Destination Two

Destination Two: Santorini, Greece
June 29th, 2014

Okay folks gather round and buckle your seat belts because you're going to be in for a wild ride.

Santorini, Greece. Beautiful black sand beaches. Painted cobblestones. Bright blue doors. Vivid flowers. White washed buildings. Delicious sights and smells. And the views. Sprawling hills dotted with flowers and buildings. Swooping shore lines and sparkling water. Paradise, right?

That's what we thought too.

Don't get me wrong, Santorini is a beautiful place...but my family and I just happened to visit at exactly the wrong time.

The day started off well enough. We got there early, took a tender (small ferry) from our cruise boat to the shore, paid the 5 euro to take the cable car, and the adventure began. My family and I rented ATVs to get around the island for the day, a more preferred method of transportation compared to the crazy car driving in Italy.

Our first stop was to a beautiful black sand beach called Kamara Beach. I remember the individual sand grains feeling bigger than usual, so when stepping on them all it once, it rather felt like you were getting a foot massage and walking on hot coals at the same time. My sister and dad swam in the water, but the (basically) freezing (not really) (it was just really cold) temperatures kept my mom and I lounging on the beach, reading.

A warning: some beaches in Europe are nude beaches and if you don't want to accidentally see something you weren't planning on, be wary or at least look for signs.
Also: swim suits are much tighter and smaller in Europe. Just another heads-up.

Fortunately, those problems were the few we did not have to deal with that day.

My sister and dad also cliff jumped off a small mountain bordering the beach. I took pictures. The water was crystal clear and bluer than blueberries. The day was hot, but the slight cool breeze neutralized the heat nicely.

What could be better, right?

We packed up at the beach and decided to take a drive up the sinuous, curvy mountain road on our ATVs. The view was incredible. Clear, sparkling water kissing black sand beaches that sprawled back into a maze of cobbled buildings. The breeze was unusually strong up there; my sister could jump in the air and be suspended for a couple seconds before touching down again. My dada actually got pushed backwards from the wind. But that's normal for the top of a tall mountain right?

Wrong.

We decided to head back down the mountain, but the wind only persisted. Increasing flying specks of dust and pebbles that might have seemed insignificant laying on the side of the road, but hurt a whole lot, being flung into our eyes. Even through a layer of sunglasses, helmet, and windshield (Mom), the wind whipped around us fiercely. it pelted our legs and whipped the leaves into funnels.

 I looked to the side of the mountain as we were curving down the road in surprise to see what looked like entire clouds of brown smoke floating off the earth. Then I realized, that wasn't smoke, it was dust.

We quickly raced back to where the cable cars were, which of course, we soon found out, had been closed due to the dangerous 70 mile per hour winds.

Our options: wait who knows who long until the cable cars could start running again, OR trek our way down a long, steep cobblestone path (587 steps) in 70 mile per hour winds.

What did we do? We took the path.

After pausing in a nearby gift shop to suit up (scuba masks), we weaved our way through the crowed clumps of chaotic people under the clouded white sky to the top of the path. The sky seemed to have been erased of all its color, leaving behind only a thick white stew of clouds. I thought a black sky was eerie, but this was a different level of creepy.

And we headed down the mountain. Not more than once, people looked at us funny in the masks, but after they realized our eyes were finally free from the pelting sand and dust and now drizzling rain, they weren't the ones laughing.

We had some wonderful surprises on our way down. And by wonderful surprises I mean donkeys. And what comes with donkeys? Yes, their poo.

So there we were, navigating down a steep, stone road wearing flip flops and bathing suits, in 70 mile per hour winds, while the rain pelted us, dodging donkey bombs. And did I forget to mention the Camelback water bottle on my dad's back had suddenly broke? Because it did. And was leaking red liquid. Nice.

Finally, we reached the bottom of the slick slope. But was it over? Of course not! After waiting two hours for the tenders to start running again to get us and being pushed around in the crazed mob of people as desperate as we were, we finally boarded the tender, and we were on our way safely back.

So. That's the story of our crazy vacation. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Apparently we came right in time for a freak, once-in-a-blue-moon storm. So if you were thinking about coming to Santorini any time soon, book the flight! Just remember: come prepared with scuba masks.

the beach

flag of Greece

cliff jumping!

the view

crazy wind

the aftermath- what we had to hike down

                                                      By: Kelsey, Co-editor: Kate

How to Survive a 10+ Hour Airplane Flight

I hope you enjoy this infographic that I put together to help
you get through any airplane ride no matter how long or short.

Editor: Katelyn, Co-editor: Kelsey

City Appreciation Blog

Cities...

