Travel Archives - Page 2 of 6 - The Happy Homeowner

Blogging from Bali…

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Jen

Where I’m staying in Bali–view from the open living room and dining area!

Yes, I’m serious! As I type this, I’m sitting in my treetop bungalow listening to the crickets and other jungle creatures from under a full moon…it doesn’t get much more relaxing than this! And relaxing is exactly what I’ve needed for quite some time.

As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve taken a serious hiatus from this blog. And for good reason–my life has been moving at nearly the speed of light for a while now in terms of change & personal growth and I’m finally ready to sit down, enjoy the fruits of my labor, and let it all sink in.

Making My Travel Dreams Come True

In my opinion, there’s no better way to do so than with a trip around the world. In the past 12 days, I’ve been to Fiji, New Zealand, Singapore, and now Bali. It’s a whirlwind tour, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m fulfilling lifelong dreams each and every day; from sunrise hikes in the fields of Fiji above crystal clear water to sleeping in a real tree house in Bali.

Up next is Thailand (Bangkok and Chiang Mai), followed by Cambodia, Egypt (TBD where given the current chaos ensuing–I have a good friend who lives there who is helping me figure out a safe, fun game plan), Istanbul, Bucharest, Transylvania, Budapest, and finally ending in Lisbon.

Returning Home to Peace, Quiet, and Consistency

On Friday, August 9th, I closed on the sale of my condo. Upon signing the final document, I was handed the largest check I’ve ever received–a six-figure beauty that was promptly deposited into my bank account. Then I was on a plane to Fiji the very next day.

Before the closing, I had already moved into my new apartment and have begun to work out some very happy details of my personal life (I’m meeting a certain someone in Lisbon to end my trip with…).

Let’s just say that despite all the turmoil of this summer, life is pretty damn good when I return home in four weeks (this whirlwind tour is 40 days long for a variety of personal, professional, and web-related reasons. While it’s a quick tour, it’s nothing less than epic so far!).

The Beauty of Air Conditioning

Yes, I’m ending this post with a bit of a zinger. In my travels thus far, I’ve grown an immense appreciation for air conditioning (if you’re looking to purchase a new air conditioner, check out: http://www.carrier.ca/en/products/air-conditioners/38). It might sound superficial or silly, but I can’t fathom how people live in places like Singapore and Bali and Fiji (during the summer months for the latter two; Singapore pretty much all the time!) without A/C. But I now know first-hand that the majority of people do, and I feel for them; especially after walking a mere 5 minutes and being drenched in sweat. The humidity alone literally hits you like a wall!

It’s been an interesting juxtaposition for me; traveling to less developed countries where poverty is rampant yet being able to enjoy first-class amenities such as A/C as well as being able to spend more freely than I ever have before given the healthy budget I’ve allowed for this trip (more on that in a future post). I feel an overwhelming desire to give back to these beautiful, enchanting people I’ve met, and I hope to figure out a plan once I’m home that will allow me (and others) to do just that.

But for now, I need to kick back, hang out with the lizards & frogs, and look forward to the Balinese cooking school program I’m enrolled in for the day tomorrow…

What’s new in your life?

Confession Time: I Spent $3K to Extend My Vacation

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Jen

Life certainly has a way of working itself out lately–as does my budget. Just as I recently posted about why I’ll never regret a dime I spend on vacations, I go ahead and spend a ridonculous amount of money to extend my most recent trip to Kauai, nearly pushing myself into the “Piss, what have I done” vein of disbelief.

But even after filling in all of the (very ugly) numbers in my spreadsheet, I have to admit that I sit here typing this post with a huge shit grin on my face after returning from a pretty epic island-hopping adventure.

Vegas or Bust–$1K in Flight Changes

Originally, I was supposed to be flying to meet my BF in Kauai after he’d been in Vegas for a conference. After working my tail off to find a pretty amazing combination of deals that scored me a cheap R/T flight from Boston, I realized that the dates conflicted with some project and work responsibilities–after I had already booked the non-refundable flight combo on Expedia.

A quick snap of the Vegas Strip

Cost to fix my oversight? A cool $1K in flight changes.

At the end of the day, I realized that the work I had to do was worth far more than the initial bite of the flight extravaganza, so I finagled a series of flights that would allow me to be in Boston a few days longer and also visit my BF in Vegas thanks to a 3.5 hour layover. After running through the airport Home Alone-style and grabbing a cab, I met him and his colleague for a quick round of drinks atop the Cosmopolitan hotel, which was a nice way to kick off the vacation.

Kauai Turns into Maui which Turns into Oahu

For the next round of could-have-been-completely-avoided-had-I-planned-better expenses, the adventure began in Kauai, where I originally had planned to spend a three-day long weekend. When I got there, I fell in love with the island, and I was relishing the time with my BF as we hadn’t seen each other much lately due to his crazy work travel schedule. After a few days on island time, I decided to continue the adventure rather than head home (he originally had planned to continue on to Maui to meet up with a friend while I would come back to Boston).

