Category Archives: Travel Musings

The Magic of Monsoons

18 Monday Jun 2012

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One of the (many) treasures living in Tucson, Arizona is the weather. For 9 months of the year, it is perfect: warm, sunny, little need for sweaters. Scarves are more a fashion accessory than a temperature-related necessity, and to be honest, most of the time I like it that way. But the summer is HOT. Yes, it is true, it’s a dry heat. I learned when we went to New Orleans that there is a huge difference, although I’m still trying to figure out whether my body prefers arid or humid.

BUT. But. During the summer, usually in July, come the monsoons. You read it right–monsoons. True, we’re in a desert, but due to the shifting wind flow in the summer months, the high daytime temperatures, and something about subtropical high pressure cells all combine to give us some blessings during the summer heat: monsoon thunderstorms. 


These thunderstorms are not only awesome (in every sense of the word) because they give us a refreshing afternoon rain. They’re also awesome because they make the desert air smell brilliant. During storms, a local plant called creosote emits a unique odor.* It is one of my all-time favorite smells. Whenever I’m in a new city, I always keep tabs on how it smells during and after a rain–so far, nowhere else in the world smells as neat as Tucson.

Anyway, we had our first monsoon the other day. Officially, monsoon season started last week, which actually seems a little earlier than normal, but whatever, I’ll take it. My favorite image during a monsoon is of the dark clouds contrasting sharply with the terra cotta and pinks of the stucco on buildings. I spent the afternoon cleaning and organizing my stuff (only 2.5 weeks until big departure!), and making sure our anxiety-ridden dog didn’t freak out. Here she is relaxing before the thunder claps got too close:

And sometimes, this is what happens after the storm:

Double rainbow! Insert every quote from that crazy double rainbow video here.

*This is, ya know, desert-y stuff you learn from growing up in a place like this. I thought knowing all the different varieties of cacti and desert animals was totally normal until cousins from Jersey visited when I was a kid. For the record, it’s pronounced “heel-ah” monster…

Ever experienced a monsoon? What’s your favorite part? And what does your town smell like in the rain?

Trip Update! The list dwindles…

14 Thursday Jun 2012

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Peddling my many wares at my yard sale

It’s been a number of weeks since my last trip update, so for those of you who don’t follow me on Twitter or Facebook, where I’ve posted flight purchases and such with many exclamation points, here’s the up-to-date scoop on my travel plans:

Remember last time I posted about our itinerary, I had to figure out what I’d be doing from July 14-Aug. 5? 

Well, I at least know what I’ll be doing from July 25-August 5. GOING TO SCOTLAND! I’ll be traveling to the Scottish Highlands, including the Isle of Skye, hopefully the Isle of Harris, Oban, Ullapool, etc. with Kat Carney, adventurer and photographer extraordinaire. (Check out her beautiful work here.) We’re hoping to hit up some beautiful hiking in the highlands, get onto the water and do some kayaking, perhaps, and we happen to overlap with the Scotland FRINGE FESTIVAL (!!!), which I’ve always wanted to check out! Very exciting.

Also, Boris and I have tickets booked from Athens to Istanbul on August 6. From there, we’ll explore a bit of Turkey until he has to leave for his program, at which point I will somehow get back to Italy by September 1 to start my WWOOFing gig! Whew. Lots of plane tickets purchased in the past couple weeks, all exciting. Still working on booking accommodation and planning for these places, but slowly and steadily it is getting done.

One thing I’m pretty excited about for Scotland–other than trying the Scotch, searching for Nessie and trying to catch some fairies in the fairy pools–is to try Couchsurfing! I know many other folks who have had a great time using it, and I’m looking forward to meeting new people and getting local advice from our hosts.

Now this is what my major to-do list looks like: 
 

Make a list of countries you want to see and the entry/visa requirements (This is yellow because it’s almost done)

Call regional consulate or visa office re: travel within Schengen (I think I figured it out with all my internetz)
Go to Verizon store to ask about phone options
Make doc appointments! (Made AND attended!)
Buy plane ticket (Flying Lufthansa to Athens on July 4!)

Get copy of glasses/contacts prescriptions
Buy travel insurance

Notify bank
Get a credit card(Did a lot of research, my credit card is a Chase Sapphire Platinum. I NEVER HAVE TO GO ON HOLD WHEN I CALL THEM. It’s kind of crazy)
Get wwoofing position

Research volunteer options

Go through clothing & books to purge non-essentials
Yard sale for stuff!

