travel tips: how to plan your best road trip

Posted on February 23, 2015 by jaunt blog

this time of year is my “busy season” at work, which doesn’t leave me much time (read: no time) to travel. but i have one busy season tradition that carries me through the long hours and weekends of work: the planning of the post-busy season trip.

last weekend, dallas had the most perfect weather, so my husband and i spread out the blankets in the backyard, played some music, and brought out my atlas to plan our spring road trip. i’ve been dying to take a road trip across the southern US, and to finally visit some friends and family who live along the way. planning road trips is one of my most favorite things to do, so i thought i would share some of my tips for planning fantastic road trips:

a perfect saturday: blanket, pug, atlas, and wanderlust

1. start with an atlas – looking at an atlas gives me ideas for scenic detours and sites to see that i may have missed. kate spade’s travel book, places to go, people to see, mentioned that the drive from memphis, tn to vicksburg, ms is stunning, so we looked it up on the atlas. guess what’s nearby? yazoo city, home of willie morris, my husband’s favorite author. note to self: detour to yazoo city on day three. atlases will also list approximate driving times between cities, which comes in handy while planning number of days on the road.

2. stalk pinterest – set up a board for your road trip locations, and pin away as you research places to see. map traveled to nashville recently, and i pinned most of the places they went to my tennessee board. a friend at work recently gave me a magazine article on memphis, so i pinned the places that looked cool to me. pinterest provides a great way to store ideas from all over the web in one place so you don’t forget. if you’re looking for ideas on locations, check out my pinterest boards (organized by state and country) and also my road trip board for inspiration.

pinning by state has helped me plan the road trip – so many cool places i’ve pinned in the past that i had forgotten about!

3. create a list on your phone – as you’re planning, you’ll hear suggestions from friends or through media that you’ll want to remember. keeping a list on your phone will help you remember those tips since you can jot them down when someone suggests a place (that’s how i remembered kate spade’s recommendation for the memphis to vicksburg drive).

4. start reading! – i love themed reading. i think this started when i read cannery road while visiting monterey, california – it brought so much life and history to the places i was seeing, that i was hooked. if you’re looking for ideas on what to read during your travels, check out book lust to go by nancy pearl – she recommends books based on your travel destinations (genius). for our road trip, i’m adding to my list john steinbeck’s travels with charley and william least heat-moon’s roads to quoz: an american mosey.

upcoming road trip reads

5. check out what the new york times has to say from 36 hours – i wrote an entire post on my love for 36 hours. check it out and then read it before every trip you ever take (including short business trips).

6. plan your nights – book your hotels, b&b’s, stays with friends, etc. in advance. start with your budget to understand how much to spend per night, and then see if you have any friends or family along the way that you can stay with (don’t forget to pack hostess gifts, if so). some of my favorite bookings sites are airbnb and jetsetter. don’t forget about any hotel points you may have saved up that could give you a free night (or two!) at a national chain.

the stops on our summer road trip – most excited for yazoo city, mississippi and the blue ridge parkway in appalachia

7. leave room for improv – as an accountant, i like to plan down to the minute. this can make for some stressful travel experiences. one thing i’ve learned is to build in some time to improv, an extra day to go where i want, a half-day to explore a new part of the city, etc. one time while driving to LA from dallas, we saw a sign on I-40 for the petrified forest. excuse me? detour! we spent a couple of hours looking at the craziest petrified wood (how is this possible?!) before jumping back on the interstate and heading west.

stay tuned for future posts on best road trip apps, and how to pack your car for the best road trip. for now, fill me in on any of your best tips for planning road trips – i’d love to hear them!

