STRANGE LOWS FOR MALDIVIAN POLITICS - SCUBA MEETING, MALDIVES

As if we really needed another reason to be utterly infatuated by the Maldives.
I will warn you that this is somewhat ancient news however upon reading about it I couldn’t pass up a blog post highlighting further evidence on just how bloody cool this place really is. 

Back in October 2009 a cabinet meeting was called with all state officials to discuss the impact global warming was (still is) making on the low level island nation of the Maldives. Whether you’ve been lucky to have visited the picturesque country or not I’m sure you’ve heard the fearful chatter of rising water levels and debates on just how many years before this luxury destination is completely swallowed by the surrounding crystal clear seas.

In an attempt to bring global attention to these very real concerns and in light of their impending Atlantis status, President Mohamed Nasheed along with fellow ministers reached a whole new political low. A six metre low to be exact.
On the 17^th October, 2009 the Maldivian president along with other state officials all squeezed into their wetsuits, strapped on their flippers & air tanks and proceeded to conduct the first ever official underwater cabinet meeting. [SO MUCH YES]. This fantastically fishy meeting took place at a specially structured table down on the sea bed roughly 20mins out from the island capital of Male. 

I mean really, why all Maldivian cabinet meetings aren’t held underwater I’ll never know. When you’re surrounded by such vast and thriving sea life who’d want to pass the time or be forced to make important decisions cooped up in tiny offices anyway.

President Nasheed was already an experienced diver and holds his advanced open water license and those who didn’t were trained by the Divers Association of Maldives in the weeks leading up to the event.
Each member was accompanied by a diving instructor along with military personnel on guard and a handful of snorkelling journalists lurking up above trying to capture the iconic event.
During the meeting attendees communicated with hand signals and marker boards while President Mohamed Nasheed signed a declaration calling for action on climate change which would go on to be presented at the UN climate change talks held in Copenhagen later that year.

The cherry on the cake? Or should I say the air in the tank? Okay, no. That was really lame. Moving on. All diving and scuba gear used during the meeting were later signed by officials and auctioned off to raise money in support of coral reef protection projects throughout the Maldives.

Now I don’t know about you but I’m thinking underwater meetings ought to be fast tracked to mandatory, worldwide. Great Barrier Reef? Queensland ministers? Here’s looking at you.

Still not convinced you need to visit? Take a look at this phenomenon of glow in the dark beaches! (Bioluminescent Plankton) Or tour the tiny island capital, Male.

Can't get enough of the Maldives picturesque views? Follow me on instagram for daily pics! 

PHOTO CREDIT: PRESIDENCY MALDIVES, Photographers: Mohamad Seeneen, Mauroof Khaleel
Follow the link to view the full set of photos from the day.

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10 LESSONS LEARNT WHILE LIVING IN HOLLAND

There is no such thing as bad weather; just inappropriate clothing.
I’d really like a little sign stating this so when I’m in Australia or the UK I can hold it up each time I hear a girl complain about how bad the weather is while trying to navigate through the snow in heels or wonder why she’s cold in the belt she’s passing for a skirt. Dress appropriately people and you will never be uncomfortable! ;)

Credit cards are a life choice not a necessity.
As the Dutch mantra goes; we don’t spend money we don’t have. Based on my credit history this is advice I really should have taken on a long time ago!

Santa lives in Spain. (Or Sinter Klaas as he's referred to in Holland)
Sinter Klaas graces the Dutch shores each year via boat mid November. After making his way through the country with his black faced sidekick-slave in toe. (Swarter Piet) In the weeks leading up to Christmas the streets are lined with the tiny shoes of blissful children eager to wake up in the morning and find them filled with papernoten (a small gingerbread like ball) and other sorts of sugary goodness. Also, forget coal. If you’re naughty this year kids you run the risk of being put in Swarter Piets bag, thrown onto his boat and taken back to Spain. Really the story of Sinter Klaas needs and deserves its own post so I'll leave the rest for another day!

Patat met mayo & pindasause. Enough said.

Biking is the best way to get anywhere.
However if you have to bike any further than 8-12minutes to get somewhere then it’s too far away. This made me giggle each time I heard someone argue or whine our destination was too far to bike to. I could drive to Belgium in less time than my daily commute has taken me back in Sydney. I felt lucky to even have the option to bike somewhere in Holland.

If you can move it with a car or a van you can move it with a bike.
Riding a two wheeled bike with a wooden carriage on front - packed full of five children, a dog, a sofa & carrying an umbrella to shield them all from the torrential rain is a perfectly normal way to start your day. Holland is known for the crazy rain and blow you over wind yet biking is still the no 1 mode of transport. You haven’t experienced Holland until you’ve battle-biked home with one hand on the bike trying to counter steer the wind, one hand up holding your hood in place as you’re half blinded by your hair, soaking wet and unsure if you’re crying from the sharp raindrops piercing through your eyeballs or it’s just another splash from the stream running down your nose.

Urinating in the middle of a busy plein is not only accepted but encouraged.
So you’re just biking along minding your own business when suddenly like something out of star wars a giant silver cylinder begins to erupt from beneath the pavements. Without warning the immerging robot startles you enough sending you toot-sweet off path and into a stack of parked bikes. What the eff just happened. What just happened was it’s coming into peak hour and one of the many pop up urinals has opened up (or popped up in this case) for business. You can find these open air urinals all over Holland joining the party during peak hours outside and around clubs or populated night life areas. An idea to free up some of the tiny bathrooms and discourage men from just going anywhere, anyway.

Albert Heijn is the answer to all things food.
Unlike Australia there is really only the one kind of supermarket. Other than the little corner stalls Albert Heijn has no competition & there’s basically one on every block. This makes sourcing out the awesome envy-inducing food in other peoples cupboards fantastically easy to acquire.

