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A quick glance through travel posts and you'll find an endless list of suggestions on how to make travel more affordable. Take advantage of air miles, only pack a carry-on, couch surf....etc. There really are amazing ways to make travel very affordable and to work it into your budget if that's what you're passionate about.
What I find is more difficult than budgeting money for a trip is budgeting time for it. I'm sure I'm not alone in this. This article on America's War on Vacation shows the startling difference between the vacation time that American workers get compared to other developed nations in the world. The average American has 8.1 vacation days per year after their first year on the job. Compare this to France (the global leader in vacation days) who has 30 required vacation days a year. What is even more startling is that despite the very few days we get as Americans, there are 175 million unused vacation days in a typical year! That's 479,452 YEARS worth of vacation days.
Why do we not take the little time that we do get? The reasons are probably endless, from busy family schedules, to the fear of taking time off impacting your ability to get that big promotion/project/raise, to just being so busy that you haven't taken the time to actually plan a vacation.
What makes these numbers even more depressing is the number of people who work while they are on vacation. 77 percent of people in a recent poll said that they worked while on vacation. I'll admit it, I'm terrible about this. I work on vacation, on weekends, in the middle of the night. I can't tell you how many times Pat said "are you working?" while we were in Aruba...what's wrong with me?!
To add on to this, many vacation policies stop accruing days or wipe out to zero at the end of the year or when you reach your max. Which means, you're essentially losing out on a huge benefit.
So, I want to issue a challenge. Take a look at how many unused vacation days you have and start planning. If you only earn a few days a year, and are thinking to yourself "I don't actually earn enough days to take a real vacation", there are plenty of strategies to make the most of it.
Time is a luxury, don't waste it, and no matter where you go, don't forget to travel happy!
XO, Skeeter
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Hey there Happy Travelers! I'm excited to bring you a guest post from Sean Tolliver, that's all about booking a sailing trip for your honeymoon. Which, to be honest, sounds amazing! Pat and I took a sailing course last year, and I've been dying to go on a sailing trip ever since. Sean is a personal trainer turned freelance writer and traveler with an affinity for sailing and scuba diving, always on the lookout for new destinations to visit. An adventurous Californian, he prefers a nautical lifestyle, but when he's on dry land, you'll find him typing or planning his next big fishing trip, probably with a freshly brewed cup of coffee by his side. Now, without further ado, I'll turn it over to Sean!
A cruise is awesome, but a private sailing trip for your honeymoon is unforgettable.Newlyweds who are planning their honeymoon often include a dinner cruise or staying at a travel resort in their itinerary. And sure, you'll spend a lot of time outside, at a unique destination. Although there are a number of adventures to enjoy, sailing is a unique experience that is romantic and offers beautiful panoramic views while spending time on the water. Taking a sailboat out on the clear waters will allow you to gaze at a bright blue sky by day and stargaze while taking the boat out at night. When renting a sailboat on your honeymoon, I've got a couple of tips on how to select your route, book your trip, and pack. First and most important tip: do your research! Seriously, Google everything, every question you might have, and look for others who have gone on a sailing trip for their honeymoon and see what they have to say. Book a chartered yacht and just enjoy yourselves.Take a fully-equipped yacht on the ocean where you can spend the day and night on your vessel in a secluded location. Many yachts come with quality bed linens, towels, and sunbathing platforms for plenty of luxury that can be enjoyed for several days out on the water. You can explore different destinations while traveling on the yacht for beautiful sites that make for an exciting trip. You'll get the chance to visit remote locations and wake up in a pristine bay each morning to enjoy water activities that include snorkeling, scuba diving, and swimming. My suggestions? You can travel far away, but you don't have to, especially if you have a budget to think of. Sail across the Pacific or Atlantic Coast if you're in the States, and don't forget lakes as an option as well. Of course, there are amazing international destinations, such as France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, to name a few. Give into hedonism. Treat yourselves!There are additional honeymoon services available, such as fine wines and spirits provided onboard, beauty and spa treatments, and a full-time hostess and a full-time skipper to prepare meals. You can enjoy a high level of privacy while visiting different islands and can feel accommodated with a full-time staff that has separate living quarters on the sailboat and will respect your time alone as a couple. The crew will also offer their advice on the best scuba diving location or beach to visit while navigating the waters. Don't pack too much. On a boat, pack light.It's important to pack light while sailing on your honeymoon to avoid weighing down the boat and making it difficult to maneuver. Don't pack clothes that you'll maybe wear, pack what you definitely need. Be practical. Pack clothes that are warm to stay comfortable at night when the temperatures drop. You'll also need a few rain garments that will make it easier to stay dry in wet weather or storms that