Travel: The Hows & The Why

On a helicopter ride outside of Anchorage, Alaska

Why travel the world?

My first reason for traveling is simply that I wanted to see beautiful sights for myself. It wasn't enough to see Iceland through pictures or movies filmed there. I wanted to stand in front of these majestic sights and let my senses go wild. 

But I experienced something I hadn't counted on, which gave me more reasons to travel.

The biggest new insight I had was that outside of my little world, my body size didn't really matter. People don't look me in the face here. They see past me. It's not something I really notice until people started looking me in the face. I said in one of my videos that I thought it was a US thing, but then I went to New York City and found that sadly, it's a California thing. People acknowledge other people in the world. They look you in the eye and smile. People talk to you. I don't feel self conscious when I travel. I feel beautiful.

There's so much you can learn by experiencing another culture. Seeing how people live differently around the world is such an eye opening experience. After growing up in suburbia, seeing life in a rural community is a shock to the system or even comparing it to life in the city. 

In Central Park, NYC

As an educator, it's really changed me for the better on how I relate to children and what I think they are capable of. Here's a simple story: in New York and other cities, children show up to a basketball court with a basketball and some friends. They don't have referees or even adults watching them. In Alaska, basketball is the sport every child and adult plays. They bring a ball and show up. Again, no referees because they know the rules. So there I am at yard duty, and I'm told I really need to watch the basketball games cause they don't know what they are doing. But I don't. I glance over to check that they aren't fouling each other left and right but I don't need to watch them like a hawk. I've even given them compliments on their sportsmanship. Children all over this country play basketball. I trust the students here to do the same. If they don't, then we have a problem. 

I also realize that not everyone has the same life experience as me. It makes me less judgmental as a person. Life is not confined to my tiny bubble.

Actually, travel has increased my tiny bubble.  

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Myth: You need a lot of money to travel

I used to believe that. I surrounded my tiny house in Alaska with black & white posters from Paris, Venice, and New York. I figured that I would never go to those places because I didn't make a whole lot of money, and you need money to travel.

I dreamed of one day going to Paris. It was more than simply a bucket list item. I loved everything about Paris, the glamour, the sophistication, the elegance...etc. But my life was never heading in that direction. Or so I thought.

In Iceland

My travels started in Iceland. I had a crazy idea to just go after watching a movie filmed in Iceland. I had been saving my money for my move back to California. I decided to give myself the trip of a lifetime since I would never be able to afford something like that again. I booked my own flight, hotel, and day trips based around Reykjavik. I paid for the trip upfront. Because that's what I thought you did to travel.

I went by myself and had a great time. 

The only thing that I didn't like was I would be looking at something amazing...and I'd have the urge to turn to someone next to me and say, "Oh my god! Did you see that!?!" but strangers don't really like that....especially if you don't speak the same language.

And that was the extent of my travels. I had a really amazing adventure and I figured that was it. The highlight of my life.

Then my uncle died. He was married to my aunt who was a travel agent. My uncle left me some money. I figured I would be responsible with the money.

In front of the Trevi Fountain, Rome

Then I changed my mind. I figured what better way to honor my aunt than to see Paris. Minutes later, I booked a trip for London, Paris, and Rome. Then I called my sister-in-law and burst into tears. Because it wasn't real. I wasn't really going to Paris...but I was.

Again, I had the money.

I chose a tour group because I wanted to be with a group this time. That way, I could have a connection with my fellow travelers. Granted, I did no research into the group until after I booked with them. Turns out, they've been in the business for the last 50 years and the price was pretty good. I based it on my gut and my gut lead me in the right direction. 

But my tour group accepted payments. I didn't need the money up front. I didn't need to save up and then book. I could book the trip and then make monthly payments. 

In London

I DON'T NEED A LOT OF MONEY TO TRAVEL ~ I just need to budget the payments and set up the automatic payments. 

It was hard at first to readjust my budget but since I wanted to travel more, I had to make it a priority. So I did. That's the secret: if you want to travel, you have to make it a priority.

I booked a trip for this summer: I'm going to Paris, Venice, & Vienna. My trip will be paid off in May. It will take me about 18 months to pay it off but that's how I am able to go. A little patience goes a long way on this one. And I will be able to go on a big trip every other year.

Except next year, cause one of my big debts will be paid off in the next couple of months, so I'm celebrating with a trip to Portugal, Spain, & Morocco. Cause priorities. 