Open windows, no blinds. Because we have nothing to hide.
I knew Holland had changed me when I returned to Australia and couldn’t help but feel sneaky or a little shady each time I closed the blinds in my house. Majority of the homes in Holland boast large open glass windows that look straight into bedrooms, kitchens, lounge rooms or any other room for that matter. I must admit it feels pretty weird the first few times you’re sitting there having dinner or lazing around in your pjs watching TV in plain sight of any pedestrian or biker that happens to pass by.

It is not possible. Even when a little running around would make it so.
I’m going to use this excuse as the reason for my complete lack of attention to this blog lately.
Sorry, it just was not possible to post anything new recently. 

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JET BLAST MAY CAUSE DEATH - Blown away at Maho Beach, St Maarten

Photo Credit: Bennyzheng Photography

An experience that blew me away. Literally. By blown away I mean fighting with all my might to keep vertical, squinting my eyes in the wind and shielding my face from the rocket sharp stabs as each grain of sand came pelting towards me. I’d anticipated it being quite a blast, not quite to this extent though. At no point did I expect to end up naked. I guess that’s what happens when you stand behind a 747 jumbo jet as it’s revving up to take off...

Sitting at the beach awaiting some planes

A few years back I was lucky to tag along on a weirdly exciting family adventure to the Caribbean. I call it weird because believe it or not it wasn’t the white sandy beaches, the clear waters nor the intrigue of island life that motivated booking the trip. It wasn’t even the allure of cruising with Royal Caribbeans latest and greatest ship to grace the waters- the Oasis of the Seas (though that was a well welcomed bonus!). We were actually traversing half way across the globe to sit at an airport and watch some planes come and go. Say what now? Yes. You read correctly. The one and only pull for my father booking the trip was the desire to sit on Maho beach and oogle at the jumbo jets as they made their journeys to and from Princess Juliana Airport in Sint Maarten.

What makes this beach special? 

Forget about quiet mornings, blissful sunsets or moseying about on the beach in peace. While the Caribbean is known for its quaint and peaceful beaches Maho beach is definitely the exception.  Why? Because it happens to lay a mere two car lengths away from the second busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean. With a harrowing runway length of only 2180 meters in order for the jets to land they must swoop in at minimum altitude skimming right over Maho beach and casting an epic shadow over any beach goers. You can literally lay on the sand and through a rock up to the plane that’s how close they are. However I’d suggest against doing that.

For those brave enough it's probably your one and only chance to line yourself up behind a plane, dig your feet into the sand and feel the magnificent force being blasted from the rear.

If you’re lucky this may mean playing a serious game of tug of war with the wind or if you’re unlucky... (or luckier depending on your thrill seeking desires) it’ll be a quick trip straight out to sea. 

Need to see it to believe it?

Youtube is full of fantastically funny clips of tourists a-flyin' You can see one of my personal favourites here Plane vs Japanese Tourist. Be wary though taking on the force isn't for the faint hearted. Particularly that of the big name jumbos. There are a number of (almost humerous) large red warning signs stuck up along the fence warning and advising the potential for bodily harm or death via jet blast. Yes, death via jet blast. The beach has become quite a tourist destination in its own right with little Caribbean beach bars being opened up for business, some even sporting large arrival and departure signs to notify tourists exactly when to prep your panties for the show. One of the beach cafes I sat at went as far as broadcasting live radio transmissions that went between pilots and the control tower! 

The fun and games aren't just for tourists though – Look over to the sidelines of the beach or up along the apartments and I'm sure you'll find a collection of locals having a right old laugh watching on as the tourists are willingly or unwillingly blasted away.

How to get there?
Other than the obvious option of flying directly to the airport Saint Martin port is a typical port of call for many cruises making their way through the Eastern Caribbean. If you're already on the island there are a number of tours that run through Maho Beach though I'd suggest just getting a cab from the main port of Saint Martin and heading there yourself. A cab directly from the port to the planes will cost you around $8.

Photo credit: Mark Wippel

A word for the wise

Don’t wear a strapless dress to the beach that day. Being the thrill seeking anything-once traveller that I am there was no way I was missing this experience, even in my little yellow sundress. Mid blast, eyes squinted, sand pelting from all angles & holding on for dear life to my father’s arm I could feel my feet begin to lift off the floor. It all happened so quickly though within the next 3 seconds I fought, lifted, swung, fell & at some point during this sequence of movements... my dress flew off. I kid you not. I’m sure somewhere on the internet I’m actually a youtube sensation due to my naïve decision to wear a little strapless sundress for a day of taking on the ultimate blast of wind. If it wasn’t for my dad leaping quick smart to my rescue I would have ended up doing half naked cartwheels out to sea. Thankfully it wasn't quite that bad, much to the dismay of the two German tourists who had their camera glued to the scene... though I’m sure it was still a sight not to be missed. If somewhere in the big wide web there is footage out there... you're welcome youtube.

Whether you’re an aviation enthusiast, a thrill seeking tourist or just looking for another out of this world thing to gawk at, Maho Beach has it covered and is definitely an edition worth adding to your Caribbean adventures.
For another intriguing beach side phenomenon take a look at this bioluminescent plankton lighting up the shores of the Maldives!

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10 TIPS FOR THE VEGETERIAN/VEGAN TRAVELLER

I am indeed a vegetarian.
Or at least I was until recently when I made the decision to go completely vegan. :)
*Cue stereotype influenced mutter & responses*
Yes, I am fully aware I can be a pain to dine with, cook for or serve at a restaurant and I regularly have the golden phrase thrown at me
"BUT... BACON?". Before I begin enlightening you with my veg-happy tips let's clear that one up. Few vegetarians stop eating meat because they woke up one day and found themselves suddenly repulsed by the smell of fresh bacon & eggs. Personally my choices were motivated by ethical & compassionate reasons not because I no longer liked the taste of bacon!Being a vegetarian and on the road can prove to be challenging at times. Especially when navigating menus in another language, explaining you'd like a meal without meat to someone who speaks little English and the lack of time, space and utilities to prepare your own choice friendly meals. From my experiences here's my top ten tips for the travelling vegetarian/vegan.

