Month: February 2016

February 29, 2016

When Quitting Your Job to Travel Is Just a Fantasy

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For someone who just started a travel blog, I’m not the most worldly person. Hell, I haven’t even been to Europe. Most of the places I’ve traveled to have been within US borders. There is a lot to experience in the United States, and I’ve had a blast exploring my vast, diverse country. However, I get overwhelmed when I imagine all of the places in the world I haven’t seen yet. At 29 years old, I have my whole life ahead of me, but sometimes that doesn’t seem long enough.

It makes one want to live the nomad life. Quit your job! Move to Jamaica and be a scuba diving instructor! Move to a bungalow in the South of France and write freelance! In this connected world, you can live and work wherever you desire. Never before has the old cliche “the world is your oyster” ringed so true.

There’s no shortage of articles online that tout this lifestyle. One woman quit her high-paying journalist job to start a new life in St. John. BBC.com has a page dedicated to advice from those who have taken the plunge. And Elite Daily’s rather harshly titled “6 Reasons Why Not Quitting Your Job to Travel Is A Waste of Your Life” will make you feel like you’re, well, wasting your life.

I’m not saying that the people who have quit their jobs to travel or to live on exotic islands don’t deserve praise. They did what made them happy, said to hell with the haters, and were true to themselves. Their courage inspires me.

But for the majority of us, it may not be practical or possible, whether because of financial constraints, family commitments, or simply a fear of the unknown. Many of us will dismiss this notion as a mere pipe dream.

I’m an ordinary person with an ordinary job. Like many, I only have a certain amount of time off each year. I’m not complaining; I do just fine. In fact, I’m grateful for the stability and financial security my job affords me.

This is security and stability that, at the end of the day, I just don’t want to give up. No matter how appealing it seems to travel from country to country without a plan and a schedule, I doubt that it’s for me. I think of my job, my apartment, my friends, and nearby family as my foundation, and traveling offers me the life experiences I need to build on top of it. In other words, I like the relative certainty of my everyday life and that I have the flexibility to see the world a couple of times a year.

If you’re thinking of leaving your job to live the full-time traveler life, I encourage you to follow your dreams. It’ll be difficult, scary, fun, beautiful, and exhilarating, and I hope you’ll share your experiences, good and bad, with the world. I’ll be here, living vicariously through you from my apartment share in Boston, and planning my next adventure.

 

February 23, 2016

What To Do on the Coldest Day of the Year

This Valentine’s Day, my good friend was kind enough to agree to be my valentine and let me drag her to whatever my idea of fun is. February 14, 2016 was the coldest day on record in the Northeast United States this year, with temperatures plummeting below zero. This is the type of cold that you feel in your bones, that makes your eyes water, and chills your lungs. But that didn’t stop these native New Hampshire women from bundling up and making the trek to the Ice Castles in Lincoln, NH!

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The Ice Castles, which were started in Utah and have locations there as well as in Minnesota and Alberta, Canada, add another element of mystique to Lincoln. The tiny, unassuming town is nestled in the White Mountains of NH and is already home to Clark’s Trading Post, Hobo Railroad, Mount Pemigewasset Trail (aka Indian Head, the “other” Old Man in the Mountain, may he rest in peace), among others. It’s also a popular destination for skiers, with Loon Mountain close by.

Lincoln is an easy drive north on I-93, and we were there in about 90 minutes, coming from the Manchester, NH, area. Tickets for the Ice Castles can be purchased online or onsite, but keep in mind that you need to choose the time slot at which you will arrive. You pick a 30 minute window but can stay as long as you want once you’re there.

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Our slot was for 12:30 to 1, and we arrived just after 12:30. The Ice Castles are actually built at the site of the Hobo Railroad, which is closed during the winter. My heart sank when I saw there was a line out the door, it being -35 degrees with the wind chill and all, but thankfully, it moved quickly. Checking in is easy: staff scan your QR code on your phone or your paper ticket, you then sign a waiver (you can read more on that in their FAQ section), and you’re ready to go.

The ice sparkled in the bright sunshine that day, which seemed to define every nook and crevice of the sculpture. I can imagine that many young girls (and some boys) think this is a life-size replica of Elsa’s ice palace in Frozen. Once you walk through the entrance of the structure, it is pretty wide open, with a few small tunnels for children to crawl through and larger ones that adults can walk through standing up (see above).

DSC01911Speaking of Frozen, as my friend and I walked on the packed snowy ground, a string ensemble version of “Let It Go” began playing. A wise choice, as many grown-ups are probably nauseated by that song by now, but the wordless string version was a pleasant backdrop for strolling through the castle.

