My Melbourne – doing it tourist style!

Posted on May 9, 2012 by

My wanderlust ways dictated the vacation week right from the get go.

After 4 months of unwavering dedication to our jobs, my husband and I decided to take a week of much needed holiday leave in order to recharge the batteries and reinstate a little bit of calmness in our lives.

Fitzroy Park

Fitzroy Park

Because we are saving for our RTW trip we didn’t want to spend a large amount of money on this holiday, so that ruled out going away anywhere. That being said, we also didn’t want to spend the whole week lying in bed either.  So, reaching a compromise, we decided to dedicate our vacation week to a kind of ‘training’ for the big trip; we were going to spend the week perusing our home city, Melbourne, as tourists.

There are only two real factors that usually set the tone for our travel experience, and that is food/drink and spontaneous exploration – aka getting lost!

For the food/drink part of our week I decided to make a list of the places that my husband and I have always wanted to try, but for various reasons haven’t managed to get to.  I also tried to select places in different parts of Melbourne so we could experience the different vibes of this eclectic city.

The Food/Drink Wish List

Ahh Melbourne, you really do know how to satisfy a hungry soul.  We spent the week wining and dining at some truly wonderful places. Below are the restaurants and bars that were on our hit list:

Cheesecake from Chez Dre
Some cheeky beers!

Some cheeky beers!

  • Newmarket Hotel
  • St Ali
  • The Moat
  • Chez Dre
  • Chin Chin
  • Naked for Satan
  • Black Pearl
  • The Emerald Peacock
  • Roccoco Lane
  • Red Pepper

In my next post I’ll provide a wee review of the places we managed to get to during our holiday week.

Getting Lost Around Town

We also fulfilled our spontaneous side and ended up seeing/doing the following:

  • Going for a stroll in Fitzroy gardens
  • Blogging in a cafe
  • Wandering around South Melbourne
  • Eating cake from Acland St, St Kilda
  • Seeing Ross Noble perform at the Comedy Festival
  • Having afternoon tea / cupcakes

Seeing our home city through the eyes of a tourist was such a refreshing experience.  I think sometimes we take for granted the awesome and inspiring things that are right in our own back yard.  Traveling doesn’t have to be limited to covering large ground or stepping foot on foreign soil.  It can be as simple as delving into the unknown and spending time uncovering the nooks and crannies of a place, immersing yourself in the vibe of a new surrounding, and appreciating the diversity of wherever you find yourself.

So next time you have a holiday, I highly recommend considering your home city as a choice destination!

Random Wall Art

Random Wall Art

Delicious hot chocolate from St Ali's

Delicious hot chocolate from St Ali’s

South Melbourne Town Hall

South Melbourne Town Hall

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My Bucket List in Pictures

Posted on April 17, 2012 by

What’s in a list…a bucket list?

Anything and everything you want really!  My “to conquer list” is a compilation of all my hopes, dreams, ambitions and desires. Coming up with this list has helped to define what my raison d’etre is; my life’s purpose.  Quite a simple task to begin, a slightly more challenging feat to complete!

To shake things up a bit and give myself the inspiration I need to start ticking those boxes, I have created a photo montage of all the things I would like to do, see, eat, drink, discover, learn and accomplish before I depart this wonderful world.

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Hola Mexico!

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

Did I hear someone say Tequila!!?

After a painstakingly large amount of time researching the land of the taco and one too many margaritas later, I have finally put together an itinerary for the Mexico leg of our RTW trip.

Reading so many wonderful stories of people’s time spent in Mexico and learning about the culture, sites, traditions and food (cannot wait to eat my body weight in tacos!) of Mexico it just doesn’t seem right to rush through this colourful country.  My head says that we need to move faster, but my heart is telling me that we wouldn’t be doing Mexico justice without spending at least 8 weeks there.

I realise that the more time we spend in the one city/region/country will ultimately mean we cover less of the globe.  It is the age old dilemma of  quality vs quantity.  Our rational is that since it is the beginning of our trip, moving at a moderate speed will allow us to experiment with a couple of travelling styles.  For example, the pace at which we travel; how flexible we are with booking accommodation in advance; the types of accommodation we stay in; the activities we do; our budget per day; our energy levels and health etc.  We are also mindful that our time in Mexico will set the tone for future travel, so we want to ease into the experience and ensure we don’t burn out too quickly.

