My favorite "Big Cities" in the World

I had so much fun last week sharing about my favorite small cities in the world, that I thought I'd share my absolute favorite big cities with you today:) Why not?!

Most capital cities, or just big cities, are going to be touristy, so you just have to accept that and move on to let the good times roll. But being touristy just goes to show that the city is worth visiting, for there are so many wonderful things to do and see. Cities have a synergy all their own, and are exciting and truly delightful if you embrace the craziness with open arms.

Here are a handful one some of my absolute favorites:

Cape Town, South Africa

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I spent a summer in Cape Town during college, immediately following a 10 week class on the history of South Africa. For that reason alone, my experience here was deeply profound and moving. Purely from an aesthetics standpoint, Cape Town is just stunning. Truly a gem in Africa. Table Mountain stands majestically as the focal point of the city, houses nestled between the mountain and ocean. There is the lively Victoria and Albert Waterfront, and the most beautiful beaches dotting the shores, a favorite being Camps Bay. You can drive all along the coast and just marvel at the landscape. Not the mention, the people in South Africa are truly alive and kind and welcoming. From Cape Town there are so many fantastic day trips, like wine tasting in the famed Stellenbosch region, and drive along the famed Garden Route.

Paris, France

I know this is being cliche, but for the rest of our lives people will be cliche with Paris…it is just that AMAZING of a city. I've been to Paris a handful of times now, and it just never gets old. The architecture here is so dreamy, and for miles the lovely parks, the well dressed Parisians, and the quaint eateries will keep you occupied with your head in the clouds. If you are a hard core museum lover, they have some of the very best in the world (starting with the famed Louve). If you love food, before you can utter the word "croissant" you will be surrounded by some of the most famous chefs and foods in the world. If you love romance, a picnic at the Eiffel tower will be just the ticket. And if you love history, like me, you have your pick of thousands of years of riveting stories:) Ahhh Paris, you win every time.

Prague, Czech Republic

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Going to most big cities, I usually have an idea of what i'm going to see. Not this one! It was 2004, and some friends and I randomly decided to go stay in the city. We had no idea what to do or see, but were immediately swept up in Prague fever. The city is an absolute delight, like a giant music box that comes to life with scenes grander than your imagination. I felt like I had been transported to a fairy tale, and suddenly I was trying new foods (like goulash), feating my eyes on Prague's famed astronomical clock, and just getting lost in the cobble stone streets. One of my favorite memories was sitting on the Charles bridge with my friends, playing the card game hearts, for hours on end. One of the neatest things about our time here was that we rented an apartment in the city, and stayed in an old building with so much history! (random side note, I also finished the book "Redeeming Love" in this city, which kinda sorta changed my life! If you've read it, you know what i'm talking about!)

Edinburgh, Scotland

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Don't even get my started on Edinburgh, it was kind of elixir of life for me:) I'm not a "big city" kind of girl in terms of permeant living, but I think I told Kevin over and over on our trip, "I could live here!". While Edinburgh is a big city, the appeal is that it feels like a small one. We walked everywhere! Being a Harry Potter lover, it honestly felt like we were at Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and Hogsmead all at the same time. Speaking of Hogwarts, we visited the very coffee shop that J.K. Rowling sat in while she wrote H.P. and out the window is a perfect view of the Edinburgh castle, in which Hogwarts was fashioned after. If you love castles, architecture, good food, and hilarious people, and TONS of history, this is your Jam. At least, it's mine:)

San Francisco, California, USA

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This is my absolute favorite big city in the whole USA. There is some kind of magic this city owns like a boss. It's incredibly unique, built on rolling hills over looking the SF Bay, basking in the gorgeous golden hues of the Golden Gate Bridge. I grew up coming to this city often, and believe I've been at least once every year my whole life. Where else can you ride a cable car, walk the pier with sea lions howling below you, take a ferry out to Alcatraz island and tour the old prison (where Al Capone was jailed), drive down the windiest road in the US, marvel at the view of the city from Coit Tower and eat your heart out in chocolate at the Ghiradelli Chocolate Factory? I know, that wasn't a very fair question, but still, come on! The fog and mist that sits on this city just adds to the mystery and appeal! SF, you own this California girl's heart:)

