Photo Journey through Berlin’s East Side Gallery

May 16, 2017 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

Berlin’s East Side Gallery is the longest open-air art gallery in the world, where artists have left their mark on an extended section of the original Berlin Wall. Artist got a wide rectangular section of wall as their canvas, and the resulting art is a combination of humor, political satire, and hope. A fitting mix of emotions given the symbolic nature of the wall during the Cold War, and the harsh reality it represented for Berlin’s inhabitants.

I’ve already posted a quite thorough Berlin Cheat Sheet on the blog with my impressions of the city, all the best things to do, restaurants and food to seek out, and thorough tips to make the most of your visit. These images will give you a closer look as to why the city made such an impression on me, and why I left thinking of it as a ‘City of Contradictions.’

The Berlin Wall has been on my mind again lately, as I recently visited a section of the original wall, also adorned with art, in the lobby of a random New York City office building:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BS4kdtIg2G1/?taken-by=travelsavvygal&hl=en

The East Side Gallery of course is the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall. You can get a sense of the length of the East Side Gallery in this shot, although you may have to get pretty close to your screen to see just how far it continues to wrap around alongside the road:

In this photo journey through my visit, I’m including the panels that I found most interesting, many of which have incredible detail. I spent around two hours strolling up and down the panels – you could spend more or less depending on how much time you’re interested in spending with each mural.

And you’ll notice that some of my shots include fencing. Over the years since 1990 when the East Side Gallery first opened, there have been some sections obscured by graffiti, and so after a restoration effort, fences have been put up to protect the art.

Here’s what I saw…

German flag with overlay from the Israeli flag:

Portrayal of the Allied Checkpoint Charlie, which connected the two sides of Berlin for those authorized to cross:

Interesting panel, since there is a three-dimensional component with the plant box. Reminiscent of a church for me:

“Save Our Earth” and the incredibly detailed, colorful panel on the left:

Amnesty International dove of peace and chain of captivity:

I’ll let the bold yellow and red here speak for itself:

The panel that was most impactful for me, so I’m including 2 different perspectives. It portrays a “Curriculum Vitae” of the people killed while trying to escape, during each of the years the wall stood from 1961-1989:

Each rose represents one person:

I spent quite a bit of time in front of this final panel, what do you make of it?

Which panel made the biggest impression on you? Have you been to the East Side Gallery? Any memorable panels I missed?

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What’s the Big Deal with ‘Country Counting’ Anyway?

May 18, 2017 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 14 comments

I don’t always come into contact with other frequent travelers on the road, and when I do, the topic of ‘country counting’ doesn’t come up. Until last week when I was in Belize and happened to take a day trip to Guatemala with a bunch of frequent travelers, including a pair who worked at a ski resort 6 to 8 months a year and traveled the rest of the time.

Travel blogging doesn’t always lend itself to interviewing or conducting field research, but on the two hour or so drive, I felt like I had an opportunity.

“So, do you know how many countries you’ve been to?”

I tried to pose the question as innocently as possible to the ski resort pair. They didn’t know I was a travel blogger, and I didn’t offer up the information because we were at the beginning of the tour and I didn’t want special treatment from the guide. Although I had already planned to write about ‘country counting’ for the blog.

After a brief moment of thought, one of them suggested, “Maybe somewhere in the 30s?”

I would venture to say that visiting 30+ countries is something not attained by most people. As we passed our passports to the front of the van for processing at the Guatemalan border, theirs bulged with the extra pages displaying all of the places they’ve transited.

But here is the other key piece of information. They didn’t talk about all the countries they’d visited or how many new ones they would see this year, but instead waxed philosophical about how they loved southeast Asia and it was a destination they’d returned to again and again.

This is in stark contrast to the travel blogging world, when someone’s number of countries visited serves as some sort of “street cred” (aka credentials) of how experienced they might be, or perhaps how trustworthy with advice.

When I started out blogging, I noticed it in people’s Twitter or Instagram profile. I followed suit and added it to my Pinterest page description. As you can imagine, there are also travel bloggers that are vehemently opposed to country counting because of what it represents. To each his or her own.

Country goals

There are plenty of people though, from infrequent tourists to backpackers to business travelers, who engage in ‘country counting.’ For some, it’s not a constant tally, but an occasional check-in, depending on the goal.

I’ve heard it all in terms of goals: visiting 30 countries by the age of 30, making it to 2 new countries each year, or just using the number as a motivator to travel more. Apparently there’s even an app for that. Or rather several apps, that typically use a map feature to shade in and track where you’ve visited.

And for the really ambitious, there’s the Travelers’ Century Club (TCC). The TCC was founded in Los Angeles, California in the 1950s and – you guessed it – membership is open to those who have visited 100 or more countries.

Why ‘country counting’ is so complicated

Of course, “been to” or “visiting” can mean many things.
Does transferring at an airport count?
What if you go through customs and leave the airport?
Do you have to spend the night?
Stay for 24 hours?
Have a meal?

By the way, those aren’t random questions. All of them are criteria I’ve heard floated by friends and other bloggers as to what you might have to do for a country to “count.” Or for those counting US states or Canadian provinces or Italian regions as they try to visit each one.

As for me, I only know the number of countries I’ve been to because I sat down and made a list last year, thinking that it would help to mention it to be considered a travel blogging authority. At the time I started the blog, I had been to 45 countries, which I mentioned in my very first welcome post on the blog.

Although interestingly I don’t know – off the top of my head, anyway – how many of the 50 US states I’ve visited, although it’s quite a few. (Maybe I’m somewhere in the 30s?)

Hidden in my number of 54 are a few quick passes through places, like…

brief jaunts into Montenegro and Bosnia on day trips during my 2007 road trip
the overnight I spent sleeping at the Kuala Lumpur low-cost airport terminal in 2012, although I did have to get my passport stamped and I exited the terminal once for a brief stroll
my day trip to visit the ruins at Tikal in Guatemala last week, starting and ending in Belize

Also hidden in my number, which seems to be toward the high side for bloggers, is the fact that I’ve never been to South America! Although I’ve traveled a bunch in the Caribbean and Central America. And racked up quite a few extra countries while living in Europe and visiting micro-nations like Andorra and Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and San Marino, Monaco and Vatican City.

It sure sounds impressive to say that I’ve lived in 4 countries on 4 continents (which is true!) but really I just keep going back to those same continents for travel as well! And no, I don’t count my few days into the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt as visiting Africa, although you might consider that to technically be the case.

See how complicated this all is?

But wait, here’s the other kicker of a question. How many countries are there in the world?

There are some people who aim to visit every country in the world. Although I’m not one of them, the question of how to know when you’ve visited them all is not so straightforward.

How many “countries” are there?

You would think that knowing how many countries there are would be a simple question, but it is anything but. How to decide?

Probably the first thing most people think of is to consult the United Nations (UN) membership as a guide. There are 193 UN member states. OK, so there is our number: 193.

But wait, what about the Holy See (Vatican City, pictured above) and Palestine, both of which have official UN observer status. So, there are 195 countries in the world?

Well, not so fast. Taiwan is not a member of the UN at all, due to ongoing disagreements with mainland China. And certainly most people would consider it a country. New tally: 196.

Or how about Kosovo? Following conflict over its status after the breakup of Yugoslavia, Kosovo declared its independence in 2008, which over 100 countries have recognized. But it is still not part of the UN. And we’re at 197.

There is still Antarctica, which is a continent, but has no country based there. Can you visit a continent without adding to your ‘country count’? Or what about Hong Kong & Macau, which are Special Administrative Regions of China?

Interestingly, the Guinness Book of World Records put the number of “sovereign nations” at 196. The most recent (and fastest) person to achieve the feat of visiting them all, American Cassie De Pecol, brought recent attention to ‘country counting’ with the goal of visiting every country. It took her just over a year and a half.

The TCC country and territory list takes things to a whole new level and lists 325 places! Based on their own definition, of course.

What about me?

Personally, I think you need to clear immigration and step foot in a country for it to count, so by that measure I am technically at 54 countries, although it really feels like 53 since I left the Kuala Lumpur airport oh-so-briefly during my overnight layover. I didn’t actually see or do anything there. Except take this picture:

How did my count get so high?

A few factors, really. It was Caribbean vacations with my family & a few well-planned trips over the years that included several countries each & living in Europe for 3 years where things are so darn close together.

“Oh, you lived in Europe for 3 years, you must have been everywhere!”

That’s something I hear a lot, but I didn’t even come close, despite my many trips to micro-nations. I only made one foray during that time into Scandinava (Stockholm for TBEX, a travel blogging conference), and there are other places that lots of people have visited that just haven’t happened for me. At least not yet.

Like Portugal. Or Ireland. Or places I would love to get to this year like Malta & Georgia.

Some would call me well-traveled (and I think I am), but not because of my country count!

