Chronicles of a Wandering Music Fan
Image via Her Packing List
As we are approaching Summer (in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway) it’s time again to consider warm-weather travel gear, which can be a particular challenge if you’re a plus-size traveler. I wrote a post a while ago for my favorite women’s travel gear site Her Packing List all about skorts…that they’re basically the perfect travel garment! Scope these skorts here!
The beauty of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park is unmatched, and a stop here is an incredibly special travel experience the likes of which you could only have in the Australian Outback, which makes the extra expense worthwhile. You get to see mind-blowing desert sunsets, incredible natural wonders–from stunning rock formations to elusive wildlife–and learn about the people that have called this place home for tens of thousands of years. It has truly been one of my favorite experiences in Australia. To risk sounding preachy: when visiting this special place, it’s important to remember that this area is more than the sum of its interesting rock formations. There’s important historical, cultural, and religious significance, and should be treated as such. Here are some things to keep in mind for your Uluṟu trip:
1// Be respectful. This is the most important rule, and really a good rule to employ when traveling anywhere. This land and these sites are owned by the Aṉangu (“AH-nah-noo”), one of the oldest living cultures in the world, and they generously allow visitors onto their land to see and experience their sacred sites. And as visitors, it is our job not make them regret it. Treat locals with respect, treat the land with respect, follow the rules, and be a good visitor.
[Read more…]
On a day too rainy to manage any sightseeing, I trudged through a torrential downpour from my hostel in Ponsonby to Auckland’s Real Groovy Records. From the moment you walk into the cavernous warehouse space, you can see why Real Groovy is a real feather in the cap of Auckland’s music scene. The place has a very similar vibe to California record titan Amoeba Records, feeling both inviting and slightly overwhelming. [Read more…]
Image via Her Packing List
Underwear is the most crucial, but most overlooked part of your travel gear, and good travel underwear can be very hard to find for plus-size travelers. I wrote a post a while back for Her Packing List to help fellow plus-size babes find just the right underoos.
When I was looking for good travel underwear, I had some difficulty finding good quick-dry underwear in plus sizes.
When looking for travel underwear, I go after the following criteria:
- Fit
- Materials
- Color
- Drying speed
To read the rest, click here!
Though I’ve lived in Melbourne for several months, I recently came to realize that I hadn’t really seen much of Melbourne outside of the city and the inner suburbs. After doing some cursory research about day trips, I found that there are tons of things to do really close to the city, and one of the most appealing was a trip to the Dandenong Ranges, a set of low mountain ranges that are actually part of greater Melbourne.
The Dandenongs contain, among other things, an absolutely stunning rainforst, and the plant life is in quite lush. The Sherbrooke Forest, filled with towering gum and mountain ash trees, as well as massive ferns, makes you feel like you’re in Jurassic Park, and a dinosaur could emerge from the foliage at any moment. [Read more…]
I’ve decided it’s time for my hiatus to end. Though there’s been a lot going on in my life since September, including a trip to Chile and a move to Australia, I just haven’t been able to sit down and write, no matter how much I try. Though I got a decent start when I was in Iceland, blogging quickly began to feel like a chore. Rather than taking joy in recording my great memories of travel, I began to feel like I was a hapless intern at a tourism board, doing more along the lines of marketing writing than recounting my experiences. While there is of course nothing wrong with that kind of writing, it’s not the travel blog I ever set out to have. My posts didn’t really have much of my voice in them, and were just offering info I find to be helpful, but without including myself in the equation much at all.
This isn’t an “I’m quitting” post, but more of an acknowledgement that some things need to change. I need to move past writing the superficial, writing for hits rather than writing in a way that’s true to myself and my experiences. I’m going to be more proactive in my writing, making this first an integral part of my travels, before focusing on the interest of potential readers.
I hope you’ll join me on this journey. On to more fulfilling writing!
I’ve written a brand-new packing list for super-cool women’s travel gear site Her Packing List, to help women going to Iceland Airwaves Music Festival pack for their epic musical adventure!
Autumn is upon us, which means that music fans from around the world will soon be flocking to Reykjavik for Iceland Airwaves Music Festival. Airwaves is one of my absolute favorite festivals, taking over the city for five days every October or November, and showcasing a ton of incredible Icelandic talent, as well as some awesome international acts. Not only is the festival great, but the location can’t be beat. Iceland is stunning, with Reykjavik as its cool, small-yet-cosmopolitain capital. I’ve gone to Airwaves twice, and have made some of my favorite travel memories at this festival.
One of the things that differentiates Airwaves from most other major music festivals is that it takes place in a chilly climate in late autumn, which means that you have to plan your packing very differently than you would for other music festivals, which are most often put on in spring or summer.
To read the rest, click here!
Akureyri is Iceland’s second-largest city, and despite the large population jump (~150,ooo in Reykjavik to ~20,000 in Akureyri), the town has quite a lot to offer. Though many of the nearby attractions and activities, such as whale watching or a visit to the Myvatn spa, can tend to be quite pricey, there are still plenty of things to do for travelers on a budget. [Read more…]
For many visitors to Iceland, outdoor adventure is the main goal. And who could resist? With a million-and-one breathtaking places to explore, wild camping, and the ease and relative safety of hitchhiking, more and more people are looking to Iceland as a destination for some serious adventure.
There are many risks to this kind of travel. Iceland’s weather is fickle, unpredictable, and can turn severely bad at any moment. It can be easy to get lost seemingly-endless otherworldly landscape. There can be a pretty large distance between towns, and sometimes days-long gaps in traffic (even on the ring road), making it difficult to find help if something were to go wrong. [Read more…]
Iceland has the highest rate of per capita mobile phone ownership in the world. This reflects in their incredible level of coverage: most towns and cities have 3G or 4G coverage, and even very remote areas, you’ll get at least a bar or two. For travelers in Iceland, this means that it’s very easy to stay connected. [Read more…]
I’m Katy, a Seattleite quitting my normal life to pursue my two greatest passions: travel and music. I’m documenting my general travel adventures, as well as great record stores, labels, festivals, and music I find around the world.