#the first was i would take a trip to australia to experience the coffee culture

[thecryptidart1st]

Sometimes you see a TikTok so beautiful that it inspires new canon for Soldered Wires

Bonus Pic:

[karajaynetoday]

everybody's got their demons, even wide awake or dreaming | part two

Photo credit: Jess Gleeson

Hello friends! Hope you’re having a lovely day. It’s time for part two of this series! Lizzie takes her opportunity to interview Calum one-on-one in this part. If you need to catch up on Part One, you can do that here. Onwards! 

(This is a fem!OC story)

Word count: 3.2k

Warnings: none? i don’t think? 

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The day or so leading up to Lizzie’s one on one interview with Calum was a blur, as Lizzie tried to fix her body clock and orientate herself with how to get around LA. Her boss had offered her the opportunity to hire a rental car, but the idea of driving on the wrong side of the road was too much for Lizzie to stomach, so Ubers were the go. 

Her body sometimes overslept, sometimes woke her up at 4am, so Lizzie had downloaded a yoga and meditation app to try and sort herself out. She might’ve almost given herself a concussion after toppling over while trying to do a particularly tricky pose, but no one needed to hear about that. The bruises on her elbow were embarrassing enough. 

Danielle had sent Lizzie a text the morning of her lunchtime interview with Calum, confirming the time and place as they’d discussed. Lizzie had handwritten some notes for her questions, trying to contemplate what she could ask Calum that would differ to the others. Or maybe she should ask them all the same questions, and then in the piece she could compare and contrast responses? It was so hard to know what would make the best piece, especially with interviewing Calum in particular. Lizzie knew from watching other interviews, and in her group interview with all of the band the other day (and from back in their school days) that Calum was a man of few words. When he did speak, it was usually with purpose and thought, and made for some great content, but he wasn’t always particularly forthcoming. Which is why it had surprised Lizzie that Calum had volunteered for the first solo interview, but given Michael’s behaviour, she was glad to be continuing with the profile piece at all. 

It was a really warm day, so Lizzie had to forego her usual blazer and jeans in favour of a long green dress with blue and white flowers on it. Her hands were sweaty as the Uber pulled up to the café Calum had suggested, and something in the back of Lizzie’s mind suggested it wasn’t just from the weather. She’d always been an anxious person, but she’d gotten a handle on it recently; this whole LA debacle had brought it back with a vengeance. 

Calum was waiting for her just in front of the café, dark wayfarer sunglasses covering his eyes and his phone in his hand as he leant up against the brick wall beside the café door. He was wearing a grey hoodie and jeans, and nobody coming in or out of the café seemed to pay him any attention; but then again maybe people of Calum’s level of fame were just part of the furniture around here. It was near to Hollywood, after all.

“Hey, thanks for agreeing to meet me.” Lizzie’s voice wasn’t overly loud, but it still made Calum jump as he looked up from his phone at her.

“Of course, of course. I know I sound like a broken record, but we really are excited for you to do this piece. The new album era is something I’ve been looking forward to for a while, and - “ Calum began, smiling warmly at Lizzie, who cut him off by pulling open the café door.

“Before you start getting all meaningful and quotable on me, shall we get a coffee and take a seat?” 

“A woman after my own heart. Let’s do it. Pro-tip, the brownies here are to die for.”

The café was bustling, but most of the patrons seemed to be lining up for takeaway orders. Calum stepped ahead of Lizzie and slipped into a booth towards the back, near a frosted window, greeting the wait staff by name as he went. Lizzie scurried after him, apologising as she accidentally bumped into a tall man with her shoulder bag in her haste and he glared at her. Guess not everyone was as friendly as Calum, then. She slid into the booth opposite Calum, pulling out her notebook and phone as she went. 

“Is it okay if I record this? I’m not very good at taking notes.” 

“Straight into it, LL? At least let a man have his coffee first.” Calum deadpanned, and Lizzie felt her face fall before she realised he was joking with her.

“Of course, sorry. Let’s order. The brownies, you said? How big are they?” Lizzie pasted a smile onto her face, grabbing for the menu on the table in front of her.

“I have it on good authority that they’re perfectly Lizzie-sized. Calum-sized, too - a real multipurpose snack.” Calum was teasing her now, but also being completely serious, as he got the attention of a waitperson who came over to welcome them and take their orders. A skinny latté for Lizzie, an iced coffee for Calum, and a warmed up chocolate brownie with a side of coconut yogurt for them each. They fell into easy conversation, about the weather, and Calum’s neighbourhood, and the other pieces Lizzie had written, almost forgetting why they were there in the first place. When their order of coffees and brownies arrived, Lizzie suddenly snapped out of her feeling of ease when she had to push her notebook and phone over on the table and remember that she was supposed to be interviewing Calum Hood, 5SOS bassist, not catching up with Calum Hood, her Year 9 science lab partner. 

“Now that you’ve got your coffee, can I start recording?” Lizzie asked timidly, as she took a bite out of her brownie and audibly groaned at how heavenly it tasted.

“Depends. Will your brownie orgasm be mentioned in the article?” Could Calum say anything that wasn’t teasing her? Damn it.

“Maybe. Perhaps I’ll do a twitter thread of my trip food highlights, given that the profile piece will be under embargo until the album comes out.” Lizzie deadpanned right back, earning a smile and a small chuckle from Calum.

Lizzie hit record on her phone’s voicenote app, sliding the phone into the centre of the table. She flipped open her notebook to the page marked “Calum”, and she could see Calum trying to read her writing upside down.

“No spoilers, mate. I’ve got a strategy here.” Lizzie mused, angling her notebook so it was harder for Calum to see as he raised his hands in mock surrender.

“Well then, Ms Lawson from Junkee Australia, do your worst.” He flashed her a grin, before taking a sip of his coffee followed by a bite of his brownie (sans any groaning… that must only be a first-time brownie thing).

“So, in our chat yesterday, it was mentioned that this next album is, in some ways, a letter to your homeland, and a reflection on your journeys so far as individual artists as well as being 5SOS collectively. For you, as Calum Hood, what’s the main contribution or perspective that you feel you’ve brought to this album, and the band?” Lizzie saw a flicker of something in Calum’s eyes as she shifted into journalist mode easily, but he only paused for another sip of coffee before answering.

“I think at this point, my main contribution is balancing the collective contributions in the room. I have a lot to say, and I do a lot of songwriting, but I also think the others would agree that I’m also quite observant, so I can read a lot into things they’re saying, or not saying, and bring it out of them into the music. We’ve known each other for almost half our lives at this point, so we know each other better than anyone else, but when we work with other co writers and things like that it can be hard to feel entirely comfortable with the vulnerability you need to bring into writing a song or telling a particular story that day. I’ve got the rep as the strong, silent, shy type, I know - “ Calum paused and returned the soft smile Lizzie was giving him, as she nodded encouragingly. 

“But in interviews, when I’m being asked to explain myself and validate my artistic choices, I’m immediately more defensive and protective of it, because there’s something magical about the writing room, and the vulnerability that can only exist in that context when we’re songwriting, and creating that art. The end product, which is the song or the album or whatever, conveys the emotions in a way that I could never say them with words, and the beautiful thing is that so many people can listen to it and relate to it in ways that I’d never considered before. But that’s the power of it, you know? We make these songs to express ourselves, and fulfil our creative outlets, but it extends beyond that, and that’s the part that gets me.” Calum finished speaking and reached for another sip of his coffee.

“Right. The magic exists in the studio, and on the stage, and in individual people’s lives when they listen to the music wherever they are in the world, and it’s the connecting thread that brings you together with your fans, a moment that you can share even if you never meet.”

“Exactly, it’s the universal experience, and everyone has their own interpretation of what it means to them. Pisses me off when people try and dig to find out who we wrote a certain song about, or whatever. Sometimes it is a specific person or a moment, other times I make shit up to suit the vibe of a chord progression or a concept someone’s brought to the table. It’s a juicier headline if we name and shame, but it’s not fair to the person I’m writing about, especially if they don’t have a similar outlet for a right of reply, and it’s also irrelevant, because my meaning behind a song could be completely different to yours, but that doesn’t make it less valid.” Calum shrugs as he speaks, his tone calm and nonchalant. 

“Makes sense. The music can exist as art, and be open to interpretation, like everything in life. And with this album, and reflecting on your homeland… what does that mean, for you? Because 5SOS have lived almost their entire adult lives overseas, so I know it must be hard to self-determine a cultural identity that’s so strongly linked to somewhere you haven’t lived for so long.” Lizzie asks, munching down another bite of brownie.

Calum cocks his head to the side and rolls his bottom lip into his mouth, and Lizzie feels a lump rise in her throat. Had she phrased the question wrong? Was he mad? Had she struck a nerve? Fuck. 

“Sorry, we don’t have to - I mean, we can keep discussing the album in a different way if you’d prefer -” Lizzie started babbling, and she froze when Calum reached across the table and rested on hers reassuringly. 

“Breathe, Lawson. I just need a minute to think about a deep and meaningful response to your question. You’re fine.” Calum was speaking softly, and there was an apology of sorts in his eyes when Lizzie glanced over at him. She was about to ask him something else, when a waitress came over to check on how everything was going with their orders and offered a second round of coffees and Calum withdrew his hand from the table as he ordered another iced coffee to go, times two. 

“If you could have it ready to go in about an hour, that’d be great.” Calum flashed the waitress a smile, and she shot him a wink as she headed back to the counter to update his order.

“A whole ‘nother hour? You spoil me, Mr Hood.” Lizzie joked, downing the last of her coffee and desperately hoping to avoid any awkwardness in her remaining interview time with Calum. 

“Anything for a fellow Australian, mate. To answer your question, it’s strange, because yes I’ve never lived there full time as an adult, but there’s something about your home country and your hometown that stays with you, no matter where you go or how long you’re gone. Obviously, for me, my sister lives overseas, and neither of my parents were raised in Australia, but it still means a lot to me, because it’s home, you know? The industry there is… interesting, but I still think that if we didn’t have the background we all have as individuals and the band, there’s certainly a lot of decisions we’ve made and ways we’ve gone about things in our careers that are heavily influenced by our upbringings and the mindsets we all have from that experience.” 

“Home is where the heart is, right?” Lizzie offers, thumbing her notebook absently. 

“It’s true. But it’s also refreshing to go back and escape it all a bit, you know? None of my friends at home really give a shit about Calum from 5SOS. They just like hanging out with Cal, which is nice.” Calum shrugs, clasping his hands together on the table in front of him.

“Just Cal? Not cool guy Cal? C Dizzle Swizzle?” Lizzie bit back a grin, remembering the multitude of nicknames Cal had garnered over the years.

“Look, cool guy Cal is just my constant state of being. C Dizzle might make an appearance if I’ve had one too many, but either way, they’re just happy to see me. Or happy to tell me some home truths that I haven’t heard, or wanted to hear, so that’s important too. You can’t live in LA for as long as we have without having a good support crew to keep us grounded, you know? Even if some of the ones who mean the most to us are on the other side of the planet.” There was something in Calum’s eyes again as Lizzie looked at him, and she could tell it was more than what he was trying to say for the sake of the profile interview. 

She swallowed down one final bite of the heavenly brownie, and turned the page to find her next question. Lizzie couldn’t entertain the idea of asking Calum why Michael was mad at her, because it would break the air of professionalism she was desperate to maintain; also, she wasn’t entirely sure he’d even tell her. Calum and Michael had been inseparable in their school days, and Lizzie knew that their bond and sense of loyalty no doubt ran even deeper now than then, given all of their shared experiences, trials and tribulations to date. But Calum had always been so kind and patient with her, whether she’d accidentally ruined their Year 9 science experiment, or she’d nearly thrown up on his shoes at the Year 11 formal after party, or when Michael had stormed out of the studio a few days ago and he offered her his time for the first solo interview. Lizzie brushed off the train of thought, and continued with her interview questions for Calum.

The conversation flowed easily, and Lizzie could already feel the profile starting to come together in her mind. She jotted down a handful of notes on how to adapt her questions for Luke and Ashton based on Calum’s responses, and before they realised how long they’d been chatting, the waitress returned with Calum’s two takeaway iced coffees. 

Lizzie asked the waitress for the bill, but Calum waved her off. 

“I’ve got it, Lizzie. Don’t stress.” 

“But I can expense it! I have a receipts app, and everything!” Calum laughed at how excited Lizzie seemed at the concept of submitting a work expense claim.

“Okay, fine. You win this round.” 

Lizzie pressed stop on her phone recording, and reached for her bag to slide her notebook in. The waitress returned with the bill, and Lizzie handed her travel bank card over, drumming her hands absentmindedly on the table while she waited for the waitress to come back with her card and the receipt. 

“Lizzie?” Her head snapped up as Calum spoke. 

“He’s not… I know it seems like he’s really mad at you, but he’s not.” It took a moment for Lizzie to register what Calum was saying.

“He’s not mad at me? He refused to speak to me and stormed out of the room the first chance he got, but he’s not mad? Right.” Lizzie couldn’t help but sound bitter as she spoke.

“I can’t speak for him, but I know him. He’s not mad, he’s just hurt about everything.” Lizzie could tell Calum was being very careful with his choice of words, and she eyed him curiously across the table.

“What does he possibly have to be hurt about? He’s the one that -” Lizzie catches herself halfway through her sentence, and squeezes her eyes shut as she inhales deeply.

“Here’s your receipt and your card back, miss. Thanks so much for visiting us today, have a lovely day!” Lizzie blinks and squints up at the waitress, who hands back her card and a paper receipt. Lizzie mumbles her thanks, and goes to stand up and slide out of the booth, and Calum follows her out of the café.

“Lizzie, I didn’t mean to upset you -” Calum’s apologetic tone had Lizzie spinning on her heel to face him once they’re through the doors of the café. 

“You didn’t, Calum. It’s fine. I’m here to do a job, and I appreciate your time today, I really do. Michael and I… I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, okay? I know it won’t be easy, but for now, I just want to focus on getting the best interview content I can from you all. That’s why I’m here.” Lizzie wrings her hands nervously, and she can feel how sweaty her palms are.

“Is that the only reason you’re here?” Calum’s tone isn’t teasing, or harsh. It’s genuine, curious, soft. He’s not moving as he stands in front of Lizzie and gazes down at her from his full height. 

Before Lizzie can answer, Calum’s phone starts to ring, and he casts her another glance before stepping away to answer it. While he’s chatting to whoever’s on the other end of the line, Lizzie decides to order herself an Uber and make her way back to the hotel so she can make a start on transcribing the interview with Calum. Because that was why she was here, Lizzie told herself in her head, stubbornly. Didn’t matter about the feelings in her stomach, and the tightness of her chest. She was there to write a profile about a band, nothing more, nothing less. 

“I’ve got to go and meet Ash at the studio, are you all good from here?” Calum’s question broke Lizzie out of her internal dialogue. 

“Yep, all good. Thanks again for your time, Cal. I really appreciate it. I think it’s going to be a great piece, and I’m intrigued to see what comes out of the other interviews. All of them.” Lizzie’s pointed tone isn’t lost on Calum, and he grimaces slightly at the fire he seems to have ignited. Ah well. Lizzie and Michael had to sort their shit out sooner or later, right?

Right? 

Calum was trying to convince himself as he strolled down the street towards his car, pondering if he’d made things better or worse between Michael, his best mate through almost his entire life, and Lizzie, the girl that he’d been sure Michael would love forever, but had walked away from in a shadow of hurt, betrayal, and disbelief. The girl that apparently had no idea Michael felt that way, or that if he did, it wasn’t justified. Someone’s side of the story just wasn’t adding up, but Calum wasn’t sure whose it was. Not anymore.

