Start Wandering has launched a new website
Head on over to
to keep up to date and explore with me
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Thursday, 6 November 2014
Sunday, 19 October 2014
10 Signs you Should Quit your Job to Travel
You will only be reading this if you are contemplating leaving not only the country but your job behind to travel the world. Now I can only urge you to take the plunge and do it, but if you're showing any of these 10 signs, it might just push you over the edge to do it.
1. You spend more time researching destination and airfares than actually working
.gif)
If you find more than 40% of your time in front of the computer is taken up by looking at destinations around the world you want to travel to next, or looking for the next best deal on your favourite airline website, it may be a sign.
2. You struggle to get out of bed on weekdays
You spent majority of the night trying to get yourself to sleep because you knew you had to go to work the next day. Then your alarm goes off, and you feel like you haven't gotten a wink of sleep and you're really not ready to take on the world of work today. It may be a sign.
3. You refrain from buying a coffee so you can save $4.00 daily to get out of there sooner. (But can you really live without coffee to get through this...)
This is a daily struggle, do I buy a coffee today and spend a few dollars that could probably add up to a beer or two in Europe or South East Asia. Five coffees a week at $4.00 each equals $20.00. But how am I going to function without my daily coffee, or two... now we're up to $40.00 a week with two coffees a day. It may be a sign.
4. You drink so much water you have to a) keep going to fill it up and b) going to the toilet
.gif)
To break up the time spent at your desk, when you're not searching for holiday destinations, airfares and buying coffee, you are filling up your water bottle, hanging by the water fountain, drinking more than your 8 glasses a day, and visiting the bathroom more than the average human. It may be a sign.
5. You check your annual leave daily expecting to find an extra day pop out of nowhere
.gif)
You check your payslip, your online account and payroll to calculate how many vacation days you have. And then how many you may have for 12th March 2015 and when you realise it is only 17.93 days and equates to only 3 weeks away from work you cry yourself to sleep at night. It may be a sign.
6. You're more than happy to eat 2 minute noodles for dinner most nights... and then for lunch
.gif)
You know the struggle, when you can't drink your coffee you resolve to binging on 2 minute noodles, daily, even twice-daily. Maybe because you can't cut out the coffee so instead of spending money on gourmet groceries you settle for $1, 2-minutes noodles (that is only 50 cents for each minute you prepare them). It may be a sign.
7. Not one day goes by without you wondering - What the hell am I doing here?
.gif)
You struggle to get out of bed, you spend your car ride in traffic saying why, why, why to the other drivers, and then you arrive at work. Sitting at your desk mindlessly asking yourself why, why, why? You could be out with your cousin's best friend who is posting pictures jumping off a yacht in Croatia. You could be eating sipping on Margherita's with your Aunty and her new boyfie in Mexico. Or you be creating your own journey, wherever you want to go. Ask yourself. It may be a sign.
8. If you have the slightest tickle in your throat you contemplate chucking a sickie
.gif)
There is a tickle in your throat. You're seeing spots, oh no a migraine is coming on. You better get to your doctor for these easy to diagnose illnesses that are in your own mind so you can get out of work for the day. Why not make it two. If you're flaking out on work, it may be a sign.
9. Your lunch break is spent sitting at a desk with a travel agent
.gif)
You have a designated break time, and your travel agent is free and ready. You find yourself rushing to see them, then going over all the ins-and-outs of spending a 'reasonable' 10 days in Los Angeles, only to find you have just spent you're entire lunch break with them and haven't even had a chance to heat up your noodles. It may be a sign.
10. You open a spreadsheet to make it look like you're being productive but really your holiday planning.
.gif)
You're combatting the reasons why. You're fighting off an unknown throat tickler. You have just finished your third coffee for the day (OMG that is $6.00 now). You have the stench of the 2 minute noodles resting the bin beside you. You have all there is to do in 10 days in Los Angeles from your trusty travel agent. You are busting to go to the loo. You have another day to get through work being a Thursday and know a restless night is ahead. You've done your research. You know you have 17.93 days in March, but an unknown period of time right in front of you. You know what you have to do.
All GIFs supplied from Giphy.com
 |
| Step One... |
2. You struggle to get out of bed on weekdays
You spent majority of the night trying to get yourself to sleep because you knew you had to go to work the next day. Then your alarm goes off, and you feel like you haven't gotten a wink of sleep and you're really not ready to take on the world of work today. It may be a sign.
3. You refrain from buying a coffee so you can save $4.00 daily to get out of there sooner. (But can you really live without coffee to get through this...)
This is a daily struggle, do I buy a coffee today and spend a few dollars that could probably add up to a beer or two in Europe or South East Asia. Five coffees a week at $4.00 each equals $20.00. But how am I going to function without my daily coffee, or two... now we're up to $40.00 a week with two coffees a day. It may be a sign.
4. You drink so much water you have to a) keep going to fill it up and b) going to the toilet
To break up the time spent at your desk, when you're not searching for holiday destinations, airfares and buying coffee, you are filling up your water bottle, hanging by the water fountain, drinking more than your 8 glasses a day, and visiting the bathroom more than the average human. It may be a sign.
5. You check your annual leave daily expecting to find an extra day pop out of nowhere
You check your payslip, your online account and payroll to calculate how many vacation days you have. And then how many you may have for 12th March 2015 and when you realise it is only 17.93 days and equates to only 3 weeks away from work you cry yourself to sleep at night. It may be a sign.
6. You're more than happy to eat 2 minute noodles for dinner most nights... and then for lunch
You know the struggle, when you can't drink your coffee you resolve to binging on 2 minute noodles, daily, even twice-daily. Maybe because you can't cut out the coffee so instead of spending money on gourmet groceries you settle for $1, 2-minutes noodles (that is only 50 cents for each minute you prepare them). It may be a sign.
7. Not one day goes by without you wondering - What the hell am I doing here?
You struggle to get out of bed, you spend your car ride in traffic saying why, why, why to the other drivers, and then you arrive at work. Sitting at your desk mindlessly asking yourself why, why, why? You could be out with your cousin's best friend who is posting pictures jumping off a yacht in Croatia. You could be eating sipping on Margherita's with your Aunty and her new boyfie in Mexico. Or you be creating your own journey, wherever you want to go. Ask yourself. It may be a sign.
8. If you have the slightest tickle in your throat you contemplate chucking a sickie
There is a tickle in your throat. You're seeing spots, oh no a migraine is coming on. You better get to your doctor for these easy to diagnose illnesses that are in your own mind so you can get out of work for the day. Why not make it two. If you're flaking out on work, it may be a sign.
9. Your lunch break is spent sitting at a desk with a travel agent
You have a designated break time, and your travel agent is free and ready. You find yourself rushing to see them, then going over all the ins-and-outs of spending a 'reasonable' 10 days in Los Angeles, only to find you have just spent you're entire lunch break with them and haven't even had a chance to heat up your noodles. It may be a sign.