Some parting thoughts

What I can say? Yes, I’ve been to a lot of countries. I’m not an expert on everywhere, but I have done enough travel to offer advice and tips on mistakes to avoid and how to do it well. Which is why I started a blog =)

For the places I have been, I typically do a fair bit of research before going. Then I take good notes on what I’ve seen, done & enjoyed, and can share my best tips for those destinations with you!

And this whole ‘country counting’ business? I like numbers, and it’s certainly something interesting to think about for your own travels. But at the end of the day I’m much more concerned with what type of travel someone has done than how many places they’ve visited necessarily.

Did you savor great street food, seek out haute cuisine, or eat what’s most convenient at the moment?
Did you plan ahead of time or travel spontaneously?
Did you join organized tours or do your own thing?
Did you visit places where you know locals or went somewhere you have no connection?

These are some of the many ways to frame travel, and they’re certainly not mutually exclusive. I travel in lots of varied ways depending on the destination, budget, and my traveling companions. There is no one right method, although in its own way my number does tell a story – of the clustered travel I’ve done around countries where I’ve lived, and how much of the world is still left for me to explore.

A particular travel count is not a goal of mine. (It never even occurred to me to try to visit 30 countries by the time I turned 30!)

And I don’t know that I’ll want to go to every country someday like some of those world record holders.

But I do want to explore new places, re-visit places I’ve been and loved, and take some travel savvy with me when I go.

Happy travels!

Lana

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Do you know your country count? Or your count of provinces or states where you live? What does it mean for you and your travel? What do you need to do in a place for it to make it onto your list?

And do you have any goals around your country count? Like visiting 40 countries by the time you’re 40…or 100 countries in your lifetime? I want to hear all about it!

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Bringing Common Sense Back to the Discussion after the United Airlines Fiasco

April 20, 2017 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

When the media frenzy started about the passenger dragged off a recent overbooked United Airlines flight, I watched the video in horror, like many of you. And then – probably unlike many of you – instead of heading straight for my social media soapbox, I had a bit of the opposite reaction. I instead wanted instead to run away from the incident and bury my head in the sand.

But Lana, you say, you’re a travel blogger, surely your initial instinct should have been to weigh in.

Well, I think that to some extent, wanting to weigh in right away is exactly the problem with reactionary responses to viral videos and news. Of course, the available, partial information is presented in a certain light. Most people will then follow the lead of the media and have the expected reaction without taking the time for research and critical thought.

Like with all controversial situations, there is more than one side to the story. And not all facts come to light right away. What circulates initially on social media is one of those perspectives, but certainly not the only one.

But I digress. This all started way before the latest “injustice” making the rounds on social media.

Collectively, let’s all take a step back for a minute. Yes, you over there jumping up and down about how United Airlines is evil, this means you. Here I take what I’ll characterize as the logical, fact-based approach. Trying to get a full picture of what happened, and where to go from here.

For me, the bottom lines are as follows:

Were the actions taken by United on the right side of regulations currently in place? Unclear.
Was this good PR for United? Certainly not.
Was this good for United’s bottom line? No to this one as well.

Now, let’s break down each of these points.

#1 | What was the correct way to handle this situation based on regulations?

To reiterate the basic facts of what happened, this incident took place on a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville. After the passengers boarded, 4 United staff members who needed to get to Louisville arrived at the gate. Airline staff tried to get 4 volunteers for passengers to give up their seats, first by offering $400 in vouchers, then $800.

When no one took these offers, 4 passengers were chosen to deplane based on the airline’s algorithm. One passenger who was a doctor, David Dao, refused to give up his seat. He said he needed to see patients and couldn’t be delayed. Airline staff then called local airport security to remove this passenger. He resisted, and was dragged screaming up the aisle.

During this time Dr. Dao was injured and appears to have become unconscious. His injuries include a concussion, a broken nose, and two teeth that were knocked out. He was bloodied as he was dragged, and also when he arrived back on the plane a bit later disoriented. All taped by passengers, which you can see in this You Tube video.

I know, it’s horrifying. Horrifying to watch and equally horrifying to consider that the situation could have happened to any one of us. But just because it is graphic and scary, doesn’t mean that there is a clear right and wrong in terms of what should have occurred.

Honestly, the correct way for the airline to handle this particular situation is actually unclear, despite the many people claiming otherwise. On both sides of the argument.

United keeps pointing to its Contract of Carriage. Which is convenient, but despite being quite lengthy, actually does not specifically cover this situation. The Rule about “Denied Boarding Compensation” does just that – describes how to handle compensation for passengers who are not allowed to board the plane.

But what about passengers already on board? If they’re unruly or haven’t paid for their ticket or are intoxicated, or a bunch of other very specific scenarios, then Rule 21 about “Refusal of Transport” applies. You can be removed from the aircraft. By force, if necessary.

But if you don’t meet these conditions? Was it outside of the Contract of Carriage for flight attendants to contact security to forcibly remove Dr. Dao? This is where things get fuzzy.

It is unclear (or at least open to interpretation) as to whether Dr. Dao violated the Contract of Carriage. If he did, and failed to comply with crew member instructions, removal would be justified. If he didn’t, then he was within his passenger rights to keep his seat once he boarded and the airline had no grounds to remove him.

For a detailed legal analysis of the situation, a law professor from Cornell talks about the nuances of the situation. And you can read The Points Guy doing a bit of backtracking and arguing that the blame belongs on United.

However, many people have been quick to point out that traveling on an airplane is a bit of a different situation than many of the analogies being offered as to why United Airlines is in the wrong.

This is usually part of the safety briefing about “complying with all crew member instructions.” It sounds very serious. And it is, because you can be kicked off of a plane if you don’t.

At the end of the day, the safety of the crew and other passengers is dependent on everyone flying being able to follow crew member instructions.

As Mike Rowe noted in his passionate argument for all airline passengers complying with directives from flight attendants,“I don’t want to fly across the country in a steel tube filled with people who get to decide which rules they will follow and which they will ignore.” Fair enough.

Angelia of The Pilot Wife Life blog has a similar take, arguing for air safety for all. Especially as the wife of a pilot, and especially after past hijacking incidents (including September 11^th). As she noted:

“If a federal law enforcement officer asks me to exit a plane, no matter how royally pissed off I am, I’m going to do it and then seek other means of legal reimbursement. True story.”

And Angelia also pointed out the nuances of the must fly situation, in which a few members of airline staff must get to their destination to staff a flight. Because it is displacing a few people to keep hundreds more on track with their travel plans and also because it is federal regulation to do so.

Confused yet? You should be. The issue has a lot of complexities, and there is not a clear right and wrong in terms of the specific incident with Dr. Dao. I imagine that ultimately the courts will decide this one.

#2 | Was it good PR to select 4 passengers to deplane when no one volunteered? Absolutely not.

I think we can all agree here, with the subsequent backlash and bad publicity, United Airlines now has a huge public relations, or PR, challenge on its hands. Whether their actions were in the right or not is pretty irrelevant when it comes to customer perception.

Frankly, right now, whether it’s accurate or not, United is coming across as the evil company who cares more about its bottom line than its passengers.

First, from the airline staff booting confirmed and paying customers who had already boarded the plane, instead of paying for another way for those staff members to arrive in Louisville. And second, for capping the compensation offered for volunteers at $800, and not increasing it until they had identified 4 willing volunteers to deplane.

One of the interesting points here is that the compensation caps for the airlines were designed for enticing customers to voluntarily give up their seats before boarding. Game theory tells us that the perceived value of something is in fact higher after someone has taken ownership.

Irrational? Perhaps. But that is how the world works as is so expertly explained in this NPR overview on how game theory relates to airline booking.

As the article points out, the value people place on an item changes based on whether they have it yet. It may sound irrational, but that is how the human mind works apparently.

In the example in the article, a person might offer a price of $5 in the hypothetical of being asked to judge how much a coffee mug is worth. Once they’ve received the mug and you’re asking them to part with it? The “person is likely to want considerably more money, say $10. And, it’s the same thing with airplane seats.”

The monetary cap that is usually enough to get volunteers to give up their seats before boarding is unlikely to be enough once passengers are seated. And United should have taken this into account.

#3 | Was it good for United’s business and bottom line to remove these passengers? Don’t think so.

There was a market loss for United Airlines stock after the incident with Dr. Dao, and subsequent response by the United CEO. A #boycottunited effort is underway.

But I think the real unknown here in terms of how this will impact United’s bottom line is down the road. How this will impact future bookings and the company’s bottom line in the long-term?

How This Situation Could Have (Possibly) Been Avoided

Are there slight changes that would have possibly changed the outcome, and avoided the situation of Dr. Dao being forcibly removed from the flight? Probably.