travel tips: how to properly pack a carry-on by rolling your clothes

Posted on August 4, 2014 by jaunt blog

in my last post, i wrote about how to choose the minimal amount of clothes for a two-week city/safari vacation in the winter (we just returned from south africa last month). all of the clothes in that post are included here for packing purposes, with the exception of the clothes i wore on the flight (which included my bulkier shoes and jacket). it seemed daunting given the number of clothes i had to bring to south africa, but it worked perfectly! this week: how to fit all of those clothes into a carry-on duffle bag. a few notes on the duffle:

we were told to bring soft-sided duffles because many safaris do not accept “rollies.” i did not find this to be true because we saw rollies at both of our lodges. if you get similar information, you may want to check first before buying a new bag.
that being said, it was very freeing to have the duffle because they are so much lighter and easier to maneuver. plus, they’re cheap. i got mine at REI for around $30 (currently only available in stores, and not online).
you, like my husband, may think i am misspelling “duffle,” and that it should be “duffel.” both are accepted. despite previous posts, duffle will continue to be used exclusively on jaunt.

my husband with his carry-on duffle after passing through “security” at the hoedspruit airport.

so how many of you roll your clothes when packing (i.e. roll the actual articles of clothing, not pack them in a rollie)? this is something i had read about many times (travel bloggers just looooove to talk about rolling clothes), and i kind of thought it was a bunch of nonsense. how can any packing method save more space than folding clothes flat?! well, this is why i’m no engineer. turns out that rolling clothes saves much more space, and i have the photos to prove it.

the clothes after traditional folding – looking tall!

to start the experiment, i folded my clothes like i would normally – simply laying them flat and folding in half (or thirds if a long tunic). the clothes were bulky (remember, packing for winter with sweaters and pants), and stacked very tall in the duffle, while leaving empty, unused space on the sides.

the packed bag with folded clothes – not bad! everything fits, but not much room for any purchases bought on the trip.

so then i tried the rolling. i folded my clothes in half (hot dog, not hamburger), and then folded the arms across, as well, and then literally rolled into a little cylinder (see photo at top of this post). it was shocking how much more room i had in my bag! magical!

the packed bag with rolled clothes – so much more room! tons of space for toiletries, gifts purchased on the trip, and more.

an added perk was that it was extremely easy to pack and unpack at the lodges. i would just grab the rolled clothes and leave them rolled until i wore them. i think it prevented wrinkles this way, as well.

all rolled up and ready to go – with room to spare!

do you have a preferred way to pack? would you recommend rolling clothes?

travel tips: safari + cape town + 2 weeks = carry-on!

Posted on July 25, 2014 by jaunt blog

i recently returned from a two-week trip to south africa (patience, grasshopper, for the full details), and what a fantastic travel experience that was. five days in cape town were followed by six days spent safariing, with a few days of travel on either end (turns out it takes a really, really long time to get to south africa from dallas…somewhere in the middle we spent 12 hours in london).

when talking to our travel agent, she nonchalantly mentioned that we should pack light, and “oh by the way, don’t pack your rollies!” excuse me? “roller bags.” oh. in other words, good luck packing for two weeks with winter clothes (yes, winter in the southern hemisphere between june and august) in one duffel bag (apparently, certain safari lodges prefer the duffels for ease of transfer…not sure it would have made a difference, as we saw plenty of rollies while on safari). i could have packed two duffel bags, but after lufthansa lost my bag on our honeymoon in 100-degree athens, my carry-ons have been getting a lot more love.

so, where to begin with packing? i’m not going to lie: it seemed daunting, even for me, a self-proclaimed packing guru. especially since being more of a city girl, i had zero “active/camping” clothes for these so-called bush drives. turns out, it was much easier than expected. the clothes i packed (with the exception of one safari shirt that i decided was useles) are all shown above. let’s start with what you’ll need for six days of safari (12 safari drives, two per day):

2-3 pairs of light weight safari pants (#13 and #14). i bought two pairs of pranna pants, and they were my favorite purchase for the trip. they were light enough for the warm days, rolled up into capri pants for the hot afternoons, and were warm enough for the cool evenings. they were also quick to dry in case i needed to wash them, and were very small when rolled up for packing.
1 pair of leggings or long underwear (#24, rolled). if you go in the winter like i did (note: this is the best time to go in south africa because it is easier to see the animals), the weather can get extremely cold when the sun goes down. we started our drives before sunrise, and i appreciated that extra layer (sometimes the temperature was in the mid- to low 30s when we started the drives!). you may not need this if traveling in the summer months, or if traveling to safaris in warmer locations.

stopped for coffee and muffins on our south african safari; staying warm with north face jacket layered over tee and sweater (#4 and #10), safari pants (#14), and fleece headband (#20).