So much progress! And, of course, every week I’m working on my Go! Girl Guides interviews, corresponding with interesting and adventurous women from around the globe, exploring said globe!


Countdown to official departure, T minus 21 days!
 

Friendliness in Travel

07 Thursday Jun 2012

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One of the things that really struck us when we were in New Orleans last week was just how friendly everyone was. Walking down the street entailed at least a handful of strangers not only saying, “Hello,” with a smile, but also often asking, “How’s it going?”

I generally find Tucsonans to be pretty friendly. Maybe I’m biased. From my travels, I know that we’re certainly a lot more outwardly friendly and chatty compared to the East coast. Riding on a subway in New York? Fugghetaboudit. Avoid eye contact at pretty much all costs. (Please note: I love New York, I love New Yorkers, I’ve had lots of strangers there be very kind to me, but generally not the city’s forte on the streets.) Here, it’s safe to say you can get a lot of smiles back or “hi”s if you want. 
But NOLA? Holy smokes, it was like we were part of the family. Here are some examples that all happened in one day; after all, it’s important to supply concrete details to support this thesis (right, rhetoric students?!):
  • On our ferry day, we were waiting for the boat to arrive. A number of people were milling about, chatting with whomever they had come: teenage girls, an elderly pair of women, a 30-something couple. We’re standing there, being silly and talking with each other when the woman from the 30-something couple comes up to us and says, “How far can you bend your thumb back?” At first I couldn’t actually understand her, and wasn’t sure if she was crazy, but Boris had and starts looking at his thumb. I finally realized what had happened and we had a lengthy conversation about thumbs and double-jointedness, which turned to their asking us what we were up to, and giving us the low down on Algiers. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they had invited us to tag along with them on their day, too.
  • On that same day, just as we had crossed the river we were meandering along Rue Louis Armstrong, the path that runs along the river and gives details about Jazz greats. A middle-aged couple walking a couple dogs goes by. I don’t even know how they started talking to us (and by us, I mean Boris, who, despite the beard & muscles is one of the most approachable people on the planet). The husband told us to walk along Delamonde, that it was a nice street to see, and that there was a church with a park next to it. They asked where we were from, where we were going, whether we liked it in New Orleans. They revealed to us that they were transplants, and had moved there five years ago and there was no end in sight! Off we went, then, to check out their recommendation of the church/park combo.
  • Walking along Delamonde, I was further ahead admiring the homes and Boris was behind taking photos. There was a man sitting on a front porch across the street. From across the street, he greets Boris, asks how things are going. Boris replies with a question about directions to the church, and the man runs across the street to answer him. Runs! Apparently his radio was on and he couldn’t hear the question. They had an entire exchange during which the man said he was visiting his father for his 90th birthday, he was from Ohio, asked where we were from, etc. etc. When we were walking back to the ferry about an hour later, we passed by and met his entire family sitting on the porch. We also got a chance to wish his father–who looked great!–a happy birthday. 
I’m going to venture to say that those actions are not isolated; in fact, they are the norm. Maybe it was just that I had never experienced Southern hospitality. Is that what it was? I can’t say, I suppose, as I haven’t traveled much yet in the south, which I’m hoping to change. I can say that Texas is friendly, but definitely not that out-of-the-way friendly. We ultimately concluded that it was the city itself that had this wonderful part of it, welcoming everyone and wanting to make sure everyone saw the best of it. 
Which got me thinking….what are other really friendly places I’ve visited? Minnesota came to mind. Portland is pretty open. I’ve heard that Orvietani have a reputation for being cold, but most of my life spent in Orvieto was filled with warm and welcoming people. 
What do you think? What were some of the friendliest places you’ve visited? 

Pre-Memorial Day Departure Bumblings

27 Sunday May 2012

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Tomorrow, bright and early, Boris and I will be going to New Orleans! The trusty blue Swiss Guard carryon is packed full of sundresses, as well as my new gift, Maphead, which I hope to start reading on the plane. I’ll also be auditioning a hand-me-down pair of Chaco sandals for potential casting in my big trip packing list.

 My laptop is not coming with us, but I will be posting a lot on Twitter (@saramelanie14) and Instagram (SaraMelanie14), and updating my bumblings with my little Blogger app a la NYC in March. Never fear, you’ll get a full report on our adventures in the Big Easy!

