How I Can Afford To Travel!

My most REVEALING post to date! If you've been wondering how the hell I've been able to last traveling this long, well here it is! All secrets are out in the open! This post tells you how I do it, and how YOU can do it too!

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Working On A Cruise Ship

I somehow managed to get myself a job working at a Cruise Ship. This post is an inside look on what it's really like to live and work below deck. You never know... You might be enticed to work for one too, and travel the whole world like me! Read on to find out more...

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Scotland: My Favorite Country In The World

I've been to many places in several different continents, and have seen spectacular beauty... But every time I visit Scotland, every other country pales in comparison. Read this post to find out why at this point, Scotland was and still is, in my opinion, the most beautiful place on Earth...

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On Finding My Bliss In Italy

When you go on big trips like this, however cheesy it sounds, you always do end up 'finding yourself'. And there are moments... difinitive moments when you achieve clarity, contentment, and pure happiness. This all happened to me in Italy. Read my most soulful post to date, inspired by the full moon in Italia...

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On Being Featured In A Documentary

I somehow managed to get myself featured in an upcoming documentary about "Voluntourism". This may be the big break I've been waiting for! The trailer is out - and I'm in it! It looks so good, I'm so excited! See for yourself... watch it here!

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An Epiphany At Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre is one of my favorite places in Italy. We hiked 5 villages in one day, and it was breathtaking! But something completely unexpected happened on the hike... An encounter with a complete stranger made me realize possibly one of the most important things I need to do with my life...

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My Ayahuasca Experience

Ayahuasca, is by far, the most INTENSE thing I have ever experienced in my life. I died and was reborn. It is both horrific and beautiful at the same time... I can't explain it in a few words. You HAVE to read my story to believe... I promise it will be worth your while...

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

White Christmas: A Dream Realized

"Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you if you're young at heart".

In my last post, I mentioned that having a white Christmas was on the top of my grown up Christmas list. Well, I must have been on the top of the nice list this year because I got my wish! This year, for the first time ever, I celebrated a white Christmas, snowboarding in Mt. High with my sister!

It's not exactly how I imagined my white Christmas though... I've had this fantasy of going to bed on Christmas eve and waking up to find snow outside. Then I'd run out and throw snowballs at random strangers, make snow angels, make little snowmen, and open my mouth to taste fresh snowfall! You know? Something along the lines of this commercial:





It's hard to make this a reality when you live in LA which is practically a tropical country. That's why when I found out that my sister (who always works odd hours) had Christmas day off, we jumped on the opportunity to go snowboarding together! It wouldn't be as dramatic as the Emirates commercial, but there was going to be snow - and that's all that mattered!

And so, after a very gastronomically satisfying Christmas Eve with the family, my sister, Kat and I headed out to the mountains bright and early, got there ready to rumble at 8am.

We practically opened the resort. Look at that!


Early birds!


Beautiful... :)


Snowboarding Lesson! My sister needed a little help from a pro. :)

Eventually, she got exhausted from too much of her teacher's awesomeness!!!


There's always time to play with snow...

and play with snow some more...

I wanted to make a snowman, but the snow wasn't fresh... and it doesn't stick when you try to make a ball out of it, so I couldn't make a head or anything circular. So I ended up making this!



When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. And when life doesn't give you enough snow for a snowman, you make a snow ghost. I'm pretty happy with that! :)

I had a great Christmas day spent rolling around in white fairy dust with my sister. I love snowboarding and I love snow! I'm still hoping to be able to experience my White Christmas fantasy eventually... Who knows? Maybe next year when I spend Christmas in the UK, I get to finally wake up to snow falling outside my window!

All I know that in 2013... Possibilities are endless.

Have a great New Year, everyone!!!

Love,
Eartha













Thursday, December 20, 2012

My Los Angeles Christmas




Coming from a country that celebrates the longest Christmas in the world (as verified by CNN in this article), celebrating the Christmas holidays anywhere else is, well, a challenge. Ever since moving to the states, I’ve felt the most homesick during Christmas… which is why for the past 3 years, I’ve found a way to go home to the Philippines every December. I had to get my yearly dose of Filipino Christmas carolers, early morning mass and the smell of bibingka and puto bumbong, and most especially the warmth and hospitality of the people who make you feel at home, safe, and incredibly well-fed. :)

This year though, I decided to stay in LA. I figured, I was leaving soon anyway, might as well make the most out of my remaining few months living here. Now, 5 days before Christmas, I’m glad I did.
The temperature has dropped, and it’s been really cold the past few weeks – which I love. I like wearing the coats, and being bundled up in blankets, and the smell of the cold air. We don’t really experience temperatures below 80 degrees in the Philippines, so Fall and Winter are definitely two of my favorite seasons.

