Attack of the Aussie!....

Thus far I've rambled about both love and sex. But what do you do when someone you're not interested in falls in love with YOU while you're traveling? Unfortunately I have experienced just that. Once. In Belgium...... It must have been all of the beer, chocolate, and waffles. Whilst on a train from Amsterdam to Brugge (yes, I said whilst), I met these 2 attractive Aussies who were poor, lonely backpackers too. We all had an instant bond. They were a ton of fun to be around, duh, and they loved beer, so we became instant buddies.... or so I thought. When we arrived in Brugge they invited me to crash with them at the hostel they were staying at, which is totally Kosher since most backpackers are good natured people who like helping their fellow globe trotters out. The hostel was awesome, called the Bauhaus (look it up if you're going to Brugge. It's voted one of Europe's top 10 hostels). We spent the day exploring the Gothic style canal town out, and the night drinking damn good beer. By midnight we were all a wee bit inebriated. The tall one with the mullet started giving me the puppy dog eyes, which is an immediate sign of danger. Now I'm not usually one to beat around the bush, so I called him out on it. He then proceeded to pour his heart out, saying he had fallen in love and wanted me to move to London with him. Apparently I was the kind of girl he'd hoped to find while on his journey of self discovery (silly man). I wasn't attracted to him or interested to say the least. First, he had a mullet. I don;t care what country you call home. Mullets are NEVER stylish or sexy. Only sport one if you want to repel woman. Second, we had literally known each other for 12 hours. I definitely don't want someone who is that desperate. We can all really, really, really want to fine The One, but begging like a dog for a bone is not the way to do it. Needless to say I was horrified. He had a mullet!! I let him down gently (or as gently as I am capable of), grabbed my shit, and got the hell out of there. Last thing I needed was someone I had absolutely no interest in stuck to my hip. Of course with my luck, 2 days later they were on the same train to Brussels I was on. Talk about embarrassing. Welp, I guess that's just how it goes sometimes. Can't bag the person you want, and you can't shake the one you don't.

Cheers,
Danni

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To Sex or not to Sex......

So let's be real for a minute. When traveling (whether alone or accompanied) there's always the possibility for overseas, foreign, hot hook up's. And hell yeah! Why should a little sexual promiscuity be limited to Vegas? If exploring the realm of sexual openness is something that has crossed your mind, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, safety. I know that sounds boring and cliché, but it's definitely important. And I'm not just referring to our good ol' latex wingman. The type of people you meet will vary greatly on where you meet them. The only overseas hookup I was frisky enough to have was actually with an fellow Yankee in Peru. We met at our hostel in Lima, Peru, and we ended traveling around together for the rest of our trips. Knowing that other people were traveling with us and that they knew where we met meant that is something God awful happened, someone would know who I was with. Whether you meet people in hostels, bars, on a train, in jail, or wherever, you always want to be aware of your surroundings. And keep in mind, if a super hot French guy woos you with that accent and charm, you are probably not the first, nor will you be the last, girl they pick up on. But don't fret! There's is nothing wrong with having a good foreign romp!! When in Rome! Just make sure you always have a stock of those latex wingmen I mentioned earlier, and if you're not against it, a couple of Plan B pills (for you lady travelers). Also, before you engage in, you know, the whole engaging thing, make sure you have determined whether you're looking for just a hookup or something more. If the latter of those options is the case, invest a little more time in exploring your options before doing the horizontal tango. The last thing you want is to go on an expedition of self-discovery after a painful breakup just to end up getting hurt again. Screw that shit (pardon my German). Remember. You're way to awesome to feel anything less than awesome about yourself.
If hooking up is totally not your bag baby, then own it and stay true to your convictions. That is more admirable and respectful than doing something that would diminish your personal integrity. Either way. Get it giiiiirl.

Cheers,
Danni

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Give a traveler an extra penny....

