My ABCs of Travel

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This might be quite obvious, but I have been diagnosed with an incurable case of wanderlust. The Husband and I would barely be back from a trip when we find ourselves planning the next one. We've been incredibly fortunate to be able to travel to some very exciting places, and we still have a list as long as my arm of destinations we want to visit.

Recently, I stumbled upon the ABCs of Travel Tag over on a fellow wanderluster's (is that a word!?) blog, Travelust. I couldn't pass up this tag filled with travel questions, so here are my ABCs of Travel:

Age you went on your first international trip

I was about five or six years old when we took a family trip to Namibia. It was a 12-hour drive from my hometown in South Africa. We went there almost every year throughout my childhood, and Namibia is absolutely stunning!

Best foreign beer you've had, and where?

Beer is not usually my drink of choice, but I did have a couple of great ones at a local brewery in Asheville, North Carolina recently. I don't remember the names though.

Cuisine (favorite)

One of my biggest motivations for traveling IS food, so it's extremely hard to choose. Ahh!! I'm going with Thai food in Thailand. It's just so flavorful and interesting. I can eat that every day. But Italian is also high up there!

Destinations (favorite, least favorite, and why?)

My favorite so far was Paris, France. My least favorite was Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Paris was magical on all levels and it totally exceeded my (very high) expectations. I didn't like Ho Chi Minh city, because it was so busy and I was tired from a long flight. But I would give the rest of Vietnam another chance in the future.

Event you've experienced abroad that made you say, "Wow!"

There are so many times I've had that experience! Here are just a few worth mentioning;
- Seeing Taipei101 (now the second tallest building in the world) for the first time when I moved to Taiwan.
- Admiring the view over Hong Kong from the Peak Tram observatory.
- Riding on the back of an elephant in Thailand.
- Walking around Times Square and Central Park in New York City, USA.
- Seeing Mount Fuji in Japan with my own eyes.
- The first time I touched snow when I was in North Carolina.
- Going on a gondola ride in Venice, Italy.
- Standing in front of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.
- Walking around the little alleys in Mykonos, Greece.
- Eating the local pizza in Naples, Italy.
- Enjoying tapas and sangria at a cafe on the sidewalk during sunset in Barcelona, Spain.
- Walking around on the streets of the ancient city of Pompeii, Italy.
- Looking up at the ceilings inside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Being proposed to in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
- Visiting St Peter's Square and Basilica in Vatican City.
- Walking around the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.
Obviously I can go on and on and on...

Favorite mode of transportation

It really depends what we're doing or where we are. We tend to use public transportation, like trains, when we travel (it's also a great way to experience the daily life of the locals, and to get to know a new place very fast).

Greatest feeling while traveling

Watching a beautiful sunset, preferably with a glass of wine in hand, at the end of an eventful day of exploring and enjoying a new place, and reminiscing about the day's activities.

Hottest place you've ever traveled to.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I've been there three times during the summer, and the last time I was there the temperatures were above 40 degrees Celsius almost every day.

Incredible service you've experienced, and where.

I will never forget the friendliest staff I've ever encountered; at a lovely hotel in Koh Samui, Thailand. They treated us like VIPs, and I would stay there again just because of them.

Journey that took the longest.

Flying from Taipei to Tokyo to Detroit to Charlotte was a very, very long trip. But does a 12-day Mediterranean cruise count as one journey?

Keepsake from your travels.

I don't usually buy the typical souvenirs while traveling, but I will buy something like a scarf, or bag, or something for the house, and I'll always remember where I bought it.

Let-down sight; where and why?

I can't recall ever being let down by a sight while traveling. 

Moment when you fell in love with traveling.

It was when I just started traveling after graduating, and on my first trip to the States; I was in California by myself. I remember thinking how wonderful it was to see things in real life that I've only seen on TV. I realized that it was possible to see and experience all these places that I've only seen in magazines or on television for myself, and decided then and there that I would travel to as many destinations as I can, for the rest of my life.

Nicest hotel you've stayed in.

I've been in a few nice hotels, but there is one specific hotel in Koh Samui, Thailand that I will always go back to. Not only was the staff extremely friendly and helpful, our room was modern, luxurious and HUGE (the big windows opened to the hotel's pool) and we were a stone's throw away from the ocean. The food and drinks were delicious, too.

Obsession; what are you obsessed with photographing while traveling.

Anything and everything. Mostly food and famous sights.

Passport stamps; how many, and from where?

I just recently filled up my passport with stamps, so there are literally too many to count. Some countries I've entered multiple times, like Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Hong Kong and UAE. I hope I don't forget any, but here are the countries I've been to: South Africa, Namibia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, USA, UAE, Philippines, Japan, Italy, Vatican City, Spain, Greece, Turkey, France, Monaco and Vietnam.

Quirkiest attraction you've visited, and where?

Madame Tussauds, the wax museum, in Hong Kong was weirdly entertaining.

Really frightening; a place you've traveled where you felt unsafe or uneasy.

