Category: Travel thoughts

working in a hostel

Everything you need to know about working in a hostel

Posted on by

“So, what are you going to do during your career break”? my boss asks me on my last day. “ “I’m heading off to Albania, working in a hostel” The look on his face speaks volumes. “OK, there are two things I don’t understand in that sentence. First, you are going to work? And second: in Albania?!” I laugh, but I’ve never been more excited! I’d been wanting to travel long-term for a while, but neither my parents, neither my bank account thought that this was an achievable Continue Reading

slow travel

How to slow travel with limited time?

Posted on by

Let’s face it, due to work or finances, most of us don’t have the luxury of unlimited travel time. Some people work hard all year round to afford those well-earned two weeks off. They often tend to cramp in as much as possible and as a result come home exhausted… They have “seen” a place, ticked off the must see boxes, but have they really experienced what the city or country is all about…? In comes slow travel! Slow travel is about experiences rather than sights. It’s about Continue Reading

travel attitude

Are travel bloggers the worst travellers?

Posted on by

What is it about travel blogging nowadays? Everybody who ever set foot out of their own country seems to feel the need to document it on their own little corner of the world wide web! Millions of stories are up for grabs, millions of tales to inspire future travellers to follow into our footsteps. But is the travel attitude bloggers have really the example to follow? Being a travel blogger myself, I have found myself in situations which made me think… 1/ We have forgotten to simply enjoy Continue Reading

full time traveller

Why I DON’T want to travel full-time

Posted on by

“How I became a full-time traveller and so can you” ! The number of articles dealing with the subject pollutes my e-mail nearly every day. Everybody and their auntie seem to call themselves “digital nomads” nowadays, it seems to be the new trend. Even though I travel very often, I just can’t see myself doing it full-time. Why not? Glad you asked! 1/ I love travelling too much What do you mean it sounds contradictory? Please allow me to explain! Whether you have a fixed address or Continue Reading

when travel goes wrong

Those moments when travel goes horribly wrong

Posted on by

Aah, the joys of travelling: exploring new cities, meeting new people and the only thing you have to worry about is “where am I going to eat and sleep tonight?” But occasionally, travel goes wrong. These were some of those times: 1/ The car crash in Ireland I am sitting on a rock next to my tent in the small Irish village of Caherdaniel. Beside me is a police offer, trying to sort things out with the insurance company. How did I end up here? It all started the day before. I was driving the Continue Reading

how to meet locals

How to meet locals while traveling

Posted on by

I don’t know about you, but for me, travelling is a lot more than seeing the sights. Yes, of course I want to visit the Louvre on a Paris trip and yes, I’ve been to Lady Liberty in New York, but what really makes a trip is to meet locals while traveling, to meet the ordinary people like you and me, who live, work and play in the city or country you’re visiting! And no, that doesn’t mean you have to strike up a conversation with every person on the street. (although feel free to do so) Continue Reading

travel addiction

The side effects of travel addiction

Posted on by

My name is Els and I have an addiction. I go to bed with it and it’s the first thing on my mind when I wake up. If I could program my dreams, it would hunt me in my sleep too! I have a “travel addiction”! “So, what’s so bad about it?” I hear you say. “There are worse addictions to be had!” Well of course there are and although it’s a very mild addiction, it does feel like a benign drug that comes with some unwanted side-effects: 1/ Lack of security Working 9 to 5 gives me a Continue Reading

life as an expat

Life as an expat: the good, the bad and the ugly!

Posted on by

It’s been over 5  years since I moved from Belgium to Northern Ireland. Although I like to think of myself as being “easily adaptable”, I must be honest and say that life as an expat hasn’t been and isn’t always easy. There are different phases every expat will go through and while the good definitely outweighs the bad, there are still a few things to consider. Expat life: the good! 1/ It broadens your mind Life as an expat means living in a culture that is different from Continue Reading

people I met on my travels

A tribute to the people I met on my travels!

Posted on by

One of the best parts of independent and slow travel is the people you meet on the road! Connecting with people when travelling means a lot more to me than seeing the Eiffel Tower or the Taj Mahal. There’s so much you can learn from them, they can show you more about their culture and country than any guide book or museum ever could! I still recall the friendliness of the Scottish and Thai people I met, I can vividly (well, more or less) remember the drunken nights I spent with some Albanian Continue Reading

The 5 stages of expat life

Posted on by

Expat: the word always sounded kind of “exotic” to me. I admired the people who dared to leave everything behind to start a new life abroad. It never really occurred to me to follow in their footsteps, but after 2 ½ years of being in a  long distance relationship, it looked like the expat life was coming my way… In March 2013 I said goodbye to my friends, my family and my job to start a new life in Northern Ireland. Turns out the expat life is a life with ups and downs. Looking back and Continue Reading