So it occurred to me yesterday while booking last minute flights to Boston and Philly that most people, experienced travelers and newbies alike, probably have no effing idea how to search for really good deals on airfare. Hell, why spend $1000 to get somewhere when you could switch up your search and save a few hundred bucks? That's more doe for food and wine (always priorities of mine). And since most of my skipping town adventures have literally been same day spontaneity, I have become somewhat of a badass at finding super last minute flights out of the country that don't require my first born son as part of the payment. Por ejemplo, when I left for Guatemala it was because I'd had a bad day. That morning was like any other morning. I went for a run, hung out with some friends, and dreaded my bar shift that coming night. Unfortunately my day rapidly went downhill, and instead of going out and drinking my face off, I decided to leave the country for a minute. When leaving super spontaneously, I don't usually have a particular country in mind. My goal is to find the cheapest ticket that in leaving ASAP. When using this approach, there are a ton of factors to keep in mind if you're looking for a good deal. Season, airport locations, hemisphere, and currency value of a country will play a drastic role in the cost of your ticket. When I sat down at my trusty old school MacBook, I decided to look up countries where peak travel season was over but where the weather wouldn't be too shitty. Indonesia, Morocco, and Guatemala all fit the profile (and they are all places on my bucket list). I spent about 2 hours comparing sites, trying different airports, looking at one way fares, researching local airlines for hopper flights, and combinations of the like. People usually forget there are smaller local airlines within countries or continents that can get you to where you need to go for much cheaper. By looking at these airlines, I was able to get to Guatemala and back, completely last minute (and I mean LAST minute. I bought a ticket for a flight that left SFO 3 hours later. I almost missed it!) for around $400 total. I took an AeroMexico flight to Mexico City, and transferred to a Central and South American airline called Lan to get to Guatemala City. If I had stayed on AeroMexico the flight would've been closer to $800. Fu%k that. You can find these types of smaller airlines all over the world, Easy Jet and Ryan Air in Europe. Always expand your flight search to include multiple airports, as some places are just cheaper to fly into. Gatwick is cheaper than Heathrow. Frankfurt is cheaper than Paris or Berlin, San Fransisco is cheaper than Sacramento, so on and so forth. Do your research. Trust me, it's well worth it. Wouldn't YOU rather spend more money on food and booze than an overpriced flight? Yeah, I thought so:)

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Cheers,
Danni

KY Anyone?...

Now I realize not everyone wants to travel overseas, and that many people are traveling from other countries to the good ol' U.S. of A. If that's the case, then I have to tell you a hidden gem of a state to visit is...... wait for it...... KENTUCKY!!! Yes, I'm slightly biased since I live in the big KY now, but the bluegrass state really does have a ton of good shiznit to offer. Bourbon, of course, is reason enough to come visit. Something like 98% of all bourbon comes from Kentucky (and any whiskey is good whiskey). There are over 200 different bourbon makers, so you'll never be in want of some good brown booze. Exploring the Bourbon Trail is the kind of fun you can only find in Kentucky. Just make sure you have a DD. Most of the distilleries are out in the country and bourbon and winding countries roads are not very fond of each other.

Bourbon isn't all Kentucky has exclusive bragging rights to. The Kentucky Derby is an event unlike anything you've ever been lucky enough to experience. The 2 week long Derby Festival in Louisville brings over a million outtatowners to the home of the UofL Cards. Horse racing novices and wealthy high rollers alike descend on Kentucky like heartbroken chicks on red wine and chocolate. Although the official derby only lasts for one day, the never ending party leading up to it is like the Mardi Gras of the northern south. I say it should be on everyones bucket list to rage in Louisville for the derby at least once in their life.


If booze and partying like southern rockstars isn't your bag, you can always head a little south to see Nashville.... But those stories will have to wait for another blog post:)

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Cheers!
Danni

Cinque Terre? Hell yeah!...

So one of the greatest parts about traveling with no plan is the ability to up and leave one awesome place for another at the drop of a dime. And more often than not travelers learn of a badass spot to check out from other badass travelers. This is how I discovered the Cinque Terre in the Italian Riviera. Five small Mediterranean coastal towns overlooking the crystal clear blue sea. If you take the train to the farthest northern town of Monterosso you can hike through the vineyards and olive groves down the coast from town to town (even though I was 20 pounds heavier by that time, I savaged up and did the whole 8 hour hike). Each town, with the multi-colored plastered buildings and pizzerias, had something new and exciting to offer. From amazing local wine, gelaterias, incredible views (very romantic for those of you unfortunate souls with significant others:), and of course pasta and seafood, this hidden gem is a must if you're schlepping through Italy. Known best for locally produced olive oil and wine, the villages of the Cinque Terre are built up the cliff side and have maintained their olive groves in stone for close to 1000 years. HOW they have accomplished this blows my mind. I can't even get a Chia Pet to survive, let alone grown some grape vines in rock (although that would be awesome! I'd make my own terrible wine and save myself A LOT of money).