5-6 t-shirts (long or short sleeves) (#1 – #5) – rather than buying shirts specifically made for safaris, i brought my standard target/h&m long sleeved shirts that i would wear at home. i made sure the colors were neutral (so you don’t scare the animals away), and found these to be perfect for the drives. i regretted buying a more expensive safari-specific shirt that i will probably never wear again. i also packed one short sleeved shirt, which proved useful on one warm afternoon.
2 pairs of jeans/slacks (#15 and #16) – i brought one pair of dark skinny jeans and one pair of black pants to wear during the day (between drives) and in the evenings for dinner. this was plenty as no one dresses up much for meals, even at the more luxurious lodges.
2 colorful scarves (#6 and #12) – i bought two at target right before i left, and they became my go-to accessories for the entire trip! perfect for the evening meals and added a much-needed pop of color to my otherwise neutral outfits.

just taking a selfie with some elephants. notice my nice sweater outfit (#5 and #11) while my husband is safari’d out.

1 pair of comfortable tennis shoes (#19) – you do not need to buy a new pair of walking shoes for your safari as you will be doing very little walking (if you exit the vehicle, a lion may eat you). i brought a pair of running shoes, which was just fine and didn’t require me to spend any additional money. they also kept my feet warm in the cold mornings.
1 pair of nice flats (#25) – to wear during the day and in the evenings
1 hat or fleece headband, gloves, & scarf (#20 and #21) – as mentioned above, it gets extremely cold when the sun goes down, so you will want something to keep you warm, this only applies to the winter months in countries that get an actual winter (e.g., june – august in south africa).
3 sweaters (#9, #10, and #11)- for layering with the long sleeved shirts on especially cold days, and also for wearing around the lodge.
minimal jewelry – i wore a simple gold bracelet, watch, and earrings (that i purchased in cape town) on safari, and that was plenty. i also did not bring my engagement ring, but just wore my band for the extent of the trip.
1 jacket (see photo above) – this will be your most important purchase, because you want something versatile enough to move around in, but warm enough for cold drives. i chose a north face zip up in heathered grey, which was perfect and didn’t require a scarf due to the high neck. other guests wore fitted puffy jackets that seemed to do the trick just as well.

a lovely day at babylonstoren farms, wearing a sweater (#8) over a tee (#2) with a colorful scarf (#6).

since we explored cape town for five days prior to the safari, i also needed city clothes. in addition to the clothes i mentioned above, i brought the following:

2 additional sweaters for layering over the shirts during the day (#7 and #8)
1 additional pair of jeans (#7)
1 additional short-sleeved shirt for the travel days (worn with the north face jacket) (not separately pictured, see photo above)
1 additional pair of leggings for the travel days (#18)
1 additional pair of comfortable flats for exploring the city (#22)
2 pairs of chandelier earrings to dress up outfits at night (not pictured)

exploring the winelands of stellenbosch (outside of cape town) on a cool day. staying warm in a large sweater (#9) layered over a long-sleeved tee (#3) and skinny jeans (#15).

with the cooler weather, you can re-wear each shirt twice (or wash it, if you so desire). all of this – safari and city gear – fit into one carry-on sized duffel bag – stay tuned for next week’s post on how to roll these clothes into the duffel – with photos! to make it all work, i wore my largest items (running shoes and north face jacket) on the travel days, and packed my travel sized toiletries in my tote bag that fit under my seat.

dress comfortably for a long day(s) of travel

on our last day in south africa (sad), and about to embark on a 48-hour trip home. dressed comfortably in north face jacket, scarf (#12), leggings (#18), and tennis shoes (#19).

