Days 3-5 on the Road: Visiting Friends in Mobile, AL

We have been having a blast in Mobile, AL. Our friends, Nicole and Chuck and there awesome kids have been wonderful hosts. So much so that we are thinking about adding a few extra days to this stop.

We arrived in Mobile around 10p on Thursday night to be greeted by Nicole and Chuck. They helped me pull this big rig into their driveway where it fits nicely. We chatted for a bit before the kids and I climbed into our beds in the RV and were knocked out almost instantly. 

The next morning started with a yummy breakfast of yaya grits with my oldest Jr Nomad. We snuck away and walked three houses down to the converted coffee shop. This coffee shop was quaint and I really enjoyed the one on one time with my son. We walked back, with grits and sausage biscuits in hand for the other two, to be greeted by them wide awake and ready for the day.

We started our day off quickly with a walk through the neighborhood. I snapped a bazillion photos and really enjoyed the scenery. After the walk we relaxed a bit before lunch. Chuck cooked some yummy beans and rice and sausage for us all. We scarfed down our food and headed out the door to join Nicole and her boys at a 4H program. While her boys were in class we ended up bopping around town. Nicole ran me from place to place so that I could inquire on who could fix my generator. I didn’t have much luck but did get an appoint for Monday.

After their class was over we decided to kill an hour at the science museum. The kids had a blast and didn’t want to leave. Note to self: if we only have an hour to explore don’t even bother teasing the kids with a trip to a museum.

 

We returned from the museum to the best homemade fettuccine ever. Chuck is a master in the kitchen. The homemade pasta smothered in alfredo sauce with chicken and broccoli and a side of collard greens and french baguette was the perfect meal before heading to the Mobile art crawl.

What can I say about the art crawl? We had a blast. Experiencing the hustle and bustle in the center of town, the music, the people, the food, and of course the art was an excellent way to end the day. The kids danced in the middle of the square, we watch some dynamic street performers, talked to many new people and tried our hand at interpreting art. We wore ourselves our at the art crawl and by the time we got home we were all ready to get back to our rig and snuggle into our spaces.

 

 
  

 

Nay watched the street dancers

And then put on a show of his own... he got the cheers and applauds he was hoping for ;-)

 

The kids slept in the next morning and I spent those quiet hours getting some work done. For those that wonder how get anything accomplished on the road that how. I let my kids sleep in and and spend those early hours (and sometimes quiet late night hours) cranking out the work.

Those working hours passed quickly, too quickly, and before I knew it our friends were waiting on us. We jumped up, bathed, stuffed some swimwear and food in a bag and off we went. We headed down to Dauphin Island for the first Mardi Gras parade of the season. People around this area are pretty passionate about Mardi Gras here and claim that it was actually this area that started it and not New Orleans. Hmmmmmm. Interesting. By the excitement of the people lined up along the street to watch the parade I think I just might believe that. There was a lot of tailgating, a lot more drinking, some corn hole and frisbee being played. Children ran around and the streets were littered with purple, green, and gold beads. I looked like a professional football game was about to start and not a Mardi Gras parade.

Before the parade we visited the Dauphine Island Estrarium. It was a neat little museum with a lot of interactive parts. My kids touched a live shark and sting ray for example. We toured the place and learned about aquatic life and I got some great photos. It was well worth the $24 I paid for me and the kids to get in.

 

   

The parade was AWESOME. We had a blast! My kids are used to parades where you sit and wave at the floats as they pass by. Never could they have imagined what a Mardi Gras parade was like until they experienced it. Once the first float came by and tossed handfuls of beads, toys, and goodies off the float it was on. The quickly got the concept of waving, jumping, running, yelling, and begging for the treats the floats were delivering. That was certainly an experience I’m glad I got to witness. I tried my hand at periscope during the event and I think I got the hang of it, so expect more periscoping from us in the near future.

  

After the parade we decided to hit the beach since we were right there. We had packed our swimwear because we considered doing the polar plunge but as soon as that freezing cold water hit our toes we all threw that idea out the window. Instead we climbed the rocks that lined the shore and searched the sands for beach treasures.

 

Random tractors along the edge of the beach

All in all yesterday and the day before were really good days. We are loving our time here in Mobile with our friends. Now it’s time to get up and get ready for the next adventure. We are off to Pensacola, FL for the day. 

So until I meet you on the road or see you around the globe… Peace, Love, and Mardi Gras

When In Rome Do as the Romans... 4 Tips on How to Immerse Yourself in a Culture for a Better Travel Experience

I’m an anthropologist by day and a nomad by night so perhaps my opinion on the benefits of immersion while traveling are a bit biased. My professional and academic experiences are heavily focused around culture and I absolutely see the benefit of exploring cultures while traveling and not just exploring places. You might think that the two, places and cultures, go hand-in-hand but that is not necessarily the case. It is easy to explore a place and completely miss the culture. Landing in a new land only to be shuffled off to a coastal all inclusive resort completely barricaded from it’s surroundings is one example of how you can be in a place and completely miss the culture. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with all in inclusive resorts that a shut off to the outside world. Trust me, I get it. There are times I need to get a way to refresh and recharge and don’t want the distractions of the world. But if that is the only way you travel, I hate to be the one to tell you but you are not well traveled. I know, I know… I’ll probably get flamed for that but it’s true. A true traveler, a wanderlust at heart wants to be immersed in there surroundings. The sights, the sounds, the smells and food and the culture they are visiting are just as important to them as is the white sandy beaches of pool side cocktails are to you behind the walls of your resort.

