Planning A Trip: How I Start Gathering Info

April 5, 2014 Aimee Slade

It's official, our next big trip will be to Southeast Asia. I have exactly 6 months to save, research, plan and organize every detail of our vacation and I'll be documenting it here.

Step 1: Create a Pinterest board to collect images and ideas. This gets the creativity flowing and is a great place to store a variety of information.

http://www.pinterest.com/typeatrips/southeast-asia/

Step 2: Create an Excel Spreadsheet on Google Drive to keep notes about tips I come across, locations to visit and areas of interest. When you first start to do trip research, you find an overwhelming amount of information - some useful and some not so useful. This allows me to keep the important details all in one spot. I prefer to use Google Drive so that I can share the document with my husband so he can see what details I've included and add his own notes.

Step 3: Gather Logistics. Deciding when the best time to travel is and how long we want to go for helps to create the framework for planning a trip. I did a decent amount of research on the best times to visit Southeast Asia and what I found is that November through February is the driest and best time to travel, but also the most crowded and priciest. March through June is the cheapest and hottest and July through October is Monsoon season. Based on wanting to travel before the holidays, we decided to travel between Mid October through the beginning of November - the end of monsoon season and before tourism is at its peak. This also gives us 6 months to plan and save for the trip (I never like to feel rushed into making last minute decisions and traveling without debt or stress of money is the best way to relax). We felt that based on our budget, ability to take time off of work and not feeling rushed through 3-4 countries, that 3 weeks would be adequate enough time for travel through Southeast Asia.

This is just the beginning. Continue to check back as I start to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I'll be posting about my budget breakdown, itinerary creation, reservations and much more. I'd also love to hear from you, so if you have any tips or experiences you like to share, please leave a comment!

Best Europe Travel Guidebook

March 21, 2014 Aimee Slade

LET ME START OUT BY SAYING THAT I AM IN NO WAY A PAID SPONSOR, NOR AM I AFFILIATED WITH ANY TRAVEL COMPANY (AGAIN, I’M JUST NOT THAT COOL). I REALLY AM JUST A GIRL, WITH A TRAVEL CRUSH ON A BOY NAMED RICK STEVES. YES, HE DOES REMIND ME OF NED FLANDERS FROM THE SIMPSONS, BUT IF YOU CAN PUT THAT ASIDE FOR A MOMENT, YOU’LL SEE THAT WITH HIS HELP YOU WILL NEVER NEED TO WASTE MONEY ON ANOTHER TRAVEL GUIDE AGAIN.

Photo Cred: http://mcguirebarber.com/Rick-Steves — Photo Cred: http://mcguirebarber.com/Rick-Steves

WHO IS HE? Rick Steves is a native Washingtonian who has been writing travel guides and books and hosting shows and podcasts for over 30 years. Most of the locations he focuses on are in Europe, where he spends about 1/3 of the year doing research to ensure that the information he publishes is as current as possible.

WHAT DOES HE DO? He writes amazing travel guides for most European locations. The books provide his unbiased, unsponsored recommendations for where to eat, stay, sightsee and everything in-between. He even offers free podcasts that you can download, including walking tours of museums and cities.

WHY ARE HIS BOOKS BETTER? If you’re looking for a Fodors picture book, this aint it. Rick (we’re on a first name basis) only provides the information necessary to make the best decisions for your trip. As an American traveler, he tells you what you need to know when you need to know it, including what to look for on the menu and approximately how long you’ll be in line, with scary accuracy. Recommendations span across all budgets and styles of travel and is the only book I bring along these days. He’s never let me down on where to go or what to do and is always very honest when he thinks a place isn’t worth visiting.

So next time you’re planning a trip to Europe, sit in one of the few Barnes and Nobles left and check out his books. If it seems like it’s your style, pick it up and thank me later… or write me a massive check – whatever you prefer.

Be a Souvenir Savvy Traveler

March 3, 2014 Aimee Slade

MOST PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH FIGURING OUT WHAT TO BRING HOME FROM AN EPIC TRIP TO A NEW LAND AND USUALLY END UP WITH A MAGNET OR RANDOM TOURISTY TRINKET THEY PICKED UP OFF THE STREET. THEN, IN TWO YEARS IT ENDS UP IN A PILE TO THE GOODWILL BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE HECK IT IS! STOP THE MADNESS AND FOLLOW A FEW SIMPLE TIPS THAT HAVE SERVED ME WELL OVER THE YEARS.

Forgo the obvious items that say "FIRENZE" or "I HEART NYC" and stick to pieces that you can use in your everyday life. For example, I have a bathmat from Venice and a tea set from Morocco. Not only is it practical, it's fun to say, "oh I picked it up in Italy" when someone asks where they can get one just like it.
Focus on one thing you like and buy that for yourself (and others) everywhere you go. My husband and I drink a lot of tea, so we always look for tea that comes from the region and we try to bring some back for friends and family. Not only do they appreciate that it isn't an embarrassing burden they have to display in their house, they now bring tea back for us when they take a trip.
It doesn't have to be a 'forever' item. Sometimes the best keepsakes can be enjoyed for a period of time to then give you an excuse to go back and get more. I collect salts, yes salts as in a cooking ingredient. I have a huge collection of different varieties that come from all over the world that I can use to prepare meals and reminice about our time spent. The salts run out eventually and then I start making future plans to get more! Don't you love how that works? Think of other food items you could enjoy... jam, pasta, honey, wine, even cheeses.
If it doesn't fit, ship! On our honeymoon, I somehow convinced Colin to lug around an 18 piece plate set all over Italy for 3 weeks... if you've ever been on a train in Europe you know how difficult that is! After our marriage made it through that, we vowed to ship stuff that we couldn't fit or that was too heavy. It isn't cheap, but isn't as bad as you would think and can save a world of hassle. Don't make the mistake of shipping items that won't make it through customs or you'll never see it again. Tip: if you have any friends that live on a US military base overseas - they get US prices no matter where it's going!