travel – Page 2 – Budget Bliss: Bucket List

Travel Tips: Packing

Published on March 25, 2025March 1, 2025 by BudgetBliss1 Comment

One might not think that this topic deserves its own post, after all packing is pretty simple, gather things, throw in luggage, take with you, done! However, this is a vital part of travel as it can make or break your whole trip. Pack too little and you may find yourself in a rather awkward situation or in need of some vital item that you cannot precure easily. Pack too much and you don’t have room for souvenirs, you end up having to pay more to check your luggage and your back is sore from carrying it around everywhere.

Obviously the first step is to double check the luggage allotment for how you’re traveling. After all, that will often determine what you can even take, so before you even start selecting items, it’s important to consider how much room you even have for all those cute outfits and stylish heels. How many carry-ons can you take, what are the allowed dimensions? Don’t assume that every mode of transportation or even company has the same rules. Check every one and go with the least/smallest amount, this will help you avoid unexpected fees and difficult decisions.

Personally, I try to avoid checking luggage whenever possible, especially when going to a place. I don’t mind it as much on my return because if luggage is lost I usually have the essentials in my carry on and I have plenty of extras at my house. However, if luggage is lost when I’m traveling to a place, I may find myself without enough clothing or I missed a connection trying to sort out the lost luggage resulting in extra expenses and unnecessary stress. Most of the time if I have to gate check luggage I can pick it up at the gate. Sometimes, I will pack an extra bag that I can use as a personal item later and then check my carry on and turn my previous personal item into my carry on. This ensures I have plenty of room for souvenirs. Another consideration is wheeling your luggage versus carrying it. One might think that the best answer is wheels. After all, I just said earlier how carrying luggage around can make your back sore.

However, that doesn’t take into consideration the bane of wheeled luggage, stairs. This can be especially important if one is trying to take more than two wheeled pieces of luggage which I did when I spent a semester abroad in Germany. Not having traveled much previously, I only ever encountered transportation which was easily accessible meaning that wheeled luggage had no problems. Not so, in Germany where the trains had steps. Narrow almost ladder-like steps. This meant I had to quickly throw my luggage up the steps and try to climb up myself all before the doors closed. I almost fell out of the train and got left behind because I was struggling with my luggage. Had I been able to put it around my body and just climb up, I wouldn’t have had that issue. My recommendation is try not to bring more than one wheeled luggage and make sure your other luggage can comfortably sit on top of the wheeled luggage for easy transportation. This also means that you can easily switch to carrying your luggage if the terrain calls for it.

There is also the debate between hard and soft luggage. Some people swear by the soft luggage, others by the hard cases. The soft luggage tends to give a bit more give for packing, but is less secure. It comes down to a matter of preference and what you’re using the luggage for. There is also a large market out there for luggage that helps you maximize space. Before shelling out tons of money for expensive bags, remember there is really only so much you can do to reduce the amount of space an object takes up in your bag. Often those viral videos are too good, so maybe save your money for souvenirs.

Now if one is pressed for space, then clever use of pockets may be necessary to help expand your carry-on capacity. There are all sorts of things one can purchase from cargo pants, to scarves with hidden pockets to jackets that specialize in acting as a second carry-on. Just be mindful that stuffing your pants pockets full of various items won’t make you the most popular person at the security line and will add extra time to your check in procedure. This method can lead to extra discomfort during your travels. A scarf will make you warm. A jacket with items in it, won’t be comfortable to sit with. Just like with luggage, vial videos make it seem like a great idea until you actually try it it.

Additional thought and consideration should be given to what you’re going to wear. It is generally recommended to wear your bulkiest items when traveling. Maximizing what’s on your person will help maximize your limited space. Wearing layers on the plane is another good way to turn your body into additional bag storage. However, you do want to consider your travel outfit for more than just storage so don’t go too crazy here or your may end up on a very long flight wearing things that are very uncomfortable. I usually opt for an extra layer, a scarf with a pocket and shoes that are easy to slip on and off, breathable fabrics that are stretchy and I avoid anything with zippers or buttons.

As you can see before you’ve even packed a single item, careful thought must be given to your luggage and potentially the outfit you’re going to wear to travel.

During COVID, I opted for a sleeves top with a light jacket and a Norwex cloth mask for a plane ride. My hair was up in braids that kept it out of my way and allowed me to comfortably recline when I went out to visit some friends in Michigan.

So once you’ve figured out what luggage to use, then it’s a matter of figuring out what to pack. Pretty much googling “essential packing list” will pull up a good checklist for packing. Obviously, don’t pack everything suggested on the list, you’re supposed to make adjustments based on where you’re going. If traveling to a tropical beach destination you probably don’t want to pack a sweater. If you aren’t going anywhere formal, then leave the formalwear at home, but if you’re going to a wedding, then pack your formal attire. When picking outfits, consider sticking with a color pallet that mixes well together so you can mix and match. You should also try and pack items that can be dressed up or dressed down. I happen to own several yoga pants that look like dress pants, so I can pack those and be comfortable going on a hike or attending a meeting. I usually pack more tops than bottoms since my legs don’t usually get sweaty so I can wear bottoms several times. However, if one is expecting to get muddy then you may want to pack more bottoms than tops. Most carry-on luggage fits roughly two pairs of jeans, three sweaters, two dresses, and five shirts, so if you’re going longer than a week, you may need to get creative. Often people advise you to pick out what you need and then halve (with exception of underwear) the clothes you’re going to take. Consideration should be given for how often you can do laundry and for how sweaty you will get. Some people will pack small laundry sheets to be able to do laundry in their sink or utilize the laundry services at their destination.