A few thoughts on what might have led to a different outcome:

Airline staff showing up sooner (aka before boarding) to check in for a destination they needed to reach for work. Then United could have offered incentives or bumped passengers following the exact guidelines of their Contract of Carriage.
Other passengers volunteering to deplane, although if you read through the section of #2 above about game theory, this was less likely once passengers were already settled in their seats. Without substantially more enticement.
United staff requesting (and getting) approval from higher up the chain of command to offer a higher value of vouchers, or cash, for passengers willing to deplane.
Even though I think it’s questionable whether Dr. Dao was in violation of United’s Contract of Carriage and whether United had the right to remove a paying customer once he had boarded (see #1 above), when the request was made, had the passenger followed directions to deplane, despite feeling wronged in that moment. And then taken the issue up later with the airline.

But since we can’t travel back in time and change the outcome, instead of focusing on all of the “what ifs,” let’s look forward.

The Good News in All of This?

While it will probably take years for the courts and legal challenges around this specific incident to be sorted out, the good news is that airlines are enacting measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future. American carriers are stepping up to alter or clarify existing policies, and adopt new ones to avoid another similar incident.

One of the contributing factors to the incident was that staff members who needed to fly to Louisville checked in at the counter after passengers had boarded. Which they were allowed to do per United Airlines policy at the time, up until the moment a plane left the gate.

In terms of United, the biggest change is that staff now has to check in at least 60 minutes before flight departure and no crew member can bump a passenger who has already boarded. Both key distinctions for how they will handle similar situations moving forward.

American Airlines has since updated the ‘Oversales’ section of its Contract of Carriage to state that “American will not involuntarily remove a revenue passenger who has already boarded in order to give a seat to another passenger.” Which wouldn’t actually cover a similar situation of airline staff who needed to fly, but is at least a start in clarifying what actions airline staff can take for passengers who’ve already boarded.

While United has not released whether it has placed a new monetary cap on compensation, Delta has announced higher caps on compensation amounts. Delta gate agents are now authorized to offer up to $2,000, and supervisors can offer much more if needed, up to $9,950.

Certainly it is up to the airline to decide when and how often it is worth paying very high monetary amounts to avoid incidents with passengers and save face publicly.

In general, airlines at pretty successful at enticing customers to volunteer. Of the approximately 500,000 people who were asked to give up their seats in the US last year, nearly 92% did so voluntarily. Only 40,000 of those were involuntarily bumped. And all of those passengers received compensation of some sort.

I imagine that in the long-term, the consistent policy of overbooking will be under review. Overbooking is designed to ensure a full airplane in most situations, since there are almost always some people who have bought tickets who will be delayed or cancel their flight at the last moment. This works most of the time.

Of course, the policy of overbooking usually makes the airline more money, but at some point the money or vouchers given to passenger volunteers will outweigh those other financial gains. Especially with a larger cap on compensation.

And I imagine whatever legal action Dr. Dao chooses to take may result in updated regulations for airlines and clearer rights for passengers who’ve purchased tickets.

Only time will tell…

Alright, folks, thanks for reading. I’ll get off my soapbox for the moment.

Now back to your regularly scheduled TSG travel inspiration, intel, and tips…

And happy travels!

Lana

Have you ever volunteered to give up your seat or been bumped involuntarily? How do *you* think the airlines should be addressing what happened? Are the new policies enough? I would love to hear about your thoughts and experiences in the Comments.

11 Things That Look Just a Bit Different in Venice

November 15, 2016 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

If you’ve never been to Venice, it’s hard to envision what it would mean to have a city built on a series of islands connected by canals and waterways. No motorized vehicles are allowed, which means that some everyday things you take for granted look just a bit different here:

Ambulance

Building Entrance

Construction Site

Delivery Vehicle

Metro

Metro Stops

Parking Spot

Police Patrol

Taxi

What other things did you notice were different in Venice?

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10 Amazing Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Stockholm

March 28, 2017 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 2 comments

I consider myself an avid and fairly knowledgeable traveler, yet on my first trip to Stockholm last year for a blogging conference, I realized how woefully inadequate my knowledge of Stockholm and Sweden really was. Other than devouring The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo book series that is set there, what did I really know about the city?

Scandinavia for me, even when I was living in Europe, was always put off as a travel destination because there were cities I could get to for cheaper for a weekend escape. Unless I was going skiing or to see the northern lights, winter was probably not the right season for a trip, and the timing never seemed to be right during summer. Although after having visited Stockholm in July, I now think that Stockholm would be even better to visit outside of summer, maybe during the spring or fall.

Perhaps because I had so few expectations, was Stockholm able to surprise me with so many quirks and unexpected twists of history that crossed the city’s path. From sights and foods that I had no clue about, to observations about the city and Swedes in general, I left with a whole new appreciation for Stockholm. Compiling this list is making me yearn for a return visit, and will make you want to visit as soon as you can!

Some things that surprised me…

#1 | Stockholm is a City on Water

When I say this, I don’t mean that Stockholm has a river running down the middle. The whole city is made of up islands! It’s not the only city with this moniker, but many refer to Stockholm as the ‘Venice of the North.’ Stockholm is made up of a bunch of 14 islands and 57 bridges, all of which compose part of Sweden’s largest archipelago. I loved crossing the bridges on foot to move between the sights on the different islands, and there are some stunning views across the water, as you can see. I really was clueless on this one before my visit, so don’t feel bad if you were, too! I always pictured Scandinavian cities as having quaint buildings in close proximity, but I was totally unprepared to visit a city I thought of as being squarely on land that instead had waterways seemingly everywhere you looked.

#2 | What’s the currency?

I’m used to handling currency with the faces of serious historical figures or past presidents, prime ministers, and royalty. Sweden? They put Swedish figures of all flavors on their money, from movie stars to authors, including multiple women! Pictured above is the 20 kronor note is Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstocking (who you can also see pictured on the bill if you look closely). Other current banknotes in circulation depict Greta Garbo and Ingmar Bergman. But as cool as the cash is (to me as a foreigner, anyway), there is a strong move toward using cards and not cash. Credit cards are accepted pretty much everywhere, for any size transaction, and some places won’t even take cash! Check out that sign above from Fotografiska, a Stockholm photography museum that won’t accept cash for its admission.

#3 | The World’s Longest Art Exhibit

I’ve seen art in metro stations before, but the sheer scope of the art in Stockholm’s 110 kilometers of subway stops has led to it being called the ‘World’s Longest Art Exhibit.’ Originally conceived as a way to bring art to the people, over 90 of Stockholm’s 100 subway stations have artists’ works, each specifically designed for the station and covering many different themes and types of art. This gallery with photographs of different station art gives a sense of how colorful and varied the artists’ approaches have been over the years, and in some cases, how the final artwork is an all-encompassing experience for those passing through the station.

#4 | Stockholm Resurrected a Ship After Over 300 Years at the Bottom of the Sea

The most famous shipwreck I had never heard of before? The 1628 sinking of the Vasa warship just over a kilometer after it departed on its maiden voyage. You might wonder if it was under attack or perhaps had struck something and then sunk? Nope. Covered in cannons, the boat was a bit top-heavy, and tragically tipped over and sunk after some wind gusts caused water to gush in and the ship couldn’t right itself. Many onlookers had crowded Stockholm’s shores to see the ship off, so the tragedy was witnessed by many, with 30 of the crew perishing in the accident. After several failed attempts at the time to recover the ship, it lay nearly forgotten until centuries later.

The 1^st cool thing – Sweden raised the ship after 333 years! This was no small feat, as they raised the entire ship, not just bringing up the sections piecemeal. The 2^nd cool thing – how they preserved the ship once it was recovered. Apparently you can’t just take a ship out of water after several hundred years and expect it to be like new. For 17 straight years, the ship was continuously hosed with a special solution to keep it preserved and prevent cracking as it dried. The combination of the brackish water (not quite as salty as an ocean) and cold temperatures meant that when the ship was raised, its contents were incredibly well-preserved. Apparently the waters surrounding Stockholm were also quite polluted during that time, keeping away many of the critters that would have otherwise consumed the wood. And today you get to visit the continued preservation home of the Vasa ship, where you can see the intricate wood ornamentation up close at Stockholm’s Vasa Museum, constructed around the ship.

#5 | Behold, the Cardamom Bun

Sure, you’ve heard of a cinnamon bun, and maybe even knew from visiting your local IKEA store that cinnamon buns are a Swedish thing. What you probably didn’t realize is that when you are in Stockholm the more common (and in my opinion, more delicious) sweet bun is actually the cardamom bun. If you’re not familiar, cardamom is an aromatic spice that shows up in chai tea and that I’ve only ever used before for cooking Indian recipes like curry. So what on earth is it doing as the main spice to accompany the sweets enjoyed during fika, the Swedish coffee break?

Legend has it that cardamom was introduced to Scandinavia by the Vikings quite some time ago, and now cardamom is all the rage in breads and other pastries there. I had at least 1 cardamom bun a day while I was in Stockholm, and they are just the right mixture of savory and sweet for me. After all of my reckless consumption research, check out my post on the Best Bites in Stockholm for where I enjoyed my favorite version.