Stockholm, Sweden

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Maybe I'm a little bias with this one, as I am half Swedish and have been there numerous times to visit family. But I don't think so. This is one of the cleanest, most adorable big cities you will ever find. First of all, Swedes are so cool. Come on, they invented IKEA H&M, the Swedish meatball and pancake! haha! But really, Stockholm is something special. The old city, Gamla Stan is colorful, quaint, completely walkable and just so...clean. Stockholm is spread out over 14 islands in an archipelago, so is surrounded by water, which makes it unique and equally stunning. There are beautiful parks, fantastic architecture, and tons of history for you to brush up on (because honestly, do any of us know anything about Scandinavian history?). Not to mention a favorite, the Pippi Longstocking Museum, ha! The suburbs outside the city feature quaint little neighborhoods, dotted with yellow and red houses, and fantastic forests and lakes to picnic and swim in. I love Stockholm, and will forever be proud that it's a part of my heritage:)

There are So many more, but we'll start here:)
I seriously have so many more "small cities" to share with you too,
that hopefully i'll do a Part 2 on that post!!

What are YOUR favorite big cities?

and speaking of big cities...Kevin surprised me with tickets to Seattle on my birthday, so we are currently in the Emerald City ready for our first day of exploring!! If you have any suggestions of what to see, feel free to leave them below!!

Happy Weekend,
love Katie 

How to Travel while working a 9-5 job!

One of the biggest questions I get asked is "how do you find the TIME to travel?". You may have assumed that I have just been frolicking around the world with no responsibility to my name, but this just isn't so. Since being out of college, i've worked a full-time job for 6 out of the 8 years! So I can totally relate to your travel woes concerning time. It can be tricky, but it is absolutely do-able!!

Here are few tips and tricks to maximize the time you do have to travel:

1. Utilize Holiday Time
This might feel like a given to you, but if you do plan to travel abroad, you need at least a week, and every "day off" counts! When I worked full time, this enticed me to plan trips around Memorial Day in May, and Labor Day in September (Holidays where the travel expenses don't skyrocket like they do at Christmas, etc!). Kevin and I would plan a flight that would leave Friday night after work, and get back the following Sunday. Because Monday was a holiday, I only had to take 4 days off work! This certainly helps stretched those 14 vacation days further!!

2. Take Advantage of Comp Time
This was my biggest source of finding extra days to travel. My job at ELI required me to do a lot of out of the office work on weekends or after working hours. I spoke at churches on the weekend, conferences during the week, or college groups after work hours on the week days. This allowed me to accrue quite  a few comp days that I could use at a later date. When Kevin and I took our big 21 day UK trip, we went over Memorial Day (getting one free day) and I used my comp time, and ended up only officially taking 4 days off! If you are in a position that requires some out of the office work, save up your days to use for a bigger trip!

3. Talk to your boss about taking unpaid time
Some employers allow you to take unpaid time off! If this is the case, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT *ahem* utilize it! Obviously, the down side is that you will not get paid for a few days, but the upside is that you will be having the time of your life exploring and making memories that last a life time!! HELLO! Not a bad trade off!! Remember, travel is all about priorities, so check with your employer to see if this is a possibility!

4. Ask about "working remotely"
Depending on your job, you may be able to work from a remote destination. A few years ago, my family took their annual family vacation to Santa Cruz. I so badly wanted to go for a few days, so I worked it out with my boss to "work-from-home" Thursday and Friday, and then stay for the weekend with my family. Even though I worked from 9am-5pm in the beach house those days, I was able to enjoy dinner and a lovely evening with my family that I wouldn't have gotten had I just arrived on Saturday! This can be a great option if it's available to you:)

5. Find a job where you get to travel
This for me was one of the greatest avenues for travel. Obviously when I worked as an English teacher in Thailand, weekends and school breaks were a great way for me to explore more of Asia. When I worked for ELI, I got to explore Africa on a deeper level. My trip to Africa was considered a "work trip" so travel and work meshed hand in hand. It can happen, so don't rule it out!!

6. Work part-time
I know this isn't available to everyone, but my last year of working at ELI, I moved from full time to part time, at 28 hours a week. Those 12 extra hours certainly gave me more wiggle room to help plan travel! I was off work on Fridays, and having one more extra free day was all I needed to stretch my vacation days farther! That year I was able to travel to the UK, Alaska, Germany and Greece, all because I had one less day a week I had to account for!