Try to get liquids that can multitask. For example, did you know that you can use conditioner for shaving cream? If you can get a tinted moisturizer you can use that as foundation. You can also get tinted chapstick to substitute for lipstick. If you’re going to a hotel, most provide some toiletries, usually shampoo, conditioner and soap. You could also consider purchasing travel sized from a local store at your destination if the prices aren’t too different from your home. If traveling with companions, consider sharing some items like sunscreen, bug spray or moisturizers.

Try and minimize your devices if you can substitute with another you should. My only exception is my kindle because it’s bad for your eyes to read books from a tiny phone screen and I’m not getting a headache from tiny print. I have one universal portable charger that has all the attachments for various devices neatly attached to it. Always try and get creative with

Once you formalize your packing list, it’s a matter of locating the items.

In general, pack clothes that won’t wrinkle like knits and stretchy fabrics. Fabrics that are woven tend to wrinkle more. Unfortunately, traveling in colder months or to cooler destinations means that your clothes will take up more space. A good trick is to pack lighter clothes with a light sweater that can go over them rather than several bulkier items. There are lots of videos debating between rolling or folding clothing, but in general either method will work so long as the focus is on eliminating air. Packing cubes can be very helpful in squeezing out extra air and ensuring every space is filled. They can also help create easily arranged “blocks” inside your luggage. I personally, like to use several smaller cubes rather than one big cube. If packing an extra purse or tote, these can also be used to organize and store items. This also helps make unpacking easy and keeps my stuff organized at the hotel. I often will pack two empty cubes for dirty laundry which helps keep my luggage from smelling. I have a bag for my shoes which also keeps the rest of my luggage clean.

Place heavier items, like shoes, towards the bottom to help stabilize the luggage. As shoes often result in wasted space, consider packing items inside the shoes, like socks. The key is to try and maximize every inch of your luggage and ensure there’s no wasted space in between items. Although many airports no longer make you take your liquids out, organize your liquids in one bag that you keep at the top of your luggage for easy access to help make security a breeze just in case. If you have outside pockets, then packing items that you want ready access to should be placed there.

If traveling with fragile items, place them in a plastic bag (in case they break) and pack them surrounded by clothing to help act as a cushion or bubble wrap substitute.

If you do decide to check your luggage make sure to put essentials such as medications, at least one change of clean clothes, a cell phone charger, etc. inside your carry-on luggage. You should be able to survive at least one to two days without your checked luggage. Make sure you have your contact information, like your email and phone number, on your checked luggage in case the airline loses it so they’re able to contact you. I would not put your home address on it for security reasons.

Unless your luggage is a unique color or design consider putting a brightly colored ribbon or other distinguishing mark on your luggage to help prevent people from accidentally grabbing yours or from you accidently grabbing someone else’s. I usually have a yellow ribbon on mine since it’s black. Baggage claim can take a long while as luggage has the lowest priority when it comes to runway traffic, so if you think you’ll have to catch a train or other form of transportation at your destination be sure to add plenty of time when purchasing tickets.

Hopefully, these tips will help you maximize your available space and ensure you have everything you need to make your trip wonderful.

Travel Tips: Reverse Planning

Published on March 18, 2025March 1, 2025 by BudgetBlissLeave a comment

In honor of the coming spring, I’ve decided to do a few travel posts. You see dear reader, it seems that with the end of winter with the warmer weather on the horizon, I always get a bit of wanderlust at this time of year and find myself going to far flung corners of the world. Or at least farther afield than is typical as I certainly can’t afford to travel too far every spring. Perhaps, it’s something in the air, maybe it’s from being cooped up in the house during the cold winter months.

Before we clutch our pearls in shock at such a notion, remember dear reader, I am not against travel. I simply believe that we can live a bucket-list life right where we are and that we needn’t travel frequently to experience amazing things. However, there are times when we do travel, so we may as well do it well, to ensure that it is a wise investment of our limited resources. After all, traveling is expensive and time consuming. As budget conscious people, we certainly don’t want to experience travel regret or wish we had been more thoughtful prior to hopping on a plane and wasting hundreds of dollars on a less than stellar trip. To that end, I hope that these tips will help you make the most of your travels. At this point I believe I am at least a fairly experienced traveler to be speaking on such things.

I shall begin my travel tips with the most fundamental decision of all, where to go.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Now there are many considerations to picking a place to travel. Now you may have a very specific place in mind already. In which case skip this post and read the Travel Tips for the First Time Traveler: The Art of the Deal. In this post, I’m going to share a method of reverse planning or rather than picking a place first and then planning around that. You first plan the big three: time, budget and season and based on those constraints narrow down options of where to go. It can be helpful in managing your budget and ensuring you stay within the constraints of your means. Many people underestimate the cost of their trips and it’s easier to do when blinded by a pre-made decision. This method allows you to place your constraints ahead of time and then plan from there.

My very first consideration would be time, how much time do you realistically have? Time can be a huge constraint. For example, I recently traveled to England after being invited to join a friend in her long term rental down in Penzance. The accommodations were completely free and I naturally took advantage of this. However, it took 2 hours to get to the airport, allowing for the recommended 2.5 hours to get through security and boarding onto the plane before take off, another 6 hour flight, another hour to deboard, get through customs and navigate a new airport, and another 8 hours of buses and trains. I left my house at 2 pm and arrived at 5 pm the next day. The return flight was 7 hours, with almost 2 hours to get through customs, secure our bags, take a bus back to the economy parking and 2 hours to get home. We left the hotel in London at 8 am and arrived home at 7 pm. That wasn’t accounting for the 6 hour train ride back north to London that we took 3 days before our flight to allow us two days in London. Just travel alone was 3 days of our trip. That also didn’t account for recovery days from jet lag which depending on how easily you bounce back from disrupted sleep could take another whole day from your trip. So, I really don’t recommend taking a week to travel across an ocean because you realistically end up with maybe 3 to 4 good days. This is why I took two weeks off of work to allow myself plenty of time for travel to and from, recover, unpack and get ready to return to my normally scheduled programming.

