Where Oh Where Should I Go?

Italy?

France?

Or maybe...England?

You decide! VOTE!

{via ffffound!}

Blog Find: Anywhere—A Travel Guide on Cool Hunting

For my upcoming Adventure I have been researching different places and things to do. I have also been looking at different travel books and travel blogs. I came across a blog entry about a travel book "Anywhere - A Travel Guide". Interesting concept....

"For the culmination of her masters in Experience Design, Magda Lipka Falck decided to examine travel books. "Anywhere—A Travel Guide" represents Falck's belief that, 'There are many different types of travel. Sometimes they carry us right across the globe, sometimes into space and sometimes just around the block. Sometimes there is a journey going on inside us,' she says.

"Falck's whimsical take on the form, reads zesty and vibrant. Free of acknowledging any specific place she has 'created a travel guide that is situated somewhere in the middle.' Featuring a range of inspiring journey accounts—from diverse travelers to photographs of places, people and experiences—there's plenty of stimuli to get you up and about.

"Yet perhaps the pages of travel tips, the real flesh of this unusual travel guide, which sets it in context. Applicable for all types of travel, Falck doles out creative advice like 'Imagine a song you haven't heard in a long time. Move your body with the music. Turn right when the song ends.' Or, 'Ask a stranger which is their favorite street. Go there.'

" 'It's a travel guide that will hopefully lead you to places you have never seen before—though you may visit them every day. A place you have forgotten, a place you have never searched for or a place that does not exist,' continues Falck. In addition to the book, she made a set of small cards with concise advice for the budding traveler."


See the full blog entry at Anywhere—A Travel Guide on Cool Hunting

So, Travel Planners, what is your favorite street where you live? Where should I go in your hometown?

Looking Back - Reflecting on Past Journeys - Vietnam

Following is an excerpt from a journal entry I made while visiting Vietnam a few years ago. Although my initial thoughts and experiences have had time to settle in and my perceptions have changed a bit, Vietnam was and is still one of my most memorable adventures.

My time spent in Vietnam was the most delightful and eye opening experience that I had had in a long time. I spent most of my stay in a rural village in the Mekong Delta where the homes were made of sticks and dried coconut tree leaves. These people had nothing; no running water, no toilet, and little food to eat. Every morning a government official would come over a loud speaker in the village and his voice could be heard for miles. He would give the village people news on what was happening outside of their village. If it weren’t for the loud speaker the village people (who rarely left their community) would have no idea what was happening in the outside world, because they do not own radios, TVs, or get daily newspapers. Despite their poor living conditions, the Vietnamese people were some of the happiest people I have ever met. The people of the village, although not use to foreign visitors, were eager and willing to share their culture.

Interesting Facts and Observations

• The average income in a Vietnamese village is $50-$70 USD per month.


• A high paying job in Saigon, would earn about $300 USD/month.


• Motorbikes are the main form of transportation. The streets are completely filled with thousands of motorbikes at all times of the day. Thirty-five traffic related deaths occur in Vietnam each day.

Make Your Voices Heard - Vote!

OK All....as you have probably noticed on the left side of the blog there is a poll that everyone is invited to take. Originally, only a handful of countries were listed. However, now the 50 internationally recognized sovereign states in (or partially in) Europe are listed. Multiple countries can be chosen and the results will help determine Miss Molly's Great Adventure Route. For those of you that have already voted (thanks!), you will need to re-vote due to the poll being updated.

This is your chance to have your voice heard. So VOTE!

Thoughts to Ponder - Mark Twain

Travel Itinerary - Draft 1

Anyone that knows me knows that as much as I like the idea of being spontaneous, I also like to plan, organize, and re-plan whatever I organize. I have been known to create spreadsheets and budgets complete with flow charts for my friends if I'm trying to convince them to go on a weekend getaway. So why would you be surprised that I have created not one, not two, but four possible itineraries for my trip in December. That's right folks, FOUR. (As of July 20, 2010 anyway)

That is where you come in. I will be posting my possible itineraries over the course of the next few weeks. I need your help in deciding what route I should take. I am leaving it up to blog followers to help determine my complete route and what I do in each country…kind of scary to turn over the control (well, partial control anyway). With your help I will have a final route by the end of October.

Below is Travel Itinerary Option #1. Click the map below to get a full screen view. Each pink marker indicates which country I plan on traveling to and what days I plan on visiting.

So I need comments and ideas people! Tell me what cities to visit, where to eat, what not to do and what I will regret if I don't do it. To my Global Village and Semester at Sea friends, this is your chance to campaign for your country. I am putting my adventure in your hands.

Thoughts to Ponder - William Arthur Ward

Failing to Plan Is Planning to Fail

It's official! I will be learning the ways of the European lifestyle December 16-January 4. My exact route plans are undecided at this time, other than the decision that Rome will be my hub.

In my purpose statement, that I am sure you all have read by this point, I mentioned that one of the key reasons for my desire to go to Europe was to connect with old friends. As I focus on planning my trip, I am trying to keep in mind that I want to be able to reconnect with as many people as possible, so I am

"Failing to plan is planning to fail." - Proverb

Recently my sister and I took a road trip to Arkansas to visit our families and re-learn the importance of "down time". This concept is still a little foreign to me, but I am working steadily to train myself to "be present," meaning remembering to appreciate the here-and-now for the good, the bad and the ugly.

After spending a few days with my grandparents and listening to them "reminisce" about the good ol' days, I realized that I want to make sure that I remember all of the days - especially when traveling. Since my brain is over stimulated when trying to take in so many unique and diverse experiences, I always keep a travel journal. They aren't always grammatically or politically correct, but you are more than welcome to enjoy some entertaining reading whenever you would like - I will gladly share them with you.

Yes, it is true, I love (and I mean LOVE) organizational tools! My family calls me nerdy, my friends call me Mama Molly– what every your fancy is I frankly don’t care; in my eyes I would rather be over-prepared than overwhelmed with unwelcomed surprises. I thoroughly enjoy being spontaneous – it is the spice of life! Just because I have a plan doesn’t mean I follow it to a “T".

In my mind the “planning” process is more of a way to facilitate learning about the history, culture and political climate of the region you are going to visit. By digging through travel books, websites, etc. you are continually gaining knowledge of your future destination and will have a much higher level of appreciation for the region when you arrive.

Welcome!

hola! ciào! γεια σου! hallo! Hi! Miss Molly here and welcome to my travel blog!

I'm sure all of you have already read my purpose statement as to why I have this blog, but I wanted to expand on that idea and give everyone a little more background information.

Anyone that knows me knows that I have ambitious dreams and a very driven personality. I thrive on new challenges that require out-of-the box solutions. In other words, I am a driven, over-organized (is that possible?!), detail oriented, budget loving person; but that's a story for a different day....

I am a passionate traveler with dreams of seeing 100 out of the world's 257 countries. Call it my country bucket list.

And this December, I plan on crossing off a few of those countries. My goal is to travel to Europe to visit the friends I've made so far on my travels, experience new cultures and of course satisfy my need for adventure.

I want to use this blog as a travel planner and journal. With the help of my blogging best-y, Jen, I will blog my way through planning, executing and experiencing my trip. I need the help of you fellow bloggers, readers and travelers to help me decide what countries to visit, what are must sees, and travel tips for me on my journey.

Wish me luck as I start this new adventure!

My Purpose

The Purpose of a trip to Europe in December is to reconnect with friends living in Europe, experience cultures I have not been submersed in before and fulfill my need for adventure and challenge myself in a new environment so that I can gain a higher level of understanding and appreciate for the world beyond my traditional environment.