arrive. And like I said before, do your research, check out what kind of clothes you really need on your sailing trip. It might not seem super important, but sailing is good for your health. You can feel relaxed and rejuvenated during your honeymoon while taking a sailboat to different destinations due to the long list of health benefits that are associated with the activity. The salt that is in the air while out at sea contains ions that can increase the body's ability to absorb oxygen, which will balance serotonin levels to boost your mood throughout the day. You'll also have reduced stress levels due to the rhythmic movements of the boat, which can make it easier to sleep during the night for added rest. Although taking a sailboat out on the water for your honeymoon will make it easy to relax and enjoy plenty of alone time, it's also a great way to stay physically active. Navigating a sailboat can reduce the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular health because it requires the hoisting of sails to direct the boat in different directions throughout the day. This can increase your muscle strength and make it easy to stay physically fit while spending several days away from land. The bonds between the two of you will grow stronger. Your communication skills will also improve as a couple while out at sea for a great way to kickstart your marriage. Sailing can make it easy to work as a team by discussing how to maneuver the boat in different types of weather. Both of you can have important roles on the boat while sailing to your desired destination. Yup, sailing is great for couples! While sailing, you can increase your agility levels by pulling lines and hoisting each sail frequently, which is proven to improve motor skills and increase hand-eye coordination. The activity will also make it easy to learn how to increase your ability to rely on your instincts and limit your reliance on technology to make decisions. Basically, you'll rely on each other. Sailing could quickly become your favorite hobby. Those who choose to spend their honeymoon on a sailboat can adopt the activity as a newfound hobby that can be enjoyed for many years to come – I've seen this happen, as I've been a crew member on such sailing trips. It becomes a mutual hobby, and couples continue to go sailing for years and years. Although, I have to mention this, many people are intimidated by the idea of navigating a vessel, but it doesn't have to be a complicated activity. Beginner sailing schools can make it easy to become experienced before the honeymoon to ensure that you feel comfortable hoisting the sails and evaluating the weather conditions. Couples can stay mentally and physically fit because it's an active hobby that requires plenty of concentration and movement. Sailing can increase cognitive function with age and will reduce the risk of dementia. It is even known to boost confidence levels and make it easier to become more independent because it requires plenty of self-reliance. It's another topic, but I've seen business people become office leaders after group sailing excursions. Those who choose to partake in sailing as a hobby will also have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the boat. From the port to the starboard, there are a number of parts of a sailboat that are quickly learned while spending your honeymoon on the water. Should it be just the two of you, or should you hire a crew? Short answer: Hire a crew. Those who are inexperienced should rent a chartered boat with crew members. That way, newlyweds can learn how to sail without taking any risks, the crew is there to keep everyone safe. Okay, if one of you is a sailing expert, then you’re good, but keep in mind that you also need time for romance! You don't need a huge crew, but two experts would indeed help you out a lot, and wouldn't affect your privacy. Professionals know when they're needed, and when they should get out of the way. Remember, it's supposed to be fun! Sailing is a lot of fun. Sure, it can be dangerous, but that's why you have to be prepared. It's adventurous, sometimes risky. Actually, it's a lot like marriage. The most important thing is, know what you're getting into before actually doing it. Take a course, hire a crew, see if it's something that both of you would enjoy. If it is, you're in for a journey of a lifetime, and your sailing honeymoon could very well be the I want to give a big thank you to Sean for sharing this post with us and for sparking some great ideas for you soon to be honeymooners! I think honeymoon or not, a sailing trip would be an incredible adventure for anyone. What about you? What's your idea of an ideal romantic adventure? No matter, where you're off to, don't forget to travel happy! Skeeter Hey there Happy Travelers! I recenlty got back from my second trip to Japan and am so thrilled to be able to share what I've learned the second time around. I was lucky enough to get to try a few new things and I now have a few new Japan favorites. You can also check out my Top 5 sites and Japan travel tips from last year as well. Japan is such a diverse and beautiful place that there's no way that two weeks could give you enough to see and do it all. Now that I've been there twice, I can say that I'm completely in love with Japan. Let me count the ways... Dear Japan, you keep surprising me... When you visit Japan, you'll notice some things right away that will surprise you. Tokyo, a city with over 13 million people is ridiculously clean and quite. How they manage to keep things so quite and calm with so much happening, I have no idea. Part of it, is that people, in general, are more consciences of those around them. People don't talk on their cellphones in public, you won't hear music blasting, or see people eating on the train. All of this politeness, creates a very calm atmosphere. This gives you the impression that Japanese people tend to be reserved and quite and certainly