I’m all about making the most out of any holiday… and I do what I can to feel the Christmas spirit! This is how I celebrate my Los Angeles Christmas...

CHILL




First there was Chill. It seriously was the best way to kickstart the holidays... being blasted with frozen winter wonderland joy! From an ice skating rink, to snow tubing, to carolers, and an ice kingdom... Chill definitely makes for a great Christmassy experience! (For my full post and more photos - click here)

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS




Then I went and saw the movie, Rise of The Guardians (at the constant urging of my youngest sister). What an awesome movie!!! I LOVE Rise of the Guardians. Absolutely love it... I had no idea who Jack Frost was before this (apart from him being responsible for the nipping at your nose). Now, I think I'm in love with him. If you guys want a proper dose of Christmas spirit - go and see this movie NOW.
 

THE GROVE


The Grove is an outdoor entertainment complex in LA - right next to the Farmer's Market and CBS studios.
This is where I spot most of my celebrities :)

This is my favorite place in LA. It’s beautiful regardless of the season, but they really deck it out during Christmas!

One of the great things about this place – apart from the way it looks – is that in December, at 7 and 8pm every night, they have snow! They schedule these snow machines to go off every night for a fun fake-snow experience! It may sound silly – especially to those in the East Coast and Midwest who probably curse the inconvenience the snow brings, but for us mere folk in sunny SoCal, snow is like magic. It is to me, anyways.
J

Santa flying with his reindeers!

That's Santa's house!


LONG BEACH



I also made sure I made my way down to Long Beach to visit my friends and my former home… Downtown Long Beach is so pretty at night, especially with all these Christmas lights!

UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER

I've only really ever experienced an Ugly Christmas Sweater party here. I suppose it's an American tradition? We definitely don't do this in the Philippines because it's too hot to be wearing any sweater, let alone a thick Christmas one! This year my office Christmas party had a "Tacky Christmas Sweater" theme and whoever had the tackiest/ugliest wins a hundred bucks. I tried my best, but unfortunately the other contenders had way more experience than I did in creating these awful yet awesome sweaters. We had a great time though, and the photos turned out great!


My coworkers and I at our Tacky Christmas Sweater party

SNOWBOARDING



I like to hold my hair for balance when I'm snowboarding
California is one of the only places in the world where you could go surfing and snowboarding on the same day. For those of you who didn't think it snowed in SoCal, you are mistaken, my friend! The most popular skiing/snowboarding spots close to LA are either Big Bear Mountain or Mammoth... both of which are anywhere from 3 to 5 hours away. I've been to Big Bear. In fact, that's where I learned how to ski. A friend of mine introduced me to Mount High - even closer than the others at an estimated travel time of 1.5 hours from Los Angeles. That's where I learned how to snowboard, and I've been going there every year since! I love snowboarding, and I LOVE SNOW!


My cousin and I goofing around fresh powder at Mt. High


I'm going up to the mountains this weekend for my snow fix... I purposely scheduled it like that because I've been itching to have a White Christmas since forever... And since it doesn't look like it's going to happen ON Christmas day, I'm settling for snow a few days before Christmas. :) I do what I can... I'm still hoping for a miracle though! A White Christmas is on the top of my grown up Christmas list.

I think I've done a pretty good job making sure I make the most out of my December in LA... and I still have a week till the 25th! I may be far away from my real home in the Philippines, but on Christmas eve, my family and I will be stuffing ourselves with home cooked meals and exchanging presents just like we normally would if we were home. Thanks to technology, we'll be able to Skype our friends and family to wish everyone a merry and safe holiday, and do virtual toasts with them on the computer screen. It won't be the same - but it will be enough :)

And as for you guys ---

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, for it's the most wonderful time of the year! Even if the weather outside is frightful, the fire inside is so delightful! Everyone's dancing merrily in a new old fashioned way, so deck the halls with boughs of holly! And although it's been said many times many ways, Merry Christmas to all, and to all good night! <3


Happy Holidays, everyone!