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[queen-of-deans-booty]

Drops of Jupiter

Characters: Jensen Ackles x Reader

Word Count: 1,810

Warnings: minor mentions of psychological abuse in relationships, fluff at the end

Summary: You finally reutrn home after a longtrip around the world. You miss your best friend, but he may miss you more.

Beta: she wants to remain anonymous

Squares Filled: drops of jupiter by train for spnsongbingochallenge (2019 card) // road trip for @spngenrebingo

Author’s Note: If you have any requests, please send them in!

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One thing I hate doing is saying goodbye to the love of my life. She doesn’t know she’s the love of my life, but it’s not like I can just tell her that. She has big dreams to travel the world and experience many cultures and try different kinds of food from their native place. I’m stuck on the set of Supernatural, and while I love my job with all of my heart, it kills me that I can’t give her what she wants.

Each time she comes back, she’s changed in some way, but I know the woman I fell for is still underneath all the tan skin and sun-kissed hair. I want to tell her to stay with me, but how can I take away her dreams? I'm nobody, and I can’t give her the world right now. I can give her my world, but I don’t think she wants that.

Now that she's back in the atmosphere With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey She acts like summer and walks like rain Reminds me that there's a-time to change, hey, hey Since the return of her stay on the moon She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey Hey, hey

She’s finally back. We stopped filming for the week since the director needed to go to the hospital where his family is. I offered to direct, but he had a set vision for these next few episodes that production will pick back up when he gets back. Y/N is back in town, and I know she’s going to tell me all about how she loved the places she visited. I offered to meet her at a coffee shop, which is where I’m heading now. I can’t wait to see her even if she might be a different person.

She’s there when I arrive, and I can’t help but stare at the person she’s become. Is it weird all I see is the girl I grew up with? The girl that used to invite me to her sleepovers because I didn’t have many guy friends of my own? I wasn’t allowed to sleep in her room per her parent’s request, but that didn’t stop her from coming to me. We all slept in the living room because she didn’t want me feeling left out.

Now she’s here, and I can see the physical change. She looks brighter, happier, and I wonder if meeting me was something she felt like she had to do. Her hair is brighter, her skin is darker, and she wears the clothes from her many journeys across the world. She looks warm and bright, but all I can think about is how graceful and beautiful she can be. She resembles rain for being so delicate and gentle.

“Jensen!” she calls my name once she sees me. I force a smile on my face and head over to her. I give her a tight hug, and I can tell she’s lost a lot of weight. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or not.

“Wow, you look amazing,” I compliment as we take out seats.

“I would hope so. I didn’t spend a whole week at Barbados for nothing,” she laughs. She immediately digs in deep about where she’s been and what she’s been doing, and I try my best to listen to her. All I can focus on is how dreamy she looks when she talks of these places.

She would never want to stay here in Vancouver with me. Why would she when she’s experienced the world?

But tell me did you sail across the sun Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded And that heaven is overrated?

“Are you happy?” I ask.

“What do you mean?” she wonders and takes a bite of the salad she ordered when she got here.

“Is the world everything you thought it would be?”

“And more!” she exclaims. “I never thought I would ever see such beautiful landmarks! I mean the beaches are so clear, the people are so nice, and the food is delicious! I don’t know why I didn't do this sooner!”

She tells me all the reasons she loves traveling, but she never mentions the people she’s with. I know she went on her own, but she must have made friends along the way. All I’m hearing about is nature and how good the food is. That’s no way to travel. I’ve tried going to places by myself, and it’s never as fun as going with someone I love. It’s why I love going to conventions with Jared, Misha, and the rest of the cast. It’s about making memories with the people you love, not about the places you visit.

She can be just as happy here with me if she can only see I’m the one she should be with.

Tell me did you fall from a shooting star One without a permanent scar And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?

I’m nowhere near perfect, but I think I can offer a lot more than she’s expecting. I have a great job if she’s interested in money (which I know she isn’t). I make her laugh, which is kind of important, in my opinion. I see the pictures she posted on her social media, and the smile she shows is not nearly as big as the one she has when I’m with her.

I feel as if she looks at the world through a corrected lense, and only sees what she wants to see. I’m real, I’m here, and I have scars that will be there for the rest of my life--emotional and physical. There are no lenses that can cover them up. I don’t know if that’s what scares her, but I don’t know how to tell her that these scars made me a better person.

Did she even miss me while she was out there, living her life? Did she meet guys and have fun with them while I’m back here wishing I was with her? Can’t she see how much this is affecting me? Or does she not care at all?

Now that she's back in the atmosphere I'm afraid that she might think of me as Plain ol' Jane, told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land

While I have been around the world for conventions, I don’t really have any experiences from those countries. I go there, talk in front of groups, maybe sing, and then it’s off to the next country. I don’t really get time to myself to explore and make my own memories. Does Y/N think I’m too boring for her? Does she want someone as adventurous as her? I can be adventurous, but my job comes first. Supernatural is ending soon, so maybe after I’ll have some time for myself. Will she still be here when it’s over?

I guess the one thing I’m afraid of is her traveling, meeting new people, and telling them of me--the guy she knew back home who is too afraid to actually do something with my life. I don’t see myself as that kind of guy, but whenever she rolls into town, I can’t help but see that. Will I ever be good enough for her?

Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken Your best friend always sticking up for you Even when I know you're wrong Can you imagine no first dance, freeze-dried romance Five-hour phone conversation The best soy latte that you ever had, and me

“Did you even miss me at all?” I blurt out, interrupting her story of how she went surfing with strangers she met in Australia.

“What?” she asks, her voice softening.

“You know, you travel all around the world, and I am so happy for you. I am so unbelievably happy for you that you get to do what you’ve always dreamed of doing. But don’t you miss me? I sure as hell miss you. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I don’t think I can do this anymore, Y/N.

“Don’t you miss having deep-fried chicken with me in my trailer? How we challenge each other who can finish the bucket first without throwing up? Don’t you miss the way I stick up for you in arguments I know you’re wrong? I still do it anyway because I love the way you smile and giggle when you’ve won.

“Don’t you miss the way we would dance together at Supernatural parties. That first dance when your heart pounds in excitement and nerves? What about the five-hour phone conversations we would have when we couldn’t sleep at night? You know, I haven’t heard your voice in over seven months because you’re up with I’m sleeping and vice versa.

“Don’t you miss the way I would bring you your soy latte that I know you like? I never got it wrong, and I don’t think people in Italy or Russia knows you the way I do. You can travel around the world and see all these great places, but they don’t have me. Don’t you miss me? Because I miss you every damn second of my life, and it kills me to see you so happy without me.”

“Jensen,” she whispers as a tear fell from her eye. I fear I’ve gone too far and ruined whatever we had left, but she gets up and joins me on my side of the booth.

“I miss you more than you realize. These places are no fun without you. That’s why I try to do all these fun things so I can forget how much I miss you. But, I stay alone in my hotel room every night and just cry because you’re not there next to me. It’s why I left early and came back. I don’t want to do this without you.”

“I can't go anywhere until filming is done. I have conventions in the summer, the cast and I need to go to.”

“It doesn’t matter. Anywhere with you is an adventure. You are what makes it fun. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner, but I’m realizing it now. I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” I struggle to get out because of how emotional I am. I waste no time and cup her cheeks. She meets me halfway, and I finally get to feel what her lips are like, how soft they can be, and what they taste like. The woman I used to know is coming out of her shell, and I’m proud of myself for finding her. She is nowhere near done experiencing the world, but she’ll wait for me to see the rest.

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[purplesurveys]

815

At what time of day do you normally feel the best? I love the evening the most. I get to have my coffee, it’s quieter around the house, and it also gets a little bit colder so it’s more fun to hang around by then. Do you normally have to hem pants? I’ve never had to do that before. If I need my pants fixed, I usually ask my lola to do it since she’s good at that kind of stuff. Name one reason why someone should not commit suicide. I can’t speak for other people, but I personally stay because I don’t want to leave Kimi behind and because I’ve seen countless mini-documentaries of parents who were left devastated by their kids taking their own lives. What would you do if you had no one to love and support you? That sounds so fucking bleak. I imagine bringing myself to therapy so I can learn how to deal with such a situation, and so that I at least have one person to talk to. If you didn't have love and support, would you feel life was worth living? No. But that’s why I imagine I’d be going to therapy, so my mind can be changed.

If you had no family nor friends nor money, would you feel life's worth living? These questions are so stressful to mull over and a tad bit triggering lmao, can I pass at this point? If you're unhappy, what would it take to make you fulfilled? Depends on what I need, which differs every time. Sometimes I’d wanna be alone, other times I’d want to be with other people, other times I’d need to drive and take longer routes than usual, or to binge YouTube videos, or a good nap...it’s always different. What was the last thing that upset your stomach? The meds I had to take for my UTI. Feeling poopy was one of its side effects, so even though it didn’t upset my stomach per se I did have to have several trips to the bathroom then. Do you have to go the pharmacy a lot? No, only when something’s wrong with me which doesn’t happen too often. Are you sunburned? I haven’t been sunburned since I was like 10. The tendency just suddenly stopped at some point. Do you wish someone loved you? I have a lot of people who already do, fortunately. Do you call yourself stupid often? Like every other hour lmao. What's a song you love? From Eden - Hozier. Do you miss anyone who was mean to you? Not to my knowledge. I’m glad they aren’t in my life today. Name someone you know who is a cancer survivor. One of my former Filipino teachers in high school. Are you friends with any cancer survivors? I don’t think that I am. Does God often answer your prayers? How was your day today (or yesterday, if it's morning)? It was average. Nothing out of the ordinary happened today but I did like the fact that my parents still left the living room aircon on for most of the day even though summer’s over and the weather’s already begun to be a little colder. Do you wish the sunrise and sunset lasted longer? Not really? I’m fine with the ones we’ve got lol. Would you want to relive your childhood again? Fuck no. It had some nostalgic bits, like the shows I used to watch or me playing outside, but it was far too traumatic for me to miss it as a whole. I’m happy being a grownup.

Were your college years the best years of your life? Not fully. My time in college only peaked by the second half, so it wasn’t all that great. Junior and senior year were very fun and eye-opening, though. Would you rather re-live high school or college? Ooh that’s quite a pickle...both periods had their highs. High school was a lot easier (academically), it was a time when I could fuck up and it was okay, and I found my first group of friends. College was a time of independence, a lot of growing up to do, and I also found my second group of friends. As miserable as I was during my freshman year, I ultimately have to go with college because I hated most of the people in my high school anyway and because I really loved the independence I gained in college, from being able to drive on my own and managing stuff on my own time to being free to choose my class schedule. And also, duh, I passed my dream school? I’d relive my years in UP in a heartbeat. What is the dumbest sports-team mascot you've heard of? Not really familiar with sports mascots to begin with. Are you a sports fan? Err, not really. I’m a pro wrestling fan, but it’s not 100% a sport. Where do you feel like you fit in the most? In my college and in my org. I’m sad that I only get four years with them – three when it comes to my org. Do you hate social classes? Yes. Do you think talent should have anything to do with social class? What? I have no clue what this question is insinuating but lmao of course not. I know some crazy talented people who wouldn’t be considered rich, and I know some bland-ass wealthy people who can’t do anything impressive at all. Name a country who's history you know nothing about. Australia. Name a religion you know nothing or very little about. Zoroastrianism. I only remember the founder. Don't you hate know-it-alls? I hate when they start getting conceited. What is your favorite store at the mall? I love visiting Fully Booked every chance I get. When was the last time you went to the mall? That would be when I had my eye checked last early March, because the clinic I visited was inside the mall. Aside from doing that, I also had late lunch at Marugame Udon which apparently would be the last time I’d have their food for a while, unbeknownst to me :( Do you have a bed or do you sleep on a mattress on the floor? I have a bed. When was the last time you went for a run? LOL never. Have you ever tried hard drugs? No. Which school subject did you hate the most? Back in high school I really hated the advanced math and science classes e.g. chemistry, physics, calculus, trig. In college, I found myself hating philosophy and economics the most. What was the last thing you wore from Aeropostale? I don’t think I ever wore anything from them. Which devotional do you read? I don’t read those. Do you appreciate classic literature? I appreciate and recognize their impact, but I don’t like reading them.

What is something you find strange? People who keep pushing for the All Lives Matter narrative. Cringe. Do you like your natural hair color? Sure. I’ve never actively complained about it, that’s for sure. Would you rather get a pixie cut or get dreadlocks? Pixie cut, because I’m pretty sure getting dreadlocks as a Filipino is a form of cultural appropriation? Would you rather dye your hair or get a perm? Dye it.

Do you keep Christmas lights up year-round? No, we don’t. Have you ever started a new trend? Just me? Lmao no. Do you have any artwork of yours from high school? I definitely don’t. Whenever a teacher would give our artworks back, I crumpled it up as soon as I got it and would throw it away. I just simply rejected all of my attempts to be creative lol. What did you win a scholarship for? I’ve never gotten one. But my university did start implementing free tuition for all undergrads starting in 2017 when I was a sophomore, so it’s kinda like the same thing. Did your college meet your expectations? Yes, and more. UP taught me far more than classroom lessons as it opened my eyes to the more important societal issues happening outside of school. It made me recognize our farmers who never earn the income they deserve; the factory workers stuck in poor working conditions; the jeepney drivers whose work is never respected; the millions of working class Filipinos who simply deserve better;  and the government that is more corrupt than I thought. My college on the other hand taught me to be fearless and to never hesitate to search for, report, and defend the truth, and to disseminate just that to the masses. Bottomline is that words can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am to have studied there and I will always be very much in love with my school. What was the best thing about college? The best thing about mine, at least, was the throng of life lessons and eye-opening realizations it gave me. Each of them has been more valuable than any lesson I learned in the classroom. UP taught me that there were a thousand other issues far more important than problems I face in my own privileged bubble, but that I can help facilitate change if I wanted to. How old were you ten years ago? 12. Easily the worst age I’ve been in. What's the best piece of advice you can give someone ten years younger? Stay. It’ll get better. Not instantly, but it does get better. Do you feel like you are old enough and experienced enough to give advice? I think anyone’s fit to give advice no matter how old they are. Even kids can be quite insightful. The differences just lie on the topics people give advice on. How old were you when you started to feel mature and experienced? 17, after I had a series of shitty stuff happen to me at one point in 2015. When I got past those, I could tell I wasn’t the same person that I was, like, two months back. Were your 20's hell? I’m only in my second year lmao, can you get back to me in eight years? What type of bug do you see the most often in your home? We don’t get a lot of bugs at home, fortunately. We have tons of ants though. Do you put off things until the last minute? If I’m not passionate about the task, yes. Do you have the air conditioning on right now? Nope, just the fan. Is your mom the same size as you? She’s slim but she’s still ever so slightly a bit larger. We can technically share clothes but some of them would still look loose on me.

Does camping appeal to you? I have moods where it does and moods where it doesn’t lol. What color is your sleeping bag? I don’t have one. How often do you pray? Do you surrender to Christ daily? When was the last time you went to church? Do you know any Christians who aren't judgmental? Only a handful, and it’s usually people in my age group. Most of the others suck, and I can say this because I’ve had coooooooountless personal experiences with rude, hypocritical, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic Christians and Catholics. Do you believe there are any good people in the world? Of course. What's one thing you are scared of? Flying cockroaches.