Know that it's so totally do-able to travel the world while working full time!! In my 6 years as a full-time employee, I was able to get about 16 stamps in my passport!  I'd love to hear how some of you have managed!! Happy Traveling!

love Katie 

If you love to travel, here's the latest in my Travel Series!! Happy Traveling:
How to Pay for Travel:
Part 1- Prioritize your spending
Part 2- Travel Credit Cards
Part 3- Food
Part 4- Teach Abroad
Part 5- Accommodations
Part 6- Transportation 

My favorite "Small"Cities in the World

How to Pay for Travel, Part 7: Sample Itinerary {Travel Tips in ACTION!!}

So for those of you who have been tracking with me through all 6 posts of "How to Pay for Travel", this post today is the essence of how to really put those tips in action!! I have taken an actual trip of mine, and will showcase how I took my own advice to save massive amounts of dollars!

In November of 2012, I went to visit my sister in Europe. My sister Polly had been living in Italy, and we had schemed up a delightful plan to do meet up in Germany and do some traveling together. We spent 4 days in freezing but adorable Germany, then flew to Greece and spent 4 delightful sunny days on the island of Crete.

Our trip was 10 days. And here's the kicker…
Typically, a trip like this should cost around $2000-$3000 because you have international airfare, trains, rental cars, food, lodging, etc.
But….
I only spent about $500

Ready to see the breakdown in action? Here we go…

1. International Flights- Surprise…I used my Delta card and got a FREE flight with points! I flew from Los Angeles to Amsterdam (which was the cheapest destination with 60,000 points). From Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, I took a train to the border of Germany where our family picked us up! In total, my international flight only costs me $60 (for the airline tax on my free ticket), and then i'll add my $40 train ticket to Germany, for a total of $100.  

2. Lodging- In Germany, we stayed with family, so lodging was FREE! Our most generous hosts were so kind in driving us around the city, feeding us, and providing the most cozy little apartment for us to call a home base. In Greece, we found a REALLY cheap and gorgeous B&B that was $40 a night {which Polly and I split, so $20 a person} In total, I paid $60 for lodging our entire trip! 

3. Food- In Germany, our most generous family paid for everything. We could not believe how kind and good they were to us! {they even took me to a gluten free store! wow!}. In Greece, the first place Polly and I went after getting settled into our hotel was the local grocery store! We picked up tons of fresh fruits and veggies, and some snacks for our day trips! We ate out for dinner, and went to places the local recommended (instead of the super touristy areas where they charge more). We were able to get the most delicious dishes for a fraction of the price! In total, my food expenses were $60! 

4. Transportation- From Germany to Greece, Polly and I scored some awesome Ryan Air tickets for $160 a person roundtrip from Dusseldorf, Germany to the island of Crete in Greece. We made sure to only bring a carry on bag (so we didn't have to pay the luggage fee!), and left our big bags at our family's house in Germany. Once in Greece, our biggest expense was the rental car! We paid $200 (which we split) for 4 days with the rental car, plus gas (which was $18 a person).  The rental car allowed us free reign to explore the island, stopping off at the most gorgeous beaches, hill caves, and other adorable and quaint cities on Crete! While in our home base town of Hania, we took advantage of using our legs and walking the city!! Transportation, in total for me, costs $278.

5. Treasure- One can't really go to Greece without filling her bags with island treasures, right? hah! This expense certainly wasn't necessary, but I managed to leave Greece with a gorgeous turquoise ring, a beautiful violet scarf, and homemade olive oil from a little old lady selling it along the road! In total, these beauties cost me $52. {but of course, these kind of purchases are optional, so I did not include them into our total price at the top!!}  

SO as you can see…traveling for CHEAP can be done, but it takes some planning and forethought! The biggest expense I saved on was the international flight ticket (take THAT $2000 flight!!), and of course, lodging! To see each of my tips as described in further detail, see the link below…

Part 1- Prioritize your spending
Part 2- Travel Credit Cards
Part 3- Food
Part 4- Teach Abroad
Part 5- Accommodations
Part 6- Transportation 

You can see more pictures of our time in German {here and here} and Greece {here and here}
Happy Traveling Friends,
love Katie 

A few sister shots below:) THe first in Germany the second in Greece:)

How to Pay for Travel, Part 5: Accommodations

Beyond the investment of a plane ticket, accommodations can be overwhelming in terms of finances! Prices of hotels, guesthouses, B&B's (etc.) certainly vary in cost worldwide, however regardless of where you are going, the cost can significantly add up!