Time really determines a lot of things. It can influence your budget, how far you can travel, what you can do and whether it’s worth adding in things like rental cars and taxis or if you can stick to public transit. After all, public transit adds time to a trip. If I had access to a car that 5 to 6 hour train ride could have been closer to 3 and with the multiple train delays stretching the initial ride down to 8 hours, a car would have been preferable. Time also determines how much you can do. I only had two days in London which meant that I had to be picky about what I did and what I saw. One could spend an entire day at the British Museum but then one will have only seen one museum, granted it packs a lot into one place, but then one isn’t seeing other things. If one rushes through things can one really enjoy it or will you be so exhausted from your vacation you need a vacation to recover from your vacation? It’s very easy to overestimate the amount of time you have which can lead to exhaustion from rushing around and stress from worrying about things like missed train connections, traffic or just getting lost in a strange place.

Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels.com

The other major consideration is of course budget. How much money can you spend on a holiday? Do you have paid time off? If you don’t, then any time off work is calculated into the cost of your trip. The budget can really determine how and where you can travel. Perhaps you can take a 12 hour direct flight to that far flung place, but it costs twice as much as the 20 hour flight with multiple connections. When considering a budget, you should be asking yourself how much are you typically saving in a month, how much have you already saved and how much can you still save? Consider the costs of transportation, accommodations, food and souvenirs. Hint: it is always more than you think, especially if you’re going to places where your currency is weaker than theirs where it’s easy to underestimate how much you’re spending. Just because the flight is cheap doesn’t mean accommodations will be, just because the accommodations are free doesn’t mean the flights will be cheap. I recently read a blog post outlining the actual cost of a trip for a couple who managed to snag really cheap flight tickets. Even though their flight was very affordable, the cost of other transportation, sight-seeing, food, accommodations, etc. for two weeks was still $5,000. So before jumping on that “great deal”, consider the other costs.

To help you plan you may want to check out places like Expatistan, Price of Travel or Numbeo. These resources can help you with your budget to see if where you’re going is actually somewhere you can afford to go. What is cheap to one person may be expensive to another person. If you make 100,000 a year spending 5,000 is only 5% of your yearly salary but if you only make 45,000 then it’s 11% which is a significant difference. However, if you make 100,000 and you’re supporting a family of 5, spending 5,000 is less affordable than if it’s just you and your cats.

The final consideration is the time of year you’re able to travel. My sister’s job requires her to help test major systems updates which happen routinely at certain points of the year. This means there are just certain times when she knows she cannot reasonably take off without it causing a lot of issues for her work and her time off approval is tentative. When I was the Winter Shelter Coordinator for an Emergency Winter Homeless Shelter at one of my jobs, I knew I could not take off during the Winter months for extended periods of time. It was a major job expectation that I would be generally available during that season. There are certain times of the year that just aren’t good for certain destinations. It may look like an amazing deal to go during the off season, but good luck enjoying that tropical beach vacation in Maldives during the rainy season.

Now depending if you’re traveling solo or in a group, you may have to consider what others can afford in terms of time, money and when they can take off. As I previously stated, my sister has a job that semi-dictates when she can take off and I also had a job where I couldn’t take off during the winter months. If you’re traveling with a school employee, you can’t travel much from August through June. Additionally, if your travel companion has limited mobility that can impact when and how you travel. Someone who needs assistance at the airport will most likely need an additional hour or more for pre-boarding. It’s important to have open and honest discussions with your travel companions before you spend a dime.

One subcategory of all these considerations is the type of traveler you are. Do you like museums or the party scene? Do you want to spend your time lounging on the beach or do you want to go hiking? Are you content so long as you have a roof over your head and a pillow under it or do you want a little more luxury? When I was a student studying abroad I traveled as cheaply as I could, snagging deals on Ryanair, booking hostels and buying most of my food at local stores rather than eating out. Are you comfortable flying economy or do you require extra leg room? When traveling to England my mom paid for an upgraded seat both ways because she has had blood clots and decided it was worth having extra leg room and the ability to put her feet up in order to ensure she wasn’t going to spend her trip in the hospital. That impacted her budget.

Once you have your time, budget and season you’ll be traveling, it’s much easier to narrow down where you can go based on your research. Depending on where you’re traveling from you can reasonably estimate how far you can go based on your time. If you’re on the East Coast like me then Europe is a more reasonable flight than from the West Coast. There can be surprises that pop up for example, flying to Costa Rica was a 10 hour flight despite it being about the same distance as the United Kingdom. However, Costa Rica is a lot cheaper to visit. The constraints of your aforementioned decisions can dictate where you’re going to go. If you divide up your budget and discover that you only have about 50 dollars a day then you may need to go to cheaper areas of the world. Once you have your list of possible places to go, you can pick.

Tales from Abroad: Life Unbound

Published on January 10, 2025December 7, 2024 by BudgetBlissLeave a comment

I had the privilege of spending a semester abroad in my academic studies. For five months, I was halfway across the world, in a non-English speaking country for the most part on my own with limited support. This was a world before smart phones and easy roaming charges. I was for the most part armed with a local flip phone for emergencies, my wits and conversational German. It was just as daunting and fun as one imagines.

I suppose it was this experience that really solidified my adventurous spirit. How many times have I thought to myself “If I can get lost in the middle of Paris and still catch the train back to Marburg how hard can this be?” It instilled in me a sense of confidence to be able to navigate foreign places, solve problems on the fly and still be successful. There were certainly challenges.

