’s recommendation and a busy atmosphere, left much to be desired. We had the famous Cozido das Furnas (or Furnas stew), a dish of meat and vegetables cooked for six hours in the ground by Mother Nature. To be fair, I did not read good reviews of the stew itself. But we were excited for the experience. However, it was bland and rather expensive, and it felt like this first meal set the stage for the rest of our meals.
In addition, places to eat are a little hard to find in the smaller towns. Often, they have a bar in front where local men like to stand outside and smoke. To be honest, it is a little intimating. We found ourselves gravitating toward grocery stores to fix our own meals instead of looking for a place to eat.
Thankfully, there were some exceptions to the meh food. The Azorean pineapple is definitely a winner, as are most of the pineapple dishes made from them. As you drive around the island, you notice dairy cows everywhere (including the road). Naturally then, the cheese is pretty darn tasty. We enjoyed the yogurt as well. In fact, the yogurt section in the grocery store was much larger than any I have ever seen. The local bread, Bolo Lêvedo, was very good and very versatile. It worked for savory dishes as well as for sweet dishes. And speaking of sweet, I have no complaints about the pastries. They were delicious! Although most of our restaurant meals were disappointing, we did not go hungry while we were there.
One of my favorite parts about this trip was the lack of tourists. They existed, but they existed in far fewer numbers (and packs) than I am used to seeing. We only encountered them at major tourist stops and even then, it was not hard to find a private spot to enjoy whatever it was you came to see. Sadly, I do not think the lack of tourists will last much longer. This place is too great.
Good news: there are no poisonous insects or snakes on São Miguel Island. That means you can hike around to your heart’s content and not have to worry about stepping on something that can hurt you. Also, I did not get bit by a single mosquito. I did not even see one! If they exist on São Miguel Island, they did bother me at all. And we spent a lot of time outdoors.
Things are very affordable in the Azores. For example, I paid €1 for a large slice of pineapple cake from a local baker. It was awesome! When you visit places like the tea and pineapple plantations or the ceramics manufacturer, the price to enter is zero. That’s right. It is free to walk right in and roam around. And very few areas are off limits. You just walk around and check out how things are made. The workers ignore you and go on their merry way, just doing their job. It is a novel experience and it is hard to believe you do not have to pay anything to enter. Of course, most of the places we visited sold goods. But even those goods were affordable. I gladly paid €1.50 for my green tea and €8 for my handmade ceramic dish.
There are exceptions of course. Where there are tourists, there will be higher prices. We found a company online located in Ponta Delgada (the capital cities where most of the tourists hang out) that would rent us a kayak for €30 per person. Thankfully, we ignored that and instead found a place in Sete Cidades (a small town on the lake with much fewer tourists) that rented us a kayak for €10 total. That was the Azorean price we had come to love and expect.
I loved the use of lava rock in the Azores. Here in Idaho, people sometimes build homes from lava rock. We call them giraffe houses because they look like a giraffe’s hide. In the Azores, people build just about everything from lava rock, but we rarely saw anything that resembled a giraffe. The towns are quite beautiful with their narrow streets, old buildings and towering churches. Walking around and admiring the way they were built is very enjoyable. You will fall in love with the small, seaside towns on São Miguel Island. It is impossible not to.
Most of the things I read about Ponta Delgada were not flattering. However, I enjoyed this small capital city very much. It has a lot of charm. Plus, it is the best place to go shopping and find a bite to eat. I would not have wanted to make it my home base while on the island, but it made for an enjoyable afternoon visit.
I hesitate to say too many wonderful things about São Miguel Island and the time we spent there. I do not want it ruined by mass tourism. However, I have no control over that. For now, São Miguel Island in the Azores is lovely, with just enough surprises to keep even a seasoned Jane on her toes.
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