Happy New Year!

According to the ancient Mayan calendar, the world will end on December 21st, 2012. Apparently there's going to be an apocalyptic flood to wipe out all of humanity. While it sounds like something out of a Steven Spielberg film, it's funny to see papers from newsstands around the city with headers like, "How Will You Spend Your Last Year on Earth?"

I read one of these papers on a commute one day, and I was really surprised with what people had said. Nobody wrote that they wanted a billion dollars, or to own ten BMW's, but rather people wanted things that are attainable...like to quit their jobs and travel, or to get a divorce, to see their friends more, to find love. There's really nothing stopping us from being happy...we put these limitations on our own lives. So while the world isn't ending in 2012, let's live everyday like it's the last.

Here's to a new year full of traveling and adventures. Here's to a new year to make our dreams happen. Happy 2012 everyone! "For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice." - T.S. Eliot

January 2012 will also mark the one year anniversary of this blog, and in a year, it's definitely come a long way. As of today, I have 134 followers, and countless more subscribers, a total of 158,349 page views, 492 blog comments, and readers from all parts of the world. None of this would be possible without you guys...so thank you! :)


Lastly, the new year isn't complete with a set of resolutions and a to do list. 2012 will be an eventful year  as I'll finally be graduating uni and moving abroad. Here's my list below. What's on your list?


My 2012 to-do list & resolutions

• Graduate uni and receive my BA degree this spring! Can't wait!

• Move to Europe this fall. I'll either be moving to Germany in September if I get the teaching position (fingers crossed!) or the UK on a holiday working visa in October. 

• Apply for international grad schools this summer for September 2013. I've already started looking for programs I like and have found some in Germany. I'll most likely do my Masters in International Relations, or something in that field. 

• Pay off my student loans by the end of September. This should be possible....hopefully I can find a part-time job at a sports bar during the summer as well so I don't miss out on watching the Euro Cup and the Olympics!

• Work on a collection of art this summer so that I'll have an art portfolio to bring with me to Europe.

• Continue going to the gym at least 5 times a week. My gym routine has been going well for the last few months...

• Work on this blog. I know whenever I'm busy I tend to neglect this blog, but in the new year, I'm going to try to post at least one entry a week, if not more. Especially since I will be traveling a lot this year, I'll have more to post about. I also want to change the direction of this blog...right now, it's a bit scattered with random "top 10" lists and scattered posts about travel. I might try to make it into a more personalized travel journal by the end of the year, and share more stories about my life abroad...

• Become fluent in German. It's definitely become a lot better this year through my intermediate German course at uni. If I get the teaching position in Germany, I think I'll definitely be a lot more comfortable speaking it. 

image source: http://renaissanceconsignment.blogspot.com, sodahead.com

Merry Christmas!

Feliz Navidad!

Joyeux Noel!

Fröhliche Weihnachten!

Shub Naya Baras!

Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto!

Buone Feste Natalizie!

God Jul or Gledelig Jul!

С Рождеством!

Holiday Holidays...to wherever you may be! Drink lots of eggnog and be merry!

                                                     love, Michelle

7 Interesting gifts for your traveller friends

One thing I hate about malls is that everything looks the same. No matter what stores you go to, everything is probably produced in the same factory somewhere in Asia. This is especially bland when you're trying to do some Christmas shopping, and you're forced to sort through rows of generic looking sweaters to buy, wrap and gift.

Usually when I'm abroad, I love browsing quirky shops and clothing boutiques and buy things and find interesting and fun things to give friends and family on birthdays or for Christmas. I was pleasantly surprised the other day however when I discovered this Diesel Surplus boutique that sold not just Diesel, but also Tom Ford, Marc by Marc Jacobs and G-Star in this small but really trendy shop relatively close to home, where I was able to finish my Christmas shopping. It's kind of nice when you discover a nice hidden place like that, isn't it?

Anyway, with only a few days left until Christmas, here's a few interesting gift ideas for your traveller friends, for those who are in need of some ideas.

1. Vintage maps
I love maps and I love vintage things, so why not vintage maps? Like most travelers, I always find maps to be an endless source of possibilities as it's great for planning trips, and reminiscing on past trips. If your friend already has a world map, subway or transit maps also make for a great present, especially if it's a city that brings back fond memories. Make sure you obtain these maps legally though! I remember when I was living in Chicago, stealing maps from the subway became a pretty big issue...

2. A Scrapbook
With the popularity of digital cameras and Facebook, I feel like hardly anyone ever prints out their photos anymore. It's sort of a tradition in my family to browse through our photo albums during Christmas, and I still remember the excitement of looking at my photos after I get them developed from a trip. A scrapbook, put together with a collection of photos and captions from a backpacking trip across a country or continent would be something I can see being cherished forever.

3. Calling cards
While the idea of giving calling cards as a gift seems a bit boring, we all get a bit homesick on the road, and sometimes those calling cards can feel like they're heaven sent.

4. eReader
I much prefer reading paperbacks, but with publishers such as Lonely Planet creating travel books for the eReader, an eReader seems like a good alternative to lugging around heavy travel books. Especially with the Kindle or the Kobo reader costing only around $100 these days, it seems like a reasonably priced method of always having books to read on the road while avoiding overweight luggage fees.

