“Are you looking for inspiration?” he said. I nodded as he gave my passport a beating with a green stamp. “Well, good luck.” I wasn’t exactly sure what border control had in mind. Was it a good “good luck” or one more of sarcasm? It quickly didn’t matter as my days in Ireland came and went. After spending a month in the country traveling solo, I am now a firm believer in taking a trip alone, however big or small. While the customs agent was referring to my occupation as a writer, for me, the inspiration I was looking for was not just for my job but also for myself. Solo travel can only make Continue Reading
Exploring Travel and Home in Sagres, Portugal
The Romans referred to Sagres, Portugal as the Promontorium Sacrum, the end of the world. Sagres upholds that world’s end attitude as you stand on the cliffs of Cabo de Sao Vicente in Portugal’s Algarve region, the most southwesterly point in Europe. With connections to Portugal’s rich nautical past, this section of Portugal lends the closest form to understanding travel and home in one for me. Prince Henry the Navigator supposedly built a fortified town here along with a school of navigation. He was also thought to have a home here and to have died in Sagres in 1460. Whether it is fact Continue Reading
The Art of Hotel Housekeeping
If you have ever stayed at a hotel, you know there is always that possibility an artist may grace your room. Not only is your room made up for you, every 12 year old’s dream, but you may also find a surprise on your bed, a work of art. A few weeks ago, I realized housekeeping art is largely under-appreciated. Little is known about how these men or women create their work of art on your pillow. Whether it is chocolates arranged in a pattern or some sort of animal made out of towels, where do these people learn their trade? How long does it take to create these pillowcase works of art? In Continue Reading
Inconclusive Opinions About All Inclusive Resorts
A pool swirls around outside my balcony. The waves of the Pacific rock me to sleep at night. Unlimited food, towels and sun seem to be the motto at all inclusive resorts. Not that I’m complaining about these perks, but I keep having this sensation I am somewhat trapped here. I look around the pool at my all-inclusive resort in Ixtapa, Mexico. The crowd is mostly English speaking, but a few Mexican tourists seem to have come here for a winter break. I can hardly believe it’s winter here as I load up on my SPF 70 sunscreen. Older couples and families make up this crowd. Toss in a few Continue Reading
To There and Back With No Postcards To Prove It
Sicily is a place you can’t really escape after visiting. I was putty in Sicily’s hands, returning after just a year of being away. I found myself back where I started, but not. I was looking for a “slow travel” day. Alone on an island, I felt somewhat useless. If I have a day here and there when I travel where I don’t get out and see the world, I feel like I have let myself and the place down. As a result, one gray day, I boarded a train to Ragusa to go see, as they say. Not really knowing much about the city, I sat in the Siracusa station as construction workers kept trying to make eye Continue Reading
The Solo Travel Fraud
With a heavy southern accent, an older man approaches me at the airport. “I’m going to follow you little lady because I don’t know where I’m going. I can’t hear the announcements.” I laugh and say I will alert him when the plane starts to board. My flight on the eve of New Year’s Eve is set to go out in Denver’s first blizzard of the winter. The airline employees keep doing a song and dance of “let’s board, then let’s not.” I can see why the man was confused. Once boarding is called, I motion my friend traveling solo it’s time to get on the plane. He shuffles behind me like some child that Continue Reading
Redheaded Travel Mishaps of 2010
In travel, moments of pure serenity, unending calm and satisfaction occur. Those moments when you realize why you travel are what help most part with home. I am no different, but I tend to find the mishaps of travel all the more rewarding. A travel mishap, in theory, may sound like something you avoid. Being scammed on the streets of Mumbai isn’t really high on a traveler’s list. However in those failures, when the travel world shows it true colors, I learn the most about myself and even more about why I travel. Throughout 2010, I have had my fair share of travel mishaps, things Continue Reading