Eating While Travelling: The Delicious vs Healthy Dilemma

I love getting Chinese from Chinatown when I visit a new city!

Lauren says:

When I was young my family never ever ate takeaway. Only when we were on holidays would we splurge with fast food and then it was like a treat from the heavens. My parents explained this habit simply, our family saved money during term time (with mum as a teacher and my sister and I at school, everything revolved around the school timetable) so that we could do special things together on holidays. It made sense.

As a child, though, my body was a bit more hardy and, it seems, could cop a fair amount more ‘bad’ food. I could have Macdonald’s pancakes for breakfast and still have the energy to make it through the day, perhaps if I was really lucky getting a cheeseburger for lunch if we were on the road to somewhere. These days, give me a sugary breakfast and a heavy, fatty lunch and I turn into a cranky, listless, head-achey mess, which is no way I want to spend my time off!

My recent trip to Melbourne was one of the first ‘proper adult holidays’ I’d been on, being one of the first times I’d been away from family, which usually involves a bit more give and take over where to get meals, and not on an organised tour or trip where options can be limited. Simply put, Melbourne is a wonderful place for food. While there, it seemed I could pick cuisine from any country in the world, prices ranged from delightfully cheap to decadently expensive and I ate at both ends of the spectrum. While there, cramming my days full with touristing, shopping and culture absorbing, I noticed something very interesting about how my food intake correlated to how I was feeling.

The hotel I stayed in provided breakfast each morning, complete with lovely gluten free breads. After two pieces of spelt toast and a cup of tea I could go literally for hours before thinking about food again, full of boundless energy and feeling light, airy and cheerful. Gluten free, I began thinking, was definitely my friend. As was spelt (I had a small love affair with the spelt bread, I have to admit, though my sister hated it, choking and gagging at the thought!). Lunch would then come and something interesting would happen. One day I visited Lord of the Fries…oh yummy hot chips, how could I go wrong?! I’ll tell you how. One (small I might add) bucket of deep fried white carbs later and I was all wandering listlessly around the streets, wondering how early was too early to go back to the hotel, have a nap and then get ready for the evening.

A different day I had Chinese, beautiful Mongolian beef and fried (brown, how wonderful to be given the option!) rice packed with veges. I felt splendid for the rest of the day, not stopping for dinner until late in the evening. The difference food was making to my holiday was, though it seemed like common sense, remarkable.

A few years ago, I went on a cruise with Aleisha (best friend/housemate/travel buddy etc.) around the Pacific Islands. The thing we both remember most the cruise is the food. It was ah-ma-zing. So. Good. We still spend days reminiscing about ‘cruise food’ and the delightful way we felt during the holiday. Cruise food for us wasn’t actually all that unhealthy (though sure, you could eat a lot of it, and often a lot was a quantity that wasn’t exactly recommendable) but just well cooked, well balanced nutritious meals (with ice cream). We would have protein filled breakfasts (protein and breakfast and me are a winning energy combination), lunches that might start with a soup or salad, the main event maybe some beautifully cooked fish, and dessert fresh fruit (ha!) or ice cream (more likely for me, I’m afraid) and dinner that pretty much resembled lunch (but with more ice cream). It wasn’t what you’d call a sustainable lifetime diet, but for a week and for a treat it was perfect. It wasn’t full of added fats and grossness, there weren’t any ‘unidentifiable’ meat products, it was just nice, simple, good food.

I think the key to eating when travelling is remembering that the purpose of food is still to provide your body with nutrition. You want to feel great on a holiday, not bloaty and uncomfortable, and you can enjoy stunning food that’s going to give you plenty of energy and pizzazz (if you’re not pizazzful on a holiday, then when?) easily by being conscious about your decision making.

My parents taught me well with saving special food for special times, and when I think about it, the fast food establishment visits were far less common than the trips to local restaurants, getting fresh seafood at the beach or wonderful pizza at Biloela (if you’ve been to Biloela you’ll understand how unlikely this seemed). It’s a habit I continue to this day, hardly ever eating out and enjoying cooking more, and going to a restaurant is something that I like to keep as a treat. That all said, my parents have made a tradition of having Macdonalds in every country they possibly can (countries conquered already range from France to Oman), but what can you say, they are on holiday after all!

Ell-Leigh says:

So here’s the thing. I went on holidays recently. It was great. The sun, the sand, the food… The tummy aches. The cruise we were on offered 24 hour meal service all of which was included in the price of your cruise ticket. We dined, we drank, we were merry. But then we were hungover, we were grouchy, we had a little trouble in the digestion department.

No one wants to feel sick on holidays, and when your pipes aren’t working cause you jammed ‘em up too full, other things are going to stop working so good as well. This becomes a problem when you want to be enjoying your hike up Diamondhead Crater, or your snorkelling trip on the other side of the island without having to worry about your swollen glands, sore throat and constant headaches.

