April 8th, 2010
Eight Days into living among the Parisians and we’re getting stir crazy and anxious to explore new places. How American are we? Only 8 days into our trip and we’re bored and ready to move on to the next town? We have walked around every corner of Paris and feel like we have seen it all. And as tourists, we have seen it all but as far as living day to day in another culture we have barely scratched the surface. Living in a different culture requires certain elements that we did not plan for on our trip. A person cannot merely go from café to café and expect to understand the French way of life. Yes, we have grasped a decent understanding of la vie francaise but without friends, family, school, activities, work and the daily trials of life, it’s considered visiting not living.
And so there’s been a change of plans. We’ve shortened our trip to two weeks in Paris and two weeks on the road traveling through Europe in a car. After being in a big city surrounded by people, smog and noise, we’re both eager to get on the open road. Growing up, family road trips were a yearly event. Each summer it was somewhere new; Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico and more. I remember the longest stretch of road in my life was just before reaching Albuquerque, I was about 12 years old. Against my parents advice, Lauren and I had drank too many sodas and really had to use the bathroom. That dirty Shell gas station felt like heaven once we arrived in Albuquerque. Many memories have been made on the road in Europe as well as the States. I remember sleeping overnight in our car in Spain. Pamplona is a small town in Northern Spain that hosts the running with the bulls festival every year in July. In 2007, we drove into the town knowing the festival was to begin the next day. We found that all the hotels in the city booked up almost a year in advance so we found a parking spot next to a green belt and camped there for the night. Apparently, everyone else in the city without accommodations brought their sleeping bags because they were camped out in the parks. Imagine, thousands of drunk Spaniards and American fraternity boys passed out in sleeping bags in this small town! Such a funny sight!
So a road trip it is. It’s very different from the original plan but part of life is making room for new opportunities that come your way. You have to be flexible and change your plans sometimes depending on where your heart is telling you to go. And our hearts are telling us to go East! The route begins and ends in Paris; starting with Strasbourg, Prague, Dresden, Berlin, Hanover, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, and back to Paris with stops in every little town that looks nice on the way. On the road again… Au Revoir!
Bonne Chance Fellow Travelers
Lindsay
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Montparnasse and Jardin Du Luxembourg
April 6th, 2010
Another Eiffel Tower run today. My pace was slightly slower than yesterday and my legs are worn out from all the running, walking, jogging and climbing (stairs) we have done recently. When we returned from our run we set our sights for the Montparnasse area of Paris. We have never explored there before and decided to take the long walk there, which I'm sure most Parisians haven't even done. The day was warm and unfortunately, I over dressed for it. The walk uphill on the long Boulevard was a labored one for me. I walked in the shade of the buildings every chance I was given. There were a lot of shoe and lingerie stores on this street and the smell of leather and perfume drifted through the air; stilettos and sex. At the top of the street we found a Starbucks and decided to go in for a cold drink, air conditioning and a shot of caffeine (which was much needed). The 30 minute break at Starbucks was relaxing and fun; our conversation was light and jovial. My head was positioned directly below the neon Starbucks sign and of course, the sign and my head came in contact with each other twice, which made both of us laugh. We reviewed our map, located the nearby cemetery and left Starbucks.
The cemetery was only a 10 minute walk away from our previous caffeinated dreamland. Upon entering the grounds, our conversation went from light and cheery to quiet and ponderous. What happens to us when we die? I refuse to believe that we just rot in the ground and become food for flowers. Yet, the idea of dancing down a street of gold to the sounds of trumpets in heaven seems far fetched too. Or is heaven just an eternal peace of mind? We will never know until our day comes. As I walked the streets of dirt in between memories made of stone, I tried to remember the people I've never met. Behind every tombstone is a life I've never know and a story I've never heard. One day I'll possess the knowledge of where exactly these people went but until that day, this quiet, peaceful refuge will serve as my silent reminder of how brief and precious our time on this earth is.
