Tag: inspiration

10 Quotes That Inspire Me To Travel

Published on by LostViivi41 Comments

I am addicted to quotes. What would be better way of using my love for quotes than sharing my favorites with you? So here is 10 travel quotes to awake your wanderlust.

1.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. DREAM. Discover.” – Mark Twain

2.

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

3.

“You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place,  like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.” – Azar Nafisi

4.

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous

5.

“Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.” – Isabelle Eberhardt

6.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

7.

“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” – Oscar Wilde

8.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

9.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

10.

“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it is lethal.” – Paulo Coelho

 

So, what are your favorite travel quotes? I am always happy to find new inspiring or motivating quotes to help my wanderlust. Also sorry for this short not so good post. School is killing me slowly and painfully…

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With love,

Viivi Severina

Travel rant: Keep your eyes open

Published on by LostViivi8 Comments

Happy one year and 1 500 readers for my blog! This is kind of crazy but I have never been able to keep up any blog for more than year so I am quite proud of myself (even if we have had some problems with this one too…) 

To celebrate this day I have finally done that long waited Facebook page. I would be forever thankful if you went and followed me there. I promise not to spam anyone’s Facebook walls but you will get to know about my newest post, hear some extra stories and of course see travel photos that don’t fit here in my blog.

My New Not Cool Facebook

But now we can return to today’s real subject… Keeping your eyes open for the extraordinary. You seem to love my Travel Rants and to tell the truth I love writing these the most. My writing style has always been a little bit random and in travel rants I can just write whatever is in my mind without thinking about it. So, what would be better way to spend my blogs one year birthday than ranting about travelling?

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Keep your eyes open

If I had to present today’s post in one sentence I would do it by telling you one of my favorite travel quotes.

“Traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.”
– G.K. Chesterton

Going to new place and not opening your eyes is the worst thing you can do if you ask my opinion. If you don’t see adventures behind every corner or changes in every conversation you have with the locals, your eyes are still closed. It may sound corny but I believe there is magic in the small streets of cities and thousands of untold stories behind all the people you will meet.

Keeping your eyes opens means seeing the change and taking it even if the odds aren’t on your favor. It means seeing the places tourists wouldn’t notice. That cute small coffee behind your hotel, those plainly normal areas of the city or free museums you can only find by coincidence. You shouldn’t be scared to go in places seeming closed or ‘too complicated’ for foreigner. 

Always listen locals whatever you are being touristy or adventuring around the destination. They know things you can’t find from the pages of guide book or from google’s endless search results. And it is not only the destinations they can share with you but also stories that will make your trip even more special. Usually locals will find you and you just have to keep your ears, eyes and mind open for them.

One of the best guided tours I got in Kyoto was from the person standing next to me in fully packed normal bus. There is kind people around the world so sooner or later you will meet someone who teaches you what it means to see the destination from the local point of view. And in the end that is the meaning behind keeping you eyes open, seeing the world in different ways you never before even knew existed. Seeing the small things that will make huge difference in your holiday if you just dare to grab them.

So what are the hidden things you have found/seen while traveling? Like always all comments are welcome!
With love,

Viivi Severina

(Not so helpful) Flight Booking Guide

Published on by LostViivi23 Comments

This Wanderlust Wednesday, I wanted to try something new. So here is post I wrote yesterday (totally not during my political economy class…).

Many people are wondering how to book the flight tickets like traveler. In fact some of my most popular posts that get new comments often are about travelling cheap and adventuring like traveler not tourist. Whatever that “like traveler” means here is my 5 levels of booking tickets. This works for me but please don’t take anything seriously and maybe listen someone more experienced than me. I hope you will enjoy!


5. The art of decising your destination

Deciding where you want to go seems like good way of starting trip planning and flight booking. This is a lie! Be adventurous and leave deciding for those who just want safe boring holiday. Throw dart to world map and go where it points. Or look the flight deals and take cheap one. Where ever you there is amazing adventures coming to your way.