10. You open a spreadsheet to make it look like you're being productive but really your holiday planning.
You're combatting the reasons why. You're fighting off an unknown throat tickler. You have just finished your third coffee for the day (OMG that is $6.00 now). You have the stench of the 2 minute noodles resting the bin beside you. You have all there is to do in 10 days in Los Angeles from your trusty travel agent. You are busting to go to the loo. You have another day to get through work being a Thursday and know a restless night is ahead. You've done your research. You know you have 17.93 days in March, but an unknown period of time right in front of you. You know what you have to do.
All GIFs supplied from Giphy.com
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
From Where I Would Rather Call Home
Is there somewhere else in this world you hold close to your heart other than your home country? Maybe you aspire to move somewhere that you love more than where you are right now.
Back in 2010 I ended my European backpacking trip in Ireland and Northern Ireland, in the former home of my roots, the generation of my grandfather. I grew up hearing of the legacy of a great man I never got to meet, and felt this undying need to travel where my heritage travelled from and connect to the land where my blood runs thick. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who feels this connection with a person, a place or location, or even a particular time of day, but when your heart pounds a beat harder in a special country, and you can feel the blood rush to your fingertips, this is what I call a home away from home.
Only problem was I had just over a week to get the most out of it before returning to my reality hanging the backpack up, til next time. So I flew into Dublin, with great expectations to end the trip with golden memories and the privilege of exploring the Emerald Isle.
Taking this trip as a passage of life, I took the opportunity to get out on foot and explore the city of Dublin one street at a time, I eventually ended up at the river which separates the centre of city. I ran into two quintessential members of the public standing on the corner, handing out flyer's coaxing us into the local Irish Pub to watch them dance over dinner. If I must! There was my night sorted already, a reservation at my first pub in Ireland to watch their national dance over a pint (schooner in my opinion). I was quite happy with a more than Irish night ahead of me.
With a few more hours to kill, I remembered reading in an article before departing Australia of a brand new museum in Dublin dedicated to the Leprechaun - Yes a National Leprechaun Museum! So I took out the crumpled article ripped from the Sydney Telegraph and asked the Irish Dancers if they knew where it was, conveniently right around the corner. Things just keep getting better on the Emerald Isle. So I skipped off on my merry way to the museum of leprechauns not knowing what to expect. It is set out in a block of bricks somewhat warehouse-y with a side entrance sprayed with leprechaun-y things all over the walls. On first impressions I thought this is a bit child-like, like the science-based museums made for children's education in Australia, but I guess big kids need to have fun too. There are a lot of 'facts' about the 'foes' of the fairy tales in Ireland, and it hit me. I am in a museum dedicated to something that may or may not be fictional. Then I walked into the Leprechaun's room, where I was magically transformed into a Leprechaun! Everything around me was giant, and I was miniature, I mean I am pretty miniature already barely taller than 5 feet. So as I watched people climbing the giant chairs and tables, I tried to do the same. Without any luck, I was unable to climb these giant objects, it dawned on me, have I too become a Leprechaun?
Moving on from my ability to climb great heights, I made it to the finish line of the museum and remembering many secret key letters I won a gold coin straight from the pot of gold kept guarded at the National Leprechaun Museum. I have kept this coin, as a lucky charm and it sits nicely in my collection of foreign currency - which is my personal pot of gold. Overall, it's worth the visit for the novelty of the room with giant furniture. If you have children even better, this place is probably more dedicated to the little kids with a whole range of activities to do at their education level.
Leaving the museum I sensed the workers there were sick of my childlike behaviour. I wanted to head back to where big kids like me are encouraged to let their childish behaviour out, and down a pint of Guinness while watching these dancing tap the shit out of the stage. OK, I'll be honest I flaked out on the Guinness that night. I am a poor beer drinker at the best of times, so a dark and dingy stout wasn't on my list of things to consume that night. Plus I didn't want to peak too early on the Irish icons on the first night, it will make me look easy. I watched the dancers, the floor shook, the band played their music which rattled in my ears for days. Overall, my night at the Arlington Hotel was one of the greatest nights I had spent out, because I got down to the core of why I am here.
After 3 nights in Dublin, and a few debates with new found friends about whether to choose Galway or Cork, I moved on to Cork. Yes I chose Cork. Still to this day people ask, why did you choose Cork? Um, because it was the last place Titanic docked y'all! It has to be good. To be honest I don't remember my thought process, but a city named after the stopper for my wine bottle has to be good. Right?
I had two nights here, and when I arrived it was quiet as anything so I wondered how two nights was going to go down. Arriving at the hostel I booked a tour straight away with Paddywagon to get out of Cork the next morning and fill up the time I had there. To me this made perfect sense because I knew the next day I was going to take in the rolling hills of jade, the sheer cliffs of rust, and the crashing waves of whitewash. I gave the the night a crack, I was staying at the New Zealand named Bru Hostel, having taken as much of the Irish-ness in, I thought I would stay somewhere that represented a little closer to home... it actually ended being a great place to stay, apart from the 7 flights of stairs to reach my dorm, this is a killer later on in the evenings. The hostel was part pub too, when in Ireland. So a local band spent a few hours playing the classics, Whiskey in the Jar and Galway Girl, which reminded me of the city I had chosen not to be in over Cork. I moved on to another local jaunt a few 100 metres down the road to listen to another Irish band play a few other songs that sounded similar to Whiskey in the Jar, by this point it all sounded the same to me. By this point I was also ready to down my first Guinness! I ordered a pint, because when you're trying a dark dingy stout for the first time, always aim for the biggest, I could have went for the jug. I tell you now, I remember it tasting like golden bloody beer. I really enjoyed it (however, I did not enjoy it so much when I arrived home thinking I was the next biggest Guinness drinker in Australia, for some reason shipping it across the globe makes it taste a lot worse), and I was a part of the converted.
After climbing 7 levels to my room, only to realise I had to be at the tour point in only 4 hours, bed never felt so good, and I did not want to miss one minute on the road trip I was about to take.
First stop was into Limerick, where we saw King John's Castle for only 10 minutes and got back on the road again. We were on the way to the Cliffs of Moher, an iconic destination I could not wait to see. My eyes were heavy and I was fighting the urge to doze off until I arrived, I had a feeling maybe the driver felt the same way, again we are in Ireland. Arriving into the Cliffs of Moher I remember first realising here the public toilets had those Dyson hand dryers, this was the first time in my life and all my travels I had seen these fancy vacuum cleaners on a toilet - go Ireland! I raced to the least tourist-packed spot and I was in awe. I continued to breathe in the air, smell the ocean, and feel the wind as this place just took me all over. I'll let the images do the talking. Have you ever seen a place so breathtaking?
So after about 2 hours roaming free and manoeuvring my way through rocks that hugged the cliff side, I took my life back in my hands and reluctantly hopped back in the van. I felt awake as my eyes were pierced with beauty, my lips tasted of fresh sea salt, and my hair was windswept just like how you see it in the movies - all over my face! You know what, I didn't even care, well I never care really. I didn't want this feeling to ever end. I wish I could relive that moment over and over again.
