The worst part of travel isn’t the security checkpoints with prison-issue wands, puffs of air blowing in your face or gloved agents pawing through your belongings. It’s not the airline seats with their lumbar supports that spear your spine or the $2.25 you pay for a small bottle of filtered tap water at airport restaurants. It’s not the jetlag—which can be so brutal that your left foot doesn’t know where your right foot is walking—or the suitcase that vanished with the travel clothes, gadgets and gear you have spent half a decade assembling.
The worst part of travel is actually coming home. One day you are in Peru, gaping at Machu Picchu or in the Canadian Rockies, heli-hiking amid the granite spires of the Bugaboos. Maybe you’ve been cycling in Italy, trekking in Nepal, cruising down the Nile in Egypt, or sauna hopping in Finland. The next day, you open the door to your digs and…chaos.
The answering machine is blinking, there are hundreds or thousands of emails, the snail mail spills over the edge of a huge tub and stares at you from the floor. There are bills to be paid, deadlines to be met, appointments to be kept. Your hair needs new highlights, your car is due for servicing, there’s a leak in your office, you forgot to send your sister-in-law a birthday gift. The exotic fades as you slip into the quotidian and start trouble-shooting, catching up, returning calls, and squirming in the dentist’s chair. Hooray! You are home.
I have not yet figured out how to make homecoming a celebration. But I have a few tips if you are as overwhelmed as I am when you step over your own welcome mat.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Star-studded A-List destinations
photo courtesy of VisitTelluride.com
Lock up that backpack, throw the sneakers to the back of the closet – you won’t be needing them in any of these glittering destinations. Follow Lonely Planet on a red carpet ride through the top 10 swanky spots the celebrities love – and you just might too.
Check out Lonely Planet’s Top 10 glamorous A-list destinations
Source: Lonely Planet
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
a guest blog by Sandy Salle of Hills Africa Travel
One of the greatest concerns travelers have when it comes to international family travel is safety. We often hear from families who would love to travel to Africa but who also have some safety concerns: “Is a safari safe for our family?” “Are health conditions in Africa safe for my family?” “Is traveling to and through Africa safe for my family?”
The answer to all of those questions is yes, Africa is a safe and wonderful place to bring your family. But, as with all destinations outside of your own country, there are obvious safety precautions that should be addressed and looked into prior to departure.
Some of these universal travel concerns include health precautions, language barriers, differing cultures, and unfamiliar governments. With these concerns lingering, it’s important to be educated, and have the right tools to prevent any unexpected emergencies when traveling outside your native country. The enriching and rewarding family experiences far outweigh any of these concerning factors, as all safety precautions are addressed prior to departure.
But two of the most popular safety concerns we receive from clients are in regards to family safari tours and children on safari.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it” ~John Steinbeck
Sure, you vowed to love each other “for better and for worse,” but who said anything about trekking Machu Picchu, tackling a via ferrata in the Canadian Rockies or a culinary bike tour through Tuscany, for that matter? For many, adventure travel wasn’t what they had in mind when they promised ‘til death do us part’.
In nearly two decades of marital globetrotting, I’ve learned a thing or two about traveling with the one you love. In fact, my married life started when my now-husband, Hank, and I eloped during a 3-month vacation. Two years later, we packed up the Subaru and didn’t return home for more than a year. And for the past decade we’ve divided our time between homes in Old and New Mexico.
But, I hadn’t really thought about what works - and what doesn’t - until recently when the adventure travel company Canadian Mountain Holidays asked me to write about the topic for their Adventure Blog.
In addition, I put the word out to my, facebook friends and twitter followers, asking for their best strategies for how to travel together AND save the marriage.
So, what’s the the secret? You may be surprised! For a collection of our best advice READ MORE
What about you? How do you keep things cozy when traveling with the one you love? Share a comment below, on my Facebook page, or tag me on twitter to continue the conversation. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
About Ellen Barone: Consumer travel expert Ellen Barone is the founder and publisher of TravelUpdatesbyEllenBarone.com and YourLifeIsATrip.com. She’s currently at work on her first book - I COULD LIVE HERE. Click here to learn more or stay connected on Twitter at,Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
The Inn at Harbor Hill Marina offers not only a porch, but plenty of chairs for viewing the boats in the harbor. Photo by Marti Mayne.New England is experiencing record breaking heat. Heck, the whole country is! You’re not only really ready to cool off, you’re also ready for a break. Now is the perfect time to consider a quick B&B getaway in New England. Imagine rocking your cares away on the porch of a welcoming B&B, cool drink in hand. Whether it’s in Boston or along the Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island or Connecticut coasts, here are a few recommendations for hot B&Bs in cool places, just a hop, skip and jump from Boston. Each one offers a fabulous balcony or porch poised to catch cool sea breezes and scenic views.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
There’s a Portuguese party going on over on our sister site, YourLifeIsATrip.com, where each day this week we’re celebrating and sharing some very cool places to eat and drink, stay, visit and explore, focusing the YourLifeIsATrip.com spotlight on the “undiscovered” nature of the country.
Helping us help you launch your own Portugal adventure is our favorite travel search engine - TravelDragon.com.
To whet your appetite here are just a few of their Portugal recommendations:
Portugal Biking: From Ancient Towns to Douro Valley Vineyards
Peel back layers of history and tradition as you journey through this captivating corner of northern Portugal. Pedal along pastoral lanes from the ancient market town of Ponte de Lima to Guimarães, a World Heritage site and the birthplace of Portugal. Spin into the stunning Douro Valley, where wine has been produced for nearly two millennia. Explore historic landmarks, climb pine-covered mountains, and encounter friendly locals on horse-drawn carts. Along the way, sample delectable port wine and fresh seafood, and… more
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Portugal: Lisbon and the Silver CoastDeparts June
The journey to Portugal offers magical landscapes of sandy beaches rimmed by burnished-gold cliffs, fantastic Manueline architecture, fairytale walled towns, hilltop windmills and Moorish castles. The dramatic history of the Knights Templar and of the Portuguese discoveries is softened by the coral-colored hibiscus flowers and purple wisteria wrapping around centuries old stone walls, elegantly painted ceramic tiles and soulful fado music. |
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".