El Mundo Revisited

This week, I check back in with Eric & Beth from El Mundo. Remember, they took a trip around the world that lasted many months and I wrote about several portions of their journey here and here. I was curious how they were acclimating to life back in Atlanta. Recently, we finally had a chance to catch up a bit where we talk Beijing barbecue, compromise, and communication barriers when traveling.

dp I’d imagine settling back into normal, everyday, non-traveling life would be quite difficult after such a long time on the road, how was the transition post trip?

Eric The transition was much smoother than expected. Beth and I were extremely fortunate to find jobs within a month or so of being back. This made paying off our small travel debt, quite easy. As far as the non-traveling aspect, that’s the bummer. To go from having everyday like Christmas eve, where only excitement awaits you in the morning; to groundhog’s day, where everyday is pretty much the same, is a harsh reality. Good news … anytime, anywhere, I can always think back and reminisce, and no one can take that away.

dp How was it traveling through the holidays and being away from family?

Eric Traveling through the holidays was a bit difficult at times because, Beth and I both have strong relationships with our families and the holidays are when we come together. On the flip side, it was great spending a holiday in another country and experiencing it in a different way.

Beth It was quite different experiencing Thanksgiving dinner at a Texas BBQ house in the middle of Beijing and spending Christmas eve and morning lounging by the pool in Bali. The Balinese man dressed as Santa handing out the best chocolates in the world made for a fantastic Christmas morning present. Plus, Eric and I gave each other the greatest gift ever–a four star resort complete with our own bathroom and warm water.

dp Is there anything you wish you packed?

Eric We both wished we had bought and brought a Netbook. We would have saved quite a bit of time and money with our own compact computer. The reward would have exceeded the risk on this item.

dp Overall, what did your journey teach you about yourself? Each other?

Eric Individually, I learned more about myself than anything else. I could go on for hours about this, but in a nutshell I learned that there is more to life then just flashy cars and fancy clothes. I learned how to function on little money and how to sleep in not so nice places. It seemed like my everyday Atlanta life, with a car, a nice apartment, and great food within arms reach was actually more stressful. Deciding what to wear to work, choosing a place to eat, and figuring out what new gadget I wanted to buy, were all foreign concepts while I was gone. I did not miss that at all. Living as a minimalist was quite blissful.

In regards to the both of us, just thinking about spending six months with someone 24/7 is a bit nerve wracking. We were a little apprehensive about this big journey, but it turned out being ten times easier then we thought. We learned to work as a team

Beth I learned a lot about compromising with Eric. We often shared meals and slept in places that I normally would have turned my nose up at. He taught me a lot about living on barely $20/a day and saving our money. I’ve definitely noticed this influencing my life in Atlanta. I think items through before purchasing them and Eric and I often share meals when we go out.

dp What country or region did you think was the most difficult to travel in and why?

Eric I think that India is probably the most difficult to travel in. We were lucky enough to have had a tour guide for most of our time in India, but without them would be a mess. India, for one, is a tough cookie to swallow. It’s hard to stomach the levels of poverty you are exposed to in certain places. Anytime you ask someone a question, you get a head bobble in return. It’s not a nod, nor a shake … it’s both. Basic communication can be VERY misleading.

Beth Although I agree with Eric on India, I also found China to be very difficult. We constantly found ourselves in situations of the Chinese stealing our money and pointing us in wrong directions. I used the best sign language that I could and the people of Beijing would still look at me and turn away, pretending not to see me. Eric and I got in a bad habit of talking about everyone we passed on the street because no one understood us anyway. We spent lots of time lost with fake money in our pockets.

dp Which place would you like to return to?

Eric We would both like to return to India, and the Philippines. There was a lot that we saw, but much more that we missed due to our tight schedule.

Beth I felt that a lot of our trip was on fast forward. I’d love to re-visit most of Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. I would like to surround myself with more of the culture and visit more of the sights that we had to skip over due to our tight schedule. I would agree with Eric as well, India and the Philippines are at the top of my list to revisit. The beauty of the people, country, and culture is something that I would like to experience more of.

dp Would you have changed anything about the experience?