So we move on to the Poulnabrone Dolmen a.k.a Ancient Tomb, and we're talking 1000's of years old, B.C. times. Just at the entrance I couldn't help but stop and talk to this man, he was making traditional Gaelic pieces, with a bottle of Jameson by his side, and a half-eaten apple.
I recall his name as 'Tommy'. I may be wrong so, for any of my readers out there, if you know this man please let me know, or get him to get in touch with me. I need to tell him something. He asked why I came to Ireland, I told him the same reasons I explained to you above. He then followed on to ask if I was looking for love (no it isn't one of those stories...) but he was quick to answer for me - "You're not going to find it here" he says. OK thanks buddy, there goes my dreams of finding my Gerald Butler P.S. I love you story where my Irish husband dies and writes me a series of love letters from his grave until I fall in love with another Irish man. So now, I need to tell "Tommy" something, he was right. And he was right in more ways then one. He told me that love will find me when I go home, with a man by the name of "Shaun". I'm thinking, Shaun that's a pretty dorky name. He said he's a burly bloke, a very sporty kind likes all sorts of sports. This is your one true love.
After he finished a necklace with my grandfathers surname spelt in Gaelic I returned to the van giggling to myself. He was an incredible character wasn't he, someone with a diet of a nip of Jameson's with a half-eaten apple, surely he doesn't know what he's going on about. 3 months later I met my future husband. A sporty bloke by the name of Shaun, and yes he's a dork, my dork. We were to marry 2 years on (in our travel inspired wedding, of course), and I was only reminded of this story by my mum weeks before I walked down the aisle. The luck of the Irish hey.
Thanks "Tommy"
It's not far from Belfast where you can discover one of this world's greatest wonders. Just like the Leprechaun museum, The Giant's Causeway is a location home to one of Ireland greatest folklore. Another destination of this isle that adds many dimensions for reason to love this place. To me it is a phenomenon of layers that symbolise your journey through life, just like a causeway, it is to cross through the passage in life in which you are meant to take. Some steps take you up a level, others your stepping aside, and then sometimes you really have to start back down at the bottom to get where you really want in life. My journey as a backpacker is all about this, and my visit to Ireland was the passage of life I intended on taking to get down to the roots, which translated to the simpler (perhaps finer) things in life that you can find in the beauty you seek, the air you taste and overall the reaction you feel in your body as you take this all in.
This is the reason why I travel to a new place, to discover how different each place can make me feel, and when I feel something as strong as this place made me feel, I know I will be back. Guinness in hand, lucky gold coin in tow, and my lucky charm husband with me this time to relive it all and hopefully run into "Tommy".
Back in 2010 I ended my European backpacking trip in Ireland and Northern Ireland, in the former home of my roots, the generation of my grandfather. I grew up hearing of the legacy of a great man I never got to meet, and felt this undying need to travel where my heritage travelled from and connect to the land where my blood runs thick. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who feels this connection with a person, a place or location, or even a particular time of day, but when your heart pounds a beat harder in a special country, and you can feel the blood rush to your fingertips, this is what I call a home away from home.
Only problem was I had just over a week to get the most out of it before returning to my reality hanging the backpack up, til next time. So I flew into Dublin, with great expectations to end the trip with golden memories and the privilege of exploring the Emerald Isle.
 |
| Arriving into Dublin |
 |
| Meeting the local talent |
 |
| Where is the pot of gold? |
Leaving the museum I sensed the workers there were sick of my childlike behaviour. I wanted to head back to where big kids like me are encouraged to let their childish behaviour out, and down a pint of Guinness while watching these dancing tap the shit out of the stage. OK, I'll be honest I flaked out on the Guinness that night. I am a poor beer drinker at the best of times, so a dark and dingy stout wasn't on my list of things to consume that night. Plus I didn't want to peak too early on the Irish icons on the first night, it will make me look easy. I watched the dancers, the floor shook, the band played their music which rattled in my ears for days. Overall, my night at the Arlington Hotel was one of the greatest nights I had spent out, because I got down to the core of why I am here.
After 3 nights in Dublin, and a few debates with new found friends about whether to choose Galway or Cork, I moved on to Cork. Yes I chose Cork. Still to this day people ask, why did you choose Cork? Um, because it was the last place Titanic docked y'all! It has to be good. To be honest I don't remember my thought process, but a city named after the stopper for my wine bottle has to be good. Right?
I had two nights here, and when I arrived it was quiet as anything so I wondered how two nights was going to go down. Arriving at the hostel I booked a tour straight away with Paddywagon to get out of Cork the next morning and fill up the time I had there. To me this made perfect sense because I knew the next day I was going to take in the rolling hills of jade, the sheer cliffs of rust, and the crashing waves of whitewash. I gave the the night a crack, I was staying at the New Zealand named Bru Hostel, having taken as much of the Irish-ness in, I thought I would stay somewhere that represented a little closer to home... it actually ended being a great place to stay, apart from the 7 flights of stairs to reach my dorm, this is a killer later on in the evenings. The hostel was part pub too, when in Ireland. So a local band spent a few hours playing the classics, Whiskey in the Jar and Galway Girl, which reminded me of the city I had chosen not to be in over Cork. I moved on to another local jaunt a few 100 metres down the road to listen to another Irish band play a few other songs that sounded similar to Whiskey in the Jar, by this point it all sounded the same to me. By this point I was also ready to down my first Guinness! I ordered a pint, because when you're trying a dark dingy stout for the first time, always aim for the biggest, I could have went for the jug. I tell you now, I remember it tasting like golden bloody beer. I really enjoyed it (however, I did not enjoy it so much when I arrived home thinking I was the next biggest Guinness drinker in Australia, for some reason shipping it across the globe makes it taste a lot worse), and I was a part of the converted.
 |
| Embracing the upper lip with stout |
First stop was into Limerick, where we saw King John's Castle for only 10 minutes and got back on the road again. We were on the way to the Cliffs of Moher, an iconic destination I could not wait to see. My eyes were heavy and I was fighting the urge to doze off until I arrived, I had a feeling maybe the driver felt the same way, again we are in Ireland. Arriving into the Cliffs of Moher I remember first realising here the public toilets had those Dyson hand dryers, this was the first time in my life and all my travels I had seen these fancy vacuum cleaners on a toilet - go Ireland! I raced to the least tourist-packed spot and I was in awe. I continued to breathe in the air, smell the ocean, and feel the wind as this place just took me all over. I'll let the images do the talking. Have you ever seen a place so breathtaking?
So after about 2 hours roaming free and manoeuvring my way through rocks that hugged the cliff side, I took my life back in my hands and reluctantly hopped back in the van. I felt awake as my eyes were pierced with beauty, my lips tasted of fresh sea salt, and my hair was windswept just like how you see it in the movies - all over my face! You know what, I didn't even care, well I never care really. I didn't want this feeling to ever end. I wish I could relive that moment over and over again.