Love,
Eartha




Thursday, December 13, 2012

Nessie and I: How I Uncovered The Truth About The Loch Ness Monster



“If you look to yerr left,” said the Marine Biologist with a heavy Scottish accent, “you will be able to take a picture of Nessie emerrrging out of the waterrr.”

And on cue, everyone in the boat dashed to where I was (on the left) and blinded me with their flashing. But one by one just as quickly as they came, they fell back into their chairs, uttering annoyed groans like, “Ugh,” or “Ahhh,” or “Hmphh”. I on the other hand, was giggling. Being seated next to the window in the lower deck of the boat, I already knew which “Nessie” he was talking about. There was a sticker on the window that looked like a shadow of the Loch Ness Monster, very similar to the black and white photos that have been circulating around the globe for years. It was strategically placed so that when you take a photo of it, it looks like there’s a long monster’s neck peeking out of the dark waters of the loch.

Click on the image to enlarge. That shadow of the Loch Ness Monster is a sticker strategically placed on the window of our boat. It looks pretty legit. :)

The Scotland Highlands Tour

I had already been to Scotland once before and instantly fell in love with it. I stayed mostly in Edinburgh with a friend of mine. I thought the city was picturesque and disarmingly beautiful that I vowed to go back the next chance I got – and I did. The second visit was a little longer so I had time to do a few excursions. Being the mystical fangirl that I am, obviously my first choice was the Scottish Highlands Tour including the Loch Ness Boat Cruise. They had the word, “Nessie” in their brochure and I really didn’t need any more convincing after that.


A carcass found in Japan in 1977. Photo Credit -
Splicetoday.com
I love legends and folklore. Talk to me about Nessie, Big Foot or anything of that sort and you’ll have my full attention. Which is why on that sunny day in September, on the Loch Ness Boat Cruise, I was glued to the Marine Biologist, Richard MacDonald, who was talking about how him and his team found a carcass of this mysterious creature underwater a few years ago. Mr. MacDonald has been working as a marine biologist and researcher in Loch Ness for more than 20 years, and he claims to have encountered Nessie on several occasions. 

“So you’re telling me the Loch Ness Monster is real?” said a skeptic next to me. “Nessie, from all those stories, from TV, from those photos… It’s alive?”

“You’re asking the wrrrong questions,” Mr. MacDonald said plainly. “Nessie is not just one animal that’s survived all these years. Nessie is a whole species!”
There was silence in the boat. My mouth was open the whole time. This was starting to make a whole lotta sense to me.


Plesiosaurs

What a Plesiosaur would look like.
Photo credit - discoverynews.us
“They are called Plesiosaurs,” he said. I Googled it. Plesiosaurs are water dwelling reptiles from the Mesozoic era. They are believed to only to inhabit dark waters, which incidentally, what the Loch is. The waters honestly looked like molasses to me. He also explained that Plesiosaurs are not only limited to Loch Ness in Scotland, but are spread out all over the world. He even mentioned, Lake Tahoe in California as one of their homes! Eee! So close to LA!

Mr. MacDonald whipped out his phone, and after asking each and everyone of us to put our cameras away, showed us photos of the carcass they found. I have to say – they really looked legit. Apparently he's been offered $20 million for those photographs at one point.
He then pointed to a little TV screen on the right side of the boat. It was a sonar camera that helps them detect creatures in the Loch. There were little dots of different colors spread across the screen, and he explained that those were fish and other marine life. The sizes varied, depending on the fish. Every now and then, he said, the sonar detects something considerably bigger than the usual dots. He says that’s when he knows the Plesiosaurs are there. 
“Have you ever encountered them yourself? A live one?” I asked, bravely.
“About 8 or 9 times in the past 20 yearrs,” he said with a sly, mischievous grin. “One time, I was just on my little canoe taking a nap when I saw it emerge from the water. It almost tipped my boat over! I barely had time to get my camera, so all I got was this,” and he showed us a photo of what looked like a huge tail sinking back down to the loch, making a big splash.
“My theory on why they don’t show themselves much is that they’re photosensitive. That’s why they dwell in dark waters,” he continued.
I gulped. That sealed it for me. Whatever reservations I had (and I didn’t have a lot) about Nessie were out the window after that.
I heard people behind me saying stuff like, “That photo was bull. I’m sure that was Photoshopped and they use it as a gimick for tourism or something.”
The others sounded like they wanted to believe, but still unconvinced. One of them asked – “But if you had all this evidence, then why isn’t this information out in the open? Why is it all still such a big mystery? Shouldn’t the news be covering this?”
That was a good point.

