Laundry from the Road

Doing laundry while on the travel trail isn’t quite the same as doing it at home back in the states. At home, the process is as follows:

  1. Gather dirty laundry
  2. Shove dirty mound of clothes into washer, dump some detergent in, and click start
  3. Wait 25 minutes
  4. Move clean mound of clothes from washer to dryer and click start
  5. 60 minutes later, your laundry is done and ready to be worn again.

That’s less than 2 hours end to end. Laundry on the travel trail is generally a bit longer process. Depending on where you are of course; Europe is considerably more westernized than the rest of the world. In Chiang Mai, my laundry takes two days end to end. I drop it off at the laundromat downstairs in the morning, then come back and get it around 5 or 6 pm the next day — assuming the next day is not Wednesday as the laundromat are closed on Wednesdays. The problem with that is that I generally like to do ALL my laundry at once — and when you’re living from a backpack with a very minimal selection of clothes — that means sporting a swimsuit for 2 days and not washing 1 of my 5 shirts with that round of laundry (making it really stinky by the next time I do laundry).

Enter the Scrubba Wash Bag

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Based on the video, the scrubba wash bag seems like a piece of travel gear I’d use. And that hunch stems from my firm belief that clean clothes are a good thing – and I’d rather not have to wait 2 days to get them clean.

Avoid the Biggest Mistake Beginning Travel Bloggers Make Early On

What’s the biggest mistake a travel bloggers can make early on?

Branding.

Specifically, backing yourself into a corner by making your first blog entirely focused on the RTW trip you are about to embark on. That approach works great — until your trip comes to an end and you end up doing something else (95% of you won’t travel forever).

For most, starting your travel blog is your first true online presence. It’s the first time people will read your writing online. It’s the first time you will open yourself up to public scrutiny. Heck, you may even create a blogging community and get a few people beyond your family to subscribe to email updates. My advice?

Think about the long term. Brand your blog around “you” and don’t pigeon hole yourself into your RTW trip. This approach gives you the flexibility to pivot the blog to other topics in the future as your life progresses and takes the inevitable wild turns that loom ahead.

Taking the “See What Happens” Approach to Traveling (and Life)

What type of trip would you prefer?

Your two options via Amber Rae:

Example A.Picture this: You’re on a four day trip to Barcelona, by yourself. You’ve mapped out every sight you want to see, restaurant you want to visit, and person you want to meet. You’ve created a jam-packed day-by-day itinerary because success to you is seeing as much of the city as quickly as possible. By day two, you’re a bit cranky due to jet lag, long lines outside La Sagrada Família, and a general feeling of being rushed. You keep pushing yourself, ignoring your discomfort, so you can see and do everything on your list. By day four, you’re completely exhausted, carrying a completed check-list, and experiencing a feeling that something is missing. You’ve crossed off your to-do’s but don’t have any memorable stories to accompany your travels.

Example B.Picture this: You’re on a four day trip to Barcelona, with your best friend. Each of you has picked a few must-see places to visit, keeping in mind that the motto of your trip is to “see what happens.” This is an adventure, you have an idea of where you want to go, and you feel open to where the journey takes you. By day two, you’re feeling energized by your half-day at the beach, 360-degree hotel rooftop wine-tasting, and photo excursion in El Born district. You randomly stumble upon a delicious tapas bar and interesting group of locals who convince you to go dancing with them late into the night. It turns out your new friend owns a vineyard estate fourty-five minutes outside the city, and they invite you to their second home for an authentic Spanish meal and wine-tasting experience. After four days, you leave the city inspired and invigorated, with new friends, a dozen stories, and a feeling that you got so much more than you were expecting.

If you ask me, it’s pretty damn clear what option I’d take. That’s taking the “see what happens” approach — which I’m always 100% onboard with. Truth be told, I can confidently say I’ve never planned out my whole itinerary prior to arriving somewhere, and have no plans to do so anytime soon (or ever for that matter).

Saint Patrick’s Day in Chiang Mai – UN Irish Pub

If you’re looking for a Saint Patrick’s Day party in Chiang Mai in 2012, look no further than the UN Irish Pub. Details for tonight’s event are as follows:

Buffet, Bands, Beer, Blarney & Rugby!

Live Music:
In the Garden: Mac & Mel 5:00pm – 6:30 & 10:00pm – 11:30pm
Upstairs: The Itinerants 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Rugby:
7:30pm – Italy v Scotland
9:45pm – Wales v France
12:00am – England v Ireland

Buffet of Irish Favourites from 6:30pm:
Potato & Leek Soup
Seafood Chowder
White Soda Bread
French Bread

Guinness Beef Pie
Irish Stew
Honey Baked Ham
Liver, Bacon & Onions Hotpot
Dublin Fish Pie
Tender Corned Beef

Colcannon
Cabbage & Bacon
Honey Roast Carrots
Roast Potato

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Butterscotch Sauce

Cost:
350 Baht Per Person
250 Baht for Children Under 12

Beer & Blarney will be flowing all night!

Facebook event located here: https://www.facebook.com/events/365699036797728/

Exploring the Wild Blue Yonder