So we move on to the Poulnabrone Dolmen a.k.a Ancient Tomb, and we're talking 1000's of years old, B.C. times. Just at the entrance I couldn't help but stop and talk to this man, he was making traditional Gaelic pieces, with a bottle of Jameson by his side, and a half-eaten apple.
THIS IS A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT:
After he finished a necklace with my grandfathers surname spelt in Gaelic I returned to the van giggling to myself. He was an incredible character wasn't he, someone with a diet of a nip of Jameson's with a half-eaten apple, surely he doesn't know what he's going on about. 3 months later I met my future husband. A sporty bloke by the name of Shaun, and yes he's a dork, my dork. We were to marry 2 years on (in our travel inspired wedding, of course), and I was only reminded of this story by my mum weeks before I walked down the aisle. The luck of the Irish hey.
Thanks "Tommy"
 |
| My mate "Tommy" |
My two days in Cork turned out to be sensational, I can't wait to return there one day and travel out to see the sights in County Clare once again, and hopefully stumble upon "Tommy".
I'm excited that I'm heading up to Belfast now, this is where my grandfather grew up, although I know this is where I will be spending my last few nights before boarding the return flight back home, I know I am ending this trip embracing my heritage. I am beaming with happiness as I arrive at our hostel, Vagabonds. Owned by a husband from Belfast and his wife from Australia, awesome crew. I take the opportunity to book a black taxi tour, where you can discover the history behind this city and country. The tour was fantastic and left me with shivers as we visited some historical landmarks that shaped this city. The feel of the city still felt very raw, I sensed hostility in the air probably knowingly as it was just commencing the annual march through Belfast. The vibe of the city showed me deep pride throughout the neighbourhoods, I saw many different textures and elements throughout the city, it was exciting. As we approached the peace wall, there were a couple of lads terrorising any by-passers, it didn't bother me, I still got my texta out to write a message on the wall in memory of my grandfather and respect for the city he hails from. I only tell of this to hope that this message one meets them, or young kids alike from countries all around the world including my own, stop terrorising the streets, using graffiti and marking your territory with rubbish from your last Macca's visit. People from all over the world visit where you live and form an opinion. Luckily I am resilient, but some are not. Rant over.
It's not far from Belfast where you can discover one of this world's greatest wonders. Just like the Leprechaun museum, The Giant's Causeway is a location home to one of Ireland greatest folklore. Another destination of this isle that adds many dimensions for reason to love this place. To me it is a phenomenon of layers that symbolise your journey through life, just like a causeway, it is to cross through the passage in life in which you are meant to take. Some steps take you up a level, others your stepping aside, and then sometimes you really have to start back down at the bottom to get where you really want in life. My journey as a backpacker is all about this, and my visit to Ireland was the passage of life I intended on taking to get down to the roots, which translated to the simpler (perhaps finer) things in life that you can find in the beauty you seek, the air you taste and overall the reaction you feel in your body as you take this all in.
This is the reason why I travel to a new place, to discover how different each place can make me feel, and when I feel something as strong as this place made me feel, I know I will be back. Guinness in hand, lucky gold coin in tow, and my lucky charm husband with me this time to relive it all and hopefully run into "Tommy".
See you again soon!
 |
| Until then Cheers! |
Friday, 8 August 2014
My Top 5 Worst Wandering Experiences
With the amount of time and effort you devote to travelling, something is bound to go wrong, at least a few times.
I think that's the reason I am still travelling, it is a method for me to learn from my mistakes, because when I
look back at the worst experiences I have had abroad, I recognise how I
could have dealt with the problems a lot better.
Or even avoided them altogether.
We all have a moment where we get lost, or miss the
train or maybe get food poisoning when we are wandering the globe, but most of the
time these aren’t ground breaking life defining moments that change the
way you travel, or even you as a person. I admit
getting lost can be terrifying for some, but for me it is that wrong
corner turned where the greatest discoveries are found. I'm talking about the ground breaking and life defining travel experiences that left a mark in my life that when I look back have moulded who I am as a traveller, and overall as a person.
So I will let
you in on the 5 travel experiences that changed me, some just a little and some a lot.
Starting from a
little:
5. An overnight cruise from Bari to Athens
I told my husband this story for the first time
last week, and I must admit re-telling it I feel so stupid and I even shake
my head at people who do stupid things like this. So to put it out there first, this
experience was a case of poor judgement on my behalf.
I was on an overnight cruise from the south coastal
city of Bari in Italy, across the Adriatic Sea and into Greece’s Patras
to transit to Athens. My brother had told me when he was in Bari it was
a little different to the rest of Italy,
and to be careful as some areas may be a little rougher than
others. So to prepare I had my guard up already, but
I was pleasantly surprised by the city and the locals of Bari and really enjoyed the night and day I had
spent there. I was feeling a lot more relaxed and
ready to embark on the ferry to Greece, because Bari hadn’t phased me
like expected. I jumped on the boat with a friend, and we made ourselves
familiar. There were no cabins, just a large dining/bistro area with
circular booths I was eyeing off already to
sleep on for the journey. And also a theatre room with a couple dozen
rows of seats, it was already full I think people had my idea and picked
their bed for the night and started relaxing. So we settled later for some
dinner, and then sat in the booth where a waiter
took our order for a glass of wine. He returned with the bottle and
said we could have it on the house. How lovely… We later went out to the
balcony to enjoy the sunset with our final glass of wine, where the
waiter followed to have a smoko break. I can tell
some of your alarm bells might already be ringing. Here is a
middle-aged European waiter, who travels out at sea for a job offering
free bottles of wine and now follows two girls out onto a balcony for a
smoke.
 |
| Enjoying a glass of wine across the Adriatic Sea |
 |
| A rooftop view |
So lesson learnt indeed, most travel experiences
will surprise you like Bari did for me, but a reminder not to let your
guard down too far. Enjoy yourself, remain safe and remain alert. I
could have avoided that situation indeed, listen
to my intuition and when the flag is up, raise it high and move along.
4. Bali
I’ll paint a picture for you. Many of you know Bali
and if you have been you know the atmosphere, the large amounts of
Australians that go. Imagine what you know, now add a group of 7 girls
travelling together for 10 nights in Legian Beach
just outside of Kuta. Tell me you knew exactly what I was thinking
before I even booked this trip…
I didn’t want to go. I had just returned from
backpacking Europe, I felt like a nomad. Backpack imprints on my
shoulders and back, wrists covered in a band from nearly every city I visited, you
could of put feathers in my hair and braided it – my
spirit was free and I felt like the world was ready to be discovered.