Why it's all so Mysterious

He explained that all the work and research that they do in the Loch is protected, and will not be released to the public for the next 20 years. The reason behind that is for the own safety and fortification of Loch Ness itself. Apparently, if proof of the Plesiosaur becomes public knowledge, the media will blow it out of proportion, and the government of Scotland has the option and the power to drain the Loch to get a hold of the creatures and study them. There's actually even a rich European that wants to hunt it for sport. Jeez. "I'm here... we're here because we all believe the Loch, and the Plesiosaurs need to be protected." Aww. I felt a surge of respect for Mr. MacDonald. He was serious... and I believed him.

Needless to say – I was pretty hooked on the story. I can understand why the others were doubtful. I guess to a certain extent, some of the stories were far fetched (to them, not to me!). They were realists. Read: No imagination.

I, on the other hand, am a complete devotee of anything mystical or magical or legendary. And no, that does not make me gullible. I just think that anything is possible. Why can’t a dinosaur have survived all these years? What’s so wrong about believing that Nessie, or a Plesiosaur or a Waterhorse exists? Are we so smug that we know and can identify ALL the living creatures of this Earth? What if they just don’t like sunlight, like Mr. MacDonald suggested?


I've seen this movie too many times...
The drive back to Edinburgh from Loch Ness was uneventful compared to what I learned from the cruise. I kept pondering about the Plesiosaurs. How many of them have survived? Are they really photosensitive? Do they have nightvision? What do they eat? I wonder if they’re friendly enough to ride.

When I got back to my friends house, I talked animatedly about what I had learned about Nessie! I was so excited in sharing my knowledge about the truth! That the monster exists! I went on and on about the sonar equipment, and the carcass, and MB… It felt great to reveal all the facts! And when I was done, I said, “Ahhh! Isn’t that wonderful? The Loch Ness Monster is real!”

My friends looked at each other, amused, and said, “Darling, that was a tour. Of course they’re going to sell you the idea that Nessie is real. It’s for tourism.”

“But… I saw the photos!!!” I protested.

“Mm-hmm. Photoshop.”

“But… but…”

They just looked at me condescendingly and went to clear the dishes.

Pfff. Realists.




Thursday, December 6, 2012

Fare-Thee-Well, Long Beach

 
It has been almost 3 months since that fateful day I decided to take charge of my own life and pursue my personal legend like Santiago from The Alchemist! Since then, I have moved out of my apartment in LA and couchsurfed at my friends place in Long Beach to save some money on rent. The problem is that I work in Beverly Hills, and I have to commute 30 miles to and from work everyday (60 miles total) in LA traffic. I know that might not sound so bad, and I’m sure other people have it a lot worse… but not everyone is trying to save every penny for a Round The World trip like me… and with the gas prices as high as they were the past couple months, I was forced to reevaluate my expenses AND lodging options.

It’s been tough because I have grown to LOVE Long Beach so much that I was really trying to make it work… I was ignoring my fatigue, refused to take a look at my gas bills and neglected the fact that I lose so much time just driving everyday. 

One of my favorite authors, Andrew Matthews says the Universe is always nudging us with gentle signals. When we ignore the signals – we get a sledgehammer!

I got my sledgehammer alright. Last week I got into a stupid car accident involving a motionless pole. (Yes, a pole, and I'd rather not talk about it... Hmph.) Thank goodness for insurance, but I still have a $500 dollar deductible I have to pay. $500 dollars I could have used on a plane ticket, a backpack, or food on the road, now has to go towards an unnecessary bill I could have avoided by being more careful!

Ugh.

Anyway, the point is… I feel like that crash literally knocked some sense into me. This added expense which forced me to dig deep into my pockets made me realize I haven’t really been saving much at all. I’ve spent almost $500 on gas alone last month, and from someone who only used to spend less than $150, that’s A LOT.

Luckily, a room opened up for me in LA, only 2 miles further than my old apartment from my office. My co-worker lives close by and she has agreed to let me carpool with her too! So by this time next week, I will be an LA resident once again.

