It's only sand!

Yeah. Travelling light. It can sometimes cause a bit of panic.
I'm switching flights in Eindhoven, Ryanairs version of Amsterdam. Enjoyed a long coffee at Starbucks and walked around the airport a bit. Unfortunately, I realised about an hour too late that I had miscalculated my lay-over and could have maybe wondered of a bit longer. I thought about taking the bus into Amsterdam but it would have been a bit too tight for my taste.

So, here I am stuck on the airport and after checking that I can smoke on the airside, it hit me.

I am flying out from Amsterdam. The "drug capitol of Europe". Where I only spent 5h.
I have no clothes or pretty much any other personal stuff on me.
What do have, is quite a bit of cash(I haven't got a maltese account yet, so I'm on my way to deposit money to my account in Ireland).
2 phones.
Extra sim-card.
Some sort of IDs from 3 different countries. All with small variations of my name.
4 cartoons of cigarettes (they cost half the price in Malta, so my smoker friends might want some).
5 vials of odd coloured liquid(local liqueurs).
A small bottle of pink sand-hidden in a woollen sock(souvenir!).
Oh, and a notebook with scribbled calculations(did some work-thinking on the plane").

I've seen Border Control.

Thankfully, the security at Eindhoven didn't care. Let's just hope the same goes for Dublin...

"Traveling light"

So, this ended up being everything I need to pack/have with me.

Feels very light...

But Dublin tomorrow! I'll do my best to blog on the way, but otherwise :see you next week!

The Day before

I'm flying up to Dublin tomorrowmorning for a weeks holiday, and today I'm realising how many preparations I usually do before travelling and now...I don't seem to have any.

Everything that is stressing me is workrelated. Have I shown my backup everything she needs to do? Did I remember to move over all my responsibilities? Have they got access to everything they need?

I'm honestly a bit lost. I'm one of those who triplecheck my packings, and spend the days before making lists, start washing  up clothes I might need, pack/unpack/repack. Dubbelcheck, start over, check again. The night before travelling I'm still sitting tired and crying with all my stuff because I feel I'll never get everything organized before I go.

But. This time. First of all, clothes are expensive in Malta. Clothes are cheap in Dublin.

During the 4 months I've lived in Malta, I haven't bought a single item of clothing because everything seems so darn expensive. Since I've know about going to Dublin for a while now, I've postponed all my shopping to when I go there. And since I'm flying with RyanAir without checked in baggage, I need to count kilos. And I really do have a lot of shopping to do, my existing wardrobe really needs a huge makeover.

So,I made the smart choice of flying up with the clothes I'm wearing and an empty bag. At least, I think it's a smart choice.

Also, flying with only handbaggage does limit a bit your packings. I can't take my big bottles of hairspray and hairconditioner with me, because I can't take them on the flight. I actually left all those kinds of stuff with my old housemates in Dublin when I moved, with the deal that whenever I come to visit, I can always borrow the few drops of toothpaste and soap I'll need. Or go and buy a freaking hairspray for a euro if it's an emergency.

I've been broke until this morning, so I guess I need to pick up a few souvenirs. Which, actually, I might as well buy from the airport and kill the time that way before the flight. Done.

Since, in Malta it's not like walking to the street and you can hail a cab, I already ordered a cab for tomorrow, so I don't need to worry about that. At dublin end I can take the bus, I just need to take my buscard. Which actually still has enough credit to take me into city center from the airport.

And I already checked in to all my flights and printed out the boarding passes. That used to be a big stressmoment for me, but this summer I had 8 flights within a 3 week period, so I got pretty handy at that. EVEN when it's RyanAir.

My passport is always in my "day-handbag", so I don't need to look for that. I still haven't got a Maltese bank account, so I only use my Irish bankcard, so that is already in my handbag.