do you have any suggestions for packing light on an urban/safari mix vacation?

travel tips: pros and cons of using a travel agency

Posted on July 17, 2014 by jaunt blog

having a tour guide on our drive around the cape peninsula allowed us to enjoy the views without the stress of driving.

last fall, i purchased the jetsetter book during the dallas gilt city sale, and was excited to see that it came with a voucher for a free travel planning session for an upcoming vacation. my husband and i had wanted to visit southern africa for awhile, so decided to use the voucher for that trip. this was my first time to use a travel agency in my travels, and i quickly realized it is a different way to travel; one which has pros and cons:

pro: it is much easier to plan a trip with a travel agency. i had an unusually busy year at work, and my husband was in the middle of his first year as a college professor. neither of us had a lot of time to research the specifics of our trip, which is where the agency really helped us. they were able to pull together a draft itinerary after a brief phone call; they asked for our dates, budget, and general interests, and several days later sent us a two-week itinerary. further, our agent was from south africa, so she was able to include places and tours that we may not have chosen on our own, but in hindsight are extremely glad she did (e.g. driving along the cape peninsula – stunning!).

there are penguins in south africa! thanks to our travel agent, we saw them on our tour of the cape peninsula.

con: the agency plans the details. as a frequent traveler, i’m used to making my own itineraries, and researching fun local places that are specific to my tastes. agencies try to match your tastes as well as they can, but unless you have worked with them before, they may not know you as well. for example, when we received our itinerary, i was surprised to see that every day was already planned, with no room for exploring, which is my favorite thing to do in a new place. we ended up adding a day in cape town – which we now know we desperately needed – in order to have the kind of trip we are used to, one filled with wanderings and spending time walking around different neighborhoods rather than just a series of tours.

the colorful bo-kaap neighborhood, which we explored in cape town on our extra day that we added after seeing the original agency itinerary

pro: agencies line up the details, and make it extremely convenient while traveling. this was absolutely the best part of it all. the agency arranged for an airport pick-up, and took us directy to our hotel. i cannot tell you how many times i have lugged my own baggage on public transportation while trying to communicate in a foreign language. the airport pickup was divine! the agency also had pre-purchased tickets to the cable car to table mountain, which allowed us to skip the line, and visit at our convenience. we also had a private guide for two days, who turned out to be one of our favorite parts of the trip due to his local knowledge and thoughts on the history of south africa. for each leg of the trip we had a planned shuttle, including a flight within south africa that the agency booked for us directly (we booked our own international flights since i was flying on miles). the conveniences added up, and made the trip run smoothly and easily, and allowed us to spend more time enjoying the country than worrying about the stress of logistics.

view of cape town from the top of table mountain, which we sped up thanks to the cable car and our pre-purchased tickets from the travel agency (see ya, lines!)

con: i’m still a little confused on the price. we gave our agent our budget, and she said it would be sufficient. however, we ended up staying at some extremely luxurious hotels, especially on our last safari. we did not need something so luxurious, and it became evident that we could have saved some money by asking for less exclusive lodges. however, jetsetter is a luxury travel service, so i’m sure they were just doing their job based on the expectations of their typical clientele. (also, it wasn’t the worst thing in the world to safari in style, especially when we were upgraded to a room larger than our LA apartment for the last two nights!).

this hotel room was larger than my last apartment; the bathroom, twice the size of my current kitchen. a bit more than we needed, but wasn't complaining about the free upgrade. :)

safari selfie! this hotel room was larger than my last apartment; the bathroom, twice the size of my current kitchen. our original room (part tent!) was a bit more than we needed, but i wasn’t complaining about this free upgrade. :)

final verdict: i would use an agency again, but have more input early in the process. i am able to plan the dates and research points of interest for me, while utilizing the agency to handle the logistics and find lodgings within my budget. asking for an itemized cost sheet prior to making the down payment would have helped me to gauge whether any part of the trip was outside of my expectations, as well. something else i enjoyed about the experience is that the final itinerary they sent us was extremely detailed and we referenced it often on our trip. it was also easy to scan to family members so they knew our whereabouts in case they needed to contact us. overall, using the agency was a positive experience that i would repeat with some tweaks.

