Overcoming Homesickness

Hey travel gurus!

 If you’re reading this you’re probably a human being and as amazing as it is being a part of the most evolutionary advanced species on Earth, it can be quite trivial coping with the emotional intricacies that us people face on a daily basis. Whether it’s feeling depressed about unreciprocated love or crying over the fact that your brother ate the slice of cake you hid in the fridge, it can often seem like we are crippled by our emotions. This is definitely evident in the phenomenon known as homesickness.

Even the most daring of adventurers and long term travelers face the urge of wanting to go home or settle down and be content with life. Everybody has a little part of them that is happy to be a homebody and this is because it holds appeal to our inertly programmed favoring of feelings of security and consistency. So how do you deal with homesickness? Although it may seem like an easy burden to get rid of, dealing with homesickness can be mentally and emotionally crippling, preventing you from enjoying a wonderfully opportunistic trip. Here, I’ll briefly touch up on what you can do to let go of this depressing thought bubble and enjoy your adeventure.

The best way to deal with homesickness in my experience is to anticipate the feeling and prepare for it before your trip. Keeping something of value to you with you on your trip with give you a mental connection to your beloved home. If you have technology, use it! Whether it’s facetime on your phone or Skype on your computer, seeing your beloved ones can help remind that they’re still there and still love you. And the most effective thing you can do is change your mindset, although this is much easier said than done. Force yourself to think more optimistically and rationally. Chances are  you’re in a beautiful place and worrying about what’s going on back home or what could happen to you isn’t logically sensible.

Thanks for reading gurus, hope you’re able to let go more and have fun!

Taz

Taking a Walk

Hey travel gurus!

Taking a walk can be a great way to get in some local travel while also getting a chance to enjoy the wonderful outdoors! Today's post will aim at convincing to get off your lazy butt and enjoy a fun activity that offers unique rewards year round.

1 - Walking is a moderate but effective form of exercise. If you aren't a gym junkie, walking is not only a great gateway to entering into a healthy lifestyle, it can be accommodated to fit the athletic needs of anyone at any physical fitness level. Walking helps burn fat, reduce resting heart rate and increase stamina. Walking long distances helps increase muscle mass and even when walking does not become fulfilling enough, you have its cousin, jogging, to get to know better! Overall walking is great for getting your body in shape, increasing endorphin flow/energy level and setting you up for a healthy lifestyle.

2 - Walking is a great way to experience the world around you. Whether it's in your local park or along the shores of the Pacific Ocean, walking is the best option to get the full firsthand experience of wherever you’re staying. When you walk you can be fully present in the moment knowing you’re at the core of wherever you’re staying. Walking allows you to experience a panoramic point of view of wherever you are adventuring. Walking can also give you an opportunity to get to know your surroundings and help you find new points of interest no matter where you are. Many natural hotspot or hidden restaurants can be found through walking and hopefully become the setting for future memories and traditions.

3 – Walking is a great transportation option. Within reason of course, walking is a very practical substitute for some of the commutes you make whether on vacation or during your daily commutes. Especially in a big city, walking can prove to be much more efficient and fulfilling than driving your own car or catching an overpriced cab. Taking a vehicle in this case would probably be much slower and costlier than just getting on your two feet to walk. Even if you don’t live in a bustling metropolis, it can prove very rewarding to substitute at least one commute with walking or even biking. Like stated before, walking can help increase exercise in your daily schedule and help you find new pots to explore.

Overall, walking is a very rewarding option for small scale travel and will put your feet to good use.

Hope this was useful

Spring Break Bonanza

Spring Break is the stereotypical epitome of fun in the sun and letting loose in a foreign setting. However, spring breaking isn’t always as easy as it you may think, or as carefree as you believe the preparation process. To help you get through the vacation with a good experience and some money left in your bank account, here are some tips to help you with your spring adventures.

1.)    Choose your destination wisely. As obvious as it may seem to choose a tropical getaway to escape to during Spring break, try to pick a place that best suits your situation and needs. If that is a warm island retreat that’s okay but try to think outside the box and try something new. You might want to choose a place with more cultural substance or one that offers more hands-on activities that go beyond laying on the beach all day. Make sure to consider who’s going on the trip with you and what might appeal to them. Another point to check off your list is your financial capability and what you can afford. Remember that spring break is only a couple of weeks in the year and if you can only afford one big trip, save it for the summer. The cost of traveling during spring break can also be brought down by choosing a unique location, being frugal with your food and hotel choices and picking airplane transportation at the right time which you can read about in my previous blog post Timely Travel.

2.)    Choose the right companions. Spring Break is a rare opportunity to relax and experience new things within the year so make sure that you spend it with people that matter to create an experience that is meaningful for all. Whether you choose your friends or family members, pick people that won’t detract from the positivity this trip will bring or make you look back on the trip as a good time spent with bad people.

3.)    Let loose and make the most of what you have. Vacationing at any time should be a stress reducer but particularly during spring break, when you finally a have chance to escape from the world of corporate jobs and test cramming.  Be sure that wherever you go that you treat the situation with a positive and thankful attitude. This way, no matter how big or small your trip, you’ll have the satisfaction and clear mind you need to tackle on your cycle of a life once again.

Hope this helped with all your spring breaking concerns!

Taz

Timely Travel

Hey travel gurus!

Traveling can be a big expense both financially and physically on a person and for that reason, one of the most commonly asked questions about travelling is when it is the best time to travel, especially by plane. Depending on your priorities there are two answers. Whether you are more concerned with economic costs or physical efficacy is going to greatly change when you will want to travel and book a trip to the airport.

