Travel – Page 20 – Life In Limbo

Dubrovnik, Croatia

July 4, 2013

Dubrovnik was totally magical. Everywhere you turn, you're greeted by a view more beautiful than the last. It's picture-perfect. I think I wore myself out going on and on about how gorgeous everything was.

We stayed at a quiet apartment about 15 minutes by bus away from the Old Town, and we had the most gracious and friendly hosts (we booked through AirBnb) and the perfect view from our terrace.

We spent our (relatively short) time in Dubrovnik wandering, exploring, sightseeing, swimming, and soaking in all the beauty. It was at times overly crowded in the city but we made the most of our hosts' recommendations and had the most fabulous time. Our last night, we wandered over to the more distant Sveti Jakov beach, which is 80 steps down from the main road, and swam and sunbathed with all of Dubrovnik Old Town stretched out in front of us, and then watched the sun set. It was perfect.

Also notable from our time in Dubrovnik was my experience cliff jumping, my discovering lemon beer (more like lemonade), drinking cold water from the city's fountain, walking the city walls at sunset, seeing all the stray cats around the Old Town (remarkably clean-looking, though not too friendly), and swimming in the clear, cold waters of the Adriatic Sea.

I totally loved Dubrovnik, it was the perfect place to start our trip.

Favourites:

Restaurant Kamenice: the Old Town of Dubrovnik is pretty busy and can be overwhelming at times. This restaurant is central, serves great food (seafood and local Dalmatian fare) and is reasonably priced. We had this on recommendation from our hosts!
Sveti Jakov Beach: about a 15-20 minute walk from the nearest beach to Dubrovnik (owned by EastWest club, which is a two minute walk from the East Gate). We got lost the first time we tried to walk here, but undeterred we tried again the following day and were rewarded wonderfully! This beach is completely perfect.
Walking the city walls at dusk: it's far too hot and crowded during the day, but perfect as the sun is setting.
Restaurant Nishta: vegetarian restaurant, in Croatia! Crazy. Funny story, “nishta” means “nothing” in Croatian..but the food here was completely delicious, and I loved the organic blackberry wine.

FAQs About My Trip

June 21, 2013

It’s possible that writing a FAQ post comes off as totally pretentious, because my blog is not that big and I’m not at all famous and I don’t get asked that many questions. However, I think the Q-and-A format is a good way to summarize things without rambling on and on, so here we are. Plus, since I’m not really frequently asked questions on the blog, I’m going to mix in the questions that I am frequently asked in real life, by everyone from my Grandma’s favourite butcher to my ex-landlord.

What is this Great Safe Adventure you continually refer to?

It’s a reference from one of my most favourite books, Come, Thou Tortoise. I reviewed it here! The phrase makes me feel that the trip is (exactly as it sounds): both adventurous and safe at the same time. It brings it down a notch in my brain from “Terrifying, All-New Adventure”.

How long are you travelling for?

Three months! Beginning of July to the first week of October.

Are you travelling with friends or alone?

Both, actually. I am starting my trip with a friend of mine, and meeting up with friends who live in Berlin and Paris along the way! For the remainder of my trip, I’m going solo, but I’ve read that I’ll make friends wherever I go, so I doubt I’ll ever really be alone (unless I want to be!).

Are you scared to travel alone?

Yes and no. I’m not the kind of person who minds being alone (in fact, I love it), but I am a little nervous about navigating foreign metro systems and finding my way in cities where I don’t know the language. But I firmly believe that getting outside of your comfort zone every once in a while is the only way to grow as a person, so I’m feeling the fear and doing it anyways.

How can you afford this kind of trip?

I have been saving up for a long time. When I was living in and going to school in Montreal, I was waitressing at a busy restaurant, which means I was able to make enough money to take myself on this post-grad trip. I’ll also be on a fairly strict budget the whole time.

What are you packing? How much luggage are you bringing for a three month trip?

I’m bringing just one bag! Read more about my decision to travel with a carry-on bag only here. You can also see my full packing list (with photos!) here.

Where are you going?

Lots of places! Croatia (Dubrovnik, Korcula, Hvar, Split), Berlin, Paris, San Sebastian, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Girona, Montpellier, Marseilles, Nice, Cinque Terre, Venice, Florence, Rome, Sorrento, and Wales.

Why aren’t you going to X country? Why aren’t you going to more places?