have you ever used a travel agency to assist in your trip planning? would you recommend it?

climbing the kirstenbosch gardens in cape town with our guide, graham. he was so amazing!

travel tips: decorating your home with travel inspiration

Posted on April 15, 2014 by jaunt blog

my very favorite – via real simple many years ago

life dream? probably to be paid to travel the world with my favorite people and write about it. (side note: if you have unlimited funds and want to sponsor me, please visit my contact page!) since i can’t do that, and instead have a day (and let’s be honest, night and weekend) job, i’ve found that surrounding myself with travel inspiration at home helps put me in my happy place. i encourage you to do the same, and to fill your home with inspiration for whatever your passion may be.

our teeny entryway still has room for a photo tour of marfa, texas – a great conversation starter

photos – if you’re like me, you take way too many photos while traveling (still working on the whole “enjoy-the-moment” thing). put your photos to use by displaying them in your home. you don’t need to be a professional photographer to find a few gems. they are great conversation starters, too, when people visit. hang in highly trafficked areas for those you want to chat about, and in more private rooms for sweet memories.

travel inspiration next to my computer on my desk: my favorite mid-century jetsetter against the dallas skyline, next to my favorite place to reflect at the university of oklahoma

travel purchases – remember that gorgeous wooden tray you bought in florence? or those postcards you picked up in maine? don’t hide them in a drawer – show them off! i learned this from my mother, who decorated her house with items she’d purchased all around the world. she didn’t try to make anything match; rather, she bought things she loved and found beautiful. it all worked. these don’t have to be expensive items, either – some of my most cherished purchases are the vogue magazines i buy in each country i visit. a small price to pay for a window into the style and culture of the place and time.

i (try to) buy a vogue in each country i visit, and display some of my favorites in my office bookcase, next to my framed postcard of venice (yes i framed a postcard – it was so magical!)

daily inspiration – placing travel-related items throughout my home is a constant reminder of why we work so hard – it gives us the means for adventure and exploring. a globe in the office, a poster of LA in the living room, and a favorite travel quote on the fridge are daily reminders of the things i love.

my former residence: the city of angels. great memories every time i pass through the living room.

share the love – having guests stay the night? give them a taste of what you love (in my case, give them some wanderlust). i love staying with friends who have interesting books, photos, anything to share what makes them tick.

trying to inspire my guests with the jetsetter travel book on the bedside table. this is what inspired our trip to south africa this summer!

what are some of your favorite things to share in your home?

one of my very favorite travel treasures is the glass soda bottle i bought at the san telmo market in buenos aires. i think it goes nicely with my exotic ikea vase, don’t you?

i purchased this globe at a garage sale in tulsa when i was in college. it may still have the USSR, but it’s the first place i go when thinking of my next trip.

technology tuesday: the language barrier

Posted on February 11, 2014 by jaunt blog

my beloved copy of point it by graf editions

planning a trip to a far away locale? worried about not speaking the language? there are tons of apps out there for languages (perhaps the next tech tuesday post?), but what happens if you’re going to say, sochi, where you can’t even begin to decipher the alphabet (ok, and let’s also assume it’s not during the olympics where english runs rampant)? enter: symbolic app (for techies) and point it book (for technophobes). let’s be honest, i’m the latter. exhibit a: i only started using gps this year after spending five years in los angeles with a…fold-out map. still trust me to write a post every few tuesdays regarding technology?

handy that their table setting includes some asian-specific items. soy sauce? yes, please.

well, if you’re still reading, glad you’re here. i’ll start with the point it: traveller’s language kit book by graf editions. still one of my favorite travel purchases, i bought this at the san francisco museum of modern art store, and pack it in every foreign getaway carry-on. it’s thin, it’s graphically pleasing, and it allows me to point my way to a shocking number of sentences.