[parisianpicnic]

Partying with les pompiers of Paris (Bastille Day part 1)

Five months into my trip, I was feeling as Parisian as ever. I was proudly downing two pain au chocolat for breakfast each morning, I knew where to get the best coffee, and I could mostly get around without having to glance at a map on my phone. I was reminded of just how far I'd come when July—tourist season—struck. With each successive jump of mercury there was what seemed like an extra thousand tourists sprawled throughout the city. I, now a self-confessed local, felt totally justified in my dramatic eye rolls whenever getting stuck behind a conglomerate of slow-walking said tourists in the métro or in the street. Yes, I'd branded myself a true expat. What better way to show off how much of a local you are than by celebrating Bastille Day?

Bastille Day, also known as la fête nationale or le 14 juillet marks yet another of France's colourful (by which I mean violent and bloody) spots in history. ('Which one?' you ask. 'The prison-storming, social class upheavel one in the French revolution', I reply). It largely, however, acts as the country's national holiday, with a nod to the aforementioned revolution whilst celebrating the union of France. Meanwhile, my framework of what constituted a national holiday was only guided by my experiences growing up with Australia Day. As such, I was set for a fairly relaxed day of music, drinking, and a few snags on the barbecue (or whatever the French equivalent of a barbecue is). How wrong I was.

Turns out, there's another tradition that is celebrated—and with excellent reason—on Bastille Day. Friends, (single guys and gals out there in particular, pay attention), allow me to present what is perhaps one of the reasons why France is one of the greatest countries in the world: le bal des pompiers.

The bal des pompiers (or 'Fireman's Ball') is what I consider to be the ultimate way to 'get amongst the traditions of France'. For two (I repeat, two) nights only, the firemen of the local firestations of Paris open their doors to the public to throw what can only be described as a the richest cultural experience a little old foreigner like me could ask for. Flowing booze, an electrifying dance floor, and eye candy dressed in uniform that does not disappoint, plus... a four hour wait to get in to the best firestation. Unless, of course, you're one half of the Australian and American girl duo.

Introducing Brooke, my new all-American BFF. Just a month prior, I found Brooke wandering my workplace as a customer, and she left as my new favourite expat in Paris. We hit it off, swapping hilarious and somewhat cringeworthy dating stories and life as an expat over numerous coffee dates, and she's been the 'g'day' to my 'mate' ever since. She outright refuses any opportunity to eat Vegemite (a work in progress), has no problem befriending strangers (even when she shouldn't) and is the life of any party. Her heart and mind are both bright and genuine, and she's as California as they come. She makes her way through life with the beauty, confidence, and killer dance moves to make her the belle of any ball. Luckily, the bal des pompiers was no exception.

Not being brave enough to front the ball (or many events for that matter) on my own, I gladly took on the role of Brooke’s plus one. Before hitting the town, our first stop was at a friend of Vincent's (Brooke's boyfriend)—just a little soirée in Rue Blanche of the 9th arrondissement. Being a resident of the 9th myself, I was keen to meet some of my fellow neighbours. Turns out, Vincent has some seriously glamorous friends, and I am officially their very unglamorous neighbour.

The party was well and truly underway by the time I arrived. I stepped into a beautifully furnished apartment, with wooden floorboards sweeping out onto a terrace boasting views of Sacré Coeur. Across the balcony, seemingly painted onto the glass of the building opposite, was an iridescent reflection of the Eiffel Tower. Most of the guests were out in the presence of said view, seemingly oblivious to its magic (I guess they were real locals). Being a plus one (let alone a plus one's plus one) means that you can often quietly take in a few of these moments for yourself. Tonight was certainly going to be full of many ‘pinch me’ moments.

By the end of the night—despite being twenty years younger than the median age and way underdressed for the occasion—we'd mixed, mingled, and danced with Vincent's friends. I even scored some makeup tips from Stephane, a very glamorous and very Parisian man who worked in the fashion and makeup industry (and who even had his own makeup line!). The guests were all charming, sophisticated, and charismatic, and fortunately, the conversation steered well away from work (given the calibre of the guests, Brooke and I weren't that confident that 'au pair' would qualify us as being sufficiently cool to be there). It wasn't until just before we left that Vincent revealed just with whom we were mingling: the director of Dior, the man who discovered Alexander McQueen, Kate Moss's manager, and Stephane Marais, one of France's most highly regarded makeup artists (I was now seriously thankful that I asked him earlier in the night about his favourite foundation). No wonder the champagne was so good.

Not wanting to overstay our welcome, and being insatiably curious about the traditions around Bastille Day, Brooke and I decided to bid au revoir to our new high profile friends and check out the firestation down the street. We flew down the stairs and headed to the gate's of Sapeurs Pompiers, the firestation of the 9th arrondissement. Admittedly, we knew that on a night like this, we needed to play the foreigner card—and it worked. Before long, we'd befriended the pompier manning the gates, and were swiftly let through the entrance. We linked arms, determined not to get separated, and climbed over bottles and through crowds of people, eventually making it to the bar. At these parties, the firemen are partying hard but they're also working hard. They filled every role of the party: bartenders, security, dancers, and they’re still technically on call as firefighters. We honestly didn't know where to look. Our bartender was so hot could've started fires. Brooke and I raised our eyebrows at each other whilst he fetched us a drink each. Next thing I know, Brooke had handed him my phone and he was entering his number. Did I mention Brooke is also a fabulous wingwoman? It wasn't long before the crowds were clearing out of Sapeurs, so we decided to get to the real heart of the action. Rumour has it, the firemen Saint Paul in Le Marais throw the most outrageous, wild parties of them all. Of course, we had to check it out.

It was well after midnight by the time we arrived, and fortunately, the four-hour queue had turned into just a few minutes. We practically paraded through the entrance, bestowing the firemen at the entrance with a kiss on each cheek (they winked and told us that the kiss on the cheek and a gold coin donation were for charity). Despite the late hour, the place was absolutely booming, and we headed straight to the bar before hitting the dancefloor. Our exoticness was no secret: by the way we were loudly talking and obnxiously dancing, I don't think that there was any risk of being mistaken for two chic Parisian girls.

It seemed to work though, because before long, one of the chief firemen had taken a shining to Brooke. We got an 'off limits to the public' tour of the actual firestation which was actually super interesting, and finished the night having, in our posession, an extremely coveted invitation to return to the party the following night. Each fireman only gets two of these invitations (allowing the recipient to skip the monstrous queue) for close family and friends. And this delightful fireman had bestowed his rare, handwritten invitation, to Brooke, with yours truly scoring the role of her plus one.

Having locked in our spots for round two of the party, and eager to witness the full majesty that is the Bastille Day parade in the morning, we decided to call it a night... or so we thought. At the exit? A red-eyed, panicked Vincent was waiting for Brooke, simultaneously distressed and furious that he hadn't been able to get a hold of her. I won't spill the dirty details here (that's what Brooke's blog is for), but it's safe to say that one of those firemen would've come in real handy to put out the flames that was Vincent's temper and ability to jump to conclusions. Within minutes we were at his apartment, and grabbed what we could of her things (what hadn't been sprawled out across the floor in anger at least), and called an Uber back to mine. Paris is for the romantics, true, but even here, romance as a dark side, too.

[bryonysimcox]

Driving round the world in an old van? You’re crazy!

Living in unknown places in a confined space and with little money is a dream for some and a nightmare for others. As I prepare to embark on a two-year overland adventure, I reflect on the plan for our trip and my motivations behind it.

WHAT So. What’s the plan?

In short, we’d like to end up in Chile, having driven eastwards from England to get there. I know, it’s a mammoth task, but for my partner George and I, it’s about the process of getting there (or attempting to!), and not the final destination. So we thought we’d set our sights on something totally aspirational and see how far we get!

Step one is to prepare the vehicle. We’ve always known we wanted to do the trip overland, seeing all the borders and in-between-places rather than just hotspots and capital cities (as you’d usually experience on a trip reliant on flying). We also knew we wanted a van that would serve as our home, to find comfort and constancy in as our surroundings change.

Step two is doing the travelling itself. Starting in the UK, our provisional route will see us moving through the south of Europe, down into Greece and Turkey, then eastwards into India. From there, we’ll go across into China or down into South-east Asia. At that point, assuming the van is still intact and the numbers stack up, we’ll ship the vehicle across into Canada - a considerable journey but one which other overland adventurers have proved is possible. And then from Canada, we’ll head south, down through the United States and Central America, across the Darién Gap, and eventually, down into Chile.

We know, it’s crazy. And possibly not possible. (But that’s sort of the point!)

Step three, as if we don’t already have enough on our plate, is to launch a documentary channel along the way. Rather than just share the same old #VanLife photos of dreamy sunsets and coffee in the van (which I’m sure we’ll do some of!), our channel, called Broaden, will document the stories, people and places we find along the way, in what we hope is a meaningful and engaging way.

(image)  Broaden will be our storytelling platform

WHEN When was this wild idea born?

It all begins with eighteen year-old George. Inspired by Ewan McGregor’s motorcycle travels in ‘The Long Way Round’, George decided he wanted to undertake his own epic adventure - from the northernmost part of Scotland to the southernmost part of Chile. But why Chile? Well, George’s best friend is half-Chilean (they later travelled to Chile together in their early twenties), and I think the extreme distance of this trip appealed to George; this idea of going from two polar opposite places, north and south. 

As with many wild dreams, George slowly let go of his Scotland to Chile idea. Life got in the way, but his passion for mechanics and do-it-yourself projects didn’t. He’s a real self-starter and the subsequent years saw him open his own recording studio and then teach himself video production, making films for a living both in the UK and Australia. Not long after I met George in the summer of 2014 at Spanish music festival, he told me about his overland pipe-dream.

The audacity of the idea, the sheer insanity of driving that far, living on the road and making do with very little somehow made a lasting impact on me.

As an architecture graduate, I’m interested in problem-solving. Even though my career path took me away from architecture specifically, I still love strategising, designing things and finding ways to make projects work. And the idea of building our own van to drive around the world seemed like the ultimate design and project management challenge!

(image) The early days: George and I working together at a festival, Summer 2015

George and I started dating, and moved to Australia. Gradually, we re-ignited George’s idea about driving to drive to Chile. It started as a ‘one-day’ idea that we’d talk about, and gradually became a tangible plan that we could aim towards - saving money up for it and setting milestones. Once we’d told other people we were going to do it, we knew were accountable and it all suddenly felt real.

And so a date was set to move back from Australia to the UK to buy a van and start the trip - April 2019. Since then we’ve been heads-down and knee-deep in van-building (more info on that in a later blog post).

WHO So who’s going to be part of the adventure?

It goes without saying that I’m mainly embarking on this with George - I hope we get along because we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other! Really though, I’m pretty sure we’ll be just fine in each other’s company, considering we’ve forged on through the van-building process together. In fact, these last few intense months have surely made us stronger, and proved our compatibility (or maybe just our mutual stubbornness!).

What I lack, George makes up for with his ‘we can fix this’ attitude, his mechanical-mindedness and his courage to tackle the big scary things head on. And what he lacks, I make up for with my love of planning (a.k.a. list-making), my upholstery skills and my interest in interior design.

(image) Building cabinetry for the inside of Suzi

But really, part of the very raison d’etre of the trip is to meet OTHERS! Having four seats in the van was always a big priority for us, so that we could pick people up along the way, sharing the experience and splitting fuel costs. These people may be strangers we meet en-route, or perhaps even friends who come along to visit us. There will be nothing quite like the sight of a Brit or Australian we know and love so dearly catching up with us in some far-flung place!

There is a considerable #VanLife community across the globe, so we’ll likely meet up with and travel with ‘vanlifers’ too (I’m still coming to terms with that word, feels so super-cheesy). It’ll give me a chance to snoop on other people’s van interiors and get top tips on places to visit, things to do, and hopefully some hidden campout spots.

HOW But how will you survive?!

Firstly, there is so much planning we could’ve, should’ve, but haven’t done. I know part of this ‘travel round the world’ plan probably comes over as very naive, and I’m not even going to say it’s not. BUT, there is also a lot of planning and prep that we have done, and there’s no better way to find out where the gaps are than just set off and start living it.

One of the biggest hurdles to living on the road will be financing it.

Living in Australia was really the first thing that made this trip feasible. Wages are considerably higher over there and, although it is tempered by the extortionate cost of living, George and I were still able to put some savings aside. Month-by-month we saved what most sensible people would tell you to use for a deposit on ‘that first flat’, but what we decided to put towards a van.

Needless to say, the van cost more than we expected to build and kit out (a lot more). So we’re not necessarily starting with as much of a financial safety-net as we would have liked. But our van overspend and tighter budget was probably to be expected, and it will surely force us to innovate. 

Having both worked in design, George and I are familiar with freelancing. We plan on building our portfolios on the road, whether that be shooting and editing videos, doing graphic design, writing articles, or making collages. Our channel ‘Broaden’ will serve as a ‘production-house-on-wheels’, and we imagine video production to be our main income stream, through both YouTube and traditional commissions. We’re also exploring subscription content services like Patreon, where subscribers can back the films that we make in exchange for exclusive content. Whilst planning to get paid for making the videos/photos/art that we love making feels like a leap of faith, we take comfort in the fact that so many other inspiring people out there are making this model work and proving that you can fund life on the road! 

Of course, for all the pennies that we earn, we’ll be saving those pennies at every possible opportunity. This’ll mean camping freely, conserving gas and fuel, generating solar power, eating locally and living frugally.

(image) Suzi, our 1994 Toyota Hiace 

WHY Okay. But why on earth would you undertake this whole project?

This is the most important question of all, and also the hardest question to answer (hence why I’ve left it until last!). I can thank my dear friend Chris for inspiring me to write this blog post, as he asked me this very question in a recent letter he wrote to me: “but why are you actually doing all of this, Bryony?”. Whilst his letter left me frustrated that I couldn’t answer it immediately, I was so grateful for the challenge to think long and hard about the motivation behind our plans.

Simply put, the reason why is: Why not? In true ‘YOLO’ spirit, I can honestly say I haven’t got a good enough reason not to want to go and explore different parts of the world. 

To add to that, there’s a practical side of things. If we’re going to do something like living and travelling in a van at some point in our lives, it seems like the ‘right’ time - we’ve got no children, we are miles away from even contemplating a mortgage, we’re not deep into careers, and we’re in good health. Doing something like this is also bound to give us heaps of life experience which will no doubt add value to other parts of our life, like problem-solving, collaborating (and persevering!) with each other, engaging with different people and cultures, being outside of our comfort zones and perhaps even finding a place where we’d eventually like to live.

Whilst all of the above are valid reasons to be setting off into the unknown in a 1994 Japanese van, I think there are other, more intrinsic reasons that I’m embarking on such a massive project. And it’s so hard to put my finger on what those reasons are, because they’re so deep down (and have, until recently, been buried by the everyday frustrations of building the van itself), but I’ve tried to dig them up from inside of me and put them into words:

1. The bigger the project you attempt, the greater the sense of achievement when you succeed.

I think that’s why this project is about proving something to myself (and perhaps others). Whether that is healthy, I’m not entirely sure, but I can see that I’ve set myself a goal that is far bigger than any of the ones I’ve ever set before, and I want to prove that it’s possible.

2.  Living and travelling in a van also reduces life to something very fundamental.

By being so far removed from the comfort zone of a stable city, house and job, the very act of surviving each day will be a cause for celebration. The ‘mental clutter’ of social pressures, disposable income, hobbies, norms and status will go completely out of the window, and be replaced by primitive needs and desires like finding somewhere to park up at night and making sure we have water to drink and gas to cook with.