#6 | Swedes take Design Very Seriously

For many, IKEA is synonymous with Swedish design and with good reason. The company’s streamlined approach has made millions of people all across the world familiar with assembling an IKEA bookshelf or table. It’s not just the result of a designer making a pretty drawing, though. As you can see above, the steps of a homemaker were traced and recorded, leading to the design of an IKEA kitchen that would be as efficient as possible. There is also a sense of design even in the public spaces around Stockholm. From outside gathering areas to the quotes you can see above that were interwoven into street pavement, it is all about the little touches and detail that enhance your everyday experience.

#7 | Sweden was Neutral During World War II, But Played an Important Role

Since Sweden was officially neutral during the Second World War, I don’t think I had given much thought to any role it might have had. However, there are many reminders around the city of Stockholm of ways that Sweden played a part. During the war, Sweden gave asylum to nearly 1,000 Norwegian Jews and accepted (and saved) nearly the entire Danish Jewish population after Denmark became occupied by the Nazis. And commemorated in the Stockholm memorial pictured above is Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat stationed in Budapest during the war who issued protective passports to tens of thousands of Jews there. He was supposedly captured by the Soviets before the end of the war, and never resurfaced, with a formal declaration of death only just being issued in late 2016.

#8 | Nobel’s Legacy in Stockholm

I follow the hoopla surrounding the Nobel prize winners each year, but I don’t think it clicked that with the exception of the Nobel Peace Prize (which is given in Oslo, Norway) all of the other prizes are awarded in Stockholm. The annual banquet is held at Stockholm City Hall, and you can visit the Hall there that serves as the current venue for the illustrious meal. Stockholm also boasts a Nobel Museum that I visited, with many significant objects on display that past prize winners donated and information about their contributions. Honestly, the museum was quite outdated, but I geeked out anyway. And for any future visits, a major modernization effort for the museum is currently in the works.

#9 | Gourmet Hot Dogs Everywhere You Turn

I was ready for the Swedish food – cinnamon buns, meatballs, cured salmon, lingonberry jam, but . . . hot dogs?!? And we’re not just talking one or two different varieties, here. Many vendors I saw had dozens of different varieties of Swedish hot dog or korv, each with its own unique blend of spices combined with different types of meat. Korv definitely made my list of ‘Unexpected Foods to Seek Out in European Cities’ and with the perfect spicy, meat blend on a toasted baguette and the right mix of condiments, this also ended up being one of the best things I ate during my visit. Head to my post on Stockholm’s Best Bites for where I enjoyed the best hot dog of the trip.

#10 | A Whole Museum Dedicated to ABBA

ABBA, the 70s pop group that took the world by storm with chart toppers like “Mamma Mia” and “Dancing Queen,” formed in Stockholm. So I guess it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that there is an entire museum dedicated to not only their music, but the outrageous outfits and good time that they inspired. Entering immediately transports you to the 70s, with bell bottoms and bright colored lights everywhere you look. It’s hugely interactive, from karaoke opportunities to starring in your own music video where you get to dance along to the ABBA hits. And if you’re like me, the catchy tunes will be swirling around in your head for days afterward.

It’s not often that a city surprises me as much as Stockholm did. Some of the things I discovered might have come up in more thorough research before my trip, but other items on my list I feel like I only would have learned by visiting and exploring in person. The beauty of travel =)

What was the last travel destination that caught *you* by surprise? Anything else that surprised you about Stockholm that didn’t make my list? Share in the ‘Comments’ below.

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The Coolest Thing I Did in WA that I Didn’t Even Know Existed: The Pemberton Climbing Trees

November 22, 2016 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

When my friend suggested that we climb some trees on our recent weekend camping trip in WA (Western Australia), I think I replied with something along the lines of “Oh, I love climbing trees.” But ladies and gentlemen, this is not the tree-climbing of your childhood, this is some exhilarating adventuring.

And once I found out more about the trees, the question I couldn’t wait to answer was: What does it feel like to climb a giant tree?

Now, when I am talking giant tree, take a second and think of how tall that might be. Twenty feet? Fifty feet? Thirty meters? Nope. The shortest of these 3 Pemberton climbing trees is 51 meters. Yup, not feet, meters! As in, 167 feet is the shortest tree, with the tallest of the trio reaching a height of over 245 feet (75 meters)!!

Of course, I couldn’t help myself. I climbed all three trees =)

One of the first things I asked myself was “why on earth would someone put all of these metal rungs into the side of a tree?” But the answer is actually quite logical and stems from a problem sadly Australians know all too well – bush fires. When it was difficult to build a tower tall enough in this forest area of naturally tall karri trees to accurately spot and extinguish the bush fires, the idea of the tallest trees in a particular area becoming the lookout point began. Pegs were inserted into the sides of these tall trees to allow rangers to climb to the top and see the surrounding area to triangulate the source of the fire.

Even with a bit of background though, I still didn’t know quite what to expect approaching the first tree that I climbed, the Diamond Tree (which is the “short” one, at just a mere 51 meters). Certainly, my American instincts were totally unprepared for the self-reliance protocol typical of the Australians. When you arrive, there is some signage explaining the climb, but there are a lot of other things I expected to see that were simply absent. Like an entrance fee. Or a park ranger to keep an eye on things. Or a legal waiver to sign. Or a net underneath the metal sticks spiraling up and serving as stairs.

Instead, there is a pretty casual sign recommending closed-toed shoes, that you carry nothing with you when you climb, and the official message from the Aussie park authorities: “Your safety is our concern, but your responsibility.” Eek. There was a quite open net along the non-tree side of the climbing pegs, but that was pretty much it. Not even a net underneath. I’d hope that most people who fall would catch themselves, but the pegs were spaced far enough apart that you could plausibly fall and slip through the space between the pegs. Nothing like a bit of danger to get the adrenaline pumping, let me tell you.

There was definitely a bit of nervousness at the start of the first tree, but let’s be real – that’s never stopped me before. At each step, I consciously thought to myself about only moving one foot or hand at a time and also made sure that I was properly gripping the bar with my hand each time. After the first ten steps or so, I hit a bit of a rhythm, looking up to the next bar and methodically moving my limbs and leaning ever so slightly forward toward the next grip. About halfway up, around the 25-meter mark, there is a platform where you can catch your breath and take a bit of a break before ascending to the top. And then you see the sign:

Well, if you weren’t sure about climbing in the first place, this might be the nudge that sent you back down to the safety of the ground. At this point though, I had figured out the hard part of gripping the initially awkward metal posts, and was ready to go to the top. Plus, there are a few platforms in close proximity when you near the top, offering a bit of enclosure and a standard ladder to climb instead of just the pegs.

When I tackled the tallest one, the Bicentennial Tree, I had a bit of an idea of what to expect. Although my initial nervousness and alertness did not completely dissipate, especially since the tree was a bit different meaning that the peg placement was a bit different as well. The first platform here (with the opportunity to change your mind and go back as before) was also about 25-meters off the ground, but the next one up from there was even longer and you still weren’t even at the top. That stretch between the initial two platforms was definitely the one that held the most trepidation for me.

And since we were doing a 10.5-kilometer hike in the area of the Bicentennial Tree, there wasn’t enough time in the afternoon to climb the third one. The Gloucester Tree was the challenge for the following morning, at which point I was already sore between the tree-climbing and hiking. It was a whole new experience to climb one of these giant trees relying on already-tired muscles. And my friend who had climbed this one several times previously let me enjoy the solitude of ascending the final tree on my own. All 61 meters to the glorious view at the top.

At the top of the tree, the view is so peaceful and extensive over the treetop. There is just something I find so harmonious about being on your own with nature all around you. Then of course you realize that you still need to come down all those metal rungs. Carefully. And at the end when you’ve reached your goal, nothing beats that sense of accomplishment, not to mention the feeling of your mind relaxing completely in the aftermath of the mental and physical exertion.

If you’ve ever used the term “adrenaline junkie” to describe yourself, the Pemberton climbing trees are obviously not to be missed if you find yourself in WA. Pemberton is only about a 4-hour drive south of Perth, and is right in the middle of some of the best wineries and restaurants of Western Australia. Even if you’re not constantly plotting your next adventure, the exhilaration of the tree climbing experience was just wonderful – and totally worth it.

Interestingly, the question I was asked most by other visitors was not whether I thought climbing the trees was safe, but “Is the view worth it?” I was first asked this by someone on the ground who was debating starting the climb and again had the question posed when I was on my way down the Bicentennial Tree and someone on there way up was frozen at the first platform, twenty-five meters above the ground (the first person didn’t climb, and the second person didn’t make it higher than that first platform).

But when the woman in her 60s who has run several marathons comes down from climbing the Gloucester Tree to say how it’s the most insane thing she’s ever done, and she asserts this with a giant smile across her face – yeah, that’s exactly the kind of thing you want to experience as you travel.