I think Gala Darling wrote that while travelling you should eat one salad a day, and I think this is very sound advice. Very sound advice that I wish I’d taken, as it happens. When you’re on a cruise ship you’re constantly in air conditioning, even while sleeping, and this can cause some serious dehydration. Add to that the lack of sleep and water you got on the plane there and you’re in for a bit of a doozey. If you drink on top of that… Well, you’d want to be making sure you drink a lot of water, and replenishing your cells with some fresh fruit and raw veggie goodness, and not the kind that’s been blended and mixed with vodka. Also, the mint at the bottom of your Mojito doesn’t count.

I know salad sucks, especially when you can’t make it the way you like it, and whenever you order it you are faced with bitter disappointment and a pile of iceburg covered in ranch. Whenever possible, at salad bars or buffets, take the opportunity to fill your plate with salad the way you like it, despite being surrounded by other delicious foods. Your tummy will thank you later.

Also, go steady on the bready. I know bread is delicious, and I know you’re on holidays, but too much bread will make you feel sick. And, if Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is correct, it will also make you fat. Chances are that you aren’t planning to come home from your marvellous holiday weighing more than when you left, and chances are further that you probably don’t want to spend more time than necessary being concerned about your visits to the ladies’/gents’, if you know what I mean. So, if you’re anything like me, and will use any excuse to dive into the break basket head first, think twice. 

So, perhaps I am just writing this to my pre-Hawaii self, wishing I’d spent more time taking photos (I really didn’t take enough photos) than the time I spent at the buffet and many restaurants during my cruise, and as a result of that, at the chemist section of the general store buying tums. But when all is said and done, what really matters in your holiday is that you have loads of fun, enjoy the company of the people you went with and remember to reapply your sunscreen every thirty minutes. If you eat a few salads and come home the same size as you left it’s really a bonus.

 

Hawaii in Review - Part One

Aloha!

As you may already know, last month I went with my family on a two-week holiday to The Rainbow State - Hawaii! The first week we spent on the Pride of America, visiting four of the different islands, and then our final week we spent in Honolulu. This post will only be about the first week, since we did way too much to fit into just one post.

Maui
The first day we were in the butt (we called it “the butt” as homage to the scene in Finding Nemo where they call the boat a butt. We’re mature like that.) we spent most of the day on board. Stevie and I hit up a hula aerobics class in the gym, which was super funsies, then proceeded to swim in the pool, laze around slovenly-ly and eat lots of delicious food - the locals don’t call that ship the SS All You Can Eat for nothing. On our second day in Maui we visited the Iao Valley State Park and saw the Iao Needle. It was a beautiful day and it was great to spend some time out in the sunshine in nature.

Hilo
In Hilo we went on a helicopter tour, which, due to the earthquake a few weeks earlier, was a little lame, as there was absolutely no lava action at all. This was especially disappointing for my youngest sister, who is obsessed with volcanoes. The closest we got was a puff of smoke that we flew through. As this was my first time on a helicopter and I was in the front seat and in charge of the emergency pull door handle I was quite nervous and couldn’t feel my hands when I hopped off due to how tightly I was holding the video camera and the hand hold. That afternoon we headed over to a beach near where the ship had docked for a stroll - much more relaxing than the first part of the day.

Our ship from the Kona Canoe Club

Kona

That's me with a seahorse! I LOVE SEAHORSES.

The next place we stopped was Kona. My parents had raved about Kona from their last trip to Hawaii, and so I was looking forward to going there was seeing what the fuss was about. We spent the morning at The Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm where we got to go into the world’s only Paternity Ward (hrrhrr) and hold a seahorse (well, you get to have your finger held by a seahorse). This was incredibly awesome, and really interesting to hear about how their work is helping to save our oceans. We lunched and shopped in Kona down near the harbor, and feasted on what my Dad considers the best Spare Ribs in the World, from Kona Canoe Club. My Dad befriended the owner and got a round of free shots for the over 21s (I didn’t partake as I hadn’t been feeling too crash-hot – faulty sea-legs) and we shopped the afternoon away.

Kuwai'i
The two days (I typed weeks first, oh, how I wish I could stay there for two weeks!) I spent in Kuwai’i were definitely my favourites. We spent the first day on a tour of all of the major sights and beautiful scenery… and the wild chickens. In Kuwai’i there aren’t any wild animals (like the mongoose which live on the other islands) which prey on the chickens, so they run loose, crowing whenever they like (since they don’t roost) and generally running amock, chicken style. The tour guide we had on this day warned us that they could smell fear, but they were really very harmless, and we were told that by law, any chicken we took photos of had to come home with us… If it had been true I would have been in trouble, cause I took SO many photos of the chickens…

So many chickens!