1.       PRE ORDER
If you’re flying be sure to call the airline & pre-order your food. Too many times I’ve had my ready to go plate of almost-meat (I say almost meat. Sorry, have you seen those meals?) slapped down in front of me and ended up quietly nibbling on my bread roll & peanuts because I forgot to pre-order. Always pre-order. Airlines have many options you can opt for- veggies only, halal, vegan, no dairy, gluten free and a number of other pick and choose options.

2.       LEARN THE LINGO
Learn the golden phrases of the spoken language. ‘I don’t eat meat’ ‘with no meat’ ‘vegetable only’ ‘I am vegetarian’ I can’t speak Chinese though after repeating these lines on a daily basis I became quite the expert in insisting, demanding and ensuring there be ‘PU MAO RU’ in my meals. (I'm spelling this how I learnt to say it- apologies) Another handy hint is to have it written on a card in your wallet- especially if pronunciation of foreign languages isn't your forte.

3.       EXPLORE & EXPERIMENT!
Explore, enjoy and go crazy at the local food markets! Since living here in the Maldives 80% of my diet is currently fruit. I’m hoping the novelty wears off soon I know I can’t go on like this.. but for right now it's pretty great. If my body didn’t need anything else I would have no hesitation to live on tropical fruit and tropical fruit only. Enjoy what’s on offer at each destination, explore the weird and wonderful veggie displays down at the local fresh produce markets and taste the amazing fruits of the world!

4.       KEEP AN OPEN MIND OR CLOSE YOUR EYES.. 
While at those markets though another tip would be to avoid the meat sections. My reasons for not eating meat are ethical and compassionate. Walking around the market stalls of Asia and seeing all the animals displayed as they were, only cooked – was a little gut wrenching. Understand though different cultures hold different ethics, beliefs and ways of life when it comes to what they cook and how they cook it. You’ll just have to learn to turn the other way, accept it and know to avoid those areas.

5.       BE RESPECTFUL 
Don’t expect to be served on a silver platter. More often than not many big meat eating countries just don’t have a large number of vegetarians and therefor your request for a meatless meal may come as a shock, rude or inconsiderate (yes, believe it or not- it can come across as a symbol of negativity in some parts!) or at best they'll act like you’re just being a right pain in the a**. Get used to the occasional eye rolling or disapproving look as staff take back a meal with meat or attempt to prepare a custom meal without it.

6.      BE AWARE OF LOCAL COOKING PRACTICES 
 Be wary. Many meals although said to be meatless or vegetarian are still prepared in animal product to cook or add flavour. Even though the veggie plate consists of only veggies there’s a pretty high chance it’s covered in oyster sauce. (China, here's looking at you!)

7.       PACK YOUR OWN SNACKSNuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables & snack bars from the local supermarket all make for great pocket & bag friendly snacks to keep you going through the day. It's also a great way to save money! (Check out some further trips here)

8.       TWO HALVES MAKE A WHOLE- ORDER A FEW SIDES!
When there’s nothing on the menu take a look at what side dishes are on offer and make your own meal from a few of them. Fresh garden salad from the side of a hamburger, seasonal fruit from the dessert menu or a plate of veggies minus the accompanying steak all make for a delicious miss-matchy meal.

9.       CONSIDER TAKING VITAMINS OR SUPPLEMENTS 
Sometimes when traveling long term it’s really hard to muster getting all the essential vitamins & nutrients especially when you’re not cooking your own meals and getting in all the essentials you may be used to. Considering supplements could avoid dealing with total energy loss or other travel debilitating symptoms.

10.  HUNT DOWN THE LOCAL VEGETARIAN CUISINE
Splurge at one of the vegetarian restaurants! Sometimes it's worth spending a little extra. Not all, but most countries have at least one. I’ve picked up some pretty cool recipes and food ideas from fellow veggie-heads or stalls abroad!
An awesome website for hunting them down is www.happycow.net simply punch in the city or country you’re in – and voila! All your options are revealed via an in built google search. There’s also some great forum chats on the crem de la crem of animal friendly eateries abroad. Check them out!

Happy dining!

Do you have any tips, tricks or great vegetarian recipes? I'd love to hear them.

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THE LURE OF LUMINESCENCE - Bioluminescent plankton, Maldives

Photograph by Doug Perrine, Alamy        

A little bit of magic in the Maldives. I’ve heard stories of these mystical blue lights dancing around and gently lighting up the shores of Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives. Since recent shots of the phenomenon has graced news pages I've been sent a number of messages along the lines of ‘You need to see this while you’re living there!' At a glance it almost seems too cool to be true. Glow in the dark waves? Speckled dancing lights comparable to tiny blue fairies swimming along the shores of paradise? Surely it’s either a hoax or an incredibly rare occurrence that you’ll probably never get to see. These stories are no hoax nor are the photos a display of some serious editing skills. With all the recent hype and as I investigated further, seeing this phenomenon quickly became number one on my Maldivian bucket list of things to do and see while living here.

So what are they?
The blue lights are actually tiny marine microbes called phytoplankton. Not all but many of these plankton are known to be bioluminescent and give off the mesmerizing blue glow pictured above. On calm nights when the plankton are washed up onto shore they can be seen glowing bright in all their glory. It is said they are easier to spot during a full moon, throughout certain seasons or only on particular islands and only in the Maldives. I’d like to bust that myth. Not only can I find no evidence to support these claims though when asking a local to the Maldives I have been told they can regularly be seen at shore and that there doesn’t seem to be any real pattern to their presence other than a clear sky and fairly calm waters. Much like seeing the Northern Lights (another bucket list worthy item I was lucky to tick off while in Iceland) you either get lucky, or you don’t.

