I created the “Travellers’ Tales” section to give other travellers an opportunity to talk about their travels. Today I would like to introduce you to Michelle, a travel writer based in San Diego, California . She blogs at “ We At The Sea ”.
I would love to hear about your travels too. Go to “Travellers’ Tales” , fill in the quick questionnaire and email it to me with your blog links.
My name is Michelle and I’m a 30-something that left an executive academic role to become a freelance writer and traveller earlier this year. I’m lucky enough to travel and blog with my husband, Matt, though he still works full-time.
We live in San Diego, California, near the beach. My free time is spent at the beach with our three dogs, Monkey, Frank, and Mila.
I have two early memories, but can’t figure out which is first.
One is of getting to choose a camping spot for my birthday. I decided to go to a campground called Camp Land on the Bay and I remember the car ride taking forever. I am still not a huge fan of car trips.
Another is our first flight ever – from Los Angeles to New Zealand. I’m first generation American, so we were going to visit family. The flight attendants took great care of us and let us hand out candy at the end of the flight. It was an incredibly long flight, but much better than the long car ride. Both my sisters are flight attendants now, so it made a huge impression on us all!
On a flight
My mother and I did a weekend trip and repositioning cruise out of Vancouver, Canada a couple of weeks ago! It was so nice to be in Vancouver when the weather was cool and not as crowded.
We explored all over the city and ate and drank our way through the many restaurants fellow bloggers recommended.
The best thing we did, however, was a magnificent sail away under the Lions Gate Bridge when the cruise ship left port. It was stunning!
Matt and I took a three-week cruise and land trip to Southeast Asia last year. The highlight was chartering a three cabin junk in Halong Bay, Vietnam for two days. Halong Bay is absolutely magical and the night under the full moon was the most calm and quiet evening I have ever had. The junk cruise views were spectacular. It is exactly as it appears in pictures. The crew also treated us so well.
Everyone who knows me knows that every cruise ship is my favorite destination because it means that I am at sea. I have a love affair with the ocean. There is nothing better than sitting on a balcony or deck, drink in hand, and watching the view.
As far as land destinations go, I love Venice. Not only is it my favorite cruise port to sail out of, but the people, the culture, the architecture, and the FOOD are amazing. Venice is the one place I never plan for. I just show up, walk, and enjoy.
Christmas on board the Oasis of The Seas
Take a cruise that sails out of Venice, for sure. Before that cruise sets sail, make sure to stroll through the markets, find a charming bistro with outdoor seating along a canal, and enjoy an afternoon of drink, multiple courses of food, and people watching. Then stroll along until you find great gelato. Visit the Grand Canal for sunset. Then do it all again for dinner!
It’s a toss up between my husband, Matt, and my mother. All my grand voyages are with Matt, as he does the blog with me. However, my mom is a typical kiwi and is always up for an adventure. When Matt can’t make it, my mom can!
A sense of humor. And travel insurance. Even when I plan well, there are hiccups along the way. Letting them roll off my back and having the ability to file claims when I need to keeps the stress low and the fun high.
Go! Don’t wait. Whether you need to travel on a budget, go on the adventure solo, or take fewer days due to other commitments, it is always better to travel than to not. I am absolutely the person I am today because I travelled so much as a solo traveller in my earlier 20’s. Traveling opens your mind and heart to other cultures and experiences. Go book!
Antarctica! Matt and I both have Antarctica at the top of our travel bucket list. Him for the adventure. Me for the cruise and the penguins. These voyages are very few, and extremely expensive, but we will get there as soon as we can make it happen!
HA! Yes! I am accident prone and Matt is not a planner, so we have many. The one that pops up was the time that our ticket would not work at the airport for our flight. We were kind of unhappy that security was not letting us through and we were going to miss our flight! When we went to the ticket desk, it turned out the flight was booked FOR THE WRONG YEAR. I don’t even know how we did that one!
When we went back through security, after purchasing two expensive tickets, we all had a laugh!
On our same amazing trip to Southeast Asia, Matt’s luggage was lost. In fact, we didn’t get it back until AFTER we returned home. This was awful, as Matt is 6’4” and, well, we were in Asia. The biggest clothes we could find didn’t come close to fitting him!
He ultimately had cargo shorts and pants, old ratty shoes, a couple of t-shirts and button ups for the entire three weeks over the holidays. Some of the events we had planned to do would not allow us to attend because of the dress code. That was the worst part.
I have a blog post up about it with all the details.
We are weatthesea for everything!
Thank you, Michelle, for sharing your fascinating adventures with us!
I would love to hear about your travels too. Go to “Travellers’ Tales”, fill in the quick questionnaire and email it to me with your blog links.
Who will I feature next? I’ve got an exciting line-up ahead. Make sure you subscribe to the free newsletter so you don’t miss out on some exciting travel tales.
Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 49 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.
