A Modern Wayfarer

My Beauty Routine – Ride of Die Face Products

I get a lot of questions asking about the products I use for my beauty routine. I’m certifiably OCD when it comes to face products. I don’t wear a lot of make-up basically because I’m super lazy when it comes to getting ready, I hate the heavy feel of foundation and I’m dyslexic at applying eye shadow/liner properly, which means I have a bit more financial wiggle room to purchase quality face products, and I’ve coordinated my beauty routine accordingly! I was a cleansing balm/flannel and a dollop of Rosehip oil kinda gal in my teens and most of my twenties – see lazy, above – but early last year I decided to get my ass into gear and my beauty routine became, how shall I say, very science-centric. I spend A LOT of time in the sun and always apply a good SPF 30+ sunscreen to my face, but I’ve become a bit paranoid about what all those free-radicals are doing to my poor unsuspecting noggin. I also suffer from the occasional PMS breakout, red/hyper-sensitive and dehydrated skin (from frequent flying, alternating between hot and cold climates etc), and obviously want to keep ageing at bay for as long as humanly possible! So for anyone who’s wondering, I tailor my beauty routine/choose products with those concerns in mind. Oh, and FYI –  I decant my products into those little plastic travel containers/sprays you can buy from most pharmacy’s and use them when I travel. My mum has beautiful Scandi skin, but she’s taken care of it ever since she was in her teens using expensive organic products only (think Jurlique, Dr Haushka). She eye-rolls me for using any chemicals whatsoever on my face, but I feel I’m 10 years overdue so I’m open to dousing myself in whatever awesome techie products are going to give me that healthy youthful glow! I also try to use Cruelty and Parabin Free products. Oh, and I started following the hilarious facial queen that is Caroline Hirons over a year ago and she’s never let me down, so if you’re keen to get on the beauty bandwagon her blog and Instagram should be your absolute first port of call! But enough babbling, you want to know the ride or die products of my beauty routine! And just a heads up, none of this is sponsored! Firstly, I follow what I like to call the “serum…

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How To Travel With Family (And Not Want To Strangle Them)

How To Travel With Family… Chances are a holiday with your inbreds had your vote to begin with. It may have even been your idea. But now that you’re in the thick of it things are getting prickly pretty quick, and between the sights and the spats it feels like your trapped in an episode of Family Guy: On Holiday. Travelling with your family is like downing a week-long cocktail of opinions, personalities and historic sibling angst. Someone’s bound to come along and set that rocket-fuel alight. So take three deeps breaths, pop the Vals and channel your best mediation skills, because there’s no escape. But, all is not lost. It is possible to get through a holiday with your relatives without wanting to strangle the living daylights out of them. Here’s how to travel with your family and actually really enjoy the experience.  How To Travel With Family Pack Light To Minimise The Whinging Remember the time you took 30kg and two carry-ons for a Fiji weekender? Yeah…no, now is not the time to pack your entire closet! When it comes to family holidays and baggage handling, it’s every (wo)man for themselves. There’s no special treatment. There’s no special person pushing the trolley with five bags piled on top. And if everyone packs light, transit time will be a blissfully quiet experience. Stay in Central Apartments or Houses Avoiding hotels is a must when you’re a large family travelling together. Squabbles occur when you’re living on top of each other, and fully self-contained apartments or houses give everyone breathing space (not to mention their own rooms) where hotels do not. Plus you’ve got the added bonus of staying on a centrally located street, a place where family members can meander home whenever they feel like a nap. Because nap-time is important. Get Multiple Keys For Said Central Apartments or Houses Following on the from the above, nobody wants to be walking the streets of Paris with a tired, shitty sibling who just wants to go home to nap but can’t because your other sibling took the only, solitary key with her to check-out the Louvre. Get multiple keys. Seriously. Your ears will thank you for it. Red Wine Is A Good Mediator Um, when is it not? It’s also good for lunch, afternoon-tea, dinner, drowning out the incessant noise of others and de-stressing after a long day walking the…

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The Truth About Halong Bay Junk Boats