Let me paint a picture for you.
You make your way down the jetty completely in awe of the natural wonderland around you. With an endless dome above speckled with stars you watch as they gently glisten and shine dancing not just in the sky but as reflections amongst the calm gentle rock of the ocean below. You make it to the end and turn back swiftly glancing over to shore. Your jaw drops, you stand there staring in wonder at hundreds of tiny blue specks lining the beach like waves of dancing fireflies swimming and prancing within the water. Completely melting from the inside out you sit in the darkness being absorbed by the silence as you try to take in and capture the essence of what is currently before your eyes. Magic.
This is how I had hoped seeing this phenomenon would pan out.
In reality though, here’s what happened: On the way home from work last night I decided to take a detour and walk the long way home. As I work nights I have missed the plankton each time someone’s spotted them so tonight I decided to walk there in the wee hours anyway with my fingers crossed. Smart move Ashlea, because there on one section of the beach I could just make out a light blue glow coming from a handful of specks as I approached. It was them! In honesty it wasn’t a great night to see them. I could probably count on my hands how many clusters I saw- not quite the thousands upon thousands I was expecting. The lack of numbers didn't at all deter from the epic shades of awesome before my eyes. Seeing what I did was still enough to make me giddy. That feeling that twists the desire to travel, one that can only be ignited by foreign or other-worldly experiences and the feeling that makes you want to both immediately leave & see the rest of the world while equally wanting to freeze in the moment and never let it end.  They are magical, and something you really need to see to believe. They actually glow brighter when agitated so you can see them glitter as the waves roll over or in the sand from the footprints you leave with each step.

So where can you really see them?
Believe it or not there has been sightings of these or similar luminescent species all over the world and paying a pretty penny for a trip to the Maldives is not your only option. Some unexpected shores gracing that list? Belgium, India, United Kingdom, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, America, The Caribbean and even back home in Australia!

Specific sightings in Australia: Gippsland Lakes, Cairns (Seen in 2008/2009) Jervis Bay NSW & as I understand a green variation has been seen at Batemans Bay.
Sightings in America:  Manasquan Beach- New Jersey, San Diego, Leucadia- California, Everglades, Cortez- Florida.

For those who are now sporting a little bit of a lure for luminescence here’s a cool page on some other natural, weird and wonderful things that glow in the night.

The detour may well become my new route home.

For some magic off shore & in the city check out my guide here on the Island capital- Male.

Photograph by Russ Taylor

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HANG ON, I'M READING! -Spanish Journal W3

I’ve come to the end of week three in my attempt to teach myself Spanish. I learned something interesting this week about language learning and it’s one of the top reasons I believe people give up. While sitting st my desk, stuck on an exercise in the TYS book I began feeling like I was never going to get anywhere. The dreaded thoughts came flooding in Had I even learnt anything so far? Is Spanish something I just can’t learn? Much less on my own? Maybe I should pack it in- I’m never going to learn anyway. While staring at the book, frustrated and feeling a little lost something dawned on me. I was READING! The questions I was so frustrated with as well as the paragraph I was so desperately hunting for answers within was completely written in Spanish. Something I hadn’t taken into account? Or possibly something I just wasn’t taking the time to notice nor appreciate. I WAS indeed getting somewhere and I HAD infact learnt something! So what if I was stuck on this section? Instead I should be grateful for the simple fact that I can actually read and understand enough in order to be frustrated with the questions.
I think when we’re learning a language it’s important to check back in with yourself and monitor your progress in some way. A chart or self-reflection of some sort, something to boost your motivation when it’s lacking.

Semana tres (week three) GOAL CHECKLIST

[x] Spend 30mins a day practicing

[x] Complete Teach Yourself Spanish Unit three
[x] Emotions
[  ] Learn a Spanish song
[x] Write a short letter in Spanish introducing myself & a reply letter
[x] Complete SENSEI app section: Date/time/numbers/time phrases

Resumen semanal (WEEKLY SUMMARY)

This week went pretty well actually, although I don’t feel like I ‘progressed’ very far I do feel 100% confident in retaining what I’ve been learning. I spent much of this week reviewing over and putting to use in different contexts what I’ve already learnt as well as doing further research in the best language learning methods.
Speaking to a native is definitely imperative when learning any language and I’m finding I retain words better when they’ve come up in conversation & I’ve needed to make the effort to look them up myself. That and actually forcing myself to construct small sentences (or attempt to) is giving me a better understanding of the correct sentence structure. There’s no better way to learn than make mistakes, right?

¿cómo lo hago -HOW DID I DO IT?

(Some of the resources I used or memory tricks)

·         Learning the emotions: Google images has some great pocket-friendly images worth printing and carrying around! I regularly whipped out my picture, folding it in half, and practicing whenever I could.

·         Anki flahscards Now using both the desktop & phone versions! Great for instant syncing on the go

·         TYS unit three & began unit four

·         I highly recommend the SENSEI app on your phone. (available on both Google play and Itunes- link for android users) Great little resource for practicing words on the go. It has a number of themed sections with built in phrases to learn and the option to practice with flashcards, a game of hangman, audio and a word list The hangman option is a great twist on the regular flashcards giving you better chance to learn a the correct spelling of a card and not just memorize and link word to word images.

·         I’m finding it helpful to write letters to myself and reply while trying to use not only the sentences I learnt as a phrase but use new words and give descriptions. Just going for it and attempting to express something has been challenging though good fun! Cross checking my letter with goggle translate afterwards has made learning correct structuring much easier.

Este es el fin de la semana tres!
Be sure to subscribe by email for updates on my progress or the tips I’ve uncovered each week.
New to the journey? See how it started HERE
Missed last week? Catch up HERE

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DITCH YOUR FRIENDS AND TRAVEL SOLO

Annecy, France. The chair of self discovery.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..” 

Wise words from a wise man. I could sit here and tell you countless reasons solo travel triumphs over group travel (in most cases). There's nothing greater than discovering yourself while discovering the world. Here's the top ten reasons I believe everyone should go it alone - at least once in your life.

