A few weekends ago I used my standby privileges to visit Charlotte, North Carolina.
I never thought of Charlotte as a place to visit, it's more of a stop over city to me but (
shrugs
The forecast for the weekend boasted temperatures in the lo 70s high 80s. To a Houstonian like me, who is constantly seeking shelter from the oppressive summer sun, that's like leaving a fat kid in a bakery overnight. Fall was upon us. Every park and all the patios in the city would be teeming with people, eager to enjoy one of the few days when Houston experiences perfect weather.
How I Traveled to 5 Different Countries Using Only 7 Vacation Days
Like many Americans, I suffer from a severe lack of vacation days. Every year, I undertake the near impossible task of traveling the world with a mere 10 vacation days and 3 sick days.
So every year, I have to figure out how I'm going to take a minimum of two international trips (a requirement I imposed on myself 2 years ago) and as many domestic trips as I can handle read: afford)....which is usually once a month (but not always). How do I accomplish such an amazing feat?
How Not to Miss your Interational Flight
For $300 or so, we would fly JFK to AUH....that's an incredible deal. Being the genius that I am, I schemed the rest of my travel plans, and in an effort to save money, decided to fly standby to LGA and take the short 20 mins taxi ride to JFK. I did something similar for China....and I was shackled on the way back home so I knew, I KNEW, there would be some obstacles, but nothing insurmountable....so I thought.
If You Want Delays, Fly Fiji Airways
Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan look.
I will NEVER fly Fiji Airways again. EVER.
If it wasn't for the incredibly nice people, I think I might have been on the news.
When You Only Have 24 hours in Auckland, NZ...Here's What I Did!
As a result of one of the longest delays ever (about 6 hours), stuck in a really small airport that one had 2 small restaurant (one of which was actually just a coffee shop)...my time in Auckland was cut from 2 days, down to one. Not cool, Fiji Airways...not cool.
I was content but I felt like I was lacking the full Fiji experience. You see, I wanted to immerse myself in the culture during my brief two days on the island (but not that much b/c I'm still pretty bougie and need things like a/c and running water, etc). So, we stayed in a beach front bure - the traditional style homes on Fiji. But...I also wanted to try kava before I left.
3-day weekends are the best!
Who doesn't love knowing you only have to work a 4-day week which will be followed by 3 full days of not working?? I swear if I had Fridays off...whew! I'm not sure what I'd do with myself.
Last weekend I hoped a flight to Atlanta meet my new baby cousin, Alexander.
It was a family reunion of sorts. My great aunt whom i hadn't seen in nearly 20 years and my cousin, were visiting my other cousin, Alex's father, whom I hadn't seen in more than 5 years. (That sentence is confusing but the bottom line is...I hadn't seen my family in forever).
Travel is not some exclusive, elitist club whose membership is based on how many stamps you've got in your passport and it shouldn't be made into such a thing. It's not about how many countries you've been to. It's not about how many monuments you've taken pictures with. It's not about how many followers you have on Instagram.
It's hard to put into words, but New Orleans is a city that is bursting at the seams with culture, from the food and music to the architecture. When I'm there, I instantly feel connected to my creole roots, distant though they may be.
As part of the pre-travel research (and I always do this), I tried to determine if it would be better to pre-book some activities. Pre-booking is good when you're short on time, when there's a possibility that excursions will be sold out and/or if you want to have some structure to your trip. I've also found that trip structure is key when traveling in groups larger than two and people who have differing opinions on timeliness, etc.