Today I wanted to share with you a few tips Kevin and I have utilized to pinch our pennies and maximize our trips when it comes to affording lodging! Here we go…

1. Stay with friends/family members!!
Some of our best memories (and cheapest trips!) have come when we have stayed with friends and family abroad. Not only will your hosts be the absolute best guides around the city (as they are locals!), but you will also see, taste and experience things from an insider perspective (instead of just a tourist!). Most likely they will take you off the beaten path to experience the "real" culture. But the absolute best thing about staying with friends/family is their genuine hospitality and friendship. I can remember last winter when my sister and I visited our cousins who live in Germany. Each night when we got back from site seeing, they would brew a pot of tea, and we would sit in the living room all cozied up, with the music playing, just talking and laughing and playing cards.

Many of my dad's relatives live in Sweden, and so we've been back multiple times! I'm always amazed at the experiences we've been able to gain staying with our family. From milking cows on their dairy farm, participating in a real "crawfish dinner", seeing glass blowers at work, and exploring castles first hand, they are far and away the best tour guides!

Now, you may be thinking "I have ZERO friends and family abroad". I get that.
But...it's never too late to make new friends!!When I taught English in Thailand, I met my Belgian friend Peter on a ferry out to an island. We hit it off as fast friends and have stayed in touch over the years! When Kevin and I were in Antwerp, we stayed with Peter and he showed us the most incredible local restaurants and history of the city!

Blogging is a great environment to connect with new friends all across the globe! Say hi to some new friends in far away places, and begin the start of a new relationship!!

If you are part of a church, check to see if there are missionaries living anywhere around where you are going. Back in the day, when my parents lugged us 4 kids to Italy, we met up and stayed with some fantastic Italian missionaries! It was mutually encouraging to share stories and have fellowship with on another!!

2. Agoda.com 
Far and away our favorite booking site for lodging is called agoda.com. On entering their site, you write your destination into their search bar. Then, in seconds, they will generate a comprehensive list of choices. What we love about Agoda is that every piece of information you need shows up, and you can easily compare hotels to one another. You will see the price, the reviews (which come in super handy!), and where it's located in the city. If you want to be in a specific part of a city, you can choose districts on the left hand side! We used Agoda to book our ENTIRE South East Asia trip, and every place we stayed in was absolutely fantastic!! Plus, sometimes you even get better deals on Agoda than if you were to book from the Hotel's actual website!

3. Air BnB
If you are traveling with an entourage (or just your family!), this is the place to look. Air BnB showcases open apartments/houses that you can rent. Often times these are people's actual homes, and they open them up to visitors when they are gone on vacation. For instance, this last summer, my mom found a steal of a deal in the quaint town of Delft, in the Netherlands. We are a party of 7 (my mom, dad, 2 sisters, brother and Kev and I!), so finding hotel accommodations for 7 of us for 6 nights could have skyrocketed our bills out the roof! Instead, my mom contacted this sweet Dutch family who had put their apartment up for rent, while they vacationed in Portugal. So, for 6 nights, our entire family stayed in downtown Deflt in the most adorable 400 year old 4-story home. It was INCREDIBLE. There was a huge kitchen and long wooden table we congregated around every day! And to top it off, it was only $100 a night (for all 7 of us!!! what?!?!?). Overall, this site is awesome.