1. MEET MORE PEOPLE
‘Solo travel means countless hours of being alone’. This is a myth. In fact it’s quite the opposite of true. Yes, sometimes you will be alone though typically most of that time is spent in transit or because you never made the effort to leave your room. When you’re flying solo you are just that – solo. Because of this you won’t be meeting anyone unless you get out there and find them! When you realize this and start playing an active part in creating a social life abroad you’ll find there’s a huge amount of likeminded and interesting people in the same boat who are willing to wander, explore or party with you. I’ve met far more people on solo trips than I ever have when traveling with friends or family. This is generally because when you’re traveling in a group you tend to stick within your bubble. If you are apart of one of these bubbles and hoping to meet other international travelers (By meet I don’t mean dance with and exchange small talk, I mean end up sitting with and discussing the philosophy of the world all night while learning about their fears, dreams and plans) I’d suggest bursting that bubble by spending less time reminiscing with your friends and more time interacting with others and steering conversation away from the 'us' and into the 'you, where, why'.

2. SEE MORE THINGS

       Ever miss out on something on your list because you were deep in conversation and passed it by? This is another reason traveling solo is wonderful. Since you’re not going to be distracted by the person walking alongside you you’ll end up seeing more, taking more in and noticing the little things you otherwise wouldn’t have.

3. GO WHERE YOU WANT & WHEN YOU WANT

The number one perk of solo travel? You're the boss! When traveling in a group chances are what you want to see, how to get there, what’s important and how you should spend your time and or money will greatly differ. When you’re alone, not only do you create the must see list but you also direct yourself around 100% of the time. This means no more time wasted on discussing what to see rather than seeing it, no more 'give and take' thus missing out on the shops you wanted to visit or skipping breakfast because your friend took too long to get ready. If you want to sit for hours on end on a chair in awe of the Alps- do it and enjoy it, you’re on your time!

4. BE WHOEVER YOU WANT TO BE

       It’s a pretty cool feeling to be somewhere in the world where no one knows your name much less who you are, where you’ve come from or where you’re going. Relish in that. Explore new places, meet new people and let them see the real you. This I believe is one of the reasons why friends met in transit are some of the most genuine and honest people you’ll ever meet- all they have to go on is what you show them.

5.   LEARN MORE ABOUT YOURSELF

I’m not going to summarize this one. It’s an experience one can only understand after time spent on the road alone. A discovery well worth making.

6. TAKE MORE PHOTOS. TAKE BETTER PHOTOS

I’m the first to admit I can be incredibly anal when it comes to photography. Due to this I’ve missed out on a number of potentially awesome snaps because my fed up friend has hurried me along or I chose not to go back and reshoot the otherwise crooked photo I snapped in a hurry while running for the train. Going back to being the boss of your journeys you have all the time in the world to wander, notice, line up, prepare, snap and shoot away! All without getting on anyone’s nerves.

7. GO WITH YOUR INSTINCT

Basic travel advice 101. Go with your gut. Sometimes though what your gut is telling you differs from what your travel companion believes. When traveling solo you should and can follow your instincts.

8. FACE YOUR FEARS
Traveling alone will force you to experience or do things you otherwise wouldn’t choose to. Without the safety in numbers and having the option to ask someone else to do it for you, you’ll learn of strengths you never knew you had and find yourself coming home with a new found independence and an 'I can handle anything' attitude.

9.   FIND INNER PEACE
This was a big one for me. I never realised just how unsettled I was within myself. Always in need to be constantly entertained, talked to, inspired, distracted or just noticed. I spent very little time if any, on my own. I can actually pinpoint the exact moment in my travels that this inner peace first touched me. I was sitting on a chair in Annecy, France. (That chair I mentioned in number three & the top picture of this post) Just sitting there, waiting. To be fair, waiting isn’t the right word because I wasn’t actually waiting for anything. I had nowhere to be, no one to see and essentially nothing really to do. So why did it feel like I was waiting? I believe in the age of social media we rely far too heavily on outer things to bring us inner fulfillness when really it should come from the inside and spill out onto our outside world. I thought a lot about that as I reflected on my life, my past, my future, where I’d been, who I’d met, the amazing things I was currently seeing and then even deeper into the who am and I am where am I going. I ended up sitting on that chair with myself, for roughly five and a half hours. It was on that chair at that moment I made the decision to start getting to know myself, learning to like myself and becoming my own best friend.

10.  PROVE THEM WRONG AND DO SO IN STYLE
To finish off the list, I add these words. To all the people that ever said I couldn’t do it, to all the ums and ahs about whether or not I’d actually go much less pull it off and to all the bets on how many days before I was on a plane coming home. Fast forward a few years later & I’m still exploring, inspiring, being inspired, discovering, learning, meeting and enjoying the incredible people and places this world has on offer. Prove them wrong. You CAN travel solo, you CAN have a completely awe inspiring and amazing time, you WILL enjoy it and it WILL change you in ways you never dreamed of. 

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STARS COME & GO BUT SOY SAUCE IS FOREVER: Spanish Journal W2

"Stars come and go but soy sauce is forever."-The line I've created to overcome my initial issue with having two versions of "I am" in Spanish.

Me llama Ashlea. Quien es usted?
De dónde es ustedes? Soy Australiana- yo vivo en las Maldivas. Tego vientedos años. Encantada!
Success! I can say with a grin I’ve reached my mini conversation goal this week & can now introduce myself and ask where someone's from. Translation (here’s hoping I actually got it right) Hello! My name is Ashlea, who are you? Where are you from? I am Australian, I am living in the Maldives. I’m 22 years old. Nice to meet you! 

Semana dos (week two) GOAL CHECKLIST

[  ] Spend 30mins a day practicing

[x] Complete Teach Yourself Spanish Unit one
[x] Numbers 20 – 100
[x] Be able to introduce myself
[x] Pronouns (I, we, you, they are)
[x] Make a new Spanish friend
BONUS-[x] Ended up learning some colours and animals this week tambien! (also)

Resumen semanal (WEEKLY SUMMARY)

Bum bow… didn’t quite reach my study time goal though I did manage to do a little something every day. I ended up spending more time researching programs and pages on learning Spanish than actually using or learning with them. I did indeed make a Spanish friend though! One of the perks of long term travel or life abroad is meeting and making friends from all over the world. After a hopeful facebook post and a refer-a-friend situation I was introduced to my new Spanish friend. A friend of mine saw my post and put me in touch with her friend who is Spanish & currently learning English. Perfecto! We plan to help each other on our quest for mastering one another’s language. The hardest part this week? To be or to be. Soy vs Estoy.