A “Junk Boat” is still a Junk Boat, no matter how much you pay. Halong Bay Junk Boats are still Junk Boats even if the brochure the Vietnamese travel agent gave you makes it look like luxury incarnate. It is still a Junk Boat if, compared to other Junk Boats around you in the water, it looks like the veritable Sofitel of Junk Boats. Moral of the story? Junk Boats are in fact, rundown pieces of, well, junk. Granted, they’ve been given a lick of paint and a clean fit-out, but if you look closely enough the rust will reveal itself and the doors wont close properly. They’re simply a mere 2 minutes from being sent to the scrapyard. I’m not being negative, I just feel it is my duty to inform each and every one of you of this undeniable fact so that you can make an informed decision. Know before you go, right? The problem is, it’s pretty hard to experience Halong Bay without staying on one of these, let’s say, “interesting” old things. And the fact that the scenery is out of this world amazing makes this even more of a pickle. So, apart from being forewarned (you can thank me later) do yourself a favour and research, research, research! And don’t just look on Trip Adviser people, because those reviews are deceiving, pester anyone you know who’s been on a semi-decent Junk Boat in Vietnam and ask questions! There have been whispers (and don’t hold me to it) in travel circles that the Paradise Pearl and Paradise Luxury Boats from Paradise Cruises Halong Bay are both premium offerings, so you might want to start your search there. We spent two nights on the A-class Opera Cruise (fondly christened the “Ass Opera” by yours truly) in their best room known as “The Honeymoon Suite”. Pay close attention to the use of inverted commas! The food (which was included in the package) was some strange mix of Western/Vietnamese moosh of fries, frozen microwave fish and fried whatever. Needless to say we were disappointed. For $260USD per person for 2 nights we expected a little better. Especially when the amount didn’t even include beverages or snacks. The group itinerary for the trip was made up of numerous cave  and beach romps which got a bit boring after a while. We wanted action! We wanted adventure!  What we grew tired of…

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12 Weird Foods in Europe: And What They Actually Taste Like

PROLOGUE: The escargot dish is the only member of this list of weird foods in Europe that is relatively palatable to the masses. As much as I wanted to choose a completely disgusting and unappealing delicacy for the feature image, I thought it best to work our way into the disgustingness. Happy reading. 🙂  ~~ Recently Webjet asked me what my most memorable overseas dining experience has been to date, which got me thinking. Naturally, I turned my mind to all the weird and wonderful (read: utterly foul) things I’ve tasted during my time as a travel blogger. They asked me for one instance, but I can think of many. The sheer act of eating many said ‘delicacies’ is never pretty. In fact, it tends to look like I’m about to star in my very own version of Silence of The Lambs.That being said, I don’t think I could convince anyone that my job – travelling the world stuffing my face with delicious foreign foods and writing about them – could be considered tough. So no, I won’t complain. But what I will grumble about, both verbally and physically, are the times when I’ve been faced with the necessity of swallowing a particularly challenging native food while enthusiastic locals stare at me waiting for my unwavering smile of approval. However, just as Australia has our own fair share of weird and wonderful sustenance (think fried Witchetty Grubs and Vegemite), European countries have dishes that go hand-in-hand with their culture and traditions that you’d be a chump not to try when travelling abroad. But, you’ve been warned. Some local delicacies contain ingredients alien to an Aussie palate, which is why they’re rather difficult to keep down. In other cases, the act of fermentation is adopted (and not the yummy SauerKraut and Kombucha kind) which makes them an acquired taste. But some local foods are just plain nasty and should be reserved for the cast of Fear Factor. This list of Weird Foods in Europe is a sort of PSA for those die-hard travellers who want to really get to know the local cuisine, balls and all (pun intended), of a foreign land and what these weird European foods actually taste like to an Aussie palate. So the next time you find yourself caught in alocal food crossfire, you’ll have some idea of what to expect. (You can thank me later) Top 12 Weird…

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The Real India: Toxic and Exotic Agra

