When you get married in a Quebec courthouse you have a marriage contract, not marriage vows. This has been a running joke between us, particularly when we want the other to do something. For example: When I am thirsty during the night and don’t want to go down the stairs I will say “Article XVII says that you have to get me water in the middle of the night”.
I am pretty sure that there was an article in our marriage contract about always looking for adventure and keeping the other on their toes. Apparently, we took that article seriously because our journey has been full of bends in the road and surprises. So in order to prevent life from becoming too routine…we are off again!
We are packing our cat and headed cross country to become “Vancouverians”! This might be our biggest transformation yet…east coasters to west coasters!
After 19 years with the same company, Philippe was ready to shake things up a bit professionally. It was a well thought out decision for him as he will miss his colleagues and the products he has put so much heart and soul into. On the personal side, it is because of this company that we first met and made googly eyes at each other. But one of my favorites to say is “it’s just time” (which before he would roll his eyes at me and say he didn’t know that meant).
As we have started telling people about our move most people laugh and say “really?” or “are you serious?”. And then we get a few questions. So I thought I would compile a list of FAQ’s related to our move in case you are curious.
FAQ’s: Moving to Vancouver
Question: But you just bought rental chalets in Quebec and we were planning to come visit!! What are you going to do with them?
No worries, we are keeping at least 2 of our chalets! In fact, our own chalet that we renovated 2 years ago is going to join the line up of rentals. I will be working on getting them ready in May, so please still come visit! (If you happened to miss the earlier post about our rental chalet venture, you can check out this post)
Question: But what is going to happen to your amazing orange cat, Pepin (commonly referred to as “His Royal Orangeness”)?
Oh, he is definitely coming. However, transport will be a delicate issue since he is rather anti-social and gets queazy when traveling. We will be consulting with a professional (counseling for him, tranquilizers for us) for help before boarding the plane with him. That should be a life-altering experience. Once in Vancouver, my hope is that he will adapt to city life by allowing himself to be taken on walks on a leash (that will never happen).
Question: Are you doing another road trip with a Uhaul like you did when you moved from Atlanta to Quebec?
We contemplated it…for a hot second. Until reality set in:
First, we read a suggested itinerary for an east to west coast Canadian road trip. And it said “Grand idea!”…as long as you cut out the section between Toronto and Calgary (which takes up 4 days out of the 6-day drive). Apparently, the scenery does not change much.
In addition, if we think a 5-hour flight with the cat would be rough…imagine the logistics of cat transport in a Uhaul! Instead, it seems to be a better idea to delight TSA and our fellow air passengers by giving them the privilege of his company on a flight.
And finally, on the Atlanta -> Quebec road trip there is that moment that will forever be referred to as “The Starbucks Incident” that almost led to us receiving a lifetime ban from any of their coffee shops.
Bottom line: No road trip.
Question: So why Vancouver?
The job that Philippe is taking is there. But more importantly: less snow, fewer days of sub-zero temps, ocean + mountains, proximity to lots of wine country options, whale watching. Shall I continue?
Question: Is Vancouver as amazing as I hear?
Not sure as I have never been. But it seems to be pretty cool so I will keep you posted (as I said, I like an adventure). However, it is near the MTB capital of the world (so I am told) so Philippe thinks we are getting an early transfer to heaven. Pretty sure we will be regular visitors to the ER.
Question: What does your family think of you moving cross country?
Initially not much (for those of you that don’t know I am super close to my family), but with some convincing on the benefits (see the question ” So Why Vancouver” above) they are warming up to it. “Next to wine country” pretty much sold them.
Question: You guys seem to always be making a change or on the move. Don’t you have any anxiety or nervous about this change?
Oh that is definitely a yes! Every single adventure (we prefer this term to change) brings about some anxiety. Especially this one since we love almost everything about where we currently live in Quebec (it’s seriously magical). Even after going through our decision-making process to make the best possible choice based on the information we have at that moment (unfortunately that dang crystal ball of mine is STILL on backorder), we definitely get nervous.
But for us this is the bottom line: If we don’t try it we will never know and could miss out on something fantastic. Even if it doesn’t work out exactly as we envisioned…well what’s the worst that can happen? We will still land on our feet somehow, someway with some great stories to tell/remember. Actually, for us, the worst thing that can happen is missing out on something great by not taking the risk.
Question: Can I/we come visit?
Yes, definitely, and please! I LOVE visitors and adventures with friends!
Our adventure starts May 2nd when we will head to Vancouver to check out places to live followed by a whirlwind of activity! Follow along on my Instagram Stories as the adventure unfolds!
Note: I have been asked a lot the past year about leaving my successful corporate job and I am finally ready to write about it. I have found so much encouragement, inspiration, and amazing stories from other women’s journeys of pursuing or creating another dream. As my journey unfolds if it has a positive impact on just one person that would be worth it.
I don’t remember exactly when or where, but a long time ago (probably 15+ years ago) I bought a card with this quote on it. At that moment it sparked something in me because I suspect that deep down I was already contemplating whether or not I was on the right path. I bought that card and put it in my office for inspiration and the sheer happiness I got reading it. That card came with me through several promotions and job changes. Sadly, I am not sure where that card is today; it was likely a victim of one of my many moves where I kept downsizing. But I can still picture it clearly and boy do wish I still had it on my desk because I believe that simple card purchase kept that “what if…” alive in the back of my mind.
Everyone has a fork in the road, a point where the decision about which road to take will forever impact their life. One of my most defining, perhaps the most defining, happened when I was 40. And since then I have embarked on a mission of positive transformation.
I spent 20+ years building a kickass career (at least I think it was). I worked my way through various levels of experience in an accounting firm, a small privately held company, and a major international corporation. And I was passionate, dedicated, focused and intense (oh so intense). As a result, I was climbing the ladder, leading, transforming successful businesses, and shaping the future of the profession. As with most jobs, in the corporate world, the pressure to deliver was intense. Coupling that with my type-A personality and desire to succeed, that meant I was working non-stop. And I never really stopped to ask myself if I was achieving what I wanted out of life. I think for so many of us, the every day kicks in and we just go, trying to keep up with the demands of being an adult (and seriously this is what we were so impatient for when we were kids???)
Along the way, I lost myself. I neglected to build and nurture other parts of my life. I let down my family and friends by always putting them second. I didn’t develop passionate hobbies that gave me an outlet. There are two things that I will spend the rest of my life regretting. The first is that I attended my youngest sister’s wedding via Skype because I chose to give priority to a work meeting in DC. My baby sister is one of the most unexpected and precious beings in my life. I am sure I didn’t make her feel that way on that special day. The second is that I missed telling my grandmother good-bye for the last time because I was pushing getting on that flight as long as possible because I had a huge deadline looming. My grandmother was courageous. She is one of my feminist, push the boundaries, don’t put up with bull$#@&, take the world by the horns role models.
When we were both babies!
I slept too little, stressed too much. Ate too little, drank too many of my calories (ahhh…the complicated love affair with wine). Exercised too little, stared at screens too much. Checked my phone too much, lost myself in the presence of my family and friends too little. It was not uncommon for my hubby to find me madly working away at 2 am because I could not shut my mind down from everything that needed to get done.
I don’t think my story is that different from so many other women (or men) out there and I am simply recounting the every day that so many people live. I don’t write any of this feeling sorry for myself. In fact, it is the opposite. I write this celebrating everything I did accomplish. I write this so incredibly thankful that I have the opportunity to try something else out. I write all of this with the understanding that everything that happened is a result of decisions that I made (or didn’t make). The flip side of the coin is that it helped make me the kickass strong, independent, self-supporting woman that I am today (a job my grandmother, mom, and dad started years ago).
A career highlight was being invited to the AICPA executive round table for companies shaping the future of the profession. I completely love and embrace my inner tax geek!
And it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Far from it in fact…I had many amazing career accomplishments! I learned from some smart business people to become a smart businesswoman. I also learned how to run a successful business, make tough decisions, lead, inspire (I hope), collaborate, solve tough problems, and keeping moving even when the path forward is not clear. I loved my customers and loved my profession. But I made three big mistakes along the way (well, I have made A LOT of mistakes but for the sake of my dignity we will keep it at three for now):
Defining my success: I was measuring my success by someone else’s ruler. And quite frankly it is rare that we will ever achieve success using someone else’s definition. I was just going, doing what it took and never stopping to ask was I on my path?
Lack of balance: I was seeking too much fulfillment, acceptance, and approval from my career. Instead of also filling my cup with adventures, experiences, family, and friends.
Setting boundaries: I didn’t create any boundaries in my life. I did not use the word “no” often enough (to compensate it’s possible I use it a little too much now). Because of this I did not stop often enough and allow myself to rest and rejuvenate.
The super amazing time I was invited to testify at the White House on the impact of ACA to the American Taxpayer. I am so thankful to have had opportunities like this!
I am lucky because I know exactly when my fork in the road appeared. I know exactly when I had a glaring moment requiring a life choice. And I knew exactly what the answer was…the answer that I needed for me. I might share what that moment was in a later post when I am ready because it is still hard and the emotions raw for me (just keeping it real). But, as hard as that moment was, I am forever grateful because this moment gave me the clarity, certainty, and strength I needed to answer the long contemplated and deeply buried questions of:
Is this my best purpose and way for me to serve myself, my hubby, my family, my friends, the world? Am I leaving my best and positive mark on the world?
Without trepidation, fear, or uncertainty I knew the answer was “no”. I knew in my end game if I didn’t take this opportunity I would always wonder what else I could have been capable of creating, of being.
So…today it’s been a year since I last swiped my access card. A year since I said some hard and emotional goodbyes to people who had been an unwavering support system for me (I am so lucky that most of them chose to stick with me as friends and not just colleagues). A year since for the first time I didn’t know exactly what came next in my career path (which was also kind of thrilling). But the type-A in me had a plan to discover and create that path. After taking some time to invest in myself, learn some new things and work through some of my needed improvements (which BTW will never end) I know I totally have this!
Taking this fork in my road is turning out to be a good choice…
P.S. Are you even a little bit curious about what I am doing today? Check out this earlier post! Or check out this series on how I created my plan to figure out what career venture came next!
Continuing my series on Quebec and why it should be on your travel bucket list. For my other posts on places to visit in Quebec, see earlier posts on Montreal and the Eastern Townships.
