My Approach to Coach

If you are a traveler on a budget, you are likely no stranger to flying coach. The world is a big place though and while a budget seat is not a big deal for a couple hour flight, it can be downright torturous as your flights start to pass 6+ hours! 

A blurry window seat view

Here are my tricks to getting through an extended visit with a seat in coach:

• Compression Socks - I've got a genetic disorder that makes me more prone to blood clots, but I think that anyone can benefit from this trick. Sitting still for a long time in a cramped seat can increase your risk, so I use my running compression socks to keep my blood flowing!
• Earplugs - for when that guy behind you thinks half the plane will benefit from his conversation. I've also heard good things about noise cancelling headphones, but I'm on a budget!
• Blanket/scarf - if you want to get sleep on a plane, you need to be comfortable. If your seat is experiencing Arctic temperatures, you will need a blanket to make that happen. As I mentioned earlier, a scarf is a great substitute!
• Walking - I like to time my first (and hopefully only) trip to the restroom once everyone starts to try fall asleep. While up, I also like to try walk the plane a bit to help prevent the blood clots mentioned above
• Window seats - if you own the window seat, you get three advantages. You control the window shade, no one asks you to get up, and you get an extra surface to sleep on. It's worth the trade off of slightly less leg room in my opinion!
• Water & snacks - for when you sleep through breakfast and wake up starving...
• Face wipes - You won't interface with many people on your flight, so why not give your skin a day off? I like wipes with tea tree oil in them; the antibacterial properties make them great to wipe down any germ-laden seats too
• Eye mask - maybe your seatmate is reading or maybe you didn't get the window seat I recommended above. If not, shut out the light for some shut eye with an eye mask.
• Moisturizer/hand cream - I don't apply to the Evian spray people love. If I've removed my make-up like I mentioned, then moisturizer right before the flight is over helps make me look a little less scary.
• USB cable - I love that flights now let you charge your phone at your seat. Make sure you are prepared with your cable!
• A change of shoes/socks - and make it a comfy change! I like fuzzy socks to keep my feet a little more comfy, but I think some slipper loafers would be a great mid-flight option!

What are your secrets to getting through coach? Anyone out there who can share their experiences traveling first class?

Sights to See: The Acropolis and the Parthenon

If you go to Athens, its hard to miss the Acropolis and the Parthenon. The Acropolis is the raise plateau in the center of the city and can almost feel as if it is following you around the city. If it is your first trip to Athens, I wouldn't recommend skipping the tour!

As I already mentioned, the Acropolis is the hill in the center of Athens. The Parthenon is the well known building located on top of the Acropolis. If you can keep the two of them separate in your mind and conversations, it will help to give you an edge over the other tourists.

Tips for the trip:

• If you are a student, be sure to bring your ID as it can get your a great discount on a ticket
• The walk up is on smooth rock and can get slippery; now is not the time to wear impractical shoes
• Expect construction: there is scaffolding on the Parthenon and a lot of people let it ruin their visit. If you know its going to be there, you can look past it and still find the sites amazing. I try to focus on the reason behind the scaffolding, which is that the Parthenon is slowly and carefully being reconstructed

And now, I'll let my pictures speak for themselves. I hope you enjoy walking around the Acropolis as much as I did!

Juxtaposition of the old and the new

Odeon of Herodes Atticus: as you can see, they still play music here to this day

Homeless cats are everywhere in Athens, but some are pretty cute

An amazing panoramic view

The Parthenon!

According to our guide, the Parthenon's carvings used to be painted in colors

The puzzle pieces that Acropolis restoration is trying to put back together

Amazing view to the sea. It's easy to see why this location was chosen for defense!

The Porch of the Caryatids 

And to finish it all off, some well deserved Greek pride! 