That fucking dog. If it’s not the bells that do it, it’s a cacophony of hounds, invariably led by this one who you can only assume to be the ring leader. It’s a low howl at first, and then others join the cry, and eventually it almost resembles a concerto, albeit a concerto without any melody. Of course, this is not the end of it. Once the dogs start, you know you have approximately eight minutes and twenty-seven seconds until the sirens, horns, voices and even the singing follow suit. This is Agra. This is the real India. * Even though I know it’s coming, I still lie there waiting for it, as if my concentration could ward off the noise. Inevitably, it can’t, and as I sit up with the crescendo growing, it hits me. My stomach gives off a growl of contempt at its contents, and I am on the porcelain altar before you can say curry chicken. The best part of half an hour washes itself away in a sea of… well, let’s just call it a sea. I’m pretty sure I left my colon down in that piping. I wash my hands at the basin and am greeted with water that resembles what I just got rid of more than that which I would drink. Its smell matches if not surpasses the sight. The tap on his door rears Jack into a semi-state of consciousness. He’s sitting there as I walk in, surfing the web while toking on a large splif made with well-practiced hands. “The subcontinent’s taken me,” I proclaim. “Going down the street to get something to hold my backside together; maybe get some food. You wanna come?” It takes Jack two further joints to get moving, but eventually we find ourselves outside, even though it now doesn’t actually feel as if we are doing anything as my lucidity dissipates from the second hand smoke. What on earth am I doing in Agra, I wonder? This all now seems so surreal to me. I decide to man up though, because I am about to cross a street, and for this I need as many of my faculties as I can muster. I wonder how India became a country where you are faced with certain death from a thousand angry motorcycles every time you cross a road wider than 1.27 metres. At least, to me…

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New Contributor: Travel Photographer Ben Cooke

This week on AMW, we’ve got ultimate vagabond and travel photographer Ben Cooke, sharing a few of his (very real) experiences traveling and living on the cusp of poverty in India. This talented gent has recently returned from a 10-year stint backpacking the world. Yes that’s right – 10 years of flip-flops, hostels and passport stamps! In 2006, Ben finished an Engineering degree and promptly bailed on western society to experience the giant global wonderland that is Earth. For an entire decade Ben floated from country to country, from odd job to odder job with some freelance photography gigs in between. He’s certainly a character with many stories to tell, so stay tuned. In his humble words, he doesn’t really think of himself as much of a photographer, which is pretty silly because I think he’s exceptional. Still, he does rationalise his photography skills (or self-proclaimed lack thereof) by explaining he is simply a vessel to record life’s beautiful moments: “I am not a particularly good photographer, in itself. Studios tend to induce a deep sense of foreboding, I’ve never used a medium format camera, and I am mostly at sea with Photoshop. I do, however, possess, quite independent of my own design, an equal current of both desire and stupidity to be in places that most wouldn’t even contemplate. I put myself in situations where I sit there stunned at the beauty of what’s around me; where it is actively difficult to take a bad shot. At best, I am good at recognizing this beauty, but really, I am just a medium for it. Nature takes the credit. I press a button. Maybe two.” Regardless of what Ben says about his photography, expect to see more of his brilliant stuff on AMW over the next few months. Here are a few of my favourite shots from his travels… Pushkar, India Kinshasa, Congo Bangladesh Volcano Surfing, Nicaragua Pushkar, India Tirana, Albania AMW Contributor: Travel Photographer Ben Cooke * You can see more of Ben’s work on his website * Follow Ben on Instagram here * Follow Ben on Twitter here   AMW xx ~~ All imagery taken by Ben Cooke (C) 

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Tips for Traveling as a Couple: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