Since I'm using the same tour group, I've gotten discounts and they have a referral program! Here's the link if you wanna check them out: http://www.goaheadtours.com/account/create?referrer=c04df340-a886-4674-8d61-4a3c5389607f

So that's my hows & whys of traveling. It's taken me a bit to figure out how to make it happen, but now there's no stopping me!

In front of the Eiffel Tower, Paris

Keeping Up With the Adventures

I have made several attempts to reestablish this blog but none have taken hold. I start one direction and then I lose interest.

So, the question at the heart of the matter is: what do I want to blog about?

And the answer was: nothing.

I had even attempted a YouTube channel. You can see the videos, I'm not taking them down. But I lost interest in that as well. 

So I let everything just sit. I did nothing.

And then a random notification came up that someone had left a comment on one of my videos. Specifically, my video about traveling to Europe when you're plus sized. 

The comment read, "Thanks for posting this. I am going to Europe in a few months and am having crazy anxiety about it being plus size myself. I feel a bit more confident after watching this." 

And all of a sudden, I realized that I had done some good with my silly little YouTube experiment. Someone felt better after listening to what I had to say. I could not have been more flattered about that.

Which got me thinking, maybe I should keep using my voice and sharing my experiences. I'm not saying that I could change the world or anything, BUT I've already made a tiny difference, who's to say I can't do more?

This blog was at it's best when I wrote about my adventures. So I am bringing the focus back to where it used to be. I'm talking weekly updates, either looking to future adventures or ones I never wrote about. 

And there's so much to say!

Here's a look to the past:
*Hawaii
*moving to rural Alaska
*driving the Alaska Highway to move back
*Iceland
*the teardrop trailer experiment
*Disneyland
*Santa Monica/UCLA
*London
*Paris 
*Rome
*Las Vegas
*Stanford University area
*New York City/Columbia University

My upcoming adventures:
*Paris 2018
*Venice 2018
*Ljubljana, Slovenia 2018
*Vienna 2018
*Portugal 2019
*Spain 2019
*Morocco 2019

There might even be a Mexico trip slated for 2018 with my family but that is still in development. 

I'm not going to cover all of these adventures, as some of the colleges involved professional development for my teaching career and not that exciting but I am excited to bring my blog back to what it was originally designed to be...that feels good.

If you are interested in the video that started this post, you can view it here:




It's good to be back! Check for my updates on Sundays, starting this Sunday!

London

Lara in London

As I sit on the edge between summer and back to school, my inspirations are mixed...my trip, back to school, my trip, kindergarten....it's as it should be.

But I want to pay homage to my trip, as well I should. It was amazing. It really was once in a lifetime because I really don't care to go back to Rome again....but more about that in another post (don't worry, it was okay but I didn't LOVE it.)

So, London.....

I flew directly to London from San Francisco. I was nervous that I would need to ask for a seat belt extender which at that time, I thought would be the worst part of my trip. 

And I was mistaken...oh, not because I didn't need a seat belt extender, I was too large by an inch (but only an inch) but the universe chose to give me a lesson: being fat is not the worst thing can happen happen on a flight! 

Because these things can happen:

1) you can sit by a crying baby/toddler

2) you can sit next to a mansprawler (a man who sits with his knees spread wide apart)

3) you can sit next to a loud snorer

4) you can sit next to someone who twitches in his sleep

5) the plane can hit turbulence 

Or if you need a lesson in humility, ALL OF THESE THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU. I tried and I tried, but I got no sleep on that flight, despite my exhaustion.

Lesson learned, the next flight I needed an extender and it really didn't bother me. It became the least of my worries.

My hotel: Hilton Kensington

But I arrived in London and got to my hotel (Hilton Kensington) and after a quick nap, was ready to meet my tour group.

My tour directer's name was Pascal. He met my car wearing a linen suit and looking very much like a British professor. He seemed kind so I figured it would be a good and instructional trip.

At dinner, I met my groupmates. Most of the people were from Texas, a few were from Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey...I was the furtherest west from California. 

Everyone seemed pleasant and there were 3 teachers including me in the group.

My hotel was right by Notting Hill a few blocks away from a very wealthy part of London (William and Kate live there). London is pretty flat and it was easy to walk around my neighborhood. 

I had to wear an earpiece during my tours.

The first day, I walked with a family to a small grocery store a few blocks away. And I saw a woman who looked familiar. It was Julianne Moore. And it wasn't, "Oh, that looks like her." It WAS her! She was shopping with her family and at one point, I was in her way and she said "Excuse me." to me. She was dressed casually in a denim jacket and wearing a hat, but she was still beautiful. And oh so tiny. I mean height wise. I wanted to respect her privacy, so I pretended that I didn't recognize her. I did run to my travel companions for a "ohmygod! isawjuliannemoore! andshe'srightoverthere!" moment. 