There were the physical challenges that Germany presented me on day one. I thought I was a fairly experienced traveler having flown numerous times in the United States and I figured that Germany being another Western Country wouldn’t be too different. Stairs are apparently a thing everywhere in Germany and pose a much more serious problem than in the US when it comes to traveling with multiple bags. I had packed my bags anticipating the ease of traversing an airport with multiple rolling bags that I had in America, but Germany wasn’t as accommodating when it comes to rolling suitcases. Luckily, I did have some help in that I was traveling with a group of students, but they weren’t always the most helpful.

First, getting the bags down the escalators was a nightmare. I distinctly remember one of our bags just tumbling down the escalator as a complete hazard. Second, the trains had stairs. I had never encountered trains with stairs. I don’t even think I had seen such things in movies. Now, it does seem that since I’ve been in the country the train system is not as ruthlessly efficient as I remember it being. However, when I went, the trains were almost always on time and they did not wait for you to finish boarding, you had to get on or you would be left behind and the staff would not wave to the conductor to hold for you.

So there I was tossing my bags up onto the train and trying to get myself on with probably less than two minutes to get myself on board. The stairs were more akin to ladders than stairs, so I was trying to frantically climb onto the train with my bags. Being a naturally clumsy person, in a situation where balance was particularly challenging, I of course started to fall backwards. Luckily for me, the train doors shut just as I was about to stumble back onto the platform. Had I fallen back sooner, I would have been left on the platform with my bags on the train in a strange country and no real way to contact anyone. Had I not managed to get my bags on, I would have been on the train with the bags left behind! Certainly not my best moment! The saga of the stairs did not end there, there were stairs everywhere with almost no elevators to speak of, my legs looked amazing my the end of the trip and I do recommend the Germany Stair Master 5000, 5 month workout plan to you aspiring models.

My face at seeing that I had to climb yet MORE stairs!

I faced the challenge of navigating a truly arcane system for signing up for classes. I had never seen such a discombobulated, uncoordinated system in my life. Some classes you signed up for in person, some were online, some you had to practically hunt down like some sort of secret cult meeting. I’m still not exactly sure how I managed to actually sign up for my classes, but I somehow squeaked by with the requirements and managed to get myself in courses I felt i could handle with my level of German. Although Frankfurt in Mittelalter was more than I could chew since the first day they wanted me to read latin and I had to read 15th century German documents for a research paper. Essentially, it was like handing a non native speaker of English the original Canterbury Tales and telling them to have at it. I may have spent 3 days researching the history of the German language in order to translate what I was reading before attempting to write anything.

While I was there, I independently traveled to Paris, Dublin, Nuremberg, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Rome. I planned every part of those trips from booking the plane tickets, navigating transportation to and from the airports, found the hostels and traversed the cities learning the unique public transit of each one. I went with a group of school students on a trip to Berlin and joined Brethren Colleges Abroad for trips to Vienna and Strasbourg. These trips did not involve how to get there or where to stay, but I did have to traverse them on my own, figure out which sights I wanted to see and ensure that I was on time for the checks in.

While there, I bought my own groceries on a strict budget (most of my money went to my trips rather than to food). I cooked my own food learning how to use a gas oven which terrified me the first time I used it because I had never had to light an oven with a match before. I had to learn how to sort trash like the Germans and all the quirks of their culture. I learned to navigate a completely arcane university system as well as see the world a little differently. I met a fantastic travel companion, a fellow American who shared my love of reading. I wish I could say we stayed in touch and are still best friends, but sadly like many adult friendships it did not last much beyond our semester in Germany as we were from and returned to different parts of the country.

While I was in Germany, I took advantage of the relatively cheap travel through Ryanair and checked many things off my list. I will say that for the most part I was unable to savor the cities that I visited as I often only had 1 ½ to 2 days in which to see them. That did require me to at times semi-race through places focusing on the absolute “musts” rather than casually strolling through as I may have liked. The Louver itself is a whole day affair if one is to truly take it all in. Sadly, I only saw the highlights rather than everything it had to offer. Which is really what can be said of several of the places I visited (Paris, Dublin, Berlin, and Strasbourg) other places I like Vienna and Rome, I had an entire week to see which allowed me to do much more. I even took a day trip to the beach while in Rome, so I can say that I swam in the Mediterranean. It is unsurprisingly much like swimming in the Atlantic, at least just outside of Rome it is. Also, after Paris I was much more able to navigate the foreign public transit system as I had very little experience prior to coming to Europe

Through all my adventures, I was required to bring a “can do attitude” and resourcefulness. I managed almost all my mistakes or set backs with grace under fire with one exception. But even that turned out well.

I got to know so many people in my travels. I listened to their perspective and saw how the different parts of the world views America and by extension me as an American. Some of them were harsh criticisms, others were high praise. I was baffled by the Spaniard who was insulted that I hadn’t chosen to learn Spanish rather than German. I was embraced by a very drunk Irishmen who was just thrilled to death about Obama’s recent election after George Bush. I got to witness a student protest over tuition which blew my mind because back home we all just sort of shrugged with a “what can we do?” when faced by yet more college fees. I listened to young and old shared their lives, their hopes and their thoughts.

Traveling abroad expanded my horizons, strengthened my character and taught me resilience. It reinforced my spirit of adventure and voracious appetite to learn about places, experience things and know new people.

Myself and my travel buddy Erica whom I met in Marburg

How can you live abroad?

For many people this is a Bucket List item. Although, I suspect it was mostly put there by people who are much richer than the rest of us. If you aren’t a college student, this is a much more difficult prospect as the semester abroad only cost me $600 more than staying at college (not counting the extra trips I took). To me it was well worth the $600 extra investment on top of the investment I was already making in my education. Otherwise living abroad can be quite costly without gainful employment and how many of us realistically are going to find jobs where we can work in another country? I have seen some groups which advertise house sitting in Europe which would help take care of your accommodations, but there’s still pesky things like food that you need to pay for and if you’re house sitting you can’t really travel around all that much. Plus, what about your own house back home and your job?

