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Being an adult can kind of be a drag sometimes. You know, bills to pay, responsibilities, yada yada yada. But maybe if we took a few things from our childhood, like spring break, adulthood wouldn't be such a drag. I don't know about you, but I think a lot of people just stop taking spring break when they're adults, because, unless you're a teacher, you're not scheduled to have those days off. So, why not take your pile of vacation days you haven't used yet, and make spring break an adult reality? I woke up on January 1st, jazzed about a new year and started searching for cheap flights...it's what I do. When I found $390 round trip tickets to Aruba....Ding Ding Ding. By lunch time we had flights booked and a hotel reservation and were dusting off our swim suites for an awesome spring break trip, even though we're in our 30's...because we can...and because everyone needs a break from winter, even those of us on the Oregon Coast who don't really get winter. Anywho, I digress. So, I thought "why not pull together some other cool trip ideas and tips for an impromptu spring break trip" Tip #1: Pick places not favored by college students Or at least not these college students. I'm not knocking this type of spring break behavior. It is indeed a right of passage for many. But let's be honest, as you get older, hangovers seem stupid, and you really don't want to end up with a tramp stamp that you can't remember how it got there. The top spring break destinations favored by college students are: Cancun, Mexico Nassau, Bahamas Panama City Bach, Florida South Padre Island, Texas Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Sping Break Cruise: Inception at Sea Freeport, Bahamas Party Cruise But what if you really want to go to one these destinations? Tip #2 Don't go during peak Spring Break time Spring break tends to be mid March-ish - early April. That's not too scientific, so here's a list of several college's 2016 Spring break calendars. By going when it's just before or after spring break means that you won't wake up to find vomit outside your room door or be lulled to sleep by the gentle sounds of a twerking contest by the pool. AND you'll likely find slightly cheaper rooms and plane tickets and still have awesome weather. If you're thinking about going to Nassau, and want a quite stay during Spring Break, I'd suggest The Orange Hill Inn. Pat and I have stayed here twice. Once during Spring Break while we were in college and once for our wedding. It's super quite and away from where all the college students stay. And trust me, the hotels where a lot of students stay get LOUD and gross. Just trust me. Tip #3 Think like a kid One of my favorite first travel memories was going off to summer camp. I was on my own, free from adult supervision, and I had a great time. Guess what, you can still go to camp! Or maybe Space Camp was the thing you always wanted to do as a kid, but didn't get the chance. Yeah, you can still do that at Adult Space Camp. Sometimes it's a good idea to break out of the typical "this is what spring break looks like" and think about what you've always wanted to do, and go do it! Tip #4 Emphasis the break in Spring Break One of the points of Spring Break is to get some much need R&R. So, make sure you're fully relaxed and recharged by the time you go back to work by using your Spring Break for a spa retreat, yoga camp, or by going somewhere that will force you to be off the grid a bit, like Cuba. There's a ton of options for a really relaxing getaway. That's why we chose Aruba. Pat's still going to be rehabbing his knee, so we wanted something 1. Warm 2. Beautiful 3. Relaxing 4. Somewhere we haven't been before. Check, check, check, check! Plan a lot of time sleeping in hammocks, drinking coffee/mimosas in bed, and getting to a point where you don't know what day it is anymore. Tip #5 Don't delay Now is the perfect time to start booking flights, particularly if you are flying international. One of my favorite things to do is to use Skyscanner, and put in my departure airport and select "everywhere" as my destination. It then spits out the best deals to everywhere. That's how I found my tickets to Aruba. You might just find the inspiration you need to book that Spring Break trip. Where are you going to go? Let us know in the comments! And no matter where you go, don't forget to travel happy! XO, Skeeter
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If you're a regular reader of this blog, it's probably because you love travel. But even for those who love travel, sometimes it's not always in the cards when you're hankering for a trip. There are lots or reasons you might not be able to take a 2 week vacation right now: money is tight, you've already used all your vacation days, you've got family/work/life commitments that are keeping you from escaping...whatever it is, it's life and it happens to us all. A staycation isn't a new concept, but it is something that takes a bit of creativity to make it feel like a real vacation. Most staycation tips I've seen are things like "go to a movie" "go for a bike ride". And while those things are fun, and affordable, they're not what I would call an out of the box fun thing to do. So, I wanted to give you a few ideas for a fun staycation this summer if you're still saving up for your dream trip. Here they are! 1. Learn something new: I know what you're thinking. It's summer, everyone is out of school and that means no more studying. Well, learning something new can be fun too. For example, take sailing lessons. You might be surprised how affordable they are. I know I was. For only $75 we got 4 classroom lessons and 2 full days of sailing. If you live relatively close to a large body of water, chances are there's a group of sailors. From my experience, they're super nice and love to help people learn the sport of sailing. Sailing not for you? How about taking a cooking class, a surf lesson, or a flight lesson? I went for what they call a 'Discovery Flight'. It's a chance for you to see if learning to fly is for you. It was around $50 and tons of fun. There's probably something in your community that you've never done before. Give it a try and have a mini adventure. 2. Become a connoisseur: Is your idea of a vacation a bit more laid back? How about going for a pub crawl or wine tasting? Most breweries and wine bars have an option for a taster flight. Here in Bandon, there's even a place that does taster flights of hot chocolate. Pat and I really like to get to know our local restaurants so we know where to find the best tacos, pizza, Chinese food etc. Pick your favorite food and make a trip around hitting each place until you know without a shred of a doubt who has the best cheesecake in town. Go with a friend and split your orders so that you have room to hit up the next place, and it will save you a few bucks too. 3. Have a spa day: Pick up a book at the library, and get ready to pamper yourself. Here are 13 ideas for an at home spa day. Start by making some DIY face masks, soak your feet, add in a good book, and you've got the makings of a luxury spa retreat. You can invite a few friends over, make some mojitos and turn on some ocean wave sounds and have a nice relaxing day. The more I think about it, I might just want to start doing this every weekend. You bring the rum, I'll provide the hammock! If you've decided that you're going to take a staycation this year, make it something spectacular. Do something you've never done before. Just because you can't travel somewhere new, doesn't mean you can't discover something new and fun right in your backyard.
I hope you all are having a happy Friday! Go out and do something fun this weekend, and don't forget to travel happy! Skeeter
Spending Money
Get a Charles Schwab Checking Account. This is a HUGE money saver. So, they don't charge for exchange rates (which is rare), they reimburse you for ATM withdrawals worldwide, and it's an interest earning account. This is the card I use exclusively when I travel. Not only do they not charge me to spend my money anywhere in the world, but their customer service is awesome. I had an issue with my card in New Zealand and no way to call them (not their fault). I emailed customer service, and within 12 hours the issue was resolved, no questions asked. Seriously, I don't know why everyone doesn't have an account with them. Most credit cards that have similar benefits charge you an annual fee for the privileged. Instead, Charles Schwab pays me (in the form of interest and reimbursement of fees issued by other banks). That's where it's at! Also be prepared for unexpected expenses. The US is home of the free wifi. That's not the case everywhere. Be sure you budget for those types of expenses as well. Don't forget to take in account the exchange rate. This can work in your favor or against you in a big way. Picking your destination while taking in account how far your dollar is going to go is important. If it's going to cost you $1.20 for every Euro you spend, your money is going to go a lot faster then you might think. Making Money If you're an American it can be a bit more difficult to get working visas around the world, but it's not impossible. If you do want to work while your gone to help you travel longer, look into a Working Holiday Visa. There are five countries where you can get one: Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, and Ireland. These will be your easiest bets. If you're from an EU Country, New Zealand, Australia etc, you have a TON more options. It makes me super jealous for sure. It's really the U.S' fault since we don't offer them to very many people. Teaching English abroad is also a popular option. Have a great time Don't be so miserly with your budget that you don't let yourself have any fun. Make sure to have enough to go out for drinks with new friends you make or to take tours of places you want to see. Nothing would be worse then taking a year off and spending it too poor to do anything. Everywhere you go there's usually a free/cheap things to do that are a lot of fun. Don't forget about those! Planning a long term trip, let us know in the comments! Happy Travels, Skeeter |
Skeeter
Hi there! I'm Skeeter. I grew up moving a lot and that makes me a bit restless for travel and exploration. I started this blog with my husband Pat when we decided to backpack New Zealand for a year. We are always looking for the next adventure and are loving life. We're just your average couple with two sassy dogs and a love for travel. We're sharing our travels and the tips we pick up along the way. LIZHello! I'm Liz. Blogging is very new to me, but I'm so excited to finally write as much as I talk! Archives
December 2016
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