5. Moccasins
They're light, comfy and great for walking. Plus who doesn't want to channel their inner hippie?

6. Travel journal
While a journal seems like an obvious gift for a traveler, it is something that definitely won't be sitting in their closet collecting dust, like for example, a hand-waving disco Buddha. I always bring a few journals with me on the road, and they always get filled up by the end of my trip. Try looking for journals that are eco-friendly, hand-crafted or with lots of side pockets or storing photos, ticket stubs, or (more excitingly!) love notes.

7. Polaroid camera

These are possibly the greatest invention on earth. They're fun...instant, and therefore guaranteed to bring instant fun. It's a must have for travelers who especially can't be bothered to painstakingly edit through all their photos and great for capturing "in the moment" moments. And developing those pictures make us want to shake it, shake it, shake it like a polaroid picture. 

image source: www.viator.com

Tips for backpackers on staying healthy and active on the road

ralph lauren

With Thanksgiving behind us, and the holidays just a few weeks away, we all know that it's finally that time of the year where we can wear our much anticipated holiday sweaters with pride, buy large quantities of alcohol without being blamed for being an alcoholic, and decide where we will strategically place our mistletoe...

One thing most of us tend to forget during the holidays is how easy it is to gain weight, especially when it's so hard to resist homemade pie, or stuffed turkey, or eggnog...

For those on the road, it can be especially difficult to stay healthy and active, given that traveling, especially backpacking, almost always requires a lifestyle that's largely void of schedules and routine. The place we arrive to in the morning isn't necessary the one we'll remain by sunset. Add in the never ending parties, copious amounts of alcohol and high carb foods, it's easy to lose the months of dedicated cardio workouts and high protein/low carb meals we've worked so hard for to get those abs pre-travel.

Therefore, now is a great time to start thinking about how to stay healthy and active on the road, right before the holiday season begins!

Drink lots of water
Keep in mind that we're supposed to drink a minimum of eight glasses everyday. Water helps to rid our body of toxins, makes us less tired, gives us better skin, and helps us to lose weight. And above all, it's free! I usually bring a water bottle with me on my trips and fill it up with tap water. I hate disposable water bottles since they create so much havoc in our environment, and the cheap plastic is filled with toxic chemicals. For travel in developing countries, I would recommend investing in a good purifying water bottle.

"eat us!"

Take multivitamins 
It can be really hard to eat our recommended daily servings of food on the road. Especially when it comes to backpacking, we tend to buy cheap, filling foods such as bread and pasta, and sometimes forget  to eat as much vegetables as we should. That's why, multivitamins are a great way of making sure we get all our nutrients everyday.

Get some sleep
When you're traveling, there's so much happening every single moment that we don't want to miss out on anything. I know that feeling of getting of the plane, and although jet lagged, I would hardly sleep because of all there is to do. Obviously we're young and want to live in the moment, but getting some beauty sleep is important so that we're actually awake enough to have fun. You're not missing out on much if there's a party every night.

Being active daily
This shouldn't be a problem for most backpackers, especially since most of the ones I know have a deep love for sports and adventure. Whether it's soccer, hiking, surfing, skiing or even mountain climbing, every country has an abundance of energy pumping sports. The trick is of course, making sure we're active daily. Some sports such as skiing, may be too expensive to do regularly, but exercises (albeit less fun) such as jogging is free and you can do it virtually anywhere. If you have a laptop and internet, youtube is also a good source for workout videos. The "8 minute series" (abs, bum, legs and arms) are quite popular.

shorts from Lululemon

Bring your gear
I feel nothing guilt-trips you as much into staying active, as simply bringing your gear with you, whether it's a surf board or a yoga mat. The fact that you've found space in your luggage to put it in, and lugged to another country is pretty motivating in itself. Having nice gear also helps. For instance, a nice set of workout clothes will encourage you to put it on (and show it off to your cute foreign workout buddy).

Have a goal
Having a goal makes everything that much more attainable. If you're goal is to live a healthy lifestyle, then great. Most of us however, have more superficial goals, which is okay as well. A goal's a goal right? So what if our fitness aspiration is to have abs like David Beckham or Gisele Bunchen? If that makes us run that extra mile, all the better for us.

Have lots of (safe) sex
Although preferably with the same person and not several (as nobody wants to be labeled a slut, and there are many risks with sleeping around). 30 minutes of sex burns 90 calories (it adds up!) and it's a lot more fun than doing crunches!

How to Avoid Looking like a (North) American Tourist in Europe

Aside from the good people of New York City (and possibly LA and Montreal), it's safe to say that North Americans have never really been considered fashionable, especially when compared to their European counterparts. It's no surprise therefore, on any given trip to Europe, how easy it is to spot a North American tourist from miles away, especially with their baggy sweats and baseball caps...

Having a more of a boho style, I always feel like I would fit in better with the fashion scene in Europe. During my trip there this summer, I was pleasantly surprised when no one mistaken me for a tourist, but rather, I had loads of people ask me for directions or chatting me up in their local language, thinking that I'm a local.