That night we went to the incredible Lu’au Kalamaku. For those who don’t know, a Lu’au is basically a huge party where Hulas are performed and traditional food like poi and kalua pig is served. This one was a little different; where at a “regular” Lu’au a number of hulas are performed one after another without any particular through-line, this one followed the story of a father leaving his daughter to migrate to the Hawaiian islands, with a Cirque Du Soliel feel. The fire twirlers were breathtaking and incredible, and the whole performance was really enjoyable and beautiful. And the food was great too!

The second day my Mum and I got up early to take a Movie Tour of the island. I have to say, the tour guides we had in Kuwai’i were charming and funny which added to the experience. On this day we visited a number places which had served as locations for movies like Jurassic Park, Six Days Seven nights, Blue Hawaii, that musical where they sing that “Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” and many, many others. And I got to see Ben Stiller’s house, or at least the one that he lives in when he’s in Hawaii (it was from pretty far away, but still one of the coolest things I’ve done in my life… Bar none. Ben Stiller is awesome.)

Next week I’ll be posting the second half of my adventures, so stay tuned!

Travel Etiquette

You know what's worse than a bunch of snakes in your plane? source

Lauren Says:

Once upon a time, on a flight far, far up in the air, there sat a little boy. The boy, let’s call him Boy Demon, sat next to his mother, who wore an eye mask which proudly pronounced her a ‘sexy kitten’ in fuchsia glitter and frantically clutched a miniature bottle of champagne in one hand and a king size chocolate bar in the other. His father wore high waisted denim and plaid and had the aisle seat; his ‘jolly’ jokes with the flight attendants made all parties uncomfortable.

Oversized for his age, the boy’s knees rested on the back of the chair in front of him, wiggling and pushing so that the passenger in front felt as though her back was a piece of bread dough being relentlessly kneaded for two hours. His large, one might say ‘gansta’ sneakers were kicked from his feet the minute the seat belt sign turned off, the pungent aroma of sweat, dirt and forgotten, crushed Cheeto dust filling the cabin. He inhaled two family sized packets of chips, reclined his chair as far as he could push it and sighed contentedly. Boy Demon loved to fly; there was nothing to do but, as the cabin crew instructed, ‘sit back and relax completely’.

One hour into the short two hour journey and Boy Demon became bored. Out whipped his mother the never fail solution to a whinging bout, the brand new Nintendo DS, complete with marvellously loud speakers and a selection of monotonous games just suited to Boy Demon’s intellect. Also equipped with a headphone port, the game console should not have caused issue for anybody on the flight. Boy Demon did not like to wear headphones, however, he feared that the air might not circulate to his ear drums and that he might get a headache, a theory that sounded so intelligent to his mother that she applauded the child rather than make him mind the comfort of the others surrounding and wear the damned headphones.

The incessant bleeping and bopping caused passengers within a ten metre radius to twitch and groan but the many pointed glances towards the family went unnoticed. It was with relief that all buckled up in preparation for landing, switching off mobile devices and pushing baggage under seats. Last minute toilet trips were made and window shutters were opened so that the descent could be seen and all began to think of the home or holidays to which they were arriving. Peace, though, was not easily attainable as Boy Demon’s DS continued to shriek and wail. His answer to being told to switch it off was that he had not yet finished the current level, and would lose all unsaved work, which was inconceivably accepted by his parents as a fair excuse. When the head flight attendant wandered down and asked for it to be put away for landing his father calmly explained to her that they were teaching their son the value of setting goals and working hard to get to them, and that they would really rather he was allowed to continue his game until he reached an appropriate stopping point. The flight attendant was, as one might expect, flabbergasted.

Boy Demon nearly died that day, and it wasn’t due to the fact that his DS caused signal errors and crashed the plane. Boy Demon was nearly incinerated by the hateful glares of hundreds of tired and hungry aeroplane passengers, a fate quick and binding, but he managed to escape unharmed only to cause further seething at the baggage carousel. He did not, would not ever know how lucky he was, and would probably grow from a Boy Demon into a Man Demon and continue pissing people off for the rest of his life.

This is the somewhat (but honestly not very) embellished story of the flight I took recently between Melbourne and Brisbane. Everything I could possibly say about the etiquette of travelling is contained within this little fable, but in case you missed the clues, here’s my main pointers;

RESPECT your fellow travels, and keep their comfort in mind when you make choices.

BE QUIET unless you’re particularly invited to be noisy, like if your train carriage collectively decides to play taboo or hangman, or if you’re on the tour bus in Almost Famous.

MAKE EVERY EFFORT POSSIBLE TO SMELL GOOD

EAT QUIETLY

SPEAK ONLY TO THOSE WHO LOOK WILLING TO BE SPOKEN TO respect personal space.