My neighborhood

When I booked my tour, I didn't realize just how much free time I would have. The mornings were for tours and excursions but the afternoons were totally up to you. Which was good and kinda eh at the same time. 

I didn't really want to be alone that much. Not in a city. 

Don't worry, I had a good time, but I didn't feel like wondering around that much. I did a little bit, after my city tour of London, I was the first to venture away from my tour group (they went to Windsor Castle and I didn't want to, so Pascal took me aside to ask what I wanted to do and then told me how to do it.) So with Pascal's direction, I walked from Buckingham Palace to The London Eye as my excursion had been cancelled. I got to walk past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben on my way. The streets were super crowded with tourists but it was an easy walk. I also stopped in the Sea Life aquarium right by the London Eye. I got a deal on the price of the tickets. 

View of the Houses of Parliament from the London Eye

The London Underground

I took the Underground back to the hotel. The stop I had planned on taking was closed, so I took the one before it. I didn't realize that the stop after the closed one was a half block from my hotel but that's okay. I don't think my sense of direction was up to par with that one just yet. I just had to walk more that day, but it was a straight shoot from the station to the hotel. 

St. Paul's Cathedral

The next day, I took a tour of St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside but the day was beautiful and between churches, I stopped and had a snack at this little square where they had set up ping pong tables and people working in the nearby buildings started playing each other. 

One thing kinda bugged me about the tour. My local tour guide (not Pascal) for the day had another tour booked for Westminster Abbey later that day. Which would have been fine, but our bus driver got a little lost and she was running late. So she rushed Westminster. Hey fine, but after we saw Queen Elizabeth & and her sister, Queen Mary (known in history as Bloody Mary) burial spots, she rushed us to the Poet's Corner....right past Mary Queen of Scots, but not letting us go in. 

Westminster Abbey

Mary, Queen of Scots

If you've known me awhile, you'd know that I know my Tudor history, after all, thanks to Ancestory.com, I know that I am descended from the Tudor line (and the Woodville one too!). So to walk by such a figure of history (and a strong Queen at that) and not pay my respects, well, that was just not happening! What would my mother think!?! So before she had a chance to rush us out the door, I told her that I wanted to go back and see Mary, Queen of Scots. The tour guide laughed and asked if I was a Tudor history fan. I replied, "Oh yes, and my mother will kill me if I don't see her!" I wasn't joking though. I was determined.

You better believed I paid my respects.

Platform 9 3/4

After that, I took the underground to King's Cross. Harry Potter fans will recognize that station as the one with Platform 9 3/4 to the Hogwarts Express. I went to the store there and picked out items for my family.

Before I left, I made everyone take the sorting quiz on Pottermore.com to find their Hogwarts House. My plan was then to get a little something with their house on it. (Which actually caused some drama with not everyone liking their house ~ my mom got Slytherin!!)

I went back to my hotel and wanted to get something for dinner. I started walking around and I ran into a couple from my tour group. They invited me to join them for dinner and I was happy to do so. We had some amazing pizza.

The next day, we left London to take the EuroStar to Paris. 

I like London but I wasn't charmed by it like I was so many years ago. It's a city, with a lot of new skyscrapers and I felt the mismatch of the buildings made it hard for me to get a sense of London's vibe. Plus, there were so many tourists. I didn't walk around a lot and maybe if I wasn't alone, I would have. 

I'd like to go back again but with a travel buddy to really explore the city.

Next time: Paris was all I dreamed it would be and more!

I sat under this monument and ate a snack

Trafalgar Square

Tower Bridge

Big Ben

City street with view of the London Eye

Buckingham Palace

Statue of Boudicca with the London Eye - she was an ancient queen who burnt the city to the ground

Snapshot of Iceland: Background

I wasn't planning to travel to Iceland. I was teaching in rural Alaska and planning my move back to California. I was saving money for my move.

Prometheus

I was watching the opening scene in the movie "Prometheus". The scene was panning this magnificent landscape and stopping at the biggest waterfall I had ever seen. I was wondering where on earth this was filmed. I was sure the waterfall had been CGIed. I looked it up online and found out, no, that was in fact a real waterfall in Iceland called Dettifoss. I was impressed.

Then I was looking at my Yahoo news feed and I saw an article about places people really need to see.....and Iceland was on that list. I felt it call to me.