Not being immediately outcast as a tourist definitely has its perks, and therefore I've compiled this guide for anyone planning a trip to Europe....
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Ditch: the hoodie

A nice form fitting hoodie void of obnoxious patterns and logos is alright, but most definitely leave your university hoodies at home. A large NYU or Ohio State across your chest is like waving a red flag at a bullfighting ring. Admittedly, I do love my university hoodie and bring it with me whenever I travel as a keepsake of home, but once I step off the plane, it goes to the bottom of my luggage.

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Ditch: the baseball cap

I absolutely hate baseball caps. I have also yet to see a European wear one...and for good reason too. All they really do is make your hair look flat and lifeless. If you're having a bad hair day, you're in luck - all European pharmacies are stocked with shelves of hair grooming products. I was surprised that some places had a larger selection for men than women. Now you guys simply do not have an excuse. 

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Ditch: the oversized sports jersey

When you're in Europe, soccer is the best sport in the world (they are right) and therefore, wearing an ugly hockey or basketball jersey will most likely result in you getting beaten up in a shady alleyway by a drunk Manchester United enthusiast. If you must, I would go with an Adidas soccer jersey, which are well fitted and quite fashionable. Otherwise, don't wear a jersey unless you're actually playing a sport. 

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Ditch: the sweatpants

Admittedly, I do have a pair of American Apparel sweatpants that I enjoy wearing around the house, but I would never wear it out in public, unless I'm going to Wal-mart. Why would you even want to wear these in Europe, when everyone there is skinny and wears fabulous clothing? While they are comfortable, they make your legs look twice the size.
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Ditch: the questionable footwear 

This list includes but is not limited to...crocs, uggs, toms, and sequined rain boots (yes they do exist). Nice foot wear is important to Europeans, so it is advisable to invest in a good pair before leaving for Europe. Remember, this is a continent where even Prada sneakers are not worthy of admission into certain English nightclubs, because they are the preferred shoe of choice by many delinquents. Do you really want to have the guy who hijacked your car to have better shoes than you?
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Lastly, I will part with these final words of wisdom: when in doubt, avoid anything worn by the cast of Jersey Shore. Remember that minimalism and clean lines are key, and that black is always the preferred colour (although I have to say, I do love it when european guys wear all white (see: 90's boy band music videos) It's kinda hot).

image sources: posh24.com, allmoviephoto.com

Top 10 Reasons to Travel (...because excuses are for politicians)

1. To become a more interesting person
There's no doubt that the most interesting people I've ever met in my life have been travellers. Not only are travellers full of worldly views and great stories, they're inspiring, fun, and fear only boredom. As a traveller, you'll be the envy of all your friends back home, the coolest person at a party, and if you're single, well I'm sure your stories about the Australian outback, or the Amazon rainforest will prove itself worthy on a first date.

2. Freedom from conformity
Having grown up in the suburbs, I have never understood the obsession people have with "fitting in," such as buying the same obscenely priced pair of ugly shoes as everyone else. Nor can I see myself ever marrying "that guy" from high school, having a "career" which constitutes doing menial tasks for a mental boss, or ever "settling down" in a house with a white picket fence and a SUV. While I've pretty much described my worst nightmare, this is actually the dream life for just about everyone in my hometown. See why I talk about moving abroad so fondly?

3. To Live life with no regrets
One of the worst things I can ever imagine (other than life in the suburbs), is lying on your deathbed wishing you could've done more with your life. Jobs and material goods come and go, but you'll never get another chance to backpack through Europe with your gap year friends, or see the Great Barrier Reef before it's destroyed. If you want to do something, just do it. Excuses are for politicians.

4. To become a smarter and more independent person
To travel is to learn things they never taught you at school. It's not only about discovering new cultures and adapting a worldly view on life, but knowing how to get by in a country you can't speak the language of, or knowing how to set up a foreign bank account... to even gaining survival techniques such as camping out in the outback or cooking a meal in the wilderness.

5. To be inspired
What do Ernest Hemmingway, F Scott Fitzgerald, Mark Twain, and Jack Kerouac have in common? Well, other than the fact that they're probably (like most artists) stoners and/or alcoholics, they also wrote some really beautiful literature. Oh and they also travelled. A LOT. Had they not sacrificed the comforts of their home to seek out inspiration in the world, some of the greatest classics in the world would cease to exist. After all, to make art you have to be inspired. To find inspiration you have to live, and to live is to travel and see the beauty of the world we live in.

6. To live the life you imagined
Have you ever wished you could trade lives with someone? Whether they're a fictional movie character or someone you've met in real life, in your mind, they're the coolest person ever. Well, what's stopping you from being any more different than them? It's crazy to think that a single plane ticket can open your life to so many possible routes...crossing paths with strangers that can be your soul mates, embarking on adventures that seem so extraordinary it's hard to believe they're real, and living a new life every time you cross a border. Okay, maybe I'm actually just describing a James Bond movie, but I have to say, I sometimes watch movies feeling like the writers stole a page from my travel journals.

7. Travel experience looks good on resumes and applications
I never really believed this fact until I started looking into grad schools (I'm planning on applying to some in Germany for next year). You wouldn't believe how many universities list "time spent abroad" as a REQUIREMENT for admission.