the point it anatomy guide

having a severe stomach ache after eating steak at dinner and need to find a doctor stat? flip to page 55 for your photo of a doctor (54 for the ambulance in case things go really wrong, really fast), then to page 56 once you’re at the doctor’s office to point to your stomach, and then to page 10 for the diagram of the cow with different cuts. bug spray? page 27 (same page as the mosquito netting). brandy? page 21. goat, page 8; snorkeling, page 50; helicopter, page 30. life goal: to have a reason to point to all of these in one trip. the book also has world maps, modes of transportation, car parts, etc.

point it thinks of, well,everything. imagine trying to describe q-tip in a foreign language…

sounds pretty cool, right? no need for an app with the point it book! except that the symbolic app is actually pretty cool, and pretty much a steal at $0.99 (point it cost me $6.95 in 2006). first, rather than photos, the app consists of a series of symbols that are widely recognized throughout the word. second, there is a search bar at the top, so you don’t have to flip through photos as you are dying of food poisoning. after typing in “doctor,” a symbol of a family practice doctor came up with translation in several languages. not sure i was intending to go to a family practice doctor, but guess that will do. perhaps i should have typed in hospital instead. i could have also gone to the “health” category and sorted through a myriad of health-related symbols. the one that i can only assume means stomach troubles made me giggle.

the symbolic app’s interpretation of doctor, health-related items, and what i can only assume means internal stomach turmoil

ok, let’s try the same words from point it. bug spray: nothing came up when i searched for that term, but i was able to find something that got the point across under the camping section. brandy: no, though i did find a symbol for other alcoholic beverages, as well as a chili pepper with different levels of spice (very helpful!) under the food section. goat: no, but under “nature” i found a unicorn, rabbit in a hat (maybe should be under “leisure?”), and a dragon. snorkeling? yes! and while looking under “leisure” i found an entire section with the olympic event symbols – very timely! helicopter? check! another personal fave: the michelin man! perfect for hunting down the nearest michelon star restaurant, and included in the “brand” section with pages of helpful brands that the point it book doesn’t have.

symbolic app shots: travel symbols, bug spray (?), and some brands to help you on your vacay (can’t leave home without some monopoly!)

while i’ll still probably trust my point it book during vacations, the symbolic app may be more convenient in situations where i least expect it (say, when i try to make a go of dim sum by myself). also, after i finished writing this post, i googled graf editions to link to the book’s website, only to find that point it has an app now! at $2.99, i think i will stick with my symbolic app. take your pick, but report back on any hilarity that ensues as a result.

why you should travel with your best friend

Posted on January 30, 2014 by jaunt blog

kim and me in new york city in the summer of 2004 – hello, broadway!

the summer after my junior year in college, my best friend, kim, proposed an idea that has since changed our lives: let’s take a trip together. i was in oklahoma with an accounting internship at an energy company, and the thought of skipping town seemed delightful. i remember that summer well because it was the summer facebook arrived. oh, how little did we know. we packed our bags, jumped on a free southwest flight, and headed to new york city.

stopping for some agua at the cafe tortoni in buenos aires, argentina

to this day, that trip remains one of my favorites. it was my first time in the city without my family, and i loved it. forgetting the tourist attractions, we headed to new restaurants and trendy bars, went shopping in greenwich village, and tried to explore the city as much as we could. it was a new way of travel for me, and one that i loved. seeing the best city in the world with my best friend? yes, please. fast forward a few years, and we’ve kept the tradition alive. in 2008 we traveled to argentina and chile, where kim came up with another bright idea: this international thing is so good that we should do it more often!

china? no, just vancouver. really have no idea where we were in this photo.

and so the biannual international trips began. in 2010 we traveled to vancouver (kind of cheating), and in october of 2012 we ended up in barcelona. what i love so much about these trips is that they force us to travel the world, to see each other while exploring new places. too many times i make the excuse that there isn’t time to travel. but now we have this amazing tradition that holds us accountable, and helps create some pretty unforgettable memories along the way.