¿cómo lo hago -HOW DID I DO IT?

(Some of the resources I used or memory tricks)

·        Soy vs estoy. Having two forms of ‘I am’ was a new concept and a little hard to wrap my head around. From the research I did though & to my current understanding soy is used to express things of permanence for eg I am tall or I am Australian whereas estoy is used to express things ‘in the moment’ or events of non-permanence for example I am happy or I am at the movies. A little line I’m using to remember this? Stars come and go (Estos sounding a little like stars) but SOY sauce is forever. I’m finding word play helps new phrases and concepts stick a little better in my mind and the weirder the line the higher chance I remember. Another example of this was when learning the French word for fish -poisson (pronounced pwa-son). I remembered fish over any other animal to begin with because I don’t like nor eat fish- fish to me are poison.

·        Teach Yourself Spanish Unit one / two

·        http://spanish.typeit.org/ The site I’ve been using to type correctly to my Spanish amigo.

·        Learnt 20 new vocab words from a Childrens ‘turn & learn’ picture book by writing on the back of each page the spanish word.

That marks the end of week two! – Habla próxima semana!
Be sure to subscribe by email for updates on my progress or check out some other posts.
New to the journey? See how it started here. Missed last weeks post? Check out week one here.

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LESSONS IN LUXEMBOURG - A terrible way to save money

The worst way I ever saved money and the crazy road trip that eventuated from it.

Elbows, knees and converses to the head. The dull tension brought about from the power struggle as you gently wrestle for space, the soft tingling of pins and needles as your limbs go numb and the unpleasant aftermath as they painfully wake from kicking the door or someone else while trying to stretch it out. This was the result of my money saving quest gone wrong. Sleeping in a car is never comfortable nor easy, much less when there’s three of you doing it in the back of a 2.5 seater Volvo and you're parked in the middle of a city you just arrived in.

Half way past drunk and in the wee hours of the morning myself and a few friends were looking over a map and discussing our upcoming travel plans when someone pointed out this little teeny country crammed in between Belgium, Germany and France. Luxembourg. After going round the table and realising none of us actually knew anything about it (in a group of expat friends alike- it was VERY rare no one had anything to say). Why had we never heard of it? Nor really even noticed it hiding there on the map? After doing a little research on the city and discovering the people of Luxembourg were called Luxembourgers and that they did in fact speak Luxembourgish it was settled that we absolutely had the go there. We all happened to have the weekend off together, something that was a rare to never occurrence. So we packed a few bags set an alarm and hit the sack. The plan? Wake up, hire a car, drive to Luxembourg (stopping in Belgium for waffles… of course) spend the night there then head to Germany the next day, spend the last night there, hit the road and be back in Holland on time for work on Monday. The only problem with this great plan was we were all dirt poor. We managed to pull together enough to hire the car and pay for gas. With no money left over we had the brilliant idea to cut costs and skip out on accommodation altogether. We have a car, it’s just for the weekend- let’s make our money well spent & sleep in it!

Three days, three countries, a car and a basket full of food. In theory sleeping in a car in a bid to avoid hotel costs seems like an awesome idea. Yeah, not so much. What I should have considered: where do you plan to park the car? Cars don't come with the privacy and comfort of a hotel room with walls, windows with curtains, a door or a bathroom. Trying to Sleep in a car parked in the middle of a city on a Saturday night is actually a very stupid thing to do as we came to understand. With the cities night life all out and about or heading home, peering eyes and drunken stares were coming at us left right and center. It seemed all the creepies where out this particular night which only added to the intensity of those stares and glares. To be fair I don't blame anyone for staring though, we probably creeped them out far more than they did us.  I'm sure they were all wondering why on earth a Czech guy and two Aussie girls were crammed into the back of a Volvo playing human Jenga for hours on end on a Friday night. Well why were you parked in the middle of the city, you ask? This brings me to lesson two. Delve a little deeper into the motto 'don't drink and drive' and some solid advice to add onto to it would be don't drive to another country, park your car someplace stupid, drink, return and be unable to move it. Especially if your car is currently hosting you as a hotel on wheels. Consider your surroundings.

After hours of shuffling around in the car we eventually gave up on the tedious task of getting comfy and decided it would be a better idea to go and sleep in the park. We happened to have parked right alongside the biggest and most amazing park in Luxembourg. Complete with giant tipi structures, tunnels, swings and a fully sized ship- it seemed more like a playground or adults rather than tikes. We spent the vast majority of the night playing in the park, building makeshift beds in the tipi structures, being creeped out by passer byes or noises, returning to the security of a locked car, making numerous attempts to get comfy in said car only to begin the endless shuffle and fight for space again. With the daylight brought the reality that no one was getting any sleep that night- so instead we locked up the car and headed off to explore.

I must say, we couldn't have been in a better place to spend the early hours wandering. The early bird really does get the worm, right? This was lesson three. I've been told for years by the early risers how beautiful and refreshing a morning walk can be and that I should be spending more time out in the sunshine than inside asleep. Mornings have never agreed with me and it wasn't until I experienced this particular one in Luxembourg that my opinion on the matter changed. Walking around the near-bare streets, breathing the smell of fresh morning air and watching the world come to life as the sun  gently kissed my surroundings. It wasn't until that tranquil and idyllic morning, probably while sitting in the silent sun, eating the berries I'd just picked from the tree I was beneath that I truly experienced the morning hours for what they are, or can be.

The people - the Volvo - the places. *Please ignore the heinous orange die job I'm rocking in these photos.