3.  Taking ourselves on this journey maximises the opportunity for revelatory moments.

This last point is the crux of it all for me. I’ve come to realise that when the stakes are so high, and when you live a life centred on fundamental daily needs, the potential joy you receive is unlike any other. And although I am sharing this journey with George, I can already say that I’ve had some of these moments of deep internal joy in a very personal way. I feel immense gratitude and appreciation for the experience so far and the lessons I’ve learnt both about myself and the world around me. That’s not to say I haven't felt pain, anger, frustration and helplessness too but, along with the ‘revelatory moments’, they have put colour into my life and given me perspective about what really matters. And what are life’s highs if you they aren’t seen in light of the lows?

So yeah, it is all a bit of a crazy plan. To drive to Chile in a van together with your boyfriend, picking up people along the way, making films and living frugally is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. But it is for me.

It’s a chance to set the stakes high, live life fundamentally, and hopefully experience moments of joy along the way.

[lethesomething]

Tips for traveling far and alone

Because it's been a while since i did one of these lifehack things.

I spend a lot of time traveling for work, which means  I've gathered a few XP points and I have a System and shit. So have some tips. They're pretty geared towards how I like to travel, but a few of these could prob work for many people.

  Surviving a flight

When people say they love to travel, they mean that they like being places. Very few people like the actual 'getting there' part. It's stressful, there's waiting lines, you're forced to sit still for long periods of time and usually you have to get up at stupid hours. Being treated like cattle just isn't very fun, and it's not good for your health, either. So:

Rest. Airplanes are just… brimming with germs. The reason that this affects you more than, say, the multitude of germs on the subway you take every day, is because farther trips, especially of the 'party' or 'work' variety are utterly exhausting, and that affects your immune system. So while it is tempting to stuff as much as possible in that trip, know that you're 100% gonna get sick two days later. Try not to push yourself too much, and know that you're already being pushed in ways you're probably not used to.

For the same reason: take care of yourself. Stay hydrated. Keep nourishment upon your person. Try to eat a filling, healthy meal with like vitamins and shit before you leave.

Hand sanitizer is a Gift. See above: brimming with germs. So wash your hands before eating or touching your face. In my experience, however, the sinks in those tiny bathrooms on plane or trains are about as gross as the rest of the stall. This is where hand sanitizer comes in.

Staying fed on a budget

Here's the thing about staying hydrated and healthily fed: airport food, ferry food and train station food is usually super expensive. The prices in the Starbucks at my local airport are at least 50 percent higher than the one in the centre of town, and that is Tourist Central. And this is fine. It makes sense from a business perspective. It's not like you can go anywhere. And if you're going on that one big holiday of your dreams (or if you're just, ya know, rich), go ahead and splurge on fancy sushi. But I've been in the Eurostar waiting room four times in the span of two weeks, and you kinda don't want to splurge every time, ya know.

Bring snacks. You are absolutely allowed to bring food through a security check. Airport security doesn't allow a specific amount of liquid but it says nothing about sandwiches, homemade cookies or fruit.

Bring filling food. While you're at it: don't just bring food, but make sure it'll last. My mom, when I was little and went on school trips, would always make me egg sandwiches, which is a thing I still occasionally do. Mostly, you don't want to bring white bread with nutella, because you'll get a sugar spike, right in the middle of 'expensive food town' or worse, somewhere above the Atlantic. So egg sandwiches work, rice balls work, heck, I've brought banana bread or pancakes with rye flower and a lot of nuts in them. Whatever works.

The caveat here is obviously country quarantines. You can't bring cultures and live plants and bugs and stuff. If you're like going to Australia or New Zealand, bring only pre-packaged snacks, or make sure you finish them on the plane.

Do the water bottle trick. You know those bins before security where you're supposed to deposit all your empty bottles? Those are bullshit. You're not allowed to bring *liquids*. An empty bottle is fine (of course this depends heavily on the airport and the mood of security agents that day, don't argue with them, just… don't). In my experience, I've been perfectly able to bring an empty water bottle with me through security, just to fill it at a water fountain later on. I'll admit that this is a Very Cheap trick, but I like having water with me at all times, ok?

  Packing for experts

I don't like overloading myself. Few things bother me more than those stupid trolley things that get in the way of everything and that you're basically stuck with, so I try to make two/three day trips on just a backpack and like a tote. This is a challenge, considering I treck around with a heavy laptop and like a Nintendo Switch and two smartphones.  And all the cables needed to keep those things running. Here are some tricks:

Don't bother with shampoo. Heavily dependent on the hotel you're staying, but business hotels will always have soap and shampoo for you. The good ones have conditioner as well. Is it shitty? Yes. Is it worth bringing your own bottle over that? Usually not.

Pack whatever the bare essentials are for you. By which I mean don’t just go by the checklist you got off the internet. No, not even this one. For me, the bare essentials are a toothbrush, toothpaste, make-up for being fancy, deodorant and way too much hand cream. Do try to stay somewhat comfortable, it's a trip, not a punishment.

Speaking of bare essentials: ear plugs will save, if not your life, then at least your sleep pattern. Most methods of transportation, and some hotels, are loud AF. You don't want to wear those headphones while trying to sleep.

Roll your clothes. I got this off of a very old Lifehacker article and that shit works ok? Put your outfit flat on the bed, one layer over the next. Fold in the sides and roll the whole thing into a tight cylinder. Once cylinder per outfit/day.  Shove said cylinders into your bag for remarkably wrinkle-free outfits at the end of the line.

Jeans are overrated (don’t @ me) Unless you're only wearing one pair of pants, why would you bring jeans? They're chunky and thick and heavy. Made for weathering hard labour, not for sitting in a plane seat for eight hours. Same goes for chunky knit sweaters. Pretty, comfy and warm, but they take up So Much Space.

You know what's great? Leggings. I say this as a rotund lady, whose travel uniform is leggings, sneakers and a tunic. That shit takes up almost no space, it's comfortable and if you get the right fabrics, it doesn't wrinkle. Also: counts as business casual.

Layers are your friend. Weather is notoriously unpredictable and climate change is a thing. I was in the UK in friggin october and it was 25 degrees and sunny. You can't really prepare for that, so layer. Bring a lightweight jacket, bring a thin shawl.

Wear comfy shoes. I shouldn't have to say this because life is too short to wear shitty shoes, but if you're going to travel, for the love of all that is holy don't do it in painful shoes. You will Always Walk More than you expected. Even if they drop you off at the airport. Airports are huge. The Underground or Metro has surprisingly long hallways to traverse, just finding your hotel may take a walk. And also: what's the point of going to some city abroad if you're not going to walk that city? You're flying all the way over there to see the inside of a convention hall? Fuck that.  Walk the city. Experience culture. Go friggin shopping.

Get a good bag. It's not very professional looking to travel for work with a backpacker bag, so I see a lot of those leather bags that double as a trolley. They're invariably hideous. Luckily there are better options. People who know me have heard me wax poetic about my backpack, which is pretty much a Tardis. You can fit ridiculous amounts of stuff in there considering that it counts as a laptop bag for cabin baggage. Extra tip: if you're going the overstuffed route, make sure the zippers are of the chunky type. I have broken zippers on several bags already, the thin ones really can't take too much strain.

  Safety and stuff

Staying safe and comfortable when traveling alond doesn't have to be too hard.

If you're the careful type you probably already do this but: use the chain on your hotel room door. Most hotels let you use a chain or bolt, as well as some kind of simple hand lock, on top of your keycard. This is important, because hotels are still a public place and those keycards are meant to be used by more than one person. I have a tendency to hang out in my hotel room in my underwear, (it is one of the joys of traveling alone, don't judge me), and I've had cleaning staff just show up in my room in the middle of the day. That is their job. I've also had people try to come into my room thinking it's their room, while I was in the tub. Shit happens. So if you're in your room, keep it locked. That little chain or bolt keeps pretty much everyone out.

Be aware. One of the issues of traveling alone, is that you don't have a buddy to have your back. This means you have to keep your own security. Now I'm not a very scared person; I will walk an unknown city by myself, even at night, but i'm also not stupid. Stick to main roads, don't flaunt expensive gadgets, don't get drunk. You know the drill. Basically be aware of your surroundings.

Do attempt to blend in. It will make you less of a target, though I do realize that some ethnicities will stand out in certain places, regardless of what they do. In general, most large cities are a mix of races and languages, and even then you can pick out an Obvious Tourist because their whole deal is their Otherness. The clothes they wear, the way they act and talk, it screams that they view this whole area as a zoo. People don't really like that. So adjust, a little, if you can, to the vibe of the place you're in. It could be about walking speed, level of politeness, Commuter Resting Bitch Face. It is definitely also about standing on the right side of the escalator, and not blocking traffic. Little things. Get ye a coffee and a window seat and just watch people for a while to pick up on it. Pretend like you're in a romantic coming of age film while doing it.

  The interbots abroad

There are essentially only three things I cannot live without when traveling: passport, credit card, internets. The first two are obvious (the credit card is for buying underwear in case everything else gets lost). The internets are for things like maps, companionship, and freaking out over private message when things somehow go wrong. It’s a great comfort.

Roaming sucks: the best thing the EU did in the past few years is get rid of roaming charges. So if you have a european phone subscription, any mobile data used in most EU countries will just go off your regular tab. But usually, roaming in other countries is Ridiculously Expensive, so you would  have to buy a burner phone or local card (which is getting harder), or you're stuck with wifi.

Funny thing about hotels: the fancier they are, the more they charge for wifi, on average. Your basic motel will have free wifi, the friggin Hilton will charge your per hour and have next to no plugs. It's getting a little better, because honestly, who charges for wifi, but if you're in this situation, consider the alternatives.

Get coffee. Starbucks is pretty much everywhere and it's a good place to get your internets on. Yes, the coffee is expensive, but still cheaper than hotel wifi, and as a bonus you get coffee. Furthermore, it has popularized the idea that coffee shops need free wifi, so you'll find plenty of local cafés that offer it as well. In the US you could also try like McDonalds or other places that offer it (tip: this usually does not work in Europe; McD's wifi in Europe is generally Awful).

VPN's, at least the free ones, are fairly useless. Most of them will not get through, for instance China's censorship wall, and several are also just a thin front for collecting your data. Honestly, if you're going to a country with strict internet rules and you won't be staying long, it's probably easier to just stay under the radar.

Speaking of radar: clear your devices of any incriminating things before hopping borders. Especially if you're going to the weird places. The US border police might confiscate your laptop and charge you for stolen mp3's, for instance. Some countries' border police may attempt to have you log into social accounts. Put on, at the very least, two-factor authentication to stop anyone swiping your credentials. Better yet, back up your devices and put them back on factory settings before crossing particularly challenging borders.

[thesydneyfeminists]

Feminist Travels: How to Travel More Ethically

I’ve traveled a fair bit over the course of my lifetime, especially over the last four years. In that time, I’ve spent three months backpacking Europe, a month roadtripping the east coast of the US, a month and a half exploring the Melbourne area, before finally planting tentative roots in Sydney for a year and a half.  But then my life plans went astray, as they’re apt to do. Since February, I’ve been working and traveling New Zealand while I wait for a second visa back to Australia. It’s been an amazing and, at times, overwhelming experience. And it’s certainly not the life I imagined for myself. If you asked 16-year-old me, she never would have guessed she’d grow up to travel the world. I often get bemused or baffled looks when I try to explain to people how (and why) I do what I do. The truth is, most of the time I don’t know.

But, wherever life takes me, I keep circling back to how my various privileges shape the way I travel. My US passport is hugely beneficial, as is being white. I’m straight-passing (which, at times, is both a blessing and a curse). I don’t come from money, but my family is supportive and would take me back in a heartbeat if I ever needed it. And I don’t have any health issues that prevent me from traveling or require me to announce them to customs. It’s still less safe for single women to travel than single men, but it’s becoming much easier and more acceptable for women to travel alone. If you Google “feminist travel,” you’ll find a plethora of feminist travel blogs, all created with the intent of empowering women to see the world. This is great! But there is also a darker side to the recent travel phenomenon that we, as feminists, need to address more in-depth.

Image Description: A picture of a person with long hair standing on a metal walkway overlooking the tops of a vast mountain range. They are wearing a long sleeve shirt and long pants of indeterminant color and facing away from the camera. They are straddling the walkway and holding their arms spread up over their head like an angel. The mountains are shadowy and peak up over fluffy, white clouds, which are beneath the person and the walkway. The sky above the mountains is bright blue.

The travel lifestyle brand pushed by so many Instagram pages and blogs is often enormously unethical. For starters, not everyone can or will ever be able to travel. Of course, I want travel to eventually become accessible to everyone, but sadly there’s a long way to go before that happens. Additionally, not everyone wants to travel, and that’s perfectly okay too. Those who make sweeping claims about how traveling makes you a better person do so at the detriment of people who choose not to travel, for various reasons. And finally, travel can have lasting environmental and social/cultural/political effects on a place and its inhabitants. As one travel blogger writes, “we have a responsibility as travelers to be respectful to the people and culture in the foreign countries we visit. This means traveling humbly, respectfully, without cultural appropriation or mockery, and being aware of the historical dynamics your ethnicity bears” (https://capsulesuitcase.com/2017/03/08/how-feminism-shapes-the-way-i-travel/). As feminists, we should think critically about travel and the ways in which our feminisms shape and are shaped by our physical movements through the world.

Now, I’m not here to lecture anyone about the best and only way to travel (there isn’t one). I won’t try to convince you it’s absolutely necessary to stop traveling if you want to call yourself a true feminist. Obviously, I enjoy traveling and it’s a huge part of my life, so that would be a bit hypocritical. Instead, I want to think through some ways in which we can all be a little more “feminist” in our travels. This list is not definitive or all-encompassing. It’s meant more as a jumping-off point for further thought/ discussion. It stems from my personal experiences and conversations I’ve had with other travelers and non-travelers alike. Please feel free to add your own ideas in the comments!

Image Description: A photo of a large map of the United States spread out of on a white table. In the left-hand corner is the keyboard of a Mac computer with a mug of coffee sitting to the left of the keypad. Beneath the computer is a United States passport and a turquoise blue, plastic camera. In the top right-hand corner is another silver and black camera with a black strap. You can see the top of a person’s head in the bottom-center of the photo. They are wearing a black, broad-brimmed hat which hides their face and shoulders. They are also wearing a white sweatshirt, rolled up to their elbows, a black and gold watch on their right wrist and a silver ring on their right ring finger. Their right hand is pointing towards a place on the map near the Great Lakes. Next to their hand is a pair of light blue, leopard print sunglasses.

1.     Don’t participate in Voluntourism: So, I very much support volunteering. I’m a volunteer here at the Sydney Feminists, so I know firsthand the importance of volunteer work. But voluntourism is something altogether different and very problematic. Everyday Feminism published a brilliant article on this very topic. Instead of attempting a poor summary, I’ll just link it here: https://everydayfeminism.com/2016/11/voluntourism-wont-fix-the-world/. I don’t mean to condemn you if you’ve ever done a trip like those mentioned in the article. No one is born the “perfect feminist,” and we all need to learn and unlearn as we grow. Reading up on voluntourism and the harm it brings to communities around the world is a good start!

2.     Support local businesses: This point really boils down to the “keeping it local” mentality.  Although there are ways to travel on a budget, all travel requires at least some monetary exchanges. Many people consider travel and tourism “healthy” for local economies for this exact reason. But the truth of the matter is, large, international corporations benefit the most from travel and tourism. More often than not, local economies don’t see much, if any, of the profits. So, next time you travel, forego the Hilton and book a local B&B. Or, better yet, stay and work for locals in exchange for food and accommodation. Websites like WWOOF and HelpX are popular ways of facilitating such exchanges. Skip Maccas and dine at small, independently owned restaurants (in most cities around the world, there are usually cheap food carts and such for even the most budget-friendly of travelers). Attend weekend farmer’s markets for an array of food, crafts and activities. And definitely make sure those souvenirs you buy to bring home are sourced from local artisans! Bonus points if you research businesses owned and operated by minorities (gender or otherwise). 