It is expensive to stay in one of the towns, especially during peak season, but there are plenty of small towns surrounding the area to stay in while you enjoy the good stuff. I stayed at this awesome hostel in Marina di Massa, about 45 minutes away from the Cinque Terre. If you're looking for a cheap place to stay, check out the Ostello Apuano. Old Italian villa right on the water. It's fuc&ing awesome. I guess it used to belong to a really wealthy Jewish family pre WWII, but it was confiscated by the Italian government. The history of the hostel is interesting enough to want to stay there, so make it happen.

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Cheers!

Danni

So many clothes, so little space...

Being a chic and traveling out of just a backpack poses one major problem: what the hell to pack. Now,  if you ladies are anything like yours truly, you tend to pack everything we own, and then some, when going on vacation. And rightfully so!! You never know what random event might pop up where you'll need a vintage ball gown and 12 pairs of shoes. Unfortunately when you're hopping around carrying everything you own on your back, you are forced to make some sacrifices when packing your junk (sorry girls). That being said, here's my recommended packing list:

2 pairs of jeans
2 pairs of shorts
5 pair of chonies/poichees/undies/or whatever you call your underwear
Socks (if you're traveling over the winter months, bring a pair of warm wool socks)
5 shirts total; a combination of long sleeve, t-shirt, tanks, thermals, unitards, or the like
A warm sweatshirt or fleece
A swim suit (God forbid you end up in the Italian Riviera with nothing to frolic in)
A good pair of walking/ hiking shoes. Make sure they're really comfortable, and preferably waterproof.
A good pair of sandals/flip flops/hiking sandals
A travel towel. Try R.E.I. They have towels that you can ring out dry and folds into a tiny ball so it doesn't take up too much space.
The essential toiletries. Travel sized when possible. Remember you can always restock as you go.
For the ladies, if you want to bring makeup (we still want to look pretty) make sure you limit it to the bare minimum. I brought a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen to limit how much I was bring. Killing 3 birds with one stone is a massive accomplishment. Mascara, chap stick, and 1 lip stain, preferably one you can double as some cheek color stuff. Screw eyeshadow. Au natural is the way to go.

If you are a wee bit uncomfortable with packing the bare bones, you can always use space saver bags that you can roll the air out of. Totally a life saver, especially if you end up impulsively buying clothes as you go (not that I've done it. I'm just saying:)

If you've traveled and have any suggestions on what to pack, feel free to comment. Any helpful advice is graciously welcomed.

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Cheers!

Danni

Oh, how I love bread...

So I'm going to be honest. During my first extended backpacking trip, I gained a little chunk of weight. And by little chunk, I mean 24 pounds. I know what you're thinking: "Aren't you walking everywhere and being active and whatnot? What were you stuffing your face with?!" Bread. A whole lot of bread. And Nutella (gods gift to mankind, in my humble opinion). When you're on a budget it is easy to eat what is cheap and readily available. Not too mention absolutely delicious. Bread, cheese, pastry, beer, wine, more bread, café. It's all delicious and cheap. But don't be fooled!! No amount of walking, hiking, and running after missed trains will prepare your body for such a huge transition from your normal diet. Especially if you're not actually eating enough. Trust me when I say I was horrified by the looks on my best friends faces when they picked my up from the San Francisco airport after my trip. They thought I was going to be behind the chubby Euro'd out chic who was walking towards them. If you really want to avoid gaining weight (a problem that really only occurred in Europe), make sure you're balancing out your diet. I wasn't eating enough protein, so my body latched onto every last carb I ate like a nursing baby to a tit. Grossly enough, my hair was falling out in chunks. Look for hostels that offer breakfast or at least have a kitchen, and consume something easy to make like eggs, pasta with some sort of meat, sandwiched with cheap sliced deli meat, ect. It is easy to get sucked into eating, bread, cheese, and salami everywhere you go, but that combination doesn't provide jack sheezy for nutrition. Try and even out the deliciously fatty stuff with with things that are easy to carry with you, like protein bars. And budget your trip so you can treat yourself a couple times a week to an actual meal. There are always really great hole in the wall restaurants that have an amazing menu with complete meals for every budget. But hey! Gaining a few pounds is totally worth it. It is all just part of the experience and trust me, you'll shed the pounds in a matter of a couple weeks once you get home.

Cheers!
Danni

                                  Skinny faced Danni in Paris at the beginning of my first trip

                                              Fat faced Danni in Spain at the end. Whoa!!

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