8. To fall in love
Not necessarily with another person (although I have to admit, adventurous souls are usually pretty attractive from all that....climbing and hiking they do), but falling in love with the beauty of nature. If you think it looks good on National Geographic, you haven't seen anything until you see it in person. Nature always has a way of rendering us speechless (similar to Armani ads that feature certain soccer players). To love nature also means being educated on our ecological footprint, and the need to live a sustainable life.

9. To make lifelong friends
Once you travel, you'll meet lots of people on a daily basis. These people will come from every country imaginable and be way cooler than anyone you've ever met in high school. You'll go on crazy adventures, and be closer to them in a week than some friends from back home that you've known for years.

10. Because it's fun
I don't think this really needs an explanation. If anything, just watch Eurotrip.

image source: http://lovebryan.com

▼ ▼ ▼

Recently, I've developed a strange love. Out of everything in the world I can be intrigued by, such as cute animals, nature, or unusual facts about Germany, this time, my love happens to involve a simple geometric shape.

A triangle.

An equilateral triangle, to be exact.

In symbolic terms, the triangle can represent everything from the holy trinity, to creativity, harmony, illumination, to popular triads such as "spirit, mind, body," "love, truth, wisdom," and "past, present, future." And I guess maybe threesomes as well.

On a physical scale, the triangle is most commonly found in pyramid structures. For thousands of years, the pyramids used to be the largest structures in the world - no doubt the most popular being the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Pyramids were considered to be a form of "resurrection machine," as the Egyptians built them as a gateway to the heavens above. As the tip of the pyramid pointed toward the sky, it was believed that the soul of the buried Pharaoh would launch into the abode of gods.

While we may think of pyramids as being strictly Egyptian, they can actually be found all over the world. Here's a few popular examples. How many have you visited?

Pyramid in Chichen Itza, Mexico

A modern pyramid: the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, France

Brihadeeswarar Temple in India

Karlsruher Pyramid in Germany

Pyramid of Hellinikon, Greece

and of course...The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

image sources: wikipedia, chicline.com

Top 10 Hostel Pet Peeves

The word "hostel" is synonymous with partying and (for the slightly paranoid) a certain series of slasher movies. While Iuckily I can only relate my hostel experiences with the former, and have quite enjoyed my time in most hostels, it's hard to be a backpacker without encountering at least one unfavorable situation at any given hostel.

From loud snorers to loud sex, here's my top ten hostel pet peeves. Which ones are on your list?

1. People who snore loudly.
Maybe some people can't help but snore loudly but it's really frustrating when there's that one guy who snores like a lawnmower and everyone else in the room is tossing and turning. As there are designated smoking sections in restaurants, they should also have a room for loud snorers.

2. Turning on the lights in the middle of the night.
This is the person who gets back to the hostel after a night out, and despite the room full of sleeping people, disrespectfully turns the room lights on, and spends the next 20 minutes noisily getting ready for bed, and effectively waking up everyone in the room. I know whenever I get back to my hostel room at the break of dawn, I usually use the light from my cell phone. Or sometimes I just blindly find my way around in the dark, and find myself with a few bruises in the morning. Better bruises than enemies, I'd say.

3. Thieves.
I find that when my stuff do get stolen, it's never in the dorm room, but rather the kitchen or luggage rooms where I guess it's more of a free for all. Also, when things do get stolen, it's never anything expensive, but rather small items that tend to go by unnoticed. This one time I had my bag in the luggage room, and later when I went to check into my dorm room, I noticed that my shampoo disappeared, although my MacBook was still safely in the bag (not that I'm complaining!)

4. Wet laundry.
Rather than paying a few dollars for the dryer, a lot of travelers hang their wet clothes on the side of the bunk beds to air dry. I know I've done it a few times, especially in the east coast of Australia where it's so sunny, it dries almost instantly anyway. What really annoys me is the people whose wet clothes take up the whole room. It's very unfortunate if you're the poor traveller who checked in last, and is stuck on the top bunk with wet underwear dangling next to your face.

5. People singing in a foreign language.
People singing is generally a sign that they're drunk. Singing in English is ok since it's an universal language, and if everyone else is equally drunk, it usually leads to a fun mini musical rendition in the hostel room. Singing in a foreign language however, is a totally different story. This one time, there were these three Dutch girls who wouldn't stop singing, and pretty much forced everyone else out of the room due to annoyance. They were also guilty of committing pretty much every crime on this list, to the point where I ended up going down to reception to complain (and I almost never complain about anything). The receptionist guy pretty much just told me that they're unattractive and overweight so I shouldn't let them get to me, which didn't really help solve anything (needless to say, none of them partook in number 6, which is pretty relieving).

6. Loud sex.
If one really must have sex in the hostel, there are way better places to do it than on the bunk beds in a room of 10 people. Or in situations where for some reason it's absolutely necessary to have sex in a room with 10 people, it's not ok to make excessive noises in the middle of the night. C'mon now, we're not shooting a porno, there's no need to impress.

I left my heart in Bavaria

Bavaria can quite possibly be the best place in the world. After all, they did invent lederhosen, pretzels, and an annual festival dedicated for the sole purpose of drinking obscene quantities of beer.