3.     Donate to local charities – but do your research first: Again, you don’t have to pour huge amounts of money into this step. I understand the need to pinch pennies when traveling. But even a donation of the cost of a cup of coffee can be helpful. It’s always important to research charities before donating, even in your own home. Some charities are just as corrupt as big businesses. But, if you can find good people doing important work on something you’re passionate about (say, women’s rights!), donations of time or money are great ways to say thank you to local communities for sharing their home.

4.     Read books by locals: Okay, not just books! Read (or listen to) anything you can get your hands on by people who grew up/ lived in the place you’re traveling to. If you have the money to spare, you can purchase hard copies from a local bookstore. But there are plenty of free resources on the internet as well. Sometimes, local libraries will allow you to browse and read the items they have available, or else will have cheap books for sale. Reading in this way allows you to see a place through the eyes of the people who live there. It can give you a fresh perspective and is often a much more intimate experience than reading those mass-produced guidebooks you see in airports.

5.     Familiarize yourself with local politics, and then listen to what locals have to say about them: As I mentioned above, traveling is always political. Therefore, it can be handy to have a basic understanding of the politics of a place before you travel there. No one is expecting you to become an expert overnight. But a few, initial Google searches will show people you care. Probably the most important part of this step, though, is listening to locals. I wouldn’t suggest immediately bombarding people with questions about politics the second you step off the plane (or train or bus). But if the topic comes up organically, be open to what people have to say. I’ve learned so much through conversations with locals about politics (both the government kind and the daily life kind). Willingness to communicate and actively engage with a place and its people will go a long way in leading a more feminist, traveling life.

Image Description: A photo of a hand holding a toy globe up in front of a green and grey mountain range. The hand and globe are in focus, while the background is slightly out of focus. You can only see the hand from the wrist up and its palm is facing the camera. On the globe, you can see all of Central and South America and some of North America and Africa.  

By: Brittany L. 

Sources:

https://feministglobetrotter.com/

https://worldforagirl.com/travel-and-feminism/

https://capsulesuitcase.com/2017/03/08/how-feminism-shapes-the-way-i-travel/

https://thevagabondfeminist.wordpress.com/2016/05/27/solo-female-travel-is-an-act-of-feminism/

https://passionpassport.com/feminism-travel-space/

https://everydayfeminism.com/2014/03/traveling-harassment-advice/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sydney Feminists. Our Blogger and Tumblr serve as platforms for a diverse array of women to put forth their ideas and explore topics. To learn more about the philosophy behind TSF’s Blogger/ Tumblr, please read our statement here: https://www.sydneyfeminists.org/a

[btravelledblog-blog]

8 Steps to Success: How to Plan Your Trip Abroad

8 Steps to Success: How to Plan Your Trip Abroad

So now that you have officially decided to travel abroad, for work, school, vacation, or otherwise, it is time to start planning your trip!  For most people, the planning process is the most difficult and time consuming part of travelling, since everything feels like a make-or-break decision.  Plus, looking at different prices, customer reviews, and pictures can all be very overwhelming.  With the right planning process, however, your trip and preparation should go fairly smoothly! However, it is important to keep in mind that even with all the planning and preparation in the world, some things are going to go wrong, and that is okay.  Just remember to stay positive, stay focused, remember the end-goal of enjoying the whole trip, and learn to have fun with the little set backs!   With all of that being said, here my 8 Steps to Success to plan your perfect trip abroad!

Step One: Pick a Destination Sometimes picking the one place (or the series of places) you definitively want to go to will be such a tough decision it will make your head spin.  Personally, making the decision of where exactly to go is always very difficult for me, because I want to everywhere and see everything, but here are some of my ideas on how to narrow down your choices.

1. Weather So right now you are stuck between a summer in Italy, Ireland, or Australia.  Maybe one of the first things you should look at is the weather for each destination, and see which one fits the idea you had in mind for the trip.  Obviously, Ireland is going to be a bit cooler and rainier than Italy and Australia, where you can expect dry heat, which may end up swaying your decision.  If you want that heat, and to go see beaches and lakes, then narrow down your choices between Italy and Australia.  However, if you think the cooler climate better suits your needs, go with Ireland!

2. Time of Year Similarly to weather, the time of year can play a key role in deciding where you want to go.  If you want to go to the Dominican Republic to try and learn more about the culture while also enjoying the beach, maybe stay away from April travels to avoid spring breakers.  Plus, different places have cheaper flights during different times of the year, which is super important if you are trying to save (some) money while planning your trip, which we will get more into in Step 2.

3. Recommendations So you looked into the weather, you checked to see when are the best times to visit your choices, you compared prices, and you still cannot seem to decide on one place.  My biggest recommendation, would be to ask for a recommendation!  Friends and family that have already travelled to a destination will probably have a lot of stories and insights on the different countries they have been to, and the experiences they had.  Maybe they found out the hard way that the locals in one part of town are always looking to scam tourists, or the discovered a hidden gem of a coffee shop on the outskirts of downtown.  No matter what they have to say, your friends and family are always a great resource while trying to figure out where to go.

Now, obviously these three tips are not anywhere near all-inclusive, and you are still going to struggle to pick your final destination, but maybe this gave you a better idea of how to start researching.  With that being said, research, ask for recommendations, and good luck!

Step 2: Book a Flight Booking a flight for your travel experience can be very scary, trust me, I’ve been there. You’re probably scared the booking will not actually go through, that you will end up paying more than you should, that there will be additional hidden fees once you get to the airport, among other things. These are all valid fears, and the best way to combat them is to plan and be diligent about doing your research. Here some general tips to help you out:

1. Research cheap airlines There are a lot of cheap airlines out there, like eDreams and Spirit, but you have to be very careful when using them. Most of these cheaper options include minimal amenities: you will probably have to pay extra for any undercarriage luggage, for any food and/or drink during the flight, for overweight luggage, etc. While the airline is not technically trying to trick you (emphasis on technically) you still need to be very careful about reading the fine print of what is all included in your plane ticket, and plan accordingly.

2. Compare cheap airlines to typical airlines Although the above cheaper flights may originally seem like the better deal, add up all of their fees and compare the total price to bigger airlines like United Airways or Iberia. Sometimes, after everything is added together, the prices are almost the same. The bigger airline will always be a little more expensive, but for free unlimited drinks on your 18-hour flight, it might be worth it!

3. Compare One-Way versus Round-Trip Flights Sometimes it can be cheaper to buy two one-way tickets. Other times it can be cheaper to buy one round-trip ticket. Just research and compare prices to make sure you are getting the best deal!

4. Use a Search Engine or Travel Agent For some people, booking the flight with you own research is too daunting a task. And that’s okay! Websites like kayak.com or travelocity are great tools to help you compare different flights. And if you’re willing to shell out a little extra cash for a travel agent to save time and additional stress, there’s no shame in that either!

Booking a flight is scary, but hopefully, with these tips, the process goes a little easier. Just remember: research and compare costs!

Step 3: Find Lodging Once you have you flight booked, it’s time to start looking for your home for the trip! Depending on what kind of trip you plan on going on, you’ll want to stay in different lodgings. If you plan to go all-out for a dream vacation full of food, drinks, and pool time, an all-inclusive resort is the way to go. With an all-inclusive hotel, all of your food, drinks, and typical amenities are included in the fees for your stay. On the other hand, if you literally only need a place to sleep, and are planning on being out and about, exploring wherever you are, a hostel or airbnb may be the right option for you. Hostels and airbnbs can be very similar in price, drastically cheaper than hotels, and offer only the basics so you can save money to spend elsewhere. When I took my weekend trip to Paris, my friend and I stayed in a hostel, and it was perfect for us since we wanted to see all of the city in one weekend, and didn’t care about a fancy hotel. Of course, if you are in between being completely spoiled at an all-inclusive resort and living off of the basics like in a hostel or airbnb, a regular hotel is always an option. Mid-priced hotels are everywhere, and you should have no problem finding something in your price range, with whatever necessities you see fit to have provided for you. My biggest tip while looking at places to stay is to make sure you find yourself a good location. Sure, things will be cheaper the farther away they are from the downtown areas, or the beaches, or the beautiful destinations, but then you will need to figure out how to get to these places. Often times, having to walk an hour every morning, or take a taxi every day, can add to monetary and time expenses, making these cheap and further out locations less of a good deal. Obviously, the best places to stay are going to be more expensive as you move towards the center of the tourist areas, so just try your best to find a happy medium. Be close enough that getting where you want to go isn’t its own mini-trip, but also don’t break the bank for a central location. Finally, make sure you look up lots of reviews for wherever you decide to stay. The pictures may look great, but pictures can always be deceiving. Plus, the hostel may say “great location”, but that’s a very open description and could simply be puffery. Additionally, you want to make sure that wherever you decide to stay is safe. If there are no reviews, do not stay there. If the review says it’s very cheap, but in a bad neighborhood, try looking for something else. Never let saving a few dollars out your safety at risk, it’s really not worth it. Other than that, once again, just research everything, find a place that fits your specific needs, be safe, and start getting excited!

Step 4: Plan Your Excursions So you finally decided on where you want to go, you booked your flight, and are ready to start planning everything you want to do during your trip! In my opinion, this is the best and most fun part of the planning process. Again, the biggest thing you need to do is research. Utilize google, social media, friends and family, and anything else you can think of to look up where you should go, try, and see. Once you have a few places and things to do in mind, look them up specifically to see if there are any guided tours or direct transportation programs to get you there. Or, if you have a little known coffee shop on your docket, just look it up on a map so you can find it yourself! This part of planning your trip should be fun and fairly stress free, so try not to take it too seriously (except for those trips you need to book a reservation for), and remember to leave yourself time to explore. A lot of times you will find the coolest places and have the best experiences from being spontaneous, and just seeing where the journey takes you! So, my advice in a nutshell: research, make a game plan, book everything that needs to be done in advance, and try not to over-plan!

Step 5: Figure out Transportation Planning your preferred method of transportation throughout your trip is super important. There are plenty of different options: rent a car, bus tickets, train tickets, public transit, taxi, Uber, etc. In my opinion, you should probably stay away from renting a car and driving yourself, just because you likely aren’t familiar with the different rules and regulations of driving in a different country; but if you are, go for it! During my trips, I tend to opt for the public transportation option. A lot of times you can buy a pass for a lot cheaper than any of the other options, and then you have free reign of the city you chose to visit. Another important thing to remember is how you plan to get from the airport, to your hotel/hostel/airbnb/etc. Airports are usually pretty far out of the city, and I think that taking a taxi straight out of the terminal to your host location is the easiest route to take. Sure, it can be a little expensive, but you know that you will make it from Place A to Place B, without the stress of figuring out a bus or train station. A good thing to keep in mind about taking a taxi from the airport: there is usually one flat rate to ride in a taxi to your lodgings, so be sure to know if the airport you are in follows this typical European rule so you know you are paying a fair price. For example, in Athens, Greece it was 50 € to go from the airport to anywhere in Athens, and I saw similar situations everywhere I went in Europe. So, take a taxi to your home for the trip (if you’re like me) and then get some kind of public transportation pass (again, if you want to just do what I did). Once you have the pass, make sure you keep a map of all the routes with you, since you probably won’t have Wi-Fi to look up which stop and at what time you need to be there. From there, you should be fine to get to wherever you need to go! My last piece of transportation advice is to plan out bigger weekend trips you want to take as far in advance as possible. Spontaneous trips are incredible, I planned a weekend in Paris on Tuesday and left on Friday, but the planning and execution of the plan will probably go a lot smoother if you are little more prepared than I was. Just follow all of these same steps, and maybe take a bus or train instead of a flight if it’s cheaper, and you’ll be good to go!

Step 6: Pack For an all-inclusive packing list of everything you need to study abroad, or to take with you on a long trip, take a look at my first first blog post!

https://btravelledblog.tumblr.com/post/174197818437/all-inclusive-study-abroad-packing-list-from-the

Step 7: Make a Checklist Make a checklist of all of these things, any other little things you can think of, even stuff you need to buy for your trip, and once something’s done, you get to check it off! You can even make a list of everything you have to do to execute your plan, like I did, but sometimes my list making can be a little excessive, so it’s all up to you.

Step 8: Travel Finally, go on your trip, take lots of pictures, make lots of memories, and have lots of fun!

[tamboradventure]

Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt

Posted: 4/30/2020

It takes a village to keep this website going. From tech and coding to design to fixing bugs getting readers books when downloads fail to scheduling social media or running the forums, I have a lot of help. I simply couldn’t run the website, write, travel, eat, sleep, or anything in between if I didn’t have the support and help of an amazing group of people.

It’s not just me writing and posting about my travels. I have a big group of full-time staff helping juggle everything.

I realized a lot of you don’t realize that so, today, I wanted to introduce the team to you.

So, without further ado, here’s they are:  

Erica

Erica has been working for me for almost six and a half years and is the events director of The Nomadic Network, our travel community. She keeps this community thriving. In her own words:

I grew up in Connecticut and went to school in Virginia. During a quarter-life crisis at age 21, I chose to finish my last year of college on an adventure in Qatar! From that moment on, my life revolved around traveling cheaply with the money I earned from waitressing. That budget got me to teach English in Isaan, Thailand, and South Korea; farm on St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean and Costa Rica; and volunteer in rural Zambia. At age 26, I returned home to Connecticut, determined to get a job in travel. Soon after, I met Nomadic Matt at a travel meet-up in NYC, and the rest is history.

I whole-heartedly believe that traveling makes friends of strangers, and the more friends there are in the world, the more peace there is in the world.

13 Facts about Me

At 15, I helped build a schoolhouse in Nicaragua.

1. I cooked an American Thanksgiving feast for my Thai co-English teachers in Thailand where barely any of the mashed potatoes, carrots and peas were eaten so my host-grandmother fed in to the monks for the following week unbeknownst to me.

I’ve cut off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, twice!

I once hunted for possums on the island of St. Vincent with a bunch of Rastafarians. We caught four and made soup. I was a vegetarian at the time.

In Costa Rica, I stayed at in a sustainable living community called Rancho Mastatal, where I learned how to farm yuca, make beer out of turmeric, and build a house out of cob.

I spent 11 days on a coconut water only fast at a yoga retreat in Cambodia, twice

I taught English in South Korea for 14 months and was able to easily save enough money for 21 months of non-stop travel. I also taught the students how to use “boo” colloquially.

This music video I made used to be one of the top hits when you searched for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In Zambia, my friend and I were given a live chicken as a present. We were vegetarians, so we traded it for a pair of second-hand jeans in the town’s market.

I got 19 people (the students and teachers on a FLYTE trip) into an airport lounge in Ecuador for free. I think that’s a travel hacking record!

My college education was entirely free. How? I got a ton of tiny scholarships (I applied for everyone I could get my hands on) that added up, being a Residential Assistant in the dorms, and studying in Qatar actually saved me money (in the most expensive country in the world).

In Korea, I dated a guy who spoke no English and we basically communicated through drawing pictures and reciting American rap lyrics.

Last summer, I took a trip to Tunisia with some friends. I wish I could have stayed longer – what a cool country!

  Chris O.