My friends saw this as an opportunity to invite me to Bali for a
birthday celebration, a 10 night birthday celebration. I never had an
interest in Bali. Indonesia yes, very much so. But
Bali was not foreign, too many Aussies saturate the streets and it is
embarrassing. My closest girlfriends were going and were holding me up
to it to go with them. I felt guilty, and I did want a girls trip to some
extent, but not to this degree and I knew
it going in what was going to happen. I made a pact with a good friend of mine, that we would
stick by one another and if she ever felt uncomfortable or needed time
and space I would help her out. A third world country can be
confronting, but add fuelled up binge drinkers to the mix,
it causes an ugly scene. Don’t get me wrong the trip was relaxing, fun
and I got to see all that is Bali. But I felt like I had betrayed my
values as a traveller, that I did walk the path most travelled. We
didn’t venture out to see the temples, the rainforests,
the islands. We walked Poppy Lane I and II about 5 times, and visited
Bounty Bar most nights. I enjoyed the time spent with friends, but all
it takes is one unhappy customer to cause the group to split, the awkwardness is
tripled and everyone is on edge. The birthday
girl felt as though we did not want to do everything she wanted to do
and this trip was about her and we should be doing and going where she
wanted. We were quick to remind her that we all paid our own share to go
on this holiday and we would spend 9 out of
the 10 nights doing something we wanted to do as a group not as per one
individual. That didn’t go down well and the drama and water works
arrived. Needless to say I am not friends with this person for other
reasons but as you can see we probably aren’t the
best suited friends. I spent a night out with some other people we were
travelling with, and dined in local Indonesian restaurants, eating local
fare and learning some cool words in Indonesian. That night away from the drama made
me feel back down to my roots, and realised
Bali can offer some experiences that weren’t for the naïve Australian
tourist. I threw my tourist sticker away that day, and vowed that every
future trip will be spent doing something truly amazing with my time and
the countries glory to explore.
 |
| Cheersing in an Australian restarant, in Bali... |
Why is San Francisco doing on this list? This
Californian city is too beautiful to be considered in a Top 5 worst
experience list? I don’t have anything against this city at all, just a
series of bad luck occurred the first time I visited.
It was one thing after another, me and my newlywed
husband were here for 3 nights and it was our last 2 weeks of our 7 week
honeymoon. We had just been to Vancouver and Big White in British
Columbia Canada, Couer D’Alene in Idaho, Chicago,
New York, Montreal and Washington DC. We’re not tired just yet, but our
funds were, we were in between a pay check so dining at IHOP for
breakfast every morning was our strategy, along with sharing a bread
bowl of Boudin Bakery’s Clam Chowder, AND trying to
walk everywhere in San Francisco (the hills don’t look that big til you
¼ way up the top). I remember sitting in front of the painted ladies
overlooking the city, and taking it all in as I am on the phone to our
useless bank disputing the fact that they were
5 days behind withdrawing funds. Like seriously, what bank takes 5 days
to withdraw the $1000.00 you took out of the bank plus the flights etc
along the way. So in theory we thought we had more money that we did.
Lesson learnt #1 go back to the trusty travel card.
Given the financial stress, Shaun and I had a big
argument while we were walking along the bay. Not about money. About who
was better at exercising during our personal training, yeah go figure.
The thing is with Shaun and I, and both our
parents will agree, we will argue til the cows come home about who is
right. A search on Google is generally how we end arguments, but when
it’s personal we will keep going and no-one will admit they are wrong
until Shaun realises he won’t win, so he does.
I remember arguing with him about the Bugatti and he thought it was a
V12 engine, but I said no it is two V6 engines so they classify it a
W12. I was right, I am Top Gear certified. So the argument isn’t the
issue, this happens all the time, but the issue
was that I couldn’t take it anymore and I walked off. I think it was a
good 2 hours wasted when we could have been exploring that Shaun was
looking for me, when all along I was waiting for him at the information
centre – duh look there!
Lesson learnt #2 when travelling it’s OK to argue, but don’t walk off.
The money scenario was sorted, the argument was long gone and we had made up. And we were off to Vegas! We had a 7:30 am flight from SFO. So we checked out of the motel at 5:00 am
and called a taxi to take us to the airport. We have this
thing in the US, where you check in your biggest bag, then you take
your backpack and carry on etc. to the gate and they ask passengers if
it’s a full flight if they want to bring their bag to the front to check
it in – no extra cost! So anyway we’re untangling
our bags to go through security, when the security officer asks us to
take out any laptops or aerosols. Shaun looks at me and says get the tablet out
of your backpack. But the tablet isn’t in my backpack? “I gave it to
you at checkout”… I think San Francisco had
just consumed me by then and stress was visibly coming out of my ears. I knew
right then and there the tablet was either at the counter at the motel
or in the taxi. And guess what, the receptionist at the motel didn’t
have it and the taxi company said the driver
didn’t have it, I wonder who has it now?
Lesson learnt #3 when things are going bad, just go with it an expect it to get worse – and don’t panic, keep it together.
So, San Francisco is still an incredible city, I just learnt 3 valuable lessons here.
2. Singapore Changi Airport
This is the funniest of the lot. I actually love
this one, and contemplated making My Top 5 Greatest Experiences, and put it
on there.
I’m sure all of you are familiar with preparing for
your departure to a country, to check your government, embassy and
lonely planet guides about entering permissions for the country your
visiting. I for one have used Australia’s Smart
Traveller, run by our government. I have used this plenty of times, for
every country I have been to, ensuring I can always enter when I
arrive. I do wonder at this point, how do the Amazing Race contestants
manage to organise visas and entries to a country
if they have no idea they’re going?
So we arrive to Changi Airport just before 11:00 am for our 2:00 pm
flight to Ho Chi Minh City. We had just spent the morning walking
around Marina Bay and the F1 track in the hottest day of our stay, so
the air conditioned terminal was
bliss. We are flying Tiger across the Gulf of Thailand and go to check in once we hit the 3
hour mark. I love being at the airport early because I love exploring
and people watching as locals and tourists come and go. At check in the
attendant takes our passport and flicks through
asking where is your arrival letter into Vietnam? I said we don’t need an arrival
letter, I checked with our government before we left Australia can pay
on entry. She checks with her supervisor and returns to say, no you need
an approval letter before you depart I cannot
check you on this flight. My heart starts palpitating, so what do I
need to do? She tells us to contact the Vietnamese Embassy and arrange
an approval letter and this could take up to 3 days. OK my heart is
really beating out of my chest now – I am thinking
about the all-inclusive resort we have booked in 3 days’ time on a
beach resort in Mui Ne. I do not want to miss out on this. I walk away
from the counter with Shaun and he is telling me to relax. We head
downstairs to get the free WiFi I am visually distressed,
and the soldiers walking around with AK47 rifles are looking at me.
That immediately calms me. I call the Australian Embassy international
number AND their local Singapore number. No answer, on all numbers. I
would hate to actually be in trouble. I look up
the address and we get into a taxi and drive out to the Australian
Embassy, right near Orchard Rd aren’t they lucky. The security guard is
suspiciously looking at us. I see some DFAT workers coming from their
lunch break. I ask them for help, one was the assistant
to the Australian Ambassador in Singapore. She told me to go to the
Vietnamese Embassy and gave us the address, and gave me her card to let
me know how we went. She also said, did you try calling us… I laughed and
said yes dear, on every number. They don’t
make it easy for you.