I'm not sure why I have such a love affair with Bavaria, although it could be because of all the photos my German prof used to show our class of all the lovely castles and breathe-taking architecture. There also may or may not have been a certain Bavarian hottie involved... (more specifically, a 22 year old aspiring architect named after a classical composer, who enjoys windsurfing, and nights under the starry night sky with a certain 'confessed travelholic.') So of course I love Bavaria for all the good looking guys rich culture.

One of my favourite places there is the Marienplatz, which is the city centre. Remarkably, it's been the main square of Munich since 1158, and during the Middle Ages, markets and tournaments would be held there. It's pretty cool to think that the steps I've taken there have been the same path taken by knights and kings hundreds of years ago.

Anyway, on the topic of Bavaria, tradition and romance... my German prof once talked about the old Bavarian tradition of celebrating Valentine's day, where guys compete by planting a tree on the rooftop of their crushes' house in the middle of the night. If their tree still remains on the roof in the morning, the father then comes out to judge the possible suitor(s). The one who wins his approval gets invited inside for breakfast.

I have to say, it's remarkable how different cultures can be. In North America, if a guy plants a tree on the top of a girl's roof as a way of professing their love, they're no doubt expecting it to led to some hot and heavy fun times later that night.

So, the question is, has anyone ever planted a tree on your roof? Or better yet, have you ever planted a tree on someone's roof?

photo: bierboothaus.com

Travel stories: the bad and the ugly

While most people travel in hopes of finding enlightenment, discovering new cultures, meeting like-minded people, or even just for the sake of drinking copious amounts of alcohol, most travelers know that life isn't always an endless party on the road.

The longer the time spent on the road, some travel experiences might start to resemble something out of a bad horror movie - the missed flight, food poisoning, running out of money, discovering that your hostel dorm mate is actually a serial killer, etc.

Fortunately, the best parts of travel far out-weight the bad, and by the time you're home, most travel horror stories are simply reduced to an entertaining tale you tell to some random guy you've just met at a party after indulging in too many drinks. 

Luckily my travel "horror" stories are pretty minimal. Here's a few of my most memorable experiences below. What is your worst experience travelling abroad?

Beijing, China

At least I think it was in Beijing...this happened while I took a taxi into the city. It was raining so much the streets were flooded and of course there was a huge traffic jam. The opposing lane had very little cars since not much people were heading out of the city, so my driver after much frustration in the non- moving lane, steered the car into the opposing lane, and drove exceedingly fast down the wrong lane as incoming cars honked and swerved. At the time I was completely freaked out but now that I think of it, if taxi drivers drove like that in New York City and everyone is actually able to get to work in time, they would be making some crazy tips. Lesson learned: never take a taxi in China.

Cairns, Australia

I stayed at this really sketchy hostel during the night of the Germany vs England world cup match. Of course I was cheering for Germany, but had to keep my favouring country a secret as the hostel was divided to about 98% Brits, 2% Germans. After the game in which Germany won 4-1, tensions mounted, and the Brits started shouting insults at the German guys, calling them Nazis, and making war references such as "You may have won that game, but we won the war. TWICE." This one German guy then grabs this girl's England flag and starts to burn it with his lighter, only to have three huge Brits run over and tackled him to the ground. Shirts were being torn, and blood started spilling until security came and broke up the fight. 

And let's not forget the bugs on the floor of the hostel, and the creepy old man in my dorm room. I stayed up all night, and left that hostel asap. Luckily my friends came up to Cairns the next day, and we all checked into a much nicer hostel. Although I have to admit, that did make for an interesting story. Lesson learned: don't stay at hostels named after a mental institution.

Brisbane, Australia

I went to a backpacker's bar with my Irish friend and we noticed a full pitcher of beer on an empty table. There was nowhere else to sit so we ended up sitting there after getting a few drinks. My friend decided that no alcohol should go wasted and decided to take a sip of the beer in the pitcher, despite my protests. A few minutes later, some sketchy guys came over and tried to hit on us, in which we pretended we were a lesbian couple and ran out of the bar. My friend later tells me that she didn't really feel well so we ended up going to a much nicer bar with a much better crowd (where ironically I met my then future boyfriend). To this day, I'm positive that that pitcher of beer was spiked. Lesson learned: pretty self explanatory, don't you think?

Paris, France

At the Charles de Gulle airport for my flight back to Canada, the airport made their departure announcements in both French and English. Only, the English the girl spoke over the announcement was so indistinguishable, I think I understood the French better than the " English." I was completely oblivious of what they were saying until last minute, another person took over making announcements, and I heard the words "last boarding call," " Toronto," and "gate 5."

I ran for my life over to the gate and showed the guy my ticket, causing him to look panic stricken. He said something into his pager, and a few seconds later, about ten airport staff members surrounded me, speaking worriedly in rapid French (none that I understood). This continued for about fifteen minutes much to my confusion, until finally a small car drove over to the gate, everyone directing me to get on, and drove me to the front of the airplane, where I had to quickly run up the stairs of the plane. I think I'm probably banned from the CDG airport now. Lesson learned: never fly into French speaking countries.