Last Minute Adventure
So what’s the fun of moving to a new place that is full of exciting things to do if you don’t go explore them? A few amazing pics on Instagram of hanging out with a giant snowman while zipping down toboggan slides in front of a château was all it took to convince me that I absolutely must to go to Quebec City’s annual Bonhomme Winter Carnival. Like now. After all, it is one of the world’s most visited winter carnivals and i live practically next door. However, since it was last minute, I figured that a hotel room was going to require us to start renting out the cat for hourly pet sessions over the next 6 months. I hopped on my favorite hotel booking site booking.com and, peeking out from between fingers, was pleasantly surprised to find super affordable options, including one at Hotel 71 where we have previously stayed and loved. So while hugging a giant snowman and sipping hot chocolate in front of fires did not have my hubby jumping up and down, the fact that we would be a hop, skip, and a jump away from one of his favorite cross-country ski areas did. So after some very fast and poor packing (I should have followed my own packing tips) I was on my way to start stalking a giant, walking, talking snowman.
Why Quebec City is Super Cool
So if you didn’t know, Quebec City is a UNESCO world heritage site and is like a little piece of Europe in North America. The fact that is it French-speaking only adds to that charm and the feeling of being on another continent. Founded over 400 years ago, in the 17th century, it was the capital of New France and later the British colony. It is one of the only fortified cities in North America (you have to go to Mexico to find the others), which means you have to enter and exit the city through the amazing gates.
Rue Petit Champlain is considered to be one of the most charming streets in North America and is consistently named one of the best places in the world to celebrate Christmas.
Day 1: Carnival Fun
One of the first things to do when arriving is purchase in Effigy, which is the pass that will give you access to all the carnival events. It is affordable (it was $15 for 2018) and can be found almost anywhere including hotels, restaurants, and shops. We purchased ours at the hotel front desk before heading out.
Ok, first things first…find that slide! Located in front of the Chateau Frontenac and overlooking the Saint Lawrence River it’s only $3 per person to slide down and it was every bit as fun as I thought it would be. We even went back to slide down at night.
Receiving an overview of proper toboggan etiquette. Apparently, I have the look of a rule breaker.
After warming up with some French Onion Soup we set off to explore the rest of the events and hunt down the Bonhomme (name of the legendary snowman). We did find him and while I was on a mission for a selfie with him it would have required that I throw some elbows with 3-year-olds and that just didn’t seem like the best choice, so I had to settle for cozying up to the statue version.
We toured the International Snow Sculpture exhibit where there were teams from all over the world still working on their pieces. It was really cool to see these teams creating these amazing pieces of art (even if only temporary) from lumps of snow.
Throughout Petit Champlain, there were ice sculptures to enjoy and they even made a throne to welcome me to the carnival!
And I even tried to morph into a snowman (didn’t work).
We took an evening tour of the Ice Palace that included an awesome light show and fun music as we bee-bopped our way through:
And at the end of the night, we warmed up with wine at the super cool 1608 bar in the Chateau Frontenac. With a fabulous panoramic view of the Saint Lawrence River, it’s the perfect place for a pre-dinner drink.
Note: We did miss out on the night parade which is supposed to be spectacular so I don’t recommend missing it. But after our warm-up pre-dinner drinks and with a 10-minute drive, we decided it would give us a good reason to return next year.
A bientôt Bonhomme!
Day 2: Mont Sainte Anne and Parc de la Montmorency
One day was plenty of time to get the full carnival experience (although I did kind of want to do the toboggan sled just one more time). The second day we opted to go a little north-east of the city to go skiing in Mont Sainte Anne, which is one of the well-known ski areas in Quebec. We opted for cross-country skiing (classic for me, skate ski for Philippe) but there is also great downhill skiing. I have yet to master the skill of hurtling downhill at 50+ mph with 2 sticks strapped to my feet.
It only takes 45 minutes to get there from Quebec City so it is very easy to do as a day trip if you are staying in Quebec City for more than a weekend.
One-ski selfie. I needed proof that I was actually skiing.
On our way home we stopped at Parc de la Montmorency which has the highest waterfall in Quebec (even higher than Niagara Falls). We rode the gondola to the top where we took a short hike to the suspension bridge that goes over the top of the falls. We didn’t get to spend much time there since the park was closing, but we will definitely be back in the summer to spend more time hiking and exploring the area, which was once an economic center of Quebec.
Suspension Bridge that goes over the Montmorency Waterfalls.
Due to the condensation, the sides of the waterfall become massive frozen sheets of ice and it is a very popular place for ice climbing. However, this is a sport that I am happier to observe with my feet planted firmly on the ground!
The original manor burned down, but the replacement is just as beautiful and often hosts special events (such as weddings)
So there you have it, a winter weekend in Quebec City!
Planning & Packing Tips
Where to Stay: I definitely recommend staying in Old Quebec City. This is the area with all the charm and character from the long history of the city. Staying in the old town will allow you to walk everywhere, avoid paying to park each time you want to come back into town, and battling for parking spaces.
Food: Quebec City is full of good restaurants and while there is a heavy lean toward French cuisine you can find many options. Very few restaurants require reservations so if they have availability you will get right in. Some of the local Quebec cuisines include poutine, pate chinois, and you can’t miss sampling the maple products. And of course, due to the French influence, the pastries there are really, really good so I definitely recommend finding a boulangerie and grabbing some fresh croissants in the morning!
Language: Quebec City is strongly French (one of the reasons I love it) and while many people in the tourist parts do speak some English, do not automatically assume that everyone speaks English. However, communication is not a problem and even if you only can say “Merci” and “Bonjour” you will be just fine.
Currency: The currency is the Canadian Dollar which is not the same as the US Dollar. However, many places will accept US dollars if that is all you have. However, I recommend getting Canadian Dollars or using your credit cards because the exchange rate is not 1/1 and you cannot expect your server or cashier to do the conversion for you.
Cell Plans: Most major US carriers either include Canada in their plans or have a package you can add-on to include Canada. Check with your provider before leaving. Wifi is also available in most places, so connectivity should be pretty easy.
What to pack: The winter carnival is in the dead of winter so it is very likely to be very cold. Since it is on the Saint Lawrence River it can also be windy so you definitely want to pack warmly. This earlier post is full of packing tips, but in addition, you will want to make sure you pack appropriate cold weather gear:
Winter Jacket
Lined Hat
Warm Gloves
Winter Boots with Grip Soles
Scarf
Base Layers
Wool socks
Warm Sweaters
Hotshot warmers for your hands and feet
I wish you a warm, cozy, and adventure-filled stay in Quebec City! It is truly a charming one-of-a-kind experience in North America. If you have any questions about planning a trip to Quebec, let me know and I will be happy to do all I can to help out!
Yippee!! For many people, it’s time to start thinking about vacation!! Time to start researching places, flights, accommodations, things to do…putting together this year’s adventure of a lifetime! I cannot wait to get started…who is with me? Anyone????
Ok, ok, so I get it…trip planning can feel like the equivalent of an avalanche barreling down on you at a 100 mph. But boy, I do love to plan a trip and, like any good type-A personality, I have a process for adventure planning. By the time we are airport bound we have a game plan to be excited about and fewer things to be stressed about.
Going on vacation is supposed to be fun and (IMHO) so should planning the vacation! It should be the big anticipation builder that gets everyone excited. So grab a glass of wine and let me share a few of my tips & tricks that should make planning your next vacation (at least a bit more) exciting!
I created a Vacation Planning Workbook to help you plan your perfect getaway. Grab your free guide below, add a glass of wine and plan away!
So the world is a pretty big place, which brings up the question, how on earth (pun intended) do you pick what corner should be explored? So the first thing to decide, in conjunction with your vacation sidekicks, is what type of trip you want to have. This is a big topic for us each year when we start to plan vacations. We spend a lot of time chatting about what we want to experience with our trips which helps to narrow down the target locations. Exploring all the options can be pretty fun!
I pulled together a list of questions that are good vacation exploration conversation starters.
Question 1: What type of trip are you planning?
Family vacation
Couples trip
Boys or girls trip
Romantic getaway
Question 2: What is the length of the trip?
Weekend/long weekend
Week
Two weeks or longer
Question 3: What types of location(s) is preferred?
City
Small town
Mountains
Beach
Question 4: What regions of the world are preferred?
Africa
Asia
North America
South America
Central America
Caribbean
Europe
Middle East
Question 5: What are the weather and timing preferences?
Warm weather
Cold weather
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
High season
Low season
Question 6: What type of accommodations are preferred?
All-Inclusive Resort
Cruise
Hotel/Motel
AirBnb
Adventure accommodations: camping, camper car, tree house, boat, etc.
Question 7: What types of experience(s) are you interested in?
Road Tripping
Chilling in one place
Adventures seeking: Hiking, biking, yoga, boating, paragliding, etc.
Relaxing: spa, pool, reading, etc.
Cultural activities: Museums, historic monuments, theatres, etc
Educational experience: Learning a new skill or hobby such as a foreign language or organic farming
Fashion & Shopping: Checking out the latest in the fashion world
Question 8: What is the budget?
Luxury: Going all out of this trip and expenses are not a primary concern.
Comfort: Travel in relative comfort but no need to be extravagant.
Budget: Watching the dollars and it’s more about the experiences.
Being on the same page with your travel sidekicks for what you want out of your vacation is important. These are the types of questions that will impact the destination you choose and the itinerary you create.
Tip to Make it Fun: One fun idea is to host a tapas and wine evening with your fellow travelers, print out this list and have everyone fill it out. Then compare and see what commonalities everyone has to help pick a destination!
Right now, I am planning 3 different types of trips:
Norway: This trip is to celebrate my hubby’s 50th birthday. He prefers adventurous and active vacations (most people need a vacation from his idea of a vacation). Since his birthday is in February he wants to ski in a new and exciting location. His travel style is minimalist, off the beaten path, authentic experience with local people and culture. Because we travel a lot and want to stretch our travel dollars as far as possible, we tend to vary between budget and comfort.
Ireland: This trip is for my sister and brother-in-law to celebrate my sisters 40th birthday. They want a road trip that will allow them to see all the well-known sites of Ireland in a zippy and sporty convertible. One of their hobbies is making beer so they want to take a tour of pubs and sample plenty of pints. They want this trip to be between Comfort and Luxury budget because they don’t travel as much and are celebrating a big birthday milestone!
Amazing Beach Destination (TBD): This is a girls trip that will be a long weekend to celebrate the 40th birthday of one of the best friends of my sister and me. She wants a relaxing and gorgeous beach location that is a new destination for the 3 of us. She doesn’t want to think too much and come home feeling recharged and refreshed for life with her toddler. Our budget for this trip is comfort.
So you can see how planning the details of these from accommodations, transportation, food, and activities will be very different. If I tried to plan any of these vacations without this info it would likely just turn into wasted time. But now that I know, I am full steam ahead to present viable options to the travelers.