I've never been truly afraid while traveling, but I have felt uneasy. Riding the subway in New York City was pretty crazy, with strangers yelling at each other. Also, the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul was extremely overwhelming, with so many vendors trying to get you to come into their shops and basically pulling you in different directions.

Splurge; something you have no problem spending money on while traveling.

It's very important to me to sleep in a clean, comfortable and safe hotel. After a day of activities and exploring, I want to be able to go back to a relaxing atmosphere where I can lock the door and not worry about safety. So I'll splurge on a nice hotel in a convenient location.

Touristy thing you've done.

I love doing touristy things, and try my best to see all the well known sights in each city I visit. The Husband and I enjoy taking those red double-decker City Sightseeing buses when we are in big cities. The ones that run in Barcelona were especially great. You can relax while seeing a lot of the city. I guess that's VERY touristy.

Unforgettable travel memory.

So so many! But getting engaged in Paris must be THE most unforgettable memory.

Visas; how many, and for where?

Let's just say, my South African passport can't get me into many countries without a visa, so I have plenty! For USA, Taiwan, Japan and Europe.

Wine; best glass while traveling.

Lots of wine has been consumed during our travels. Best wine; Stellenbosch, South Africa and Paris, France.

EXcellent view, and from where?

Again, too many to choose from. The view from Montmartre over Paris, just before sunset, was pretty spectacular.

Years spent traveling.

I've only really started traveling in my early twenties, so I would say about about 7 years.

Zealous sports fans and where.

The Husband, during our Mediterranean cruise in August 2012. He was obsessed with staying up to date with the Summer Olympics that was going on in London at the time, and would have the TV on sports channels every second we were in our cabin.

I hope you enjoyed my A to Z travel post! I tag Kalong from Just an ordinary girl living in an extraordinary world and Carrie from My Several Worlds to do this post. If you would like to do this tag, please leave a link in the comments below so I can check it out.

Happy travels!

The Sunshine Award

I must admit, I am delighted to have received another blog award. Sometimes I forget that people actually read my ramblings, and it's always nice to get some positive feedback from fellow blogaholics. So a very big thank you to Ashley from All That Glitters for thinking about Pretty.Random.Things. when having to nominate a deserving blog. I appreciate it!

The Sunshine Award is given to bloggers by our peers which, to me, makes it extra special. Of course, now I have to do a few things to pay it forward. So here's my Sunshine Award to-do list, if you will:

1. Display the award on my blog
2. Say "thank you" to the wonderful person that nominated me
3. Post 10 interesting things about myself
4. Nominate some of my favorite blogs
5. Link to the nominated blogs and let them know I've nominated them.

I feel like I've posted "10 interesting things about myself" a hundred and ten times before. I'm really not THAT interesting, people. But I'll try my best to provide you with some fun facts.

10 Interesting (!?!) things about moi:

1. I mostly fall asleep in one very specific position; on my stomach, facing to the left, with my left arm under my pillow and my right arm straight down next to my body.
2. I am obsessed with buying white shirts. It's the first thing I look for when entering a store.
3. I hate talking on the phone.
4. I'd rather be too hot than too cold.
5. I'm a Spatial (Visual) Learner. 
6. I can touch my nose with my tongue. (Try it!)
7. I'm an introvert and can go days without needing any social interaction. I love spending time by myself. The more "me time" I have, the more energized I feel.
8. I brush my teeth three or more times a day.
9. My sister and I share a middle name; Noreen. It was our grandmother's name.
10. I've been to 17 countries on 4 continents.

Whether that was interesting to you or not, those are 10 things about me, and now you know me a teeny tiny bit better than you did 1 minute ago.

Next I'll nominate some deserving blogs for the Sunshine Award:

1. Simply Alexandra
2. The Chic and Cheap
3. Love Letters and Snippets
4. Rosina Diaries
5. The Rant
6. Coffee Rings & Southern Things

Happy Hump Day, my friends!

GUEST BLOGGER: "What's in my Purse?"

I haven't had a guest blogger post here on Pretty.Random.Things. in quite a while, have I? Well, we're back with a bang! Because I got the lovely Sarah of Coffee Rings & Southern Things to share with us what's in her purse. Yep, the nosy-ness (is that a word!?) continues...

Hello! I’m pretty sure Liesl didn’t tell you, but she and I had planned on doing this a while ago, so I am way late on this. [Her post can be found here on my blog.] I apologize, even if you didn’t know. That’s so very flighty of me. But I’m SO glad to finally guest post for Pretty.Random.Things!

I am a blogger at Coffee Rings & Southern Things, a lifestyle blog where I pretty much write about any random thing that pops into my brain. Some days it’s fashion, books I’m in love with, recipes I’ve tried (though I really need to find more time to write on that topic, as I absolutely adore cooking), or just something that happened in my day-to-day. Like adopting our precious kitten, Shadow. And I felt so honored to have been asked by the folks at Warby Parker to write a product review/announcement for their Fall 2013 collection!

Today, however, my goal is to take you deep into one of the [usually] scary places of my life. My purse. I call it scary because this is typically where the random things I acquire every day end up. Like receipts from the Star gas station down the street in my small town of Toano, Virginia. Why must I keep a reminder that I purchased an extra-large bag of cheddar Ruffles and a Twix bar last Friday? Why?!