tips for traveling as a couple

Okay so here’s the thing, I’ve never really done ‘couples travel’ superbly well. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t love traveling as a couple, in fact I really relish the relationship-strengthening experiences traveling as a duo can provide, but because I’ve traveled solo countless times in the past, I’ve kind-of-sort-of developed a camaraderie with… me, myself and I. And that, my dear Wayfarers, has been damn hard to break! After years of holidaying independently you understand your true ‘traveling self’ – that is – the way you like to experience a culture or destination. When you’re going it alone travel becomes an inherently private experience as you tend to dive head first into the cultural swimming pool of another country because, quite simply, it’s your only option. You don’t have another person to filter your experiences or to be used as a social-crutch. On top of this, when you travel alone you settle-into a sort of glorified personal travel routine; you know whether you’re a tourist or a traveler; a gourmet-explorer or a happy-snapper; a sleep-in-and-party-late kind of adventure-seeker or a jog-the-Parisian-streets-at-dawn kind of dude. When we make a habit of traveling alone we ultimately become besties with that somewhat-selfishly nuanced travel routine. You kind of get it all down to a fine art and then BAM, you’re suddenly back off the beaten path but with someone else in tow! And by golly what if they aren’t the same type of traveller as you? What if they don’t want to sit on milk-crates tasting unidentified flying objects from street carts, or tempt Hepatitis B from waterfalls in Cambodia, or worse, what if… instead of staying in unique design hotels they want to stay at a Marriott? A Marriott? Puh-lease! Now, I’ve had my fair share of shall we say ‘interesting’ experiences while traveling as a couple over the years. From the familiar overtired airport bust-ups to arguments over who gets the window seat to the more experientially detrimental things like disagreeing on whether you should go to a family-feast being thrown in your honour by locals you met just that very day, because one half of your duo was, wait for it, worried about the language barrier. While I can’t help you with these fundamental differences (if you want to mingle with the locals and they don’t, just ditch them), what I can offer (with Google’s help of…

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6 Weirdest Things People Do In Airports

People in transit turn sub-human at the best of times; but throw in the added bonus of sleep deprivation and flight-delays and we’ve got ourselves some weirdos folks! The following list of weirdest things I’ve seen in airports proves that some people may not be killing it in the intelligence stakes. Weirdest Things People Do In Airports 1 -Taking porn through security… You’d think perhaps people would check their penthouse magazine in with their luggage or take the batteries out of their vibrator when placing it in their carry-on, but unfortunately that would be all too easy. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve witnessed people’s face go white upon realising their bag has been flagged by the X-Ray peeps for additional security-checks – you know, the ones where the dudes actually go through the bags in front of everyone else! This rarely ends well, but the entertainment value is high. 2 – Using porn to smuggle drugs through security… Okay, so this is kind of an extension of the above – insomuch as it’s taking the use of porn from humorous to downright idiotic! According to customs officials I’ve spoken to, a select few drug runners still like to play the good old “porn-gamble game”. Hopefuls load up their carry-on with an assortment of porn magazines, condoms and other types of taboo paraphernalia, and shove the drugs down the bottom of their bags and out of view in the hopes that if it is searched, security will be too embarrassed to rummage through it. Maybe this used to work in the seventies people, but I’m fairly certain this is now the oldest trick in the book! 3 – People acting weird around X-Ray Machines in general… You’d think that after ten strong years of airport security hyper-vigilance it would be second nature for travellers to get their laptop out of its case or take their boots off before the metal detector beeps buuuut no(!) there are still some strange specimens who act totally shocked by the “unexpected” revelation they need to throw their water bottle in the bin before the checkpoint. Or what’s more, continue to complain about it for hours later. If I have to hear someone tell me what a crock having to throw out their full water bottle before the x-ray machine is, I think I’ll scream! I get it, I do – it’s a…

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Anti-Valentines Day: The Least Romantic Destinations in the World

There are a lot of places that are absolutely perfect for romantic getaways. But what if things aren’t going so swimmingly on the relationship front? What if the last thing you want to do is contribute to Hallmark’s world domination by purchasing a cutesy little love-heart card?  Well, dear readers, I promised you the world and I’ve delivered. Without further ado, here is a list of the most unromantic destinations in the world for those singletons that really couldn’t be bothered with Valentine’s Day. Repeat after me, your mantra: “Valentine’s Day, what Valentine’s Day? Give me stinky Rotorua or hedonistic Vegas any day…” Anti-Valentines Day: The Least Romantic Destinations in the World Ixmiquilpan, Mexico Is there anything more romantic than spending a night in the open country, floundering in panicked terror while being ruthlessly hunted down and shot at by border guards? That’s the experience on offer at Parque Eco Alberto, a theme park which promises to give a proper taste of what it’s like for Mexican immigrants illegally trying to enter the United States. The guards are actors, and the shots are blanks, but it’s about as far away as you can possibly get from canoodling in a private beach bungalow with heart-shaped pillows. Rotorua, New Zealand It would be easy to think that Rotorua, with its idyllic countryside and award-winning spas, was the backdrop for extreme romance. Except for one enormously significant issue: it smells. Like I mean really, really smells. Rotorua just happens to be situated on a massive thermal hotspot, thus ensuring geysers keep popping up and omitting the kind of gut-wrenching egg-stench that’ll send you sprinting from that nice romantic dinner for two. The River Danube, Austria (featured image) There’s nothing unromantic about the Blue Danube, in fact it’s the perfect setting for that quintessential lovey-dovey cruise.  Sleeping in a drainpipe however, is an entirely different story, as is the offering at the Das Park Hotel. The uncomfortable cement-littered accommodation is literally a series of drainpipes that can be hired out for the evening. Very sexy. Las Vegas, USA This list wouldn’t be worth it’s chops without adding Sin City into the mix. Vegas celebrates living life in the fast lane, and being single is almost a pre-requisite! Gambling, over-the-top shows, getting married in an Elvis suit only annul it the next morning when you’ve sobered up – is the name of the game here. Belgorod,…

