myretroperspective

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them."  - Mark Twain Thankfully through traveling to three continents and eleven different countries together, my husband and I have fallen more in love with each other (and traveling) than the dreaded latter of the quote above. But through our world galavanting, we've not only learned more about ourselves, but we've also learned some priceless lessons about each other.  So I've compiled a list of five things that you can expect to learn when traveling with your man. 1.  Bathroom language just can't be avoided . Especially when you spend every day for two weeks chowing down on some Thai green curry and a bathroom break is required within 10 minutes of finishing. Check out this  post to see what are must haves in your medicine kit .  2.  Hanger is real ...and ugly. I truly believe that all things said out of hunger should immediately be f...

There are so many different types of travelers and traveling styles. There are people who go all out on vacation and do not spare any expense. There are the budget travelers that try to get the most bang for their buck. And there are the backpackers who try to stretch their dollar as far as it will possibly go. There's absolutely no wrong way to travel, it's all simply based on preference and budget. Without a doubt, Jeremy and I fall into the budget traveler category. We like to enjoy ourselves, will splurge from time to time, and try to overall travel comfortably. But for the most part we try to just get the best deal we can and save as much as we can. We figure that the cheaper we can go, the more we can see, longer we can go for and the more often we can go. Win win right?  I have talked before how Jeremy and I have somewhat specific roles while traveling . He books everything from hotels to airline tickets, and I plan what we are going to do and keep track of the budget. ...

One of the most nerve wracking parts of traveling for me is finding a hotel. I have a friend  who has a similar hate and faces buyers remorse every time she books. It's hard not to when there's literally hundreds of choices in each area. So my solution? Let my husband do the dirty work. Thank goodness he's happy and willing to take it off my hands for me. And this time he was able to find the Villa Langka  hotel in Phnom Penh, a gem among the hundreds of choices in the city. When we travel we always look for the same things in our hotels. And thankfully Villa Langka filled all of these requirements. 1. Locally owned and operated aka no chains (only one location in the heart of Phnom Penh) 2. Small in size (48 rooms in total in two different buildings) 3. Budget friendly  ($55 a night with an included buffet breakfast. A deal breaker when we look for hotels) 4. Location location location (just a short walk away from tons of bars, restaurants, and shops) Thankfully in Phnom...

On the last few trips it's become a sort of unintentional tradition to rent a motorbike and take a road trip (you can check out our one in the Philippines and Thailand ). We love it because not only it is a cheaper method of transportation versus taxis or tuk tuks since it's less than $10 a day for a rental, but I feel like we are also able to see parts of the country that would have whizzed by the bus window. In total we rode over 900 km (that's 560 miles for you USers), or the width of Cambodia and almost back again and I have the bruises on my butt to prove it. We went through cities and back country roads where the farmers were steering their ox through the rice paddies. We drove through the blazing heat, dusty roads and pouring down rain. We met farmers, school children, business owners and our guardian angel; a stranger who drove slowly in front of us with their hazards on so we could see the road through the downpour of rain. But no matter where we traveled, we were...

I have a very special treat for your guys today. Delia's blog, World in Words is a new find for me and I could not be more smitten by her creatively articulated travel stories. She left her job as a politics correspondent in the UK to travel the Silk Road from Turkey to China. I mean seriously, how awesome is that?! After you read her post below on things she wished she knew before leaving for her travels, you seriously need to head over to her page because she has some of the most unique travel experiences I've ever read! Here are some of my favorites to get you started: Walking in the Pamirs , How to Survive a Sleeper Train  and  Darvaza Gas Craters . Oh and Horse Riding in Kyrgyzstan ; because those photos are beautiful! -------------------- I've not confessed this to many people... but at the bottom of my rucksack, underneath my medical kit, trainers and other essential items, is a Lada car window handle. And no, since setting off to travel the Silk Road across Centr...

I know several people, myself included, that do not like traveling with their wedding rings. There are several reasons for this. 1. Being humble. When traveling to third world countries, where people may not know where their next meal is coming from or where mothers are sending their children out to beg; it may not be the best place to show off your diamond ring worth more than they may ever see. 2. Safety. Let's face it, there are some places where flashing a diamond ring just isn't the safest idea. You have the chance of becoming a target just by having it around your finger. And... 3. Well...you don't want to lose it. Which is probably one of the main reasons I don't want to travel with it. Because even though I've never misplaced it before, it would be just my luck that it would happen the one time I bring it on a trip. It is a combination of these reasons that makes me leave my ring at home on trips. Many girls simply wear their wedding bands which is more low ...

It's time for Expat Diaries once again! Link up your travel/expat stories below and get to know some of the other lovely bloggers! -------------------- I love most aspects of planning for a trip. I love picking the destination, researching where to go and what to see while we're there. I even love budgeting for trips (anyone want to hire me? Dream job, right there). But you know what sucks all the fun out of it? Packing. I always procrastinate and more times than not, I forget something. But there are certain things that I make sure to never forget. No matter what season, what destination (because we know that those two things can drastically alter a packing list) these are some small items that always make it into my bag. 1. Pashmina- these multi-functional scarves always make the cut. These are great on cold airplanes, restaurants and trains to use as an extra layer. They're also great in temples and cathedrals when women need to have their shoulders covered. 2. Medicine...

Living abroad, I continuously amaze myself at just how little of the good ol' United States I've actually seen. Growing up we pretty much stuck to Michigan (where we lived) and Florida (where my grandparents lived. read:free housing). Through my adolescence we started to travel more but mostly internationally (no complaints there). But have I seen the Grand Canyon? Nope. Niagara Falls? Nope. Yellowstone? Nope. My students are in shock that I haven't seen some of the most famous landmarks in my home country. Which is why hubs wants to buy an RV when we move back home and travel around the states for a few months. Anyone want to join us? Along with the continental U.S. another place that's high on our list is Alaska. Today I have Kristy from  Vintage Love and Photographs  to show you exactly why I need to go there. -------------------- Hey guys! It's Kristy from Vintage Love and Photographs . I thought I'd share about my last trip I took which was last year. My hu...

I'll be the first to admit that the Philippines was not high on my travel bucket list. I've heard great things about their beaches but with us being more of the 'go go go' type of travelers, beaches alone didn't draw me in. With the Philippines being just a short four hour flight from Korea and with tickets as low as $150 per person, it's the perfect getaway for a long, or even in our case, a short relaxing getaway.  We stayed at the Tipolo Beach Resort  in Moalboal, about  two hour drive south of Cebu City. While I admit, it's nothing luxurious with basic rooms including a bed, wardrobe, mini fridge and nothing else, the genuinely friendly staff and ocean views far made up for it.  The hotel has a total of eight rooms, three of which offer prime ocean views. But don't worry, they are all close enough to the water that you can fall asleep to the sound of the tide breaking against the shore. And that alone is worth the four hour plane ride.  I can't s...