Chris joined the team as the part-time manager of the forums back in 2015. Since then, he’s transitioned to full-time and has branched out into the Superstar Blogging program and helps me with all of our various admin tasks. In his own words:

I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and spent my formative years listening to punk rock, reading Star Wars novels, and generally getting up to no good. After ditching my lifelong plan to be a lawyer, I decided to give travel a try. I headed to Costa Rica on a whim and have never looked back! It wasn’t long after that trip that I took a break from university (where I was studying history and theatre) to move to a monastery in Japan in 2007. I’ve more or less been wandering around ever since. Some notable adventures include taking the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia and Mongolia, walking the Camino de Santiago twice, and going on a 10-day road trip around Iceland with complete strangers.

When I’m not traveling, I live in Sweden and can be found reading, writing, or hanging out with my rescue dog, Grimo.

13 Facts about Me

I spent nine months living in Buddhist monasteries.

I lived in a tent for a year.

I was once stalked by a jaguar and chased by a crocodile — on the same trip.

I haven’t had alcohol in 16 years.

I’ve broken all my fingers and toes, and my nose three times, and I’ve fractured both my wrists.

I worked on an organic farm for 11 years.

I co-owned a restaurant in Canada.

I grew up next door to Avril Lavigne.

I wrote a book (and am working on another one)

I played inter-mural Quidditch in high school and was our team’s Seeker.

I have a Star Wars tattoo.

I’ve been vegan for 15 years.

I have a scar from a fight that broke out over which Norse god was “the best.”

  Chris R.

Chris, aka The Aussie Nomad, is a (kinda) former blogger who does all the tech and development work for the website. He keeps it running, fixes any errors you find, and deals with my constantly changing design desires. In his own words:

I’m living the good life in Western Australia by the beach with my amazing family. I got into the world of blogging after quitting my job, backpacking around Europe and, as all Aussies do, undertaking a working holiday in the UK. Like all of us who travel and fall in love with it, nobody wants to go home afterwards.

That adventure got me into creating a travel blog many years ago, which is how I first came to know Matt. I have since repurposed my IT skills from my old life and formed my own business to help out other bloggers with their websites.

13 Facts about Me

I love Belgian beer (and I even married a Belgian).

I’ve worked with Matt the longest out of anyone here. (Take that team!)

I took off to backpack Europe when I was 29.

I’m an advocate for Vegemite and believe all visitors to Australia must try this national treasure.

One of my favorite activities is to take a long road trip, especially with family and friends.

I have no idea how four-way stop signals in the U.S.A. don’t all end up as accidents.

I do not drink Fosters. It’s a terrible beer. No one in Australia actually drinks it.

I like to think of myself as an amateur photographer.

I failed kindergarten as I wouldn’t say goodbye to the teacher.

My first job was working in a supermarket.

I can’t sleep on a plane – no matter how long the flight is.

I can name every Thomas the Tank Engine character thanks to my son.

I don’t drink coffee or get people’s love for it. Tea all the way!

  Raimee

Raimee does all of our social media and content marketing. She schedules posts, tweaks my terrible photos so they look good on Instagram, builds out our content calendar, analyzes data, edits video, creates digital marketing campaigns, and designs our social media graphics! In her own words:

When I was just 14 years old, I took my first international trip to Honduras and Belize with my family. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on experiencing new cultures, connecting with people from all walks of life, and learning about myself and the world through the power of travel! After graduating with a degree in advertising and marketing from Michigan State University and four years as a digital marketing specialist, I realized that corporate life was not for me. My insatiable need to experience the world beyond a desk led me to search for a job-related to travel. I’ve followed this blog for many years, and now I get to work for it remotely while I strategize, manage, and report on the social media accounts — and I love every second of it!

13 Facts about Me

I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I’ve read each book at least 10 times. If I told you how many times I’ve watched the movies, you probably wouldn’t believe me.

I once hung out with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter!) at a Red Wings game in Detroit, and actually kept my cool the whole time (side note: He’s a SUPER nice guy!)

Visiting the Harry Potter studio tour in London was one of the best days of my life.

My mom was obsessed with the 80’s horror movie Evil Dead directed by Sam Raimi, so she named me after him.

After having visited about 30 countries, Iceland is still my favorite.

My biggest travel dream is to take a road trip around New Zealand!

I try to read 1-2 book(s) EVERY week!

I used to play the saxophone (and I wish I still did!)

I conquered my fear of heights by jumping off a cliff in Croatia — twice!

I love languages and was close to being fluent in German during college.

I’ve acted in a few independent and short films and as an extra in some network TV shows (I even have an IMDB page!)

In another life, I would have been a film director/producer. Maybe some day!

My favorite number is 13.

  Carmela

Carmela is the Executive Director of our non-profit FLYTE that makes travel accessible to underserved youth from across the country. She handles anything and everything from fundraising, working with our partner schools to plan student trips abroad, connecting with our incredible donor community, and managing our volunteer team.

Born and raised in New Jersey, I had the privilege of taking my first international trip when I was 3 to visit my family in the Philippines where I refused to ride the local jeepneys because they didn’t have seatbelts! Since then, my love for travel has evolved. In 2012, my husband, Raymund, and I took a round the world honeymoon that was supposed to scratch the travel itch (lol). We came back home to NYC for a few years before taking the leap to become full-time remote workers, and have lived all over the world ever since.

When I’m not running FLYTE, I love planning trips (even if they’re not my own), practicing yoga, hiking, rock climbing, reading, eating, and eating cookies (which are their own food group, in my opinion).

I LOVE Math! I have a degree in it, taught statistics to college students, and few things make me happier than a well functioning Excel spreadsheet.

I come from a family of educators. My parents were both teachers before they immigrated to the US from the Philippines in the 70’s. Before I left to travel, I worked for the Chancellor of NYC Public Schools, the largest school district in the country, and now running FLYTE is pretty much my dream job because it combines my love for education with travel.

The Notorious BIG and I share the same birthday. Juicy is one of my favorite songs.

I still don’t fully understand how to use Twitter.

I like suspenseful movies & TV shows, but hate the feeling of being in suspense, so I often read what happens before watching so I can relax and enjoy my viewing experience.

My favorite cartoon is Alvin & the Chipmunks. I still have an Alvin doll that I was gifted on my 1st birthday. It bears no resemblance to the actual Alvin Seville anymore.

I attended an all girls high school and a women’s college – that environment there largely shaped who I am today.

My guilty pleasure is watching Terrace House – the Japanese equivalent to the Real World.

My dad has an identical twin brother and they used to play tricks on me and my cousin when we were younger. It’s equally funny and traumatizing.

I hate raisins, especially in cookies.

I’m an only child, but have over 30 first cousins. I love them as if they were my actual siblings.

Raymund and I met in Hawaii. For that, and many other reasons, it’s my most favorite place in the world.

I know every lyric to every song from the Sound of Music.

  Nomadic Matt

And, finally, there’s me. You probably know a lot about me after twelve years of blogging (sometimes I forget how long it’s been), but here’s a quick refresh:

Growing up in Boston, I was never a big traveler. I didn’t take my first trip overseas until 2004. That trip changed my life and opened me up to the possibilities the world had to offer. One year later, I went to Thailand, where I met five backpackers who inspired me to quit my job and travel the world. In 2006, I left for a yearlong backpacking trip — and have been “nomadic” ever since.

13 Facts about Me

I love politics as much as I love travel and will debate for the joy for it.

I love to cook.

When I was in high school, I was my state’s champ in “Magic: the Gathering.” I know — super nerdy, right? It got me a free trip NYC with my friend (who came in number two!).

I always worry about the future and often use my time back home to develop skills needed for the Zombie Apocalypse. Shout-out to my prepper friend Vanessa for teaching me about seeds!

I once met Paul Giamatti on the streets of NYC and he was as grumpy as I imagined.

I am an unabashed Taylor Swift fan.

I don’t drink coffee.

I believe aliens exist. It’s mathematically impossible they don’t.

I’m terrified of flying.

I learned to swing dance so I could throw myself a Gatsby-themed birthday party.

Both sides of my family came through Ellis Island and you can see their names on the wall where they list all the immigrants.

I used to be the head of a program by the Massachusetts Sierra Club that promoted energy efficiency.

I went to college to be a high school history teacher.

***

So there you have it! The Nomadic Matt team! It’s weird to think this blog I started to simply be online résumé for freelance jobs now requires eleven people to run. I always thought the more systems, automation, products, and passive income I set up, the easier it would be. I could just sit on a beach. But it seems the more we do, the more we create, the more projects I tell the team we’re taking on, the more help we require. I guess that is the nature of the beast but I would have it no other way. I love what we do here. We help a lot of people realize their dreams.

And a guy couldn’t ask for better co-workers to help make that happen.

P.S. – We’ve launched a new Patreon where you can get stories and tips I don’t share on this blog, a private Facebook group, phone calls with me and the team, live Q&As, postcards from the road, signed copies of my books, and much more! Click here to get access!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com, as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. I use them all the time.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all those I use — and they’ll save you time and money too!

The post Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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[rafaelthompson]

Elika Liftee Gets Personal for U.S. Brewers Cup-Winning Routine

A barista trainer at Onyx Coffee Lab, Elika combined his vision of sustainability and innovation with elements of his heritage to win the 2020 U.S. Brewers Cup.

BY CHRIS RYAN BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Cover photo by The Pour courtesy of Pacific Foods.

Last month in Costa Mesa, Calif., making his first appearance in the U.S. Brewers Cup finals, Elika Liftee discussed the ideas of discipline and innovation. He wanted to honor the forward-thinking tactics that farms like La Palma y El Tucan (whose coffee he was using) employ to produce amazing-quality coffee, but he also wanted to make a little of that coffee go a long way, demonstrating that sustainability-minded efforts can still produce awards-caliber results.

Elika Liftee addressing the judges during his U.S. Brewers Cup-winning routine in Costa Mesa. Photo by Jenn Hall for the SCA.

Elika did just that in Costa Mesa, using a quick-extraction method of 10g doses on a Kalita Wave to capture the 2020 U.S. Brewers Cup title. The La Palma y El Tucan Gesha he used in the routine also allowed him to present an element of himself, with his Hawaiian roots reflected in the coffee’s tropical flavors.

Elika, an assistant barista trainer at Arkansas’ Onyx Coffee Lab, will now take his routine to the World Brewers Cup stage in Melbourne, Australia, in November. He’ll travel Down Under with his Onyx colleague Andrea Allen, who won the U.S. Barista Championship on the same day as Elika’s victory. We talked to Elika about his competition routine, preparing for the stage, and much more.

Chris Ryan: Can you describe your coffee background? How long have you been in coffee, how did you come to work in it, and what are some of your duties at Onyx?

Elika Liftee: Like many people, I got interested in coffee while in college. I attended John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark., and made my first visit to Onyx Coffee Lab in 2012. I tried a black coffee on pourover and was amazed that they didn’t add any flavoring to the cup. That got me hooked. I applied to work there during school and unfortunately didn’t make it past the interview.

A few years later I was looking to move back to the area and Onyx hired me for their new café. So, for four and a half years I’ve worked for Onyx in some capacity—first as a barista, then as the director of events, a manager, and for the past three years I’ve been the assistant trainer. Dylan Siemens (head of education) and I split barista training in our cafés. We train a lot of our wholesale partners in our lab or on-site at their locations. We handle quality control of the coffees in our shops, as well. I’m also responsible for writing the brewing recipes that we put up on our website for each coffee.

Elika (left) and his Onyx colleague Lance Hedrick react to the announcement that Elika has won the 2020 U.S. Brewers Cup. Photo by The Pour courtesy of Pacific Foods.

How many years have you competed? What do you like about Brewers Cup as a coffee competition?

This was my third year competing in the Brewers Cup. I made an attempt at Cup Tasters a while back, but to little success. I always wanted to compete in Brewers. I’m a pretty competitive person and made coffee at home for a while before working for Onyx. Brewers Cup seems both elevated and approachable. People have been doing some wild things onstage, but you could probably replicate most recipes at home or at the café. I think it can be engaging for audiences in that way. Also, I just like drip coffee more than I like espresso.

How did you settle on the “discipline and innovation” theme of your routine?

My theme didn’t solidify until a couple weeks before Nashville qualifiers. I wanted to bring a weightier message to the Brewers stage, like we see in Barista, but I wanted to relate it to the entire performance. I was inspired by La Palma’s example of sustainability. They are known for producing excellent quality and experimental processing, but their discipline stood out to me. Similarly, Onyx’s motto of “Never Settle for Good Enough” can sometimes be taken out of context. We aren’t reckless.

My theme of discipline and innovation was important to me because it represents not only my own approach, but also how I think our industry will truly thrive. Innovation is important because it’s how we raise the ceiling. This pushes farmers to produce better cup quality and baristas to serve better drinks. Discipline is just as important to make sure we don’t drop the floor out from underneath ourselves. The specialty industry is expected to increase 43% in the next five years, yet in the next 25 years we are expected to lose 50% of current coffee-growing lands due to climate change. I wanted to do a small part by showing that I could make a small dose of coffee taste great. Turned out I could also extract that coffee more efficiently and quickly than our normal recipes—10g of coffee extracted to 23% in under 2 minutes. La Palma fit perfectly into that theme because that’s what they do. If you look at their recent Instagram posts, you can see how they removed large amounts of their profitable Estates & Varietals trees to reintroduce native plants. Their effort to improve their own sustainability hasn’t sacrificed cup quality, and I was happy to showcase their efforts.

Using 10g of coffee in each cup he brewed for the judges, Elika sought to make a small amount of coffee taste great in his U.S. Brewers Cup routine. Photo by Jenn Hall for the SCA.

You mentioned in your routine that many of the notes of tropical fruits in your coffee were reminiscent of your Hawaiian upbringing. Was it important to you to represent that part of yourself with your coffee, or did that end up being a happy accident?

Yes! My parents were in the Air Force. My Mom was from Oklahoma and my Dad was Native Hawaiian, but I was actually born in Japan. I didn’t actually grow up in Hawaii where my dad is from; instead I grew up in Oklahoma around my mom’s family. So, not only do I not look very Hawaiian, but also I didn’t grow up with a lot of the traditional culture, I grew up like an Okie. One of the things that I feel very connected with, though, is food. Growing up, my dad had lots of tropical fruit nectars in the fridge, he taught me how to core pineapple, eat papaya, guava, as well as Hawaiian staples like Spam and eggs! I love Oklahoma, fishing, and football, but growing up I felt like an outsider. I love tropical coffees, and La Palma’s Gesha almost fell right into my lap. I wanted tropical, I wanted floral, and I wanted lots of sweetness. I can’t say I would have been as willing to serve a Spam coffee, but I’m open to the collaboration.

What was your experience like of competing in the finals?

Oh my goodness, that was exciting and nerve-racking. There were so many great competitors this season. It was my first finals, but I’d learned a lot from my judges the past two years. Still, until I heard my name, it wasn’t real. My routine hadn’t changed much from Nashville, so I was familiar and comfortable with it. Onyx’s team is supportive and I never had to worry about the little things. At that point it’s all up to your preparation, and I worked really hard this season to be up there. I worked hard on the recipe and poured water over and over, I worked hard tasting that coffee, I worked hard watching Dakota roast my coffee (thanks Dakota), I worked hard on my script and movements onstage (thanks Dylan). Honestly, I was more nervous for Andrea in finals because for a long time I’ve believed she’s the best. I just wanted to do my best and I believed I’d put in the work to be successful.

Elika with James Tooill of Ally Coffee; by winning the U.S. Brewers Cup, Elika will be part of the next Ally Coffee Champions Origin Trip. Photo by The Pour courtesy of Pacific Foods.

What did it mean to you to win this competition, and to represent Onyx?