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Joshua Tree National Park At Night… Plus Astrophotography Tips

Star light, star bright, First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have this wish I wish tonight… Joshua Tree National Park at night is a whole new world. Far, far from anywhere else in California, gazing up at the light-show painted in the sky is one of the more magical experiences on earth.  Lying on your back wrapped in a warm wooly throw, fire crackling in the distance, experiencing this fantasy land of galaxies and stars for the very first time is almost spiritual. It’s even better if you’re lucky enough to capture some beautiful shots on your DSLR. I used a Canon EOS M3 with a 18mm lens for these shots. The EOS M3 is the newish 2015 offering and a compact DSLR with interchangeable lenses and a perfect pint size for travelling. I should mention Canon Australia kindly lent this camera to me (thanks Canon peeps) to try out on my journeys, so I decided astrophotography was the perfect performance test for this nifty little camera.   If you want to capture images of the night sky anywhere in the world, these are a couple of my tips: General DSLR Astrophotography Camera Settings: * Shoot as wide as humanly possible (in layman’s terms, this means zero zoom). * Use an ISO setting no higher than 1600. Try to get even lower if you can. * Use a sturdy tripod if available. * Shots longer than 25 seconds with an 18mm lens may produce visible star trails. If you don’t want to produce visible star trails then you will need to have your MANUAL FOCUS on point. (see below for tips on focussing). * Use the self-timer to reduce camera shake during exposures. Canon EOS M Series Specific Astrophotography Camera Settings: * Use MANUAL setting (M) on your EOS-M. * Try setting your White Balance to “Tungsten” for some of your shots. Night skies and lightning often look more vibrant with the WB set to Tungsten as it enhances the blue tones in the sky. You can always shoot in Auto WB but the brown-reds are more dominant. General Tips on Astrophotography *It goes without saying that you need to get away from as much “light pollution” as possible. Fine particles in the air around the cities reflect the light from the street lights, so it’s best to shoot in open fields, in high elevations…

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5 Reasons To Fly Cebu Pacific Airlines to the Philippines!

You’ve heard airlines described as elegant, classy, safe, and – on some frustrating occasions – cramped and delayed! But I’d be willing to bet you’ve never heard an airline described simply as ‘fun’? Well, that’s exactly how I’d define my experience as a passenger flying high in the sky with Cebu Pacific Airlines. Everybody knows the Filipino travel tagline “It’s more fun in the Philippines”, so  it’s only fitting the countries’ leading domestic carrier be as far from boring as humanly possible! As a budget, no frills airline (now flying direct from Sydney to Manila), you’d imagine the experience might be a bit of a bleak one. Get on, knock yourself out with some Valium and get the hell off. Not the case. As the following list explains, there are more than a few awesome reasons to fly Cebu Pacific Airlines to the Philippines (and domestically while you’re there). And for the price of a dinner out, you’d be silly not too. 5 Reasons To Fly Cebu Pacific Airlines to the Philippines No Entertainment System Doesn’t Mean No Fun Cebu Pacific Airlines are well know for their in-flight interactive games. And when I say interactive, I don’t mean iPads or entertainment systems. What I’m referring to is good old-fashioned verbal quizzes… do you remember those from school? During each flight, the air hostess’ will ask the passengers a series of questions about the carrier, and award prizes to the winners. On occasion, they’ve also been known to dance and sing mid-flight. Case in point: Largest Philippine Flight Network CEB has flights to more destinations and routes with higher flight frequency within the Philippines than any other airline – which means if you really want to find that deserted island then a CEB flight is your best chance to get there! CEB also operates flights to 29 cities in 18 countries in North Asia, ASEAN, Australia, and the Middle East. Beyond Cheap Flights You can fly from Sydney to Manila direct for as little as $143 return. Yes, you did read right. But being el cheapo doesn’t mean they skimp on safety – CEB has had an immaculate safety record for 10 years. The New Website Is Super Easy To Navigate The Cebu Pacific Airlines website is fun, fast and easy to navigate. Bookings are complete within minutes and help is always a phone call away. Friendly, Hospitable Service I was once on…

