Where to Find Travel Inspiration

Posted on 25 January 2013 by Megan

I’d say I have a pretty healthy addiction to travel. Addiction in the sense that when I’m working, eating, sleeping, driving, whatever, I’m thinking about where I want to go. When I’m on a trip, I’m already thinking about the next trip. And when I start planning the next trip while I’m on the current trip, I start thinking about the next next one.

So where do I find inspiration for these trips? Easy–everywhere!

Movies

movie theater

Movies are a great source of inspiration for me. Even the crappy movies might have a great backdrop. Here are just a few movies that have piqued the wanderlust in me: Stealing Beauty (Italy), La Vita e Bella (Italy), Lord of the Rings (New Zealand), Last Holiday (Czech Republic), Bourne series (all over Europe), Eurotrip (all over Europe), Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Sweden), Harry Potter (UK–namely Scotland), In Bruges (Belgium)

Books

books

I’m an avid reader and sometimes just reading the descriptions of different locales is enough to make me daydream about traveling around the world: Da Vinci Code (France), Eat, Pray, Love (Italy, Indonesia, India), I Dreamed of Africa (Kenya), Kite Runner (Afghanistan), The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Czech Republic), The Alchemist (Egypt)

Magazines

travel magazines

There are so many magazines available that are totally travel-related or have travel-related feature stories in them. Personally, my favorite is National Geographic Traveler (though, I also love the original National Geographic). I also check out a few others from time-to-time including Lonely Planet Traveller, Conde Nast, and Budget Travel.

Travel Blogs

travel blogs

I’m kind of a blog nut. I follow so many blogs that it’s actually a bit hard to keep up with (though, thanks to Google Reader and Flipboard, I have it under control lately). I mainly follow travel and expat blogs, though sometimes lifestyle bloggers post some travel-related things. Here are some of my favorite blogs lately: A Dangerous Business, Expat Edna, Glocal Girl, From There to Here, Let’s Be Adventurers, and Life’s Little Victories.

Websites

groupon getaways

One of my favorite things to do is to check out the vacation packages on various websites. I’ve never actually purchased one, but it still gives me loads to think about when I put together my own travel arrangements. My favorite ones are Travelzoo, Groupon Getaways, Expedia, and Living Social Escapes.

images from here, here, here, here, here

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Photos: Amsterdam

Posted on 23 January 2013 by Megan

I’ve been to Amsterdam a couple times. And speaking as a woman who loves the Netherlands, I really didn’t get the warm fuzzies from its capital city. There wasn’t really a reason why I didn’t like it–nothing bad happened while I was there, everything was perfectly pleasant, the weather every time I went was fine–but I guess there also really wasn’t a reason why I did like it. I just didn’t see the wow factor. Yes, it is beautiful. Yes, it has charm. There’s a ton of history there. It’s got great museums, restaurants, architecture, public transportation, etc. But I guess other cities in the Netherlands won my heart.

I did all the things one’s supposed to do in Amsterdam–I went to the museums, I sat at an outdoor cafe along the canal, I went to a “coffee shop”, walked by and giggled uncomfortably (effects of the coffee shop?) at sex shops and the Red Light District.

I’ll certainly give Amsterdam another chance to woo me. Lonely Planet puts the city at its number two spot for cities to visit in 2013, so I certainly hope I feel the magic on my next visit. Until then, at least the city’s been photogenic!

Amsterdam

Amsterdam Canal

Amsterdam

Amsterdam Canal

Amsterdam

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Kasteel de Haar

Posted on 21 January 2013 by Megan

Kasteel de Haar

Kasteel de Haar is just outside Utrecht in the Netherlands. And talk about idyllic. The castle itself is magnificent, boasting 200 rooms and 30 bathrooms, and dates back to 1892. The grounds on which it sits are pristine. In the autumn, the lush green grass was dotted with fallen yellow, orange, and red leaves. The tree- and hedge-lined paths looked like they came straight from a movie set. There’s a small sculpture garden to take a little stroll through. And to top it all off, there are swans!

Kasteel de Haar

I had a wonderful time meandering around the grounds, snapping photos, thinking, and enjoying the atmosphere there. It’s so quiet and peaceful, making it easy to get lost in thought.

Kasteel de Haar

The castle was under renovation when I was there (you can probably see some of the scaffolding in photos), but I think it’s supposed to be completed by now. Being there in the autumn was gorgeous, but I’m also curious as to what the grounds are like in the spring when everything is in bloom.

Kasteel de Haar

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