The Ice Castles pack plenty of sass while educating its guests about the castle-making process, as shown in the handful of signs placed around the structure:

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By far, though, the best part of this attraction was the ice slide! Adults and kids alike grab mats and slide down a roughly 50 foot long slide made of ice. There was a line, but it moved quickly, plus you’re surrounded by gleaming icicles to marvel at while you wait. The slide is a nice touch; it’s fun for even the most thrill-averse person.

After about 30-40 minutes wandering through the Ice Castle, my feet were getting numb. I wore wool socks, but without an insulated pair of boots at home, I opted to wear sneakers. Sneakers are fine for walking in the Ice Castle; you won’t slip. But if you visit on a day with subzero temperatures, I suggest warm boots.

The Ice Castles are a great alternative to more extreme winter activities and a lot of fun for the kids. It also may be best to go at night when the castle is lit up in different colors. The Ice Castles are not the kind of attraction at which you can spend hours upon hours, but it is a nice place to stop if you are in the Lincoln area. Take a break from your ski trip and enjoy a stroll through a frozen wonderland.

February 15, 2016

Sarasota: A Remedy for Heartache

 

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My recently pedicured feet indulging in possibly the softest sand in the country.

I needed a break. February 2015 was a dark month for me. Between a breakup, my faithful 17-year-old cat’s death, frigid temperatures, and relentless snowstorms pummeling the city, I felt as if I was being buried under the enormous snow piles lining Boston’s sidewalks. I needed to escape this cold, claustrophobic hell and forget about life for a few days.

Thank God for friends who live in Florida!

My lifeline to warmth and sanity came in the form of a phone call from a college friend approximately 28 minutes after my boyfriend and I broke up. Her timing couldn’t have been more perfect (or horrible, depending on how you look at it).

She had moved to Florida with her retiree parents about two years prior and was calling to catch up. When she asked the inevitable “How is so-and-so” question, I managed to blubber into the phone that we had just broken up–“just” being an understatement. After some consoling on her part and more crying on mine, she proposed that I come down for a visit. I told her to name the soonest available weekend and I’d be there.

Within 3 weeks, I flew to Sarasota. I nearly kissed the ground as I walked out of the airport. The grass was so green, the temperature perfect. In Boston, I had felt cramped, both by the burdens I was carrying in my mind and by the physical space disappearing under more and more snow outside. In Sarasota, I had room to breathe.

I couldn’t get to the beach fast enough. As anyone from a region that has winter knows, it’s liberating to be able to peel off your layers and feel the warm breeze and sunlight on your pale, chapped skin. Luckily, Sarasota is home to a few gems. In fact, the beach I ended up going to, Siesta Beach, was named the Best Beach in the US by TripAdvisor in 2015.

Now, I haven’t been to every beach in the US, but Siesta Beach does deserve recognition. The water was a gorgeous clear blue, and the beach itself is very clean. There is plenty of free parking, although I’m sure it fills up fast. The parking lot was nearly deserted when we got there, but it was a “cool” 72 degrees that day, so it may have been a bit too chilly for Floridians/snow birds to be hitting the beach!

The best part of this beach, though, is noticeable as soon as you set foot on it. The sand is 99% quartz ,so it is extremely soft, like powder, and doesn’t absorb heat.  I had a great time burying my feet in it and squishing it between my toes. I highly recommend this if you go. You may also want to take a nap in it. No towel or anything, just lie directly on the sand. Seriously, I’d go back to this beach in a heartbeat just for the sand.

Alas, I couldn’t squish my feet into Siesta Beach’s powdery sand forever. I was to return to Boston the following Monday. Although my visit to Sarasota didn’t cure my heartache, it provided a temporary salve for my wounds. It’s not feasible for me to hop on a plane every time life gets tough, but I’m grateful I was able to escape when I felt the weight of my world getting too heavy.

 

 

February 7, 2016

We’re on to Nashville

With the Superbowl taking place today, I borrowed a phrase from Patriots God — I mean coach — Bill Belichick for the title of this post. The Pats aren’t playing because they decided not to show up to the AFC Championship against the Broncos a couple of weeks ago, but with Peyton Manning all banged up and facing accusations of taking HGH, I’ll let him have his last rodeo.

But I digress.

Nashville. The next stop on my accidental tour of the US. The flights are booked for the end of June, so it’s official. We just have to figure out the minor details such as…hotel accommodations. We’ll just call this a work in progress.

So, what can my companions and I expect to see and do in the Music City in June? First, the obligatory tourist stuff:

  1. The Grand Ole Opry
  2. Country Music Hall of Fame
  3. The Johnny Cash Museum
  4. Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage
  5. RCA Studio B

And of course, the real reason we’re going: To eat and drink in a brand new city

More details to follow in the coming months!