And don’t forget, if you have a Facebook and you haven’t “liked” The Bumblings of Miss Button already, please do! 🙂 It’s a great way to get easy blog updates to your newsfeed if you don’t use google reader, etc.

Soon we’ll be able to send postcards like this!

https://i0.wp.com/vintagraph.squarespace.com/picture/greetings-from-new-orleans.jpg
Photo courtesy of Vintagraph.Squarespace.com

A presto!

Trip Update!

09 Wednesday May 2012

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Plans are in the works! Things are going slowly but steadily. I finally made a concrete list of official Things To Do, which was a lot harder than I anticipated. I had mustered up half-hearted things to do, none of which deserve capitalization, because none of them were very concrete. Things like “Buy ticket. Research WWOOFing. Etc” topped the list, and I’ve found that for me, those types of lists don’t work super well.

I’m a visual to-do-lister. My planners, starting even in middle school, listed every single thing I had to accomplish for the day. Even throughout college and beyond, through the advent of google calendar and smart phones, I used a planner (I prefer this Moleskine) wherein I would detail every task at hand. Third parties gazing over my shoulder usually exclaimed things like, “How can you read that?!” and even one of my students recently remarked at how messy my lesson planning calendar was. Messy to you, maybe, but not for me. In any case, I”m a big list-maker. My thoughts settle, I can prioritize, I can feel accomplished when checking something right off that list. I finally changed course when I got my Droid Razr, and now use the calendar and To-Do functions on my phone. As evidenced by my student’s comments, though, I still prefer writing when it comes to the important stuff.

This is what my vague, new but relatively more specific To-Do list looks like. I made sure to save it to my Desktop, to make it totally T D L worthy. The adjective modifying this wonderful list is: ULTIMATE. It’s missing a few things, I know, I know. And it’s obviously  not listed in order of urgency, seeing as “buy plane ticket” should happen pretty soon. It will (and you’ll be informed, don’t fret)!

TO DO:
Make a list of countries you want to see and the entry/visa requirements
Call regional consulate or visa office re: travel within Schengen
Go to Verizon store to ask about phone options
Make doc appointments!
Buy plane ticket
Get copy of glasses/contacts prescriptions
Buy travel insurance
Notify bank
Get a credit card
Get wwoofing position
Research volunteer options
Go through clothing & books to purge non-essentials
Yard sale for stuff!

Now I can cross off 2 things. Sort of. 
Thing 1: Figured out phone stuff. Normally when I travel, I use a phone I bought a few years ago in Rome. It’s nothing special; just a Nokia. I’m pretty sure it’s this: 

C1-01_Hero_LP
Thanks for the pic, Nokia.com!

The handy thing about European phones is that they operate usually with SIM cards, so you can pop it out and put a new one in in the event that a) your SIM expires and you can’t use it anymore or b) it gets lost or c) aliens come down from outer space and remove all chips and electronics from your bag, leaving only the husk of what once was your communication device to the world.

What I did not know in January, when I caved and bought my fancy (and admittedly awesome and slightly addictive) Razr is that I would be traveling for many months. I did not know, when I bought it, is that it is not really internationally compatible for data and voice, unless I want to pay beaucoup bucks. I do not. But! The friendly folks at Verizon answered all my questions, and I plan to travel with it and use it with WiFi. A cool thing about that, is that there’s this app, called WhatsApp. WhatsApp basically works as a messaging service, but it’s free and you can text internationally because it works via WiFi. So if I have WiFi, I can text you from abroad! (If you have a smart phone, that is.) And I’ll also be using my trusty Nokia. 


Thing 2: GOT MY FIRST OFFICIAL FARM GIG! So, my first reality check that this was real, that I’ve really decided to go off without a fixed itinerary to write and travel and adventure, was when I received my WWOOFing membership for Italia. A friend of mine worked on a family farm in Baschi, very near to Orvieto; she highly recommended it, raved about the folks who ran it, and per fortuna, they accepted me! I’ll be WWOOFing with them from September 1-29. Apparently, the back roads of Baschi look like this:

Beautiful and exciting are two words that immediately come to mind. This also means that I’m going to have to figure out a way to get out of the Schengen countries so I can be back in them for Christmas time…


In any case, two big things were accomplished today, and now my list looks more like this:

TO DO:
Make a list of countries you want to see and the entry/visa requirements
Call regional consulate or visa office re: travel within Schengen
Go to Verizon store to ask about phone options
Make doc appointments!
Buy plane ticket
Get copy of glasses/contacts prescriptions
Buy travel insurance
Notify bank
Get a credit card
Get wwoofing position
Research volunteer options
Go through clothing & books to purge non-essentials
Yard sale for stuff!