Eric I would have probably been gone longer. We were held to a tight budget on a tight timeline. If we had the option to do it over again, we would probably have taken a year off and posted up somewhere to get some short term work and earn some scratch. We met many travelers that were doing just that. Traveling until they money ran out, working, then starting all over again.

Beth I would have stayed gone longer and given myself more time in some of the larger countries. I regret not seeing more of India and China. They are both so big with so many great things to offer. I feel that my negative perspective of China would have changed if I had visited other cities besides Beijing.

I also would have bought a few more souvenirs. I hated having a heavy pack so I often didn’t buy some great things that I saw.

 

dp Do you have any current trip itineraries in the works?

Eric At this time (cough cough) we do not, however there have been talks about Morroco in the near future.

Beth As of now we just have some short weekend trips to visit friends in the United States planned. Fingers crossed we will either be spending Thanksgiving or Christmas on the road again. Sorry mom and dad.

Dream Destination

Maybe it’s because I’m reading The Wishing Year by Noelle Oxenhandler in which she writes about the notion of “putting it out there.” Or maybe it’s because, before the age of 11, I’d never lived in one place longer than three years. Perhaps it’s because last month I took over as DailyCandy Atlanta Editor, and while I love it, it’s a stressful position, and when I’m feeling overworked I dream up places I’d like to visit. Whatever it is, I’ve got the travel bug bad.

We’re heading to Krakow in August (Budapest and Prague hopefully will make the cut too) for a dear friend’s wedding. In the beginning stages of planning, I realized it would likely have never been on my list of places to see in my lifetime. I mean, I’m thrilled to go, but don’t know if I would’ve made it to Poland otherwise.

So, where would I like to go? Well, since I’m dreaming, here’s my must-see travel list, and my proactive approach to “putting it out there.”

Seychelles
Basically I’ve had a fascination with the Indian Ocean for most of my life. The Maldives and all those itty-bitty specks on a map that don’t have names (and if they do they are called Cockatoo or Christmas Island) and take forever and a day to get to. But, the image of the Seychelles is always my go-to happy place.

Patagonia
This one is more for my man than me. But, I think it’d be the perfect combination for both of us … he could hike to his heart’s content surrounded by untouched nature on the edge of the Earth and I could be surrounded in my third glass of Argentinean malbec.

Italia … anywhere
For our 5-year anniversary we started to plan a trip to Italy. And well our budget got the better of us, so we decided to be responsible adults and forgo the trip. But, I dream of riding bikes along roads in Italy, speaking choppy Italian and gorging myself on cheese, smoked meats, and flatbread (and prosecco).

Bali
Not to sound like I’m totally going through 2 out of 3 on Elizabeth Gilbert’s quest in Eat, Pray, Love … Bali. It had me at an episode of E!’s Wild On I saw back when I was in college, it just seems so far off, spiritual, and yes, Gilbert wrote it—balanced—my idea of perfect.

Palm Springs, California
I’ve traveled a lot throughout the U.S., and even seen the bulk of California, but I’ve never stopped in Palm Springs. Maybe it’s the pictures of Coachella loaded with skinny starlets all coked out in their cute jumpers, gigantic shades, and fedoras … at any rate, I’ve always wanted to go and always wanted to stay at the iconic Viceroy.

Morocco
Last, but not least, Morocco—specifically Marrakesh. The maze of markets alone would likely cause me panic, but that’s the beauty in travel … getting outside your comfort zone. And every now and then we could all use that push into the scary.

To make traveling a bit easier, the first danapop giveaway from my friends at Malcom Fontier. Comment on where you want to go and why and you could win a free Mojito travel wallet. Their travel wallets are fantastic for organizing all your cards (and money too) plus, it’s flat enough to tuck into a pocket or toss into a purse.