Now, one of the reasons that I don't travel is that I don't have anyone to go with me. I normally put it out of my head because it's just not going to happen.

But could I go alone? A travel article online said that a single woman would be safe in Iceland.

Should I wait until next year after my move? A voice inside me said, "NO!"

I needed to go to Iceland. I can't tell you why I felt that way but it was something I had to do.

So, within a week I had booked my flight and hotel in Reykjavik. I booked everything myself and according to the travel packages I found online, I did it saving $2,000-$3,000. I booked the flight of of Icelandic Air using their calendar of prices. I picked the cheapest flight. It was "off season" but the peak season would have been only a week later. I was trying to research hotels and found that most of them were booked up (probably for other travel packages because tourist season was not yet in full swing) so I jumped on a good hotel.

My research

I ordered a couple of travel guides and a 'How to Speak Icelandic' cd series. I watched a ton of videos on Youtube about Iceland. I booked connected to a local in Reykjavik through Guide to Iceland. She was very helpful and gave me ideas on what to do and see based on what I was looking for. 

I was very thoughtful about my tours. Dettifoss was in Northern Iceland, which would have meant a bus ride and an overnight during the week. I decided to pass on that and just stay in Reykjavik and take day tours from there. In retrospect, I do wish I had gone to see it. But, I still had a great trip. 

The website has been updated, but I did find the actual tour links through the bus company, Grayline:

South Coast, Waterfalls, & Glacier Hike ~ I wanted to see the waterfalls Skogafoss & Seljalandsfoss. I thought the Glacier Hike sounded cool too. "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" was filmed at Skogafoss...and other places.

Landmannalaugar Geothermal Area ~ This tour looked very cool, and I wanted an opportunity to try going in a Hot Spring. And there was another waterfall on the trip. There's one part you pass where they filmed "Thor 2".

The Blue Lagoon & Golden Circle ~ This was my last tour and it is THE tour to go on. You spend the morning at the world famous spa, The Blue Lagoon, and then tour the 'Golden Circle' which consists of a massive waterfall, Gullfoss. And you get to see Geysir...and other geysers...plus, you drive through a part of Iceland where the North American continental plate meets the European continental plate (okay they are technically drifting away as opposed to meeting but whatever).

I booked my tours every other day so that I could go out & experience Reykjavik. For that day, I planned to check out museums and go whale watching. 

Now a note: there is a famous penis museum in Iceland, called the Icelandic Phallological Musuem. (warning: link shows several specimens) It's basically the largest collection of different animal penises in the world....in jars & whatnot. I debated going there because it would be something to say I went there and the I could only imagine what that gift shop would look like. But medical specimens in jars grosses me out. I don't like to watch medical shows on TV, and I even cover my face in parts of "Grey's Anatomy". So, I decided beforehand that I would not be checking out that museum. 

My trip was set. I was so excited! 

Reflecting on a Journey: Iceland

On a bus

This is one of my most favorite selfies. It's me waiting on a bus.

But I am so happy in this picture. That's why I love this picture. I was so happy to be sitting there on that bus, so excited to where the bus was taking me. I sat there, looking at my itinerary for the day, and wondering what I would see. 

The bus was in Reykjavik, Iceland and I am waiting for a tour to begin. I knew I was in for an amazing adventure, breathtaking sights, and it was going to be worth the wait.

It was a once in a lifetime trip.

It made me so very happy. It was the kind of experience that filled my soul in a way I never expected.

I never wrote much about my trip to Iceland. I started to write about it, but I wasn't ready.

I plan to correct that. I'm calling my series: Snapshot of Iceland.

I look forward to reflecting and sharing what makes Iceland so amazing.

Iceland, 2013 (Part 1)

I am finally ready to write about Iceland. It was such a personal journey for me, that I couldn't share it....not yet.

I knew Iceland was going to be special, because it called to me. I was looking online at Yahoo Travel, and they had posted an article of little known places you had to see. And when I saw the picture of Iceland, my heart pulled a little. 

Two days later, I was watching Prometheus, and it opens with a helicopter shot of this incredible landscape. I was watching it thinking, "This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen!" I even looked it up online to find out where it was filmed....Iceland.

I started finding out more about Iceland. I read how a woman can travel alone and be safe. I read about how the economy had taken a downturn and it was not as expensive to visit, but now the economy was returning to normal (they jailed the corrupt bankers and forgave mortgages) it was going to get more expensive. 

I had been saving money to move back to California. But I had a strong sense of NOW IS THE TIME!! 