 

Photos from: unsplash.com

4. Three months before your trip and other tricks

There is as many secret tricks as there is people. Some say that best time to book your flight tickets is three months before your trip. Others swear for the only buy your tickets on Tuesday rule. I have never really thought these. Usually I am too late for that three months mark and who has time to wait for Tuesday when wanderlust is taking over your life!

So is there any tricks I have learned? Making my travel route complicated. Did you know that cheapest round trip flight tickets from Finland to France cost 120€ while from Stockholm to France it costs only 35€ (and it takes 30€ from Finland to Stockholm and back). So you see why I love this ‘trick’? Other one I have learned is collecting airline points.

 

 

3. Panic, be unproductive and plan like a pro

The most important part of any travel planning is the panicking stage. Walk circles in your home and think all the negative things this trip may cause. Never forget considering airplanes falling or your luggage disappearing. After panicking enough it’s time to stare guide books without doing any real planning. This may take hours, days, weeks or even months. In hopeless cases even years.

After getting over your insecurities it’s time to start the real planning. What time do you want to travel, how to get to airport and from airport to the city?

 

 

2. Time to buy the tickets

It’s finally time to buy the tickets! Go on the right web site (I prefer to buy straight from the airline websites.It’s usually cheaper.), select your flights and use your beloved money to buy the tickets. That’s it really. The most important (only important) part of buying your tickets part. Don’t consider or get scared, just buy.

 

1. Share the good news with world (after panicking some more)

Again time to panic! You have flight tickets so it is real now: you are going to travel somewhere. If you are like me you probably forgot the plan properly ahead part and are now in totally phase of panicking. Don’t worry it will pass quickly.

After panicking it is time to take the next step (also known as the “make all your social media friends jealous”). Yep, it’s time to tell everyone that you are going. I recommend leaving that make everyone jealous part out of this step but I know how it feels to be excited about your new flight tickets. So smile for the camera and put nice photo to Facebook telling everyone the cool destination you will soon head to.

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I hope you liked my not so helpful tips that will probably make your flight tickets booking experience horrible. For me this works but I am that person who has to fail to win.

Do you have any bad flight ticket booking tips? Or maybe good ones that would be helpful for everyone? Like always feel free to comment whatever you have in mind?

So did you like this kind of ‘not so official’ travel post?
I hope you are all having an amazing day!
With love,

Viivi Severina

 

Travel Planning Once Again

Published on by LostViivi18 Comments

Hello everyone!

The year has started so it’s again time to do some planning. I did this same thing last year and it was fun to write but also popular post among you readers. So here is listed some travel destinations I hope to visit this year and other plans I have for the current year! (And like you can see from the last post probably even half of them are not going to happen…)

Travels

First and foremost I still have my free flights problems. I have enough Finnair flight point to fly any European country (or Dubai). Only problem is the timing because I can’t use the points on holidays. I haven’t yet decided the destination either so please feel free to suggest destinations.

I also would like to do a few shorter weekend trips between my school weeks. I was thinking about Umeå in Sweden because it is easy to access from my current city and maybe Stockholm because I get good cruise deals there all the time. But these are still on planning level so let’s see if I ever make them come true.

My summer plans are still in darkness but I should at least do one longer trip before autumn. I am part of scouts here in Finland (you know the children in American movies who sell cookies, go camping to forest and collect cool badges through different activities). And for Finnish scouts of my age we have this activity where we “have to” do trip to foreigner country. The idea is to experience something new, meet scouts from different countries and volunteer.

For autumn I haven’t planned anything yet because I just don’t know what I will do with my school then.

School

Right now school is that one big thing in my life. Just last week I spoke with my student counselor and got some good news. Starting from autumn I can be part of our school’s remote business program. That means only a few days school every month (and of course a lot of internet work). Of course I should find internship place soon but I’m not going to think that now. Just celebrating my coming remote school years!

Blogging

Some biggest news I have right now are concerning my blog. I think you will be as thrilled as I am because the Wanderlust Wednesdays are coming back! Some of you may remember me trying to write travel destination reviews every Wednesday. Now I am starting this series again but with a different idea.