What is the “coolest thing” that you’ve done? Something that once you knew it existed, you just *had* to do??

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What It’s Like Moving Back “Home” After Living Abroad & Tips on How to Adjust

March 7, 2017 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 69 comments

They say that the hardest adjustment for an expat is moving back “home” after living abroad. They’re not wrong.

I studied and volunteered in Israel for a year after high school, and was surprised that after 18 years of living and growing up in the United States, and only 1 year of living in Israel, I came home with culture shock. Of course, I wondered how it was possible that I could feel so out of place in America, yet I noticed it when the food didn’t taste how I expected and also when shopping for a few things at the supermarket (why is this always such a salient cultural adjustment?) when I felt the urge to elbow everyone out of way in the aisles with an impatient Israeli s’licha. It was the food and culture, the words of Hebrew I was accustomed to interjecting into my everyday English conversation, and the flow of my daily and weekly routine.

Of course, that effect has been significantly amplified after the past 5 years living abroad in Australia and Italy and now being back in the US, living in Baltimore, Maryland. I’ve now been back around two months, but the adjustment has been a challenge, and this is the first time I’m feeling comfortable enough discussing it to write about it for the blog.A fellow expat in Milan, who’s done a fair bit of moving around over the years, counseled me that I should focus on the positives about the move. Because the negatives will be glaringly obvious and I’ll realize them quickly anyway, but the upsides might be harder to come by in the midst of the adjustment. Here’s what I’ve discovered…

The Good

The biggest, most obvious upside for me about moving back to the US is being closer to friends and family. Already since being back I’ve been able to celebrate the holidays with my family, make it out for a friend’s birthday in New York, and be there in person for my grandmother’s 90^th birthday. Slowly I’ve been taking trips to see friends I haven’t spent quality time with in ages. Last-minute group dinners that I organized when I was an expat just back for a visit have been replaced by one-on-one time catching up with people. It’s been a refreshing change to have time for deep conversations and not just a quick catch-up when I see friends and loved ones.I’m also really excited about the professional opportunity, aka being able to have a full-time job again. While I did work full-time in Australia, I barely even looked for full-time work in Italy, instead cobbling together different paid and volunteer opportunities to keep me occupied and engaged. Because the economy is struggling so much in Italy, any full-time work I might have found would have likely involved long hours and not great pay. Plus, not having a full-time work obligation left me flexible to travel at the last minute when the opportunity arose and be an engaged hostess when visitors came from abroad to visit. However, being back in the US I am looking forward to the structure and routine of full-time work, and the chance to impact urban education, one of my passions.

Another upside of America? Convenience. American life is very much about convenience, from pre-packaged ingredients and meals at the supermarket to one-stop shopping at mega-stores that have clothes, food, and toiletries all under one roof. For me, it’s also the convenience of knowing where to go to buy things. Even in Australia where I hypothetically spoke the language (minus the many Aussie abbreviations and slang), the store names were mostly unfamiliar. You’re not going to find US supermarket chains or clothing stores, so figuring out *where* to go to purchase a particular item could be just as time-consuming as the shopping trip itself. Of course, living in Italian in Milan posed the same challenge, exacerbated by the fact that many stores are local and don’t have an online presence, so sometimes the best way to find a specific item is by keeping your eyes open as you walk through different neighborhoods and popping into the first store you walk past that sells what you need. It sounds old-school, but that is the reality of life in Italy.

Speaking of convenience, an upside about American life that I realized even before leaving Milan is laundry. More specifically, having a dryer! Yes, darling readers, it’s true. Most Italian homes have a washer, but no dryer. What does doing laundry in Italy involve? Running a load through the washer, hanging it on a drying rack, and then waiting 24 hours for it to dry before doing your next load. Unless it’s winter, in which case the clothes may take even longer to dry. Laundry in Italy involved a lot of strategizing. If I had three or four loads to do in advance of weekend guests, the process would start on Monday. Really. So yes, having access to both a washer and a dryer living back in the US may sound shallow, but for any recently returned expat is a big deal. I can do more than 1 load in a day! And they’ll both be dry within hours! Having dry (and fluffy) laundry never made a gal so happy =)

Another adjustment, and certainly a positive one – everyone speaks your language! In my first few weeks back, I found myself consciously noticing as I walked down the street that everyone who passed was speaking English. I would think, “how weird,” before realizing that I was back in the US and this was in fact normal and expected to be walking down the street and overhearing English conversations constantly. Living in English again meant that there was no hesitation or much thought involved before I would engage in small talk or strike up a conversation waiting in line or with a cashier or store clerk, a level of comfort you never quite reach living in a foreign language.

Visiting the US as an expat, I would always take advantage of all the ethnic food that is available, most of which is absent or not that great in Italy. Now back living here, I know that quality ethnic food is widely available, from Chinese to Mexican to Thai to Ethiopian. And you can believe that I’ve been savoring all of the opportunities to take advantage of the access.And if you’ve seen my posts on wineries – in the Piedmont region of Italy or Israel – or even posts that involve wine tastings (like my overviews of Liechtenstein or Plovdiv, Bulgaria), you may have guessed that I had a fair few bottles of wine from around Europe that I brought back to the US when moving. What you may not realize is that there already were a few cases of wine waiting for me in the US, mostly from California and Australia, acquired before moving to Italy. Because they are bottles that I knew would age well, and frankly, it just seemed silly to ship wine *to* Italy. It’s been a lovely trip down memory lane to remember past travels by enjoying wine I acquired there.

The Bad

I know, I know, I put the good things first, so it sounds like roses and confetti to move back to the US and take advantage of all the opportunities and conveniences the country has to offer. But as much as there is to be grateful for, there are definitely downsides that I have been feeling quite acutely these past months.

There are a lot of things that I’ve been missing since moving back. First and foremost, I miss my Milan friends. I was very fortunate to have met so many incredible people during my 3 years living in Milan, and I actually had a much easier time making friends in Italy than in Australia, even outside of the expatriate community. Since Milan is the business center of Italy, I found that many interesting Italians from all over the country ended up in Milan for work, as well as the city attracting people in many professions from all over Europe and the rest of the world. It felt relatively easy to form deep connections and friendships, and I miss all of the people I used to be able to see on a regular basis and who are now an ocean and a six-hour time difference away.

I also am missing the city of Milan and life in Italy quite tangibly and still daily. When I walk out my front door, I no longer have the stunning Italian architecture to greet me. I don’t stroll past the Last Supper on a nearly daily basis or pass one of the five largest cathedrals in the world on my walk to Italian lessons. Plus, the Italians have a way of savoring everyday pleasures, from a quick cup of espresso to gelato to an evening aperitivo.

Speaking of which, I really miss all of the food and drink I was able to access living in Italy. Coffee is an integral part of the Italian day, and the entire country is set up so that you can pop in for a 1 Euro (or less) espresso anywhere you are, any time of day. Here in America, if I’m out and feel like a coffee, I’m hard pressed to find a proper espresso and it will cost at least a few dollars even for a single shot. Plus, I can’t necessarily find one when the mood strikes. And even though I brought back quite a few Italian cooking supplies, like carnaroli rice for risotto and “00” flour for fresh pasta-making, the quality of the produce in the US is not as good and so dishes don’t taste nearly as delicious as they did there. When it’s the early evening and I’m feeling like an aperitivo drink, it’s a much costlier endeavor than it ever was in Italy. In Milan, I could buy a decent bottle of Prosecco for 3 Euro at the local supermarket in Italy, but am hard-pressed to find a bottle for under $15 in the US. The same goes for my favorite ingredient to make a spritz – Aperol. For a bottle that would be about $8 in Italy, I’m now paying $25! So while my instinct is to preserve life in Italy as much as possible living back in the US, it’s just not financially reasonable to keep the identical habits without at least some practical adjustments.One thing I didn’t realize before moving to Milan, but really came to appreciate, was the travel accessibility. With 3 airports, there are a ton of direct flight options from Milan all over Europe, including several discount carriers like Easy Jet and Ryan Air. Even at the last minute, I could reliably find round-trip airfare for under 100 Euros, and sometimes for significantly cheaper. And Milan is so centrally located that there are plenty of cities and towns within a short train ride or a drive of an hour or two, including a lot of Switzerland. And even small towns in Italy have so much to offer that it’s well worth a trip, even for a day. It’s just not quite the same back in the US, and even a weekend away is much costlier than what I’ve become accustomed to in Milan.

Another thing that I’ve been missing that I hadn’t anticipated – speaking Italian. I lapse into Italian often when I’m with a fellow speaker, and on my few flights I’ve had I find myself seeking out the Italian language movies. Being in the US I’ve actually been exposed to a lot of Spanish since being back (which I also speak), but it has just made me feel the loss of being so distant from Italian. I’ve been doing a lot of reading in English lately, but my next books to tackle will some of the ones in Italian I brought back with me, because I am just missing the lilting language as part of what I hear and absorb every day.