Postcards from Tuscany

This week’s travel piece is another postcard. It’s from a guest blogger who’s posted on these pages before–Emily Gold from Paper Cake Scissors. Here’s her postcard from Tuscany loaded with winding roads, rolling hills, rich history, and of course plenty of pasta and vino!

Gustare!

Italy was never at the top of my travel wish list until my mom told me that she and my dad were considering a visit over the holidays. The conversation with my husband over whether or not to go was brief, leading to a quick call back to my parents to say YES. I didn’t regret our decision for a minute, especially when, two hours after landing in Rome, we were already exploring the Pantheon. We focused on Tuscany except for one hop across the border into the Umbrian city of Perugia and a brief cruise through Rome during a five-hour layover on the way to Florence. And yes, my parents and husband and I all got along, and we had a very memorable holiday captured in hundreds and hundreds of pictures.

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Travel Identity

I’ve always loved to travel; maybe it’s the Sagittarius in me. But, lately I’ve come to the realization that we travel a lot. And I’m not exaggerating when I say a lot. Last year, on average, our travel worked out to be almost one trip a month-and almost all of it was to visits to family and friends. Most likely this has to do with the fact that my husband and I both come from large families (four kids in each of our families, plus nieces and nephews all around) and have close friends in our hometowns we still regularly keep in touch with. So between weddings, graduations, baby showers, birthdays, family vacations, and holidays, being out of town often is a bit of an understatement for us.

This year though, I’m trying to find a balance with the travel. Because in 2009-despite a recession and job loss-here’s where we went last year (in no particular order):

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Cincinnati, Ohio
Santa Cruz, California
Birmingham, Alabama
New Orleans, Louisiana
Seattle, Washington
Vancouver, BC
Siesta Key, Florida
Charleston, South Carolina
Destin, Florida

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Postcards from Vietnam

Another check-in with Eric & Beth, our friends from the blog El Mundo.  This postcard proves to be an adventurous one … Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Another stop on their trip around the world.

Since in today’s tech age the physical postcard has now been altered to text messaging, here’s the abbreviated (somewhat) summary with photos…

ngoại động từ (English translation from Vietnamese-enjoy!).

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Sixthman

Work life for me has always been a delicate balance of finding something I’m passionate about and how that fits into my life in the bigger sense. Now that my husband and I are both in the market for full-time work (click here to hear all about the highs and lows of job loss), it sometimes makes you look at what you’ve done in the past career-wise to see if you’d in fact, like to revisit it.

Thankfully, I’ve enjoyed most of the jobs I’ve had throughout my career (give or take … bosses, now that’s another story, ahem, I digress). Before I became a full-time freelance writer, I was a publicist-a senior publicist to be exact–at a top entertainment boutique firm in Atlanta. Most of my clients were in the food realm, but I did assist on other accounts, and one of them, was by far the most fun … Sixthman.

This niche travel company has booked some of the best known musicians in the world on its music cruises, which essentially put musicians and their fans on the same boat at sea. On any given ship you get to see impromptu performances, as well as your favorite singer hanging out on the Lido Deck. Sixthman charter boats have booked everyone from The Barenaked Ladies to Josh Rouse to Lynyrd Skynyrd … a ship full of fans signing “Sweet Home Alabama” in unison is something, let me tell you. Oh–and even this guy, whose time on a Sixthman ship created quite the Internet buzz with this photo.

I recently got a chance to chat with Sixthman founder Andy Levine who, by the way, seems to have mastered the balance of one’s passion, one’s work, and one’s life.
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Postcards from Dubai

As promised, a check in with Eric & Beth, our friends from the blog El Mundo.  The first postcard proves to be a good one … Dubai, a great stop on their trip around the world.

Since in today’s tech age the physical postcard has now been altered to text messaging, here’s the abbreviated summary with photos…

فِعْل : يستمتع بـ . يَنْعَم بـ
(English translasion from Arabic–enjoy!)

