All my fellow travel lovers I have a treat for you today! One of my favorite travel bloggers, Casey from Land of Marvels is answering all my questions about her tips and tricks for planning amazing trips multiple times a year, while still working a full time job and blogging along the way!
From tips on what to wear when traveling to how to make the most of a long weekend in Europe, sharing the truth about travel (it isn’t always glamorous!) and how to travel like a local, Casey’s blog will quickly turn into your go to for travel tips!
And, Casey is a fellow Iceland lover so we know she has great travel style. I had the chance to meet Casey last time she was in Iceland and I can personally say that her love for travel is inspiring and will make you want to pack a bag and make the most of your vacation days.
Okay, enough from me, leys meet the lovely Casey and hear her travel tips!
1. When did you decide to start blogging / what inspired you to start blogging?
I have been blogging on and off for about 10 years now but blogging seriously, about 2 years. I’ve always loved writing and I love traveling, so travel blogging for me is such an inspiring outlet to share this big beautiful world we inhabit with others!
2. How do you balance blogging several days a week, exploring all over the world, working and keeping a social life? Tell me your secrets! :)
To be honest, sometimes it’s really hard to balance it all. However, I love blogging and I love the community so it’s still a priority for me to spend the time doing. At this point, scheduling posts ahead is how I keep my sanity! :) I plan posts 2-3 weeks out and I’ll sit down when I have some free time and write multiple posts at once, that way when the craziness starts up again, I’m covered. That system has worked really well for me, but I have to admit, particularly lately, it’s definitely a constant struggle to keep up on everything in my life!
3. On to the travel questions. You plan several international trips each year. How do you decide which destination to visit next?
We’ve consistently added more international travel to our yearly travels over the past few years and it’s always hard to pick a destination. Usually both my husband Nick and I have places in our minds that we’ve been thinking about for a while or places that have recently just popped up for us, so we sit down and talk about all the options and then figure out where we’ll head. We generally like to do at least 1 Europe trip a year and then try to do something a little more exotic for our second big trip of the year. We generally also travel in off seasons (early Spring and late Fall) which narrows down destinations a bit more as well.
4. What are the first things you book/research once you have chosen your destination?
When we know our destination, I head straight to a file on my computer where I save screenshots and information on places when I see them. Then from there, I do a bit more overview research online and then generally book flights first, then hotels, then activities. We usually book pretty far out so that gives me more time after booking flights and hotels to go back and fine tune the rest of my research and smaller bookings.
5. How do you find ideas of places to visit and things to do on your travels?
Instagram is a huge source of inspiration for this for me! As well as Pinterest! I love seeing where other people have been and what they did and how they enjoyed different things at a destination. I’ll also scour all my favorite travel blogger’s sites to see what they had to say as well as getting advice from like-minded people can often totally make a trip!
6. What are your favorite sites/sources to find travel information?
I love sites like Tablet Hotels and Splendia for hotel research and inspiration! I also love Pinterest and Instagram for this as well. I also love travel magazine for this, to scan through and see what the next amazing place is going to be. I’m a big fan of hotels.com to book hotels and Orbitz for flights and rental cars as I’ve had really good experiences with them over the years. But travel blogs are still one of my biggest resources for travel inspiration!
7. Any travel traditions that you have to do on each trip?
We have a few little traditions that we’ve picked up over the years, some for certain places and some just generally. For instance, in Paris, we almost always eat at our favorite restaurant (Cafe St. Regis) and then head to the Eiffel tower on the first day there. Generally, we try to pick up at least 1 small souvenir that really matches our experience in a particular place to add to our treasures at home. So we’ve purchased a small wooden elephant in India, a silver teapot in Marrakech, Spanish tiles in Sevilla that we use for coasters. Our tradition is to have something to remember each trip by. We also almost always get up multiple times during a trip to see the sunrise, the perk of a being a photographer’s wife!
8. What is one piece of advice you would give to someone new to travel?
To step on that plane headed off with a truly open mind. If you can get past the small differences in people all over the world, you’ll find we’re all more alike than different and if we could embrace everyone with an open mind and realize that others might do things differently, we’d be a way more peaceful planet!
9. You have traveled (and lived!) all over the place, what’s your favorite place you’ve ever traveled to and what is the next destination on your list?
I have so many favorites and all for different reasons! Paris probably at the top of that list just because it’s one of the few places in the world that I’ve found that I just feel that I fit easily, that speaks to me on a very emotional level. Portland, my home city, because it’s such a special place and holds so many memories. London because of the edgy yet so refined vibe. Sevilla because I fell hard in love with this special Spanish city. Udaipur, India because of it’s stunning natural beauty and the incredible energy of India in general. Iceland because no where else in the world has ever left me with such a feeling of change within myself after visiting. Dublin because of the electric energy of that city. St. Andrews because of the peaceful moments we felt there. Seoul because it became like a second home for a while. I could go on and on… but each place has had such a profound impact on my life.
Next up, we’re heading to Australia, New Zealand and Bali at the end of November, then NYC for New Year’s weekend. We’ll be visiting the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon and Sedona in February and then our next big trip will be to Paris, Rome, Tuscany, Vienna and Santorini in April!
10. Before you go what are three of your favorite posts that you think everyone needs to read!
(1) An Ode to the Third Culture Kids - because it defines who I am!
(2) 3 Affordable Fall Trips to Europe and What They Cost - because travel can be accessible and I aim to help others find great deals to explore the world.
(3) I Still Blog for Love - because I still do have such a passion for blogging even after all these years!
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Are you heading to Casey’s blog now to study up on all her travel tips of what?! She is about to head off on one amazing trip to Australia, New Zealand and Bali, I can’t wait to read all her posts from this trip!