* note: at CDG, there's no tunnel that goes from the gate directly on to the plane because the airport has only one floor. Instead, a shuttle bus (which I missed) takes you from the gate to the airplane.

image source: ibiblio.org

End of Summer Contest

It's time for a giveaway!

The winner will receive an Archie Grand notebook ($19 link) and a Baggu bag ($8 link). I love Archie Grand for all his clever notebooks and the Baggu bag is an eco friendly reusable bag, which is great for traveling.

archiegrand.com

The deadline for this contest is September 15th.

justjared.com

To enter, make sure you either follow or subscribe to my blog to qualify. Then simply post a reply to the question: if you can travel around the world with anybody for a year, who would it be?

Personally, I would love go with James Franco. He seems like he's always up for an adventure, and 95% of the time you see him, he always appears either really stoned or really happy. How can you go wrong with that?

The winner will be chosen at random. 

Good luck everyone!

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UPDATE: The contest has officially closed. Congratulations Rita! 

Berlin

Being in Berlin reminded me of my life in art school - slightly chaotic, random, filled with more art than you're able to see in a lifetime, and with so many hipsters, it makes you wonder which factory is producing so much spandex.

Being from Toronto where the subway map looks like this:

 And the subway map of Berlin looking like this:

I think I would still be in Berlin trying to figure out this map if I didn't have my wonderful German friend Martin pick me up from the Berlin Hauptbahnhof.

Sony Centre

With so much culture and history, sometimes walking down a different street makes me feel like I'm in a different country altogether. I mean, a stroll down one street feels very German (fun), then another feels very communist (not so fun), and some places like the Sony Centre looks so modern it's hard to believe you're still in Europe.

I remember reading somewhere that Berlin was ever-changing. I mean most cities are, but take this as an example: when I went to visit Martin, he just got back from Australia (where we met) two weeks ago. Aside from his year abroad, he's lived in Berlin his whole life....and yet, as he was showing me around his hometown, he was surprised at all the new buildings that didn't exist a year ago, and the old ones that disappeared.

Kunsthaus Tacheles

During the first day in Berlin, we took one of those double-decker streetcars and Martin, who probably takes the prize as being the world's fastest tour guide, takes me to all the major touristy attractions such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the TV Tower, Holocaust Memorial, and the Berlin Wall in about three hours. I actually really loved the idea as we were able to spend the rest of our time together (about three days) doing  "local" stuff (which was what I wanted) without me feeling guilty that I went all the way to Berlin without taking a photo of the famous Wall (which, of course I took tons of pics).

One of the coolest places Martin took me to was this art house called Tacheles. It's a multi-story building filled with hippies and stoners who work and sell their art in their studios. Apparently there's plans to take the building down, which I hope doesn't happen despite the fact that the place reeks of beer, weed and piss (then again, it doesn't smell any worse than some of the warehouse parties I've been to in art school).

Something else I liked where the large window stickers on the subways of the Brandenburg Gate. Martin said that because there's so much graffiti in Berlin, the stickers prevent graffiti on the windows, and any graffiti on the stickers can easily be peeled off and replaced. Genius!

I asked Martin where I can find the upside down Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and he told me that it's an attraction that's only viewable after taking lots of shots of vodka... which he happened to have quite a few bottles of at home. Aren't I lucky? All I can say is, if you haven't seen it, I'd highly recommend it!

One of the things I did regret was not planning my trip in a way that my visit to Berlin fell on the weekend. While me and Martin did have fun going out at night, I would've loved to be there for the infamous Berlin nightlife at its best. Having that said, after going to Berlin, it's definitely at the top of the list of cities I'd like to live in when I move to Germany next year.

As David Bowie once said about Berlin, it's "the greatest cultural extravaganza that one could imagine." Love it or hate it, Bowie says it best.

Wanderlust on a bag

While I do have my fair share of buying tacky souvenirs, something I see everywhere and really hate are those black tote bags with a city name printed all over in white (see left). I mean, while it's nice to show off your favourite city on a bag and declare your love for said city to the world, at the same time, those bags are just plain ugly (even if they weren't so ugly, the thought of having to choose just one city to declare as my favourite seems like an impossible task).

On the topic of tote bags, with the summer sadly coming to an end, and university just around the corner, some of you may be shopping for the perfect bag to lug your textbooks around on campus this year.


With that said, here's a few of my favourite tote bags to satisfy the wanderlust in all of us:

source: longchamp.com
Longchamp, limited edition Eiffel Tower tote, $155

source: fuchsiaboy.blogspot.com
Marc by Marc Jacobs, london tote, $20

source: fattystore.com
Marc by Marc Jacobs, USA map shopper, $49

Book review: Wanderlust: A Love Affair With Five Continents

Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in so long! I've been really busy lately with work and have been spending all of my free time outside (summer in Canada is so short, it should be a rule that any day over 20 degrees should be spent on a beach or by the lake).

Anyway, I've just recently finished reading a travel memoir called Wanderlust: A Love Affair With Five Continents by Elizabeth Eaves. I first saw it at a bookstore, when the title first caught my eye. The author is Canadian, and the memoir is about her romances and adventures abroad. I immediately purchased it, because well, her life sounds quite  like mine...