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6 Unconventional Tips for Long Haul Flights Only A Frequent Flyer Would Know

So a whole bunch of you want to know my top tips for long haul flights? Well, I’ll start with a little story… I look back on my first long-haul flight many moons ago with equal amounts of pleasure and pain. It was the 15-hour leg from Brisbane to Los Angeles and I was about as prepared as a girl-scout on steroids. Or so I thought. I had my spotted travel pillow and my foam earplugs. I had every late-90s technological gadget you could think of packed away in my little Samsonite carry-on. Still, seven hours later I was bored out of my brains. I was the kind of bored that only constant fidgets with overactive imaginations would understand. I’d practically given the in-flight entertainment system an aneurism from all the episodes of Buffy I’d been watching and people were beginning to think I had Restless Leg Syndrome from repeatedly walking up and down the aisle. Sleeping was never an option for me. Shit no. This was a luxury for those lucky schleps in first class who didn’t have a tween shoving a foot into the back of their chairs at 40-minute intervals. No legroom and annoying children did not a good slumber make. But boredom and sleep deprivation weren’t the only things keeping me from enjoying my inaugural trans-pacific plane experience. Other enlightening things that happened on my first long-haul flight, and numerous ones thereafter, have provided fodder for the pre-plane-planning arsenal I adopt today. So here are six unconventional tips for long haul flights you can adopt next time you’re imprisoned in a large metal tube for an ungodly amount of time. Do order a special meal Picture this: it’s an hour into your flight and you’re starving. You paid good money for this ride and you’re going to milk it for all its worth. But the vinos aren’t cutting it and you’ve just noticed a couple of people dotted around the cabin already have their meals. Light bulb moment! Order a special meal in advance or wait decades to be fed. With a simple tick of a box when booking your flight (or up to 24 hours prior to boarding) you can be one of the chosen ones too! I always go for the GF option because I’m actually Gluten Free, but hey, there’s no harm in going Vego for the day. It’s worth noting that your tray won’t…

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Why Modern Cruises Are Actually Cool

I must admit I’ve never really been cruising’s biggest fan. From midnight buffets to the whole love boat vibe, I didn’t think it would actually float my boat (pardon the pun). But that was until a couple of friends proudly declared to me one night over a few cheeky vinos that they were going on a Celebrity Cruise to Tahiti. What started out as shock, “really… you on a cruise… aren’t you going to be trapped in a generic time-warp with punters twice your age?” quickly turned to intrigue as my mates bombarded me with cool Instagram pic after cool Instagram pic of modern ships decked out with chic tiki bars, gourmet food and a music scene that puts some well-known international venues to shame. And what’s more, these images were taken by twenty-somethings just like us. Suddenly I felt like a whole new world had opened up and I wanted in, or at the very least, I wanted to conduct some thorough reconnaissance work to find out if cruising had indeed shed it’s old-school reputation in favor of becoming pop-cultures newest type of travel for the young and hip. So, last week I was like a woman possessed Googling modern cruises. Turns out, the whole cruising thing really isn’t just for old-fogies these days. With designer décor, pool-parties and kick-ass entertainment, many cruise companies are making sure of that. And it seems millennials are catching on, with young travelers making up a whopping 40% of the passenger count of many cruise liners. I’m usually an early-adopter when it comes to new travel trends, but I had clearly missed the boat on this one. Here are a few reasons why cruises are actually cool for millennials… Welcome to the new age of cruising… The Parties, Pampering and Entertainment Roll on and On… From DJ’s to signature cocktails, free WiFi to celebrity chefs, cruise liners are going to great lengths to appeal to twenty-to-thirty-something travelers. Gone are the days of variety shows and Happy-Hour (okay there’s still Happy Hour but craft beer is offered along with the G & T’s). For the post-party hangovers, Celebrity Cruise Liners have Spa and Wellness Centres for discerning young adults to pamper themselves with the latest aromatherapy massages and reflexology. You Won’t Get Back From Your Holiday Completely Broke… Many cruises offer all-inclusive packages for young travelers which means you know exactly where your money…