So once you pick the destination of your adventure, if traveling abroad there is the (not so minor) detail of travel document requirements. While it has not happened to me, I have had several friends get to the airport only to discover they could not get on the plane because their international travel documents were not in order. Literally a vacation killer!
Both the US and Canada enjoy some of the highest travel flexibility in the world. However, you should still always verify the requirements before booking your dates to ensure you have plenty of time to get your documentation together.
Passports: Of course if you don’t have one…get one. But in addition, many countries have a time frame for accepting passports that are close to expiration. Usually, this timeframe is within 3 – 6 months of expiration. However, it does vary by country so make sure you double check the expiration date on your passport and the window of acceptance of the country you are visiting.
Visa: Especially important if your trip is for an extended period but even if a shorter trip it is always a good idea to check out the requirements. If a visa is required make sure you take into account the timing and requirements of the foreign government before purchasing airfare. This is a helpful website for checking the visa requirements by always double verify with official government websites for latest information.
Immunizations: Check the requirement for immunizations for any country you are traveling to so that you get them timely and have the medical to take with you as proof. This US CDCsite that is easy to use when determining what vaccinations you may need.
Step 3: Creating a budget
If you are not high rolling on this vacation, consider creating a budget. Ok, so for some maybe a bit over the top type-A, but I find it to be a stress saver for:
Managing expectations on how much money will be spent and how it will be spent.
Providing transparency to everyone funding the trip which can be especially important if you are traveling with people who will be splitting costs.
Alleviating financial anxiety while on vacation.
Tip: Making a budget can double as a tiebreaker. In the past, when torn between destinations a budget helped us make the final decision. At least I find this to be a better decision-making method than a rousing game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
So what to include in a budget? Well, this CPA (that would be me!) is more than happy to help out with that (you could call it my expertise :-)!
Arrival and Departure Transportation: Cost of airplane tickets, train tickets, or gas if driving your car.
Destination Transportation: Some typical expenses can include rental car and gas, public transportation passes, or even train/plane tickets if you are location hopping.
Accommodation: Cost can vary vastly depending on where you are staying, but also can have a big impact on your vacation experience. Typically this is where the balancing act between cost and desired experience can be the most tricky. So check your options across hotels, AirBnb, hostels/guesthouses, campsites, campervan etc. to determine where and how to stay for your vacation.
Entertainment: Cost of places you want to visit, events you will attend, or activities/experiences you want to have. These can add up quickly so if you are in a situation of picking and choosing knowing cost could help with making a decision.
Food & Alcohol: This is one expense area that can sneak up on you since eating is pretty much required regardless of which corner of the earth you are in. Especially if you are on a budget this is also one area where you can have the most control. For example, opting for an AirBnb with access to a kitchen can really help control costs by cooking some meals as opposed to always eating out.
Cell Phone Plan: If traveling internationally it is likely that you will need access to your phone and if you are outside of a major city, relying on wifi could be tricky. For more information on cell service when traveling internationally, check out this earlier post.
Souvenirs: Plan for any shopping or keepsakes you want to bring back with you. I have this one in here because there is nothing I love to say more than “Oh this…I got it at this great little boutique in Paris”. I just need to know if I am planning to spend $100 or $1000 on this adorable piece of something before my “shopping spree” begins.
Tip: If you are traveling with others and splitting expenses there are some great apps that keep track of split costs and allocates to each party, eliminating stress over who owes what. At the end of the trip, it is much easier than digging through a pile of receipts. I have used both Splitwise and Share-a-Bill apps and can recommend either since they function similarly and are easy to use.
Step 4: Booking a Flight
Booking a flight can be one of the most stressful parts of the trip. Forever in search of the perfect combo of price and itinerary, hours can be spent hunting the perfect flight.
Trip Timing: Having flexibility in your trip timing can be a big price saver. So if you have flexibility take into account: :
High Season vs. Low Season: Not arriving at the peak of high season will help to minimize cost not only with the plane ticket but often with the whole trip. Plus you don’t have to battle all the crowds!
Day flexibility: Fares can vary drastically by day and most sites will let you compare prices on flex days (or if they don’t find use another site). There have been many times we have saved several hundred dollars just by flying a day earlier or later than our initial plan.
Finding Affordable Flights: Ok, so this might be the task that is the most dreaded (me included) but can save some serious $$$ in the travel budget. A new discount air tracker is always popping up, but some of our favs right now are:
Google Flights: So easy to look at pricing months out, easy to compare price by destination, and they aggregate across most of the airlines. Plus they have this cool “I’m feeling lucky” feature that will randomly select a place (I love seeing what they come up with).
Momondo: One of the most popular flight and pricing aggregators currently out there, another great option for flight searches.
Kiwi: We just used this site to book our Norway trip and we ended up paying 50% less than originally budgeted by being flexible on which days of the week we flew.
Airfare Sale e-Mail lists: Ok, so this is possibly one of the coolest ways to stumble upon an unexpected trip or even find an awesome fare on a planned trip (like we just did with Norway!). I totally recommend signing up for them:
Scott’s Cheap Flights: My current fav, so easy to use and I love to see what places drop into my inbox daily. I currently use the free subscription but am likely going to upgrade to the premium because the cost is nothing compared to the potential savings.
Delta Flash Sales, Air Canada Destination Offers (or whichever airline you hold frequent flyer miles or can use credit card miles). I had a friend just book tickets on Delta to Turks & Caicos for 8,000 points round trip (that is seriously nothing!)
TPG, The Points Guy: Not only great tips on airfare but general tips on maximizing your travel dollars and experience.
While we mostly travel on Delta and Air Canada and have status perks, we are not so loyal to them or their partner programs that we will pass up an awesome airfare on another airline (some travel-holics are stringent about it, but not us). So which camp you fall into is totally up to you, both have perks.
Step 5: Booking Accommodations
Choosing your type of accommodation has a huge influence on your vacation and just like buying a house the most important thing is location, location, location to keep you close to your activities and desired experience.
Do you want the option to cook or no freaking way…you are on vacation it is someone else’s turn to cook!
Have maid service each day or do you own tidying up?
Sharing a room with others or opt for a bit of privacy?
Be easily accessible to your activities or commuting a bit isn’t a problem.
We don’t go all out on accommodation expense since we are not there to hang out in a room. To fit into the flow of our vacation, the items most important to us are location, cleanliness, and price. Like airfare, there are tons of sites/apps to find a place to stay. There are the traditional ones such as Expedia, Priceline, Trivago, or Kayak that are great for hooking you up with a hotel/motel/resort.
But, to be honest, we rarely stay in a traditional hotel/motel setting when traveling. There are too many unique experiences to have so I rarely use those sites for finding accommodations. Instead, apps/sites we love are those that allow us to discover hidden gems:
AirBnb: We love AirBnb because unlike any hotel or resort it allows you to live amongst the locals. Plus you can customize your vacation including experiences, pricing, amenities, and accommodation type. By renting a house, private room in a house, or shared room in a house you get an experience that is more authentic, local tips & tricks from your host and save money. We have never had a horrible experience (sure some were better than others) with AirBnb and as early adopters of the concept have been using it for years.
AirBnb Tip: Always read the property description and rules for any place you are considering reserving. Read at least a sampling of the reviews that were left by previous travelers. These are the best ways to ensure that you are aware of what your experience will be like. Also, always leave a review after your stay. AirBnb is a social platform that relies on feedback to make sure that future travelers have a great experience too.
Booking.com: So amongst the plethora of hotel/motel aggregators and booking sites things I love about this site include:
I have never found another site that beat their pricing
Once your account is set up booking is super easy (account setup is easy too),
Just in case it is needed, the cancellation is generally crazy flexible. The site is super clear about the property cancellation policy before you book and they even send an email reminder when the cancellation deadline is coming up (seriously cool, right?).
Not only does booking.com have hotels and motels they have smaller local accommodations as well such as B&Bs, hostels, and guesthouses.
By pairing AirBnb with Booking.com, we get the full range of accommodations available to us.
Tip: Before booking a location use Google street view to check out the neighborhood. This is great for getting a sneak peek at the surrounding area for your home away from home.
Un-Ordinary Vacation Tip: Some of the best vacations can be adventure accommodations such as a camper car to hop from place to place, camping in really cool places, staying in a tree house, or renting an airstream on a beach. If you are at all interested in checking out vacation with a bit of a twist check out the options on AirBnb, people have come up with some really inventive ideas!
Camping on the Adriatic Sea in the Croatian Dalmatian Islands. Note to self: zip the tent and hide the mess next time 🙂
Step 6: Destination Transportation
Whoo Hoo! Vacation is booked, flights, accommodations, and you have lots to see and do. You just have to figure out how to get from place to place. Of course, your need for transportation is going to depend on your vaca itinerary.
Public Transportation: I love a city with good public transportation…LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. It makes it so easy-peasy to get around a city quickly, efficiently, and affordably. These days navigating public transportation almost stress-free. Most large cities have their own public transportation apps, so between those and Google Maps this can be a no-brainer way to move around a city. Before leaving read up on the city’s public transportation options and how to buy passes once you arrive.
Bicycle: Sightseeing on a bike is becoming a bigger and bigger trend in the US, but it has been popular in destinations like Europe for many years. I also love a city with a bike rental system. These systems allow you to rent bikes for short-term periods either for free or minimal cost. You can pick up and drop off a bike at stations around the city (a concept the same as a bus or metro stop). If you are up for a bit of exercise, the weather is great, and you want to see the sites from behind handlebars, check to see if this option exists in your destination. Most cities will have an app for the bike system so using it is simple.
Tip: If you love the idea of exploring a place on a bike but your destination does not have a rental bike system, then look for local bike shops that rent bikes.
Zipping around London on a city bike!
Rental Cars: For hopping from town to town the first option that comes to mind is renting a car. Before renting a car abroad read up to find out if an International Drivers License is required in the country(ies) you will be visiting. It is always helpful to read up on driving laws as there are always differences and they are not always posted (or even if they are, not easily decipherable). Our preferred sites for getting the best deal on rental cars are RentalCars.comand Kayak. Also, to get the best rates it is advisable to book in advance.
Buses, Planes or Trains: Other options for town hopping in some destinations, such as Europe, are buses, planes, and trains. Often very affordable if purchasing a “local” ticket there is also usually lots of flexibility with timetables. My favorite is to tour an area by train. Not only is it relaxing, it is a bit romantic/nostalgic to sit back with a glass of wine and watch the passing countryside. If in Europe my fav app/website to use for booking is GoEuro, which allows you to compare prices and times across all three transportation methods.