The sound of laughter immediately snapped me back to present time. Across from our bench were two children and their mother, eating lunch out of a paper bag. The small boy and his older sister noticed us watching and decided to ham it up a bit. The young boy began dancing around holding his sandwich in his hand while the older sister taunted him slightly. They didn't know but we took photographs of the kids dancing and playing. What a strange contrast between the innocence of youth dancing and the somber feel of the cemetery.
We left the cemetery and slowly walked towards the Jardin du Luxembourg. Our stroll took a while but was lovely. The birds were chirping and from the sounds of children playing in the distance, we knew we were heading in the right direction towards the park. Initially, the park was extremely crowded and families were everywhere but as we strolled further, the family park turned into the lover/ student park. The chairs near the fountain were filled with young couples kissing and young adults reading books; everyone was out today soaking up the Parisian sun.
Our relaxing day ended with a relaxing Italian meal at a restaurant across the street from our apartment. I ordered a glass of Bordeaux and a meat stuffed tortellini with a light creme sauce, while he ordered a beer and seafood pasta with red sauce. And for desert, we split a banana split. The meal was an amazing way to end our great day. Life is good.
BONNE CHANCE FELLOW TRAVELERS
Lindsay
Another Eiffel Tower run today. My pace was slightly slower than yesterday and my legs are worn out from all the running, walking, jogging and climbing (stairs) we have done recently. When we returned from our run we set our sights for the Montparnasse area of Paris. We have never explored there before and decided to take the long walk there, which I'm sure most Parisians haven't even done. The day was warm and unfortunately, I over dressed for it. The walk uphill on the long Boulevard was a labored one for me. I walked in the shade of the buildings every chance I was given. There were a lot of shoe and lingerie stores on this street and the smell of leather and perfume drifted through the air; stilettos and sex. At the top of the street we found a Starbucks and decided to go in for a cold drink, air conditioning and a shot of caffeine (which was much needed). The 30 minute break at Starbucks was relaxing and fun; our conversation was light and jovial. My head was positioned directly below the neon Starbucks sign and of course, the sign and my head came in contact with each other twice, which made both of us laugh. We reviewed our map, located the nearby cemetery and left Starbucks.
The cemetery was only a 10 minute walk away from our previous caffeinated dreamland. Upon entering the grounds, our conversation went from light and cheery to quiet and ponderous. What happens to us when we die? I refuse to believe that we just rot in the ground and become food for flowers. Yet, the idea of dancing down a street of gold to the sounds of trumpets in heaven seems far fetched too. Or is heaven just an eternal peace of mind? We will never know until our day comes. As I walked the streets of dirt in between memories made of stone, I tried to remember the people I've never met. Behind every tombstone is a life I've never know and a story I've never heard. One day I'll possess the knowledge of where exactly these people went but until that day, this quiet, peaceful refuge will serve as my silent reminder of how brief and precious our time on this earth is.
The sound of laughter immediately snapped me back to present time. Across from our bench were two children and their mother, eating lunch out of a paper bag. The small boy and his older sister noticed us watching and decided to ham it up a bit. The young boy began dancing around holding his sandwich in his hand while the older sister taunted him slightly. They didn't know but we took photographs of the kids dancing and playing. What a strange contrast between the innocence of youth dancing and the somber feel of the cemetery.
We left the cemetery and slowly walked towards the Jardin du Luxembourg. Our stroll took a while but was lovely. The birds were chirping and from the sounds of children playing in the distance, we knew we were heading in the right direction towards the park. Initially, the park was extremely crowded and families were everywhere but as we strolled further, the family park turned into the lover/ student park. The chairs near the fountain were filled with young couples kissing and young adults reading books; everyone was out today soaking up the Parisian sun.
Our relaxing day ended with a relaxing Italian meal at a restaurant across the street from our apartment. I ordered a glass of Bordeaux and a meat stuffed tortellini with a light creme sauce, while he ordered a beer and seafood pasta with red sauce. And for desert, we split a banana split. The meal was an amazing way to end our great day. Life is good.