It means a lot. I don’t express myself very openly, but it was an emotional experience. As someone who has traditionally worked behind the scenes in different roles, it’s great to see my ideas resonate and succeed. I wanted to win for Onyx and Northwest Arkansas. Our specialty-coffee community is small and the market is nowhere near saturated. I want our community to recognize that some of the best coffee in the world is served in their neighborhood and I’m proud that Onyx is a big part of that. It’s exciting to me that Northwest Arkansas, and Onyx, has become a coffee tourism destination.

The post Elika Liftee Gets Personal for U.S. Brewers Cup-Winning Routine appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

Elika Liftee Gets Personal for U.S. Brewers Cup-Winning Routine published first on https://espressoexpertsite.tumblr.com/

[almostnoisydonut]

𝓜𝔂 𝓓𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶 𝓥𝓪𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

Everyone has a dream place to visit once in life, and many get the chance to fulfill their dream trip. In this regard, I also have a dream place to visit with the intention to feel about the people, place, and things of that particular place. 

My dream vacation is a combination of anywhere with a nice beach, and some culture to immerse myself in. My answer may seem simple, though the reasons to my answer are personally deep.

For me, my dream vacation is in France, especially Paris. France is one of the unique countries of the world having its people with different culture, language, traditions, and habits of living life as well. 

Another country for my dream vacation is Australia. Australia is a part of the continent, Oceania. It is a big country with many attractions. What attracts me such that I want to go to Australia, There are many physical factors in Australia. One of them is deserts. I would like to go to a desert in Australia as there are many plants and animals at the deserts. I can also experience a bit of desert life and know more about deserts after going to one myself. Another physical factor is the rock formations. There are many rock formations in Australia that are formed naturally.

My another dream place for vacation destination is Iceland because I have always wanted to see the Northern Lights, a natural phenomenon unparalleled in its beauty. Iceland is the land of ice and fire and a great place to see this incredible light show. Besides, it is the best country to travel if you’re looking for adventure.

Iceland is a very small country with a population of about 320,000 people and most of them live in the country’s capital Reykjavik. Iceland is situated far in the North so the sun shines here 24 hours a day in summer and only 4 hours in winter. That’s why Iceland is an ideal place to see the Northern lights. The country has a lot of geological activities including geysers, volcanos, and many waterfalls. The thermal energy created by numerous volcanoes supplies Iceland with hot water and heating.

I would like to see breathtaking landscapes and geological creations, as well as volcanos, geysers, and naturally heated pools that stay warm even in the coldest winter. My dream is to see these famous pools that are considered the biggest attraction in Iceland in the Blue Lagoon. I also want to visit dividing Tectonic Plates. Maybe I would take one of the guided multiple day tours such as glacier climbing, camping, kayaking, cave exploring.

My biggest dream vacation is a trip to South Korea. Especially in their capital city, Seoul. Since I was little I’m a fan of Korea. I’ve been watching many Korean dramas and movies while growing up. And I find South Korea as a interesting place. So many places I’ve wanted to go there because of the dramas I’ve been watching. The view and places of the scenes in my favorite dramas. First place is in 서울타워 ( N Seoul Tower) known as Namsan Tower. You can ride cable car going up and watch the Korea’s capital city’s view. There is also “Locks of Love” in Namsan. Just like “Paris bridge with locks”. Were couples visit and write the names or wishes in a padlock and lock it to the bridge. The locks are sign that there love or wishes will be forever and cannot be destroyed because they are locked.

And because I’m a coffee lover, cafes are very good place for me. In Seoul there are also many cute and unique cafes that I want to visit. One is Fish Pedicure Cafe in Myeongdong, Seoul. You can get refills of coffee and bread to drink and eat to your hearts content. But you won’t be the only one eating. The tiny cute little fishes will also eat your toes. Next is The Hello Kitty Cafe. Everything here is Hello Kitty stuffs. The wallpaper, chairs, cups, even the latte art. Other than that is Bau House Dog Cafe. There are a many type of dogs here where you can play with while sipping your coffee. Seoul is also known for having many shopping places. There are lots of pretty and affordable things to buy there. Places  like Myeongdong, Dongdaemun, Itaewon and Hongdae are known for shopping.

The vacation I dream of is a sunny beach with waves and a surfing paradise which I hope one day comes true.

[innerexplorer]

On the “active holiday”

Anybody who knows me even slightly well would be aware that the thought of stopping and simply doing nothing, for longer than about five minutes, is (ironically) paralysing to me. I took this quirky (and often anxiety-inducing) trait of mine to the extreme on my recent Scandinavian adventure, booking in a number of active experiences to undertake throughout my trip.

Wooden bike tour                                                                                                 

The first of these was a bike tour, on a wooden bike, through Stockholm. I was disappointed by how little riding was actually involved; we stopped far too often for my liking, when I really just wanted to wheel my way through Sweden. 

On ya wooden bike

A stop for Fika (a snack and hot beverage that Swedish people indulge in a couple of times a day, to keep up their energy levels through the short, cold and dark days) more than likely effectively cancelled out any exercise benefits I derived from the ride itself. Still, it felt refreshing to be cruising through the city -- even if only for short bursts of time. 

It’s fine because I did the bike ride, right?

The crisp Autumn air made me legitimately fear for the fate of my exposed fingers. Hey, I’m from Australia; give me a break. We don’t know what cold is. It did also feel exhilarating on my face as I rode along hills, streets and back alleys, though. 

5/10. Needed more bike riding, less sight seeing.

A very Scandi hike                                                                                              

My next considerably active holiday experience involved catching a bus half an hour south west out of Stockholm and spending five hours hiking through a stunning national park. For the better part of a day, my personal tour guide (personal only because nobody else turned up for the tour) and I ambled over rocky cliffs, through stunning Autumnal pine forests of gold and green, and even spotted a real life reindeer, which he managed to scare off by loudly yelling ‘Fucking hell!’ in pure delight -- that’s apparently the first time he’s seen one so close on a hike in that particular park. That’s also why I don’t have a photo of said reindeer, but just believe me. It happened.

Life’s a climb, but the view is great.

We stopped twice; once, for Fika, of course. This time a healthy Fika of organic green tea and protein-rich rye bread and cheese. Our second stop was for a lunch of vegan Swedish ‘meatballs,’ which we cooked over an open fire and devoured with lovely homemade chokeberry marmalade. Overall, a solid effort, and my tour guide said that I impressed him by managing to keep up with his hefty pace. Considering the uneven terrain and fact that I nearly fell multiple times, I’d have to agree. 

8/10; would hike again.

HELL ON EARTH a.k.a an early 12.5km RUNNING tour of Copenhagen        

For this, I had nobody but myself to blame. Taking my endeavour to experience an ‘active’ holiday to the utmost extremes, I signed up and PAID FOR the hellish chance to run what was advertised as a 10km, moderately paced running tour of Denmark’s capital. Okay, cool, I thought. I’ll get some exercise in, see the sites, and surely, there will be runners slower than my moderately fit 25 year old self. 

Nope.

That is because, by default, I was the slowest: It was just me and the guide, a 7ft tall, Viking-blooded Danish gentleman with legs as long as my entire body. He is currently training for the New (: York (: Marathon (: and this was just his regular daily run, that he was making some cash on from the side.

A sneaky photo of Peter The Dane’s impossibly long and toned legs.  Also, please note the shorts, at 8am on a crisp Danish Autumn morning. Those viking genes are REAL, y’all. It’s probably blurry due to the fact that my blood sugar was dangerously low and I was possibly on the brink of fainting.

As he effortlessly regaled fascinating facts about some of Denmark’s most historical and impressive buildings and monuments, I tried to not die. I think I managed to splutter out maybe a couple of half-hearted questions and a few barely audible “yeps” and “ah ha”s, but, for the most part, I was just trying to survive. Just keep running, I thought. It has to be over soon. 

Pretty much the only photo I had time to take on the run. Peter allowed me to stop and catch my breath for half a second, and I snapped this shot because, in that moment, I truly needed Jesus.

At the end of the run, I was rewarded with the promised “croissant,” which was really some small puff pastry concoction he claimed to have made himself, and about a meagre shot’s worth of coffee. Pls. 

I ironically ran away at the end, jubilant in my regained freedom and operating on pure adrenaline from the realisation that I can run 12.5 km -- I’d just rather not. 

-10/10, but also, strangely, 10/10, because go me??

And finally, another bike tour.                                                                              

One does not simply go to Copenhagen and not ride a bike. This particular tour was focused on the innovative architecture of the city, and again, we stopped far too many times for my liking. Thankfully I was not the only one who showed up for this particular tour, and I found myself surrounded by mainly middle aged Americans seeking a cultural experience of Europe. Bleh. Meanwhile, Queen’s Bicycle was playing on loop in my head, and I was just giddy to be riding around on the city’s most popular form of transport. 

This is the type of bike I could have ridden; a nifty little foldable thing with weird handling. Sorry to disappoint, but I went with a regular old bicycle, because I thought navigating a European city where they ride/drive on the opposite side to Australia and are infamous for their bike traffic was already going to be hard enough.

I was impressed with the biking infrastructure in Copenhagen, and loved cruising past impressive skyscrapers, through dynamic neighbourhoods and amongst enviable university housing (big missed opportunity to study in Denmark, tbh). In terms of activeness, I’d have to rate the tour a 7/10; we stopped a lot, but we also climbed a lot of stairs to reach the top of the city’s newest urban development: a waste powered building that features a gimmicky, artificial ski slope running from its roof down to the ground of the sloped frame. Hopefully I did just enough physical activity on this tour to cancel out the overpriced Chai Latte I indulged in at the “ski chalet.” 

The view from the top of Urbanhill. Two things: one, the ‘ski slope’ is simply silicon lubricated (lol) astroturf, but I did see people getting some good speed on the slope; and secondly, this place boasts the ‘best view of Copenhagen.’ PUH-LEASE. 

Clearly, I love to stay active. In summer you could catch me swimming, kayaking and cliff diving all over Europe, but it looked a little different in the winter. I’ll keep trying to incorporate enjoyable exercise wherever I may find myself venturing to next!

[blschaos3000-blog]

Its 3:45 pm hazy/humid

Welcome to “8 Questions with……”

One of the coolest things that I have really enjoyed is the complete international flavor of the artists I get to chat with. I now have done over 50 of these interviews and the number of countries that our guests have come from keeps expanding. I have from gone from mostly United States and Great Britain interviews to countries like Romania,Australia,Italy,Egypt,Greece and Germany. To hear and experience other cultures and how they see the world is incredibly enriching to one’s spirit,even if the answers they share aren’t the most cheerful. I rather take raw honesty and openess then fake cheer and a plastic smile,right?

So with this in mind,meet Mehrnaz Mohammadi. Born in Iran and is now living in America where she pursues her dream as a actress. She has overcome many barriers in her short life and its clear in talking with her that she has a fierce independent streak and a thirst for knowledge which used to an American calling card. She is very prolific and has already accomplished so much in such a short time,Mehrnaz is definitely putting in the work to become a success in whatever she chooses to do be it on stage,in front of the camera or calling the shots from behind the scenes. With such a busy schedule,I better dash in and ask my 8 Questions while I still can! I might need some help from Michael,Mehrnaz’s husband to help convince the cheetah to do The Clown School however…….

 Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest project

My name is Mehrnaz Mohammadi. I’m a Los Angeles based actor and currently, I’m in a production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle, one of Brecht’s masterpieces, directed by Stephanie Shoyer at Antaeus Theatre.

 You were born and raised in Iran – what was that like growing up there?

Growing up in Iran was just like growing up anywhere else I guess. The human ability to adapt to any situation is fascinating. I hadn’t experienced living in any other country so I had nothing to compare my life to. But looking back at it now, after experiencing living in other countries, I can say it was hard. I had experienced and seen a lot of injustice. That being said, I did have a rebellious nature. I was a fighter and still am. I was very opinionated and always was trying to find ways to express myself and of course, that got me into a lot of trouble. First time I got arrested, I was fifteen years old. I got arrested because of what I was wearing (a tight baby blue long dress, jeans, and a white scarf that covered my hair) which was considered scandalous, and I was talking to a boy. I spent three nights in a holding cell before my court date. To be honest, part of me was proud of getting arrested even though It was really scary because it meant I was alive and I didn’t accept their oppression.

 How much artistic freedom did you have living in Iran?    Is there an active film community there?

It’s tough being an artist in Iran for sure! Unfortunately or fortunately, I had never got a chance to work as an actor in Iran. I left after I just turned 20 and before that, I had worked as a graphic designer. Not only does the government monitor the artists’ work, but also they censor any work of art from outside of Iran. My major was Graphic design in high school and we had to take art history classes. I studied many Europian painters but I only saw a limited number of their paintings until I left Iran. If there was a naked body or even any body parts in the books, the government would blur out that section of the painting. I never forget my first trip to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran. There was a painting by Picasso and in the middle of the painting, there was a white paper covering the naked body of a woman. Ridiculous, I know. A year before leaving Iran, I had a chance to be a stage manager. I witnessed first hand the way the government censors. In this particular project, an official popped up in one of the rehearsals and watch the play. Then he gave a piece of paper to the director with his edits and cuts, that’s it. No dialogue, no question, no objection. And you have to do it or you can’t go up for the performance. Not much artistic freedom, but what’s fascinating is that I’ve seen some of the best works of art from Iran from poetry to film making. Because of the censorship, the artists have to find a way to express themselves within the confines of the law, and that’s when the magic happens. You have to that much more creative in order to express yourself truthfully while being able to pass through the filters of government censorship. The art becomes complex, sophisticated and revolutionary.

There is definitely an amazing film community in Iran and their work in fantastic. A filmmaker that particularly stands out is Asghar Farhadi, A Separation (won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film) and The Salesman.

 When did you know you wanted to be an actress? What was the reaction like when you let your family know your goal?

I think I’ve always had a fascination for the art of acting, but in my time in Iran, I didn’t really get a chance to cultivate this desire. My family didn’t really know what to think of it. My mom tried many times to talk me out of pursuing acting. I am the only one in my family that I know of who pursues art and above that acting. It was not familiar to them. Although Persians are famous for their artistic nature, it’s mostly in poetry and music. When it comes to acting, I believe culturally acting is not a respected profession. Where was I, oh yes, my family. They thought it was just a passing aspiration and that it would go away eventually. Now here I am almost a decade later and I’m an actor. Sometimes I wish they supported me at the beginning of my acting career. But they’re supportive now and that means a lot to me.

 What were the three biggest culture shocks when you moved to the United States?

Racism. Gun shootings. Consumerism.

 You have had an amazing start to your career with five projects in 2018 alone How did you land these roles so quickly?

Thank you! When I was in school, I thought when I graduate from acting school, my job is to act. Very quickly I realized that my job is to connect with people and audition and if the stars line up, I get a chance to act. So that’s what I’ve been doing, connecting with filmmakers and auditioning.

 You wrote, produced and directed your first short film “ThisHonest”, can you walk us through how this film came about?

In July 2018, I was chatting with my husband Michael (mostly complaining) about it being a quiet summer in terms of auditioning. He is also an actor. Then we decided to write a short film that we can shoot tomorrow if we wanted. It ended up taking a few months and hours of preparation. When I met my husband, we used to play a game to get to know each other better and see how honest we can be with each other. The game goes like this: we’d ask each other “what’s one thing that’s difficult for you to share with me right now?” Then we had to see if we can bring ourselves to tell the truth. So we wrote about that. We wanted the story to be simple and honest. We sent the script to our dear friend Aaron Alpert, he is a talented cinematographer. He liked the script, we met over coffee, I explained my vision. Then over the month leading up to the shoot, I sent him a storyboard and we went back and forth collaborating on the shots and the way we wanted to tell the story. We met one Saturday morning and shot the whole thing. Since we knew exactly what we wanted and it was all planned out, we did one take for the camera, one take for the actors and that’s it.

