I have a confession, it's probably the un-coolest confession you will ever hear from a travel blogger or writer.
Every time I have the opportunity to travel, I am as giddy as a kid who just found out she is going to Disney World for the first time. It was my first major trip when I was little and I remember every second of it still.
It's that time of year, again... when Winter turns into Spring, leaves start to bloom and the dreaded "how fast can I shed my Winter weight" bets with yourself begin.
Instead of searching for the one spot on the beach that's not overrun by bikini-clad college kids with hangovers, consider taking your Spring Break somewhere a little less chaotic. Just because you're living an adult life doesn't mean you can't have a little fun.
Voluntourism knows no age boundaries and feisty 67-year old Julie Fox of the United Kingdom is living proof. Just a few short years ago, the former science teacher and divorced mother of five found her calling to give back via the U.K.-based volunteer organization, People and Places. "It is a great way to travel, and by living with the people you are helping, you get a real understanding of local culture," says Fox.
As a solo female traveler, Fox puts a premium on safety and organization. "Having a coordinator of the project in the country you are volunteering in is a big plus," she says. Although she didn't encounter any problems along her volunteer path, she says that People and Places was always accessible and made weekly contact to ensure that the project was going to plan. "Knowing that you are safe and working with an agenda means that more can be achieved," says Fox. "Flexibility, a sense of humour and a constant smile is often the way forward."
We caught up with Fox to find out a bit more about what inspired her to volunteer abroad, why she landed where she did, and what the "ah-hah" moments have been so far. She breaks it down in seven questions.
Bored with your current fitness routine? Here are a few ways to shake things up...and get results.
Running-Bored with your running routine? How about changing the route, throw in some sprints, run with a fitness buddy or run with different music playlists for different days of the week? For a completely different experience you can also take it indoors and use the time to watch your favorite shows, movies or even read using the " chip clip trick." With the chip clip trick, you place your book or magazine on the reading rack of your cardio machine (you can also purchase lucite reading racks that fit directly over the front of your machine) then put a clip on both the left and right pages of your book so the pages stay secure and don't move. Gently unclip and re-clip the right sides as you flip from page to page and notice how much longer you're able to stay on the machine because you were absorbed in your reading! Even if it takes a few tries to make this work, it's worth it. Think about all of those great books you've been eager to read. Here's an opportunity to get to them while getting fit at the same time.
In my fantasy life, we have just won the lottery and we have enough money to travel first class on family vacations anywhere in the world.
This is just a fantasy because:
1. I never win anything,
2. I don't buy lottery tickets, and
3. Even I could travel first class like those 1 percenters, I still would be traveling from O'Hare International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, so I still would have to brave the crowds and chaos before I could settle in to that first class seat on the plane.
As I often write about in this blog, I travel for work. A LOT. As my schedule unfolded last week, one day looked like this:
4 am - Leave Orlando
7 am - Arrive in Atlanta
9 am - Depart Atlanta for Phoenix
1 pm - Arrive in Phoenix for meetings.
5 pm - Back at airport for flight to LaGuardia.
8 am following day - meeting in NYC.
