Travel Vaccinations

We have a whole ton of travel tips here.

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Travel vaccinations. What’s the deal? Do you need them? Should you get them? Are they expensive? I get these questions pretty often. The short answer for all is, it depends.

You should always be up on your routine vaccinations. There is no debate about that. As for travel vaccinations, it really depends on where you’re going, how long you’re staying, and what you’ll be doing. Never let the decision come down to cost. Why? If you end up getting whatever you could have prevented, it’s going to cost a hellofva lot more. AND some of these vaccines are good for life. One shot, one cost, peace of mind. Continue reading

5 Tips For Traveling with a Partner (and enjoying it)

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We’re big on travel. This you know. Last week we shared some traveling tips for the solo female and today we’re talking couples.Remeber these two who went on a 21 day first dates across Europe with no luggage?! My guy and I had a ten day first date ourselves. Suffice to say it went pretty swell. Traveling with your boo is so much fun!

Unless you’re hangry. Or tired. Or broke. Or sunburned. Or hungover. Or totally sober and well rested and fed. Somehow even then traveling can be rough. We’ve compiled a few tips for those trips for two. Want to know why this photo is upsidedown?* See bottom of the post.

Before you head out on your next epic adventure just remember that teensy nugget. Travel is tough. Yes, it’s super fun, but that’s mostly because of the challenges that are presented and overcome during the trip. Think back to your most memorable adventures and you’ll remember the trying moments and then the triumphant ones, so this is me saying be easy on your partner! They’re just trying to survive and thrive like you. Now let’s set ourselves up for loving them even when it’s hard to remember how. Here are five tips for traveling with a partner.

1. Set Similar / Complimentary Expectations During The Planning Phase

Talk through what you want your days to look and feel like before you take the trip. Expectations have a way of messing up everything, in pretty much any situation in life. Think about it? Whenever you’re upset it is because reality didn’t meet expectation. The best way to combat that is to a) not have expectations or b) at least set a similar standard with each other. That way you will both be equally pissed off or ecstatic when reality does its thang aka whatever the fuck it pleases. For instance, is your expectation to climb the entire Himalayan mountain range? Or to go for one hike a day and enjoy lots of cups of tea? Very different, equally admirable, just make sure yours match up or compliment each Continue reading

Top Road Trip Tips

Happy Thursday all! This month we’ve shone a spotlight on travel. We are sharing some new inspiration and tips and reposting some of our old favorites that didn’t get enough airtime. I looked at the calendar today in a state of panic, the month is nearly over! How will I fit in all this travel goodness? So I’m cheating a little bit by sharing a few posts at once. They have all been shared here before, but you may have missed them and that’s just not okay, so here are my favorite travel tips mostly pertaining to the perfect spring and summertime vacation: road trips!

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Cultivate a Life of Travel

Always dreaming of travel, but haven’t taken the leap? Or wish you could fit it in more often? Here are my 28 tips for cultivating a life of travel. Continue reading

Top Five Travel Snacks

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A whole post dedicated to snacks. Silly? NOPE! I’ve done it before besides, I’m the grumpiest grump when I’m hungry, not only that, but I’m pretty much incapable of any sound thinking let alone making a decision so snacks are important. We need to talk about them. I conferred with my buddy Erin, who joined me in Thailand this past March, and we agreed on our favorite travel snacks. Erin showed up in Bangkok with a child’s daypack stuffed with snacks and teabags. I immediately gave her the props she deserved then we talked {snack} shop.

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How To Make Your Hotel Room Feel Like Home


Growing up, we camped a lot. With so many tents and trailers around, it was really rare as a family of six to stay in a hotel room and even if we did, it was usually overcrowded, sterile, and uncomfortable. I have a faint memory of the excitement of discovering the door inside the hotel room that could connect our family’s two rooms, but besides that I remember feeling uncomfortable in the new space, bored, and quite hungry. What can I say, I’m a grazer. I like my snacks. Fast forward twenty years and I frequent hotel rooms and Airbnb’s often for work and play.
I realized that I have come a long way. I love exploring these new spaces and I can feel instantly at home almost anywhere I travel to. Maybe it is because I am lucky enough to find lovely spaces or maybe it is a few simple necessities that transform any hostel or hotel into an instant oasis. Here are a few of my favorite comforts that morph a hotel room into a home. You will notice that most have an element that elevates the vibe, atmosphere, and energy of the space and after all isn’t that what makes a house a home?