not loud or boisterous. I knew that everyone in Japan couldn't possibly be calm and polite all the time. But, to be honest, I rarely saw anything to the contrary. That was until I went to a baseball game. Now, you might be saying " I don't like baseball, I don't even like sports". I'm convinced that it doesn't matter when watching it in Japan. I was with a group of people, some big baseball fans, and some who never watch it, and we all had a blast. While the essentials of the sport are the same as American baseball, the fan experience is not. The fans cheer, not stop, the.whole.game. There is a set cheer for each player. Luckily, there was an elderly lady sitting behind us, who had her daughter print out all the cheers for her and she helped us learn what each of them were. She was the best! Here is a video of some of the cheering going on. Note: This video only features about half of the food breaks I took. No, a baseball game isn't usually long enough to eat 4 times, but what can I say? Don't judge! The video quality is only so so, and to be honest, it only does a modest job of capturing the energy in the stadium. It was such a fun game! If you find yourself at a game, you too will end up spending the whole game cheering, and laughing, and just having an amazing time. It's one of those stark contrasts that makes Japan so interesting. It's so easy to make vast generalizations about different parts of the world. This was one of those experiences where you see that people are people, and we are all a lot more complex and interesting than you could ever realized from a short visit, even if that realization comes over hot dogs and beer. Japan is more than sprawling cities You wouldn't be alone if your image of Japan was just sprawling city side. While there is plenty of that, there's also gorgeous country side, mountains other than Mt. Fuji, and plenty of quite parts of the country to spend some time recharging. During this trip, I got got spend about 3 days in a region called Toyama. In Toyama, there's a mountain call Teteyama. There's an Alpine Route through the mountains, where you'll see the famous snow tunnel. I was there in June, and there was still a snow tunnel, although it wasn't as impressive as you'd see earlier in the season. You'll take a series of buses, trams, trains, and a suspended aerial gondola to reach the Kurobe Dam. The whole journey is gorgeous, and you'll experience so much along they way. We saw waterfalls, monkeys, and pristine blue rivers. The peak of Teteyama is 10,000 ft, so it's quite the journey. Toyama is on the west coast of Japan and is famous for their fresh seafood, sake, and their hot pools. Long story short, there's a lot to do in Japan that isn't in the city. How the old world and new world live together I was wondering around Tokyo after dinner and stumbled upon this beautiful place nestled right between two skyscrapers. If you look closely, you can see the buildings rising up all around it. This isn't unusual. The Imperial Palace is right across the street from super modern high rise buildings. Tokyo is a city where you'll feel incredibly safe. Which is perfect for wandering around and getting a little lost. You'll find subway stations all over the place which means, even if you do get lost, you can easily get back to where you were going. If you ever visit Tokyo, I'd really recommend veering off the path from time to time. I found temples that I had no idea were there, and wouldn't have even know to go looking for. One night, I found this traditional yakitori restaurant, which was amazing. Yakitori is typically chicken grilled on skewers over a charcoal grill. This place grilled vegetables, clams, various meats, all sort of things. The cook, sat on the floor, on his knees, in front of a large charcoal grill built off the floor. You'd order you food from the options in front of you, he'd then scoop it up with a large wooden spatula that was about 5 feet long. He'd grill it up, right in front of you, and then deliver it to you on the wooden spatula. It was one of the coolest dining experiences I had there. Unfortunately, they said I couldn't take any pictures inside. It seemed like one of those local spots that they didn't want the word getting out about. Lucky for them, I found it by wondering down a series of alleys, and couldn't tell you how to get there if I wanted to. But! My point is, when in Japan, you should schedule some time to just wonder around...and see where it takes you. There's so much more to discover Within just the realm of sweets, there's a universe of information that I couldn't tell you about Japan. You can find all sorts of interesting candies, cakes, dessert hot dogs, banana cakes that are all the rage, oh and the never ending list of Kit Kat flavors to try. I foolishly didn't buy these. I spotted this during our trip to the top of Teteyama, and didn't think schlepping this with me the whole way was wise, only to find out that the sake flavor is extremely hard to find. ARH! Both times I've gone, I've made it mission to try more flavors. I don't think I'll ever get them all, but I'm gonna try!
Woah, sorry, I digressed. I was telling you that there's so much to discover, and it's true. My point being, that no matter what time of year you go, or how many times you've been, you'r going to discover something else fascinating about Japan and just maybe that you love it too. I could have given you a list of my personal favorite restaurants, or shopping spots, or temples. But, from my experience, I keep finding something new and amazing around every corner, and giving you a list would be a disservice. Go, discover, and make your own list of things you love about Japan. It won't be hard to do. Have you been to Japan? What do you love most? No matter what you love most, or where you're going, don't forget to travel happy! XO, 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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