The Bizarre

When I first thought about writing this post months ago, I figured that there would be good things and also some negatives about moving back “home.” What I didn’t anticipate was quite a few items that didn’t really fit either category, but was just an oddity of the experience of being an expat living abroad for many years and then returning back to my native country.

As you read above, I always seem to have trouble in supermarkets. I’m not sure what it is, but that for me seems to be one of the venues where every culture and nationality handles the experience differently, and I become acclimated wherever I live. This wasn’t just an issue after my time in Israel, but something I noticed after living in Perth, Australia (where did all the Asian produce go?) and have certainly noticed over the past couple of months being back from Milan. There are some of the practical details that I’ve struggled to remember. Like how in Italy you need to code and weigh your produce on your own, printing out the sticker with the bar code from the scale in the produce section and affixing it before you reach the checkout line. While in the US the cashier knows and enters the code, or you look it up yourself in the self-checkout lane. Or that there are so many food items on the shelves at American supermarkets that I forgot existed and find myself craving. Not because I want to eat them necessarily, but simply because I haven’t seen them in ages and now I *can* have them. Like Oreo cookies, for one.

Another oddity of moving back has been the food I gravitate toward cooking at home. In Milan, cooking at home involved a lot of ethnic food, making versions of favorite dishes that were better than what I could find in a restaurant locally. Thai curries, Korean rice bowls, fish tacos (with homemade tortillas), and Chinese stir-fries were all in heavy rotation in my Milan kitchen. Now back in the US? I’ve been cooking a lot of authentic Italian dishes, and haven’t even braved going out to an Italian restaurant yet, even though Baltimore actually has a decent-sized Italian population and its own ‘Little Italy.’ One day I’ll muster up the courage, but for now I’m enjoying making my own Italian food, knowing I won’t be disappointed with the resulting meal.

And when it’s time to order food for delivery, especially for ethnic dishes I no longer feel compelled to cook on my own, I don’t even know the current apps and websites to do this. Although I never actually ordered food in the whole time living in Milan, I knew the European apps that were out there – Deliveroo, Foodora, JustEat. Being back in the US was initially baffling and involved a bunch of asking around to figure out that for food I could use GrubHub, OrderUp, or UberEats to get food to show up at my door. In the 5 years I’ve been gone, the landscape has changed quite a bit, and is another one of those weird adjustments you don’t expect needing to learn.

And even though I’ve been living and shopping in the US for a couple of months now, there are still signs all over the house that I’ve just moved back from a posting abroad. There are still plenty of household items that are in a foreign language (like the dish soap, for one). Things that were purchased in Italy and now are part of the things I see daily that are reminders of no longer being in Milan. And I’ve seen it in the homes of other expats who’ve recently returned home – those reminders of the life you left behind.It’s also weird that it’s not just instant acclimation back into an old life. For you, the expat, it feels like you should just be slotting back into your previous life since you’re now back and everyone is excited to have you nearby. The reality? You arrange an initial meet-up with friends, but as other gatherings crop up – kids’ birthday parties & nights out – friends are liable to forget that you are now around and you only find out about events after the fact.

Tips on How to Adjust

So, what is a recently-returned expat to do? What steps have I been taking that I’ve found have helped with the adjustment back “home”? How do I manage all of the changes and gaps in my day-to-day life? I’m not an expert by any means, but here are a few things that I’ve found helpful over the last two months.

Connecting with old friends. Some days it may feel like you know no one, but the reality of course is never that severe. Sure, you may need to do a lot of the initiating at first, but there are definitely old friends in the area that will want to spend time with you, even if it’s been a while. What I love about close friendships is that even after much time and distance apart, you can get together and practically pick up right where you left off. And it’s important to make it a priority to see people. For me, that has meant some day trips and a weekend spent in Washington, DC where I lived for nearly a decade and have a strong friend base. During that time I’ve been able to hang out with some of my oldest friends and feel a bit more connected to life in the US again.

Finding new social circles. Let’s face it, after time living abroad, you’re not exactly the same person you were when you last left home. And even if you haven’t changed much when it comes to things that matter, your community is not the same as when you left. Friends have moved away or had children and aren’t likely to have as much free time as you do when you first return. Since moving back to the US I have been active on Facebook and Meetup to find other former expats and like-minded people to connect with. So far I’ve joined a book club, found buddies for rock climbing, and reached out to a group that sees live theater locally. I’ve even found some Italians in the area. My social calendar is certainly not full, but it’s been a great feeling to find people in my new city with shared interests.

Finding the things that keep me grounded and give me a sense of continuity or normalcy, and focusing on those. For me, the biggest thing that has helped to keep me grounded since the move is this blog! I’m still an internet connection away from a lot of the friends I’ve made through blogging, so it feels like nothing has changed in that respect. And I know that putting effort into Travel Savvy Gal – writing posts, becoming more active on social media, attending webinars about blogging – will not be wasted. I can see the tangible results of my hard work, from a larger Instagram following to Twitter re-tweets and increased website views. For my mental and emotional sanity, I’ve sought out rock climbing (my biggest stress reliever) and seeing live theater, an activity that deeply nourishes my soul. It gives me that extra bit of a boost that sustains me on the rougher days. And when you’re least motivated to seek out a pick-me-up, that’s of course when you need it the most.

Having low to no expectations. Things that can be most disappointing are those times when you expect things to go a certain way, and then reality doesn’t live up to your preconceived notions. The best way to combat disappointment? Don’t start off with expectations. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but starting from a blank slate means that everything you get from that point forward is something extra and unexpected. I’ve been trying my best over the past two months to keep an open mind about each day, and then appreciating the good things that come my way.

Focusing on what I’ve gained, not what I’ve lost. I’ve talked before on the blog about practicing gratitude, and I really believe it has the power to be transformative. When you spend time at the end of each day thinking about the things you are grateful for, it means that the following day your brain is on the lookout for things to appreciate for the following night’s round-up. The brain is a muscle like any other in the body, and can be trained to seek out the positive parts of your day, every day. While there have certainly been many frustrating moments, I am still incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to live abroad and experience other cultures, and now have the time to integrate back into American life while still working on the blog and sharing my travel tips and experiences, something I’ve found incredibly rewarding these past several months.

What’s next?

Well, the first order of business for me is finding a job. Unfortunately that means that most travel planning is on hold for the moment, although I do have a few weekends away planned. I’m also hoping to attend some upcoming travel blogger conferences – one in the US and one overseas – but again, I haven’t made any exact plans yet. Of course, the inability to plan while I’m in limbo has contributed to my overall frustration, but I’m trying to take everything in stride and focus on the positives.

And although I haven’t found a full-time job yet, I am admittedly nervous about the small number of vacation days that come with many US jobs. Sometimes it can be as little as 2 weeks, compared with the 6 weeks I received working in Australia that is common in Europe as well. Again, this is a wait-and-see situation, and I’m putting a lot of trust in the universe – and putting forth much effort – so that things will turn out well in the end.

The other question you’re probably wondering is what this means for the blog. For now certainly, things will carry on as usual with Travel Savvy Gal. I don’t know about you, but I certainly can’t job hunt and write cover letters for 8 straight hours a day, so I’ve been interspersing blogging activities with my job hunting. There will still be posts every Tuesday and Thursday, so continue keeping an eye out for that and show your love in the Comments.

Of course, I’ll be keeping you wonderful readers updated if and when anything changes. I was an avid traveler before becoming an expat and living abroad (when I was working full-time in the US) and I will be an avid traveler again being back here. In the meantime, I’m taking deep breaths through this transitional time and working on making the most of the days that I am able to travel at the moment. And there’s plenty of destinations I’ve traveled recently and haven’t written about yet, so those will be coming to a blog post near you sometime very soon.

For anyone who’s had to make a big living adjustment or also moved home after time abroad, what was it like for you? What things were the biggest help as you were getting re-acclimated? I’m still in the process myself, so any additional tips or intel would be greatly appreciated!

How the US Election Result Helped Me to Connect My 2 Passions

February 14, 2017 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

“Where are you from?” The typical first question of cab drivers transporting tourists, pretty much anywhere in the world.

“I’m American,” I reflexively replied.

While I know some Americans try to always disguise their nationality while they’re traveling, that’s never been me. I realize that sometimes there are bad stereotypes out there about American travelers, but I specifically mention that I’m American for that reason – to combat stereotypes. Nothing is a bigger compliment than being told by a foreigner that “you don’t seem like an American.” It basically means that they expected bad behavior, and instead you were gracious and unassuming.

The only place I had even considered temporarily adopting a non-American nationality was traveling in Vietnam in 2012. I had thought that locals might have prejudices or dislike Americans because of the Vietnam War, so started off telling people I was Australian (I figured they wouldn’t be able to distinguish between different accents speaking English, plus I *was* living in Perth at the time). In the end though, it turned out that none of the Vietnamese people I met harbored resentment against American tourists. So whenever I’m asked about my nationality, answering that I’m American doesn’t take any conscious thought.