  • Portable speaker – Music emphasizes whatever mood you are trying to achieve. Want to relax? Pregame or party? Want to block out your hotel neighbors who sound like they are on their honeymoon or worse yet, like they are preparing for a divorce? Perfect – blast those tunes. Adding music to the equation customizes each activity from your morning shower and bathroom routine to your midday yoga flow. Memories are also tightly tied to music therefor you truly have the power to burn your vacation into your memory by creating a special playlist for the occasion. Although I have used a half dozen portable speakers, I was recently gifted this beautiful bass powerhouse crafted by Bang & Olufsen and I could not recommend it enough.
  • Fuzzy throw blanket – Maybe this seems redundant to you. Obviously there are blankets in your hotel room, but there is nothing like a cozy throw while you are lounging on the balcony or curled up with a good book by the window. Usually hotel comforters are big, bulky, and (hopefully) full of down, which is nice for sleeping, but too much for a casual hang. Your fuzzy throw probably smells like home too, which helps if your missing your partner or kids. Bonus? When everyone is shivering under their scratchy airline blanket you will be snoozing away in your window seat and while you cannot hear your neighbors, they are commenting on what a savvy traveler you are. Forget the stupid travel pillow and pack a throw instead.
  • Candles – It is amazing how one flickering light can change the mood of a room. The soft glow and ambiance from a candle or two kicks overhead lighting’s butt any day. I always travel with a tea light if not something larger. If you have time to spare at your destination, shopping for a candle on day one makes for a fun mini mission. You will surely wander into a few inspiring shops and you will support a local maker with your candle purchase. I love, love, love this candle. It is worth every penny and makes a beautiful gift.
  • Flowers – seems like a luxury, right? Actually, flowers are pretty inexpensive if you’re buying local blooms. It’s not like you need a dozen roses. While you are out candle shopping, wander through a flower market or visit the farmer’s market and pick up a bouquet of in-season wild flowers. Each time you walk into your hotel room a smile is sure to spread across your face. *And while we appreciate this luxury on the road, we always make it a point of trying to buy local & seasonal flowers, or those that have the Rainforest Alliance certification.
  • Snacks – save yourself! Buy some snacks. Never be hangry again and please don’t settle for crappy vending machine chocolate. Treat yourself like the grown ass adult that you are. A simple stop at a local grocer, co-op or even a gas station is a mass improvement over the mini bar. My go to travel snacks usually include a bottle of kefir, hummus, crackers, fruit (something easy like a bunch of grapes, citrus, or apples) and of course a nice chocolate bar. You really just need a few nibbles to tide you over when a snack attack comes on, it’s not like these are the groceries you will be living off of.
  • Tea – most hotel rooms will have an electric kettle or coffee pot in the room. Instead of drinking the plain Jane Lipton teas that are provided, pack a few of your own tea bags. I alway travel with tea and honestly it’s like a mini vacation with each cup. I’m instantly transported into a comfort zone and I can’t help but feel gratitude for taking such good care of myself. Apparently self care comes down to a cup of good tea for me. If you’re one of those people that needs coffee ASAP upon waking up, it’s not a bad idea to pack a little baggie of your own beans either. I skip this since I really enjoy trying out new coffee shops, but maybe a cup of your own Joe is what your travel mornings are missing?
  • Scents – weird one, huh? Not at all! Scents, like music, are strongly tied to memory and really we’re talking about aromatherapy here. You have the power to alter your mood and elevate your happiness with smells, so pack some! I highly recommend a paolo santo stick or incense, some invigorating eucalyptus oil for the shower, some soothing sandalwood oil for your bathrobe or pillow and even a little calming lavender satchel for your dresser drawer during the day and under your pillow at night. I know some folks who travel with essential oil diffusers and personally, I call them geniuses.


That’s that! Have I convinced you to pack a few more items in that backpack or suitcase? I mean seriously, imagine coming home after a long day of meetings or a chaotic trip through a local market and you walk through your hotel door greeted by a fresh bouquet of flowers. You immediately go about lighting a candle and burning some incense, pouring yourself a cup of tea, turning on your favorite album and curling up under your fuzzy blanket to reflect on your day. I think the only thing that could make the moment better is a piece of dark chocolate and thankfully you’ve thought of that too 🙂

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Traveling by Plane vs. Bus

liveseasoned fall15 kathmandu pokhara nepal6t There are plenty of ways to travel abroad: trains, planes and buses are some of my favorite. In Nepal there are typically two viable options: a loooong bus ride or an often delayed flight.  Today we’re going to look at the positives and negatives of both options that way when you come visit you’ll know exactly how you want to travel. As I write this post, I’m thinking mainly of the trip from Kathmandu to Pokhara. Continue reading

How To: Save for Travel

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Hey travel bugs!  I’m extremely amped to write this post full of tips about saving money for travel because I’m in the midst of a big savings year right meow!  I have a huge trip planned for the end of 2015 and if I want to make it a reality I need to keep it at the forefront of my consciousness.  For me, a big part of successful savings starts with being mindful of it.  If I’m always thinking about the trip and being frugal, I’m much more likely to skip the little extras: the cup of coffee, the random tank top, the $4 bar of delicious dark chocolate, you get the picture.  This post applies to any big ticket item you want to save for not just a trip.  Maybe you want to splurge and get a fancy new DSLR (and by you I mean me), or pay off a huge chunk of student loans, or put aside money for your snazzy wedding, whatever you’re planning, you can save for it and these tips can help you!

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Step One: Estimate Your Travel Costs

First things first.  How much do you actually need to save? I get questions like this all the time: ‘how much should I save for a cross country road trip’ or ‘how much do you think I need for two weeks in Brazil’ and at first these questions seem unanswerable, but in truth, they’re pretty easy requests and they can be worked out with a pen, paper and a tiny bit of research. The short of it: what I need for a cross country road trip is probably not what you need for a cross country road trip. Why? Because we all have different lifestyles and ways of traveling.  That’s why it’s important for YOU to estimate your own travel costs and don’t worry, it’s not as intimidating as it sounds.

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