Hopping the train from Code d’Azur to Paris
Scooter/Vespa: Ok, so this might be a bit personal but I am Vespa OBSESSED. O.B.S.E.S.S.E.D. So obsessed I bought one for home because it makes me feel like I am on vacation when I am zipping around on it in the summer (not the best transportation option for winter since I live in Canada). However, if you are in a destination, such as Europe, where scooters are a common transportation method and you are comfortable driving one, do it!
My first time driving solo on a Vespa and in Tuscany, Italy. After all, isn’t Italy the perfect place to learn to drive a Vespa?
Step 7: Things To Do (Explore! Explore! Explore!)
Rarely on vacation is the problem boredom and a question of what to do (or if it is you should definitely be re-thinking your vacations). Instead, it is tough decision making on what won’t make the cut. At least that is usually how I feel! The excellent news is that there are so many great ways to get feedback and suggestions from those who have already “been there, done that”. This type of feedback can remove some of the guessing game and make the decision process a bit easier.
Social Media: Find travelers with similar interests to yours and discover their “can’t miss” suggestions:
Blogs: Awesome resources for more in-depth information and pics on places to see and do. Most bloggers also usually include tips and tricks that are sooo helpful to know before you get there.
Instagram: My favorite social app for travel purposes, especially now that you can follow hashtags. Follow travel Instagram accounts and hashtags for your destination to get lots of amazing pics and plenty of ideas for places to add to your itinerary.
Facebook: Use the “Looking for Recommendations” capability to get feedback from people in your network who have already made the same voyage. I am usually surprised at how many of my peeps have already traveled to the same place and have great ideas.
Pinterest: Search for your destination, then create a beautiful board to pin all of the things you would like to do. What is really great about Pinterest is that you will continue to get suggestions on new items for your board.
Official Tourism Websites: A great way not only to check out the best things to do, but also a great resource for price checking activities (including finding the free options).
Tour Companies: For activities you can’t do on your own or would be a better with an experienced person check out local tour companies. I do highly suggest reviewing cancellation policies and checking reviews before purchasing. Tripadvisoris great for checking out reviews and selecting a tour company.
Other Apps: Some great apps that I like for checking out suggestions on things to do are Culture Trip and Google Trips.
So now you should have a list of all the awesome and cool things you want to do. If you need to narrow it down you now have the budget and time information you need to make decisions. Even for things that don’t make the final cut there is good news! Your adventure will still be exciting and now you have Instagram and Pinterest to live vicariously through for the missed items.
Old School Travel Tip: Even with the easy access to fantastic travel information online I do still love to buy the travel book (Fodors, Frommers, Lonely Planet, etc.) for a few reasons. First is that it is a great souvenir that makes me happy when I see my bookshelf with all the books from my travel destinations. Also, it is nice to have a book with you to follow along with on your trip, especially if you are in areas where wifi is not always reliable or accessible.
Do It All Tip: Since there is never time to do it all, there are two “typical tourist” activities we like to do! Insert image of a person with a camera around neck, phone on selfie-stick, following a person waving a flag here. But potentially embarrassing tourist activities aside, we find these great for getting a city overview (confession: it is pretty fun too)
Bus Tours: On the first day, take the tourist bus to get a good overview of the whole city. This is perfect if you only have a short amount of time in a place or to map out the places you like best and want to go back later on your trip to explore more in-depth.
City Pass: If there are a lot of popular attractions you want to visit, many cities offer a “city pass” or a “city tour” that you can purchase. This often gives you access to the most popular attractions at significant discounts.
Playing tourist on the NYC Blue Bus with my sisters! It was my youngest sister’s 21st birthday and we took her to NYC for the first time. Since our time was limited we wanted to make sure she saw it all!
Step 8: Create an Itinerary
Now that all the pieces of your trip are done, you are ready to organize into an itinerary. An itinerary for helping to make sure you are doing items close to each other on the same day (as much as possible), deciding which days to purchase any advance tickets, and prevent from wasting ½ of each day in the “So what do you want to do?” ritual.
But my best vacation tip: Be flexible! Give yourself some space for that “can’t miss” place you discover, or for the plan that doesn’t go perfectly and requires some an on-the-fly revision. Take this bit of advice coming from a self-confessed Type-A personality who loves a well-made plan! Now…go have a fabulous adventure!
If you have not downloaded the Vacation Planning Guide to help you plan your getaway now would be a perfect time!
P.S. If you have any trip planning hacks you want to share with me, I would love to hear them! Leave in comments below or send me an email.
P.S. x2 As you get a bit closer and it’s time get the final details done, check out these blog posts for tips on making sure all goes smoothly as possible.
Iceland is a unique trip for most people so preparing for it can be a bit baffling. Before our trip we were fortunate to get immensely helpful tips and tricks from friends who had previously visited. So I am combining those with the tips and tricks that we learned during our trip in hopes that this will help with the question “What exactly do I need to know about Iceland and what in the world do I pack?”
Those little things you wish you knew before you arrived that might make your trip just a bit smoother.
Currency
The local currency is the Icelandic Krona, but worry not because money is super easy over there. In fact, we didn’t have cash at all during our trip because literally everywhere accepts credit cards. Even the bathroom stalls (and you do have to pay for some of them!). This is likely because there are some very isolated areas where ATMs are not available and you would be stranded without a card. However, make sure that your credit card providers are aware of your travel plans. You will be swiping a lot and you definitely don’t want to be cut off. For more tips on foreign currency check out this prior post.
Budget
Iceland is notoriously for its high prices for some basics such as food and drinks. But with a bit of planning this trip is very affordable.
1. Plane Ticket Budget
Getting to Iceland from the US or Canada is really affordable. If you watch prices it is very easy to get a round-trip ticket for $400 or less on WOW airlines. What I also love about WOW is that you can schedule a layover in another European city for no extra cost. So you may want to consider slipping in another destination for a week or two!
2. Food & Alcohol Budget
While the flights to Iceland can be a steal, once you are there it is notoriously expensive. However, with a bit of planning it should not be an issue. Some of our fav ways that we saved $$$:
Alcohol: While alcohol prices in Iceland can make you want to jump on the bandwagon for the duration of your trip, there is a solution! Purchase at duty-free and stuff it in your carry on. We each purchased 2 bottles of wine and those 4 bottles lasted us all week.
Tip: If you are bringing bottles or wine or plan to buy bottles at the grocery store once you are there, don’t forget to throw a corkscrew into your suitcase.
Food: Usually I love to experience the local cuisine and while we ate dinner out a few times we considered this to be an adventure trip instead of a gastronomic trip so we saved a lot of money by being creative.
Breakfast:
We bought a variety of breakfast bars and foods with us.
The traditional Icelandic yogurt, Skyr, is super good, affordable, and can be picked up at any grocery store or gas station.
Look for guest houses or hostels that include breakfast with their rate. We stayed at a few places that included breakfast and found it to be quite good.
Lunch & Snacks:
Like breakfast bars, bring along snack foods like crackers or granola bars in your suitcase.
Find a grocery store during your trip and stock up on sandwich items, fruit, and other items that are easy to eat in the car.
Dinner: We did eat dinner out a few times and if you love fish you definitely want to try some since this is one of their specialties (usually caught right off the side of Ring Road!). But the rest of the time this is how we rolled:
Stayed at AirBnB’s or Guest Houses that had a kitchen so we also cooked easy things such as pasta.
N1 Gas Stations are affordable with a surprising array of food such as salad bars, pasta bars, soup, hamburgers, etc.. In some of the tiny villages this is only “restaurant” around so you will see lots of locals there as well.
Tip: You CANNOT leave Iceland without eating at least one bacon wrapped, cheese hot dog. Yummy!
Rental Vehicle
Renting a car is pretty much required in Iceland if you want to leave Reykjavik. In fact, Iceland is pretty much a road trip vacation. The terrain is very rough on cars and the rental car companies are super stringent about any damage to the vehicle. Honestly, this was one of the biggest sources of stress on our trip. So if you don’t want to spend 80% of your car time (and there is a lot of car time in Iceland) freaked out about the state of the car, 2 things to splurge on:
Additional Insurance: At a minimum buy the gravel, wind and volcanic coverage because the risk is real. We received the same advice before we left and still debated it at the rental car counter but ultimately went with it. And once on the road, we were so happy we did because it did alleviate some of the driving stress.
Get the 4X4: Always the budget travelers we opted for the economy car and ended up with a Nissan Micra. Cute but definitely not practical even for parts of the Ring Road (we didn’t drive on any F-roads). We were chasing hubcaps several times as we bounced over parts of the roads (some of our funniest memories but still I don’t recommend it).
Tip: Many of the roads on the interior of the island are referred to as F-Roads and it is illegal to drive on them unless you have a 4X4 but even then they are known to be quite dangerous.
We were lucky that even though we were missing a hubcap we were not charged additional amounts for car damage. We heard several people telling horror stories about paying thousands of dollars due to damage. I promise you both of these will take a lot of anxiety out of your trip.
Our adorable Nissan Micra at Pjofafoss Waterfalls. It was a cute car, but we wished we had opted for the 4X4 even though a bit more expensive. Note our missing rear hubcap 🙂
Cell Service
Iceland is very well connected and there are mobile hotspots everywhere to make connecting to google maps or searching for information on the next destination easy. Even so, though there are remote areas (especially in the North) without wifi. We both purchased the Verizon travel pass on our phones which at just $10 per day was really affordable. Check out your phone providers options, but generally, this is pretty easy in Iceland. For more info on international cell phone plans check out this prior post.
Tip: Even with travel passes on our phones in some of the more remote areas the signal was not always reliable so be prepared with knowledge of your route just in case.
Other Tips & Tricks
Language
Icelandic is the official language but not to worry because nearly everyone speaks English. Which is a relief because while it is lovely to listen to them communicate in their language, it is not one you are going to master in time for the trip. As hard I tried I was never able to pronounce a word the same way twice.
This pretty much says it all when it comes to trying to understand the Icelandic language in time for your trip. This t-shirt made me laugh each time we saw it in a gift shop.
F-roads vs. Paid Tours
Many of the interior roads on the islands are called the F-roads and it is illegal to drive on them without a 4X4. So if you think you want to venture into them you most definitely want to upgrade the rental car to a 4X4. However, if off-road driving is not your cup of tea even with a 4X4 (like ours) there are plenty of tours that can take you into some of the amazing interior portions of the island.
Car Time
There is a lot of car time involved in an Icelandic vacation getting from place to place. A lot and especially in the north. The good news is that it is beautiful and lots of opportunities to stop and stretch your legs. But be prepared for hours in the car between locations (such as downloading any audible books, podcasts, or music playlists in advance).