Enabling us to make those tricky travel decisions is the mantra ‘A Life with No Regrets’.  Cliche yes, but this mantra really is helping us to be both confident and at ease with our plans.  So with ‘no regrets’ in mind the following places, are the parts of Mexico, that if we were to leave them off the list, would leave us sorely disappointed.

Our 60 day Mexico itinerary

  • San Jose Cabo 
  • Todos Los Santos
  • La Paz
  • El Fuerte
  • Creel
  • Chihuahua
  • Mazatlan
  • Puerto Vallarata
  • Tequila
  • Guadalajara
  • Guanajuato
  • San Miguel de Allende
  • Morelia
  • Mexico City
  • Oaxaca
  • Puerto Escondido
  • San Cristobal De Las Casas
  • El Panchan
  • Merida
  • Valladolid
  • Cancun
  • Playa Del Carmen
  • Tulum

You can see a detailed version of our itinerary here.

Have you been to Mexico? Leave a comment and share with us your travel experiences and any recommendations.


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Man Vs Backpack

Posted on March 10, 2012 by

There comes a time in every traveler’s life when they need to ask themselves the tough question…what should I pack?

Considering your home for the forseeable future will be carried around on your back, you’ll need to be savvy about the selections you make.

A rookie mistake most travelers make when they start out is trying to cater for every conceivable traveling scenario:

  • sleeping bag liners just in case of bed bugs
  • a pair of socks and jocks for each day of the week
  • casual jeans and and a pair of ‘party’ jeans
  • an item of clothing for each type of weather
  • large quantities of toiletries
  • a phrase books for each country

The list in theory is infinite. However space is limited, very limited. So how do you chose what stays and what goes?

1.) Determine how much weight you are comfortable carrying – grab your backpack, fill it to the brim and go for a walk around the block. You’ll  soon realise if you need to cull a few things.

2.) Think about the types of activities you will be participating in – if you don’t have plans to do hardcore hiking or climb Mt Everest, leave the hiking shoes at home, runners will most likely suffice.

3.) When you are finished  packing your clothes…unpack then halve it.

4.) For those things that you simply can’t do without, think of ways you can swap. i.e. soap bar for a bottle of shampoo, cotton pants for jeans, iPad for laptop, etc.

My husband and my first experience at long-term travel was backpacking around Eurpoe for 8 months. We were rookies, and therefore made the rookie mistake of overindulging. My husband ended up having to carry my pack as well as his own a number of times when I couldn’t handle the weight on my own. In hindsight we should have taken a lot less, which would have made moving around a whole lot easier and much more enjoyable.

This time round we have decided to take 40L packs. I have to say, I wasn’t sold on the idea at first, but after trying one out I can’t imagine taking anything else. I’m excited at the prospect of being able to take our packs on as hand luggage on flights and not worrying about having to find places to dump our packs in order to see/do things.

Also, just a shout out to the girls – seriously, you can do it! I found it hard to even conceive of leaving behind so many of my worldly possessions, lovely clothes, make up, jewellery, toiletries, and shoes. Now that I understand the pros of carrying a 40L pack while traveling I have started to let go of the material me and am focused on the joys of gathering experiences rather than things.

Remember, anything that you forget, underestimate its importance/value or just plain miss, you will more than likely be able to buy in any city or major town you find yourself in.

Have you mastered the art of packing light? Leave a comment and fill us in on your best tips and tricks!

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A French Speaker in the Making

Posted on February 18, 2012 by

Bonjour!

My name is Brigid and I’m a Francophile!

I love the food, the people, the fashion, the culture, the movies, the music, the parks, the cities and villages, the cafe scene, the ambiance, and the general way of life. Most of all though, I love the language.

Whenever I hear a French accent I immediately think of sophistication, of romance. Ok, well  maybe I exaggerate just a little, but I really do enjoy the soft tones and romantic expressions that seem to be part and parcel of french conversation. So, in order to delve further into my love affair with all things french, I have committed, this year, to learning the language of love!

Je Parle Francais…well attempting to at least!

I confess that this is not my first attempt at mastering the french language. Over the last two years I have dabbled in reading text books, listening to online french lessons, and have even taken a 10 week beginner french course. Though my vocab has increased over time, I have failed to go beyond the basics in conversation.

Commitment and consistency are the key ingredients to mastering any art. In the past I’ve failed to maintain a regular study routine and to set achievable short term goals. The new plan means learning no longer feels like a chore and I’m not sacrificing any huge amount of my time. I’m fully prepared and my goals are clearly defined…there’s no room for excuses!

