Carry On About Travel

Today should be travel home day after a transpacific cruise. However Covid-19 had other ideas. The cruise was cancelled and we continue to stay home and stay safe. Plan B is exploring our city, finding new takeout restaurants, taste testing bakeries, wandering neighborhoods, photographing the city and enjoying the relative quiet. Just like challenging times now, when you travel, you need a Plan B. In February 2019, a trip to Buenos Aires, awaited. We would bus to Vancouver BC for…

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It is Sunday May 3rd, 2020. I should be packing for a transpacific cruise. Instead, I am monitoring the refund status of air and cruise fares paid months ago. I should be planning adventures on the high seas. Instead, adventure is walking around the streets of downtown Seattle, taking pictures of the deserted streets and businesses. I should be planning the next big international trip. Instead, I organize pictures, gear and lessons learned from prior travel. I am grateful for…

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A few years ago I told a friend my goal is to travel, mainly internationally, 4 months out of the year. While spending summer and early fall in Seattle is a must, spending at least part of the wet, dreary Northwest winter months in warmer climes would be ideal. As a budget conscious traveler, taking advantage of spring and fall shoulder seasons would also factor into the travel equation. Goals take time to achieve, especially this one which involves so…

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I don’t think voorpret is contagious, but who knows, it might be. Voorpret is a Dutch word which has no direct translation to English. Loosely translated voorpret means the emotion you feel anticipating something, such as a vacation. Love this word! I have never been able to accurately capture how I feel anticipating travel. Preparing for my first European river cruise, I am suffering from voorpret. Guess suffering isn’t the right word. I am eagerly anticipating or voorpreting (is that…

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Heading to the port, I was curious what new and exciting things our cruise would offer. From reading online reviews, we were definitely in for a cultural experience with most cruisers from the greater Hong Kong area. We cruised on Voyager of the Seas before, so were familiar with the ship, but things change from year to year and itinerary to itinerary. After winding through the lengthy embarkation process, we headed to the Windjammer buffet to eat and wait for…

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Arriving in Hong Kong at night after a 16 hour flight from Dallas, walking around felt great. After buying tickets and visiting the ATM, we boarded the train knowing glimpses of the famed Hong Kong skyline would have to wait until morning. Transferring to a subway line nearer our hotel, finding the correct exit of the 8 or so was no easy task. Looking back, wanting out of the climate controlled station was a mistake as the heat and humidity…

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Just got back from a vacation to Asia. My only previous trip to Asia was 30+ years ago to Hong Kong. Then, I met up with my college roommate who was born in Hong Kong and lived there until she was about 10. This time it would be very different with just my family and I. Though my spouse is Asian, he only understands a tiny bit of Cantonese. We saw this as an opportunity to show our college age…

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When at Costco yesterday, I took a quick look at the clothes, as usual, hoping for a travel find. I hit gold – a basic knee length black skirt for $12.99. Bingo! A perfect, thrifty priced addition to my easy care travel wardrobe. It fulfills the minimalism test by being versatile, for both daytime and evening wear. My main travel philosophies are minimalism, preparation and thrift. Minimalism for me is traveling light, not bringing excess items or checking bags. If I come home with clothes I did not wear, then I didn’t pack properly. Having taken…

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