The memoir begins with Eaves talking about her first boyfriend who introduced her to the world of travel, as well as her university exchange to Cairo. The book spans over about a decade of Eaves's life, from her university days to her early thirties. I loved and was intrigued with the book from that point as she spoke of her time in countries I've never even thought of visiting, such as Afghanistan. She challenges herself to take on new adventures, and despite the risks, does not question about venturing off to the Middle East and the jungles of Papua New Guinea. The worse fear, which resonates in the hearts of anyone affected by wanderlust, is of course, the thought of returning home.

One of my favourite parts in the memoir are the chapters she writes about her time in Australia. Focusing primarily on Airlie Beach, where she spent most of her time, her descriptions of the beach town and the surfer boys catapulted me back to my own memories of my time in Australia last year. At one point, I had to put the book down entirely as I was too saddened by nostalgia.

Her memoir concentrated a lot on her relationships on the road, which intrigued me at first, but simultaneously depressed me near the end of the book. I find Eaves brave how she can write about her relationships so openly, as while I'm usually found scribbling feverishly in my journal, most of my relationships I find too personal to really share with anyone other than some close friends.

The fact that Eaves indulges in so many meaningless, nameless hook-ups while abroad, describing sex as simply "fucking," felt like I was reading about a college frat boy rather than a girl my age. Her meaningful relationships always end up with Eaves running away to another country, resulting in broken hearts. I loved reading about Eaves's love affairs with foreign men while she was in her early twenties, but when she's thirty and running away from men who she claims she loves, and who offer her marriage proposals, running away seems childish.

I loved this memoir as it is written by a female travel writer who shares much of the same beliefs I have about life and traveling. While I love and admire her boldness, her fear of relationships also worries me about the future of my wanderlust inflicted life. I highly recommend this memoir for a light summer read, however, the end of the book makes me question life and love in a way that I'd rather save for a cold day in front of a fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate.

3.5/5

Staying cool on the road

photography posters uk

Just last month, it rained everyday in Toronto, and now we're in the middle of a heat wave. The other day it was 50 degrees Celsius with the humidity, which feels like living in a sauna. Also, watching guys from Toronto walk around shirtless is also a very unpleasant experience (somehow it's been universally acknowledged that men in Toronto are all very unattractive).

How do you guys stay cool during the hot summer heat?

Here are some of my favourites:

1. Pack a water bottle. 
It's easy and eco-friendly. My favourite trick is to fill it with water and freeze it in the freezer overnight. The water stays cold for majority of the day. Genius.

2. Wear white clothing.
I used to wear a lot of black back in high school (but then again, I also liked Metallica and Nine Inch Nails). Since then, I've developed a love for wearing white, and now I can't live without the pile of white t-shirts I have in my closet. White is great for staying cool on sunny days, and it also looks good on when you have a nice tan!

3. Eat ice cream.
I don't think an explanation is necessary. Freezies and slushies are equally good.

4. Hit the beach!
Ahh, I'd give anything to be on a beach right now in Australia, Spain or Morocco. Not only is it the perfect place to go surfing or swimming, it's the perfect place to get your summer tan and show off your rock hard abs that resulted from your New Years Resolution gym work-out plan. Or if you're like 99% of the population who ditch said resolutions a week later, it's still a prime spot to meet a cute surfer.

Lost in Düsseldorf

One thing I'd say about Düsseldorf is that I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who's bad with directions. I mean, thinking about my time there, the majority of what I remember was asking people where Graf Adolf Strasse was. And to actually remember what this random street in Germany is called now that I'm back home, should give you an estimate of how many times I had to ask for directions.

And it's totally not because I'm incapable of figuring out the complex workings of the German city road system - this one German lady and her son asked me for directions (which ironically I knew because I had passed that street moments ago). They didn't speak any English either, but I managed somehow entirely in German.

German lady: have you lived here all your life?
me: erm, no...actually I've only been here for about an hour

The only photo I ended up taking of Düsseldorf is this one of this street:

The river was really pretty and down the street there were lot's of booths set up selling random things like French books. Somewhere along the way I ended up getting lost and a few hours later, I finally made it back to the hostel I was staying at, exhausted. And of course, I had the best of luck in Düsseldorf  since I walked into my hostel room only to awkwardly walk in on two guys lying intimately close to each other on the bed. Luckily they were heading out, so no threesome activities ensued.

I was supposed to met a friend from Hattingen the next evening for dinner, but I couldn't really bear the idea of spending another day being lost in Düsseldorf, so I ended up rescheduling our plans (for next year, which I still feel bad about) and reserved a morning train to see my friend Martin the next day in...Berlin!

Aachen & Cologne

After being in Paris for what seemed like years (well, actually it was just two and a half days), it felt like such a nice change when everyone around me spoke German on the train to Aachen.

I decided to visit Aachen first since it's only about two hours away from Paris, and my friend Andreas lives there. He's awesome and enjoys reading my blog everyday (Hi Andreas!!). 

Compared to Paris, which is like this huge, sprawling metropolis, Aachen is this little town that is quite cute. Also unlike Paris, when you hesitate to cross the road in fear of death, nobody is shouting "allez!" from behind you. Actually, crossing the road is quite safe in Germany which is nice since we have enough things to worry about in life such as global warming and nuclear bombs.