Still a lot left. But hey, I’ll take it. 

I Heart Tucson: Yoga Oasis!

29 Sunday Apr 2012

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Yoga Oasis holds a special place in my heart. Not only because Darren Rhodes, the studio’s founder, does this: 


Tanutara: Making of the Anusara Syllabus Poster from Ross Evans on Vimeo.

But also because Yoga Oasis was where I found a comfortable, positive, and affordable home to practice yoga regularly.

I’ve been doing yoga in a very informal way for a number of years, but mostly using videos at home. The occasional beginner’s class was useful, but often a little pricier than my undergrad pockets could afford. But in the winter of 2010, I decided to take advantage of my vacation–and my salary–to actually attend a yoga class daily. The first three days were brutal; I hadn’t been so sore in…well, maybe ever. But after I broke through the fourth or fifth class, I could already feel a difference.

My favorite class, the one that maybe confirmed my love for this new endeavor, was on Christmas Eve. Only a few classes were offered that day, so the one I went to was CROWDED. Crowded as in, people were pouring out of the studio; doors were open, both side and back, and luckily we were having a typical Tucson “winter,” so the weather permitted it.

Stephani, our instructor, took that full-to-the-brim class and ran with it. The yoga itself was intense, but what made the experience that much better was the shared energy in the room. No other word can describe it, but it was like you could feel a pulse of everyone around you, all working through the ridiculous crunch of the physical space to balance and breathe.

Not to mention that my fella and I went to yoga together there a lot before we started dating. If it weren’t for Yoga Oasis, maybe we wouldn’t have hung out in the first place!


Yoga Oasis was founded by Darren Rhodes, and he has expanded the YO space and staff to now house three different locations:

  • Central: 2631 N. Campbell Ave, just north of Grant & Campbell.
  • East: 7858 E. Wrightstown Rd, west of Pantano.
  • Downtown: 245 E. Congress St. #101 (I told you guys I’d be focusing on the downtown stuff!)
https://i0.wp.com/www.yogaoasis.com/uploads/pics/YoDwntwnMapREVOct2010.gif
Map courtesy of YogaOasis.com

All three studios boast a variety of levels and classes, so it’s easy to find one that fits your pace and preference. My favorite class is YogaHour. At only $5, they definitely cost less than an average yoga class in almost any city. YogaHour is a flow class, meaning that it can go from pose to pose quickly, so you can break a nice sweat! Also, there are certain Yoga Hours that are a set sequence, (formerly known as YoFlo), which is a great way to track your progress. I remember in the first class, I was appalled that anyone could do this :

Asta kravasana

After our instructor led the pose, I was one of the people who heaved and struggled and couldn’t even make it far enough to fall on my face. But after a regular weekly regimen of Melissa’s Wednesday night class, I can kinda do it!

The photo quality is not as pretty as the one above, nor is the pose as perfect, but it’s a lot better than where I started!

Another huge factor in Yoga Oasis’ greatness is its phenomenal staff.  Every instructor I’ve had at YO has created a welcoming, supportive space. Each one is unique; some like to play Rihanna during YogaHour, some prefer a more mellow playlist. Some move more quickly than others through the poses, but all are very purposeful in their pose sequence, and attentive to making adjustments. And as cheesy as it sounds, despite each of their unique styles, they all exude a warmth and openness to what yoga can bring to everyone. Yes, we are encouraged to push our limits, but never to do so in the danger of hurting ourselves.

They also prove their commitment to Tucson’s environment and local economy. If you walk, bike or bus to class 10 times, you earn a free class. (Don’t forget to get your card punched!) How’s that for encouragement to go green? Also, if you’re at YO Downtown,  Xoom Juice is nearby for a post-shavasana pick-me-up.

(Apparently Ari Shapiro and Darren Rhodes are both partially responsible for the other’s new downtown location.)

Have you ever had a great/weird/funny yoga experience? Itching to share recommendations for other yoga venues in Tucson? Share in the comments!  

The Great Luggage Debacle

25 Wednesday Apr 2012

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Okay, so this is not a true debacle in any sense of the word. But it has provoked a lot of thought for me regarding what preparedness means in travel.