There are many benefits to this type of travel and while I won’t list them all here I will challenge you and take it a step further. Not only should you visit the area you are… well, visiting… you should seek experiences that completely immerse you into that culture. What are some ways that you can do this? Here are four quick tips that may help you.

A&M Peanut Shop was jammed pack so of course we had to see why

1. Ditch the fancy resort and stay in an Airbnb. You want to really know what it is like to live in a particular community? Then stay in someone’s home inside the community. What better way to understand how people live then to live it? Waking up to the sounds and smells of a neighborhood are a good start to a day. Wandering the neighborhood can lend to a sense of place and allow you develop a deeper connection with the area around you.                                       
2. Learn the language and then completely immerse yourself in it. How exhilarating to be able to communicate with someone in their native tongue. Not only that but it will be much appreciated by the locals. Forget the American expectation that everyone you encounter must speak english or try too. Learn a few basic phrases of the language and give it a shot in a conversation. Most people will recognize that you are not fluent and will either help you communicate what you want or try to understand and assist. Even if the conversation doesn’t go well you will be so glad that you tried, and so will the person you were talking to.      





Art festival in Mobile, AL

3. Dance the dance and sway to the same beat as the locals. I’m not talking about breaking it down on the dance floor, although that’s okay too, but instead I’m encouraging you to participate in local practices and customs. If Tuesday is a day of fasting in the community you are visiting, then fast on Tuesday. If Friday is where green day, then by all means wear green on Friday. Attend religious ceremonies, go to local festivals, visit the community cemetery (I know that one might sound strange but I will explain in a later post), and finally accept invitations from locals to visit, try, and explore the non-touristy things.                                                                   
4. Taste it and don’t spit it out. One of my very favorite things to do in a new place is to try the local cuisine. I always ask what’s the local favorite on the menu and I try that. I have not been disappointed yet. Take a chance and try something off of the menu that is a favorite, even if you don’t recognize it or can’t pronounce it, and I bet you won’t be disappointed either.     
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Day 1 on the Road: A Rough Start (but We're Going to Guatemala)

I just finished a yummy breakfast of eggs, turkey bacon, and toast that my aunt Chelle cooked for the kids and I. Now I'm lounging in my uncle and aunts oversized chair typing this blog while the kids veg out on some tv.

We are enjoying our official second day on the road here in Georgia. Day one was a bit of a rough start. On Tuesday, the ay we were supposed to launch, we ended up spending five hours at the RV mechanic. What was supposed to be an in an out that morning so we could hit the road turned into an all day affair. We did get a through inspection of the rig and everything checked out okay except a leaky LP fuel line. Except a leaky fuel line? I know that sounds major, and it is. It means I can not turn on the propane tank without risk of blowing us all up until I get that fixed. I had almost turned it on prior to the inspection because it was so cold. Whew! I’m so very glad that I didn’t do that. The good news is that I don't really use the propane anyway. I've always been scared of blowing us up and apparently the people who owned the rig before us did too because everything is electric. So all we have to do is run the generator and everything is fine. Here's the catch though, our generator decided to stop working last night. Ha! Just our luck. It’s okay though we still have lights and can function just off the house battery. The only thing is we now have NO HEAT. Instead of being pessimistic I'm looking at this as motivation to get to warmer weather sooner than later.

Since it was so late in the day by the time the kids and I left the RV mechanic we decided to stick around the area for the night. The kids visited with their dad and I bopped around and waited on the housesitters to arrive. They arrived around 10p and I was very glad to meet them. I showed them around and they settled in. That was the final piece to our launch. Now we would be ready to go tomorrow. The next day before getting on the road officially we all decided to head to the passport office to go ahead and get the kids passports renewed. This worked out great because their passports were set to expire in June and we have some major international travel planned for that time. An hour in the passport office and that task was completed. Everything that we managed to get done while we waited to hit the road meant it wasn’t a total loss of a day. Actually, it's okay because everything worked out for the best. While disappointed with not putting miles behind us on day one, the kids and I are on the road now and things are great.

Another good came out of our delay and this one is super exciting. Since the day didn't turn out as planned and we were not technically on the road I actually happened to be sitting around when a glitch fare popped up. Because I wasn’t driving the rig or preoccupied with traveling I was able to book a flight for me and the kids to Guatemala with a day layover in Panama (a two for one deal) for only $125 r/t a piece. That's a huge score!  The kids and I loved Costa Rica so much that we can’t wait to visit another Central American country. I’m excited to get to travel to another Spanish speaking country. I'm already pulling out my 'learn Spanish' books and I signed up for an online spanish class. I will NOT be defeated this time (if you don't know what I'm talking about refer to my post about our visit to Costa Rica and being forced into complete spanish immersion). We will head there at this end of this road trip in the middle of March. I haven’t started planning the how, whats, and wheres just yet but I did come across a tree house accommodation that I definitely plan to look into. Can you imagine staying in a tree house with amazing views high in the Guatemalan jungles. Eeeeek! I’m squealing with anticipation at just the thought of that. I’ll update you more on that once I get a chance to sit down and plan some things out.