 Where do you want to be in three years professionally?

I see myself being a working tv and film actor (isn’t that the dream?), but more than that, I desire to tell my story, be able to bring my flavor, my artwork, the way I see the world. I also see myself directing theatre and indie films. In addition, I’m writing a non-fiction book and in three years I’m hoping it will be done and published.

 What has your college experience been like so far? What have been your three favorites classes and what made them special?

I love learning and I think there is nothing more joyful than being in a classroom. So I’ve been fortunate to have had a wonderful experience with college. I did my undergrad at Concordia University in Montreal. My favorite class was Biomechanics. I got a chance to get to know my body at a very basic level. It was a delight to be reintroduced to my body and I grew a fascination for it, almost like a child discovering her hands and feet. I did my MFA in Acting at USC and my favorite classes were Movement and Text with Andy Robinson and Voice with Natsuko Ohama. These two classes got me in touch with my inner world. They exposed me to my own psyche. In order to learn acting techniques, I had to become aware of the blocks and masks I’d created for myself over the years in order to survive.

What has been the most challenging thing you have encountered and how did you overcome it?

Language. I learned English when I was 20 years old. Language is not just a set of words combined in a correct way, grammar. It has nuances and history. I worked really hard to be able to understand English not only to communicate on a daily basis, but to really understand its soul. Also, because of the nature of the language being an oral way of communication, it’s connected to the voice itself and we all have our history with our voice. I don’t know if I would use the word overcome, but It’s been a journey. The way I approach this challenge is with practicing the language itself on a regular basis and also strengthening my own voice and developing my own authentic sound.

 The cheetah and I are coming to watch you act and direct your newest film but we are a day early and now you are playing tour guide, what are we doing? 

I invite you to my apartment, I cook you a delicious Persian dish and we talk about humanity and philosophize. Then we would go for a hike at Griffith Park because we need to walking after eating all that Persian food.    When we come back, I’ll take you guys to The Clown school to have a day with the clowns. We run around, scream, jump up and down and experience life through the lens of a clown.     We go to Malibu beach, lie down on the sand and look up at the stars and talk about the mysteries of the world.

    I like to say “Thank You” to Mehrnaz for sharing her story and thoughts. I’m very grateful to have gotten a chance to talk with such a deep and interesting soul. I hope you,the reader,also enjoyed getting to know Mehrnaz.

You can follow Mehrnaz on her IMDb page. You callow Mehrnaz on her Twitter page.

Feel free to leave a comment or question below. Thank you for your continued support!

8 Questions with…………actress Mehrnaz Mohammadi Its 3:45 pm hazy/humid Welcome to "8 Questions with......" One of the coolest things that I have really enjoyed is the complete international flavor of the artists I get to chat with.

[chubbsismyfavouritechubbybo-blog]

shitty commentary crew preference - going on holiday together

songs of inspiration - one bad night by hayley kiyoko, gravel to tempo by hayley kiyoko and full moon by sgbg.

author’s note: i’ve been seeing preferences all over tumblr and i’ve been really wanting to write one for ages, but since i haven’t written anything in a week, i wanted to mae it up to you by doing a really big one to make up for it. hope you all enjoy it, gang! - l.t.

billy // chubbs

- you decided to book a surprise trip for the both of you to go to japan, since he’s always wanted to go. his face lit up as soon as you told him, immidiately giving you a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek - he was more excited than he actually let on to be.

- you would cling onto him while you were at heathrow airport due to how busy it was, and he would let you use him as a human radiator and pillow to nap on the plane. in return (if he wasn’t napping himself, that is), he would mess with your hair while you were sleeping and somehow managed to get it all tangled, but you didn’t mind.

- he held your hand tightly as you both walked up and down the streets no matter what time it was - he just wanted you to be safe and for you to come to no harm.

- every night you would go to small sushi food restaurants, late at night as you surrounded yourselves with the loud, busy night enclosing you both, while you got ever so slightly tipsy on beer.

- you would take the most adorable polaroid pictures under the sweet cherry blossom trees, then to plaster them over instagram and twitter.

- you would go to a manga store making fun of weeaboos, but you ended up ironically buying loads of the different manga to read on the plane ride home, even if you couldn’t understand japanese.

- you were both heartbroken to go home.

hyojin // squizxy

- since the pair of you were dating long distance, you decided to fly out to australia to go and see her for the first. you would both be bubbling with excitment, even weeks before you were supposed to fly out.

- on the day, you would skype her to say that you were waiting for the plane and would be seeing her in only a matter of hours now. you would both be ecastatic but slightly nervous at the same time.

- when you got off the plane to meet her, she ran up to you like her life absolutely depended on it, and you did the same but trying to carry all your luggage at the same time. you both hugged each other as hard as you possibly could without killing each other, and many happy tears were shed.

- you both travelled to sydney to go do sightseeing, and hyojin just couldn’t stop hugging you on the train journey there.

- fennec fox jokes. you also surprised her with a pair of the godly fennec fox ears for her, which made her made, but she secretly loved them.

- she drew a picture of you standing in front of the sydney opera house, which she them turned into an adorable animation to put on her twitter.

- it was hard to leave each other, but you knew deep down that the future was looking brighter than ever before and you were more in love with her than ever before.

will // herotic

- will would have to take you to on a daytrip somewhere since you had both just finished your gcse exams, were pretty fucking exhausted, and broke.

- you both settled to go to the beach for the day - it was nothing fancy, but you were still excited and you didn’t mind since you got to see each other.

- your mum drove you both there, and she kept embarassing you in front of him with embarassing stories from when you were little, which will really enjoyed.

- you both got double scoop ice creams, which you both shared as you walked hand in hand along the sea front, the sand tickling the inbetween bits between your toes softly. after you had finished it, you got a bit on your right cheek, which he kissed softly.

- you both walked around the sea front and the surrounding village, talking about youtube drama and current trending topics.

- you both got fish and chips to take home because you were too tired to eat out anywhere fancy. you leant on his shoulder, as he wrapped his slim hand around your waist while you waited for your mum to pick you both up.

brad // braddoesbanter

- “oi dickhead, let’s go to paris.”

- you were sceptical as to why brad wanted to go to paris, but you decided to book plane and hotel tickets anyway.

- “do you think that the eiffel tower is as big as my cock?” he said as you both stood beneth it taking selfies to put on instagram and twitter (if he wasn’t suspended lol) later. you just rolled your eyes at his stupid comment, but secretly found it funny.

- you both snuck frech pastries on the plane to eat because you both loved them so much, and didn’t speak to each other the whole way back since you had your mouths full with the pastries.

erling // atozy

- he would take you to his home country of norway as a treat for your birthday, and it would also be an oppourtunity for erling to see his family too. you would be excited to finally meet them and to finally experience a taste of norwegian culture that you had been hearing about from him for so long.

- it was really cool hearing erling speak norwegian, especially since it made it easier to speak to the locals and to order food.

- his family were super sweet when you met them and ate dinner with them too. they told many embarassing stories of erling from when he was younger, although he did not like this and went all red everytime they would tell one.

- he would take you to a norwegian food market, and you would try the food there together, and you decided to grab some coffee afterwards.

- you would, at some point, take you for a walk in the snow, and you would end up building a snowman. it was slightly lopsided, but that really didn’t matter right now.

- cute polaroid pictures!!

alex // imallexx

- he would surprise you with plane tickets to go to california, and had many other surprises for you in store for when you got there, which you didn’t know about you just yet.

- you’d go to pink berry every day and just stuff your faces with food there, then you’d hike up to go see the hollywood sign. you’d take so many adorable selfies, which would then be either memed to death or be made into super cute edits.

- he’d surprise you with tickets to go see your favourite band, which you were absolutely over the moon about because you didn’t get to see them back home. when you were in line to go in to the arena, he’d lend you his internet sensation hoodie until you went in because it was getting colder.

- you’d dance and sing the night away together even if alex wasn’t too fond of the music and he didn’t know many of the lyrics. despite this, he still enjoyed seeing you happy and the experience in general.

- by the end of it all, you’d end up falling asleep on his shoulder on the plane home, while he smiled to himself about what a great time he had.

niall // pyrocynical

- you thought he was making some sort of skit for one of his videos when he told you that he would be taking you to disneyland, but he was being serious. excited laughter and hugs then ensued.

- you would both buy matching minnie mouse ears to wear around the resort together, while buying way too many sweets and then stuffing them in your mouths. niall would constantly say, “we look like basic bitches, don’t we?”

- you would go on the same rides too many times, until you got bored. if it was high and scary ride, he would hold onto your hand for dear life to make sure that you were okay and wasn’t scared.

- after going on all the rides, you took so many selfies of you both, your phone storage almost ran out. all over twitter, there was nothing but cute comments and supports from the fans and a shit ton of flower crown edits had managed to find their way onto tumblr *shivers*

[shannrussell-blog1]

When you think of travelling to South East Asia, thoughts of beaches, temples, cheap eats and war history probably come to mind.

And while Bali has been an Aussie favourite for decades, there’s another county, just a short flight from there, that’s attracting millions of travellers… Vietnam. Why? Because it has it all. Literally.

While places like Bali and the Philippines appeal to beach-loving, sun-seeking holidayers, Vietnam offers an entirely different experience (as well as beautiful beaches).

Vietnam has a bit of everything, including beaches such as My Khe. Image by Da Nang

My partner and I embarked on a 30-day SE Asia trip, starting with 10 days in Vietnam. He was fascinated with learning about the country’s turbulent history and I always had an affinity for Buddhist culture.

We didn’t plan much, besides loosely researching the places we wanted to visit. Given Vietnam’s varied landscapes, it really has something for everyone. From big cities and famous rivers, beaches and small quaint towns, temples, bays and mountains, it would be a stretch not to find something you like. This was my favourite thing about Vietnam.

10 days, 2 cities, a beach town, and the mountains.

The view of the Hoai River from Hoi-An. Image by BestPrice Travel

Ho Chi Minh, 4 days

Because we were flying in from Australia, we booked a direct flight from Adelaide to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). I adored this colourful city. We stayed in a guesthouse which cost less than A$20, so $10 each per day. It was tucked in one of the many narrow streets which, somehow, people were able to ride their scooters up and down (with baskets of fruit and vegetables balanced on their heads). Amazing, I tell you.

The first night, we went out for dinner. We ordered two soups, two mains, rice, and two beers. It was A$7 each, so get ready to spend absolutely nothing on food here. We woke up and sipped on a 70-cent Vietnamese coffee and $1.50 fried noodles, cooked right in front of us.

A delicious meal of noodles and Vietnamese coffee. Image by The Alley đường hẻm 

While you’ve got to be mindful of the traffic while wandering around Ho Chi Minh, don’t let it put you off. You can relax on one of the many rooftops after a day of wandering.

I’d recommend two-day trips while you’re in Ho Chi Minh: the underground tunnels used by Viet Cong soldiers (Củ Chi tunnels) and the Mekong Delta islands.

Ho Chi Minh was the best city out of the two. And speaking of favourite places…

The busy Bui Vien Street in Ho Chi Minh City. Image-by-David-Bokuchava

Hoi An, 3 days

If I could tell you one thing about Vietnam, it’s this. Go to Hoi An, and make sure it’s not just for a day. This ancient little town is a historical melting pot, approximately half way up Vietnam’s eastern coastline. I fell in love with its colourful French colonial buildings, laid-back vibe (after Ho Chi Minh) and how every night, the locals majestically set alight lanterns and release them into the water.

At night, the locals light lanterns and release them into the water. Image by Truly Vietnam Tour Corp

There are dozens of charming restaurants, tailors to get clothes made, markets, cooking classes and cycling routes out of town and to the beach.

I’d spend at least three days in Hoi An. You don’t need to have anything planned, simply take every wonderful little nook of this town in. Fly or take a train to Da Nang, then jump on a scooter and cruise 30 minutes south, down the (relaxed) highway to Hoi An.

Jump on a scooter, and explore more of Hoi An. Image by Hoi An Express

Hanoi / SaPa, 3-4 days

Next, make your way up to Vietnam’s biggest city, Hanoi. We had intentions to use Hanoi as a base to move between Halong Bay and SaPa, the mountain region bordering China. But, having fallen in love with Hoi An, our plans changed. We only spent one night in Hanoi, then took an overnight train to SaPa.

Backpackers we crossed paths with shared many tales about Halong Bay and how it’s “unmissable.” Next time, I thought. But, we had no regrets about going to SaPa. From city to beach town, then back to the city, we were excited to finally not be sweating 24/7.

Exploring the beautiful Sapa Mountain Range. Image by Simi

Our guesthouse was high up, where the mountains meet the clouds. We spend our days hiking, spotting beautiful rice fields, waterfalls and mystical towns – then, at night, we’d wander fish markets, drink hot chocolate, and sit by the fireplace. SaPa was the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation.

Oh, and one tip! Don’t be afraid to follow the beautiful local ladies who ask to take you on a walk. They just want to show you their villages, tell stories, and talk to foreigners. They’ll give their whole day for you, in exchange for a small tip. Trust me, it’s worth it.

If you like both relaxation and adventure, the Sapa Mountain Range is ideal. Image by Planet Gravy

The logistics of your Vietnam 10-day adventure

While we didn’t plan much prior to leaving because I’m a lover of spontaneity, there are some must-dos before jetting off.

The visa

First, your visa. Do this before you even book the flight. I’ve heard you can organise it at the airport you fly into but I recommend sorting it out before you depart. Those lines at arrivals can take hours and I had read that you need a visa before flying out. So, save yourself the stress and do it before.

You need to send off your passport to the Vietnamese consulate. It takes a couple of weeks, so allow some time for it.

Save yourself the stress and waiting in line by getting your visa before your trip. Image by GuideVietnam

The flight

Well, this part’s easy. I’d suggest flying into Ho Chi Minh with your favourite airline who have flight paths to this region of SE Asia. On memory, we book two separate flights: a one-way to Ho Chi Minh, then back from Hanoi. You shouldn’t pay more than $1,500 for this.

Flying into Vietnam is super affordable. Image by Olivia Chan

Accommodation in Vietnam

I used Booking.com for all of our guesthouses. If you’re on a budget, I wouldn’t even bother staying in hostels. Guesthouses are just as cheap (A$15-20 per night) and usually include breakfast. Yep, A$15.

Budgeting for your trip to Vietnam

The main cost of our 10-day trip was the flights. Once you get there, you won’t be spending more than A$30 a day on accommodation and food at the time of writing this. Of course, add a buffer for shopping and excursions. I’d say A$2,000 – $2,500 is a good ballpark to aim for, for a 10-day trip, including travel insurance.

Guesthouses are the way to go when visiting Vietnam – image by Mai Am Guest House

Do I need to learn Vietnamese?

You can get by with English just fine, but it’s always good to learn a few local words.

Safety

We had no issues with safety but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have your wits about you. The only stressful experience we had was taking a ‘black cab’, which essentially means an unregistered cab who charge more. We realised and got out immediately.

Make sure you don’t get into a black cab in Vietnam. Image by Biyahe ni John

Now it’s time to book your flight

So, grab a phrasebook, send your passport off, and book that flight. Vietnam is going to surprise you… in all the best ways.

  What’s your favourite place to visit in South East Asia? Does Vietnam make the top of your list? 

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