Throwback Thursday: That time I went to the Eden Project

I don't make it a big secret, but for a wannabe travel blogger, I don't currently travel that much. I'm not on a sabbatical from work right now, traveling my way through the world continent-by-continent. In fact, I'm currently double booked as both a professional AND a student. To keep things a bit more interesting (and in the honor of #TBT!), I thought we'd step into the way back machine and revisit my trip to the Eden Project in Cornwall.

Do you remember photos with visible date stamps? Apparently I am old enough to remember them

I visited the Eden Project in July 2007. To give you some context of this time period, the Great Recession had not yet taken place (hurrah!) and the last Harry Potter book had just come out (say it isn't so!). In other words, it was a good time to be on a trip to England. I went with my mother and my siblings for family reasons, but we decided to take a small detour to Cornwall and my suggestion of the Eden Project.

My sister and I... She is going to kill me for using this picture

Our primary draw to the Eden Project was its main claim to fame: being home to the world's largest indoor rain forest! The plant life that makes up the rain forest is housed in these incredibly gorgeous hexagonal domes. Can't quite picture it? Imagine what would happen if bees created bubbles. Still can't imagine it? Alright, skip down to my picture below. My main warning for this part of the Eden experience is to dress in layers, as the rain forest biome can become incredibly hot and humid! While this may be welcome on a stereotypical English day, we visited on a sunny summer day and were promptly roasted. Speaking of roasting, I also was able to see my first cocoa bean pod growing in the rain forest. For any fan of chocolate, this is a great sighting.

Since she is already going to kill me, I present exhibit A: my sister roasting

Another stop we made in the Eden Project was to the Core. This part of site is comparable to a museum, but one that is dedicated to the environment. We stayed in this area for a while, as it was much cooler than the rain forest!

Zip-line! And the first sibling photo where I am the shortest

My lasting memory from this trip is the zip-line experience. My siblings and I all went on it and were able to zip over the outdoor garden area of the Eden Project. I particularly remember the lavender looking like a purple blur from above. I'd recommend making this part of your visit, if you aren't afraid of heights or speeds.

My Winter Travel Plans

I originally thought I’d be writing this post with a specific travel itinerary in mind. However, I’m no longer certain. Will I be traveling alone? Will I be able to convince my father to see more of the world and come with me? Will I be able to afford an extended trip at all? My personality leads me to plan and fill my desire to have everything organized; not knowing my winter travel plans is a tough spot for me!

As such, I’d like to ask my limited number of readers for help! The guidelines are as follows:

• The trip must be in Europe, with the end of the trip being in central(ish) Germany
• The trip must finish by January 5^th, and must start no earlier than December 26^th
• Seeing new countries is important to me! 2-3 days in a city is adequate for this trip. Consider it a 101 trip to Europe, with more in depth visits to come in the future
• Venice must be on the list. Whether sea levels are rising or not, I will not risk never seeing this city and its glass blowing!
• I have an unlimited budget so minimizing plane travel is ideal. Plus, I love taking the train!

Should I return to Amsterdam and see more of the country than just its airport?

Based on these guidelines, where would you go in Europe? Currently in my list of dream cities are: Venice, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Innsbruck, Zurich, Barcelona, Reykjavik, Copenhagen and Dublin. Are there any cities you see missing from my list? Please comment below!

Sights to see: Oberammergau

When I booked my Royal Castle tour, I had completely forgotten the one sentence in the description that mentioned something about a “short stop in Oberammergau.” It was a fun bonus to the trip! This stop took place between visiting Linderhof and Neuschwanstein. I had personally never heard of it, but both my parents responded as “Oh, Oberammergau, where the play is.” Perhaps it’s better known in Europe?

The theater where the Passion Play is held

About this play… I won’t go into the whole story, you can find that here. The cliff notes version is that a disease ravaged the town, causing the townsfolk to pledge to perform a grand play every 10 years if more lives were spared. As soon as they did this, no further people died. It’s a miracle! (Anyone else hear the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt theme song whenever they read that phrase?) The town stuck to its word and performs an epic play every 10 years, which involves nearly half the town’s population, requires its men to grow amazing beards as a means of costuming, and runs for several months. I was told the next one is in 2020; does anyone want to head back to Munich?