Italy, Spain, and the South of France were at the very top of my list from the moment I started planning this adventure. I have always wanted to visit them, so they were my absolute top priorities this trip. Croatia, because the friend I’m travelling with is Croatian, speaks the language and raves about the coast! And I’m visiting friends in Berlin and Paris. The rest of the cities sort of fell into place based on recommendations from travel blogs and the routes that the trains run in Europe!

As for the number of places, I think I’m going to have plenty to keep me busy! I’m spending more nights in the cities that I am the most excited about (Paris, Lisbon, Barcelona, Florence, Rome) and in the cities where I am being graciously hosted (Berlin, Penarth, Wales). This timeline feels right to me – I didn’t want to be always rushing around, I wanted to try to experience each city as much as possible.

Why aren’t you going for longer? You could get a job waitressing or as an au pair!

I know I could. And don’t get me wrong, the idea really appeals to me! Who knows, maybe I’ll find a job and not come back (I haven’t bought my return plane ticket yet, but I’m keeping money aside for that) – it’s possible and it may very well happen! I don’t have any other plans or job prospects, so I have no real reason to come home except for running out of money along the way. So we will see. Considering this is my first big trip on my own, I am not making any decisions regarding jobs abroad until I’ve done a bit of travelling by myself and gotten my feet wet, so to speak. I’ve got to get my traveller’s legs before I decide!

What kinds of things are you most excited about doing?

Wandering around, people-watching, eating (of course!), reading, writing, taking lots of photos, seeing beautiful things, gelato.

Throughout the whole trip, do you think you will be blogging?

Definitely! I’ve downloaded an app to help me out with the process, and I’m hoping to update the blog fairly regularly. I can’t say for sure how often it’ll be, but a good bet is that I’ll update when I’m on long train ride travel days. So stay tuned for lots of photos (with captions, as a friend of mine insisted!).

Got any more questions for me? Ask away in the comments below or on Twitter, @spellett!

What to Pack to Backpack Through Europe

June 20, 2013

The Trip: I’m backpacking through Europe for 3 months, spanning the summer and early fall. I’m travelling with a carry-on bag only, and you can read more about why I came to that decision (and find a link to the bag if you’re interested) here. My travels are mainly focused on the more balmy mediterranean countries, but I’ll still be there as it starts to get chilly, so I’ve packed enough layers to see me through different temperatures.

Great Resources: My list of what to pack when backpacking through Europe is inspired by a lot of wonderful lists I found online. OneBag is the mother of all packing lists, with great recommendations and detailed explanations for each item – definitely start there. While I didn’t pack everything he has on his list, Rick Steves knows what he’s talking about when it comes to packing for Europe. I really liked Peanut Butter Fingers’ post for inspiration about what clothes to pack – she’s more my age than some of the other blogs, so it’s a bit more of an accessible post. Her Packing List has a huge resource page for a plethora of different packing lists for all over the world in all seasons. Finally, Never Ending Voyage has a great packing list for carry-on travel.

The List:

Clothes

Three cardigans (two long-sleeved, one 3/4-sleeves)
Two plain t-shirts (one navy blue, one black)
Three shirts (all short sleeves)
Five tank tops + 1 sleep shirt (not pictured)
Bras, underwear, socks, black tights
One long sleeved striped shirt (not pictured)

*Two Eagle Creek packing cubes

Two skirts
Black leggings
Five dresses (one not pictured)
Two pairs of pants (one pair of jeans, one pair of khakis) and a belt

Knee-length running shorts
Long-sleeved running top
Bikini top
One-piece swimsuit
Two bikini bottoms

Jacket: light weight and water-resistant
Sunglasses
Purse with shoulder strap

Toms
New Balance Minimus running shoes
Crocs flats: these are completely washable and quick-drying, so I’m planning to use them as shower shoes, water shoes, or flats

*The reason some things aren’t pictured is because I added them at the last minute, post photoshoot!

Toiletries

Top Row: Headband, bandaids, Advil, earplugs, hair elastics, floss, razor blade, matches, soap flakes

Second Row: L.L. Bean Toiletries Case, headlamp, whistle, USB drive, eye mask, Light My Fire spork, comb, toothbrush, Diva Cup, padlock

Third Row: Dr. Bronner’s Lavender All-Purpose Soap, 2 bottles Clear Care contact solution, sunscreen, Polysporin, toothpaste, Tide-to-Go pen, conditioner, Lafe’s deodorant, contact lens case, Q-tips, razor.