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How It Feels To Have An Anxiety Disorder: The Face of Anxiety

I know this is a travel blog and all, but today I wanted to mix things up a little and write about something close to home: how it feels to have an anxiety disorder and depression. Yesterday my friend Amy from This Heart Fire posted a beautiful piece that perfectly encapsulates the emotional and physical journey of dealing with depression and anxiety – the ongoing battle that is very real and very confronting for so many. The piece ‘My Anxious Heart’ by Katie Joy Crawford, is a series of poignant and thought-provoking self-portraits using her own stories and experiences to capture the raw essence of anxiety. I have published some of the images below. If you want to view the full piece the link is at the bottom of this article. “A captive of my own mind. The instigator of my own thoughts. The more I think, the worse it gets. The less I think, the worse it gets. Breathe. Just breathe. Drift. It’ll ease soon.” – Crawford “Depression is when you can’t feel at all. Anxiety is when you feel too much.” – Crawford Why is it that even though almost half Australia’s population have suffered from a mental health disorder at some stage in their life, and around 14% of adult Australian’s have a recurring anxiety disorder, our society still fails to relate to people with mental health issues? Maybe it’s because as a collective we tend to want to ‘fix’ a problem and have it be done with. We have plaster casts for broken legs, surgery for liver-transplants, but when it comes to complex disorders of the mind it seems we are lost for words. There’s no easy fix because everyone’s unique. Better to just keep those people ‘hushed’ and ‘shamed’ in a closet than to deal with something that may never be cured. But the saddest thing is, the majority of people with anxiety and depression seem to go along with this discourse. There’s a fear of being the ‘other’ if we talk about what we’re going through. But that sort of isolation is completely counter-productive and doesn’t do us any favours in the long-run. With these kind of stats above, why we – as a whole society – don’t talk more about this growing epidemic is beyond me. Ominous public service announcements on TV starring that dude off Love My Way and websites such as…

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What To Do When You Get Sick While Traveling

What To Do When You Get Sick While Traveling… It’s every traveller’s worst nightmare: after spending months on prepping, saving and packing you’re finally on the road, fully immersed in a far off land. Suddenly, on the fifth day you feel a foreign rumble in your tummy and you’ve got a fever that’ll launch you to the moon. Or perhaps you’ve come down with a simple holiday flu, which, thanks to Murphy’s Law, often tends to happen on much-needed vacations. Whatever the symptoms, the outcome is still the same. You’re sick. You’re travelling. And it sucks. If you want to chat travel-sick stories I’m your go-to-gal… I’ve had food poisoning in Mexico…twice, a malaria-scare in Cambodia, spread tonsillitis all over Europe and on my latest jaunt to Lombok I caught a live stomach-sucking parasite from god knows where which kept me glued to the toilet for an entire week.  Fun times. Not so coincidentally, this latest bout is what inspired this post. So count yourselves lucky my friends; you can learn from my bad luck! Sometimes, no matter how careful you are about the food and water in foreign countries, you still get sick. I’ve been sick abroad so many times I’ve written a fail-safe plan on how NOT to get food-poisoning while you travel. You can read it here. Pity I hardly ever take my own advice… there’s just something about grabbing a new country by the horns – steak tartare and all – that makes me feel alive. I’ll eat seafood, raw salads and drink fresh juices, but I stop at downing water from the tap in most places. Evidently I have paid for this type of holiday style on several occasions. But only sometimes, it’s a numbers game. Whether you’re sick from the food, the water or the fact you were just so run down from daily life at home that you needed a holiday but you ended up actually getting sick on your holiday – there are ways to promote a speedy recovery and still have a decent(ish) time abroad.  Pick and choose the ones which apply to you… What To Do If You’re Really Really Sick… Numero uno – don’t stress! Stressing out about getting sick and searching “Dr Google” like an OCD hypochondriac will not make things any better. In fact, numerous studies show that by focusing on the negatives in a situation you…