BONNE CHANCE FELLOW TRAVELERS
Lindsay
Running and Endless Walking
April 5th, 2010
The morning began with a simple question. “Do you want to run to the Eiffel Tower?” I usually don’t like to say no to a challenge, so naturally my response was, “Sure, let’s do it.” We put on our running shoes, stretched and within minutes were outside in the brisk morning air. We crossed Rue de Rivoli and ran through the Louvre; the building is overwhelming and makes a person feel so small in comparison. In less than 5 minutes we were running along the River Seine with the Eiffel Tower in the distance. The wind was cold across my face but the beauty of the sun creating sparkles in the water distracted me. My lungs breathed in and out calmly, despite the morning traffic and cars honking. Il fait beau, it was beautiful weather. The run passed by quickly and before I knew it we were crossing the bridge towards to the Eiffel Tower on the left bank. Tourists were already waiting in line to ride the attraction, men were trying to sell rows of Eiffel Tower keychains and postcards on their arms, and big red buses with open tops were letting passengers off to visit the national monument. I was relieved to find that he wanted to walk back home instead of running. As we walked, the Parisian sun warmed my face and we practiced French vocabulary words all the way home.
After freshening up and having lunch in the apartment, we decided to explore the 5th and 6th arrondissements. We walked to the Tuileries garden and took many photos of the garden and the Louvre before crossing the river to the rive gauche (left bank). The small streets on the left bank were full of antique shops and real estate offices then the smalls streets gave way to a big street, Rue Saint Germain with famous shops like Cartier and Armani. We turned a corner and found an Irish pub called Corcorans and decided to go in for a pint. We talked to the bartender over a Magners and a Guinness and learned he was from Australia and married a French woman. He said his wife was constantly trying to teach him proper French but he still hadn't come close to mastering the language, even after living in Paris for two years. We finished our pints and continued on our way. Down the street from the pub, I found a great teal colored hat for 15 Euros. We explored Saint Germain a while longer before returning to our apartment. We ate a light dinner at home, curled up on the sofa and watched French television for a while before retiring early. Another beautiful day exploring the world's most majestic city.
BONNE CHANCE FELLOW TRAVELERS,
Lindsay
The morning began with a simple question. “Do you want to run to the Eiffel Tower?” I usually don’t like to say no to a challenge, so naturally my response was, “Sure, let’s do it.” We put on our running shoes, stretched and within minutes were outside in the brisk morning air. We crossed Rue de Rivoli and ran through the Louvre; the building is overwhelming and makes a person feel so small in comparison. In less than 5 minutes we were running along the River Seine with the Eiffel Tower in the distance. The wind was cold across my face but the beauty of the sun creating sparkles in the water distracted me. My lungs breathed in and out calmly, despite the morning traffic and cars honking. Il fait beau, it was beautiful weather. The run passed by quickly and before I knew it we were crossing the bridge towards to the Eiffel Tower on the left bank. Tourists were already waiting in line to ride the attraction, men were trying to sell rows of Eiffel Tower keychains and postcards on their arms, and big red buses with open tops were letting passengers off to visit the national monument. I was relieved to find that he wanted to walk back home instead of running. As we walked, the Parisian sun warmed my face and we practiced French vocabulary words all the way home.
After freshening up and having lunch in the apartment, we decided to explore the 5th and 6th arrondissements. We walked to the Tuileries garden and took many photos of the garden and the Louvre before crossing the river to the rive gauche (left bank). The small streets on the left bank were full of antique shops and real estate offices then the smalls streets gave way to a big street, Rue Saint Germain with famous shops like Cartier and Armani. We turned a corner and found an Irish pub called Corcorans and decided to go in for a pint. We talked to the bartender over a Magners and a Guinness and learned he was from Australia and married a French woman. He said his wife was constantly trying to teach him proper French but he still hadn't come close to mastering the language, even after living in Paris for two years. We finished our pints and continued on our way. Down the street from the pub, I found a great teal colored hat for 15 Euros. We explored Saint Germain a while longer before returning to our apartment. We ate a light dinner at home, curled up on the sofa and watched French television for a while before retiring early. Another beautiful day exploring the world's most majestic city.