just sipping sangria on the boardwalk in barcelona

technology tuesday: pinterest, a (hopefully) soon-to-be app, and a must-visit website

Posted on January 21, 2014 by jaunt blog

i’m pretty pumped about this week’s technology tuesday. a dream-come-true, a (hopefully) soon-to-be app, and an extremely helpful website…enjoy!

a snapshot of my work-in-process pinterest maps. currently only of the US, but expanding to my international pins soon!

pinterest maps – as you may have read on jaunt’s twitter a couple of weeks ago, i’ve been busy mapping jaunt’s pins. what does this mean, you ask? well, basically heaven. over the past year, i’ve pinned so many great sites – both from jaunt posts and also from other pinners. i try to group them by location, but it can be hard to visualize and find everything quickly. enter: the pinterest map! i can now add a location to pins, and they are placed on a map for each board. mapping existing pins is extremely time-consuming, but i’m hopeful for quick mapping/pinning in the future. for now, you can check out my US boards (i’ve mapped each state separately), as well as my world board, which will have each pin on it and mapped. so helpful when planning a trip that crosses borders, goes off the beaten path, etc. transform those pins into reality, people!

roundtrip app design from the terminal velocity series at fastco design

roundtrip app – my friend, stephanie, shared this app-in-process with me a few weeks ago. just in theory for now as part of the terminal velocity series from fastco design, it seems similar to the tripit app, which i reviewed here a couple of months ago, with added perks like budget tracking during vacations, alerts to leave your house for the airport based on current traffic situations, and notifications of weather changes to help you pack in advance. the app is still in the works (at least let’s hope so), but you can check out the proposed design and features here. cross your fingers that this puppy makes it to market soon – the sleek design is enough for me to download ASAP.

check out seat guru's website or app for the best seat on your flight.

thought you wanted seat 14a? think again – limited reclining and very cold! however, extra legroom! check out seat guru’s website or app for the best seat on your flight.

seat guru – now a part of the trip advisor suite, seat guru has been a fan of mine ever since i started traveling for work. type in your flight number, airline, and plane model, and this website will tell you which seats are best to reserve. you may think that front-row business class seat is the best for added leg room, but it’s actually across from the restrooms and there is no window in this row. or perhaps the window seat you originally wanted is in a row that is difficult to exit if your aisle buddy is asleep. i check seat guru during every reservation now, and would not leave home without it. though i’ve always visited the website, there is also a free app now.

i love receiving new tips and suggestions for technology tuesday, so please send me any great travel tech advice you’ve come across! until next time…

happy new year!

Posted on January 7, 2014 by jaunt blog

hiking through the woods in hot springs village, arkansas while visiting family.

hello, again! and happy new year! it seems like ages since i last posted. after a fantastic christmas hiatus, jaunt is back! warning: i am about to enter my busiest time of year at work and, therefore, the posts may be fewer and far between. as jaunt tends to help relax and motivate me, though, i may just find that i post more!

these past few weeks have left me a lot of time to think about new year’s resolutions (i know, i know), and i think there are a few worth mentioning:

more art from nasher sculpture center’s dallas-wide exhibit – this time at fish trap lake, as seen while exploring dallas with family in town.

live healthier – this one is a no brainer for some, but actually very difficult for me. if it was up to me, i’d read all day curled up on my couch while snacking on lemon bars and egg nog. as it turns out, that dream of a life is not so healthy for me. luckily for me, i do not have a trust fund to allow me to read all day (sad) and a generous neighbor gave me a free treadmill! late-night walks: here i come! walking in my guest room doesn’t seem to embody the adventurous spirit of jaunt, but my upcoming months will be spent working until late at night, and now we’re just talking about a safety issue.
live simpler – after our move from los angeles to dallas, we were able to upgrade the size of our home. with it came oodles of free space – a blank canvas, but also an impossible feat to fill immediately. remembering that i do not need things to define me is a good lesson, and also allows me to be more particular with what i fill my home. which leads me to my next resolution..