Other than opting to be more of a morning person and less of a night owl the main advice I can pass on from this lesson is consider ALL consequences and options when trying to save a quick buck. Really think about if it's going to be worth it. Know when to save and when to splurge. (Check out my post here to read more about when to spend)
I’m all for cutting costs wherever possible though in hindsight – this probably wasn’t the brightest idea we’ve had. If I was to do it again (& let’s be honest, I probably would) I’d either make the splurge for a hostel OR I’d upgrade my hotel on wheels – opting for a van or at minimum a bigger car with tinted windows.

For some money saving tips that WON'T leave you sleeping in a car, check out my post Eke out your euro.

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ABC, 123 & WORKING OUT THE PLAN: Spanish Journal W1

Hola, mis amigos!
I’ve come to the end of week one for my latest challenge: Teach myself Spanish in the Maldives. (Read about how it started by following the link)
First and foremost can we just take a moment to absorb the fact that it’s actually been a week since Fin de año? A week since I was sitting on a rock watching the fireworks and welcoming the New Year out here in the middle of the sea. How time flies. So far so good with sticking to my NYS resolutions! How’s everyone else done? As promised, here is my weekly language update & progression.

Semana uno (week one) GOAL CHECKLIST
[x] Spend 30mins a day practicing
[x] Read online resources and guides on teaching yourself a language
[x] Learn a Spanish preschool song
[x] Make flashcards & use daily
[x] Be able to recite the alphabet
[x] Count to 20
[x] The basics; Greetings
[x] Days of the week
[  ] Months of the year
[x] Time words (Year, day, yesterday, last week, tonight etc)

Resumen semanal (WEEKLY SUMMARY)
I feel like the week went well! 9/10 checked off the list – not too shabby! I haven’t ticked off months of the year yet as I am only just getting around to them tonight.
It’s incredibly daunting when you begin to learn a language. I’ve been speaking English for 22 years and I’m still learning new words here and there. Yes, it’s intimidating to start from scratch and it’s incredibly odd to read, hear and recite (something you’ve done all your life) though this time in a completely foreign way. However I’m finding when I let myself be intrigued by the ambiguity rather than let it deter me, the unknown can be really exciting! This is one of the main factors I’ve taken into account this time around (unlike my French learning) I have changed my mindset. I found myself regularly frustrated before when I felt I’d learnt so much and yet couldn’t understand the French News Channel when I flicked it on. How to fix the problem this time? STOP SETTING UNREALISTIC GOALS. I was incredibly naive to think that after a month or so of 30min practice here and there I’d be able to fully understand each and every segment of the news in French, much less spoken at the fast & frank speed of a native French speaker. This time I’ll be setting small and simple goals and not let the frustration of not being fluent immediately get the better of me. How crazy is that? I actually found myself regularly annoyed that I had not reached fluency all the while not really trying nor putting in the time to ever do so.

¿cómo lo hago -HOW DID I DO IT?
(Some of the resources I used or memory tricks)

• To start off with I jumped on Google and copied down the basics- the alphabet, vowels, numbers and greetings with a second list explaining how to pronounce each word.
• I hit two birds with one stone when I learnt the days of the week (Los dias de la samana) through a childrens song. I found a great one on youtube to the tune of the Adams Family! Ask me any time of the week what day it is- and I’ll now be able to tell you. (Possibly after a little sing along, *da na na na, click, click*)
• To help assist in remembering the numbers I carried around a piece of paper to refer to if I got stuck & would count in my head. I’d count as I took steps, folded laundry, typed or basically anything that could be counted… I counted.
• I used the TEACH YOURSELF SPANISH program to learn the basics of pronunciation, be introduced to simple grammar rules, the alphabet and basic greetings. I didn’t spend as much time on this as I’d hoped, though I’m hoping if I ease into it and make learning the basics as fun as possible there will be less chance of becoming bored with my learning.
• I made a flashcard for all the new words I learnt as well as greeting phrases. I ended up carrying them around and whenever I had a moment to myself at work or while walking around I got them out & practiced. 
• To prep myself I've also downloaded a bunch of apps on my phone. (Duolingo, Sensei, Translate, Learn Spanish Free) I'm LOVING Duolingo and Sensei. They have catchy little games and actividads to assist your learning as well as fun ways to introduce new words and concepts. (I have a a samsung running android so you'll find these apps in the Google Play store. I'm sure you apple heads can find them on itunes also.

That marks the end of semana uno! (week one)
The goals next week? Numbers 20-100, Pronouns & articles (I, we, you, this, the, that) I’m going to also start setting a weekly conversation goal so bit by bit I can hold small conversations on various topics right from the start. I also plan to make a Spanish speaking friend on the net somewhere to help assist me as a language partner. If you speak Spanish or are learning English and would like to be that friend, get in touch & let me know! Gracias, hasta la próxima vez!

Some study in the sun esta tarde. (this afternoon) 

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NEW YEAR NEW LANGUAGE

Okay! HELLO 2014.

What a year! Leaving Holland, returning home, hating it, moving to Malaysia, being relocated with work to the Maldives, a bunch of return trips here & there around asia, ticking off a number of cities on my list back in Europe. It's been a pretty fun filled year to say the least! Let’s not dwell though. Out with the old and in with the new, right? 

I’ve taken that advice on literally and decided to semi-retire on my French learning & instead take up Spanish. Starting fresh. No, I’m not a quitter. You could possibly call it jaded frustration for not picking it up as quickly as I’d hoped (or in actuality lack of commitment) but I’m going to go with ‘pursuing new passions and prioritising’ instead. J Since many of my planned upcoming adventures sit within Spanish speaking regions I have decided to learn Spanish instead / first. Bien! hagámoslo.