I write this with a heavy heart, for I have grown to love Long Beach in the short time I’ve lived here. It seriously is one of the cutest most fun little beach towns in SoCal. In fact, let me enumerate some of the reasons why I’m going to miss this place so much…


I walk EVERYWHERE

I love LA, but one of my main grievances about it is that you can’t ever walk anywhere. I always thought that London and NYC had this advantage over LA because walking and public transportation in those places are ideal. Living in Long Beach made me feel like my legs have found a new sense of purpose! Our apartment is centrally located in downtown Long Beach so that adds to the charm as well! My grocery store is across the street, coffee shop a couple blocks down, numerous restaurants all around me, and a movie theater half a mile down the road! It’s awesome, I tell you.



I’m Close to the Water

Oh and did I mention I was walking distance to the beach too? And to the marina? Yeah I am! It’s really weird because all of a sudden, I’ve become sort of addicted to walking/running – and I used to hate it! But because I’m just a hop skip and a jump away from the water, it’s like my body craves it now… Like I’d feel ashamed if I didn’t take advantage of the scenery and nature or something. And so even if I itch, I run anyway! Or… walkrun… Um… Fastwalk? 





Free Yoga

During the weekends, my friend, Nelson, takes me to free yoga at the park (by Ocean and Junipero)! We do it on the grass under these big trees overlooking the ocean. You seriously could not get any more naturalist than that! Again, just like running – I don’t really do yoga. I tried Birkam once and I threw up. I tried Anti-Gravity Yoga once and I threw up. But for some reason, yoga at the park works for me! First of all it’s free (you just give whatever donation you can, if you like) and second of all, the surroundings are so conducive that I don’t really mind the exercise with the sun beaming down on me and the ocean breeze blowing on my face. Even if my flexibility (or lack of it) is tested and I end up with jelly legs the next day, I’d do it!





Local boutiques and Café’s

I am typing this at a local café called Berlin, a couple blocks away from our apartment. The coffee is good and cheap, they serve beer, and the cute barista’s know your name. It is connected to an Empire Records-esque record store called Fingerprints, where they feature local bands a few times a week. Thanks to my roommate, this place has become my spot… a place where I could spend hours on my laptop just working on the grand master travel plan, or play my ukulele and no one would mind.

On the 5 minute walk from my parking lot to our apartment, I pass a row of very cute boutiques that sell their own stuff, whether it be bags or jewelry or clothes. It’s just really refreshing not seeing a Forever 21 in every corner, and being greeted by the people who actually make the things they sell. They’re friendlier and they actually know what they’re talking about.



Ceviche Night

Wriss and I are joined by our friend, Ben, for ceviche night. A night with the three of us, and ceviche. Yummy homemade ceviche. There’s really nothing else to say apart from that. :’)



 


Thursday, November 29, 2012

A Backpacker's Backpack Review: Osprey Ariel 65




I actually thought that I could go on a Round The World (RTW) trip lugging around one big suitcase. When I first came up with the idea of traveling – I didn’t think I was going full-on backpacker. I thought backpacks only worked for campers and hikers and hippies… Boy was I painfully mistaken. 

After doing tremendous amounts of research, I have discovered that backpacking isn’t only the best way to go – it’s practically the ONLY way to go with the kind of thing I plan to do. My resources, of course, are other travel bloggers who have done it before. According to them, you want to travel as light as possible, bringing only a week’s worth of clothing with you. 

Now… I have written posts in the past about how I like to “look as good as the places I visit” when I travel. So naturally, the realization that I’m only supposed to bring a week’s worth of clothes for months (or even a year) of traveling - brought about a slight panic attack. I’ve never been a light packer… but I’ve never been one to back down on a challenge either. If I’m ever just one thing – that’s that I’m creative. If it means buying reversible clothing and washing every week, and only bringing 2 pairs of shoes (gulp!) so be it! Challenge Accepted!!!

Another harsh realization I’ve discovered is that backpacks are practically like cars… there are SO many things to consider before buying one. There’s size, fit, comfort, color, cost, etc. It’s crazy. You have to find one that’s specific to the type of traveling you’re going to do, and you have to make sure you’re as comfortable as you can be while carrying it on your back – because the weight of the pack has to fall on your hips, not your back. I know… my head is spinning as well. 