If your biggest worry is the cost and you aren’t as concerned with when you travel, a great way to book the cheapest flight is to look for dead zones. Dead zones are detected patterns of low activity in flights/flight booking. This makes airports and airline companies reduce the price of tickets to correlate with supply and demand of the market. Basically, certain times throughout the year and even within the week hold low airfare activity and therefore result in decreased ticket prices. The general dead zones within the year include the first two weeks of December, the second part of January, and most spring months (excluding the spring break period in March and April). These times of the year hold the lowest ticket prices and insure a lower cost than traveling at other more popular times of the year.

If you can’t change the time of year that you need to travel in, then pay attention to price decreases within the week. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest times of the week to book a flight and will therefore help you save a little money while traveling during a busy period, or help get a ridiculously cheap ticket during the unpopular months of traveling.

Obviously, if you are more concerned with having a more pleasurable travel experience, then traveling during the spring or summer will prove to be the most rewarding. With better weather and more business open at later hours, that time period is the best time to travel and have a more pleasurable experience.

I got my information from farecompare.com so if you want to check out more on the subject, click this link (http://www.farecompare.com/travel-advice/cheap-airline-tickets-dead-zones/#/)

Thanks for your read, I really appreciate it!

Taz

Traveling in a Winter Wonderland

Hey travel gurus!

For some (actually most), the bitter cold of the winter season makes us want to do little more than cuddle up on our sofas and drink hot chocolate and eat the most unhealthy food items this world has to offer. Although everyone occasionally needs this type of stress and consequence free time in their lives, it shouldn't become a routine, especially if there are great things out there waiting to be experienced during the winter time.

1.) Sledding. Sledding on the slopes is a great way to get physical activity in your schedule while also having fun and enjoying the unique weather conditions. You don’t need me to tell you how much fun gliding down a soft mountain of snow with the brisk air hitting your face is. Heading out on the nearest hill and going for a sled can be a great way to spend your day and nothing is better than cuddling up with those you love for hot cocoa afterwards. Honestly why aren’t you sledding right now? Just stop whatever you’re doing right now and go. Nothing bad can come out of it.

2.) Festivals. If the city you’re living usually has a snowy winter, chances are there is a winter festival somewhere nearby. These functions can be a magical way to spend your winter day and involve activities suitable for all. Outdoor such as winter sports, sledding, tractor tours, and indoor activities such as food tastings, auctions, crafts and theatrical shows can usually be found. These are a great way to spend time with those you love and can help you embrace the winter spirit rather than living in denial in your room watching Netflix.

3.) Stay inside. Sometimes, there is nothing you truly want more than to just stay home and watch movies which is a great idea in and of itself. And some days the weather just might not allow for an outdoor endeavor. Group together some special people or go solo and pick out some movies and yummy treats to enjoy during you cozy night in. Make some warm drinks, play some games and just enjoy the simplicity of having fun with the people you love most at home.

4.) Travel somewhere else. If all else fails and nothing can truly make you appreciate the winter time then going someplace warner can be a nice and much hotter break from the bitter cold you have to live in every day. If your budget isn’t big enough to allow a monthly trip to the Bahamas, try to look for nearby states that are having better luck in terms of weather than you are. A rustic and simple road trip may be just what you need to feel happy during the winter season.

I hope this helped in giving you ideas on how to do more during the winter and motivate to get up, go out and do more with your life, even in the coldest days of the year.

Stay toasty and have fun!

Taz

Getting in the Groove

Hey gurus!

Traveling is a great thing, as you probably have decided from reading my blog this far. However, the exhilarating experience can make it hard to get back in to the swing of things after returning home. It can be easy to lose focus during school or work and find yourself on the exotic beach you spent the last week tanning on. You can even become depressed and look at your life as a boring cycle after renewing your sense of living. With these tips, I hope you can find the transition back into the real world much easier after your traveling adventure.

1.)  Consciously make an effort to focus on the positives - It can be easy to lament on your trip and focus on the negatives. The fact that it wasn’t everything you hoped for, it was way shorter than you expected and you’re already back in your crammed office can make the return home that much harder. Instead, combat every negative thought that pops up with a positive counter argument. You didn’t have the chance to do all the activities you wanted to? Try and remember the fun things you did get to do and focus your energy on those moments. Feel depressed that it’s over? Be thankful that you got the chance to have such an amazing time in the first place be happy that you got to experience something a lot of other people don’t have the opportunity to. Sad to be home? Enjoy the luxuries that come with being able to stay in your own home and follow your own schedule and desires and come to terms with the fact that all things come to an end at one point or another

2.)  Explore fun options at home – Coming home from a whirlwind of fun and new experiences can make it hard for even the most positive person to not compare their time there versus now at home. Instead of succumbing to the negative feelings you’re feeling, find new things to keep you occupied. Find a new sport or activity that you enjoy doing and will keep you happy and busy. Not only will you be able to find a new long-term hobby, but doing something in your spare hours will keep you from finding time to think about how much you miss the trip.

3.)  Keep looking forward – If you’ve traveled once, chances are you’ll be doing it again. Rather than keeping your mind on your past trip, make an effort to plan for a new adventure. Whether it is somewhere vastly different from where you’ve been or an exact replica of your past trip, you’ll have something to look forward to. Through this, you’ll hopefully be able to keep your mind on something positive and have the chance to make amazing new memories.

Thanks for reading and hope this helped!

Taz