part of the nasher sculpture exhibit, as seen at the dallas audubon center while exploring with family in town.

travel more – it would seem that traveling more not be very simple. however, i read a study once (i cut it out and put it in my travel journal) that proves that people that spend their money on memories (i.e. traveling together) are happier than people that spend their money on tangible goods (i.e. clothes, electronics, etc.). of course. traveling more could turn out to cost more money, but not if i take smaller, simpler trips. my husband and i spent some time this past month driving through arkansas, oklahoma, and texas, and i am overwhelmed by all of the places i’ve added to my list! these are easy trips that don’t take much time or money, bring me closer to my friends and family, and allow me to explore. this goes hand in hand with my next resolution…
spend more time with great friends and family – social media has us keeping up with too many people in our lives, and not enough with those who are dear to us. this year’s goal is to spend more time with my family (so lucky to be so close again), and my best of friends. and since people are happiest making memories, i’ve decided to plan a few trips – a couple of family trips this summer, a trip with my bestie perhaps, a trip with friends and the husband…even if just a quick night trip to town nearby, memories will be made, and adventures will be had.

help me stay true to these, and fill me in on some of your new year’s resolutions!

buckstaff bath house in downtown hot springs, arkansas – as seen while visiting family over the holiday – must go back and explore!

travel tips: how to make the most of business travel

Posted on November 19, 2013 by jaunt blog

strolling past the floralis generica (giant silver flower that opens and closes) in buenos aires during a work trip during a break to explore.

i travel a fair bit for my work; mostly domestic travel, but every now and then i get the opportunity to travel internationally. since travel is, oh, just my favorite thing to do ever, i always want to take advantage of these trips to see new sites and experience the new place. but that can be difficult when your primary reason is business, and not pleasure. to help, i’ve compiled a list of things that will help add some jaunts to your business travel.

remember you are there to work. it’s great that your employer is sending you to france for a week, but they probably aren’t going to like it too much if you show up late each day after staying out too late the night before exploring on your own. remember that work is your priority when you travel for business, and that you have earned this right. don’t screw it up by slacking off while you’re there – you may not be invited back.

understand your itinerary in advance. work with your colleagues to understand how your days will be structured. will you have a break during any days, or perhaps a dinner where you are on your own? if so, take advantage of that time to explore on your own. on a recent business trip to verona, we had a two-hour break before dinner. after catching up with my emails and to-do list first (see #1), i grabbed an umbrella and headed out to explore the old part of the city on my own, which brings me to my next tip:

a quick jaunt to the river in verona after wrapping up work for the day

plan ahead. understand where you would like to visit should you have the time. know where the sites are in relation to your hotel or office, so that you are ready for a quick jaunt should the opportunity arise. i had mapped out the sites i wanted to see using CityMaps2Go before hand (see more on this app here), so i was able to head out immediately and not stop to plan during my precious down time.

a quick photo of verona’s castle bridge while walking back from our office to our hotel

use your colleagues. are you meeting with people based in that area’s office? ask them for recommendations for excellent restaurants or parts of town. they know the area best and will be able to point you to the best spots that aren’t necessarily on the tourist radar. have them join you for meals to point you to the local dishes, and learn about their culture over drinks and dessert. some of my favorite moments while traveling for work are the relationships i’ve made with colleagues and clients.

trying brazil’s famous local feijoada with brazilian coworkers during a work trip to brazil last year

try to extend your trip. if able, see if you can add a day or two on the front or back of your trip. if the flight cost is the same, and you’re willing to pay for the additional nights at the hotel, many employers will not mind. i was unable to do this for my most recent trip (again, see #1!), but i was able to do this last spring when i visited argentina. we arrived a day early and explored on our own, and were able to get a good night’s sleep prior to early meetings the following morning.

checking out the brownstones of brooklyn heights during a weekend in nyc following a work training in manhattan the previous friday

what are some of your business travel tips, or some of your favorite business trip destinations?

jaunt: one girl's search for adventure

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