That doesn’t mean that all is lost. One of the principles of the thing is that you’re willing to put yourself in a fairly unfamiliar situation, with limited access to outside supports forcing you to navigate unique challenges and overcome. A solo road trip through the United States where you just jump in the car and go, may present you with similar challenges.

The other principle is that you’re interacting with a lot of different people from around the globe with a willing and humble spirit to be shown their perspective. I continue to do both things in my life. Taking a short week backpacking in Mexico or Peru can be just as challenging if not more than navigating a semester in Germany. Talking to someone online who’s from Beirut may expand your understanding of the world far more than talking to someone you met in France because of the greater cultural differences.

Just living abroad does not necessarily confer these challenges either. It is easy to wall yourself off in an English speaking enclave and never leave depending on where you go. Had I gone to Germany, only hung out with American students, taken classes in English and never left my dorm, would that have given me the same experience? No, I may as well have stayed in America for all it did for me other than give me some social clout to say “I spent a semester abroad”. Remember, dear readers, we do not marry the principles of what we desire to the thing itself. Our desires can manifest in many forms and be just as satisfying if not moreso.

Still if you truly desire to do so, then my recommendation is to learn another language and start applying for jobs abroad. You obviously don’t need to learn another language, but it is certainly helpful. As of this writing the best jobs abroad are teacher, volunteer, medical industry, tour guide, yachting, au pair, scuba dive instructor, yoga instructor, working for an international company and obtaining a working holiday visa. As you can see many of them are easier said than done and do require some sort of specialization. So do your market research and consider what it would really mean to go abroad. After all you only live once, why not live it a little unbound?

Completed: Spring 2009

Cost: $600

Miles from home: about 4,000

Full disclosure: As stated above, it was only $600 in addition to my college tuition, so I’m not counting the cost of tuition as I would have paid that one way or the other. I also didn’t include my additional travels but all told they probably cost me about $1500. Two of those trips were covered in the cost of my studies.

The Great American Eclipse of 2024

Published on September 7, 2024July 19, 2024 by BudgetBlissLeave a comment

Full disclosure: This is a more expensive bucket list item and required travel.

When I was a little girl, I had asked for a book on astronomy for Christmas. I had always had an interest in the stars and heavenly events. I was fascinated by the movements of the planets and the constellations. I wanted to know more about this great universe and at times the sheer vastness was somewhat terrifying. The infinite can be quite overwhelming to a child below the age of 10. This is perhaps why I also have an appreciation for eldritch horror.

At the very front of this book was a list of eclipses both lunar and solar in North America and was devastated to learn that I would not get the opportunity until 2017 or 2024. I longed to be able to see it and the passage of nearly 20 to 30 years was almost as unfathomable as the breadth of the universe itself. Time of course passed and I grew into an adult. I had half forgotten about the solar eclipses as a dream put to the side, when I read an article online that reminded me of such a momentous event was going to occur in North America in the summer of 2017. Now granted, in truth total solar eclipses do occur with some frequency, but not in the same place which is what makes them seem rare, so one would be correct in stating it isn’t that momentous. However, the ability to travel to see one isn’t readily available.

I was lucky in that the event happened to coincide with my friend’s 30th birthday which kick started all of us turning 30 that year, so naturally we had to travel down south to see it. Her parents also wanted to see it and invited her and her friends to stay with them in a very nice hotel for a week down at the beach. We were quite pleased to see the budget for the event cut down significantly by their generosity. However, luck would not be with us, for upon the moment of totality, after carefully watching the path of the moon across the sun in the oppressive heat of a southern summer in August, the clouds came in and ruined the experience. The disappointment I felt was almost as crushing as the heat. The rest of the week was still quite pleasant, so I do recommend if you are going to travel somewhere for an eclipse to do so in an area you want to visit if having to go more than a few hours from your home.

Naturally, I checked the calendar for when the next eclipse would occur and waited eagerly to hatch my plan to view it. This path was a more auspicious one for me as it passed within a few hours drive of my house. In 2023, I began to plan more seriously considering exactly how far away I wanted to book my hotel and drive to totality knowing that hotels would be booking up quickly and highly expensive in the path of totality.

However, my mother had other plans, better plans. She had recently rekindled a friendship with an old college friend who lived in Vermont, Sheila. They both had been saying how we should come up and visit her on her small farm. With her being so near the path of totality, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to go up. She reached out and planned an extended weekend at Sheila’s and also reached out to my “Uncle” Jay to possibly stay in the greater Boston area after the eclipse. With our “hotels” booked, we had hatched a plan.

On the Saturday before the eclipse, we drove the six hours up to Vermont, listening to an audio book and enjoying the scenery of Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont. We made infrequent stops to maximize our travel time. Pro-tip, if you are traveling through many small towns and need the restroom remember libraries are your friend! We were driving off the beaten path and needed to heed the call of nature. Unsure of where we could go for relief, I happened to spot a sign for a local library as we drove by. I made a small u-turn and parked just outside. The librarian was friendly to two road weary travelers. Support your local libraries friends for they are one of the last true public spaces for all.

We arrived at Sheila’s in the later hours of the evening, met her two dogs Quinn and Filipa, her two ragdoll cats and their adorable five kittens. I honestly could have died happy just meeting the kittens. They were the cutest balls of fluff you ever saw! We also met her two sons Danny and Astir. On Sunday morning, I was introduced to her three Icelandic horses and even got to ride one [post here]. On Sunday afternoon, we mostly relaxed, spending a little bit of time exploring the small Vermont towns nearby to give our hostess a break from entertaining guests. We took time to take in the mountains. The majestic nature of the Vermont mountains cannot be understated dressed as they were in their finest late snow cover and evergreens. The crisp air carried the promised scent of spring not yet realized. We stopped at a mom and pop store to sample and purchase maple syrup. We perused the local art gallery for our token souvenirs [post here].

On Monday, it was the main event. The eclipse wasn’t to start until the afternoon, so we had plenty of time to go to brunch at a town about 40 minutes north of Sheila’s home. We took time to see another small town before heading up the mountain for the prime viewing spot. Something that was quite extraordinary for my nerd heart, was that the property where we were invited to was owned by none other than an astronomer who assisted on the Hubble telescope.

It was quite the crowd of neighbors considering the population density of the state. Many people had extra eclipse glasses ready in case someone needed a pair. We took turns using a colander as a pin hole camera to see the path of the eclipse. One neighbor brought food with him to share. Some people read books as they waited while others drank beer. This time the clouds stayed away, the sky was crystal clear and the stage was set.

It is difficult to describe the totality of an eclipse. Throughout the time of the partial leading up to totality, the light begins to diffuse and everything begins to lose its color. The temperature begins to drop and a light wind breezes through dissipating most of the remaining clouds. Seemingly without warning, the moon slips in front of the sun and her shadow plunges the world into a strange twilight. Sunset is on every horizon, the temperature finishes dropping by 10 degrees. Pictures do not do it justice because cameras are made for light, which means most pictures or videos of the eclipse show the black orb of the moon surrounded by fuzzy light. That isn’t what it looks like in truth. In truth, it is a black orb ringed by a thin silver line. Your mind while understanding logically what is happening still has its primal alarm bells ringing of the otherworld breaking through to this one. It is easy to imagine how the ancients would have seen it as disfavor from the gods or an ill omen, when the very light of day is blackened, when the star itself is put out, what else can it be? All too quickly, it passes, the moon continues her dance across the sky heedless of her shadow and the small creatures she has awed. The light comes back and day resumes its throne.

After nearly thirty years of waiting, I had finally seen my dream become a reality. It took two trips and some luck, but I had made it happen.

You may dear reader be wondering what such a thing has to do with my blog about bucket list items on a budget, especially when the next eclipse won’t be until 2045 and I did arguably spend a lot more money than most of my items. There are several reasons, the first is to remind you that even if it is 30 years in the making, bucket list items can come true. The second is that the best lain plans of mice and men may still become a bust. I was extremely disappointed in 2017 not to see it, but the disappointment led to an amazing experience later. I would not have gone to Vermont where I got to snuggle ragdoll kittens and ride an Icelandic horse. I may not have gone to Boston as well, had I not missed out. Missing out can lead to better things. We never know what the universe has in store for us. Often it is even better than we could have imagined. There will be times when you carefully plan a bucket list item, you may like me spend a little more or travel a little further just to fulfill this experience only to have your plan dashed to pieces. These are moments of opportunity, be on the lookout for other chances and make the most of the time regardless. Even if I had missed out on totality, I still would have several other awesome experiences. The third is that there are some things that travel becomes a requirement. However, by being more frugal on our other items we will have plenty of money in the bank for these singular adventures. Lastly, there are many other astronomical events which you can keep an eye out to see. The sky is a window to a vast and amazing universe so look up and see what wonders there are to behold!

How you can complete this or something similar:

Pay attention to the news for stories of local happenings in the sky and try to make plans to either take a day off or come in late to work so you can stay up late to see it. Be aware of where the dark skies are in your area. https://www.darkskymap.com/ If you do want to see a total eclipse, you have several years to save and plan as at the time of this writing the next one will be in 2045. If you want a cheaper viewing, opt to stay at a hotel outside the zone of totality and then drive to the zone early. My sister found a Barnes & Noble to view the eclipse from. She had a comfortable place to wait, access to a cafe, a bathroom and plenty of entertainment. There were stories of people booking hotels cheaply in advance only to have the hotel cancel their service in order to charge astronomical prices. An air b’n’b was going for 1,000 a night before in the path of totality. My sister found a much cheaper option outside the area and I found some friends.

If this isn’t your cup of tea, you can still consider the principle of this item. Mainly, completing a childhood dream. I had been waiting almost 25 years to be able to see an total eclipse and while it was a more expensive item, requiring more planning and travel, it was worth it. Part of the point of spending less, while living more is so when these sorts of opportunities come around, I have the means to complete them. Keep an eye out for opportunities to pursue your dreams and don’t be afraid to jump on them.

Completed: April 8, 2024

Miles from home: 430 miles

Cost: About $600 (estimated increase without friend support: $800-900)

Making the Most of Your Travels

Published on August 13, 2024June 23, 2024 by BudgetBlissLeave a comment

There are times when I do travel. At the time of this writing, I have gone on two cruises, spent a semester abroad, completed a mission trip and traveled a number of times over several states. I am not opposed to travel, though I have stated there are drawbacks to traveling especially when so many things may already be in your backyard if you just take the time to look. However, there may be things or experiences that just require travel. For example, I wanted to see a total solar eclipse. Not living in a place where that was happening in my lifetime, I was forced to travel. If you want to see the Great Wall of China you have to go to china.

Given the drawbacks to travel, environmental impact, overtourism, money involved in traveling, participating in exploitative practices, etc. it is important to make the most of your travels when you travel to minimize these drawbacks. As with everything else, do your research and be picky. When I went on my two cruises it may have been tempting to lounge about on the many sandy beaches. However as someone who is only a two to three hour drive from the beach, that wasn’t an activity high on my list. I remember distinctly telling my travel companions that if we were going to sit around on a beach we may as well drive to Maryland or New Jersey and save ourselves the time and expense as honestly beaches are fairly universal. Sand? Check. Ocean? Check. Beach. If you, dear reader, are living in the midwestern part of the United States, including a beach day in your cruise makes sense, for those of us from the coasts, we probably should consider other options.