So my complete packing is pretty much the following:

• Both phones and their chargers. Which I can't pack until the morning.
•  My Dublin-buscard.
• Some souveniers. From the airport, so no packing.
• Mascara and my favourite perfume (a minitesterbottle so it travels alright).And they are already in my handbag.
• Passport and boardingpasses, already in my handbag.
• Clothes to wear when flying. Well, never yet walked out of the house undressed so yeah, I don't think this will be a problem.
• Book for the flight. I'm oldschool and like to read real books - which I always buy at the airport.

I must be forgetting something, ain't I? What am I forgetting?

And am I the only one who stresses about packing and pre-travelpreparations?

Not getting out of hand at all...

(I know, worlds classiest map,huh. I just can't find a nice and simple pinpointmapthing so I have taken a trip into an age 15 years ago and I'm using Paint. So glad I went through 3 years of studying audioVISUALcommunication for this)

 

I found a good appcombination now to sit at home and do my dreamplanning, and it's getting a bit out of hand, not to mention that I have some timetableproblems...

Original plan: Go to Tokyo for a week and visit Hello Kitty Land.

Current plan: Fly off from Malta to Beijing on August 18th, take a guided tour to North Korea on August 21-23rd. Take the night train down to Shanghai, arrive there the 24th. Somehow spend time in Shanghai and Seoul. Be in Osaka on the 27th, visit Nara on the 28th, take a night train to Tokyo. Visit Hello Kitty land on the 30th. Fly back to Malta on September 3rd.

Oh, and somehow fit in Battleship Island as well.

This really isn't working out right now. I know I'm trying to squeeze in too much in a too short time period, but. Gosh.

I actually have no interest in Beijing, but it seems like the only way to get to North Korea. And yes, for some reason I decided that North Korea would be cool. Found a 3-day guided tour for 800 euros,includes flights and hotels, so it doesn't seem that bad.

Also what is making my head hurt, is that the tour I found for North Korea is on August 21-23rd so that has to be a fixed part datewise. The other fixed part is Hello Kitty land on August 30th.

All good suggestions more than welcomed.

Who says abandoned is forgotten?

My lunchtimebrowsing today came up with a jackpot. I was actually googling for the odd museums in Ireland, and somehow managed to find a gallery titled "15 most breathtaking abandoned places in the world" at a site called Nster.com.

I'm really flipping through the gallery back and forth. And most of these places are actually visitable without being to outlandish!

One place that I'm definitely planning my trip around is this abandoned theme park in Tokyo. I can't wait to go there! With a camera! I want to climb on that rollercoaster and fool around!


And seriously, Skyfall is the only James Bond movie I've had energy to watch in about a decade and while watching it I was so impressed about the place where the villain (who's name I can't bother to remember but you know who I mean. Albino-Javier. You know.) hang around. And guess what?

It's a real place! I can go there! It's apparently called "The Battleship Island" and located in Japan, and it's number 12 on that same list as the Nara Dreamland.

I borrowed the pictures from Totorotimes who has a absolutely stunning photogallery from Nara Dreamland. I'm blown away. Have to get there.

Actually. I think I need to look into that site a bit more otherwise as well...

15 Most Breathtaking Abandoned Places in the World
Read more at http://news.nster.com/content175.html?b=1#U06RSpByHXP6wvEd.abandoned theme park

Malta in a picture nutshell

Malta,my current home.

It's sunny,but when it rains,like it apparently does in November, you start planning on getting boat to move around with.

Food is local(and cheap!),and even the simplest dinners turn into a wonderful adventure.

Malta is home to Cisk - the only drinkable and tasty beer I've yet met.

Morningciggs and coffee at work have turned into lovely enjoyments.

Being highly religious,you'll have beautiful churches all over the place.Love a nicely litup church in the dark.

Note.My only camera is the one on my phone,so not best quality pics.I also do most of my blogging from said phone...

Shanghai-inspiration

And it just so happens, that just when I started thinking about adding Shanghai to my Tokyo trip, I come across a wonderful timelapsevideo of the Shanghai skylines thanks to The Daily Mail (and Joe Nifas who made the video).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2510382/Stunning-time-lapse-video-shows-Shanghai-went-sparse-parks-iconic-high-rise-city.html

That's what I want! I'm a cityperson, as mentioned earlier. And cities at night, there really isn't anything more beautiful.