*Not pictured, because I forgot: concealer, blush, and mascara

Technology

Chargers for my camera, iPad and phone
Earphones
MicroSD to iPad connector (to upload photos)
European adaptor
Camera remote
ONA Roma Bag: a camera bag insert that fits into my purse and protects my camera
iPad Mini (a graduation gift from my Dad)
Unlocked iPhone 4
Not pictured (because I was using it!): Nikon D90 + 35mm f.18 lens

Miscellaneous

Waterproof bag: for carrying phone, keys, wallet while swimming if I’m at the beach on the solo part of my trip
Sea to Summit Silk sleep sack: lightweight travel sheets (doubles as a blanket on trains)
Travel towel
Passport
Travel wallet and change purse
Moneybelt
Pens, washi tape (for anchoring memorabilia into my notebook), and a notebook.
A small beach towel (not pictured)

I am going to be wearing one pair of shoes and packing the third. I’m also going to be wearing my jacket when travelling between cities (or at least carrying it) but if it’s too hot, it fits, folded into the front pocket of the bag. My shirts + running clothes all roll up nicely and fit into my large packing cube. All my other clothes get rolled up and packed in the bottom of the suitcase along with my travel towel and sleep sack. In my purse I’ll carry my camera and other electronics, unless their are flight restrictions in which case I’ll pack everything inside the bag.

It closes like a charm! For most airlines, you’re permitted a carry-on plus a purse or camera bag. I’ve heard that some European budget airlines (Ryanair/Easyjet) are strict about allowing only one piece of luggage. In the event of that happening, I will still have enough space in my bag to pack my purse inside. The water bottle is a Vapur bottle I can also stow away if I have to.

And there you have it: my home for the next three months! I love how compact it is, and how everything has its proper place inside.

For this trip, I’ve omitted a few things that most long-term travel blogs recommend: a rubber doorstop (I’m staying in multi-person dorms, so it wouldn’t make sense), a travel clothesline, a well-stocked first aid kit, etc.

What are your travel necessities? What have you packed and then later decided was unnecessary? Have you travelled with only carry-on luggage before? Any tips about how to make my trip go more smoothly?

Let me know in the comments below!

Travel Jitters

May 30, 2013

Lately, my days feel pretty similar. There's an underlying feeling of stress, a current of urgency running through me as I wake up, make myself food, and try to curb panic by planning and selling and booking and researching. I feel like I do nothing all day, but it's my brain that's doing all the work, problem solving constantly, looking for answers to the questions I only just came up with a few minutes before. It would be impossible to break it down and explain all the little successes and solutions I've discovered after a half hour of Google searches, or to outline all the times I've searched for an hour and still didn't find any easy answer (donating books in Montreal, I mean honestly.) I know this is coming out sounding more dramatic than I want it to, but it's actually the opposite of dramatic. I'm surprised to discover that this time in my life, one of the most crazy periods of change that I've experienced thus far – it's a lot more like a slow boil, a quiet, solitary time.

My apartment is getting sparser, day by day. My plans are getting more solid, my travel itinerary is coming together. Last night, I had a small attack of doubt, when I began questioning my decision to stay in one city longer than another, and whether I had chosen the right places in the first place, and feeling down about how somewhat arbitrary my plans suddenly felt. But I just breathed, and decided that none of that mattered because really, life is sort of arbitrary, isn't it? The courses I chose for my degree were arbitrary, to some extent, but I still graduated. Life is a process of arbitrary trial and error, I decided, then went to sleep. I feel slightly better this morning.

Since none of this traveling has begun yet, and since I don't have that much experience with travelling, let alone by myself, I think part of the problem is that I have no real idea what it's going to be like for me. I have to just go on the accounts of friends and bloggers and my imagination and faith that its going to be, like everyone says, the best experience of my life. Since it still feels so surreal and far-off and unimaginable, I occasionally get bogged down by all the researching and decisions and forget that these are real places I'm going to experience, these are real ocean-side towns and real tapas and real cliffs for jumping off of. But even if I still struggle to actually picture myself doing any of the things I'm planning, do them I will, in just 30-odd days. I know in my heart what an incredible time I'm going to have, and how lucky I am, and how beautiful and life-changing it will be, and I'm trying to hold those feelings tighter than I hold the feelings of uncertainty. But to say I wasn't feeling a little uncertain or scared would be to lie to you. I just gotta keep it real!

I also want to put out the call: I'm taking with me one backpack and all the advice and recommendations I can get. So if you have any general travel tips, specifically European travel tips, recommendations for hostels/restaurants/attractions in Paris, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Girona, the south of France, or anywhere in Italy (I'm planning on visiting most of the major cities) – let me know! I would love to hear your travel stories and advice.

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