Cost to extend my vacation to include Maui and Oahu? Another ~$600 (I was able to use some of the credit I had from cancelling my initial flight to Kauai which saved me from dropping another $700 or so). But as you can see from my pictures here, it can be hard to leave paradise when you’re there and know you have an option to stay longer:

Walking along the private beach where we stayed in Kauai

Caves we found while exploring Kauai

Sunset Catamaran Cocktail Cruise on Kauai2

View from our sunset catamaran tour in Kauai

View from Kauai Helicopter Tour of Na Pali Coast

Sunrise view from our balcony at the Maui Marriott Ocean Club

Waterfall on Road to Hana in Maui

If Headed to California, Why Not Stop in Napa?!

On the way home, we also decided to stay an extra day in San Francisco, which necessitated a trip to Napa again for some wine tasting.

Duckhorn Vineyards Napa CA

In total, I spent just about $3K on this trip. While that’s a nauseating sum considering at least $1,500 or more could have been avoided had I done a better job planning, I’m still in the camp of not regretting the decision to stay longer. Flight delays and extra expenses be damned; we had a hell of a good time!

That being said, I have my work cut out for me to save up and find creative ways to cut expenses for our upcoming trips to Quebec and Portugal….

What are your upcoming travel plans?

Why I Will Never Regret a Dime Spent on Vacations

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Jen

Photo I took while diving in the Great Barrier Reef

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had an insatiable desire to see the world. For me, seeing the world means traveling as much as possible and truly immersing myself in the local cultures and customs of the places I visit. This desire to travel the globe has turned into a reality where I’m usually either taking a trip, planning a trip, or just returning from a trip.

While this is certainly not a bad way to live, it can be an expensive one if you’re not careful with your travel expenditures. This is why I’m always on the lookout for the next big travel deal, why I get creative when it comes to paying for vacations, and why I’m constantly working to bring in more money in order to cover the costs of my various adventures.

After traipsing the globe and being fortunate enough to have set foot on five of the seven continents so far (Africa and Antarctica are in the works–especially after missing out on the Kilimanjaro trip last year due to a stupid stress fracture), I can say one thing: I don’t regret a single dime I’ve spent on my various vacations.

When I Buy a Vacation, I’m Paying for an Experience

Despite being a PF blogger and fully understanding how saving now is one of the only ways to guarantee a better financial future tomorrow, I still continue to spend around $10K or more each year on traveling. This is because I’m not out spending frivolously on clothes, bags, and shoes–I’m paying for an experience; one that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

If you ask me about the clothes I bought back when I was in my former spendaholic days, I couldn’t remember a single detail about any of them.

But if you ask me about the trips I took to Chile, Japan, Italy, Hawaii, and Australia during the same time period, I can pretty much regale each adventure in detail–from randomly going scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef instead of the snorkel trip I’d signed up for (I’d never even held a regulator in my mouth before, let alone actually went diving) to watching a car fly off the switchback of a mountain pass in Chile after getting a bit too overzealous about finally being able to drive down (the lanes are so narrow that they’ll stop traffic at the top where the ski resorts are and only open it after a certain time–let’s just say that it’s pure chaos when they finally set the cars free!).

In each case, I spent money to get to those places, and I spent more once there. Even if I broke the budget a bit, I’ve never once returned home to think, “Wow, I shouldn’t have spent so much” because I’m usually thinking, “Damn, that was a hell of an adventure!” I’ve of course gotten better with my budgeting system so now my trips don’t get in the way of other goals such as long-term and retirement savings, but I still don’t regret spending any of that money.

Money is a Tool for You to Live the Life You Dream of

My dreams have always included traveling, working for myself, and having a happy, loving family. I’m well on my way with the first two, and I know that my understanding that money is a tool has a lot to do with why I’ve been able to achieve these dreams. I no longer look at money as a means for instant gratification, a green light to spend myself into oblivion, or something that can be used/abused without consequence

If I had continued to abuse money, there’s no way I’d be able to travel so much. If I had continued to be intimidated and clueless about money, I would never have been able to quit my full-time job to become my own boss. Once I truly understood that I’m in control of my financial destiny, I began to use money as a tool that allows me to shape my life into the one I’ve always dreamed of living.

Considering that you can’t take a penny with you once you’ve passed away and that when you’re in your last hours the last thing you’re going to want to talk about with your family is your budget, I can’t imagine ever regretting the choice to fill my life with experiences and stories from my travels–even if it did cost me money to do so. I hope one day to instill this same love of adventure and realization about money in my future children so they, too, can live their own lives in the manner they dream of.

What are your thoughts on spending money on vacations? Yay or nay and why?

Dubai and Abu Dhabi in Pictures

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Jen

It’s been a month since my trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai and I’ve finally pulled the photos off of my camera. Here’s a bit of my photo scrapbook from my adventures…stay tuned for a post about discount travel tips for the UAE!