Something I am mindful to do when traveling is to consider what are things that I simply cannot do in my own backyard? That isn’t to say that I refrain from doing anything that I can do in my own backyard, more that if given the choice of various activities, I will prioritize the ones that I cannot do or cannot do easily. When I went to Aruba, I opted to get on a submarine, as that wasn’t something I couldn’t easily do off the New Jersey shore. I saw the Panama Canal in Panama because it is a unique piece of engineering not replicated elsewhere in the world. I went to the Rain Forest in Costa Rica because like the Panama Canal, the rainforest simply can’t be replicated. That isn’t to say I didn’t go to the beach at all, I did pick one or two days that included the beach. It just wasn’t my first priority and the days I did go to the beach it was an add on to another excursion, like the caves in Curacao.

I was mindful when picking my itinerary to pick ones with the most places I wanted to experience or alternatively have excursions which include activities I want to experience. This can even stretch to smaller items. When departing from the New York port, I made sure to take time to get a good view of the Statue of Liberty when we left as I had never seen it. I took advantage of being at the equator in order to watch both a sunrise and sunset on the same day. In the north, I would have had to get up quite early to see a full sunrise and being as I am not a morning person, this would be difficult. Closer to the equator the sun rose and set at times more conducive to my schedule. These were small things, but I still got to enjoy them with just a little awareness of the opportunities around me.

The cast from the play in Stephen’s Green. Discovered by chasing down the gentleman on the far right through the streets of Dublin

This is not the time to necessarily be pig-headed about your agenda or have an agenda so full you cannot be spontaneous. Some of my best experiences come from being spontaneous. That is how I got on a tour of the capitol building in Washington, scored tickets to the British Shakespeare’s performance of MidSummer Night’s Dream in Dublin, and the unicorn tapestries in Paris. Cultivating a spirit of openness and adventure. The best strategy is one that includes openness to pivot to new opportunities.

The point is to be mindful about what you’re going to do and be mindful when you’re doing it. Don’t just travel to travel, use your time wisely. Thoreau told us to suck the marrow of life, suck the marrow from your trips! Consider carefully the itinerary of where you’re going, cast a wider net to capture the possibilities of the area, and be willing to indulge yourself on things that are inaccessible otherwise.

If you do go on a cruise ship, check out all of its offerings. On my very first cruise, I discovered it had a thermal spa suite outfitted with lots of things I had never tried before a sauna, steam room and salt room. For a little bit extra, I was able to purchase a pass to access it and found that I spent at least an hour there every day. Considering the very large hot tub and fewer people with beautiful views, it was certainly worth it. I also discovered the ship had a ropes course with a zipline. On another ship, we tried go-cart racing. Something else, I had been itching to try. I loved it, my sister not so much – needless to say we scratched that off our list of sister dates to do. So check out your ship, your hotel or wherever you may be for cheap/free options. It wasn’t like I could really go anywhere else, I had already paid to be able to use it in my fare, so I may as well make use of them and cross those items off the list. Trips I took during my semester abroad to made the best use of my time in Germany. By venturing forth from Marburg I was able to see places I’ve always wanted to see like Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Rome. With Ryanair most of those plane tickets were under $50 bucks.

Be sure to check the dates of your trip for any special events that may be occurring in the area or be willing to adjust your dates if you discover there will be a special event in the area you want to go to. My trip to Dublin just happened to coincide with their Shakespeare Festival and a performance by the British Shakespeare Company. My trip to Vienna just happened to coincide with Monet’s Water Lilies being on exhibition at one of the many art museums. By paying attention to what was going on at a specific time, I was able to expand what I was able to do. Although contrary-wise, you may want to avoid going to places during certain times of the year. For example, avoid Disney World November through December, typically the park is open for almost 12 hours for you to enjoy. However, during the Christmas celebration, if you want to stay after dark you have to pay an extra $300 – $400 for a pass, that’s cutting your park time down by 5 to 6 hours unless you’re willing and able to pay an extra fee. Don’t go to Boston during the marathon in the spring if you want to avoid the crowds. Skip Florida’s beaches during spring break if you don’t want to be in an overcrowded place with a bunch of drunk, college students. Careful planning can help make or break your trip.

Photo by Vlad Alexandru Popa on Pexels.com

Try to add an extra day in order to add in something special. When leaving from the New York port, my family and I added an extra evening in New York to catch a Broadway musical, something my sister’s mother-in-law had never experienced and is on many people’s list. Yes, it was an extra expense but it would be more expensive to have to travel back up to New York just to see a show. When my sister went on her first cruise, she flew over a day early and enjoyed the sights of Barcelona, for a night at a hotel she was able to experience a whole city. Traveling is often one of the biggest expenses as well as your biggest carbon footprint, so by adding a little extra time, you can enjoy more. Good for your wallet and the earth!

As budget conscious people, it is important to get the most “bang for your buck” as it were. That isn’t to say pack everything full and rush around so quick you can’t even take in what you’re seeing, it is only to make sure you’re taking full advantage of what is nearby to maximize your experience. With careful planning and a spirit of adventure, you can make the most of your more expensive and far ranging trips.

The case for travel

Published on June 18, 2024June 22, 2024 by BudgetBlissLeave a comment

You would think that after making the case to not travel that I wouldn’t shortly have a post about traveling. After all, the whole point is living where you’re at, not waiting for the PTO and money but doing it right now! Before you pick up the pitchforks of hypocrisy, I never said that you shouldn’t travel at all. I said there is a case for traveling less and exploring places closer to home.