SO I was trying to find a good quote about the city for my Instagram picture's caption... couldn't be that hard, right? Just search "city quotes" and there will be thousands of choices at your fingertips.

Except, 55% of them were negative.

ex:

I have struck a city - a real city - and they call it Chicago... I urgently desire never to see it again. It is inhabited by savages.

Rudyard Kipling

Then again, most of them could have been from "ancient" historians who didn't believe in industrialism and lived in an era where most city businesses and governments were corrupt. And sure, cities can be menacing, frightening, lonely, cold, dark... but they are also so beautiful.

Each one has a new taste, a new flavor, if you will. Different cultures, languages, foods, smells, people... Cities are really just like you and me. Always renovating, shedding layers, building additions. Each one leaves a special mark, special memories on you.

Until you've visited them all, I really don't think it's valid to say that all cities in general are bad. Cities are fresh starts but not for the weak of heart. They'll build up, they'll tear down. But in the end, they become bigger and better because of it.

Cities are beautiful in a strong, resilient way. The architecture, the history has all survived. Even if in ruins, cities make me stop and wonder about all the other lives coming to and fro and going and coming and leaving and staying and lost and remembered and forgotten. An intricate pattern of lives twined together within the structures of a city, and I could be part of it for a few days. How cool is that?

Anyway, rant over. Just, next time you run into the city? Give it another chance, a second glance. Who knows what stories and memories could be down the next alley.

Just a few of the beautiful cities we've been to.
Kelsey, co-editor: Kate

Travel Preparation: Dos and Don'ts

Like everything, there are important dos and don’ts when it comes to packing. Although we can’t avoid the dreaded topic, we can make it easier for you with these 11 dos and don’ts.

DO:

Make a packing list.

Making a packing list is great because you can check off what you have packed as you go so you don’t get to Australia and realize that you only packed one pair of socks, not very helpful when you have to walk a lot.  I like to make two packing lists to make it more organized, one for things going in luggage and one for the last minute list of things that I like to pack the morning before leaving. There are many templates online that you can just print off. There are even some that are specialized for the beach or international travel.

DON’T:

Wait until the last minute.

This one is pretty much a no brainer but it is the trap that most of us fall into. Not only is it extremely stressful but you are more likely to forget to pack something important. There are some things that you should leave until the morning of such as: your phone, wallet/purse, glasses, snacks/ drinks, makeup, etc.

DO:

Check airline requirements online for carry-ons and luggage.

The last thing that you want to do is not be able to take your clothes with you on your two month trip to Italy because your bag is too large. You should also check the weight requirements for your checked bags or else you will have to take clothes out to bring down how much it weighs.

DON’T:

Pack a lot of jewelry.

Three words: Bring bare minimum. Ladies, I know we are all attached to our favorite earrings or necklace but don’t pack them. Your super special expensive ones will get lost in the midst of the packing, travel, and unpacking. Also, it will take up a lot more space if you include a jewelry bag. Trust me; you will not need as much as you think.

DO:

Make sure you meet the requirements for liquids in your carry-on.

My cousin once had to throw away a full 8 ounce perfume bottle because it didn’t meet the 3.4 ounces (100ml) requirement. All liquids must be in containers of 3.4 ounces (100ml) or less and in a clear plastic bag when going through security. Before leaving the house for the airport, place your clear plastic bag of liquids in the top zipper/pocket in your carry-on. This way it is really easy to go through security and you don’t have to go digging through your bag in front of everybody.

DON’T:

 Over pack.

This is very easy to do but space fills up fast in a little bag of luggage. If you pack neutral colors that look well together, you can mix and match to create new outfits with the same clothes. It’s a good idea to bring simple clothes that can be dressed up or interchanged easily.

DO:

Check the weather

You should check the weather a few days before your trip. You should know whether you need to bring a heavy coat and snow pants, shorts and a T-shirt, or a rain jacket with rain boots. You can’t control the weather but you can control what you pack. If you have a few days surrounding your vacation, try and plan your trip on the days with the best weather. The weather might change and it’s not the most accurate but you can try your best to pack what you might need.

DON’T:

 Wait to leave for the airport last minute

You should anticipate traffic on your way there so build in some time just in case you end up crawling at 8 mph. You also might run into some trouble finding where you are supposed to go and get lost so you will be safe if you add some. A flight change could happen too. We usually leave about 2 hours before our flight, but international, sometimes three.

DO:

 Bring a charger adapter if you’re going to a different country

Believe it or not, in different countries they use different outlets and volts/ wattage so you should bring a power converter if you want to be able to charge your phone. You can buy these at Walmart. If you try to plug in your normal charger, you could fry your electronic device.

DON’T:

Don’t bring clothes that wrinkle easy.

You don’t want to look bad in all of your pictures so you shouldn’t bring clothes that will wrinkle in 5 seconds. If you absolutely have to, pack them very carefully. It helps if you roll them or avoid folding them a lot.

DO:

Charge all electronics often.

My sister, Kelsey, forgot to charge her nice camera all the way when we were going to Mount Etna so before we even arrived, her camera died. Luckily we still had my camera as a backup but you might not have an extra camera so make sure it is fully charged!

DON'T FORGET:

Tie a ribbon or something eye-catching to your suitcase that you're checking so it is easy to find in baggage claim. 

        The little K tag on the right side has contact information in case it gets lost

           BTW we take the neck pillow off later, we are just carrying it that way

                                                    

In all: plan, and prepare accordingly. Hope you enjoyed our list and if you have any that you think we should add, write them in the comments below!

                                                               -Katelyn, co-editor: Kelsey

Destination One

Destination One: Messina, Sicily
May 24th, 2014

view from the car rental

Warnings if you are on your first trip to Italy:
#1- Most Italians are, to put it simply, CRAZY drivers. (ex: run red lights, pass on turns, double park, etc., etc...) If you rent a car as we did, it would be advised to pick your most aggressive, experienced driver to (wo)man the car. And if you want to rent cheap to cut expenses, you will most likely be offered a car that has a stick shift. And manual roll-down windows. And is fun-sized. Crazy stuff. Beware.
#2- Italian backroads are more like sidewalks. By sidewalks, I mean two-way, bumpy streets that should really be one-way streets.
A small example of just how crazy it can get:
My father, our most experienced, aggressive driver, was manning the car. We were heading to the Teatro Greco, an ancient Greek amphitheater where many movies have been filmed and plays been performed. Fortunately and unfortunately, the road it is located on is pedestrian only. Which means when your father navigates the car through double-parkers and traffic to the front of a dead end pedestrian road, you are forced down a side alley. Turns out, not the road we wanted= dad being forced to make not a 3 or 5 point turn, but more like an 18 point turn in a narrow alley, with a stick shift, on a hill, with an annoyed Italian behind us. I think "crazy Americano" had to have muttered more than once along with weird looks. So, in short, be prepared.
#3- Speed limits are posted in kilometers. Not a surprise if you're from anywhere but the US. But, being an American, I was shocked and slightly worried to see the "130 km/hr" sign flash by the first time. (130 km/hr = roughly 81 mi/hr... so, still pretty fast)
And if those warnings have left you too timid to brave the streets yourself, no worries: there are many taxis available.

Once you have acquired your mode of transportation, you can commence with the adventure!
Recommended stops: (aka where we went)
#1- Mount Etna (a volcano, last eruption: Dec. 3, 2015)

A brief description from my journal: GORGEOUS! There were mountains upon mountains of glittering volcanic rock and vivid, green pine trees. We hiked up pretty high and the view of the rolling green carpet that contrasted against the jagged volcanic rock was incredible. There was wave after wave of rolling fog, making it seem like a new undiscovered sight was looming around every corner.

(If you are super in-shape, ignore this warning. If you are not, like me: you will probably get winded very fast)
10/10 would recommend. And soon, before it erupts again. (Ha-ha just kidding. Sort of)

#2- Teatro Greco (ancient Greek amphitheater)
Another brief description: The amphitheater was large and previously had mosaic tiling as a floor, but was recently renovated with wood. White plastic benches were put on top of eroded stone steps in certain areas. There were two stone arches at the front edge and a crumbling hole that cloudy Mount Etna could be clearly glimpsed through. The view from the top of the amphitheater was incredible looking down at the proud stones and shimmering port backdrop and Mount Etna peeking through, all surrounded by stone terraced benches.
Tip: There is an amazing cannoli place down the street from the theater. Best my mom said she's ever tasted. If you visit Italy, you gotta eat at least one cannoli.

Sicily overall:
Amazing. Enchanting. A crazy-driving adventure. Old. Vintage,  Colorful. Cramped apartments. Overflowing flowerboxes. Spanish-tiled roofs. Tiny cars. Vespas. Fast. Gorgeous, rolling landscape. Antiquely welded, metal window designs. Very picturesque. Tiled and bumpy streets. Orange and lemon and palm trees... We are in love with Sicily.

-Kelsey, co-editor: Kate

Welcome to our blog! Here we will be documenting all our travels, journeys, adventures, and explorations. Enjoy!