I used to live on the 8th floor at one point in Finland, and yes, 8 floors is the Finnish equivalent of a highrise, and every night I loved to go out on my balcony, have a cigarette and just enjoy the slow city traffic and the lights against the dark sky. To me, that was my daily meditation routine.

I wonder if Joe Nifas is hosting through Couchsurf... 
(where I just yesterday realized to change my details for the correct ones so that I could actually start to host people. You know, it's hard to keep up with things like "which country do I live in)

3,5 workdays until Dublin

Since I'm stressed out and tired at work (gosh how much work there is to prepare everything just so I can take a vacation) and doing these really brainf#cktranslations, so I'm now wasting my lunch hour with dreaming of things I will enjoy in Dublin.

Can't wait to go "back home" next Tuesday. I know, I've only been away for like 4 months but if I haven't said it enough: I love Dublin. If only I could get a good job there and actually be able to afford living there...not to mention if it was a bit sunnier there...

But, my BIG plans for next week.Leaving out the obvious hanging around with firends an so on.

• Shopping at Penneys. I went into a few shops here. Why pay 20 euros for a top when I can get 4 for the same money in Penneys? I'm gonna fly in with only the clothes I'm wearing and my loyal blue bag empty for once.
• Not drink beer. When I was moving away from Ireland, I was so fed up with Bulmers. Now I can't wait to get one.
• Play Munchkin. Yes, I lived with nerds. Somethings catched on.
• Order pizza from Apache. Who would have ever thought you could miss Apache? I honestly haven't had a single pizza since I moved away. Now I want my usual. BBQ sauce, lambkebab, red onion, peppers. Oh yeah, I'm skipping lunch today,maybe I shouldn't talk about food.
• Walk slowly through Grafton Street and have a coffee in St. Stephen's Green. I was always to busy to enjoy the small things, now I'll have all the time I need while my friends are working.
• Visit Somewhere-else. It's almost shameful how little I spent time outside of Dublin.
• Visit one of the museums. I've only been to the Photographic archive and that was a pretty big letdown.
• Hang around at Trinity. Anyone know the timetable for the rugbypractise?
• Catch a movie. Seriously, Maltese cinemas have intermissions. Never made to a viewing yet. Probably never will. And CineWorld is just a brilliant place.
• BagelBar. The one on Abbey Street. That always greets you with a smell of burnt bagels when you make it through the usually broken door. And where you have the friendliest but most unorganized staff. I love the place. And I love bagels. Why hasn't stuffed bagels become a proper thing elsewhere?

Japan...with a bit of a sidetrack

I'm trying to figure out this thing about Japan. And somehow it got a bit sidetracked...

Now thinking about an alternative to take Shanghai and Seoul on the way there. Already looked a bit at flights, would be about 1600 euros just flights! Wow. Really need to start thinking of new ways to save up some muulah.

But, then again, feels a bit boring to take only Tokyo on this trip... Hmm hmm hmm.

And yes, songs ready for those.There's a Finnish song called Shanghain valot (lights of Shanghai) and of course David Bowie's China girl. As for Seoul. This is really a stupid choice but Blues Brothers and Soul man :D


Have thought of a few small ways to save up cash, maybe a bit here and there will add on so it's enough.

But a bigger question, anyone up for a Asia tour next August?

YouTube Playlist

I created a YouTube playlist for my travelplans, gonna be adding on to it as I go. Let me know if you have any good suggestions!

Lonely Planet & Bourdain are my weekend heroes

Been a chilly weekend spent wrapped up in my thick duvet.

Winter is arriving to Malta, and though it's still alright weather outside, that doesn't feel inside the apartment. I live in the second floor but it feels like a cellar. Icecold and damp, mold and no heating. Folks have laughed at me that I'm just too sensitive, but a friend visiting me confirmed that no, it's not me, it really is a freezer I live in. Well, training for Antarctica...