However, you will have already read that I have traveled. I have gone to Europe, the Caribbean and Central America. I have also traveled a bit around the United States, so I can’t say that I never travel. I am in the process of making travel plans again. Travel has its place. Don’t think it doesn’t!

There are many well meaning movements with catchy slogans that work well in a number of places but can’t be transferred to all places. Take the “No Mow May” which is a movement to try and get people to hold off on mowing their lawns until June in order to give pollinators a chance to emerge from their winter hibernation. The movement was started in the United Kingdom which is much smaller than the US, has a different ecosystem and weather. It’s a specific movement that works in the UK. Not mowing the lawn until June simply doesn’t work for places like Georgia. So my travel less may not work for everyone depending on where they are. People living near the coast with big cities, tend to have a lot more going on near them than people living in “fly over country” in the middle of America.

When traveling, make sure to pack the essentials!

And what do I mean by travel less? For some people traveling less may mean “no leaving the country”. The US is a BIG place. We have states bigger than some countries! Okay, maybe not leave your state then. But the states themselves can vary widely by size, Rhode Island is extremely tiny and Texas is HUGE. Is it the travel time from home? My daily commute is about 40 minutes, 20 of which is in the city I work in and it can largely depend on traffic. Perhaps the miles traveled? The carbon footprint of taking a long train ride is still smaller than a shorter car ride. The carbon footprint of travel? Maybe? But not everyone has access to public transit! It’s easy to get lost in the legalistic interpretation. The basic premise is that rather than traveling around the world for a specific experience, see if there isn’t an experience nearby; to look around you to see what people travel to your area for. It’s about reducing travel, not forgoing it altogether. However, there are just some experiences and places that cannot be replicated. There are some people who can’t be replicated. Which brings me to my case for travel.

I tend to travel for two reasons, the first is to see the people that I know and love. If I happen to be able to check off some bucket list items on my visit all the better. Experiences are meant to be shared and it’s much more fun to reminiscence with the person you were there with rather than tell your tale once to a few semi-interested people and never share again. No one ever asks me about my semester in Germany and if they do they get a general “it was an amazing experience”. I have yet to have someone respond to that with “no tell me all about it!” In fact, we were coached to give a two minute synopsis of our time there because people weren’t going to want to hear it. Visiting people and having them join you on your adventures is always fun. It’s a chance to form stronger bonds and to see people in a new light.

I had known my “Uncle” Jay for years, but spending a few days in his house near Boston showed me a side of him I hadn’t seen before. I got to see all the different pieces of art he had made over the years from baskets to glasswork. I learned he is a rather amazing cook. Plus, he knew exactly what to show me and where to go in the area because as a local, he is quite intimate with the area, something Trip Advisor just can’t replicate. I did get to check some things off my bucket list, but my best memories will be of him.

The other reason is to see those things that just cannot be replicated. I want to see a geyser and other geothermal activity. I was excited to find a geyser in my home state and started making plans to go see it. Unfortunately, it’s not a result of geothermal activity and more a man-made oops. Needless to say, I stopped making plans. If I just want to see some water squirt up from the ground I can go see a sprinkler at any of my neighbor’s gardens. My only choice is to travel some distance to see it, but I tried to see it locally first.

Now my travel bucket list is a carefully curated list of items that I will be trying to travel for. This isn’t a list of “oh that sounds cool” or a list of “I could go see that”, no these are things that I have dreamed of seeing for years, have watched documentaries on, read books about, looked at pictures, things I really want to see and there just isn’t an acceptable substitution. If this sounds like you, then by all means save up and go!

Travel is meant to allow you to see and experience things you don’t in your everyday life. To interact with people who think differently, speak differently, act differently and live differently. Travel can expand your horizons. As we all know social media lies and documentaries can edit things almost as much. Going to a place allows you to see it with your own eyes. There is also elements of smell, touch and taste that cannot be transferred through a photo or with words.

Travel gets you out of your element and forces you to take some risks. This can boost your self-confidence, help you learn new skills and stretch you. When I was studying in Germany, I took it upon myself to travel to the different nearby countries figuring (rightly) it would be many years if ever I would get to see Europe again. However, being a poor college student it meant that I didn’t have money for a travel agent or fancy hotels. It meant booking hostels online, navigating to the budget airline and sometimes going places where I didn’t even know the language like France and Italy. I’ve taken that experience with me ever since, often rolling up my sleeves and thinking “well if I can get lost in Paris and still find my way back without speaking French and before smartphones were even invented, how hard can this be with google at my fingertips?”

One of my favorite stories is accidently getting lost in the Red Light District of Paris – fun times!

When traveling with my mother, she went off on a small excursion without me and ended up having a lovely time with a local booth owner because of her Spanish skills. She took a risk and was rewarded with special memories, great prices on her souvenirs and even got to pet a sloth! After that experience, I noticed her confidence about moving in the world had increased. Sometimes getting out of our comfort zone can help us learn just how capable we really are.

If you must travel, do so carefully and thoughtfully. When I went to visit a family friend in Vermont, I timed it to coincide with the total solar eclipse. I also scheduled a few days to see other parts of New England and visit the aforementioned Uncle Jay. When I see my boyfriend who lives in Michigan, he often will take me to various places in his state.

Took advantage of a trip to see my boyfriend to visit Lake Superior together

Are you having to travel a long distance by car? Check your route for cool things! Several years ago my boyfriend went to school in Arizona, he planned extra time for a road trip so he could see the many national parks along the way including arches. He had to make the trip anyway, but by being mindful, he was able to see his own bucket list items. Though he wouldn’t call it a bucket list.

Remember, travel was never the enemy, only our limited perspective on it being necessary to live a full life. So go ahead pack your bags, order that plan ticket and be off!