In all my international travels (15 countries other than my own), I have traveled with some sort of rolling contraption. During my jaunt to Spain, Vienna, Hungary & Bratislava, I took a cheap carry-on backpack/rolling hybrid for my 3 weeks of hostel adventuring. It looked sort of like this:

I’m pretty sure that it has since been discontinued by whatever company made it, though, because I have yet to find an image of it on the internets. Mine didn’t even have a fancy laptop case, but it DID have a place to specially put my SHOES–which ate up part of the interior of the bag, which should have been space for my clothes, but whatever. I took that, and a really great Kipling cross-body day bag, which you can see me wearing here, in Vienna:

Hard to see, but the Kipling bag is slung across my shoulder there. It had a front zip pocket and adjustable velcro straps that were pretty durable. Great daybag, went all over the place with me!

I had an easy time getting around, and I liked having the option to make my rolling bag a backpack when I needed to. Stairs weren’t really an issue, because I had packed light enough that I could easily carry my bag up and down them. The wheels were a little uncomfortable when it was worn as a backpack, but most good hybrids these days seem to take that into account and design accordingly.

When I studied abroad, excavated abroad, and lived abroad, I took rolling suitcases. That was definitely the easiest, because I was staying put. Last summer, I bought my Swiss Gear carry on for my 7-week Europe trip, during which I went to London, Italy and Greece.

The only time I remember wishing I had the option of a backpack was when we were maneuvering through the streets of Piraeus and my little bag I had borrowed from some friends kept holding me up. Boris, on the other hand, was practically jogging ahead of me with no trouble, his Osprey pack strapped snug on his back.

I know that my Swiss Gear diddy won’t cut it for this trip, so I’m in the market for some new luggage. This necessity sparked a prolonged and comically heated discussion between my fella and me. He is in the staunch Backpack Is the Best camp, and the past couple of years has traveled with this pack.  My wonderful boyfriend is incredibly intelligent, and made some good, logical points for me to buy a pack rather than anything else. His main points, and the points of the backpack-loyal travelers I’ve read online, mostly are the following:

  • Look, ma, no hands! You can have all your shiz on your back and be able to eat a gelato, play the banjo or punch someone in the face at the same time. You never know, right?
  • Run, Forrest, run! It’s easier to run if necessary with a backpack than anything else. This may be true, although I’ve also heard from people who’ve said it’s equally uncomfortable running with a huge pack on.
  • Be prepaaaaaaaaaaaaaared! (You know, from the Lion King.) Ultimately, his most persuasive point is that you never know what’s going to happen on your travels, and having a backpack is the best choice for the craziness of the open road. 
I conceded a few points, made a number of my own, and then went to the Summit Hut the next day for some individual consultation. The Summit Hut will definitely get its own post once I start making more purchases. Basically, I love this store, I LOVE the people who work at this store, and I trust their advice because I know they’ve tested the products and are all genuine adventurers themselves. 
Also, one of my closest friends and a travel buddy of mine works there. We traveled together last summer, and I can honestly say I couldn’t have asked for a better companion. She knows me, she knows how I roll (no pun intended), and we happen to be somewhat similar in build. The build thing is important because, unlike my aforementioned wonderful, intelligent boyfriend, I have itty bitty arm muscles. Lifting bulky bags over my head can be tricky sometimes…Another kicker is that she has traveled many times with a pack, and after last summer, is switching to a rolling/pack hybrid.

She recommended the Osprey Meridian 22. It’s a carry on, it has a detachable day pack, it has essentially all the features of a good pack but with one HUGE advantage: I have the option of NOT carrying it on my back. Easily!

Despite all the thinking, and reading (one of the many useful forums I’ve visited), and even more debating, I haven’t come to a decision yet. I know whatever I choose to travel with must fit these criteria:

  • CARRY ON. This is non-negotiable. Read this if you’re at all questioning the advantages of traveling with a carry on…
  • Easy to maneuver
  • Easy access to my schtuff–this is a top-loading free zone, people!
  • Relatively easy to lift onto airplane overhead compartments/train compartments/shelves (?)
  • Comfortable (since I know I won’t be getting a rolly-only for sure, I know the backpack component itself has to be LEGIT comfy)
  • Addendum: I will be traveling with electronics, including a laptop, digital camera and probably a smart phone, as well as all the accompanying charging gadgets. 
What about you? Any preferences one way or the other for packing? Have a certain bag you couldn’t travel without? Share in the comments!