So, having a weekend on the couch just added on to the anticipation of my Saturdaynight favourite :Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, specially since this week was from Detroit.

When I talk about my US plan, I'm mostly looking forward to Detroit and New Orleans. And people can't understand why I want to go to Detroit.

I love rugged beauty. I'd rather spend a day at an abandoned factory than at a rose garden.

Watching the episode just made me more excited than ever about one day seeing Detroit. And of course, Mo-town. I love motown music. Love it.

Right now, the US tour is pretty stongly on my mind, likely since it's a new idea.

But Japan has to be next fall, and making two trips might not work out. I need to work hard to even afford one proper trip, not to mention trying to get the vacation days to be enough.

I can be honest, I'm not really sure what to expect about Japan. I'm more Harajuku than well, rose gardens :D

But, I have no decent vision of the trip. Thankfully, I got some good help from my favourite traveldatabase. Just have a look at this http://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/travel-tips-and-articles/77715

Definitely starting to get some Tokyo vibes...

Apps apps apps

I haven't got a computer at home so all this planning and dreaming is really complicated from home.

I've been trying to find good travel apps to android but it seems to be impossible. Already to find a map that I could do pinpoints on is apparently too much asked!

Is there any good apps for this? Yes, Skyscanner has a good app for checking flights, TripAdvisor is good to find spots and places, the Hotel/Booking apps are good, but is there really anything else? And do you really need 15 different apps for one trip planning?

Please please please, any good advice is welcomed.

plan:Japan

JAPAN

Let's go back in time a few years. Back to the time BEFORE you could see Hello Kitty evvvvvrywhere. You do know that HK is like 40 years old, right?


I was a huge HK-fan and got really excited when I saw something with Hello Kitty on. I had to get it.
Then, the boom started. My friends and family was always buying me Hello Kittystuff, but I started to drown in it. You name it, I had it. Also, when the boom started, Kitty lost her attractiveness and became a kid's thing.




At date point, it was too late for me. I was known as the Hello Kitty fan. Last Christmas my mother gave me a 300 piece Hello Kitty puzzle. Yes, I was 28.

A few years ago I noticed that there's a Hello Kitty land in Tokyo. I made a joke that "I'm gonna spend my 30th birthday at HelloKitty-land". Suddenly, it became reality and folks thought that I am actually going.
Not one wanting to look like backing out of something, I decided that "why not".Japan in august 2014 it is then. That is also what was the first step into this project. Hello Kitty Land 2014 grew into P7C.




I have no one yet to travel with, nothing saved up or no actual plans. But I guess it's time to start planning. Any good advice on how to Tokyo with a budget?

Problem Antarctica

Cheebuz. If I'm gonna do all continents, and if I'm counting with 7 continents, I have to do Antarctica as well.

Now...

1. I hate snow.
2. I hate cold.
3. I hate ice.
4. I hate stormy waters.
5. I need social and cultural vibes.

Does anyone know any good pubs in Antarctica???

A thought popping up...

Inspired by my USA-music tour I realised something. I really should make that the theme for my travellings, to always go to places that I can sing about. That would be amazing and help out chosing the places.

I started to think through of what comes to mind. Well, Japan is a plan of mine so "Big in Japan", naturally. More about my Japan-plans later, since that is actually what started evvvvvvrything.

But, back to music. Big in Japan, Don't cry for me Argentina, At the Copa, Kokomo, London Calling, Viva Las Vegas and....what?

Any good suggestions? It has to be real hits, I don't want anything Googled from a artist who only sings in his garage for his cats.

And, now I have Copacabana on repeat in my head. Damn.

Up to a rough start

So... Even if this was decided a bit before this project started, I'm going to count this as actually travelling.

I'm going to Ireland in a few weeks, even if is in a way 'visiting home' it's still one of my few holidays abroad.

Been really looking forward to it. I love Dublin, it's a shame so few actually goes to visit it. And having a bunch of really wonderful people there doesn't hurt...