So within a week after first seeing that picture, I had my flight and hotel booked. I did everything myself...I booked my flight directly from Iceland Air (I picked the dates based on their calendar showing prices) and I booked my hotel from Hotels.com. I would have had a little more time to spend looking up the hotels (after all, I had just ordered the guidebooks) but when I put in my dates in to get a feel for what the hotels were like....I found most of them were booked up all ready. So, I jumped at the chance for a good hotel that some travel websites recommended. I chose the Radisson Blu Saga Hotel in Reykjavik (ray-kaw-veek). 

I spent a long time choosing my tours. I had found through Facebook, a website (Guide to Iceland) that puts you in touch with local Icelanders who would talk to you and recommend tours that suited what you were looking for. My contact was Aldis Hamilton. I found her very helpful and even asked her what people wore in Reykjavik. Her response must have been very accurate because one time I was mistaken for a local by another local! 

The only thing I chose not to do, which now I think I just should have gone ahead and did it, was I did not go up to North Iceland. I wanted to see Godafoss, which is the giant waterfall in Prometheus. It would have taken a day to gone up there and then a day to get back. At the time, I felt that I didn't want to spend 2 days on a bus. Now, I think that was a mistake. Because that waterfall is truly a wonder. Ah, well!

Months and months passed. I left Akiak, drove down to California from Anchorage, found a job, and all the while I was so excited for my Iceland trip. I was learning to speak a little Icelandic (which everyone there speaks multiple languages including English, so I never needed it ~ however, they did seem delighted when I would thank people in Icelandic.)

Finally, it was time to go. I was staying at my brother's house and they were watching Dakota for me. My sister-in-law drove me to the airport (I flew out of Sacramento to Seattle.) I made my way to the International Terminal. I had a blast just people watching. People were flying all around the world and there were so many languages and fashions. I saw planes flying to wonderous locations. 

I have never been so filled with wonder and excitement as I did getting ready to step onto that plane. I had no idea what was in store for me, but I knew whatever was going to happen would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. And after months and months of waiting...I was ready.

The first thing you have to know about Iceland is that it is the cleanest country in the world. The water is purified naturally through the lava rock. Their power is harnessed from the earth (geothermic from the volcanos, from the water, and the wind) so there is no pollution. The meat and dairy are all organic. Cows and sheep graze on the clean grass. After a week, my skin looked amazing and I felt better.

The only negative drawback is when you first turn on the hot water, the sulfur smells like eggs. It goes away, but it is kinda icky at first.

So I landed in Keflavik, and had to drive almost an hour to Reykjavik on a bus. I was exhausted (it was a 7 hour time difference) but I just had to see Iceland! It was so magical.

Driving to Reykjavik

My hotel was great. The staff was so nice and accommodating. There is one thing I will add. Americans must be dumb, because we have signs everywhere for everything. Iceland doesn't. I noticed that in the airport. And in my hotel, I wasn't sure how to turn on my lights. There was no sign telling me how. It was like a puzzle to solve. I figured out that I needed to put my hotel key in the slot next to the door, then I could work the power in my room. I was about to call downstairs to ask, but I'm glad I figured it out. I felt very smart despite the jet lag. 

Raddison Blu Saga Hotel in Reykjavik

My room, instead of one big blanket, those are two twin comforters.

View #1 from my hotel room

View #2 from my hotel room

View #3 from my hotel room

As much as I wanted to crash, there was no way I could nap while I was in a new part of the world! So I walked down to the bus station and took a Reykjavik city tour! But I was still too tired to actually get off the bus at any point, but that's okay. I just rode it around Reykjavik. 

They call it The Pearl (it's a water tower)

Water & Mountains

View of Hallgrimskirkja Church and the water

Landakot Curch

Walking to the hotel

Stop signs are stop signs...

I realize now that I didn't take any pictures of the actual city on the city bus tour. But in my defense, I was really tired. I ended up walking to a little grocery store and getting some supplies, then going to bed or trying to. The sun never set that night. It dipped down to a twilight and then rose again. It was too awesome to get upset about being that tired. And eventually, I fell asleep.

I am going to stop here for now...but I will leave you with a preview of things to come!

*I made friends with a bartender and got drunk in Iceland!

*I experienced pure bliss at the Blue Lagoon

*I made a friend at the airport in Iceland and became facebook friends with

*I tried new foods

*I had the best pizza from Pizza Hut in Reykjavik

*I hiked a glacier

*I had a spiritual journey that is still with me

*I saw such natural beauty!!

Preview pics: