The Amazing Race

It was an average Thursday, and I was sitting listening to my professor lecture on the outbreak of World War I. In that moment the last thing I ever had expected was that I would be spending my weekend flying to Vienna to buy a cake and be back in class on Monday morning.

My professor, notorious for giving the most challenging exams with the fewest high marks, had a reputation as a fun but incredibly intense professor. Going into the class you knew that there was little to no extra credit available, you had to work hard for your marks and if you faltered even slightly so would your GPA. Hence, when he decided to make the bold statement that if any student in our class went to Vienna, the capital of the former Austro-Hungrarian empire, for the weekend and could prove it to him they would get an automatic A on the final. Hands instantly shot up and several students began to ask him the seriousness & parameters of this offer. The moment I heard him say he was deadly serious, the cogs in my mind which had been barely turning began to race wildly. This was it, this was the break I had been hoping for, all I had to do was make it to Vienna and back without missing any classes.

The minute class was dismissed I rushed outside and called my mum to hatch out a plan. The best way to get to Vienna and back by Monday morning was to fly via London Heathrow and luckily for me the flights were wide open.

My flight was scheduled to leave Houston on Friday evening so as soon as I got out of class at 11:00 in the morning on Friday I drove straight to Houston to catch the first flight to London Heathrow. Having landed at Heathrow early Saturday morning I caught one of the first flights to Vienna and landed with 6 hours to burn before my flight was due to leave that night.

I had arranged for an old family friend to meet me at the airport and give me a whirlwind tour of the beautiful historical city. I had decided that I would bring my professor a Sacher Torte so the first stop on our route was the Hotel Sacher. The Sacher Torte is a famous chocolate cake with a thin apricot glaze and rich chocolate icing. Arguably the most famous cake in the world, the recipe was created in the early 1800's and is still a well kept secret of the hotel in which it was created.

My friend dropped me off at the front entrance to the hotel and I rushed around the corner to the entrance of Cafe Sacher to buy my cake. The cakes were beautifully packaged in little wooden boxes wrapped in paper and I actually bought four in the end so I would have one for my professor, one for my parents, one for myself and one for the friend driving me. Cakes carefully packed away, I was back in the car in the blink of an eye and we drove through Vienna snapping pictures of the various monuments out of my window.

Vienna was swarming with people and driving through the city we were often caught behind tourists being driven along in horse and carriage. The history in Vienna is so rich you can feel it.  Looking upon the various statues of Franz Josef I along with the historic buildings, the magnitude of importance the city holds is strikingly apparent. The heir to the throne of this nation, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated in Sarajevo. A man was shot, and this one shot sparked a war which resulted in over 37 million casualties. A nation strife with one of the worst wars the world had ever seen, it is hard to imagine how many of these stunning historic monuments survived, and yet here they are standing strong, a true credit to the strength of the Austrian population.

We made it back to the airport just in time, and I left this beautiful city desperate to have experienced it more. With no doubt in my mind that I would one day return with a decent amount of time allotted to experience the city, I boarded my flight back to London where I would leave the next morning to head back to Houston, so I could drive back to Austin in time for class Monday morning.

Back on campus, armed with a bag stuffed with a Sacher Torte, boarding cards, receipts, and pictures, I found my self shaking as I walked towards my professor's office. Arriving outside his door I steadied my breath and knocked on the door. It was still the beginning of the semester, and my professor, who clearly did not know my name, invited me in, totally oblivious as to why I was there baring a bundle of stuff. I could feel my facing flush bright red as I told him I had just arrived back from Vienna and had brought him a cake. He had been looking at some papers on his desk and he slowly lifted his eyes to meet mine and said, "Excuse me?"

"Well you said in class that if anyone went to Vienna for the weekend and could prove it they would get an automatic A on the final." I responded.  

This man, my professor, whom I had never known to be at a loss for words was literally speechless. He just stared at me quizzically and finally said, "What's your name again." 

"Phoebe, uh, Phoebe Cooper" I told him nervously.  

"Right, sorry Phoebe, and you just went to Vienna this past weekend?" 

"Yes, well you said you were serious, so I brought you a Sacher Torte and some photos of some of the monuments I saw." I responded as I passed him the bag of goodies. "I placed my boarding cards and some receipts in here for you as well."

 My professor took the bag and flipped through some of the photos before placing them all down on his desk. Looking up at me with a smile on his face totally at a loss for words he said, "Thank you, I" and just stood there for what felt like an eternity in silence. By this point I was bright red and holding my hands behind my back to try to mask how much I was shaking. Heart pounding in my chest so loudly I felt he must be able to hear it I stood looking at him waiting for his response.

"I can't technically give you an automatic A on the final," he finally stated, "it is against regulations. I know what I said but I didn't expect, anyway, don't worry, I will definitely see you get credit for this, I just need a few days to think about it."

 Now I was the one who was speechless.

"Thank you for the cake Phoebe, let's discuss this further after class tomorrow."  

Finally finding my voice, I replied, "I understand, sounds good to me, see you tomorrow professor." 

Walking out of the door I finally found my breath and walking away the mix of nerves and adrenaline that had been rushing through my body slowly began to mellow. I swiftly called my mum and told her all about it. Extra credit or not, it had been the most fabulous adventure and I was so thrilled I had the means to accomplish it. My professor, never forgot my name, and his class quickly became one of my favorites. In the end, although I did get some extra credit points for my trip I didn't need them after all as I became so enamored by the material that I aced the class anyway.

Going on Holiday? Don't Break the Bank!

I was recently asked how I am able to afford all of my travels and who I travel with when I go. My first ever blog post, Addicted to Travel, tells why I travel and the basis for how I travel but travelling is not cheap (even when your mum works for an airline.) This is why my travel addiction has made me a fabulous bargain hunter, a penny pincher, and a logistics guru.

I would like to start by pointing out that most of my posts are from trips I have taken over the past few years. I am not bouncing around the world at the moment. Several of my blogs were written on the day they occurred but many are pulled from past experiences. In the last 5 years alone I took 26 international trips and spent over 300 days outside of the US. This averages 5 international trips a year plus numerous domestic adventures to keep me sated in between. 

I work hard while I am at home to save money for my next adventure. My mum works for an airline so most of my travels are on a standby basis which definitely helps to keep the cost down (though I do buy a lot of my tickets). However, travelling isn’t all free once you pay for your airfare. You have to figure out transportation, accommodation, entertainment, sustenance and it all adds up very quickly! Therefore I hope you find this guide to not breaking the bank for a holiday useful.

1. Buy the Expensive Tickets with Miles!

The key is buying the cheapest route out there. However, when the cost of the flights are significantly higher than you had expected, consider buying your tickets with miles! Miles are gold, (I mention this in my Guide to Happy Air Travel, and it really is true!) any good credit cards offers that include air miles I go for. Many credit card companies will offer you 40,000 miles for signing up. Use the card to meet the minimum requirement for something you would have bought anyway on a different card, pay it off and after a year you can cancel the card and keep the miles. (Just be careful you don't end up in debt because of the card!)

2. Thou Shalt Not Travel on a Weekend! 

This is basic supply & demand. Everyone wants to travel on the weekends, and few people travel on weekdays resulting in the cost of travel skyrocketing every weekend. If you are able to plan your trip so you leave and return on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or even a Thursday. This will not only cut your travel cost but could bring down the price of the hotels as well! (If you are travelling on weekdays stay at a hotel targeted at tourists and if you are travelling at the weekend stay at a hotel targeted towards business travelers to save the most money.)

3. Be on the Polar Side of Peak Season

Queue for Sugarloaf Mountain

Do your research and find out what are the peak tourism times for your desired destination. Then, do yourself a favor and be sure to book your holiday either during the off season or at the very least at the very beginning or end of their peak season. This will dramatically lower the cost of airfare, hotels, rental cars, and in some cases even entry fees to tourist attractions.

4. Be Open to Different Routes

Occasionally, I have found it to be significantly less expensive to take a bus or train to a different city to catch a flight. These days you can find tickets for $20-$60 for a bus ride across a continent. Flights expensive out of London? Take a bus to Amsterdam or Paris and catch a flight from there. San Francisco fully booked? Fly into San Jose and take the trains in to San Fran.

5. Be Flexible with When You Travel

In our incredibly busy lives it can be hard to be flexible with our travel days, but if you can find the flexibility it can be incredibly beneficial to your wallet. Get a general idea of when you want to take your trip, and look for the least expensive flights out and back close to that time. Doing so can easily save you enough money to cover the cost of your food or maybe even your rental car or hotel for the trip.

6. If At All Possible, Stay with Friends or Family.

I am sure this goes without saying, but go somewhere with people you know! I am fortunate in that I used to compete internationally for my athletics and therefore I know people in various places around the world. Just don’t be shy, a long lost cousin, an old friend from high school, reach out to them. It doesn’t hurt to ask and even if it is just for one night, that is money saved and hopefully a good time had with a piece of your past.

7. Pick Your Hotel Based on the Guest Rating Not the Number of Stars.

It is so easy to get caught up in wanting to stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel that you don’t even look at hotels without stars. I have stayed in countless boutique hotels with fabulous reviews on trip advisor that were incredibly inexpensive because they weren’t part of a chain that had been officially rated. There are some charming Bed & Breakfasts and Hostels with great rates and fabulous reviews that you may otherwise never find if you don’t shop around and do your research.  

8. Don't Eat Out Every Meal.

Yes, you are travelling which usually means lots of eating out but even if you don’t have access to a kitchen go to a market and buy some fresh fruit or tasty fixings for a yummy sandwich. You will save a ton of money while ending up just as full on a meal that was probably better for you in the long run anyway.

9. Buy What the Locals Buy. 

Sometimes when I travel, I catch myself being naughty and contemplating spending that little bit extra for some comfort food from home. Every little bit adds up and spending the extra $3 here and there on food you are familiar with not only takes away from your cultural experience in the country, but adds up quickly to a large sum of money wasted.

10. Take Advantage of Public Transportation 

If you don’t want to rent a car or can’t find one at a good rate, then don’t be afraid to make use of the public modes of transportation. It not only adds to the excitement of the adventure but it enables you to experience more of the culture, see more of the country, and save tons of money. 

11. Be aware of your surroundings

The last thing you need is to have saved loads of money with your thrifty travel skills and then get pick-pocketed on the bus or have your purse taken by someone hopping off the subway. Be aware of your surroundings! Likelihood is that you look like a tourist and that instantly makes you a target.

 

12. Travel with a Companion

I am definitely one for recruiting a co-pilot for my adventures. Most of my trips were escapes with friends, fabulous father-daughter getaways, adventures with a significant other or mother-daughter trips. When you travel with someone, you not only have a welcome compadre but you are able to split the cost of hotel rooms and rental cars or taxis saving you both a considerable amount of money.

My love of travel is an expensive addiction and I hope these tips help you as much as they help me. There are just under 200 countries in the world and I want to see every one of them. Well aware of the sheer magnitude of this dream not just due to political controversies but logistically & financially as well, I do not expect to be able to accomplish this. However, I do not doubt that I will get pretty darned close!

Buddhas of Bangkok

Gold.
Eyes glimmer.
Souls glow like lightning bugs.
Drawn in.

Fascination.
Temples of lore.
Built for Buddhist meditation.
Stand tall.

Enlightenment.
Buddha poses.
Fingers and toes all the same.
Inspire all.

Joy.
Smiling faces.
Population with hearts of gold.
Welcoming arms.

Bangkok has so much to offer it can be very challenging to see it all, especially if you are on a tight schedule. While in Bangkok, I only had a very short time in the city to explore so I had to get particular and determine the 3 most important places to visit. As I am fascinated by other cultures and religions I felt it only fitting to spend my time visiting three temples that really stand out, not just historically but archaeologically, as the most important Buddhist temples in Bangkok: Wat Arun, Wat Phra Kaew, & Wat Pho.

The artistry, time, money, and detail put into these three temples is out of this world, so instead of spending all night trying to describe them to you I have decided to simply share my photographs of the statues and buildings that have embedded these temples into my mind for eternity.

Cowboy Boots & Barbecue

In search of BBQ so good it melts in your mouth right off the bone? Just outside Austin, in Driftwood Texas, sits a legendary restaurant with the best barbecue in the South. The Salt Lick, a Texas treasure, and the trip out there is worth every single mouth watering bite. This cash only establishment has an incredibly laid back vibe, requiring customers to bring their own beer & wine or wander over to the Salt Lick Cellar to purchase a few bottles of the home brew.

Visiting Austin over the weekend for a wedding, we met the wedding party at the Salt Lick for some pre-wedding festivities. Prepared with Smith & Forge Hard Cider for me & an ale selection of Hijack & White Rabbit for my handsome guy we were prepared for a long evening of live music, tasty beverages, fabulous company, and good Southern barbecue.

Salt Lick BBQ is so good that you will rarely not have to wait. The parking lot shuttle was busy ferrying people in from their cars when we arrived at a quarter to four and by the time we wandered up to the check-in station at 5 there were enough people to fill almost every seat (if not every one) and by 20 minutes past there was at least a 45 minute wait. However, other than the sumptuous smell of BBQ wafting through the air torturing your taste buds' imagination it is an incredibly pleasant wait as you are provided with an exciting live musical performance along with the option of purchasing freshly squeezed lemonade & hot buttery popcorn at an incredibly reasonable price. 

Once you finally make it inside, you are presented with a menu that is 100% unnecessary as there is absolutely zero question as to what should be ordered.  For $20 a person you can order family style and get bottomless meat and sides including ordering a full plate at the end which you can take home with you. Now the ribs are good but the sausage and the brisket are to die for, and once combined with the Salt Lick's unique barbecue sauce, one becomes gluttonous very easily and you find yourself struggling to stop eating before you have eaten too much. Despite wanting to stuff yourself silly with barbecue, it is definitely necessary to save room for desert. The blackberry and peach cobblers are divine but the true treat is the homemade pecan pie. The Salt Lick's pecan pie is so good that it will redefine your definition of what a good pecan pie should taste like. 

Whether out with friends, on a date, or having a family reunion the Salt Lick is the place to go. Yes, there is a location in the Austin airport and yes there is a location in Round Rock but find the time and make the effort to drive the 20 odd miles outside of Austin to experience this real taste of the South.

The Little Things in Life

Sometimes people forget how important it is to take a moment to enjoy the little things in life. In this day and age, people are so busy with their noses buried in technology that they rarely take a moment to take their eyes off a screen to observe the beauty of the world they live in. It is amazing what you will see if you just take a moment to sit back and watch the world live and breathe around you. One of the things I find so inspiring about photography is you can capture that moment which may have otherwise gone unnoticed to share with the world. I hope you enjoy this set of photographs from around the world of beautiful things that caught my eye.