Chargers
Iceland is in Europe so make sure to bring along converters for charging your devices. Since there is so much car time this can be a great time to charge up all your devices. In addition to phone car chargers, a charging pack like this could come in handy for multiple devices or even for charging a.
What to Pack
You will be spending most of your time in the car or doing outdoor activities so if I had to pick 3 words for packing for an Iceland vacation it would be: warm, casual, comfortable. I strongly advise against packing cute/go-out clothing because you really won’t have an opportunity to wear them and will wish you had used the space in your suitcase for something more practical. Everyone you see is going to be dressed similarly so unless you are going out for a night on the town in Reykjavik anything other than comfy outdoor gear and you will be wayyyy overdressed.
Lots of Layers: You will be shedding or adding clothes between sitting in the car and getting outside to explore. Plus depending on the sunlight it can get “warm”. So layers of shirt, sweater, and a jacket is definitely recommended.
Cold weather accessories: Hat, gloves, scarves, and socks (warm and at least calf length)
Base Layers – Merino wool base layers are the best, but any base layers that you have definitely bring along.
Rain/Wind Gear: A jacket that doubles for both rain and wind protector as well as an umbrella. It rained the whole time we were there and many areas are very windy. But even if you are lucky enough not to encounter rain you will be getting close to a lot of waterfalls and so the rain jacket comes in quite handy on a daily basis.
Cold Weather Jacket: Down jackets are really the best, but regardless of material you will want to have a warm jacket, especially in the winter. It can always come off if needed. We were there in late September and with the rain and chilly weather we often wore our rain jackets over the top of our cold weather jackets and that kept us comfortable.
Materials: Cashmere and wool are the best cold weather materials to keep you warm so pack those if you have them!
Hiking Boots/Shoes: Not cute, fashionable wanna be hiking shoes but durable comfortable hiking shoes (and they can be cute…I have a very cute Salomon pair). Unless you are just poking your nose out of the car to observe (and I certainly hope not) you will be doing lots of walking over rough terrain. And the area around waterfalls is really slippery so you want a good grip.
Bathing Suit – While you are not likely going to jump in the ocean you most definitely want to slip into at least one hot spring while you are there!
Towel – This definitely comes in handy if you are going to stop and dip into hot springs. Even at the larger lagoons/hot springs the towel rental can be expensive (around $5). Plus depending on your accommodations towels may or may not be included. I threw in a camping microfiber towels from REI which is super thin and fast drying making it perfect.
Map of Iceland – Throw it back to 1995 and bring along an old-school map of Iceland. Audrey brought one along this Michelin Map and it came in quite useful a few times because when cell service was under 3G our GPS was not always reliable.
Camera – This is one of those vacations that would be perfect to turn into an animated flip book because just about every square inch is a photography dream (whether you are a novice or a pro). So make sure to bring along your photography equipment (camera, tripod, or other fancy schmancy stuff you have). For some vacations your phone is enough, but for Iceland you will really want that camera.
Food & Such – Don’t forget to add any food items or corkscrew that you are opting to bring along.
Toiletries – Add a packet of tissues or wet wipes to your toiletries along with a ziplock bag. There can be long stretches of road without access to a restroom so if you have to stop on the side of the road you will be really glad you have these (and you do not want to leave behind any litter).
Bonus Pro Tip: Car doors can double as privacy shields if you have to make an emergency roadside stop.
Tip: If your itinerary is going around Ring Road and moving accommodations every day or two remember that you will be hauling your suitcase out of the car and repacking A LOT. I definitely recommend packing as light as possible. If you can find guesthouses or AirBnB that has access to a washer and dryer this will also help you limit what you need to bring. By packing just 2 outfits each we were both able to get everything in a carry-on suitcase. For more on packing light, take a peek at this earlier post.
Planning Your Trip
Kerri & Audrey Iceland 2017 Itinerary, Route, and Places Visited
So I am just going to put it out there…you won’t be able to do it all. I am convinced you could live there and not do it all. There are infinite things to do and to this day I still see amazing pics on Instagram of all the things we missed and I am green with jealousy. So while everyone puts together a “Top 10 List” keep in mind that is from their trip and they probably missed all kinds of things too. Just driving down the road in Iceland is an experience and you will want to stop every 2 miles (seriously, just wait and see).
We booked our trip last minute and we stayed in Iceland only for a week and once we started planning realized that we should have gone for a minimum of 10 days (really 2+ weeks is more ideal). However, those were the tickets so we did some mad planning! You can go here to see that places we visited in Iceland.
Ring Road – This is the road that circles the whole island and will be the primary route for your journey. Many of the more popular tourist attractions are in the south (like Golden Circle), which means most people depart Reykjavik taking Ring Road south. However, because of our chosen itinerary, we actually did the opposite and departed Reykjavik going northwest.
I recommend starting with the Northern part of the island first and working your way to the south because it is more scenic in this direction. How do I know this you ask? Well, interesting story! When we were 60% around the island a bridge on Ring Road collapsed due to rain and that section of the road was closed for the duration of our trip. We had to turn around and drive all the way back around the island to get to the southern part. We lost a day of our trip, but we were able to see the island from both directions and we found north to south to be more beautiful.
Accommodations – Outside of the main cities and some of the larger villages the typical hotel in Iceland is scarce. Most accommodations are Airbnb, Hostels, or Guest Houses. I love these types of accommodations because you get a chance to meet more locals or interact with other visitors to Iceland since you are often sharing a common living space.
For booking this trip Airbnb and booking.com were great resources for finding affordable accommodations almost anywhere on the island.
Tip: While I often take trips where my accommodations are not booked in advance I would recommend (at least on the first trip to Iceland) booking in advance. Rooms can be limited in some villages or a long distance outside of a village. We were there in a low season so there were open rooms, but in high season this could be a challenge. But also be flexible, you never know when you may run into a car or nature issue and requires you to change your plans without notice.
Other super-cool accommodation options that are available are camper vans and tent camping. While we did not do that on this trip I have done both of these in prior vacations and had a blast. I highly recommend them as a great way to have an adventure vacation. Iceland has a lot of campgrounds in which you can have both a camper van and a tent. My next trip to Iceland will likely involve a camper van.
Iceland Cheat Sheet – This is a pic I snapped at the airport when we arrived. Its stuffed full of good info about Iceland that we referenced several times during our trip! It might also help you pick the time of year you want to visit!
Most Importantly…Have Fun!
Best of luck with planning an amazing Icelandic adventure and if you have any questions send me a note and I will help out as much as I can! Or on the flip side if you have an Icelandic tip or suggestion send it to me so I can add to the list (with reader credit of course).
As one of the current hotspots for travelers, Iceland had my curiosity piqued and it was on my travel list. But to be honest, it was not at the top. As someone who already lives in 4 -5 months (minimum) of winter, I usually want to go to sunshine and warmth for vacation, not in search of more cold. However, one of my girl travel sidekicks, Audrey, had it high on her list and when we both started itching again with the travel bug and airline tickets were crazy cheap for both of us, the deal was sealed!
Preparing for our Iceland trip was an adventure in and of itself. So I wrote an accompanying piece about our lessons learned and tips & tricks to help you with planning a fabulous Icelandic adventure if you want to jump ahead!
Our Iceland Adventure
Beautiful, otherworldly, spectacular, rugged, jaw-dropping…just a few descriptors that come to mind when trying to describe Iceland. Despite rainy weather, missing the island’s east side and the Highlands due to an unexpected bridge outage (what is an adventure without a few unplanned mishaps), and losing some missing car parts (oops!) our seven days there exceeded all our expectations. (You can read a bit more about our mishaps here in the next blog postabout planning your Icelandic adventure)
I can’t wait to share with you what we discovered!
Northern Iceland
Kirkjufell Mountain
Located on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula next to the village of Grundarfjordur, Kirkjufell Mountain is said to be the most photographed mountain in Iceland. The view of the mountain is stunning from the road, but I recommend taking the very short walk up to Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall where the view is spectacular. As a photography hotspot, definitely expect to encounter tons of cameras and tripods, especially at sunset with the backdrop of the sunset and when the northern lights are on display in the winter. But this should not keep you from visiting if you are in this area of Iceland.
Godafoss Waterfalls
Over 98 feet wide Godafoss Falls translates to “Waterfall of the Gods”. According to local legend, when Christianity became the official religion of Iceland in the year 999 – 1000 a pagan priest threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall after converting to Christianity. We stayed nearby one night and the falls were so gorgeous we visited twice!
Husavik Village
One of the best places in Iceland to whale watch the small village of Husavik was founded in 870 A.D. According to the Icelandic Sagas, Gardar Svavarsson was the second Scandinavian to reach Iceland and founded the village after his ship was stranded by a storm and he was forced to spend a winter here. When he departed, he left behind some of his party who settled the village. But he was so inspired by Iceland that he did return.
Since neither of us had seen whales up close and personal in the wild, we decided to take a whale watching tour. While spotting a whale is not guaranteed, we had 7 sightings of Orca whales! This expedition had us both giddy with excitement and can definitely recommend if you are on the fence about taking one.
In addition to seeing whales who wouldn’t want the chance to strut around in this awesome outfit for 3 whole hours!!
We used Gentle Giants for our whale tour and I have to say they were amazing! I am sure the other tour companies are also great, but we really enjoyed our tour and the staff was so friendly and let us pepper them with questions! We learned a lot during our voyage about whales and their habits. For instance, did you know what the underside of the tail of an Orca is unique to the whale like a human fingerprint? These unique markings are used to identify whales and track them all over the world.
Photo credit of Audrey Ann Photography. Follow Audrey on Instagram!
Lake Myvatn (& Surrounding Area)
This massive volcanic lake that was created approximately 2300 years ago when a volcano erupted. It is a huge nature habitat with some many different experiences that it would be possible to spend several days here alone exploring. We did spend the majority of a day exploring but reluctantly had to leave to keep with our itinerary. Recommend stopping by the visitor center in Reykjahlid where they are awesome at helping you figure out what to go see based on your interests.
Photo credit of Audrey Ann Photography. Follow Audrey on Instagram!
Star Power: Apparently many scenes from Game of Thrones are filmed in the Myvatn Lake area so they may look familiar to some. However, I am apparently one of only 7 people on the planet who has never seen an episode so it was all new to me!