My weekly routine involves:

  • Listening to Instant Recall French for one hour every day on my commute to and from work.
  • Designating one morning a week to speaking solely in french to my husband (who speaks intermediate level french) and only texting in french throughout the day
  • Doing BBC’s French Steps Weekly Tips lessons
  • Listening to french music and watching french movies when I’m feeling productive
  • Using a calendar that is in french

Having a clear plan of action means I’m definitely more focused and committed. Not only am I improving at a much quicker rate, but I am enjoying learning french more than ever! C’est bon!!

The ultimate plan is to spend an extended period of time in a french speaking country whilst on our RTW trip. The intention being that I can practice the real deal. I’m super motivated to maintain my study plan and hopefully I’ll be speaking like a french native in no time!

Our balcony in Paris where my husband proposed!

Stay tuned for future posts where I’ll delve more into the techniques and resources I use to advance my frenchy ways.

Are you trying to learn french? Leave a comment and fill us in on your best tips and tricks!

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A Life of No Regrets

Posted on February 15, 2012 by

The saying “a life lived in fear is a life half-lived” has been nagging at me over the last couple of weeks. What I fear most is one day looking back on the years in a state of discontent and thinking “hmm probably could have done something more amazing with my life”. It scares me to think that not every moment of my life was pursing something I deemed worthwhile, or had a passion for, or found exciting. But instead was lived counting down the hours until the weekend and was scattered only with moments of joy.

To guarantee my fear never becomes a reality I need to make sure that each morning when I wake, I am excited about the day ahead. Whether that means in a job, or travelling, or pursuing projects, I want to wake up each day with a smile on my face.

So what has been stopping me from getting out there and living the life of no regrets? I think it’s taken me a while to come to the realisation that in life there are no rules. Career-money-house-children isn’t the sole pathway to a happy life. I guess one day I woke up and realised that though I was moving forward, I wasn’t particularly passionate about my destination. I wanted to get off and try something different, to discover a path I was truly excited to be on.

So that is why I am now leaving behind the life I felt I ‘should’ be living and pursuing the life I want to be living.

As the old saying goes – you only get one shot at life – so I had better make the most of it!

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People Who Inspire

Posted on February 9, 2012 by

chitraI went along to a meetup  group last night for people who are interested in volunteering overseas. The purpose of the meetup was to have a chat with like-minded people who share the desire to make a difference in the world. The meetup also provided the chance for us to view the social documentary, The High Road.

The High Road follows Sarah Taylor, a young Australian, whose mission is to empower women in the remote villages of Nepal and to develop communities through her business White Circles. White Circles distributes a fine paper product crafted by Nepalese women and utilises a business model made by communities for communities.

The ability of just one person to make a profound impact on a whole community resonated with me long after the show had finished. Sarah is one of those people who is truly all about the cause. She is so humble and caring in nature and demonstrates a strong focus and commitment to her project. Even when faced with adversity, Sarah remains true to her mission and is unswayed even when those with conflicting motives attempt to steer her in a different direction. I truly admire those who can commit wholeheartedly to a cause and who fail to crumble when the going gets tough.

Sarah has inspired me to go out in the world and to utilise the skills I have to improve the lives of others. You don’t need to have all the answers; you just need to be prepared to take the first step.

You can learn more about Sarah’s project at http://www.whitecircles.com.au/.

You can also read her blog For the Love of Nepal here: http://creativenepalis.blogspot.com/

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A Helping Hand

Posted on February 2, 2012 by

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”    ~W. Churchill

I work in the fundraising industry and every day I am surrounded by the generosity and selflessness of others.  In a world where the majority of news reports are consistently negative, it is the willingness of others to help those less fortunate which reinstates my faith in humanity.

Time is something that there is never enough of and therefore needs to be allocated wisely. Providing someone with a helping hand will undoubtedly always be a valuable allocation of time. My desire to volunteer is both extrinsically and intrinsically motivated. I’ll have the chance to provide someone with a brighter future and in return I will gain the personal satisfaction that comes with making a positive impact on someone’s life. It’s a win-win situation. As the Dalai Lama so eloquently puts it: If you serve others as fully as you can, what you do will be a source of inner joy.

The question then is, where and for what cause do I want to volunteer?