We head over the the Vietnamese Embassy, a
two-storey house with open gates and no-one attending. It is hilarious the
comparison to Australia’s Fort Knox premises. It was also highly convenient
for us that the visa approvals was only open from 9:30 am – 12:00
pm, and here we are now at 12:30 pm...
There is a laminated piece of paper telling us to contact a travel agent
who can organise a visa for us. I call them and they say, yeah we can do
for you in 2 days, $70.00. Can you do it for me today? Yes, $250.00. Each.
Get
here now. Our taxi driver is waiting for us, Amazing Race style, to
take us to the travel agent. This place was awesome, an 11 storey
building with tiny little offices for local Singapore businesses. A
different side to Singapore and here we are sitting in
their office. They process Vietnamese travel and visas all day every
day, and see many Australians every day just like us. Too many of us get
it wrong confused with the website… hmmmmm maybe something needs to
change there. He takes our passports and fills
out paperwork while Shaun is at the local ATM withdrawing $500.00 SGD
to pay for our 2 hour visa application. The agent, Kelvin, drives Shaun
and our passports to the embassy and chats friendly with the officers,
who produce a nice fresh new visa approval
into our passport. That visa cost more than our actual passport. The
next thing Kelvin does once he is back at the office with Shaun and our passports, is book us
a flight leaving Singapore at 5:00 pm (in 3 hours). Off to the airport we go, this time Jetstar so I don't need to face the Tiger attendants in embarrassment.
 |
| Vietnamese Embassy |
I am so amazed at how quickly we managed to sort
that out, and depart Singapore on the same day. It was one of the best
travel experiences I have ever had, as well as the most avoidable. I
will always read the information a lot more clearly
now when travelling to another country. And when in doubt, call to find
out.
It has taken me a few days to think about writing this one, I have been procrastinating. This experience I hold mainly to myself, but it is important to share with others because many other people have been caught in similar situations. This is about being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
 |
| Happy exploring the Parisian streets |
I had taken the advice from a fellow hostel roommate to view the Eiffel Tower directly from Trocadero station and the Trocadero Gardens. Beautiful spot, and as I am laying my eyes on the landmark for the first time up close and at night taking pictures, I am approached. A function was going on somewhere behind me and there were drunken locals fluttering about, and there was one there I was not interested in at all. With a plastic cup of booze in one hand and his other on me, this guy grabs onto me and basically harasses me in front of one of the most romantic spots in the world. I run to a couple to make it look like I am surrounded by people, and speak English to them for help. They do not understand as they are not French nor speak English. At that point this guy chases me and grabs hold of the back of my belt loop pulling me backwards and placing parts of him on parts of me that or not welcomed. At this point I am feeling overwhelmed and run to the bottom of the Eiffel Tower and am surrounded by dodgy market men trying to sell their souvenirs. It all happened so quickly, but I was out of there and out of Paris the next morning.
I know full and well that this can occur anywhere in the world, including locally in my own city/country. This is why it would shame me if someone did something like this to a traveller in Australia as it would destroy the person's experience. That is why I will always watch what is going on around me, not only to embrace the world and the people in it, but to also be aware, even in the most populated cities on this earth.
I did not fall in love with Paris when I visited, but I hope to revisit and try and fall in love with the French capital one day. Travelling is an experience, and it can be positive or negative but it will mould you.
Let the spirit of wander change you. Learn from mistakes and bad experiences, and allow them to frame your mind to become not only a better person, but a greater traveller. And never stop seeing the world.
Sunday, 3 August 2014
Wandering About Chasing the Dream
In life we are all chasing a dream, in the United States it is a constant drumming to children and middle-class workers to live the American dream. Growing up in Australia, I can't remember any defining dream-making stories, which is probably the reason why I created my own along the way. My parents can probably vouch for me on this one, if I wanted something I worked out a way to make it happen, and it was usually not what everyone else wanted. At some point growing up, I turned against what most people thought was normal, it was a coming of age moment when after my 10th birthday I didn't want to be the girl that blended in with everyone else. I quit dance class, threw out all of pink decorations in my bedroom and pulled my hair back. I decided at a young age that I was going to define my own dreams, and chase them. I am proud of that moment, and 14 years later, I have another itch to chase my next dream.
I had just finished an organic, filling and mega-tasty breakfast at my favourite cafe in Cronulla. It's a ritual to come down here for a Saturday starter in the sun, but I had the morning off work to head to a medical appointment and wanted to make the most of the gorgeous weather Sydney had been lucky with this Winter. Maybe since living in Melbourne, and being under a blanket of grey 90% of the time, I needed to embrace the blue skies I had missed so much.
After brekky, I had an hour to kill until I needed to head to my appointment, so I walked 4 kilometres around Bate Bay in Cronulla, and took in the phenomenal views that cannot be taken for granted. I love this spot. I have my earliest memories in this place, whether picnicking on the grass behind Shelley Beach as a toddler, or body boarding at Eleura as a teenager, this place is as home as it gets. For more than just the memories, but I own a property here and have lived right in the thick of it for a year of my life so the weekly visits were permanent at some point. I love people watching and as I listen to people walk together chatting about what their plans for the weekend are, or how they're not speaking to their boyfriend right now because of how much of a jerk he is, I wonder what their journey in life is. I am here this morning only because I have a morning off work to go to the doctors, but these people around me have tans that take an effort so mornings here must be frequented. How do they do it? I would kill to be strolling the beaches of Vietnam, or the Swiss lakeside just one morning at a time, what are these people doing each day wasting time here, or is this just the lifestyle they worked so hard for? I must admit being stranded until my next departure makes me an envious person, I think it is due to lack of travel in the last year and my soul is yearning to be driving to that airport for an international departure - on a one way ticket.
45 minutes later, I head back around the bay to wait for Shaun to meet me. This 10 minutes I spent waiting was a ground breaking moment for me. The first time I have never thanked Shaun for making me wait. I sat down looked at this spectacular view, and knew that everything we had planned was right, and we were heading in the right direction. Any inkling of doubt was washed away that morning at the beach, to the point where I would even sell our property to make our dreams come true. That property was 500m up the road, and our tenants were probably coming home from night shift working at the hospital or cleaning up the apartment to get ready for a party there were probably going to throw to start off the weekend. Who knows, we don't know them, but they're living there while we are stuck with the lack of financial freedom to leave the country without a doubt.