DON’T WHINGE the getting from point A to point B more or less sucks every time, so imagine what it would have been like when travel was mainly done by sea and deal with it.

KEEP YOUR CHILDREN IN CHECK you made the choice to have them, you made the choice to bring them here, you make the choice to not have them tossed out the window by other passengers who have been driven to insanity.

That said DON’T WHINGE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’S KIDS (IF THEY’RE JUST BEING KIDS) so children happen, and sometimes they’re annoying. But unless they are being deliberately annoying like Boy Demon, you need to put up with it.

BE NICE Ok, so this is the first rule of etiquette in any situation, act as you hope everyone else will be acting, and you probably can’t go wrong.

Ell-Leigh Says:

Travelling can be really tough, particularly when you travel with someone. Whenever I hear back from friends who have travelled with someone for over two weeks they tend to have started to harbour some ill feeling towards them. Travelling with family? Well, it isn’t rare for many of us to go nuts just being in the same room with some of our family members for an hour, let alone a plane for 7, with a four hour stop over, before hopping on another plane for another 6 hours.

And that’s just getting to your destination.

Therefore it can be super tricky to keep your cool and remain the member of polite society you once were before the packing, flying and dehydrating due to hours of in flight air con. Not only are you cranky and headache-y from the lack of sleep and water, increase in cocktails (some even served in pineapples) and increase in time with your chosen travel partner/group and their once-lovable-or-at-least-ignorable-flaws but so are they, and chances are your flaws are just as annoying as theirs are.  So it’s important to maintain good travel etiquette at all times in order for a healthy relationship with your fellow travellers to exist by the time you get home, or at least so that you don’t stab them in the face with a plastic in-flight meal fork.

Firstly, give your travel buddies space. No need to be up in their grill all the time. I have trouble with this one when I’m travelling with my sisters, since we’re a very cuddly bunch, and usually this is a really good thing. Not so much when we’re all tired and cranky and feeling cuddly at the opposite times to the others. So it’s best to back away, although this might feel a bit weird depending on where your relationship was before you jumped in a plane/car/bus/caravan/canoe together for your exciting adventure.

Secondly, when on planes, make sure you don’t smell. Simple enough. However - the second part of this point is to make sure that not only you don’t smell bad but also that you aren’t so covered in perfume that everyone around you with allergies has to go through an even deeper hell for the length of their flight just because you’re in a seat near them. That’s no fair! Stick with lightly scented deodorant and leave it at that – apply your perfume at the airport when you get off! It’ll be fresher and more lovely applied then anyway.

Thirdly, pronounce the names of where you’re going the same way the locals do. This saves your travel buddies and cab drivers being confused anytime you are planning to go somewhere. Trust me, Even if you’re all speaking English, a foreign accent (yes, even an Australian one) can make it difficult for the locals to understand what you’re saying. It may also make the people you’re travelling with want to smother you with a pillow in your sleep… If they’re anything like me. Ehem.

Fourthly, try not to make it all about you. Sure, there are places you want to see, and there are places you might not, but if you’re travelling with someone it’s only polite to do what they want to do as well, especially if you’re dragging their butt around to places they have absolutely zero interest in day after day. Remember, they’ve probably payed just as much money to take their dream trip to NYC/Paris/Wherever as you did, and they deserve to see the sights they think are important.

Fifthly, and this one is as important for your sanity as those people around you’s. RELAX. Every time I’ve travelled somewhere I’ve seen this happen; someone starts to worry about something going missing (passport or ATM card etc), or that something bad will happen, and they get really paranoid and put heaps of energy into worrying about this thing, whatever it may be, and BAM, they lose that thing, or what they were worried would happen happens. Usually this thing happens because they made a decision based around their paranoia (taking their passport with them somewhere, making it more susceptible to getting lost or taken, or taking their card out of their wallet so that it’s “safe” etc). Fail. Chill. You’re there to have a good time, right? I know travelling can be stressful, but it’s only as stressful as you make it be. So chill.

Melbourne In Review - Part One

Melbourne

So, as you probably read (we certainly weren’t keeping it quiet) Ell-Leigh and I both headed off on holidays a couple of weeks ago. While Ell jetted off to the sunny climes of Hawaii (Hawaii!), I took a much shorter plane trip down south to Victoria for a family party in Ballarat and then a stay in Melbourne. Today’s post was supposed to be a full run down of my trip, but I discovered that there was simply too much to share, and being stricken with a not very bad but still making me want to only curl up and watch Gilmore Girls and eat Easter chocolate cold, I decided to split the post in two. So, today I will take you through accommodation and sightseeing, next week will come shopping, show-going and eating! Hurrah!