I’m thinking of undertaking my first RTW volunteer position somewhere in South America, as this is where we will mostly likely be travelling for the first 6 months of our trip. I’m also thinking that I’d like to do something in the education sector. Having an education is one of those key factors in life which enables us to achieve a true sense of freedom and  a brighter future for ourselves and those that follow. If I can offer someone the chance to open a door that would have otherwise remained closed, I’ll consider that time well spent!  And I have no doubt that I too will gain an education; learning from my students about their culture and the experiences that have shaped who they are.

This week I’m going to research volunteer opportunities abroad, and hopefully by my next blog post, I will have found some options to write about!

In the meantime, any tips/recommendations for volunteering while travelling would be greatly appreciated.

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Top Tips for Eating Street-Food

Posted on January 28, 2012 by

One of the big expenditures of travelling is food.  Are there ways to save a few dollars while travelling that doesn’t compromise our health/tastebuds?  We think so…

Don’t be afraid to eat street-food

Ahh the excitement of trying the flavour of the country, an authentic cultural experience, the food the locals eat.  It’s so alluring yet terrifying at the same time.  To eat or not to eat, that is the question.

We’ve all heard the horror stories, Delhi Belly, Pharaoh’s Revenge, Mummy’s Tummy, Bali Belly, etc, etc. But so often the most delicious food of a country, and the cheapest, is found at street vendor stalls.

It would be such a shame if we were to miss out on great food and saving opportunities due to a bit of travel ignorance.  So I have done some research and the consensus seems to be that if you follow these tips you can have your Serabi cake and keep it in too!

  • Your best bet at protecting your stomach is to avoid roadside food stands of questionable hygiene
  • Start off slowly.  Every time you travel to a new destination, your body needs time to adjust to new bacteria so take it easy when it comes to roadside eating until you build up some resistance
  • Eat where the locals eat. Look for the stalls with long lines and tables packed with locals - crowded tables of tourists don’t count!
  • Nothing kills bacteria like heat. Try to eat food that is piping hot and doesn’t look like it has been sitting around for a while.  Street food that is cooked-to-order is the safest to eat.
  • Look at your food before it goes in your mouth.  Make sure that any food, like chicken, is cooked through. Eating any food that is raw that shouldn’t be = danger!
  • Stick to bottled water. Avoid raw vegetables and fruit that could have been washed in contaminated water, along with drinks or desserts that have, or might have, had ice in them
  • Food made with the freshest ingredients are made in front of you. If you don’t see them cook it you don’t need to eat it
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Grow Your Funds

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

school fundraisersMoney doesn’t grow on trees…would be totally great if it did though!

So instead we’re going to have to earn it! But how much can we, and should we, save? Here’s how we figured it out.

After mulling it over, we have decided on the following figure to save before we leave on our RTW:

$100,000.

We have also decided on our leaving date:

November 2012

Ideally we’d LOVE to travel indefinitely without ever having to work.  However, since we’re not bazillion-aires, we have had to decide on an amount of money that will ultimately dictate how long we can travel for.  We are figuring $75,000 will get us at least a year of travelling without having to work and we are putting away $25,000 for ‘if’ and ‘when’ we need to set ourselves up for re-entry into the workforce.

So, easy enough to slap down a figure, but how do we know our target is even remotely achievable?

The decision to go RTW was made in September 2011.  We were fortunate enough, by this point, to have already saved around $40,000.  This meant we had 14 months to save a further $60,000.  In order to achieve our target of $100,000 we would need to save at least 40% of our monthly combined income (after tax).

We were able to work out whether or not this 40% target was realistic by looking at how much of our monthly combined income goes towards funding our current lifestyle:

  • Rent = 14%
  • Bills = 12%
  • Student Loans = 5%
  • Groceries =  8%
  • Public Transport = 1%
  • Entertainment = 12%
  • Miscellaneous = 8%

This shows that our current way of living costs us 60% of our combined income, leaving the remaining 40% for the RTW piggy bank!  That being said, the fatter that piggy gets the better, and there is certainly room for improvement in the savings department.  We will be taking a good look over the coming weeks at ways we can reduce our living costs.

Since September 2011, we have achieved our goal of saving 40% of our income each month.  Woot!

Now, I’m pretty sure I was taught that it’s not polite to talk publicly about money…that being said, I’d be really interested and appreciative to learn from others:

- the percentage of your monthly income you spend and are therefore able to save

- your RTW savings target and leaving date

- ways you have reduced your monthly living costs

I’m hoping that discussing our saving goals and targets will enable us to learn from each other and encourage each other in the right direction.  I’m also hoping it will help to put our own goals into perspective, and we’ll all acquire some useful tips on how to grow those oh so important RTW funds!

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