While I do enjoy French architecture, it was definitely nice to be somewhere more modern looking...and admirably clean. The city centre consists of nice cobblestone paths and some really nice buildings such as the Aachen cathedral.

playle.com

My Lonely Planet guide book listed the "Puppenbrunnen" as a top attraction, so it was pretty surprising when it actually turned out to be this tiny fountain that took about 5 seconds to look at. Although I must admit, it is a nice fountain. Fountains back home would never make it into a Lonely Planet.

While I was visiting Andreas, we also went to Cologne one evening/night/early morning. While the Aachen cathedral was impressive, it's hard to compete with the one in Cologne, which took 600 years or so to build. 

Walking across the bridge to the cathedral, I noticed that there were locks chained on to the fence by couples, like the ones I saw at the Louvre. Of course, Andreas was quick to point out that it actually originated from Cologne, which makes sense since Germans are always inventing cool things like nice cars and gummy bears.

We went to this restaurant where I tried this thing that looked kind of like pizza but isn't for the first time. It was also when I discovered that ice cream in German is just called "Eis" (ice). 

Cologne apparently, is the place to have a bachelor party as we saw groups of guys everywhere wearing matching t-shirts participating in drunken activities. Also I googled it and it seems  that the matching shirts thing is a big deal in those German bachelor parties. How interesting!

We went out for some drinks and to this club which played top 40's music (much to Andreas's dismay and to my secret liking). Although I guess it would be more interesting if the club played very German music instead. I had purchased a German Rail Pass for my trip so it was really easy to take the trains whenever I wanted. After a great first few days in Germany with Andreas, I was on my way to..Düsseldorf.

Top 5 Differences Between Germany and Home

Since I'm planning on moving to Germany next year, of course I had to be very observant about everything during my time there. That way, I can take in all the details, and experience less culture shock when I move (although oddly, I find foreign countries a lot more comforting to be in than home in Toronto).

To be honest, I've been delaying my posts about Germany because I'm not exactly sure where to start. I mean, I loved it. Everything was better than I expected, and I always have really high expectations. But before I venture into some really exciting blog posts in the next few days, here's a list to get everything started....(also, making lists seems like a very German thing to do)

Top 5 Differences Between Germany and Home

1. Germans have really big pillows. Like, huge. They're these massive squares that are about three times the size of the rectangular North American pillows. I quite like them as they're very good for pillow fights.

2. German buses are very clean. HUGE improvement from home, where I'm forced to sanitize my hands anytime I touch one of those bus poles in fear of contacting some incurable disease (Buses also always arrive on time - it's a miracle!)

3. It's hard to find a place that sells just regular bottled water, as everyone seems to like drinking the carbonated version, which I strongly dislike. Actually, everything seems to be carbonated and bubbly. Even apple juice (horrible invention).

4. Cobblestone roads, while very pretty, can be very difficult to walk with heels in. I must master this talent by taking long walks in Montreal before moving to Europe.

5. German doors can be very complicated. Further details can be quite embarrassing so I'll leave it at that.

So now I'm fully prepared to move.

Just have to, you know, find a job there and learn the language.

2 Days In Paris

To be honest, I've never really been attracted to Paris the way most people are. I mean, sure the boys there are cute and the style is impeccable, but the main reason I wanted to go to Paris was to go to the Musée d'Orsay. That's right, I flew a few thousand miles to go to an art museum (well I didn't really, but it sounds a lot more dramatic if I say it like that).

The Orsay Museum

For an impressionist art lover, Paris is like heaven. Aside from the Musée d'Orsay, I also went to the Orangerie and Rodin museums. Montmartre was an amazing neighbourhood to visit as it was the area that the Impressionists worked and lived. Unfortunately I never got a chance to visit the Marmottan Monet Museum or Monet's house and garden at Giverny, but well, I'll have plenty of time for that next year. 

Aside from my self-guided tour of Impressionist Paris, I spent most of my time feeling confused since I forgot all my middle school French, while looking enough like a local that I would get stopped at every interaction by people who needed directions.

While Paris is called the city of love, I really wanted to see the city solo. Aside from the fact that I doubt anyone would agree to come to Paris with me only to stand in front of a Monet painting for 5 hours, I actually really enjoyed reading up on Parisian history while making commentaries in my head in the style of Bill Bryson, as I wondered the same streets that Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet, Cassatt and so many more have walked before me. 

Here's some things about Paris I found interesting:

• All the guys wear suits. Even if they're dressed casually, they still at least wear a blazer jacket (I love it).
• Everyone on the metro has a set of headphones on.
• There's also way too many "iPad" ads on the metro.
• Bums can be bilingual.
• Free wi-fi at McDonalds can be a total lifesaver.
• All hostels in Paris are overpriced and dirty.
• The French really are bad drivers. I feared for my life every time I crossed the street.
• It is possible to mime out the sentence "I would like to buy some pads because I just got my period" to the non-English speaking lady at the pharmacy (Although I totally think she did speak English and just wanted to be entertained by a non-French speaking tourist). 
• Everyone is skinny. As proved by this photo below: