Wow
Wow. What else can I say? Well maybe Thank You. No that’s not enough. A Big Thank You. Still not enough. A Big Ol’ Fat Honkin’ THANK YOU (that’s more like it) to the amazing readers, friends and supporters of Beyond Disney Travel Tips for making yesterday our BIGGEST day ever.
Have One of Those Really Great Days
Some days are really great. Things go your way. You meet unexpected adventures that are surprising and fun, not euphemisms for an extra deadline from your boss. You appreciate where you are and enjoy the people you’re with.
I had one of those days yesterday. It was a combination of hiking, full moonlight and an impromptu party on the mountain – all on a Tuesday evening. And in the middle of hiking up Lion’s Head I realized what makes a really great day.
It’s About the Destination, Not the Journey
It’s about the journey, not the destination.
This is one of the lines uttered famously by eyelash fluttering ladies and old men with lined faces and weathered hats. It sounds nice. It takes on a fabulously philosophical meaning when applied to life. But when taken literally it is absolutely wrong.
The reality of travelling is that it’s all about the destination. Because the journey sucks.
Appreciate Where You Are
Cape Town is the number one travel destination in the world.
Its beaches, mountains, history and wine have launched it ahead of all the other Destination Greats like Sydney, Rio and, the ultimate cool city, Barcelona. Hey, I’m not making this up. Tripadvisor said so. And who dare question the great Tripadvisor? As a current resident of this fair city it’s an honor to know my home of the last two years is topping bucket lists across the globe.
And it’s also a little strange.
Hot or Cold?
Which is better: a beach vacation or a snow holiday? No really, I want to know. You’re probably thinking beach, but is that because you really prefer it or because beaches tend to wind up on the front of travel brochures?
The End of the World is Near…Repent and Travel
Happy New Year’s!
The countdown begins…ten, nine, eight… Only this year, if you believe the hype and are secretly hoping you’ll never have to pay off your credit card bill, it’s a countdown to more than just a new year. In a few hours, minutes or seconds depending on when you read this (but let’s hope you’re not spending too much of your New Year’s Eve reading my blog – oh ok, go ahead and flatter me) it will be 2012; the doomed 2012 glorified by such films as the John Cusack masterpiece. Just kidding, that movie stunk, but I’m feeling quite generous thanks to the New Year’s champagne.
Why You Remember the Quirky Parts of Travelling
Better than any swim at the luxury resort
You went to London to see Big Ben. You went to Cairo to see the sphinx. You went to New York City to pose patriotically in front of the Statue of Liberty. So why is it that when you look back at your trips and travels those aren’t the things you remember? Why do the stories you bring home revolve around the funny looking waiter and the maniac taxi driver rather than the great monuments you went to see?
How to Be a Travel Snob: The Hierarchy of Travel Destinations
Prepare to Brag
Bhutan.
It’s the crème de la crème of travel spots; the coolest of the cool. It’s a place that will put others to shame for mentioning their trip to Florida. Going there is the Medal of Honor for all who call themselves world travellers.
Welcome to the world of travel snobbery.
In this backpack cluttered universe all travel destinations are not created equal. A hierarchy exists that puts the common, the nearby and the convenient at the bottom and the remote exotic at the tippy tip top. Travellers establish themselves as the cool kids by trekking their way to these elitely non-elite places and carry their coveted passport stamps around like a Coach purse.
The Best Holiday Trip
South Africa has lit up her red and green lights, hung the stockings with care and put Santa hats on every sales person in the land. Christmas time is here!
And yet it doesn’t feel like it. December is a beautiful month here. The sun shines. The ocean beacons. Even the birds
chirp a merry song. But none of this reminds me of Christmas. Where is the snow? Where is the cold? Where is the ice you swear at as you scrape your windshield in the morning? Carollers should be carolling in fur trimmed coats, not board shorts. Your nose should be red with frostbite, not sunburn. No, this isn’t right. My South African boyfriend may think of family Christmases around the pool, but I remember them around a crackling fire.
And so I’m headed home for the holidays.
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