Contemplation time was over, I was sitting in the waiting room to see my gynaecologist (sorry for the overshare, but it's a woman's world). Literally 15 minutes in the room with my doctor, I am back at reception paying over $200 and booked in for surgery in less than 2 weeks time. The receptionist smirks at me as I ask her how much my Private Health Cover will pay for the surgery. She prints me all the fees and asks me to pay a deposit, I smile and nod and say thank you so much... for just destroying my dreams. The silence between Shaun and I is as awkward as anything, I know what he's thinking, he knows what I'm thinking and the whole car ride home was silent a part from me forcibly asking what he wanted for lunch. Once we're home, I have a quick 30 minutes for lunch before I get to work for the afternoon. We're grilling some chicken and Shaun says to me, so what are we going to do. I hyperventilate inside and say well I have been thinking, we have a few options:
I'm now excited, motivated and restless. You can hear the exhilaration in my voice as my dreams are getting closer. In less than 24 hours, we met with our most fabulous real estate agent and signed the paperwork. A lot of you might be thinking, silly, silly girl. A lot of you don't know me, and how being spontaneous my whole life had lead to a lot of success and happiness. And lately I had been lacking spontaneity and it felt so good to be alive and ready to go!
I know what I want, it's been a while since I have been able to make a decision, sometimes not even knowing what to have for dinner. So knowing what I want is just as liberating as the idea of selling the house, successfully. We have the next couple of weeks on the market to see if this will all come together as we hoped, for those of you outside of Australia, the property is booming here, especially Sydney. You know when you take a journey in life, and things just work out, this is that moment in the making. With the potential to change our lives, the next step in this journey before departure, is to quit my job... A seven year career, stable, networked, well-paid and could I really do this?
I had just finished an organic, filling and mega-tasty breakfast at my favourite cafe in Cronulla. It's a ritual to come down here for a Saturday starter in the sun, but I had the morning off work to head to a medical appointment and wanted to make the most of the gorgeous weather Sydney had been lucky with this Winter. Maybe since living in Melbourne, and being under a blanket of grey 90% of the time, I needed to embrace the blue skies I had missed so much.
After brekky, I had an hour to kill until I needed to head to my appointment, so I walked 4 kilometres around Bate Bay in Cronulla, and took in the phenomenal views that cannot be taken for granted. I love this spot. I have my earliest memories in this place, whether picnicking on the grass behind Shelley Beach as a toddler, or body boarding at Eleura as a teenager, this place is as home as it gets. For more than just the memories, but I own a property here and have lived right in the thick of it for a year of my life so the weekly visits were permanent at some point. I love people watching and as I listen to people walk together chatting about what their plans for the weekend are, or how they're not speaking to their boyfriend right now because of how much of a jerk he is, I wonder what their journey in life is. I am here this morning only because I have a morning off work to go to the doctors, but these people around me have tans that take an effort so mornings here must be frequented. How do they do it? I would kill to be strolling the beaches of Vietnam, or the Swiss lakeside just one morning at a time, what are these people doing each day wasting time here, or is this just the lifestyle they worked so hard for? I must admit being stranded until my next departure makes me an envious person, I think it is due to lack of travel in the last year and my soul is yearning to be driving to that airport for an international departure - on a one way ticket.
 |
| A spot to contemplate, with a view - Growing up in Cronulla, New South Wales |
45 minutes later, I head back around the bay to wait for Shaun to meet me. This 10 minutes I spent waiting was a ground breaking moment for me. The first time I have never thanked Shaun for making me wait. I sat down looked at this spectacular view, and knew that everything we had planned was right, and we were heading in the right direction. Any inkling of doubt was washed away that morning at the beach, to the point where I would even sell our property to make our dreams come true. That property was 500m up the road, and our tenants were probably coming home from night shift working at the hospital or cleaning up the apartment to get ready for a party there were probably going to throw to start off the weekend. Who knows, we don't know them, but they're living there while we are stuck with the lack of financial freedom to leave the country without a doubt.
Contemplation time was over, I was sitting in the waiting room to see my gynaecologist (sorry for the overshare, but it's a woman's world). Literally 15 minutes in the room with my doctor, I am back at reception paying over $200 and booked in for surgery in less than 2 weeks time. The receptionist smirks at me as I ask her how much my Private Health Cover will pay for the surgery. She prints me all the fees and asks me to pay a deposit, I smile and nod and say thank you so much... for just destroying my dreams. The silence between Shaun and I is as awkward as anything, I know what he's thinking, he knows what I'm thinking and the whole car ride home was silent a part from me forcibly asking what he wanted for lunch. Once we're home, I have a quick 30 minutes for lunch before I get to work for the afternoon. We're grilling some chicken and Shaun says to me, so what are we going to do. I hyperventilate inside and say well I have been thinking, we have a few options:
- We cancel my surgery..... "Carissa your health is important, no."
- We delay the trip another 6 months to save more money..... "Carissa we have already delayed this dream of ours, no."
- We look at selling the apartment to have the financial freedom we desire and have no mortgage that bleeds into our travel funds..... "Bingo, yes."
I'm now excited, motivated and restless. You can hear the exhilaration in my voice as my dreams are getting closer. In less than 24 hours, we met with our most fabulous real estate agent and signed the paperwork. A lot of you might be thinking, silly, silly girl. A lot of you don't know me, and how being spontaneous my whole life had lead to a lot of success and happiness. And lately I had been lacking spontaneity and it felt so good to be alive and ready to go!
 |
| A question I asked my followers - Would you? |
I know what I want, it's been a while since I have been able to make a decision, sometimes not even knowing what to have for dinner. So knowing what I want is just as liberating as the idea of selling the house, successfully. We have the next couple of weeks on the market to see if this will all come together as we hoped, for those of you outside of Australia, the property is booming here, especially Sydney. You know when you take a journey in life, and things just work out, this is that moment in the making. With the potential to change our lives, the next step in this journey before departure, is to quit my job... A seven year career, stable, networked, well-paid and could I really do this?
 |
| Quote of the Century |
Friday, 25 July 2014
Wandering about our Travel Inspired Wedding
You know growing up as a young girl you always dreamt about what that special day looked like? The church, the beach ceremony followed by rooftop cocktails, then the garden party? A place in the city for all the people you have ever met in your life to come and get free piss, as your neighbours best friend's uncle waves at your with Hors d'oeuvre half eaten in their hand. OK I am exaggerating, but isn't that what many mainstream weddings are made up of these days? I must admit I wanted something special, but I had only been to one wedding before my own so I had nothing to compare it to, but I knew what I wanted and it all came together right after the engagement of course.
Shaun was very smart to ask me to marry him in New York city, an iconic place on an international scale which holds memories of hustle and bustle, romance, foodie heaven, a businessman's sanctuary, and a photographers playground. This city is a cultural melting pot, and of all the places I have visited it's nothing like I have ever seen before, but still so familiar from the movies, from the sky rises in our own city that we try to escape. So following a lengthy young life of travel we have done on our own, and then together it was only natural to incorporate our wanderlust into our vows to share with our loved ones. Shaun is my passenger for life, and I am his, and as we started to plan our travel-inspired wedding, there really wasn't much out there in the wonderful world of the internet to grasp ideas from. I hope for any of you out there set to wed, who also want travel to be the co-main event of the day, you get ideas and inspiration from me because I didn't have much to go by I wanted to help out.