Grjotagja Cave (Lake Myvatn)
The lava cave has an underground that for many years served as a bathing pool but was closed in the 80’s due to the temperature of the water rising above 50 degrees Celsius (122+ degrees Fahrenheit). However, it seems that as of recently it may possible to bathe it again depending on the temperature which would be awesome! So that might be worth checking out if you are visiting the cave.
Not to be missed is the view from the top of the caves which has a large fissure dividing the ground and an amazing panoramic view of the mountains and you can even see steam rising off of the geothermal pools in the distance.
Namafjall Geothermal Area (Lake Myvatn)
Also known as Hverir this area has a spectacular array of colors created by sulfur crystals and boiling mud pots. It feels like you are stepping out of your car and into the planet Mars. You can walk around in this area and there is even a small hiking trail. Friendly warning: There is a very strong sulfur smell but it’s totally worth it and besides you start to get used to it after a few minutes.
Dimmuborgir (Lake Myvatn)
Called the Dark Fortress of Myvatn, Dimmuborgir is a massive lava rock formation field that was created 2300 years ago when molten lava for the volcanic explosion flowed over a pond. The formations were created when the water that was trapped beneath the lava turned into steam that escaped through vents in the lava. You can wander through the formations by following the paths that have been created.
Hofdi Peninsula and Kálfastrandavogar Lava Pillars (Lake Myvatn)
One of the few places we visited that was full of gorgeous vegetation and trees, the Hofdi Peninsula has beautiful walking trails that provide spectacular panoramic views of the lake. The peninsula also provides the perfect way to see the free-standing Kálfastrandavogar lava pillars. These free-standing pillars were created the same way as the Dimmuborgir formations.
Photo credit of Audrey Ann Photography. Follow Audrey on Instagram!
Icelandic Highlands: A total of 40,000 sq km the Icelandic Highlands is one of the largest uninhabited areas of Europe and has some of the most amazing beauty in Iceland (such as Landmannalaugar and Hekla Volcano). Due to the unfortunate Ring Road closure while we were there we lost our day to visit Landmannalaugar but we did drive through a small slice of it between Husavik and Hofn. The rugged, uninhabited beauty is just…wow and at the top of my list for my return trip (yup, that is definitely going to happen).
Southern Iceland
Golden Circle
One of the more popular tourist areas in Iceland you can expect to share space with a lot of people (in contrast to the hours you can spend on the road with few signs of other people). However, it is popular for a reason and so we spent a day exploring it and the surrounding area. Despite the numerous selfie sticks (I have an abnormal hatred of selfie sticks), it was worth it.
Gullfoss Waterfalls (Golden Circle)
A 2-tiered phenomenal waterfall and is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world (more powerful than Niagra Falls!). And to add to the mystical beauty of the waterfalls rainbows are created by the mist and sunlight. In fact, Iceland is full of rainbows so if you are looking for a pot of gold this is a good country to search.
Geysir Geothermal Area (Golden Circle)
Several well-known geysirs are in this area, including Great Geysir. Since it has been dormant since 1926 the chances of seeing it erupt are pretty slim. But not to worry because it’s neighbor, Strokkur Geysir, erupts approximately every 10 minutes and has a trajectory of 66 to 132 feet so it’s pretty impressive to watch!
Kerid Crater Lake (Golden Circle Area)
Formed around 6,500 years ago this crater is almost perfectly oval and its beauty comes not just from the gorgeous blue of the lake at the bottom, but also from the rocks of red and orange along with the colorful vegetation that grows within the crater. Kerid is on the way to the Golden Circle so definitely worth swinging by on your way.
Photo credit of Audrey Ann Photography. Follow Audrey on Instagram!
Note: There is a nominal fee of just 500 ISK (around $5 USD and $6 CAD), but don’t let this deter you!
Fridheimar Tomato Farm:
Ok, so not a site but definitely worth a visit, because one has to eat after all, right? Fridheimar is a tomato and cucumber farm that grows their produce in these amazing and gorgeous greenhouses that are kept warm by the geothermically heated water. So pop in and have possibly the best tomato soup and Bloody Mary’s in the world (seriously, in the world).
Pjofafoss Waterfall
Our most off the beaten path site that we visited. We were not sure the Nissan Micra would survive (Audrey had to convince me a few times not to turn around). However, put this under the “Totally worth it even if we could have driven off a cliff” checklist. We arrived at this waterfall just as the sun was setting and we were the only people there. This is why I love the path less traveled; it is when you find the most spectacular treasures.
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
Located right off of Ring Road it is one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland at 60 meters (197 feet). One of the really unique things about this waterfall is that you can walk behind it into a small cave with the water tumbling down in front of you. Super cool, but make sure you wear a rain jacket and hat because you will get wet (but completely worth it).
Note: You do have to pay a nominal fee to park and see the falls. Pay at an automated machine with a credit card. Don’t just park alongside the road to avoid paying because they are pretty aggressive about giving tickets (and they should be).
Secret Lagoon Hot Springs
Located in the small village of Fludir and dating back to 1891 the Secret Lagoon is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland. While it is far less crowded than Blue Lagoon, it is not quite a secret anymore and you are likely to be sharing the pool with other people. We were there at night, but it does have a feeling of being in nature and you can sip on a wine or beer while relaxing in the cozy waters enjoying the night sky.
Drangshlid
Right off the side of Ring Road, a series of houses and barn embedded into the bottom of a mountain that has a lot of elf folklore surrounding it. Elves or no elves these old houses are charming.
Reynisfjara Black Beach
One of the most famous of Iceland’s black-sand beaches due to several unique formations. The first of those is the basalt columns. This unique column wall was formed as a result of the cooling and cracking of thick basaltic lava flow at the surface.
Photo credit of Audrey Ann Photography. Follow Audrey on Instagram!
The second is the Reynisdrangar lava formations off of the shoreline. According to legend, these are actually two trolls that were trying to pull a ship out of the ocean but were caught by daylight, turning into stone.
And finally, the basalt column cave which you can slip into for a unique view of the basalt columns.
Kirkjufjara Black Sand Beach
Black sand beaches are a result of the lava flow from volcanoes but may not actually be sand! They can also be small black pebbles and these pebbles are quite beautiful. Kirkjufjara has several lookout points with very different views and both are quite stunning.
Blue Lagoon
We were on the fence about visiting Blue Lagoon due to many reviews that thought it was overrated, expensive, and too touristy. However, in the end, we decided to go to the Blue Lagoon because it would be the equivalent of not going to the Eiffel Tower when in Paris. So we literally hit it up on our way to the airport and we were both so glad that we did! We purchased the base level tickets, each bought one drink, and we were able to keep the cost reasonable. But it was an amazing experience and while there were lots of people there, we didn’t find it to be overcrowded as they control the number of people allowed to enter. Plus our skin was super fabulous after the silica mud mask that is included with the ticket (and we both splurged for the algae mask for an extra $4). However, the state of our hair with all that silica in it after flying back home and letting it air dry was a completely different matter. I should have taken a selfie cause it was a pretty…ummm…unique look!
Photo credit of Audrey Ann Photography. Follow Audrey on Instagram!
Iceland Bonus
One of the most famous things about Iceland is its horses. While they are smaller than the typical horse we are used to don’t you dare call them ponies. Once you see them you will know why…they are gorgeous and majestic, and regal. More importantly, they are friendly, love people, love being pet, and are everywhere on the island! So make sure you stop (and stop often) to give some attention and love to these beauties.
Until Next Time Iceland
And there you have it! That is our journey through Iceland. It’s like stepping off the plane into a whole other planet. And it should have been higher on my bucket list. I will definitely be back because there is so much left to explore due to our short trip, rainy weather, and missed the eastern side of the island. But it’s ok…because now I have lots of reasons to return!
All the places we visited and our route are shown on this map, but if you have specific questions feel free to ask!
Kerri & Audrey Iceland 2017 Itinerary, Route, and Places Visited
Iceland or Bust
So I am starting my must-see list for next time and I will keep adding to it as I discover more! I am sharing with you in case they are places you want to check out as options for your trip. If you have any “you just can’t miss this” places send them my way to add to my “Iceland or Bust” return list!
Western Iceland
Western Fjords
Lóndrangar Cliffs
Eastern Iceland
Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
Northern lights
Vatnajokull National Park
Klifbrekkufossar Waterfall
Bustarfell Red Houses
Southern Iceland
Thingvellir National Park
Fjallabak Nature Reserve: Landmannalaugar and Laugahraun Lava Fields
Myrdalsjokull Glacier Park
Take a Glacier & Ice Climbing Hike
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
Next Post: Preparing for a Trip to Iceland
If you are anxious to start planning your trip to Iceland and want some insider “been there done that” advice compiled from our trip visit the blog post Planning Your Iceland Trip.
Staying the same is kind of boring…easy and comfortable, but boring. It just so happens to be that time of the year when we all are thinking about how to be even more spectacular (I happen to think we all have some spectacular in us at this very moment). So I will just put it out there that I am not a fan of NYE resolutions. Often made spur of the moment and out of excitement (or pressure) they are often not changes we are truly committed to (fingers pointed in this direction). Which then means they are forgotten or pushed aside with the reality of everyday life and then later used as a weapon to beat ourselves up. At least these are my observations in my very scientific study of myself, family, and friends.
“I don’t call them New Year’s Resolutions, I prefer the term ‘Casual promises I make to myself that I am under no legal obligation to keep” – Funny e-card
“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans” – Peter F Drucker
Now with that said anyone who knows me knows that I am definitely a fan of goals and making life changes. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want to make positive changes in their life. These changes can be small like learning a new skill/hobby or trying an activity outside of a comfort zone. Or they can be a big change like moving, changing jobs/careers, going back to school, ending or starting a relationship. But regardless I believe that life changing decisions have to be tackled when you are ready, not because the calendar flipped to a day with a new ending digit.
Anytime is good for change..
Only you know when you are truly ready to tackle a change. Because let’s be honest, changes or new challenges are hard. If they were easy concepts like resolutions would not exist. And if you do take the plunge before you are ready the commitment and smart decision making are difficult. Knowing you are ready doesn’t mean you have all the answers, know the final outcome of the change, or that you are not nervous as heck. But instead it is a feeling of peace that you have this, you can do this, regardless of how it turns out you will land on your feet a better person on the other side (with maybe a few more tough lessons learned than you anticipated), and some excitement that you are beginning a new journey. Regardless of the size of the change, no one knows when you are ready except you.
