We’re off to Udine, Italy today for our first day trip abroad as a family. Yay! Hope all goes well 🙂 We were supposed to have done it earlier but due to different circumstances we just didn’t manage to go (e.g. bad weather, sickness, home renovation etc). So, this is my April’s Wish List:
Less stress, more play: I need some more downtime and less of self-imposed obligations.
Stop the time: I can’t believe my baby boy’s almost 6 months old! I’m already forgetting how he was as a newborn.
Exercise: Nursing is the best diet so I don’t need to exercise to loose pregnancy weight cause I’m already thinner than I was when I got pregnant (hello no sleep) but I need to get firmer.
New blog theme: I’m still using Lovecraft blog theme although I’ve wanted to change it for a while now but I just don’t know what to choose.
I miss my best friend who’s moved to China so I’m posting this in memory of our crazy trip to Madrid for New Year’s all those years ago. We had a blast! All our trips together were incredible adventures. The ones you can only share with a best friend:)
Climbing aboard an aircraft and jetting off to a new vacation spot is a thrill unlike any other. You sit back in your seat, imagining the delights that await you, and all the sights and sounds you’re going to experience for the first time. Visiting new places can make you feel like a true explorer, plotting your course around the globe and ticking off countries from your “places to visit” list.
As wonderful as the above is, there are some countries that demand more. One visit just isn’t enough; as much as you want to venture forth to new countries, you find your mind constantly returning to a country you have visited before. One stay wasn’t enough; you want to go back, time and time again, and immerse yourself in a corner of the world so perfect that you could visit a thousand times and never get bored.
The countries that are capable of inspiring return visits are rare, but when you find one, you’ll be guaranteed a lifetime full of wonderful vacations. Of course, you’ll visit other places too, but some countries find a place in your soul that you just can’t shake. Below are four such countries that, for different reasons, have the power to keep pulling travellers back time and time again…
Iceland is such a small country that it may seem like repeated visits are unnecessary, even when you consider the fact the landmass is continually growing. Is there really enough to experience in Iceland to warrant repeat visits? The simple answer is: yes. Iceland is a fascinating, geologically active country that is always changing. It’s the perfect choice for those who want to experience something new with every visit, but always be promised a relaxing, tranquil experience that allows you to marvel at all the wonders of the earth itself.
The ultimate must-see for Iceland: The Blue Lagoon is a truly incredible experience, and one you will find no issue with returning to time and time again. This geothermal spa is adored by thousands of visitors every year, and no matter how many times you do it, enjoying the naturally warm water juxtaposed with the cold air will never grow dull. What’s more, the Blue Lagoon is thought to have therapeutic properties, making repeated trips an excellent idea particularly if you suffer from a skin condition.
March. It snowed in my seaside hometown on 1st of March. Snowed!!! Of course, I had to take my baby out so I could take his photos with the snow, his first snow 🙂 By the end of the day it started to rain and all the snow melted away. Just like that. My baby was sick also. He had cold and I wasn’t prepared for that, for him to have a fever and all. It kind of shocked me. Nothing during pregnancy and labour frightened me as much as seeing my four and a half month old baby sick. I know, he’s going to be sick a hundred more times but this was the first time and firsts can be scary. On another note he tried his first solid food with success. I was so proud!:) Sorry for all this baby talk.
What else happened this month? We put in the new floors at the end of the month and I finally booked our hotel for our first family trip at the end of May! Can’t wait! We’re going to San Marino! So if you’ve been and have any advice, do share!
On my blog I went down the memory lane and wrote about my visit to Imperial Carriage Museum in Vienna and my day trip to Ipswich among other things. Sometimes I feel like I should stop blogging until I travel again. Well….
How did you spend Easter weekend?
GIVEAWAY of annual subscription of GPSmyCity walking tours & travel article apps
So, I’m sure you’ve already seen/downloaded/ used travel article apps by GPSmyCity. Few of my posts have been converted into such useful travel article apps and if you buy them I get a small percentage (thanks!). If you don’t know anything about these apps, read here. Now, GPSmyCity went one step further and you can get annual subscriptions inside the GPSmyCity app at $12.99/year with full access to all travel articles for 900+ cities worldwide OR at $18.99/year with full access to all walking tours + travel articles covering 1,000+ cities. The subscription offer is currently valid only for iOS (Google Play due to follow suit with Android shortly). Isn’t that something?
Holiday destinations are a plenty out there in the world and people are trying to get more and more extravagant with their next destination, almost as if they’re trying to outdo each other. This is not a competition, this is a time to kick back and relax rather than compete. Instead of maniacally walking around with that touristic gait and snapping photos of every single thing that dares cross your camera lens, why not take it a bit easier and just get lost in a place where you have not been before? Now, there surely are some tropical islands out there which you have not explored before, but is one necessary to have fun on a holiday? There are beautiful cities out there with more things to do in them than you can shake a stick at, so if you don’t feel like leaving your comfort zone too much but still having a nice change of pace and scenery then a big city vacation could be just the thing you are looking for.
What better place to start with, than the city that is often referred to as “The Capital of the World”? It’s hard to find one, that’s for sure. If you’ve never been to London, then consider yourself as missing out, because London is as unique, as it is familiar to the average westerner. The incredibly busy rush hour periods, flashing lights in Soho and cinemas a plenty in Leicester Square, and a majestic casino, The Hippodrome, adorning the corner just next to Covent Garden station. London is most certainly a mixed bunch, and you can thank both the local community, as well as the tourists for that. People come to visit London from all over the world, and some decided to stay, eventually opening up their own businesses and adding even more to the existing conglomerate known as the diversity of London. That said, the locals have most definitely gotten crafty over the years and are pushing businesses which tend to be rather unheard of, probably just because everything else here has already been seen and done to death. There are so many businesses looking for that new hit, but as well as that, you just have gigantic corporations thriving, for example, Primark which now has two gigantic stores on Oxford Street for whatever reason.
When it comes to choosing a vacation, figuring out the purpose of your intent is relatively easy to do. Different people head on vacation for different reasons. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to go about doing this, but there are things you can do that make your investment a little more worthwhile. But then, the question arises: what makes a vacation truly worth it? We’d argue the following:
Learning
When you head to a new culture, your primary intent should be to learn a little about it. After all, heading to a location only for the weather is a relatively shallow way to go about things. You are free to invest in vacations and experience them how you like, of course, but if you make a little effort to sample the cuisine, meet the people, and learn a little of the history, the vacation becomes more of a full experience and you will feel a little more connected in the world you inhabit while there. Not only that, but you come back with some real, tangible, practical knowledge about the world you can share. It’s one thing to read about a country on Google, it’s quite another to see it for yourself. This kind of wisdom only comes through experience, and you’re sure to find plenty of it with this attitude.
Peace
Our daily lives can often be quite intense. This means that finding the best way to relax while on vacation might be a real priority for you. However, you will only enjoy this if you can truly figure out what activities to participate in. We’d recommend trying Yoga through TantraYogaThailand.com, heading for long walks such as replicating long pilgrimage walks, or simply heading to an environment such as Sweden or Japan that promotes beautiful and deep massages. Peace also comes through the people you visit with and the memories you share.