So we started from the beginning and had to pick the destination. As individuals we always wanted a destination wedding, so it was a relief when I suggested a wedding out of Sydney he was thinking the same thing. We had travelled to many wineries around the world and thought why not on the footsteps of Greater Sydney head to the Hunter Valley for an Australian Vineyard Wedding, where wine is a major passion that we grew our taste for together. It all came easy when we found Tulloch Wines Cellar Door where they offered future bride and groom open days to suss out the local talent of the Wedding Industry, and all in one day I tasted their wedding menu (a 3 course food and wine extravaganza), picked our florist, photographer and decorator. We left there stress-free and they gained a new member of their wine club - Pokolbin Dry Red Shiraz is my all time favourite wine.
To help capture this special day, we had the ever-so creative photographer, Peter McNeill at Natural Lightscapes. Peter specialises in shooting images in a natural setting which is why we knew he was perfect for our destination wedding in the Hunter Valley. Not only did he use our surroundings to his advantage, but he sourced me a Jacaranda Tree and kept me updated throughout the season to let me know if the flowers would scatter in time for the big day. He used light to enhance the memories we now have for a lifetime, set in the vineyards that symbolise our special day.
A different Peter prepared the flowers for the day, Peter Herd Florist. He gave me gorgeous flowers that dressed me and the wedding party up, as well as the tables. Peter contacted me a week prior to let me know the lisianthus were not going to arrive in time from Amsterdam, there's not much I can do about it but he knew a back up. And on the morning of the wedding he turned up with a package from Amsterdam that had arrived the day before, just to surprise me.
Peter worked very closely with Jane at Think Weddings and Events, who tied down everything for the day. I told Jane how passionate Shaun and I were about travel and with the style and elegance in the work she does, she combined all the things we love and put her love into setting up our day. I sent her the pictures of the cities in the world Shaun and I loved most, and she placed them across the room amongst the arrangements to be used as our version of "table numbers". Each person sat at a city table and a map guided them to their destination.
With the main features out of the way, we focused on picking our cake design and finding someone who could achieve what we had in mind. We found I Do Wedding Cake's Penny, who has a very steady hand to design the bottom tier of our cake - the New York City skyline itself. She also created our very own cake topper in great detail of Shaun and I on board our very own sugar plane! The design was customised completely.
In the theme of cake, we wanted to giveaway something yummy to our guests, so we went to a well known cookie and cake baker in Sydney - Yummies Cakes. We gave her an idea, and she came up with the design used for our shortbread cookies in a take-home bag for our guests.We chose rectangular cookies as it was best for our design, but she can do cake pops, shaped cookies and a whole range of other designs that are truly amazing (not to mention some great shaped cookies for my hen's weekend - the girls loved it and I'll let you use your imagination). Thank you Yummies!
Shaun was very smart to ask me to marry him in New York city, an iconic place on an international scale which holds memories of hustle and bustle, romance, foodie heaven, a businessman's sanctuary, and a photographers playground. This city is a cultural melting pot, and of all the places I have visited it's nothing like I have ever seen before, but still so familiar from the movies, from the sky rises in our own city that we try to escape. So following a lengthy young life of travel we have done on our own, and then together it was only natural to incorporate our wanderlust into our vows to share with our loved ones. Shaun is my passenger for life, and I am his, and as we started to plan our travel-inspired wedding, there really wasn't much out there in the wonderful world of the internet to grasp ideas from. I hope for any of you out there set to wed, who also want travel to be the co-main event of the day, you get ideas and inspiration from me because I didn't have much to go by I wanted to help out.
So we started from the beginning and had to pick the destination. As individuals we always wanted a destination wedding, so it was a relief when I suggested a wedding out of Sydney he was thinking the same thing. We had travelled to many wineries around the world and thought why not on the footsteps of Greater Sydney head to the Hunter Valley for an Australian Vineyard Wedding, where wine is a major passion that we grew our taste for together. It all came easy when we found Tulloch Wines Cellar Door where they offered future bride and groom open days to suss out the local talent of the Wedding Industry, and all in one day I tasted their wedding menu (a 3 course food and wine extravaganza), picked our florist, photographer and decorator. We left there stress-free and they gained a new member of their wine club - Pokolbin Dry Red Shiraz is my all time favourite wine.
 |
| Tulloch Wines Cellar Door with a wrap around balcony and courtyard - stunning |
To help capture this special day, we had the ever-so creative photographer, Peter McNeill at Natural Lightscapes. Peter specialises in shooting images in a natural setting which is why we knew he was perfect for our destination wedding in the Hunter Valley. Not only did he use our surroundings to his advantage, but he sourced me a Jacaranda Tree and kept me updated throughout the season to let me know if the flowers would scatter in time for the big day. He used light to enhance the memories we now have for a lifetime, set in the vineyards that symbolise our special day.
 |
| Peter took us to a secluded residential Australian property with a Jacaranda tree to pose in the background of our shots |
 |
| Peter stayed behind until the end of our celebrations to capture the final shot close to midnight in between the vines of Tulloch |
Peter worked very closely with Jane at Think Weddings and Events, who tied down everything for the day. I told Jane how passionate Shaun and I were about travel and with the style and elegance in the work she does, she combined all the things we love and put her love into setting up our day. I sent her the pictures of the cities in the world Shaun and I loved most, and she placed them across the room amongst the arrangements to be used as our version of "table numbers". Each person sat at a city table and a map guided them to their destination.
 |
| Guests were guided to the tables by a Map of cities, created by me. Niagara Falls and New York City to name only two. Flowers and arrangements put together by Peter Herd Florist and Think Wedding and Event's Jane. |
With the main features out of the way, we focused on picking our cake design and finding someone who could achieve what we had in mind. We found I Do Wedding Cake's Penny, who has a very steady hand to design the bottom tier of our cake - the New York City skyline itself. She also created our very own cake topper in great detail of Shaun and I on board our very own sugar plane! The design was customised completely.
To bring everyone together one the night, we searched for a band or DJ who could best represent us longer than any other element of our day. One night we ventured to Manly north of Sydney for a night out at a local pub, no better place to find an awesome cover band - 2 Fold. To top it off they were a father and son duo from New Zealand one of our favourite destinations worldwide. The pair can be found across Sydney performing in many bars and pubs, and have great voices to match the atmosphere they create with so many classics. You can see their song list and listen online to their audio.
We were married on 10.11.12 nearly 2 years ago now and planned an incredible quick honeymoon to Fiji then a belated 7 week honeymoon to North and Central America. I am still holding onto those memories like they were yesterday and so happy we got to plan a day that was surrounded by loved ones showing them the best parts of us and our wanderous hearts. We said our vows to one another that day to honour each other, and we can now honour our dreams together as we set off hand in hand following them.
Special Thanks to our families and friends of course who will always be by our sides wherever we are and the people who put it together:
2. Special thanks to Tanya Horne the wedding planner for our day
3. Natural Lightscapes Photography
8. 2 Fold
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)