Every Wednesday I am going to share more informative travel piece with you. This means city guides, destination reviews, travel tips and other posts helpful for travellers. I used to write texts like Top10 Tokyo and 13 Free Things In Montpellier. So I have been planning something like this. I can also share lists of destinations to add your bucket list.

However don’t worry! Saturdays are still going to be days for random personal travel posts like this one. Travel diaries, photo diaries, story times and travel rants are going to continue this normal schedule. So now there is going to be two posts every week!

Now when I have two post going out every week I can take more guests posters if anyone wants any more? (Contact me: viivi.severina@gmail.com) I’m kind of dreaming about this series where people would write about their own home countries and cities from the point of view of local. So if you would like to write for my blog and me to write for your blog (post exchange!) just send me a message. Let’s talk!

 

So what travel plans do you have for year 2017? Or do you have some cool blogging project coming soon?
With love,

Viivi Severina

Photo Diary: First Year Blogging

Published on by LostViivi14 Comments

Hello everyone!
I want to start this post with announcement: my posting day has officially changed to Saturday. Yes, I know this was long waited thing because I literally publish my posts always day late… I have other cool things coming soon but I will talk about them more next Saturday so wait for that.

When I plan new posts from scratch I usually first look trough my photo albums to remember what I haven’t yet shared with you. This morning wasn’t exception. I have quite many photo diaries I have yet to show you but then I realized there is many photos I can’t add to any new photo diary but I think are worth of sharing. And this is how this “My Travel Year 2016” photo compilation was born. I hope you will enjoy these random photos that sum up my travel year 2016!

I got often asked to publish more photos of me, the blogger behind everything written on this site. So, here you go… Me (that lost white hoodie person) getting amazed by Diagon Alley in London on Warner Bros. Studio Tour. Have I ever mentioned how much I love Harry Potter?

Here is my dog doing what she always does: sleeping in place where I’m definitely going to crush her… I have camouflage dog!

I still haven’t published a few London post I meant to. I’m still working on Madame Tussauds photo diary and Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour review. Hopefully you get to read them some time soon but no promises.

Here is the necessary Finnish summer photo. This year my summer holiday was full of odd travels around my beloved home country. This photo is from Lapland when I travelled there to university entrance exams (plot twist: I didn’t get in that school so I am not living in Lapland right now).

This is another photo from my trip to Lapland: Science Centre Pilke in Rovaniemi. I have this museum card that gives me free entrance to many Finnish museums. Pilke was one of those museums so I decided to visit it. There was literally no one else than me and two employees. I liked the museum but it was more for kids than for people of my age… Well, at least that explains why the two workers were looking me so oddly when I bought ticket from them.

Ducks! This photo is taken from my family’s summer cottage. I spend too much time trying to take perfect photos of these birds while they just chilled on our yard.

This photo was taken by my mum when our dog had to go to surgery earlier this year. No worries, she is okay now. But look how poor little puppy she looks like! Even if she is already older lady.

More memories from my odd summer holiday… Camping in forest with “a few” other people is something I will never say no to!

2016 was year of cool museums for me. I went to see many different modern art exhibitions around Europe: London, Finland and Sweden. I still don’t get how some people hate museums… Look at he photo above, who wouldn’t think that art is kind of cool?!

I know that first photo of me wasn’t “real” photo so here is me standing like tourist I am next to Big Ben. I don’t understand why there is never good photos of me travelling… Maybe I’m too busy of experiencing everything to really pose for photos!

I’m happy I had time to go and enjoy sunrise and sunset couple of times this year. Even if that time I took this photo I realized the sun was rising from the wrong way so I could see it properly. But at least I was able to enjoy the beach and sea.

You may know that I started in new school this year. One thing that I have found kind of funny (but cool) are these inspiring quotes around the school’s toilet. But you know even if I find them funny it doesn’t mean they are not giving out good message. So today I want to give you one life advice (I learned in my school’s toilet…)

“Be so happy that when others look at you they become happy too!”

I hope you are having amazing start for this new year!
With love,

Viivi Severina