I don’t have much more to tell you at this point and I must leave this post here so that I can gt up and get ready to roll. The kids and I are leaving Georgia this afternoon with the goal of getting to the middle of Alabama if not all the way there. 

Until I see you on the road or somewhere around the globe… peace, love, and book those flights!

5 Tips Toward More Affordable Travel

View on our way Costa Rica

I've been asked a lot recently how I am able to afford this crazy hectic travel year that I have planned for 2016. When people find out that I'm traveling with my three kids the questions really begin rolling in. I usually have a difficult time answering these probing questions about my finances directly when being put on the spot, at least not without being rude. I mean my money is nobody's business right? But as I think about it I can certainly see how and why that question comes up so often. A part of the reason I am writing this blog and building this brand is to have a platform to inspire others to travel and explore the world. I decided people are NOT being rude (intentionally) by asking how I make it happen, they are simply curious. Perhaps they are trying to see if they can make it work in their own life, so instead of being offended I decided it would be best to simply answer the question. I sat down and thought about how I can afford our travel and if in fact there are some "rules" that I follow to help keep our travel costs down. I figured a blog post is the best place to answer this question so that others considering doing the same thing can be inspired and those who are already pros at it can chime in. 

So here's what works for me in keeping my costs down and making travel more affordable for me and my family. Before you read on, remember this isn't written in stone anywhere but these five things have worked well for us far.

#1 Be flexible with location. Travel deals pop up all over the Internet daily... No, hourly. Facebook, Twitter, and sky scanner, fare alerts, and others are constantly alerting us to the latest deals. The catch to these deals is that they can be to anywhere so be flexible and willing to explore new places. When the deals pop up just jump on it regardless of where it is. That's actually the exciting part of this lifestyle... Not knowing where our next trip will be until I book it. This flexibility can mean a savings of anywhere from $500 to over $1000 per traveler. Be flexible!

#2 Be creative with accommodations. As much as we would all love to stay in the five star luxury hotel in the center of city that type of traveling would quickly break the bank. There are many alternatives to this that include sleeping on someone's couch for the night with couch surfing (yes, that's a real thing), renting out someone's home through sites like Airbnb, or even going the hostel route. The kids and I will be experiencing our first hostel for part of our stay when we visit Iceland in April and then again for part of our trip to Italy in June. We are very excited about this. It will be a chance to try something new all while meeting new people from around the world. In our upcoming travels we are booked at a couple of bed n' breakfasts, some Airbnb, and of course some campgrounds in our upcoming cross country road trip. Being creative with accommodations can be a big money saver. Heck, the money saved in accommodations can be the money used to by your next plane ticket when that deal alert pops up on your phone. 

# 3 Get fully equipped accommodations. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip but if at all possible book a place to stay that has a full kitchen. In this regard Airbnb's are great options as you usually get full access to the kitchen. Even if you can't get accommodations with kitchen access, accommodations with at least a mini fridge and microwave can help tremendously. This can save a bundle in food expenses. Those left overs will come in handy for luck the next day or that microwaved oatmeal can save a lot of money over the course of the week. This is especially important to me as I travel with my children. Feeding myself can be expensive enough but adding three additional little mouths can break the bank.

#4 Go local. When in Rome do as… well you know the rest. That rule applies to travel as well. Don’t let the flashing lights and glitz and glamour of the fancy tourist spots distract you. The little hole in the wall, off the beaten path places can offer some truly amazing experiences. Stepping outside of your comfort zone and learning where the locals go to eat and hang out, what activities the locals enjoy and participate in, visiting the spots that the locals deem important not only enriches your life through these cultural experiences but can also keep your money in your wallet.

#5 Pack light and don’t be picky. You read that right. The less you travel with the cheaper it will be. At $25 per checked bag per person being #teamcarryon can actually save you some money. It might not seem like a lot but consider this. There are four of us in our family and we are scheduled to be on a plane 10 times between now  and June. 10 flights times for people times $25 per checked bag is $1000 saved. That’s enough for another international trip right there. In addition to not checking a bag, don’t be picky about where you sit. Yes, airlines are now charging extra fees to choose your seat in advance. We have been lucky so far with not paying to choose seats in that we have gotten to sit together on every flight so far (with the exception of one flight were my three were on a row together and I had to sit two rows behind them). Being flexible saves money when traveling.

There are many other ways you can save money in travel. For those that have done it I would love to know what has worked for you? With three JrNomad mouthes to feed, every tip counts. 

Until I hear from you or see you somewhere around the globe... Peace, Love, and Traveling Grace.