Accommodation

For our stay in Melbourne I chose The Brooklyn Arts Hotel. On the page, The Brooklyn seemed to fit all my requirements; price, location, great reviews, and as an added bonus owner Maggie only charged our twin share as a single room when my sister went away for two nights on a driving tour. Top it all off with a quirky and friendly webpage which suggested an out of the ordinary stay and included breakfasts and we were decided. Happily, off the page and in real life, The Brooklyn Arts Hotel was as lovely as hoped.

the street we stayed on (The Brooklyn is the building farthest left)

Puppies!!

oh so cute!

Our colourful little room had two comfortable single beds, a sink and mirror, a little writing desk and the most amazing heater in the world. We shared a bathroom with one other room, though never had to wait for use, and attached were two toilets. The facilities were always clean and they were decorated nicely with a rustic feel. I did wonder how comfortable one might be in the open air toilets in the dead of a cold Melbourne winter, though finding any warm bathroom in the Melbourne chill is a possibly difficult task. 

 

Breakfast included a choice of gluten free breads, an amazing range of spreads, yoghurt, tea and coffee makings and friendly banter amongst guests and staff. The back garden sheltered chairs and tables set up for reading, working, or taking afternoon tea and was home to two delightful dogs.

our bathroom + yours truly

The Brooklyn Arts Hotel is located in hip and happenin' Fitzroy (this is purely guidebook speak, the locals would not use this language. That said, it's certainly the hip and happenin' part of town) and within walking distance of Brunswick and Johnston Streets, with a tram stop one block down and the city a very cheap taxi fare away when late nights negate public transport.

I loved the non-sterile feel of The Brooklyn which allowed me to feel much more comfortable and welcome throughout my stay than I do at 'regular' hotels. I would definitely reccommend The Brooklyn to anybody heading to Melbourne.

Sightseeing

Certainly, there is much to see and do in Melbourne and I split my time between touristy sightseeing and more specific activities. Here are a few of my picks for best of sight seeing in Melbourne. 

City Circle Tram

Melbourne is famous for its trams and for good reason. They run often, are quick, easy to navigate and though there are newer models out and about, many are still quite old and give a sense of history and pomp your day to day journeying. The City Circle tram is free and runs a rectangle right around the city centre, with running commentary played over speakers about upcoming historical buildings or interesting sights. The City Circle is a very good and wallet friendly way to get acquainted with the area and pick out places to return to. 

tram

Dreams Come True Exhibition (or the Disney Princesses) at The Australian Centre of the Moving Image

ACMI, as it is more easily written, is located within Federation Square in the heart of the city. The Dreams Come True Exhibition, which, sadly, ended yesterday, was housed in just one of the large exhibition areas located in the centre, and even without the princesses I would suggest ACMI is very much worth a visit. 

Dreams Come True was a very special exhibition of the art and work behind Disney’s classic fairy tales and their princesses. While I was already excited to see the films themselves deconstructed and get a ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse, I was amazed at how engagingly the exhibition was presented. With each section dedicated to a different princess, chronicling the differences in techniques and technology behind the each of the film’s creation, it was a very informative show. 

Tutankhamen Exhibit at the Melbourne Museum 

I’m always a little bit wary when I have to buy tickets in advance for a museum exhibit, because it generally means crowds, and being a shorter person this generally means viewing can be difficult.

While the exhibition was certainly crowded, it was set out in a way combated this well, with small glass cases of various ‘tomb artefacts’ scattered around each room, with written panels both at the base of the exhibited item and at the top of the case. The display included a huge collection of relics taken from Tutankhamen’s tomb, plus information on what his life might have been like, his family, and the uncovering of his burial place. 

State Library of Victoria

Now that's what I call a library

While a library might not be everyone’s cup of tea to visit, I love to see how grand libraries are set up, particularly because ours here in Queensland, while pretty great, doesn’t have the grand architectural aspect of others.

The State Library of Victoria also, I must add, provided me a very welcome warm and dry retreat on a morning of not so welcoming Melbourne weather, complete with free internet and some very interesting photographic displays. 

ANZ Gothic Bank Building

An outside part of the actual bank!

Not the fancy roof of the bank...but of some other buidling

There was something grand sounding about the ANZ Gothic Bank Building that caught my attention on my touristy guide map, and I made a note to check it out if I happened to be close.

While mostly easy to navigate, I did find myself becoming slightly disoriented when in the central business and shopping parts of the city, and I have to admit I did enter one building thinking that it was the ANZ building I wanted to see, only to take interior photos and exit to see a sign pointing to the actual building in the opposite direction. I didn’t stay long at the bank once I finally got there, but it was indeed grand and gothic and distinctly reminded me of the bank the children are taken to in Mary Poppins, the bank in which all the scary men sing about tuppence. It’s definitely worth a solemn squiz if you’re ever in the area. 