Anyway, I found out today at work that the system I'm expert on is going through some big changes and needs some extra work. And of course it can only be done when my holiday is booked. And paid. With Ryan Air flights. Without a chance of refund.

I was almost crying at work, already seeing my holiday cancelled. But, thankfully, I have a great boss who promised that I can keep my holiday since it's a bit of short notice. I just need to spend a day on standby to help out my team and do some distance work.

So, a whole morning without a hungover or being drunk. In Dublin. Oh gosh...

Plan: Music trip in USA

So, one of my latest plans involves a music trip in the big USA.

Only cities where I can sing The song. (oh, and singing so nobody hears me because I sound like a screcrow).

New Orleans

Memphis

Nutbush

Nashville

(actually I just want to hear proper country but since there has to be a song...)

Chicago 

Detroit

Philadelphia

New York

Of course.

And where the complete idea started from...

Boston

Edit. noticed to my panic that I posted an odd version of Nutbush...

First steps to take

So, I got this brilliant idea yesterday. And I started to think about what steps I need to take to make this actually happen.

First thing that came to mind was money. I need to find new ways of saving up money since I never seem to be able to do it.

At that point, I decided to give up smoking. I've been saying forever and ever that I will quit, but never gotten around to it. But regarding that I smoke about 4 packs a week, a pack costs about 4 euros here, that would be a 20 euro saving per week. Pretty much 100 euros a month. 1200 euros a year. And 1200 euros is a good startingmoney for any trip.

Has anyone got any ideas of other ways to save up/earn a bit of extra?

I actually don't spend that much on other unnecessary things. My money pretty much goes to normal living. And I have a quite hectic job and no computer at home at the moment so any kind of earn online alternatives are a bit tricky. Hmmm. Need to figure this out...

1 down..

I'm gonna start with the simple one.

EUROPE

So, this got checked pretty much at the moment I took my first breath.

I'm born in a little town in southeastern Finland. And with little, I mean one church and 2 bars.

When I was 18, I took my first step into the wild and moved away to southern France with a one week notice to work as an au pair. I was there for 11 months, insisting on never returning to Finland. Thankfully, my parents got through to me that I need some kind of an education. So I returned for what was supposed to be a year or two.

Eight years later...

Realising that none of the reason that had held me in Finland for those years, you know, relationships, studyloans, and so on, weren't keeping me back. So, when my job ended, I resigned from my flat and starting get rid of everything. At that point my whole plan was "Away".

I ended up in Dublin,Ireland and fell in love with the city. So nowadays home usually means Ireland. But but...things happened and suddenly I found myself living in Malta, which is where I'm writing this.

So, so far I've spent about 2,5 years of my life being an expat in Europe. Besides that, I've done a fewtrips within our lovely continent. Trips to Sweden to see grandma, a week in Crete and a week in Cyprus with the family, shopping trips to Italy when living in France, a weekend in Belfast. And airports. If we count up airports I've been to most West-European countries.

 

My current view in life.

Hi!

Hi. I'm Jen, and I'm turning 30 next year.

When asked about interests, I say travelling and learning about new cultures.

The only problem is: I never travel. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm stuck in my little home town of 8000 people either. I'm currently living in country number 4.
Being an expat is a great way of learning about different cultures, but it does take a toll on travelling. Whenever I save up money to travel, it's again time to go back home for a visit. Or then I just don't have anyone to travel with.

So mostly, my travelling stays in my head and in my plans. I'm really good at planning trips. And I mean REALLY good.

But, like I said. I realized that I'm turning 30 next year, and now really is the time to start exploring if I'm ever gonna do it. So I made a decision. By the time I turn 40, I have visited all continents. Might skip out on Antarktis though...

This blog is to follow and share my big project, a place to vent out ideas and problems, and also a place to gather thoughts and info. I know already, that many of the trips here will never be done. Maybe they will give help and inspiration to other travellers, who knows.

If you for some reason end up reading this, please do share any ideas or tips you might have.

Love, Jen