A great example of Lüftlmalerei

A couple other things caught my eye in this town, besides the theater. Many of the building are covered in gorgeous murals called Lüftlmalerei. Many of them feature fairy tale scenes and one of my favorites was Little Red Riding Hood.

All these decorations are painted on!

The town itself is straight out of a story book. Gorgeous decorations are everywhere, and the streets are literally cobbled.

 

Fun fact: "Oberammergau" means "over the Ammer River"

Streets so pretty that I took a picture

The town also has a sense of being protected. Visible from almost everywhere in the main town is a tall mountain face, almost as if it was looking out for the town.

This mountain is called the Kofel. See if you can spot it in one of the earlier pictures too!

This brings me to the end of my tour recap! I’m so glad I made the time to go on this tour before my class began and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in seeing Neuschwanstein.

My Packing Hacks

Today's packing lessons, brought to you by slogans found in Munich's BMW World. Step one: pick a small suitcase

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, “pack light” is a traveling mantra. I also say, "pack smart!" I’ve done a lot of reading online for various packing hacks to make the most of my suitcase space. I’ve also come up with one or two ideas of my own, and have compiled them all together to help any soon-to-be travelers out!

For toiletries:

• I’ve never seen this online before, but I can’t be the first to have thought of it. If you have carry-on toiletries that don’t fit the 3 oz rule, you can go to Target or a similar store and get small, plastic containers. For shorter trips, sometimes you really don’t need 3 oz though. For example, face moisturizer on a 3 day trip. I certainly don’t go through an oz a day! Enter: stackable bead storage containers. Not only do you save space by not having to carry full 3 oz containers, but they stack together so nicely! My extra tip though: label what is in each layer with a sharpie.
• Plastic bags are a godsend. When you are in doubt, double bag your toiletries. If you can, also use freezer quality Ziploc bags. The extra thick plastic is worth it in case any of your toiletries explode!

Space in abundance: something you will never find in a carry-on suitcase so plan accordingly

For shoes and clothing:

• Ever wonder why you see people wearing impractical high heels in the airport? Some of them may want to look stylish, but others are following the rule to wear your bulkiest shoes on the plane. Not bringing a pair of high heel boots? The same rule still applies, but you will be a whole lot more comfortable if you are late for your connecting flight!
• Use the 5-4-3-2-1 rule for packing. For trips with multiple climates, start with this guideline for each climate, but focus on making your tops for the warmer climate work with cardigan tops for the colder climate. I’d also suggest exchanging the 1 bathing suit for a 1 warm jacket in much colder climates!

This includes packing your suitcase!

For everything else:

• Dryer sheets: such a simple sheet with so many uses. They can keep your clothes and suitcase smelling fresh on longer trips, they can clean the sketchy hotel irons to protect your clothes, and can even reduce static in your hair (this last trick saved me so much annoyance during dry Midwest winters). They barely take up any space, so why not add one or two to your suitcase?
• I love the idea for using straws to keep your necklaces from getting tangled while you travel. However, what do you do with today’s statement necklaces (besides find a giant straw)? What if you just don’t have the patience for threading jewelry through straws, like me? My approach has been to save the small, individual bags stores give you when you buy jewelry. Perhaps it’s the turquoise bag from Tiffany & Co., perhaps it is the mesh bag from Express; it really doesn’t matter! Pack one necklace per bag, and you will at least minimize multiple necklace tangles.
• If you have any prescriptions you need to take with you on a trip but are afraid to lose, talk with the doctor who prescribed them. They may be able to give you some small, travel sized samples to tide you over on your trip!
• For extended trips to places without hotel gyms, pack a resistance band. I have one from physical therapy and I am amazed at the variety of workouts I can do with one. The best part is it takes up even less room than a pair of running shorts.

Your turn: I want to hear your craziest, most unusual packing hacks in the comments below!