The National Gallery of Victoria

The National Gallery of Victoria is actually split over two different venues on opposite sides of the Yarra River. This should not be confusing, but after all my careful laying of plans and pouring over the incredibly thick gallery guide book to choose which exhibitions I wanted to see in my limited time, I somehow still went to the wrong one! Luckily it was only a short tram ride to the other gallery and I was still able to get back in time to see all I wanted, but it was rather embarrassing to return to collect my cloaked bag only minutes after handing it over (cloaking, by the way, is the most genius of ideas when you’re travelling to relieve sore shoulders and backs from heavy, tourist stuff filled bags). 

this one got my vote, sketches all done in biro.

I visited two of the gallery’s current exhibitions, ManStyle and Top Arts: VCE 2010, both of which were incredibly interesting. ManStyle took a look at men’s clothing, particularly the suit, and how it had adapted to change and caused change over the centuries. Top Arts is an annual display of the best of Victorian year twelve art students' projects, and it was a simply amazing and inspiring collection. There was an viewer’s choice vote at the end, and while I loved and voted for Freya Alexander’s ball point pen on cardboard drawings, I believe Philip Hickingbotham’s portrait of his father drawn in charcoal (!!) will win. It was honestly one of the most moving piece of art I’ve ever seen, and purely amazing considering it was created by someone so young. Oh the talent! 

charcoal...amazing.

Both images from The Sydney Morning Herald's slideshow of all the selected artwork. Definitely worth a look!

 Stay tuned next week for Melbourne in Review - Part Two: Shopping, Show Going and Eating!

On Planning and Packing

Packing is important; don't get it wrong.
Image here.

Holidays can be a tricky business. As much as imagining long, languorous, stress free holidays is what a lot of us spend a fair portion of our time indulging in, it’s fair to say that the common experience of holidays isn’t always so pleasant.

I’m no expert on holidays, but I have done my share of trekking to both local and more far flung locations. Today I’ve put together two lists of my favourite tips for both planning and packing for a holiday, because sometimes it’s all in the prep.

Image originally from Vogue Italia, found here.

Planning

Planning a holiday is a very personal process and we all go about it different ways. Some people, myself included, like to be completely in control and across all the details before they leave. Others prefer to leave things up to chance and give themselves room to be more spontaneous. As with all things in life, there is no one right way to plan a holiday, but here are some tips to hopefully keep you organised and stress free while still having an adventure and exercising some impulsivity.

1. Be realistic about your decisions: You always need to think seriously about the big and important factors of your holiday and you need to make sure that you’re thinking about these things realistically. Consider where you’re going, who with, how you’re getting there and what you plan to do, and make sure that the conditions tied to each of these match up to your expectations for the trip. The number one thing that causes a holiday to be a let down is the dream holiday you take in your head before you even set foot out the door, to which no real experience can match up. If you’re going away with a friend who only likes to party, well, keep in mind that they might not be up early every morning to go sightseeing with you. If you’re heading along to a wintery wonderland, packing your slinkiest, sexy outfits for day to day wear because you’ve envisioned yourself having a wicked fling with a foreigner may only end in frostbite. There will be luggage weight restrictions, less than ideal weather conditions and jetlag to contend with, but knowing the ramifications of your holiday choices will mean you are prepared for them when they come along and they won’t ruin your picture perfect holiday dreams.

2. Plan to be unplanned: If you’re like me, it can be very easy to quickly allot time and schedule it away on every day of your holiday. While planning can be useful, it’s important to keep some free time for spur of the moment activities. Especially if you’re headed somewhere new, you’re bound to come across exciting options you hadn’t known about before you arrived, and it’s unpleasant to have to try and ‘work something in’ on your schedule when you’re on holidays. Isn’t the insane busyness and time restrictions what we’re trying to take a break from on holiday, after all?

3. Do your research: That said, I find it best to head somewhere with a solid idea of the place, people and things I might like to do. Finding out what major religions and political groups operate in the area you are visiting is practical and will assist you in not overstepping cultural and legal boundaries. If you are going somewhere where the spoken language is different to yours, pick up a dictionary and have a go at learning a few phrases. Not only is it heartening for the locals to see a tourist who has invested some time and effort, but being able to ask for directions to toilets, order food and find out prices can be a big time saver. Also, make sure you know the currency conversion rates between your normal money and what you’re spending while you’re away. While paying 1000Yen for a meal in Japan is perfectly reasonable, spending 1000euro is extreme!

