Often when I travel, I travel solo and often I come up with witty things to say or comment on (or so I think) but then have no one to tell them too. Instead of leaving them laying in my notebook or stuck in my head I will share them with you! Also this list will also consist of random observations and well anything that I want to be in it because I made it :)
(Somewhat inspired by Joel Wards BrainDrops)
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I love the US and everyone from there but why is it that when a fair amount of you are traveling the world often times when asked where you are from you say the name of your state instead of the country? I have noticed this on more than one occasion. I was in Scotland on a walking tour last week and the guide asked everyone where we were from and the Europeans said their country names all the Canadians said Canada but every American said their state “Texas” “Ohio” and so on. Automatically I knew they were from the states but is that only because I’m Canadian and my close proximity to them/you has taught me the names of all the states? (Not that I could list them off to you right now or anything) But would this tour guide and other Europeans automatically know that that was in the states? I´m curious to find out the answer to this. In no way am I saying that every American does this and I´m sure some Canadians do it too, however often I hear Americans doing this. Anyone else ever notice that?
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Being a travel blogger rocks and gets better every day, I am meeting hundreds of awesome new people that I would of never met otherwise and they actually understand my nerdiness and enjoy everything that I do, I get to write/talk/film awesome amazing things and the travel and destinations get better with every trip!!! Now if only I could get a hold of one of those elusive press trips ;)
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Travel Blogging has improved the way I travel. I now know more than I ever would have before about a place and I seem to know people everywhere I go.
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Recently on a trip to Iceland I kept being told about the Icelanders belief in trolls, ferries, ghosts and the like. I wasn’t sure what to think of this and then on a tour bus I drove past an old cliff face of a volcano and along the side of the road lay boulders that had tumbled down from it and on every other boulder there was a little house painted on it which made me wonder, maybe this is where the trolls live?
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Solo traveling is awesome and a great way to meet new people however it is a little harder to do so in rural areas. In Iceland I sat in a restaurant, while eating solo on a trip if you don’t find anyone to talk to you can generally at least eavesdrop on other conversations around you…however this doesn’t work so well when they are all speaking Icelandic…
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On a tour bus I overheard a girl say to the tour guide “Are we going to a museum on this trip? I didn’t know that, I hate museums, is there another option that I could do?” Tour Guide: “Umm no?”
You hate museums? That’s like saying you hate your ancestors!
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Iceland is one of the only places in the world where you can talk to rocks and people don’t think you are crazy, they just think you are talking to a troll or something.
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A few years ago in Reykjavik an old viking long house was found under a building and it still lays in the same spot and a museum has been built around it. The museum is interactive and they actually let you touch the dirt…. but then I had 1,000 year old dirt stuck under my finger nails for the rest of the day and I felt kind of bad about that…
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I often take the saying “You only live once.” too literally, I really didn’t mean to have a $70.00 dinner in Rekjavik the other night….
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Just because the country or city has a national dish that sounds disgusting but everyone loves it/eats it/ its the thing to do doesn’t mean you should. After attempting to chew and swallow 2 pieces of fermented shark in Reykjavik I almost threw up 3 times (on camera too – video to come!) it must of been the beer from the brewery tour that kept me doing…. I don’t think I will be doing anything like that again anytime soon….
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Airplane rant:
Why do people rush to board airplanes?
Why do people try to board a plane before their row number is called? (I’m pretty sure it won’t leave with out you! They aren’t going to board half the plane then decide thats enough and just close the doors and take off!)
Why do people always put their heavier luggage in the overhead compartments? They clearly say every time but the heavier stuff at your feet!
Why do people rush to get off airplanes and then rush to get to baggage claim? Because most times I take my time, walk to baggage claim, and grab my bag while you are still standing there waiting for yours…
8 Comments
Lawrence Garcia
April 22, 2011 at 7:02 amGreat post, specially on the airport rant. People at the airport nowadays seem to be really busy and toxic. Going here and there I really think that sometimes they need to remake how they do things so people won’t quite be intoxicated with the airport traffic. Thank you for sharing and have a great travel ahead next time.
Cailin
April 28, 2011 at 1:31 amThanks so much Lawrence! I agree with you, airports need to mix it up and people need to chill out :)
Happy Travels!
Alouise
April 17, 2011 at 12:09 amNever really noticed the state thing before. I know when I tell people I’m from Edmonton I’ll say “Edmonton, Canada” because I don’t know if people know where Alberta his. You should just tell people your from Nova Scotia, see if it’s met with any blank stares.
And the airplane rant I totally get. My rant, why do people stand up just after the plane lands, especially those by the window. You know you can’t go anywhere, right?
Cailin
April 28, 2011 at 1:28 amI would probably get blank stares if I said just Nova Scotia, especially in a place like Australia. I have met so many Australians that have never heard the name Nova Scotia before but have read it and automatically in their heads they read it Nova Scott-e-a hahaha thats how they pronounce it it is so funny!
I agree with the window standers but also the person that stands up from the row across from me and then elbows me constantly like I’m in line somewhere and I’m going to buy the last donut or something hahaha
Gray
April 16, 2011 at 12:09 pmWhen I travel abroad, I usually say I’m from “Vermont, in the US”. Here in the US, when someone asks where I’m from, I just say “Vermont.” You would not believe how many times I’ve gotten the response “What state is that in?” If even WE don’t know the names of all our states, how can we expect people from other countries to know them?
Cailin
April 28, 2011 at 1:25 amhahaha I’ve never had someone ask me where my province was! Even though we are the 2nd largest country the states has waaaaay more people and states than our provinces, but you think it would be hard to make that mistake?
Scott
April 15, 2011 at 7:07 pmOk, here is my two cents on the state thing. I may catch flack from this, but I think that it is well established that some states have more pride in their state than others. Texas and Ohio are two of the biggest in this category, so it’s funny that you mentioned those. I do think it is dumb to just say “Texas”, without following up with “USA”, cause believe it or not, not everyone may know what Texas is.
I, on the other hand have more pride in my city than my state. When I meet someone, sometimes I say “USA”, other times I will say “St. Louis, USA”, for me it just comes down to just being proud to be where you are from, and hoping to have the chance to tell people a little about your city. And on the other hand, when I meet someone, I would love for them to tell me “Manchester” or “Warsaw” instead of England or Poland.
Good question though!
Cailin
April 28, 2011 at 1:24 amThat is actually where the people were from! I wonder if people from Ohio and Texas travel more than people from other states?
I agree with the city thing. Way more people seem to know my city of Halifax than they do my province of Nova Scotia. But I wouldn’t say Halifax, Canada I can see people in Toronto doing that though.