Teaching yourself a language is far from easy. It takes copious amounts of commitment, patience, perseverance, persistence and a deep determination paired with a love for the language. It’s just that little bit harder when you’re not actually surrounded by the language nor finding yourself regularly in a situation where you are forced to use it. This is no reason to shy away though! We’re very lucky to be living in probably what could be deemed the golden age for language learning since mans first speech. More specifically- to teach yourself a language. There is less and less need to splurge on lessons now with so many free resources, videos, programs, apps, books and blogs to assist in your learning! The misconception that immersion is the only way can also now be blown out of the water. Utilizing things such as Skype, Facebook and the internet it's never been easier to immerse your(CYBER)self within a culture & language right from your lounge room. Bring the language to you! Put yourself into cyber situations that allow you to utilize what you've learnt and keep learning! Finding a language class, conversation buddy, beginners group or new native speaking friend is easier than ever with so many incredible websites designed for just that. Chances are somewhere, someone out there in the big bad world is willing to help assist you (free of charge) on your journey in exchange for practicing, using and perfecting their English. 

On and off for the last year I’ve been teaching myself French. Unfortunately though it’s been far more off than on. This year I’ve decided to start fresh with a new language and turn it into somewhat of a challenge rather than a chore (which sadly is what my previous attempts have fizzled into). I’m going to set weekly goals, monthly checkpoints and go in with a plan this time- all the while I’ll be blogging about my progress (in the hope that’ll push me to reach my goals) as well as inspire others to maybe do the same.

THE CHALLENGE? Teach myself Spanish while in the Maldives

THE GOAL? Conversational fluency by JULY, 2014. High hopes I know but we’ll see, I have a plan!

THE TOOLS? Teach Yourself Spanish Book & 2 Audio CDs, an ipod, self made flash cards, notebook, youtube and a few Spanish speaking friends on facebook. 

Here’s three fantastic language blogs I’ve been reading and hope to use for reference, research and inspiration! Check them out!

http://www.everydaylanguagelearner.com/ -This is my go to hub for all things language learning, full of great resources tips and tricks. A must-use for any language learner, thanks Aaron for your wonrderul page!

http://www.fluentin3months.com –Benny the Irish polygot. I really love this blog! It just goes to show how anyone can learn a language if there’s a strong desire. You can watch his progress and videos as he travels the world attempting to obtain fluency in.. yes, you guessed it- three months, one country at a time.

http://www.thepolyglotdream.com Similar to the previous blog, these are the tales of Luca, another inspiring polygot travelling the world and learning languages. I especially love his language learning technique posts!

Don’t forget to check back in for my weekly progress updates so you can follow my journey, see what I achieved that week (or didn’t, haha) how I did it and what tools I used! I plan to post weekly updates cross checking my goals with my accomplishments, marking my progress and linking any resources I used that week.

If there’s any Spanish speakers out there, anyone currently learning Spanish or willing to join my journey I’d love to hear from you! I’m hoping to grow a small network of language partners to practise, chat and type with! If you think you’d be up for the challenge shoot me an email on thislittlenomad@gmail.com OR leave a comment below. J Hasta Luego, amigos!

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KNOW WHEN TO SAVE AND WHEN TO SPLURGE

There’s no point travelling if you’re going to just eat bread, sit drinkless in bars and wander around window shopping the city. Half, if not all the joys of experiencing another culture or country for what it is comes with tasting the local cuisine, downing the tip top wine and the once in a lifetime experiences and opportunities on offer. Unfortunately most of the things that bring with them special and exciting feels generally come with pretty high costs. There’s going to be a wonderful and unique line up of various splurge-worthy things to do while on the move- you’ll just have to sift through, work out what’s personally worth it and budget it in.

In my opinion, here’s some do’s and don’ts of spending your savings on the move:

DO Use the money you’ve saved eating from eating at supermarkets on a splurge at one of Italy’s finest mama & papas. Enjoy the crazy-priced pasta for everything it is and really taste the culture. Food is as much about travel as the destination. Set aside a little money for at least ONE sit down meal at a decent restaurant and taste the local cuisine of each destination.

DON’T waste money (& suitcase space) buying every single item that you think you have to have. You’ve managed to live and do okay without it up until ten minutes ago – look, like & move along.

DO Throw your money out the window & follow it. For a view like no other skydiving over a city is an incredible way to absorb or be absorbed by the sights. Although costs of adventure sports are high – the once off’s are well worth it and an experience not to be missed. From skydiving over the Algarve in Portugal to diving in the Maldives there’s going to be ample opportunities to splash your cash for a quick thrill. You’ll just need to fish out and prioritize on the ones worth doing.

DON’T feel the need to see, do, taste, hear and touch every single thing on offer. Why bother heading into the rock museum in Creetown, Scotland ‘because it’s on the list’ if a rock is just a rock and you really couldn’t care less.

DO treat yourself. You’re here to experience the country for everything it is and in doing so you are exposed to the local wonders and specialties that come with it. If you’ve always wanted something jade- letting go of a sizeable chunk at the local Jade Market in China is not a waste. One of the best OMG-splurges I’ve made was on a diamond ring in Alaska – the hub in which many gems come from. I was at the end of my Inside passage cruise & about to head back home so I convinced and reasoned with myself that it was a better idea to spend all the money I had now so to avoid having to exchange currencies on my way back. (Because that would have been SUCH a difficult 3minutes out of my life at the currency exchange counter). I HAVE ZERO REGRETS & although now missing a diamond (& it no longer being splurge-worthy enough to fix) the ring is currently residing on my finger as I type. Don’t feel bad, or um and ah – If you really want it, are going to love it and it will mark the monumental trip you’ve had – splurge.

DON’T pick accommodation SOLEY on price. Often more than not you’ll find yourself wishing you had spent the extra $2 or $50 it was going to cost you at the hostel with wifi or the hotel smack bang in the middle of the cities nightlife. Think about quality, services and location. Why opt for the $20pn hostel when it’s going to cost you $15 to get to the attraction next door to the $30pn hostel. Catch my drift? One of the worst saves I ever made was opting to cut out accommodation costs all together & spend the weekend sleeping in the car we’d hired. –WORDS OF WISDOM: This in actual fact is not the brightest idea. Read more about this experience here.

When have you saved of splurged? And was it worth it? I’d love to hear from YOU! Comment below or like / share the post JClick here to read some of my best money saving tips for backpacking!

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