4. Plan to enjoy yourself: Surely we all know by now that going in to anything with a negative attitude is guaranteed to bring the whole experience down, right? Why then do I still see so many people at airports sighing when the line is long, whinging on the train that the hotel probably has muddled the reservations or walking down the street complaining that ‘the food here sucks’. Have a negative attitude and expect a crappy holiday and your mind will tune itself in to finding all the signs that you are correct, and the holiday you experience will be hell. You create the world around you with the world in your mind, people, so why not make holidays the time to practise working with a new, positive mindset. Look for the signs that you’re having an awesome time and trust me, they’ll be there.

Image by Chrissie White

Packing

1. Know what’s going on: It’s really difficult to pack for a holiday if you haven’t planned one, so firstly make sure you’ve read the above planning section and have a clue as to what your holiday might entail. Think about the weather you might encounter, whether you’ll be partaking in outdoor or indoor activities, what kind of shoes you’ll require and how you want to look and feel.

2. Take your time: Everyone knows that leaving holiday packing to the last minute will astronomically increase your chances of encountering an ‘I bought fifteen t-shirts but no pyjamas or underwear’ type situation. For longer holidays, I like to stick a post-it note or two to my desk about three weeks before I leave, and gradually jot down the things I want to take with me as they come to mind. Before I put anything in my suitcase, before I even get the suitcase out in fact, I make sure that what’s on the list fits in with my plans, and will coordinate with other items, because taking three shirts you can’t wear with any of your skirts or pants is just a waste baggage weight. Ask people who have done some travelling what the number one thing they would always pack would be, and think about whether you should include that too. I always pack a spare plastic shopping bag; just in case I need to transport any wet swimmers or towels or rained on clothes or dirty shoes. I know my mum always takes her little book light so she can read whenever she wants, and my sister recently purchased a remarkably tiny and comfortable self-inflating mattress that makes any camping or unforseen lack of accommodation a much more pleasant experience.

3. Theme it: When you think about it, there’s usually a reason that you’re going on a holiday, and it impacts where you’re going, who with, for how long and the emotions you have connected to the trip. For many young people heading overseas their holiday is their first real taste of independence and adventure. Some people will head away after a breakup or a marriage breakdown and might want some quiet time alone, or to do the opposite and let of some steam and go a little crazy. Some go away for career advancement, some to celebrate a birthday, some just to get away from their normal lives for a little. Whatever your reason for taking a holiday, make sure you pack clothes and items that are appropriate and that will encourage you to live out your desires. There’s no point in going away to Spain looking for a Mediterranean romance and taking your daggy home clothes that make you feel like a lumpy couch cushion, is there?

As I said, there’s no right way to holiday and I certainly don’t know it all. The most important thing is that what you’re doing makes you happy, because that is the point of a holiday after all! So if planning dates and packing lists is stressing you out, I say to hell with it; book a plane ticket at the beginning and end and leave the rest up to chance until you get there. Your holiday should allow you to get a little bit more in tune with yourself, enjoy what you experience and refresh your perspective, so above all else make sure you’re doing what feels right for you.

TILT: We're on holidays!

Another beautful illustration by Jaquie Oakley

My ‘M’ Themed Things That I Love:

Mojitos, Mai Tais and other various cocktails… Yes, even one served in a pineapple. Living the dream, people!
Maui and the other Hawaiian Islands I’ve been to so far. They’re beautiful, and it’s great to learn about the Hawaiian history and culture as I cruise along between ports.
Me Time, lazing in the sun by the pool, reading Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby and veging out at the all you can eat buffets.

Lauren’s Things That I Love:

Visiting somewhere new where you know no one and can do whatever you please.
Enjoying a holiday after you’ve worked hard to get there.
Eating deeeeeeelicious food all of the time.

Things We Love Thursday - Travel Edition!

 

We're going on holidays!! Tickets picture found at the lovely The Design Files.

 New travel goal: to eat pizza in as many countries as possible? Picture found at Black*Eiffel.

Things Lauren Loves About Travel: 

Packing! - I’m a list maker at heart and I started planning what I would take on my trip to Victoria weeks ago. Because it will be much colder there than it currently is here in Brisbane, I bought a couple of new winter dresses and shirts which I will be very excited to wear on the trip. Finally this week I’ve been able to start putting it all in the suitcase without seeming a bit obsessive.

New perspective – going to different places always helps me garner perspective on my life back home. It helps me see things with fresh eyes, rearrange my habits and kick behaviours that only hinder my life from being awesome to the curb.

Relaxation – It’s been literally years since I’ve actually gone away on a relaxing holiday, if I don’t count going back home and staying with my family for Christmas. As well as partying hard (the reason I’m heading down is for my Aunt’s Hollywood Glamour themed 40^th), I’m planning on getting in lots of reading, food sampling, show seeing and generally living the good (slow) life. I’ve had to stop myself from pre-cramming the days with planned activities, instead I shall be attempting to go with the flow a little bit more.