4. Rick Steves
Have you met Rick yet? If not, let me introduce you! Rick Steves is the ultimate travel tour guide! If you happen to be going to Europe, he's your man!! Buy his book to the country you are traveling to and you will thank me:) What I think sets Rick apart from all other travel books is his ability to sift through what you MUST see verses what you could see. Basically, he builds the best itineraries around, telling you to go to places that are worth your time and money. And for our purposes today, Rick locates some pretty fantastic gems in the area of accommodations. This past year when my family was in France, my mom used Rick's suggestions to book accommodations at a 300 year old farm house along the D-day beaches. What made this stay so unique was that you couldn't book it through a website. Rick had personally gone and visited this farmhouse, and then had put the phone number for the house in his book. My mom literally had to call France to book this place!!! But not only was our stay incredibly historical and outright idyllic, it saved my family bunches of cash compared to staying in the more well known venues in the city. (And not to nerd-out on you, but before we travel, Kevin and I always you-tube Rick Steve's videos about the destination where we are going! Get's us in the spirit!!)

5. Hostels
If you are a student, or someone on an incredibly tight budget, hostels are for you. Hostels are essentially like dormitories where the prices stay generally low. Some hostels are really nice where you could even find yourself with your own bathroom, but for the most part you are packed in on bunk beds, and share a corporate bathroom. My sophomore year of college I studied abroad in Italy. After my term was over, a few friends flew over and together we traveled through 7 different countries in Europe. I think 90% of the places we stayed were hostels! And it was loads of fun! You get to meet people from other countries, and just saturate yourself in such an international vibe! Often times you can get a student discount, or sign up for a hostel card on sites like hosteling international (to become a member, see here).

6. Couch Surfing
While there is such a hype around couch surfing, I must admit i've never tried it!! Have you? You can check out the Couch Surfing website, make a profile, and then start looking to crash the couch/guest bed of someone in your destination country. My friend Peter from Belgium, who I mentioned above, is an avid couch surfing host, opening his home almost weekly to people coming to Antwerp. He told us he has met so many amazing people this way. He actually met his significant other through couch surfing!! While aspects of couch surfing seem a bit sketch to me, I've had friends swear by it, meeting great chums in the process! You can be the judge of this…but the bottom line is that it's a free place to stay! And it can't get any cheaper than that, folks!

7. Google
Okay, okay, this may seem like a cop-out, but it's not, I swear! If you are looking for somewhere off the beaten track, then google it! This past year my brother, who is into brewing beer, found a Trappist monastery called Orval Monastery, in the middle-of-no-where in Belgium. So he contacted the monastery, asking if they had accommodations, and it turns out they had a little chalet they rented out for spiritual retreats. And so, our entire family stayed in a chalet that was attached to Orval Monastery. Friends, it was unreal. Monk lived there…real monks! robes, chanting, bee keeping…the whole nine yards! It was like stepping back into the medieval era, and observing a very simple, quiet and humble lifestyle. It turned out to be a few beautiful days for us as a family, as we attended chapel, did our devotions on the lawn, and walked through the orchards at night after dinner. It was a sliver of heaven, smashed into a family vacation:) And, an added bonus was that it was dirt cheap. And if you know anything about Europe, you know that Europe and dirt-cheap don't belong in the same sentence!!

A few thoughts on accommodations: 
1) If you want cheap cheap cheap accommodations, go to SE Asia. I'm not kidding when I say that 5
    nights worth of lodging in Thailand costs the same as 1 night in Paris. You can book the most
    gorgeous resorts, be pampered and spoiled, and it will still cost less than a basic room in France!
    Don't let this stop you from going to Europe (goodness knows there's a reason it's expensive!), but
     just keep your expectations real!

2) If you don't plan on staying in your room much (which you shouldn't!!), then choose the basic room
    over the one with more amenities. However, if you are traveling to a freezing cold place and plan to
    spend ample time in your room, just make sure it has a heater!! (That's my motto!!)

3) Location, location, location! Sometimes it's worth a few extra bucks to stay in a more central
     location. For instance, this past summer in Paris, Kev and I could have saved $10-15 if we stayed
     further out of the city. However, then we would be paying to buy a metro ticket into town, and it
     would probably be a wash, plus the hassle of the time in traveling around. Sometimes, staying
     centrally saves you money because you can walk everywhere! Other times, you'll save a TON of
     money by staying on the outskirts of town! This is a good option if you have a rental car, and
     transportation is not an issue. For instance, when my family went to visit the island of Mt. St. Michel
     in Northern France, my mom booked the most impersonal and creepy hotel (it was called HotelF1
     for crying out loud! how French is that?!?!?!…and actually became a lovely family joke that my
     mother will never live down!) but in her defense, it saved us from staying in the overpriced town of
     Mt. St. Michel, and it was no big deal to take our rental car 5-10 minutes into town each day!