Enter Adventure 16

Adventure 16  is an outdoor and travel outfitters store where you can find anything and everything you’d need for activities under the sun (literally). I love them because they’re local… they’re exclusive to Southern California, and the company started out catering to specific needs of adventurous backpackers! 


Adventure 16 in West LA

They’ve been doing this 50 years and they have such a “homey” feel to them. I love locals!!!  I went to the West LA branch - which was the closest one to me. One of the many awesome things about them is that they rent out backpacks! For Thanksgiving, I had a quick 5 day trip to San Francisco, so I thought I’d rent one of their backpacks to give it a test run! I figured it would be smart to see how I felt when I carried it, or if I’d have any problems with it being a carry-on luggage at the airport.

Out of all their options (and with the help of their uber friendly and knowledgable staff), I decided to rent the Osprey Ariel 65L pack. 
 A lot of the other backpackers might say that 65 litres is too big for an RTW trip. I’ve seen a lot of them recommend nothing above 40 litres, or 55 litres at the most. But then I thought – I’m not really going camping or trekking or hiking on my travels. I’ll mostly be staying with friends, or couchsurfing, or HelpEx-ing… A lot of the walking I’ll be doing (with my pack) will be in airports and train stations only anyways, so maybe I could stand a little bit more weight. A lot of the backpacker guys I’ve spoken to carried 80 – 85 liter packs, and since I’m a big girl, I thought 65 might be an okay size to start with. That’s what this experiment is for anyways, right? To see if it works or not?



OK, so this is the Osprey Ariel 65 (pic above)  Since this is my first ever encounter with a backpacker’s backpack, all these little straps intimidated me. What the heck were they for? Why are there so many zippers? And dayumm it looks so small!!! But thanks to Devin, my Adventure 16 aid, I sort of got the hang of it eventually. This pack apparently works best if you go camping because it has a lot of compartments you can use for water or a sleeping bag, or anything else you might need out in the wild. I just figured if I wasn’t doing any of that, it just leaves much more space for all of my other stuff.

Even if technically the size is 65L, you also have to find your size as a user, as it comes in S, M, L, XS – depending on the length of your torso. I was all too happy to discover that I was a small. :)
One of the fun things about this pack is that you can get the hip belt molded to sort of go with the shape of your body for maximum comfort! One not so cool thing about it (in my opinion) is that the top portion is detachable and converts to a fanny pack. When you think about it – it actually isn’t bad, but I don’t really do fanny packs. There are other backpacks that have detachable small daypacks – and I think I prefer that over this.

Anyway, after picking up my pack, Adventure 16 gave me free coffee to wish me well on my journey, AND for being their fan on Facebook! Aren’t they awesome? I’ve never had coffee from a paper bag before --- they actually taste really REALLy good! Thanks guys!!!

Yay for freebies!
The review


A girl took this photo for me in the restroom
Ok let’s move on to the nitty gritty details. After stuffing my pack the way Devin taught me how (heavy and electronic stuff nearer to the body resting on my back, lay clothes flat – not rolled, pull strings backwards not downwards) I have to say that the backpack was quite comfortable. I think I was carrying about 20 – 25 pounds on it, and walking around the airport didn’t really bother me… it felt like the weight was evenly distributed. Devin also gave me a tip – when I get to the counter, wear the pack on my back instead of carrying it by hand… He says usually, the airline attendants don’t even weigh your bag or check the size if it’s worn like a backpack… and true enough, he was right. One attendant did stop me once to see the size. I turned around to show it to her, and she just nodded and let me right through. Phew! I would’ve hated to have to check it in! The dimensions of this pack when filled to the brim I think is exactly the dimensions allowed for a carry-on on a US domestic flight. I guess that’s why the lady had to inspect me. She probably thought I was cutting it close.


On my way back though, the ground attendant stopped me right before I boarded the plane. She said she thought the pack looked too big and I might need to check it in. I protested and said I flew in with the same pack just as a hand carry! She asked me to drop it in the size checker thingie so she could verify. I plopped the backpack and it fit snugly inside the alloted space. “I can even compress it further – look!” – and with the hands of a pro, I started fiddling with the straps, tightening them to make them look small and sexy --- and it work! The agent looked satisfied and let me through. Double Phew!!! That was a close one.