From the time the idea of taking a pause on my 20+ year career came up until the time I actually did it, took 2 years. Two years of wrestling with the idea, rationalizing all the possible outcomes, talking with my confidants until I was blue in the face (and they wanted to run the other direction when they saw me). But I knew when I was ready and when I was at peace with the decision. I know the moment I thought “If I don’t do this, I will regret this when I am at the end of my life.” I knew that with 100% certainty even though I was scared to death and I didn’t have all the answers for how it would turn out (apparently my crystal ball is still on backorder). And I have been committed, I am all in 100% through all the fun days and the not so fun days. And I can measure what a better person I am for following through on my commitment but only when I was ready.
“Be patient. You’ll know when it’s time to wake up and move ahead” – Ram Dass
“And suddenly you know…it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings” – Meister Eckhart
“You gotta know when it’s time to turn the page” – Tori Amos
Starting Change – Building a Plan
The other intimidating thing about change is that it can seem so big or overwhelming. Good news: because change really happens slowly that means you have time! Time to tackle it one step at a time. As a self-confessed type-A personality I am a big fan of plans and I LOVE the sense of accomplishment of checking an item off the list. Look at your goal and break it into chunks that you can actually manage. Then each time you accomplish one you can move onto the next. It’s the best way to actually get moving.
So for example last year one of my goals was to start a blog because I love to write and I needed a creative outlet. For several months I stared at that goal written down in my planner and wondered how to even start. I knew nothing about setting up a blog, writing a blog, or even how to publish it. And it sat there for several months while I focused on other things which were also on my goal list. But it was always in the back of my mind. So finally in July my moment arrived when I was ready to tackle blogging and commit. So I broke it down into smaller goals to make it manageable:
July: Research blogs, read about them, find blogs I like and observe them, make notes of why I like them.
August: Research blog platforms and templates and choose an initial design
September: Watch tutorials, take webinars, and start setting up my website
October: Start writing content and get feedback from a few people
November: Keep writing and learning more about the capabilities and setup of my website
December: Start to publish my blog
And then each week I had an even smaller goal to support the monthly goal. It took me 6 months of work before I publicly publish my first blog. But I did it at a pace that fit in with the rest of my life, was achievable in pieces, and each month I could check off another item. And even when the time came for me to publish that first blog I was nervous as a snowball in summer because even though I had worked so hard on it I was making myself vulnerable in new ways. I was more open to feedback and criticism, but I also believe as painful as it can be which also is the only way I will continue to grow and get better. But I also feel a burst of pride, joy, and accomplishment when I publish a new post. Even if it’s only my family and friends that read it out of obligation.
“You need a plan for everything, whether it’s building a cathedral or a chicken coop. Without a plan you will postpone living until you are dead.” – John Goddard
“A goal without plans is just a wish” – Antoine de-Saint Exupéry
My Resolutions/Goals:
So my resolutions or goals are constantly evolving but I know what I am starting off 2018 focusing on. So in the interest of holding myself accountable I am sharing:
Launching my rental business
Finishing the renovation of our new investment property
Defining my list of services and offers for my guests that will differentiate me (because I never want to be another “me too” in anything I do)
Building out my blog to support my business endeavors and to continue to get joy from the creative outlet.
Character Building
Practicing patience with awareness (seriously no one on this planet is more impatient than I am)
Learning to collaborate more positively and effectively with my hubby on our new business venture (you would think that by now he knows my ideas are thoughts are always the right ones)
Purpose:
Spending more time with my family (the hardest part about living so far away from them)
Fostering the relationships that are positive influences in my life and letting go of negative ones (I am really bad about investing in the wrong relationships)
Note: I reserve the right to change or modify my resolutions/goals as my story for 2018 unfolds and I learn more.
Something new I started in 2017 was to pick a word that I wanted to focus on with my thoughts and actions. I learned about this in my voracious reading of achieving a balanced life and it just resonated with me and I loved the concept.
Breathing (word #1):
Definition: to pause, as for breath; take a rest
My first word because I needed to learn to stop, take a breath, release stress, and learn to let go and move forward. And hence the name of my blog thanks to the creative genius of my sister.
Presence (word #2):
Definition: The state or fact of being present, as with others or in a place.
And then my word evolved into the idea of being present. I was epicly bad at being in the current moment, I was missing out on so much, and that was not fair to me or the person I was with.
Intention (current word):
Definition: Purpose or attitude toward the effect of one’s actions or conduct
I have recently felt ready to tackle a new word and this is the one that comes to mind over and over. I want to approach the things I choose to spend my time on with intention. Not waste it on things that don’t bring me joy, happiness, or closer to accomplishing a goal.
I have become much more deliberate in the way I live my life over the past year instead of just letting it happen to me. The result has been more joy, control over my life story, deeper sense of accomplishment, and eagerness for each day. No matter where you are in your life, my wish for you in 2018 is that you are also experiencing life with the same happiness or that you are tackling the changes you need to start your journey there.
Happy New Year!!
P.S. As always I love to hear from all you guys about how you choose and tackle your resolutions and life changes. Your tips, tricks, and things that give you confidence to move forward. I love finding new ideas from others that I can use!
Travel days requires putting all the worldly possessions you need access to in one bag and (if you are lucky) one that does not create a pain in your neck (literally). The conflict of weight vs. inconveniently missing items is scarily similar to a 3,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. So with a few years of trial and error under my belt here are my recommendations for what goes in and and what stays out of the carry-on bag.
Include in Your Bag
Electronics: We all juggle our connectivity and productivity across the multiple devices of phone, tablet, and computer. And depending on the purpose of your trip you may needone or all of them. But heavens they are heavy, so think about what you will really use on a trip. I used to travel with all my devices but got tired of lugging around what could double as a gym weight. So as much as possible I try to travel with only my iPad or laptop depending on the trip.
Wallet and Identification: Yeah, so you are not getting on the plane without identification. But believe it or not…I have forgotten my wallet…more than once. And it isn’t fun. So definitely checklist worthy.
Beauty Supplies: A small bag of beauty pick-me-ups that are needed for a quick refresh. My bag includes: Hand cream, lip balm, toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, beauty blotters, and pressed powder.
Portable Charger: A lightweight charger to give a phone or tablet a second wind is a good investment for preventing moments of panic over a dying phone.
Phone charging cord: These days most airports and planes have USB chargers and they are lightweight it is a no-brained to throw one in.
Reusable water bottle: Buying water in the airport is super expensive (not to mention horrible for the environment) and most airports are really great about having bottle refill stations. I love this Platypus flat water bottle my sister put in my stocking last Christmas because it takes up absolutely no space in your bag when it is empty.
Snacks: Throw in your preferred munchie as a much better alternative to airport or airplane snacks. Granola or baggies of cereal make easy snacks to put in a bag.
Headphones/Earbuds: It definitely stinks to be stuck on a plane having to listing to chatter around you or without a way to prevent boredom during take off or landing. So headphones is one I definitely try to double or triple check that I have.
Travel Wrap/Blanket: Temperature is a finicky thing in airports and airplanes and shivering your way through a flight is no one’s definition of fun. Plus, it can help on longer flights for making you feel more comfortable and cozy in your seat. My fav travel wrap comes from Mur Sea and they have several different styles to choose from.
Business/Contact Cards: You never know when you are going to sit next to a super cool person that you want to exchange contact information with so make sure your cards are within easy reach.
Other (As Needed) Items: Not every flight requires these items, but did not want them to be overlooked just in case!
Book: If you are like me and just can’t get into the e-readers you might want to throw in a book. But personally I rarely take a book on a flight with me simply because of weight and size and other electronic entertainment options that are available.
Notebook and pencil case: for jotting notes when those fabulous ideas spring into your head and you need a quick place to jot them down before you forget
Glasses/Sunglasses: Throw in as required and needed!
Medications/Jewelry: Anything that you want to make sure arrives at your destination with you should go in your carry on, not checked luggage.
Pillow Ear Plugs, Sleep Mask, Cozy Socks: Everyone is a bit terrified of sleeping on a plane and what crazy thing you might do (or at least pretty sure I am not the only one with this terrorizing thought.) But sometimes it’s unavoidable for longer or red-eye flights so these might make you feel a bit more comfy.
On the Move Shoes: If you are going straight from the plane to a work meeting racing through the airport in heels can be painful. So slip a pair of flats or flip-flops in your bag so you can easily switch them around.
Consider Putting in Checked Luggage (or carry-on suitcase):
Computer power supplies are large, awkwardly shaped, and often add unnecessary weight. Unless you will be on a long flight, using your laptop and the battery will not last, this is one item you can put in your suitcase.
Books that you are not going to read while on the plane
Electronic devices you are not going to use (only in a carry-on suitcase)
Other Recommendations
Charge all your electronics a few hours before leaving home plug in all your electronics and get them fully charged.
Make sure you have downloaded your preferred entertainment to your devices. Whether it’s an Audible book, latest edition of a fav podcast, or a TV show do so before leaving home since airport connections can be slow or unreliable.
Tip: Many airlines now have apps for the in flight entertainment so check the app store for your airline and download before hopping on the plane.
Keeping your electronics with you probably goes without saying, but checking them in luggage is not a good idea of multiple reasons. So keep them with you but only travel with the devices you really need.
If you are going old-school (and that is totally cool) with a paper boarding pass take a pic of your boarding pass just in case it gets lost along the way to the gate. It happens more than you might think and it helps with getting a reprint at the gate.
So there you go! My items I just can’t live without for the duration of a flight. And if any of my fellow travelers have any other items or tips & tricks would love for you to share them with me!
So here you go! Off on your first adventure abroad (gosh I remember mine like yesterday) or maybe your first one in a long time. But either way you are about to embark on a fabulous adventure. And you are so excited! Except for those few unknown things that just might be causing a bit of anxiety. I remember those days and how I was so worried something would go wrong. And some of them did go sideways! But I have survived to tell the tale and hopefully share a few “first timer” tricks I have learned along the way. Now these items are just part of my travel prep checklist and don’t steal any of my pre-trip zzzz’s.
Foreign Currency
My friend Ali is about to embark on her first trip abroad and her #1 stress is making sure she has access to money. And for good reason, no one wants to spend part of their vacation hunting for a Western Union after a desperate phone call back home for funds. So to help prevent being stranded without access to money:
Credit & Debit Cards – Take more than one card so that if you do run into problems with any of your cards you have a back-up. But there are a few tips to help prevent those problems:
Call your card providers before traveling abroad to inform them of your plans. This will help prevent your transactions from being denied, flagged for fraud, or deactivated mid-trip. With fraudulent activity on the rise financial institutions are constantly (and thankfully) on guard for flagging what appears to be fraudulent transactions. But this also means they may shut down your card as a precaution especially if they are unaware of your travel plans.