4) Sleep in your rental car! No joke…my thrifty parents parked our Italian rental van in a soccer
    field one night in Pisa, and told us to fall asleep there. I was quite mortified at the time (like legit
    angry!), but now I see it was an excellent plan to save them hundreds of dollars! I literally woke up
    with one of my legs out the window…classy americans, right there!

5) Don't wait till the last minute to book. You may want to seem more "spontaneous" and
   "adventurous" but if you'd rather be labeled "bargain backpacker" then book in advance! Especially
    during peak travel season when most of the great deals get snatched up fast! It's also a good idea to
    book ahead if you are traveling to an area where a major sporting event is taking place…world cup,
    Super Bowl, art festivals, Oktoberfest, etc!! One summer in Munich, my friends and I didn't realize
    the European Cup was going on, and we were reduced to sleeping in a tent. Not cool! So think about
    these things when booking!!

6) Accommodations don't always mean "on land"! Cruises are amazing options, and sometimes can
    score you the best deals! Sign up for the Travelzoo deals of the week! We just returned from a 3 day
    cruise in Halong Bay, Vietnam {here}. It was beyond fantastic!!

7) Choose lodging that supports a good cause! Just recently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, we stayed at
    The White Linen Guest House, which employs women rescued out of sex-trafficking. To see more
    of our experience staying at a socially conscious hotel, see here.

8) If you stay in someone's home (friend, family, or apartment from Air BnB) it's always lovely to bring
    a gift. The best gifts are local products made from your home town! My dad is a rice farmer, so many
    times we bring his local rice products, or even local honey, almonds, or other produce from our
    hometown to give as a thank-you!! And of course, pack thank-you notes in your suitcase, just in
    case:) Be a good ambassador to your country:)

Welp, I think that's all I can muster for tonight! If I missed anything…let me know!!

Happy Tuesday friends:)
love Katie

ps- To read the first 4 installments of my travel series: 
Part 1- Prioritize your spending
Part 2- Travel Credit Cards
Part 3- Food
Part 4- Teach Abroad

How to Pay for Travel, Part 4- Teach English Abroad

In case you missed it…"How to Pay for Travel" {Part 1} {Part 2} {Part 3}

One of the easiest ways to kickstart your traveling career is to actually MOVE abroad! Now obviously if you move abroad, you will need to work abroad (unless you have a secret stash of unlimited money…in which case, we should be friends:) haha, j/k!)

Teach English Abroad:

Without a doubt the easiest way to find a job is to find a position teaching English. English is the international language of the world and therefore English teachers are in high demand, specifically in Asia. Fresh out of college, I accepted a position teaching English in Thailand. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. If you are at all considering teaching abroad, DO IT! Living abroad lends itself to the convenience of traveling to new places, meeting new friends, and experiencing culture in a profound way (all while getting paid! Yee-haw!).  

Here are a few things you need to know if you are considering teaching English abroad:

1.    Are you TESOL certified? Typically to teach English, you need a certificate that states you have completed a course on how to teach English. These courses are referred to as TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Lanugages) or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). Fortunately for us, getting a TESOL certificate really is not that hard! I chose to move to Thailand through a program called TEFL International. I was trained and certified in one month, and then moved on to teach at a school. There are also TESOL certificates you can receive through online programs. Some schools will even train you as part of their package. Just check into different programs and see what the best way to earn your certificate might be! Just as an FYI, getting certified does cost money, but in the end it absolutely pays off!! {And as a tip, I have seen these types of courses on sale through third party discount sites like groupon! So keep your eyes out if you are interested!!} 

2.    Some Countries offer Higher Pay than Others: In considering where you want to teach, you must keep in mind that different countries offer different salaries for their teachers. Japan, South Korea, and China offer some of the highest paid positions, while Thailand and Cambodia offer lower rates. However, it is good to keep in mind that places like Thailand, while they offer lower rates, also have a cheaper standard of living. I’m sure I got paid way less to teach in Thailand than I would in Japan, but eating out for meals was usually a $1 and transportation was very economical. Some of my friends that have taught in South Korea were able to use the money they saved to pay off student loans! Do your research on different jobs to see how much income you will be earning!