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Get Out the Map

Our friends Eric and Beth are traveling the world. They are currently on the road (and airplane, and boat) for the next half year (give or take). So, they’ll be popping in from time to time with trip updates and postcards of their journey. Of course I had loads of questions for them regarding a trip such as this, which made the interview quite fun.

Here’s my Q&A session with Beth just before she joined Eric on their trip. Friday, I’ll check back in with them in Dubai.  Also, be sure to follow all their travels and updates on their fantastic blog, El Mundo.

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Rolling into Santa Cruz

The simple story behind Santa Cruz (situated on the Monterey Bay) is this–in the 1960s the counterculture boom made things in San Fran a bit too crowded, so the intellectual crowd headed South, to Santa Cruz. So, the answer is yes, Dionne Warwick, they do know the way to San Jose (that’s the nearest major city in proximity to SC), a.k.a. Silicon Valley.

My twin sister’s favorite book is John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley. It’s pretty fitting because she’s a journey seeker, and the whole book is an account of Steinbeck’s road trip with his standard poodle named Charley. So when she moved to Santa Cruz, California from Baltimore, Maryland this summer, she actually did what so many of us (me, me, me) dream about doing–taking weeks to travel to her new home. She visited friends and family along the way stopping and enjoying the drive as much as the destination. Even camped solo (so brave) in some of the most inspiring places in North America. One early morning before dawn in the Badlands, she woke up to a bison stampede … beats an alarm clock any day.

Now that she is settled in SC, my older sister and I met up with my twin for a bit of a girly get-away. We’ve all been busy this year. My older sister has a big-wig job, a husband who travels for his job, and two kiddos under the age of four. My twin just uprooted her life (new job, said new town, and end of an 8-year relationship), and me–I’ve been a bit buried in both work and worry lately, so it was due time to whip out the mascara and skinny jeans. But, really, more like cut-offs and tank tops, as that’s more the way they roll…

The point in my story about my twin’s travels to get to Santa Cruz is that  that’s pretty much what we did there. We stopped and took a moment to digest it all. We visited with friends and family, saw some of the prettiest places in Nor Cal, and just slowed down. If you ever need a little (or a lot of) space to clear your head–Santa Cruz squarely fits the bill. Here’s a bit about our trip, and my favorite spots along the way. This week, the pop on Eddie Vedder’s muse–Santa Cruz.

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Oh My Sweet Carolina

I first visited Charleston as a freshman in college, to visit my first love, my then boyfriend who attended The Citadel, or as it’s formally called–The Military College of South Carolina. And while he’s an amazing person whom I’d predict now is a doting father and husband (if I had to guess … but I honestly have no idea where or how he currently is) the best thing out of that relationship was my introduction Charleston. Well, that and my first taste of Russian teacakes during the holiday season (courtesy of his mother). I was charmed by both, even then.

Charleston has it all including history–(um, hola Civil and Revolutionary Wars) and because of it, there’s a strong “across the pond” vibe going on–great boutiques, award-winning chefs taking local and Southern cuisine to a whole new level, and an integral, yet gorgeous harbor currently the nation’s fourth busiest container port. Celebrities love it too– Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe chose Charleston as their wedding location (hmm maybe not such a good example). My friend, travel and food writer extraordinaire Hope, says (I’m paraphrasing) that it’s the snootier version of New Orleans, and I think that’s a fair observation.

But, even so, I’ve always been more than a bit smitten with the city, much like that first boyfriend you always seem to go back to (no matter how immature and ridiculous things get). Though a side note, on this last visit, I noticed even Charleston cannot escape the housing market–there were loads of for-sale signs. One of the reasons I like Charleston so much is because of all of its old buildings (especially when compared to where I live in Atlanta), so, I was sad to see a lot of tearing down of old properties and building new this time around, which is never a good thing. But, this isn’t a piece on the economy or property development, it’s an article on traveling to one of the best little big cities in the South–the pop on Charleston.
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