Of course, on this particular cab ride, it was the next question that caught me completely off guard. “Donald Trump, new President?”

For Election Day this past November, I was in Bali, Indonesia. It was a week that I had set aside during my recent travels to fall off the grid. Not because of the US election, but simply as a week bridging the time between staying with friends in Singapore and Perth, Australia. I did not post on the travel blog or any of my social media accounts about where I was. I left my “nice” camera behind every time I went around exploring. And I was evasive when people asked which countries I’d be visiting on my 2-month trip, always excluding Indonesia.

Ubud is a pretty simple town in central Bali, where roosters crowing will wake you up at dawn no matter where or how fancy your accommodations. I had booked a car to take me to the airport at a nondescript, family-run stand around the corner from my impossibly cheap homestay. So when my taxi driver (the husband of the family) displayed a working knowledge of the American election result from three days prior, asking me about our new President-Elect by name, I was taken aback.

This was my first indication of the worldwide impact and awareness of the US election results – that everyone from wealthy intellectuals to the proverbial (and literal) man on the street in remote areas would know about the election, and be eager to ask any American in sight all about it. And like many Americans, foreigners were equally baffled about the election’s outcome, and couldn’t help but pepper me with questions as they tried to make sense of what happened.

So what does this all have to do with me and my passions?

I recently read Brené Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection, in which she discusses the concept of a “slash career,” put forth by Marci Alboher. Essentially, the idea behind it is that people don’t need to limit themselves to a single professional identity, or even a single field. Instead, it’s fine to be a Doctor/Artist or Engineer/Musician (notice the slashes?), identifying two distinct passions or identities and taking on them both simultaneously without having to pick a single career or chosen pursuit.

This really was a moment of epiphany for me. I started the Travel Savvy Gal blog at a point in time when I was not working a regular job. People still ask me if my plan is to become a Blogger full-time. “Oh no,” I say, “blogging is a hobby, professionally I am still an Educator.” But this idea of a “slash career” meant that I didn’t have to choose, I could be both! From that moment on, I started thinking of myself as an Educator and a Travel Blogger, two pursuits I considered as disparate as being a Doctor and an Artist.

“It’s great,” I thought, because my education background is teaching high school mathematics so the “Educator” title would cover the logical, rational, mathematical side of my brain and the “Travel Blogger” title would be my completely different, creative pursuit in writing and communication. Two completely different areas where I find personal fulfillment and two different pursuits tapping into totally different parts of my brain.

This world view held for months, and it was only after the US election that the two ideas, my two passions that I had considered so completely separate, began to come together in my mind.

After Donald Trump became the US President-Elect, the questions swirled…

How could this happen?

How could America elect someone with no experience in elected office?

How could the same country who *re-elected* America’s 1^st black President four years ago now elect someone who had spoken out against many minority groups?

Why did so many Americans fear the “other”?

And perhaps most importantly,

What needs to happen in the coming four years so that Americans support a candidate in the next presidential election who favors openness, international engagement, and welcoming refugees and immigrants?

Of course, I grappled with these questions and thought extensively about what I thought would be the “solution” to counter America’s isolationism and the desire many Americans felt to withdraw from the world stage and focus solely on issues at home instead.

What could convince Americans to be more open to strangers and foreigners?

What would make Americans believe that most refugees were simple people in a rough situation they did not create, and did not pose a security threat?

What would need to happen so that Americans wanted to engage with and not withdraw from the international community?

And honor our obligations to the international community?

After much pondering, the two answers I came upon: Travel & Education.

Travel.

Traveling of course can range from being sequestered in an all-inclusive resort and never setting foot outside to being completely immersed in the villages and with the people of a foreign country. Most of my travel falls into the latter category, and it is this kind of travel I’m talking about. Even if it’s minimal contact on a single-day jaunt away from the resort or off of a cruise ship, to me travel means both contact with locals and exposure to a different culture and a different way of doing things. And eye-opening travel can also be within your home country, to another state or region that does things a bit differently.

If you’ve never left the familiar comforts of home, you’ll never realize how much you take for granted. All of those things you simply think are universal or fixed in place, but it is only exposure to another place or another culture that allows you to see a different approach. For me, travel has allowed me to see that their can be two approaches to a situation, both different, yet both equally valid. There can be multiple right ways to do something, it all depends on your perspective. It is that open-minded thinking that I believe can prevent politics from becoming emotionally-charged and hugely divisive, and in many ways a type of thinking that is enhanced by travel.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

On the road, you’ll often meet people of other nationalities, economic brackets, professions, and walks of life. Being outside of your normal routine, you’re more likely to cross paths with someone you wouldn’t have encountered back at home, even if it is someone of the same nationality. Through these interactions with someone who on the surface is quite different from you, that is where the commonality of the human condition emerges. Some of the most impoverished people I’ve met in my travels have the same basic concerns as people everywhere: how to best take care of their families and creating a better future for their children. These first-hand interactions that come from travel really make it so clear that people around the world have more in common than is different.

Education.

Sure, you say, travel is great, but not everyone has the ability or financial means to travel. While I would dispute the idea that travel is outside of the reach of many people, that is a conversation for another day. Among both the frequent travelers and those who never stray outside of a short distance from home, I know that education can teach different approaches and ways of thinking about the world, just as travel does.

People often say to me that it must be so easy being a math teacher and grading papers because there is only one right answer to a math problem. But that is not the case at all! Even for a problem that has a single number as an answer, there are so many different possible approaches that assignments and exams can be quite difficult to grade. And of course the real mathematical analysis comes into play when you ask a student to come up with multiple, valid ways to solve a single math problem. That is where the real expansive thinking comes in, brainstorming multiple approaches that can all be simultaneously correct.

I see education as a “solution” to isolationism because it has the capacity to expose people to a diversity of ideas and approaches, in mathematics and of course all the other subjects, too. Good education teaches critical thinking and provides students with the skills to compete in a global economy rather than fear it. And education inspires students to take the initiative to do research and be responsible for their own learning, drawing their own conclusions and not just accepting what others say at face value.

Connecting the Two?

Interestingly, I am not alone when it comes to having both travel and education as a passion. There are a ton of other travel bloggers out there who are also educators, something I was surprised to discover (but really shouldn’t have been). Sure, you say, of course teachers travel a lot because they get summers off. However, I don’t think it is just because of the vacation time – although many teachers certainly use that to their advantage – but also because of that common drive we teachers have to discover and explore the world around us. And just because teachers travel a lot would not necessarily mean that they also become travel bloggers in droves, although that too is what seems to have happened.

If you are a teacher, you not only have an intellectual curiosity about the world around you, but you seek to share your experiences and knowledge with others: your students. That is where the crossover between academic and professor occurs, and also the crossover between avid traveler and travel blogger – not just traveling but also sharing the resulting expertise and perspective with the world.

Of course, there are ways to simultaneously unite travel and education, instead of just keeping them as parallel yet related passions, and there are travel bloggers out there doing just that. As for me, at this point I don’t know if I’ll integrate my two passions of travel and education or keep them as separate pursuits, but certainly they are not nearly as different as I originally thought.

Do you have multiple passions or careers that you’ve chosen to pursue? How do you reconcile these different aspects of who you are? I’ve obviously been grappling with these issues, so help me out here =) Share your strategies (and ongoing struggles) in the Comments below!

Reasons Skiing in Europe is Just Amazing

December 1, 2016 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

Skiing in Europe is on a whole other level from what I had become accustomed to back in the US. It wows on every level, from the views to the cuisine to the exhilarating atmosphere. As with life in Italy in general, you get the maximum enjoyment by behaving as the locals do, and embracing all aspects of the European ski experience.

Here are some of the happy surprises along the way:

It’s pretty standard for a single ski area to have hundreds of kilometers of ski runs.

Most places where I skied in the US (which includes several locations along the east coast and also out west in Idaho/Montana), you’ll have a few lifts going to a relatively small number of ski areas, with a couple of choices about which ski run you’ll descend. In Europe, getting to the “top” may involve a combination of several different chair lifts, and then there is a seemingly infinite number of ways to travel from top to bottom. You can stick to the same few runs if you’re building confidence, or ski all day without repeating a run.

There is never a dull moment on the ski lifts.

When you look on a ski map, you’ll see the trails and the various locations of the ski lifts marked, but in Europe what constitutes a “ski lift” can vary quite widely. From skiing in the US, I was quite accustomed to the chair lift and gondola. I really had no idea there could be so many more choices. Not only are there chair lifts with different seating capacity, but there is also a gondola, a cable lift, a larger car that can fit from 12-50 people, and then the lifts I’m really terrible at: the “drag lifts.”