Be sure to ask about all fees related to foreign transactions on your cards. Some cards can still have really steep fees when it comes to foreign transactions and you don’t want the unpleasant surprise once you are back home of unexpected and excessive fees.
Tip: Some cards are definitely more foreign fee friendly than others so if you are going to travel abroad regularly it might be worth checking into some other card options.
Cash & ATMs – While many places in the world (even some unexpectedly remote ones) accept credit or debit transactions there is always the chance of running into cash only situations or very limited access to ATMs.
Bringing at least a bit of starter cash. You have a few options for accessing foreign currency:
Visit your bank ahead of time to get cash in the foreign currency. If you are going to a more remote location this might be the safest bet. .
Bring cash that you can convert at a Currency Exchange which are very easy to find in all major airports and cities.
ATM usage – not all cards can be used at an ATM and some have exorbitant fees if you do use them. So make sure that you understand which cards can be used at an ATM and the fees related to withdrawing cash vs just using it as a credit card.
Even with as much as I travel and even though I notify my credit card companies in advance, I have had cards deactivated mid-trip. This could have created panic except that I did have a reliable fallback card and access to some local currently.
Tip from reader Jenn BB: I’d add to your credit card tips that once you’ve identified your Foreign transaction free card and notified your issuer of your travel plans never let a merchant convert the currency for you – let your card issuer do it! We were asked almost every transaction in Ireland which currency we wanted to use and hands down it was better to let them run it in Euros and let the bank do the fee conversion free.
Foreign Language
Language is a barrier that can be very intimidating when traveling, but this definitely should not stop you! If you really take the time to listen to people speaking in their native language it is beautiful and charming and one of the best things about traveling. One of the most courteous things you can do when traveling abroad is to learn the basics of the native language.
When traveling abroad Anglophones are pretty fortunate that in larger cities many people speak at least some English. But do not take that for granted as in some more remote areas this may not be the case. Plus your host country will appreciate the effort you put into learning some of their language. A few apps that make learning the basics both easy and fun are:
DuoLingo
Mosa Lingua
Tiny Cards
I also love that these apps make finding the time to take a lesson easy. Only have 5 minutes, no problem!
In addition, make sure that you have a translation app, such as Google Translate, downloaded for those instances when you do need some help. At least I know that I always want to know what I am ordering off of the menu or exactly how the metro works before hopping on!
Packing
Packing is one of the most dreaded parts of any trip and because of this 99.9999% of us over pack (guilty!). But lugging around a huge suitcase can actually complicate your trip and make it more overwhelming than it needs to be (voice of experience). This is really an area where the golden rule of “less is more” really does apply.
Tip: Before you even start packing ditch the idea that you need a “new and fresh” set of clothes for each day. It just simply is not true.
Clothes: Should mix and match and each piece used in a minimum of 2 outfits.
Shoes: take up way too much space so pack only 1-3 pairs. And comfort is the most important feature of most vacation shoes. It’s hard to spend a day exploring when your feel are screaming for mercy.
Toiletries/Cosmetics: Simplify your routine as much as possible so that you are not lugging your whole bathroom with you.
Plug-ins: If you are bringing along items such as hair dryers, computers, phone chargers definitely make sure you check the electric voltage and pack the necessary converters.
One of the best pieces of advice given to me and I still recall when I am in a packing frenzy is don’t sweat it because if you forget it you can just buy it there. The only thing you absolutely must have is yourself and your passport everything else is generally available at your destination. Think of it as a perfect reason buy another super cool as a souvenir. I love saying..”Oh these shoes? I just grabbed them at a boutique in Paris..”!
It’s real and if you are traveling more than a few hours in time zone differences you need to be prepared. When doing an international trip to a vastly different timezone (4+ hours) sleep habits can definitely put a kink in your plans. Heading out on a new adventure is so exciting and it can be hard to imagine falling asleep on the plane, but as much as possible use your plane time to adapt your internal clock.
For example, most trips to Europe from North America are overnight flights that last 6 plus hours. By sleeping on the plane (even staying awake for the airline meals is definitely not worth it) you will wake up in the morning hours of your destination and it will be easier for your body clock will be able to adapt to the new timey. This will let you maximize your time exploring your new destination and prevent sleeping in until noon wasting half of your day.
Tip: Pack a sleeping mask and ear plugs in your carry on bag make it feel cozy (or as cozy as possible when sleeping with 199 of your closest strangers).
Tip: Once you arrive at your destination as tired as you may be try not to take a nap or go to sleep the first night before 9:00 pm local time to help keep your body in the correct timezone on day 2, 3….
Cell Phones & WiFi
Although in my younger career days I was known to run around frantically looking for a cell phone signal, I am going to bet (or at least hope) that on vacation most are looking for a much needed break from having our noses glued to our phone. On the other hand it is nice to still have access for staying connected to family, getting directions, or researching your next adventure. While not so long ago this was quite difficult and expensive, now it is often easy and affordable to maintain connectivity with a bit of planning.
Cell Phone Plans
Short term trips – Most major cell phone companies have very reasonable travel access or passes. Just make sure you contact your provider to find out your options and pricing and select an option before leaving.
Long term trips – When we are gone for more than a few weeks we often find the local cell provider and purchase SIM cards with set amounts of data. For some people this might be a lot because it changes your phone number, but it can definitely be worth it for longer trips.
Tip: Recommend that you buy your SIM card for a large local company and not one of the small options you see in the airport or on the street to ensure you get the proper support and installation of the SIM card.
Tip: For Canadian’s international or travel passes are notoriously expensive from Canadian providers so we have found that it is cheaper for my hubby (who has a Canadian plan) to buy a SIM card. Since I have a US plan I have a bit more flexibility in choosing the best option than he does.
Tip: If you are planning to get a SIM card at your destination make sure that your phone is unlocked.
WiFi – Make sure you read about the level of connectivity for your destination, but so many places now have WiFi access. In addition to public WiFi many shops and restaurants can have WiFi available for their customers.
Instant Messengers – Make sure you have instant messengers installed that only require WiFi to communicate in case texting is not an option or you need to control your data. Options such as i Messaging, Facebook Messenger, and Skype will work just fine.
Tip: In Europe What’s App is wildly popular. So if you are headed to Europe any local people (such as AirBnB hosts) will want to communicate on What’s App so worth downloading before you go.
Other Tips
International Drivers License – If you are planning to rent a car to get around make sure you check the requirements as many countries require an International Drivers License. These are relatively easy to get and do not require a test, but do require a properly formatting photo.
Tip: In Canada you can get your International Drivers License at a CAA location and a bonus is that they are also equipped to take your pic in the proper format. Plus you get your license on the spot!
Reader Tip from Kim S: I find it handy to print addresses in which I need to know to show cab drivers, this is critical in non English speaking countries! Imagine ending up on the wrong side of Tokyo because you can’t pronounce the address correctly!
Tip from reader Philippe P: Another idea is to screen shot the addresses so they are available on your phone.
There you go! The top items people ask me about when they are traveling abroad the first time. But absolutely none of them should cause any anxiety if you take a few minutes to plan and prepare in advance of your trip so you can spend your energy on maximizing your adventure!
P.S. If you have any other things that create stress for you when traveling abroad and how you handle them, would love it if you shared with me so I can update the list!
My first trip abroad in 2009 began my love affair with Paris. What you don’t see in this pic are my bloody and bandaged feet, massive suitcase I had to haul around on the trains, and the stress of coordinating communications with myself and my siblings. #wishIknewthenwhatIknownow
It has somehow already been 10 months since I pushed the reset button and decided to take a break from my career. Not an easy decision because like most people I know I poured heart and soul into my career. I was (and still am) passionate about my profession. But it turns out I was pouring a little too much heart and soul into my career and not enough into the other important parts of life. It took me a few years from the time the idea started to the time I actually took the leap, but that is ok because I needed to reach a place of complete certainty.
As a recovering work-aholic I was shocked at how easy it was fill the last 10 months with productive things (no Netflix binge watching!!). I have relished sleeping through the night, checking long overdue items off the ominous to-do list, and pursuing some long postponed dreams (je peux parler français!!!). I think most who see me now will agree that I am a more pleasant version of me and while I will forever be a work in progress it’s a good start. Seriously lucky and thankful girl to have the flexibility and freedom to try a few new things out.
But… after reviving and refreshing I am ready to jump back into it! However, I had to figure out exactly what “it” is. So soul-searching began…what is important to me, what am I passionate about, and how can I rock my natural skills? Well when you mention talents…that means I needed a super spreadsheet to support this soul searching (yes, I really created one). So after creating tons of spreadsheets, researching to my hearts content on ideas, and scrapping not so good ideas…We found just the thing for a new adventure and I (we) am super excited about it!
My passions: Travel, all things people, making things pretty, new experiences
Skills: Organized, business know-how, creating bad-ass spreadsheets, planning and executing a project (I promise I am not as boring as I sound).
So all of that just screams tourism and hospitality, right? Yup, I totally agree! As an added perk, anyone who adores HGTV like me knows it is all about…location, location, location. So isn’t it just perfect that we live in one of the best year-round outdoor vacation destinations in Quebec?
So the first test phase is underway! We have purchased 2 ski chalets to renovate and turn into a cozy, dreamy rental properties. I have tons and tons of ideas and long-term visions about where to take this and I am jumping out of my skin with excitement. But first things first…getting the first 2 houses ready to welcome guests.
I know lots about running businesses. I know a little bit about using a hammer, nails and power tools. I am a newbie when it comes to hospitality, tourism, and building a business in Canada as an US expat. So time to acquire some new skills and expertise!
The best part is that I get to break out all those pink tools my dad has given me over the years as I roll up my sleeves. I am sure there will be plenty of mishaps (hopefully no missing body parts) and victories (I really want to know how to lay tile) along the way, so I hope you will follow along in my adventure!
By spring I hope we are ready to welcome our first guests! Anyone want to be my guinea pig???
Question: But you just bought rental chalets in Quebec and we were planning to come visit!! What are you going to do with them?
Defining my success: I was measuring my success by someone else’s ruler. And quite frankly it is rare that we will ever achieve success using someone else’s definition. I was just going, doing what it took and never stopping to ask was I on my path?
Where to Stay: I definitely recommend staying in Old Quebec City. This is the area with all the charm and character from the long history of the city. Staying in the old town will allow you to walk everywhere, avoid paying to park each time you want to come back into town, and battling for parking spaces.
Question 1: What type of trip are you planning? 
Credit & Debit Cards – Take more than one card so that if you do run into problems with any of your cards you have a back-up. But there are a few tips to help prevent those problems:
My passions: Travel, all things people, making things pretty, new experiences
And Then She Breathed 