Little travel things I’ve loved – the feeling of potential and excitement pulling out a big empty suitcase, printing out Melbourne maps and highlighting everywhere I’m going, dreaming about the deeelicious food I’ll be eating, making travel playlists, deciding which books to pack (books, I find, always set the tone of the holidays), getting organised at work so I can go away stress free, tidying my bedroom so it’s lovely to come back to, clearing my camera so I can take zillions of photos.

Things Ell-Leigh Loves About Travel:

Planning - I love sorting out all of the things I'm taking with me, and planning my hydration schedule (lots of water, coconut water and green juice!) so that I don't spend my first few days in Hawaii all dried up and feeling terrible. Packing is one of my favourite things to do, not only are you ensuring you have everything you need but it's a practice in appreciating the things you have that will go with you, and appreciating the journey you're about to take!

Shopping - Oh boy, I've waited so long for this holiday to come, not only because of the awesome sights I'll get to see, the beaches I'll get to lounge on and the cocktails I'll get to drink out of pineapples, but also because of the shopping. I haven't bought any new clothes for such a long time because I've been waiting until I get to go outlet shopping in Hawaii. And with the Aussie Dollar so strong against the Greenback, I can't see why not! New jeans and sunnies, here I come!

Little things I've loved this week (not necessarily travel related): Hanging out with my grandparents and chatting about gardening, noise cancelling earphones, neck pillows, my new tub of Ultrabalm from Lush which is so soft on the lips and smells faintly like rose petals, listening to 21 by Adele.

Posting will happen as normal while Ell-Leigh and I both jet set off to our destinations, and you can look forward to photos and tales of Hawaii and Melbourne fun times just as soon as we get back. While we’re gone we will also have a special guest writer, the lovely Kate Stark, contributing to some of the articles. Good friend and fantastic writer that she is, we couldn’t help ourselves from asking her to spread some of her talent around Easy Thrills Empty Pockets. Hooray for Kate, and a big, heartfelt thank you for helping us out!

Voila Kate! (this is not her actual face)

Plane Travel for the Uninitiated

source: mymodernmet.com

Last year I flew from Brisbane to LA (15hours in the air), then LA to San Antonio, (3 hours in the air) with a half hour gap in between. It was the first time I’d travelled overseas, and the second time I’d travelled anywhere for longer than a day by myself. I was literally scared shitless – a night of poor sleep and worry literally made me sick. When I arrived at my destination it was around 36 degrees, I hadn’t slept a wink, and was expected to then participate in the camp’s afternoon and evening activities. By the time I hit my bunk I worked out I’d been awake for around 26 hours. The next day I felt so bad it was like I was massively hungover.

This is how not to travel by plane.

Camp finished and I was packing my bags to see some of the great cities the USA had to offer. Eventually airports became familiar. Popping my carry on liquids into their see through zip lock bag for the customs officers became a ritual that promised new adventure and excitement. Airline tags accumulated on my faithful backpack, which named after Sir Paul McCartney (cause I cart my stuff in it. Yeah… Pun.).

So here are my tips on how to travel by plane the right way;

• If you are vegetarian, make sure you have notified the airline that you’ll be needing a vegetarian meal. The vegetarian options are also often the vegan options, so prepare to drool over the person sitting next to you’s cheese and crackers, cause you may not get any.
• Drink lots of water in the days leading up to your flight, and skip the alcohol. I drank a couple the night before I left (I wouldn’t be able to drink legally in the states) and regretted it so very, very much. Get your hands on some green juice or coconut water as well, as these are brilliant for hydration.
• Bring a neck pillow, but not an old stretched out one. I found that the neck pillow that accompanied me all over the states (and was a saving grace for many nights I spent camped out under the stars) was pretty worn out by the time I flew home.
• Noise cancelling headphones are apparently a god-send for the weary traveller, according to my father. I have a lot of trouble sleeping on planes, as either I’m too excited about getting to my exciting destination to sleep, or I’m too excited about seeing family members and friends on my return to sleep either. So if you can afford it, try to fly with an airline that provides in flight entertainment through a screen in the back of the chair in front. I find watching movies or tv shows I haven’t seen before the best way to fight off boredom – the minute I decide to watch a movie I’ve seen before on a plane is the minute I lose interest.
• LIP. BALM. Bring a tub of it, of a brand you know and trust. I chose The Body Shop’s Strawberry lip pot, and it stuck with me through thick and thin, and is also nice and small for carry-on-luggage purposes.
• I took a sample size tub of moisturiser and body lotion with me on every flight and I did not regret it. The air-con in planes, although you may not feel it necessarily can really sneak up on you and dry out your skin. I recommend a nourishing and moisturising face-mask the day before you get on.