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How To Find Your Perfect Travel Companion

Aside from skinny-dipping and losing your underwear, travelling with your best mate might just be the most idiotic thing you’ll do on the road. BFFs are forged through rose – or beer – tinted glasses of school, parties, or work but rarely do these friendships survive the unexpected stresses that come with travelling for extended periods. Hopping on a plane with your bestie won’t guarantee a one-way ticket to friendship purgatory, but just because you both dig Moroccan interiors doesn’t mean you’ll travel well together to Marrakech. But, with a little bit of foresight you might find at least one Thelma to your Louise. I’ve covered how to travel solo, how to travel with your family and how to travel with your significant other. Here’s how to find your perfect travel companion. How To Find Your Perfect Travel Companion Brave The Money Talks If you’re working two jobs just to scrape by on red wine and baked beans but your friend has a high-flying job as an account executive, chances are your budgets and travel stars are not aligned. Many people fail to disclose a rough amount they’re hoping to spend on daily travel (including food, fun, and accommodation) because they hate talking about money. This is without a doubt numero uno of travel companion suicide. If you don’t have similar budgets there will be no end to your daily (probably hourly) quarrels over where to eat, where to sleep, tour costs, when to go out, and when to have a night it. Exhausting! How To Find Your Perfect Travel Companion – Pick Someone Who Values Their Alone Time Many people say sharing “similar interests” is important when it comes to travelling with friends. This is true up until a point. Sure, it’s a big deal you both like to try new foods, stay in boutique lodgings, or see unique architecture, but you don’t actually have to be soul mates on every single aspect of life. When travelling with a friend you don’t need to spend all-day, every-day together – in fact it’s probably better that you give each other some breathing space – so if you’re a person who relishes finding their freedom and independence in new experiences, make sure you pick a friend who likes to do their own thing too. Avoid Neurotic Personalities Whiners don’t stop whining just because they’re on holidays. In fact, possible delays, getting lost, and…

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DIY Glamping: A Wimps Guide To Roughing It

Incase you’ve been living under a rock the past few years, ‘Glamping’, or what I like to call ‘camping for softies’, has firmly pitched its way into the travel mainstream. The act of Glamping is perfect for precious people like me who want to experience the glory of the great outdoors but don’t want to do their business in a ditch. I don’t care whether my makeshift home is a bell-tent, a yurt, an airstream or a treehouse, I still want decent shower pressure, a comfy mattress and some champagne with my nature-fix thank-you! Ever since it became too cool for school, a whopping number of Glamping digs’ have popped up around the globe (most can be found on airbnb.com). But as their popularity rises so does their price tag. So what happens if you don’t want to chuck a few hundred dollars a night toward living it up in someone else’s decked-out dwelling? With a little bit of planning and creativity you can re-create the experience yourself for a fraction of the price-tag! Here’s some DIY hacks guaranteed to set you on the path to five-star glamping righteousness. Choose your location wisely The whole point of glamping is to get as close to nature as humanly possible without actually having to rough it (much). It’s all well and good to find that perfect camp spot with the ocean vista, but if the site isn’t serviced then you’re up shit creek – literally. Sometimes the trade-off for serenity is a hot shower, so decide which is more important to you. Would you prefer possible crowds or non-existent bathroom facilities? Let your values guide you! If all else fails, you can purchase a solar-heated shower from here. Invest in a Bell Tent What would glamping be without the ubiquitous canvas bell tent? They’re like the stove-pipes of the camping world, and they’re not as expensive as you might think. A standard 3 metre bell-tent is a little over $500 to purchase from these guys. When you consider this is around the same cost as a 2-3 night glamping adventure with any hospitality company, you’ll realise this is money well spent. Plus you can deck out your space any way you like and use the tent over and over again. Be eco-friendly Glamping is an inherently sustainable pursuit. But not so if you’re racking up a rubbish bag the size of Mount Fuji. Why not go the full-monty on your…

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