BONNE CHANCE FELLOW TRAVELERS,
Lindsay
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Easter Sunday at Notre Dame and Exploring the Marais
April 4th
Today is Easter Sunday but I awoke to no basket of chocolate candy or colored eggs. It’s nothing new though, I’ve worked at a restaurant the last ten Easters of my life. Today was a different kind of day. I awoke to the still quiet of our courtyard in Paris, with only the faint sounds of birds chirping in the background. Our neighbors have all been extremely quiet considering most of them are offices, some are offices of famous French shoe designers! I made myself my morning café, mostly decaf and listened to the quiet. He was still sleeping and I enjoyed a moment of solitude with my warm drink. When he awoke, finally feeling better (after being sick since the night before we left for France), we decided a jog in the brisk morning air sounded nice.
We bundled up in layers and went out into the quiet morning air along the river Seine towards the Notre Dame. All the French must’ve been hiding in their warm beds at this hour on Easter Sunday because the streets were quiet, only a handful of tourists were scattered about along the river. The Ile de la cite’ was almost deserted as well. Across from the police department was a man setting up shop in what looked to be an outdoor market full of birds in cages and amphibians in petite aquariums. Once at the Notre Dame, we looked at the service times, 930am was the next. Good, plenty of time to return home and freshen up for Sunday mass.
And 45 minutes later, two non-Catholics made their way to Easter mass at the Notre Dame. The wind was strong and chilly beating against my face as we walked across the bridge of the river; I didn’t put nearly enough layers on. Luckily, once inside the cathedral the excess body heat warmed me up. The mass lasted two hours long but the experience will last a lifetime; the stained glass with religious figures of men above me, the smell of the incense being tossed about in a small metal container by the Priest, the words being spoken in a language I could barely understand and the beautiful hymns being sang by women and men in blue cloaks. C’est incroyable!
After the long exit out of the cathedral, we quickly made our way through the streets to the nearest brasserie. My stomach had been yelling at me through the second half of the sermon for not eating enough breakfast. The server was extremely efficient and cordial and the food was hot and tasty. My croque monsieur was the best in Paris thus far, (A croque monsieur is a toasted ham and cheese sandwich, with extra cheese on top in classic French style. It must be eaten with fork and knife because if done right, the cheese is far too messy to be consumed with your hands!) After lunch the weather was so cold we basically ran home.
We warmed up in our small apartment on Rue de Jean Jacques Rousseau for an hour, and were soon ready to face the elements again. Three layers on top, two on bottom, a scarf and gloves, je suis prêt! The Marais is our destination this afternoon. The Marais is comprised of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements in Paris. It’s a colorful area that is home to quaint small streets and the Place des Vosges. We wandered towards the northern part of the Marais to the Arts and Metiers museum. Museums are free the first Sunday of the every month so we took advantage of that and walked right in. The museum had everything from old scales from the 1800s to the first cameras to textile machines.
We walked outside and the weather had once again taken a turn. Light drops began to fall and before we knew it, it was hailing. I had learned quickly that living in Paris required me to carry an umbrella wherever I went, so we were saved from the hailstorm. The wind had picked up around this point so we decided to huddle together behind a building for a few moments. Two American girls were fighting the wind and hail with their umbrella bent backwards, laughing and trying to take photos of the storm as they walked down the street. And there we were, on an unknown street corner in Paris singing my Cherie amour, in a hailstorm.
The hail, rain and wind subsided rather quickly and we began on foot again. We wandered around the border of the 3rd and 11th arrondissements on an industrial street leading off the Place de la Bastille, we headed right towards the Place des Vosges. The Place des Vosges is considered the center of the Marais. It’s a beautiful square outlined with brick buildings and a green park in its center. We sat down on a park bench for 20 minutes and enjoyed the passing sunshine. A child laughing and riding a bike by, another child chasing the small birds out of a triangle shaped hedge and people of all languages taking photographs of the park and enjoying their Easter Sunday.
We continued on our way through the small streets of the Marais, smelling the pain au chocolat from every boulangerie we passed. We stopped by a thrift store and checked out the clothes briefly, nothing we had to have. So we continued towards home, savoring each moment of sunshine until our Easter Sunday ended.
Bon Chance Fellow Travelers
-Lindsay
Today is Easter Sunday but I awoke to no basket of chocolate candy or colored eggs. It’s nothing new though, I’ve worked at a restaurant the last ten Easters of my life. Today was a different kind of day. I awoke to the still quiet of our courtyard in Paris, with only the faint sounds of birds chirping in the background. Our neighbors have all been extremely quiet considering most of them are offices, some are offices of famous French shoe designers! I made myself my morning café, mostly decaf and listened to the quiet. He was still sleeping and I enjoyed a moment of solitude with my warm drink. When he awoke, finally feeling better (after being sick since the night before we left for France), we decided a jog in the brisk morning air sounded nice.
We bundled up in layers and went out into the quiet morning air along the river Seine towards the Notre Dame. All the French must’ve been hiding in their warm beds at this hour on Easter Sunday because the streets were quiet, only a handful of tourists were scattered about along the river. The Ile de la cite’ was almost deserted as well. Across from the police department was a man setting up shop in what looked to be an outdoor market full of birds in cages and amphibians in petite aquariums. Once at the Notre Dame, we looked at the service times, 930am was the next. Good, plenty of time to return home and freshen up for Sunday mass.
And 45 minutes later, two non-Catholics made their way to Easter mass at the Notre Dame. The wind was strong and chilly beating against my face as we walked across the bridge of the river; I didn’t put nearly enough layers on. Luckily, once inside the cathedral the excess body heat warmed me up. The mass lasted two hours long but the experience will last a lifetime; the stained glass with religious figures of men above me, the smell of the incense being tossed about in a small metal container by the Priest, the words being spoken in a language I could barely understand and the beautiful hymns being sang by women and men in blue cloaks. C’est incroyable!
After the long exit out of the cathedral, we quickly made our way through the streets to the nearest brasserie. My stomach had been yelling at me through the second half of the sermon for not eating enough breakfast. The server was extremely efficient and cordial and the food was hot and tasty. My croque monsieur was the best in Paris thus far, (A croque monsieur is a toasted ham and cheese sandwich, with extra cheese on top in classic French style. It must be eaten with fork and knife because if done right, the cheese is far too messy to be consumed with your hands!) After lunch the weather was so cold we basically ran home.
We warmed up in our small apartment on Rue de Jean Jacques Rousseau for an hour, and were soon ready to face the elements again. Three layers on top, two on bottom, a scarf and gloves, je suis prêt! The Marais is our destination this afternoon. The Marais is comprised of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements in Paris. It’s a colorful area that is home to quaint small streets and the Place des Vosges. We wandered towards the northern part of the Marais to the Arts and Metiers museum. Museums are free the first Sunday of the every month so we took advantage of that and walked right in. The museum had everything from old scales from the 1800s to the first cameras to textile machines.
We walked outside and the weather had once again taken a turn. Light drops began to fall and before we knew it, it was hailing. I had learned quickly that living in Paris required me to carry an umbrella wherever I went, so we were saved from the hailstorm. The wind had picked up around this point so we decided to huddle together behind a building for a few moments. Two American girls were fighting the wind and hail with their umbrella bent backwards, laughing and trying to take photos of the storm as they walked down the street. And there we were, on an unknown street corner in Paris singing my Cherie amour, in a hailstorm.
The hail, rain and wind subsided rather quickly and we began on foot again. We wandered around the border of the 3rd and 11th arrondissements on an industrial street leading off the Place de la Bastille, we headed right towards the Place des Vosges. The Place des Vosges is considered the center of the Marais. It’s a beautiful square outlined with brick buildings and a green park in its center. We sat down on a park bench for 20 minutes and enjoyed the passing sunshine. A child laughing and riding a bike by, another child chasing the small birds out of a triangle shaped hedge and people of all languages taking photographs of the park and enjoying their Easter Sunday.
We continued on our way through the small streets of the Marais, smelling the pain au chocolat from every boulangerie we passed. We stopped by a thrift store and checked out the clothes briefly, nothing we had to have. So we continued towards home, savoring each moment of sunshine until our Easter Sunday ended.
Bon Chance Fellow Travelers
-Lindsay
Living next to Louboutin...
Living next to Louboutin… April 3rd, 2010
19 Rue de Jean Jacques Rousseau, Paris, France. The Christian Louboutin shoe store is my neighbor, literally next door. Everyday, I walk home and I stare in his glorious windows; the red carpet, the cozy arm chairs with petite French women trying on petite French high heels, the quaint store is full of charm and sophistication. At night, I dream of sparkly black and cream ankle boots and red hot heels with fleurs. Quelle Chance! What luck I have, to live next to this artist of the sole? (Red shoe soles that is!) After entering the door to our apartment’s courtyard yesterday I noticed a small office to the right that read; Christian Loutboutin: Gardienne, which means a female attendant or security guard in French. I didn’t think much of the office. Until this morning…
I woke up around 830 am, which is a miracle my body is almost adjusted to Parisian time. It’s been days since we arrived and I finally feel okay with the time difference. I made my café with our expresso machine and sat down on the sofa to enjoy. While I was sipping my café and attempting to translate French into English on my cereal box, I noticed a man opening a door across the courtyard from my window. The door was covered with a white wood paneling, it looked like a secret passage that instantly intrigued me. Once inside, the man turned on the lights which revealed an office like environment. At once, I became disinterested. There were many offices inside this area, which is why it was so quiet here at night. ‘Just another office’, I thought. But no, after taking a second look, inside the entryway were a cluster of black boots. I quickly searched the 2-story office through the windows and there it was. On the second story window ledge, were a pair of cream colored patent leather heels with a flower on the ankle strap! Next to it was a shoe so outrageous in nature, I could barely decide where to shoe began and ended! And then found the evidence was looking for, a rack of high heels. The heels were all different colors with gorgeous beige soles, and written inside… Christian Loutboutin.
Bon Chance Fellow Travelers
-Lindsay
19 Rue de Jean Jacques Rousseau, Paris, France. The Christian Louboutin shoe store is my neighbor, literally next door. Everyday, I walk home and I stare in his glorious windows; the red carpet, the cozy arm chairs with petite French women trying on petite French high heels, the quaint store is full of charm and sophistication. At night, I dream of sparkly black and cream ankle boots and red hot heels with fleurs. Quelle Chance! What luck I have, to live next to this artist of the sole? (Red shoe soles that is!) After entering the door to our apartment’s courtyard yesterday I noticed a small office to the right that read; Christian Loutboutin: Gardienne, which means a female attendant or security guard in French. I didn’t think much of the office. Until this morning…
I woke up around 830 am, which is a miracle my body is almost adjusted to Parisian time. It’s been days since we arrived and I finally feel okay with the time difference. I made my café with our expresso machine and sat down on the sofa to enjoy. While I was sipping my café and attempting to translate French into English on my cereal box, I noticed a man opening a door across the courtyard from my window. The door was covered with a white wood paneling, it looked like a secret passage that instantly intrigued me. Once inside, the man turned on the lights which revealed an office like environment. At once, I became disinterested. There were many offices inside this area, which is why it was so quiet here at night. ‘Just another office’, I thought. But no, after taking a second look, inside the entryway were a cluster of black boots. I quickly searched the 2-story office through the windows and there it was. On the second story window ledge, were a pair of cream colored patent leather heels with a flower on the ankle strap! Next to it was a shoe so outrageous in nature, I could barely decide where to shoe began and ended! And then found the evidence was looking for, a rack of high heels. The heels were all different colors with gorgeous beige soles, and written inside… Christian Loutboutin.
Bon Chance Fellow Travelers
-Lindsay
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Packing lightly...
Now, I don't like to blame my gender for my faults but in the case of preparing for a trip, I can't seem to take enough! And yes, I attribute much of it to being a girl! I love clothes, shoes, hair products, make-up and accessories. Even more so, I love taking photographs and want to look cute in my photographs, therefore I tend to over-pack! The trip that suffered from the worse case of over-packing was Hawaii in April 2008. One would think that while visiting Hawaii you only need a few items, maybe sandals, a bathing suit and some sunscreen, yet I seemed to take nearly half my wardrobe. I can sort through items, place them neatly in piles of what I need and what I don't, and yet somehow I always end up packing so much that I have to physically sit on my suitcase to zip it! (Sound familiar ladies?) All this extra baggage can really tie a girl down! Which is why I brought together some ideas to avoid sore arms at the airport and help you lift your luggage over that city curb to get to your hotel!
1. Pick a color theme:
Color coordinate depending on the season or location. Example: When relaxing in the Islands during the summer pick a khaki or white theme, so you can add in bright colors accordingly. When visiting London in the winter, pick a dark, warm petticoat and add patterned scarves with a great pair of black boots. Switching scarves will allow you to add variety in your wardrobe while continuing to keep your suitcase light.
2. Find out what the locals wear:
While traveling, try to blend with the culture. Doing so can allow you to enjoy the culture without being gawked at as an American in floral print, and you'll look good while taking photographs! Example: When going to Paris, no matter what time of year, Parisians seem to always be wearing black! During the summer in the South of France, the locals seem to wear light colored cotton fabrics. Do your homework about a country or culture before you leave, you can find out a lot more than just how to dress.
3. Think like a man:
Men seem to pack the essentials. Try taking only what you need, just like your boyfriend/husband. Instead of packing your blow-dryer (which takes up extra space), plan on using the one in your hotel room. Same goes for shampoo and conditioner do we really need our specific products? Use the hotel products! (They'll even give you extra if you ask!) Try taking only a few outfits, re-use and wash as you go (That's a hard one!)
Releasing the excess in our lives can feel so liberating! Isn't that what traveling is all about, being free to explore?! How can you free yourself when your belongings are consuming you? By following these 3 simple rules, you should be able to Feng shui your packing skills!
BON CHANCE FELLOW TRAVELERS!
-Lindsay
1. Pick a color theme:
Color coordinate depending on the season or location. Example: When relaxing in the Islands during the summer pick a khaki or white theme, so you can add in bright colors accordingly. When visiting London in the winter, pick a dark, warm petticoat and add patterned scarves with a great pair of black boots. Switching scarves will allow you to add variety in your wardrobe while continuing to keep your suitcase light.
2. Find out what the locals wear:
While traveling, try to blend with the culture. Doing so can allow you to enjoy the culture without being gawked at as an American in floral print, and you'll look good while taking photographs! Example: When going to Paris, no matter what time of year, Parisians seem to always be wearing black! During the summer in the South of France, the locals seem to wear light colored cotton fabrics. Do your homework about a country or culture before you leave, you can find out a lot more than just how to dress.
3. Think like a man:
Men seem to pack the essentials. Try taking only what you need, just like your boyfriend/husband. Instead of packing your blow-dryer (which takes up extra space), plan on using the one in your hotel room. Same goes for shampoo and conditioner do we really need our specific products? Use the hotel products! (They'll even give you extra if you ask!) Try taking only a few outfits, re-use and wash as you go (That's a hard one!)
Releasing the excess in our lives can feel so liberating! Isn't that what traveling is all about, being free to explore?! How can you free yourself when your belongings are consuming you? By following these 3 simple rules, you should be able to Feng shui your packing skills!
BON CHANCE FELLOW TRAVELERS!
-Lindsay
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