3.    Do you want Part-Time Work or Full-Time Work? If you are looking to live abroad AND save money and pay off debt, than working full time fits the bill (no pun intended!). It truly is a great way to kill two birds with one stone! However, if you are looking to live abroad and travel as much as you possibly can, then working part-time is a killer option! I worked part-time in Thailand, which gave me the luxury of soaking in the sites around Chaing Mai where I lived, AND allowed me to explore a lot of cities off the beaten track! Most full time positions will be at government and public schools {some privates!}, and most part-time English teaching positions will be at private schools (at least this was my experience in Thailand. If you are a teacher in another country, feel free to tell me how that works for you!).

My own experience teaching English in Thailand was wonderful. Yes, it is a lot of work, takes a lot of energy {teaching alone is hard enough, much less in a language the kids don’t understand!}, but the relationships you forge and the adventures you have far outweigh the difficult parts! I will say this, I realized once in Thailand, that while I love teaching, English was not the subject for me. And I realized, that’s ok too! At least I got an amazing journey out of the deal:) 

If you have any specific questions about teaching English, or about teaching in Thailand, feel free to send me an email! I lived predominantly in Chiang Mai (Thailand's second largest city…and very beautiful I might add!). I worked at a private school and taught English part time. I had a class of beginners, and tutored advanced students. The great thing is that you really can vary the avenues in which you teach. 

While in Thailand, I also taught at: 

- Summer Camps: Thailand has a variety of English and Summer camps for school kids. These were a fun way to get involved in Thai culture! One particular camp I was the only native English speaker on a bus with 200 Thai Children, yep, and I had a jolly but clueless old time! We rolled up to a gorgeous resort and I taught my classes on the patio overlooking the ocean (not too shabby, eh?). I also got to participate in all the crazy exciting games the Thai counselors had planned for the kids, like laser tag on the beach and scavenger hunts. Most of the time I had absolutely NO idea what was going on (like for REALS!) but I suppose that's what made up the adventure!! 

- Refugee Camps: To the west of Thailand is the country of Burma. The instability of the government and its violent treatment of many ethnic groups has contributed to a rise of Burmese refugees to Thailand. While there, I spent some time teaching English in a large refugee camp for the Karen people group. I will admit it was one of the most humbling and difficult places I have ever traveled to, but it changed my life in a profound way. Volunteering your English skills, and more importantly your friendship and listening ear will go a long way:) 

- Language centers: For a time, I supplemented my hours at the private school by also picking up a job at a language institute. Typically Thai families will take their children to these institutes to be tutored in English for an hour (give or take). My job would be to create cohesive lesson plans for kids once a week, and personally tutor them. This is a great option if you want to pick up a few more hours in your schedule!! 

Lastly, you don't have to be an English major or a grammar pro to teach English. I am neither, and yet was able to get the hang of it! Schools are just so grateful to have a native English speaker on staff. So be kind and generous, work hard, and open your heart, and you will be terrific! {and have COUNTLESS hilarious stories from your students to pass on to your friends and family!}

And you will get to travel like crazy! 

Teaching for the WIN!!!!

{to see more Thailand pictures, click here} 

love Katie 

How to Pay for Travel, Part 3: Food

If you missed Part 1&2 on “How to pay for Travel” see {Part 1} and {Part 2}

Today we are talking about my favorite thing…FOOD! To me, food is culture! Not too many things excite me more than sampling local flavors! However, eating out can get expensive! Especially if you are in Europe…our poor dollar loses so much value to the Pound and Euro! And eating out adds up fast…a breakfast here, a lunch there, throw a snacky snack in, and dinner there…and soon just your food tab alone exceeds $100 for the day! Yikes! Kevin and I realized this pretty quickly and devised a few trips to help cut down the costs! 

**As a note, most of these tips work best in Europe or other more expensive countries (like Australia, NZ, Japan). Traveling in SE Asia, Africa and S. America is a lot easier with food, as meal costs are very cheap! But these tips work well wherever you are:) Enjoy! 

1)   Stay at a place that offers breakfast: You can find very affordable places that include breakfast with the lodging! This is a great way to factor in a meal so that you don’t have to go out for your morning munchies! We found this to be especially lovely in Ireland, where Bed and Breakfasts were the lodging of choice, and you received a very hearty breakfast, and sometimes items to take with you for lunch! Often, because the breakfasts were so big, we didn’t need a huge lunch, only some snacks! And…if you are anything like my sisters, you can even sneak a few pieces of bread into your purse to take with you the rest of the day:)

2)    Pick one meal to eat out: When in extremely high priced countries (such as France) Kevin and I decide to pick one meal to eat out. This allows you to savor the ambiance of local eateries and sample specific delicacies, but also doesn’t break your budget! Typically we choose to eat out for dinner, but depending on where we are it will swap. In Belgium, we knew we had to sample a Belgium waffle for breakfast! Eat the rest of your meals from grocery stores….

{my sweet parents below…eating out in Delft, Holland}

3)   Frequent grocery stores & Open Air Markets: I cannot stress this enough! Grocery store snacks will go a LONG way both in your budget and in your stomach. Our go-to snacks when traveling, which we find the perfect combination of both tasty and filling, is a loaf of bread, cheese and salami. (If you are gluten free like me, Europe is seriously legit at having g-free bread at grocery stores!)This trio is easy to store and take out when your hunger gets the better of you. Add in a few pieces of fruit, some dark chocolate for the sweet tooth, and some carrots, and you are ready to go! Open air markets are abundant all around the world, and picking up some lovely produce and fresh fruit is a perfect way to enjoy the ambiance of the markets, as well as save a few pennies! (fresh nectarines, peaches, apricots, and cherries are the most delicious summer fruits to pick up at markets!) In Paris, Kevin and I spent a romantic evening picnicking in front of the Eiffel tower with our delicious store & market bought food, and wine {when in France, right?}.  This to me was just as special as dropping $100 on a nice meal:) except you save AND the Eiffel tower is your view, hello!!!!

{our lil' french picnic above…and another shot of our janky "picnic basket" aka trash bag, below! ha}

4)   Prepare your own food: Every once in a while you might happen to stay in a place that has its own kitchen. USE IT! This past year my family rented a quaint multi-level home in Delft, Holland from AirBnB (which I will talk about more later!). It had a giant kitchen, and so my mom bought groceries for the week and we cooked different meals every day! Our family also stayed in a dormitory at an old Monastery in Belgium. We picked up groceries before we arrived, and that night my mom made a delicious dinner, and lovely breakfast each monring. This works especially well if you are cooking for a larger group of people! Eating out with 6+ people WILL be expensive, so consider making meals.

5)   Bring your own small packaged condiments from home: That’s right, I’m literally telling you to steal those crushed red pepper packets at the pizza parlor, and your salt and pepper packets off your airplane tray! Am I a red-neck yet? Haha! But, if you know you will be cooking while on vacation, pack a zip lock bag full of tiny packets of condiments you would get at restaurants Our go-to condiments include crushed red peppers, parmesan, and salt and pepper (but others could include ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, etc). This money saving trip keeps you from having to buy a whole big bottle of any of these items, only to use them a few times! {and really, do you want to put a huge salt dispenser in your purse to take home?}

6)   Pack Snacks! I almost always pack snacks in my suitcase when I travel. Buying a bulk box of granola bars from Costco before your trip can do wonders! Snack items I can’t live without include: trailmix, gluten free/vegan granola or energy bars, dried fruit, rice cakes and inner peas (my favorite snack from Trader Joes). Often I’ll use ziplock bags to divide the trail mix, dried fruit and rice cakes into daily allotments, so that I only have to grab one zip lock bag instead of the whole big bag of granola, fruit or rice cakes! Prepping these items makes snacking a no-hassle job once on your adventure! Snacks also come in extra handy when the food in a particular country is doing a number on your stomach. I can think of times in both Kenya and in Nepal where I literally was not keeping anything in my system (if you know what I mean!), so eating some comfortable food for the body helped keep me going!

If you are all about food when you travel, never fear, I will have a future post on all the most delicious items to eat in each country!  However, I hope that this post just sheds some light on how to save money when it comes to food!

Bon Apetit!

Love Katie