This is what it looks like from behind

The Verdict


Well, since this is the first backpack I’ve ever tried – I don’t know what the verdict is just yet because I don’t have anything to compare it with. All I know is that the size and dimensions work for domestic US flights – which is good. I don’t know if the limitations are the same for International flights so we’ll have to see. The beauty is that I’ll be spending a bulk of my RTW trip in Europe so I’ll be in trains more than planes, then this wouldn’t be a problem. The pack is comfortable, I didn’t have any problems carrying it around, and it was easy to stuff my clothes in and take them all out. Like I said – the only thing I wasn’t too crazy about was the fanny pack. I don’t have to use it if I don’t want to though, so that’s okay too.

I think I’ll have to go on another mini trip with another backpack of a different size before I can decide. If I ever do end up traveling with the Osprey Ariel 65, I don’t think I’d mind though.

Have you ever gone backpacking before? What kind of backpack have YOU used? What do you recommend? :)





Thursday, November 22, 2012

Win Free Tickets to Chill: A Winter Wonderland at the Queen Mary




Last Friday, Nov 16th, I was given the opportunity along with my friends, to attend Chill – The newest winter attraction at The Queen Mary!




To those of you who aren’t familiar – The Queen Mary is a  retired ocean liner now being used as a hotel/museum/tourist attraction in Long Beach. For this winter season, they decked out The Queen Mary Seawalk and turned it into their version of a Winter Wonderland.


Now I don’t know about you guys, but living in California where the sun always shines make me excited for snow or ice! I personally vowed to visit Chill the moment I saw the billboards around my neighborhood, and going there and seeing it live definitely did not disappoint!
There was an Ice Skating rink, a Holiday Village (where I met Santa), Ice Tubing, and my favorite – An Ice Kingdom!

A skating rink!
Kiddies having fun with Gingerbread houses at the holiday village!

Wriss and I having fun with snowmen!

The Ice Kingdom!


Since it was technically Chill's "launch", there was a ribbon cutting and everything. And yes, even the ribbon was made of ice! They had to 'cut' it using a mini electric chainsaw!

That guy on the right is James Maslow - a kid from the show "Big Time Rush" in Nickelodeon. The two kids on the left are from the show, Ant Farm!


The Ice Kingdom is basically a huge frozen igloo handmade entirely out of ice. To keep the sculptures from melting, they keep the temperature at a freezing 9 degrees. And to prevent the visitors from dying from hypothermia, they hand out blue parkas for you to use while you’re inside exploring! I thought that was a nice touch… my friends and I definitely had fun in them. It was a necessity too because even with the parkas, our fingers and toes went numb. It was so cold, it felt like even the ground was made of ice! I think I can honestly say I haven’t been that cold in my life! It was fun!

Here are some photos we took inside. (Click any photo to enlarge)

Freezing in our Blue Parkas!
The Ice Kingdom!

Inspecting an icy sled

They made a Queen Mary ice replica! Pretty cool with the whale!

View from the top of the Ice Queen Mary

We were visited by the beauty queens of Long Beach and California!

Santa's Ice Toyland!

Stealing Santa's Ice Candy Cane

Wriss with a Panda!

Me with a Giraffe

Benny with a Bear

Beautiful Icy Nativity


We were FREEZING!


When we got out to get some drinks to warm ourselves up at the Holiday Village, we were greeted and serenaded by these carolers! They were so good – they could sing any Christmas Song you could think of! I think we asked them to sing about 6 songs for us that night. We yelled out a song for them to sing each time we bumped into them!


They sang, "Santa Baby" - which was totally apt! It was originally sung by my namesake, Eartha Kitt!


Apart from the carolers, there were also these jugglers on stilts.

Yeah he clearly loved his job :)

And I did mention Santa, right? This has quickly become one of my most favorite heartwarming photos...

<3

My friends and I had a great time hanging out at Chill. It's the closest we can get to a white winter down here in SoCal, so if you guys are in the area or planning to visit, I totally recommend it!

WIN FREE TICKETS


Chill is open from November 17 to January 6, and I am giving away 2 FREE TICKETS to one lucky California Resident (or ANYONE planning to visit LA between now and Jan 6!)

All you need to do is:

1. Like my Facebook Page here.
2. Post or Share a photo on my page's wall of the COLDEST you've ever been! (Could be a photo of you stuck in a mound of snow, or caught in a snow storm, or you in front of the freezer...)
3. Whoever posts the "coolest" photo by November 28 wins! :)

That's it! Good luck guys!

PS
Happy Thanksgiving!!!