Basically “drag lifts” are a bunch of methods for dragging a person up the slope, with the dragging apparatus spaced at even intervals. It’s up to each person to hold on long enough to make it to the top, otherwise risk the embarrassment of falling off and having the lift come to an emergency stop. No matter how I position myself, I can never quite manage to relax while simultaneously holding on. There is what I lovingly call the “butt lift” (apparently more formally known as a button lift), and also a single or double t-bar one (like the one pictured above). I usually just find an awkward position I can hold for the whole way up, hopefully you have better luck than I do. But it’s all worth it, because . . .

When you get to the top: the views!

Ski mountains in Europe reach dramatic heights, and are so clustered together you’ll get a stunning view of the other mountains and the valley below pretty much anywhere you ski. I’ll let the picture above – that I took from my table at lunch – speak for itself 😉

There are restaurants (really excellent ones) all across the slopes.

These restaurants are not just at the base, but there are many at the spots in between different lifts or ski runs. And it’s not just glorified fast food either, although there are certainly some basic soup and sandwich options, but you can also find pretty gourmet cuisine in the middle of the ski slope. With some excellent beers and wines to accompany the food and warm you up, and views to grab your attention. And when you’re done, you can ski off to your next run.

As I’m writing this post I’m remembering a Bon Appétit article about incredible restaurants along the ski slopes that a friend sent me back in 2013, which was one of the factors that influenced the decision to move from Australia to Italy. As the article notes about European skiing, “American skiers might need to recalibrate their idea of lunch.”

Après Ski!

This wonderful after ski tradition is more of a party scene in some locations, and more low-key in others (or there’s a mix of places). In any case, take a load off after a day on the slopes and celebrate another successful ski day with a drink, whether it’s something cold and refreshing or something hot and spiked with alcohol. Read more about the European tradition of Après Ski here, and why it is not to be missed!

There’s a sauna at pretty much every hotel or lodge.

The Europeans really know what they’re doing when it comes to relaxing tired muscles at the end of a ski-filled day. While you can seek out accommodations with a jacuzzi or hot tub, most hotels will at a minimum have a sauna available for use. When I am in the sauna, it never feels like it’s doing much, but you’ll notice the difference the next morning when you barely register any muscle soreness after the previous day’s exertion.

TIP! Europeans are not shy, and many will be nude in the sauna. You can keep your bathing suit on like I do, although you will likely be the odd person out.

Pretty incredible cuisine at restaurants in town, too

Usually ski towns have a bunch of mediocre places and maybe one nice one, but I’ve found the restaurants in European ski towns to be surprisingly delicious across the board. You don’t have to put in much effort or research to eat exceptionally well. There will be more homey places with local cuisine, feeding the appetite you worked up all day on the slopes. And equally satisfying are the more formal dining establishments – some even Michelin recommended – with delicious food that is beautifully presented.

If you’re a skier of any level, and haven’t had a ski adventure in Europe yet, add it to your list. Not just for the skiing itself, which is quite wonderful, but also to enjoy the full European skiing experience, start to finish.

What do you love most about skiing in Europe?

Ways Hospitality in Oman will Wow You!

February 7, 2017 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

Hospitality is renowned throughout the Middle East, but in Oman is in a league of its own. My recent week-long road trip through Oman was nowhere near my first visit to the region. I lived in Israel for a year nearly two decades ago, and have been back there many times since. I’ve traveled in Jordan and Egypt. I explored parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after Oman. But none of those places can compare with Oman in terms of hospitality.

As a native New Yorker, I always find it a bit unsettling when I’m traveling and people seem super-nice. Are they trying to scam me? Take advantage of me somehow? Overcharge me for my purchase? My senses are heightened and I try to take everything with a grain of salt, figuring out what is real versus contrived. Also, I traveled in Oman with my sister, so wondered as two females traveling alone in a Muslim nation, would there be anything we needed to worry about?

After the first few days in Oman, however, it became apparent that Omanis were nice, gracious, and always jumping at the chance to help you. At every turn, it seemed like all of the locals we encountered were interested in going out of their way to make our stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Any time we stopped the car briefly on the side of the road to figure out directions, an Omani would suddenly appear to provide directions and offer help. Pretty quickly we realized that we should simply relax and appreciate the generosity and hospitality being shown to us.

One of the things that stands out in my mind is that there is a ton of hospitality around food. Anything you’re served will involve huge attention to detail. Sometimes there was even a woven contained for your bottled water to accompany your meal!

Oman is especially known for its coffee and fresh dates, which will make an appearance at the end of meals and greeting you in hotel lobbies, offered of course free of charge. Omani coffee, known as kahwa, is not your typical Western concoction. Instead it consists of an incredibly aromatic brew, infused with cardamom, sometimes cloves, and other spices. And despite my extensive travels in the Middle East, it was only on this trip to Oman that I found true date heaven. Fresh dates were always offered alongside Omani coffee, and the freshest and most delicious dates of my life were sampled throughout Oman. Even at our most budget accommodation – a double room for the equivalent of $40 US – coffee and dates were available around the clock for a touch of comfort during our stay.

Not anticipating Omani hospitality also caused us to over-order at many of our meals. There is of course the dishes you pick out from the menu to satiate your appetite. But more often than not, there was also additional food that simply arrived at the table. Most commonly, huge portions of bread and salad arrived along with the other dishes. Sometimes there were other appetizers that simply appeared after placing our order. So we figured out to scale back a bit by the end of the week, anticipating the ever-present Omani hospitality, although I don’t think we ever cleared all of our plates.

Then there was the time that someone really went out of their way to offer help. My sister and I were driving through an area in the middle of the country, where most accommodations involve tents in the middle of the desert. And we were in the most budget economy car we could find – a quite compact Toyota Yaris. All of a sudden, we get flashed by the truck behind us to pull over. My safety radar immediately goes off, and I’m cautious as I open the window, thinking that maybe the brake light is out or something is wrong with the car? No, the helpful local is asking us where we’re staying and making sure that we realize that we can’t drive our teeny vehicle into the desert, or we will get stranded. He even offers to give us a ride. Fortunately we had already realized this, and arranged for the owner to pick us up in his 4×4 and take us to our tent accommodation for the night. But this is certainly the first time anywhere that someone was driving along next to me and was so concerned for my safety and well-being that they stopped the car to offer assistance.

The next morning, after a very hospitality tent stay in the desert, we continue on our way. Our first stop after picking up our non-desert ready budget vehicle is a collection of stores to pick up items for a picnic lunch during our hike in nearby Wadi Khalid. First, we get some sandwiches to take with us. Then, we stop into the nearby fruit stand (all markets in Oman are pretty specialized) to pick up some additional snacks. After picking out some clementines, I approach the vendor to pay. He looks at us, then shifts his gaze to the fruit, and again back at us. While he doesn’t speak any English, he gestures at us in a way that seems to indicate that he is offering us the fruit for free. I try to communicate back, are you sure?, with the shrug of my shoulders and facial expression. Now he is motioning with insistence – yes, the fruit is ours to take, free of charge. If this had been in the first day of traveling in Oman, I would have been incredibly confused and nervous about misinterpreting the gesture. Several days into experiencing Omani hospitality, I realize that he is being generous with us, guests to his country. I say a grateful shukran, Arabic for thank you, as I depart with the fruit in hand.

Just when I think that I have seen it all when it comes to Omani hospitality, the country has one more crazy experience in store for me and my sister. We arrive at Wadi Khalid and know that one of the first things we are looking to do is check out the well-known cave with water flowing inside. It is actually well-signed, so we start off on the trail following the direction of the arrows over the rocks. As we go, we catch up to someone who seems to be Omani although he addresses us in English. We find out his name is Sayeed, local to the area although he lives in Muscat now, and he offers to be our personal tour guide to the cave.

Anywhere else, the offer would have screamed danger, but in Oman it’s just a local being nice. And it ended up being amazing, because the cave was really cramped with no light and difficult to navigate. As we were entering, there were other tourists leaving after only venturing into the cave a little bit. Because we were with someone who knew the ins and outs of navigating the cave, we managed to see the water source far into the caverns, peer at some sleeping bats hiding in the darkness, and find our way out without getting lost once. Sayeed was a knowledgeable and informative guide as well, describing the history of the area and how locals grow up playing inside the cave. The whole time I just kept thinking that we were so fortunate to have a local to show us around, and that our experience would not have been anywhere near as incredible without his hospitality. He even suggested some cultural events in the area to check out that evening.

Of all the things I expected from the road trip with my sister through Oman, such extensive hospitality was not one of them. Certainly, we exhibited good tourist practices while there – knowing a few words of Arabic and wearing modest dress, even for swimming – but the kindness of our Omani hosts everywhere we went made it an even-more amazing (and welcoming) travel experience.

Where have you experienced the most gracious hospitality in your travels?

Travel Savvy Gal

Making the Most of Your Time Away

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