‘Twould be my purse, above. Ain’t she pretty? I love the pale pink color. I bought it from Charming Charlie a few months back and only just now started using it. When Liesl emailed me about guest posting, I’d been using one of my favorite Liz Claiborne bags – an oversized brown purse with gold buckles and lots and lots of zippered compartments to store every little thing I could ever imagine.

I knew it was time to switch things up when I realized I couldn’t find anything in that sucker. When you’re standing in line to pay for something and don’t get that wallet out right away and the cashier says “Six fifty-two, please.” and you spend about five minutes just trying to find that dang wallet, and all the customers behind you are sighing loudly and shuffling their feet and sweat creeps down your forehead in little nervous trickles… there’s your sign. Get a new bag. Preferably one smaller in size.

So I pulled out the little pink purse – little, meaning only slightly smaller than my Liz. Even though it’s nothing special, just a cheap thang from Charming Charlie, I really like it. It’s easier to carry with me, and I find everything I absolutely need fits in it, and I’m not tempted to pack it full of anything extra. Although I do picture one thing down there that doesn’t fit in this bag (it shockingly fit in the Liz, however), everything else fits comfortably in the cute little pink purse I’ve needed in my life for so long.

Minus my Droid Razr Maxx 4G LTE cell phone [used to take these pictures, even though I’m ironically a photographer and have a super expensive camera at home I could have just as easily used], everything you see above is with me just about every day. Makeup, glasses, and little Moleskine journals are musts. 

I bring my glasses and a little container of eye drops because my contacts aren’t always that dependable. Sometimes I can’t take it anymore and put my glasses on. But sometimes – especially in the summer when it’s way too hot to even think about having metal frames around my face – I can suck it up with a few drops and carry on with my day. If I don’t have either of these, I panic. And you don’t want to see me panic.

This is my wallet – also from Charming Charlie – and even though I’m ready for an update, this one’s lasted me quite a while. I’m a huge fan of this style wallet, mainly because it has enough space for all my cards, cash, coins, and identifications, without looking as if it’s going to explode.

That book, as I mentioned, doesn’t fit in this purse, but I never ever leave the house without something to read. I’m a book addict, and I don’t mind one bit. This one, The Great Deluge by Douglas Brinkley, is really good, actually. In fact, I can’t put it down. 

I’m a big history nut, and I’ve always been really interested in the weather, as well. Whenever we get hurricanes on the East Coast, I track them the whole time, watching where they end up as opposed to where they were predicted to go by meteorologists. It oddly fascinates me. Deep down inside, I’m a huge nerd, and I feel that’s okay. 

But one hurricane I’ve always been astounded by was Katrina. The history of this storm and the cities it affected interests me greatly and probably more so that my guy is from Mississippi and weathered the storm himself. Usually I read novels, [my last book was The Last Girls by Lee Smith] but sometimes, nonfiction grabs my attention, too.

Ah, my business cards. I designed these myself, with my own photography on the front and back. I never go anywhere without them. What use is it to not have proof of my business if someone is interested in seeing my work? Rather than simply tell them, I can dig a card from the inside pocket of my purse and hand them the key to viewing my portfolio. I can’t stand not having them when I need them the most. It’s a lame feeling, let me tell you.

Lastly, these are the other fillers in my bag. Small Moleskine journals, my favorite Sharpie felt-tip pen, some of my favorite makeup products [just in case, of course], something to tie my hair up with if I need it, and a pair of sunglasses never leave my side. I always go with the Wayfarer look when I buy sunglasses, and even though I used to work for Sunglass Hut, I can’t find it in me to buy the real thing. I use the absolute crap out of mine, so I don’t see the point in spending over triple the amount just to have a name brand if I’m just going to mess them up.

All in all, I’ve found that the smaller the bag, the more likely I am to not jam too much in there. I carry a book in my arm, and a coffee in my hand, but I will never overstuff my purses again. If I need to bring something extra, I’ll probably switch to something bigger just for the day.

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did writing it, and hopefully Liesl asks me to come back again soon to see you guys! [Next time, of course, in a timelier manner.]

XOXO, Sarah

I can't believe...

I'm linking up with the lovely Robin from The Sunshine Diary today for this post. I haven't done this in ages, but this one is right up my alley, as there are many many things I can't believe...

Robin from The Sunshine Diary

I can't believe... it's Thursday today. Really? Where did this week go!?

I can't believe... I'm on Day 4 of the Insanity workout and I'm still alive and breathing...

I can't believe... The Boyfriend and I will celebrate our 4-year anniversary soon. Time sure flies when you're having fun.

I can't believe... I just ordered a bunch of stuff from ASOS.com again last night. I have zero self-control. 

I can't believe... that the finale of How I met your Mother is coming up soon and that we'll finally get to see who "The Mother" is. Actually, no, I CAN believe it! Ted's been telling this story for, like, 500 years already.

Visit The Sunshine Diary to link up your "I can't believe..." post, or just share with us here in the comments below.