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Travel Tips
151 Plays2 years ago
Today we are sharing our best travel tips and our best safety tips for solo travel! We will also share what a typical travel trip looks like for each of us, and more!
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Gratitude
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the Art of Intention podcast with Beth and Ayla. Two best friends turn creative entrepreneurs. This is a place for us to discuss everything business, friendships, and faith and occasionally more. We're so excited for today's episode. We think you're going to love it. Stay tuned.
00:00:20
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Art of Intention. We are so excited to be releasing our fifth episode to you this week. Crazy. We're just, wow, we're so grateful for the overwhelming support that we've received on our launch. And for those of you listening, just thank you, thank you, thank you. This has been so fun so far.
00:00:40
Speaker
Yeah, seriously, thank you so much. It's so fun for us to serve you, you know, our listeners and to just sit and talk about topics that are important to us.
Travel Tips and Solo Travel Safety Focus
00:00:50
Speaker
Today is going to be especially fun because we're talking about travel. And for those of you who listened to our first episode, if you remember back to that,
00:00:57
Speaker
We mentioned how we both love travel and we both traveled quite a bit. So we have many travel-based topics to talk about, but today specifically it's going to be our favorite travel tips and also how to protect yourself while traveling alone.
00:01:13
Speaker
Yes, so much information for this one. It's just going to be awesome. You guys know the drill by now. Before we dive into that, we are going to hop into our community news segment where we cover current events happening in the photography and photo editing world.
00:01:29
Speaker
Oh, yes. So first up, we're going to be talking about something that relates to anybody who likes to take pictures in Hawaii. So whether you live here or if you visit, this is important. And also anybody who just wants to support Oahu photographers, if you could get in on this. So the Oahu Wedding Association
00:01:49
Speaker
is a great thing to follow on Instagram. They're a great page. They talk about all the new bills that come out that affect photographers who either live here or who want to come take pictures here or do destination weddings, all that kind of stuff. Okay. So right now there are a couple of new bills. There's bill 19 trying to pass.
00:02:05
Speaker
And also Bill 10, Bill 19, if you can go and donate and sign about that. Right now Oahu Wedding Association is trying to get a lobbyist for this. Bill 19 would limit all commercial activity on city and county parks and beaches. So in some ways it would allow more activity, but it would also limit it. So it would ban any commercial activity at all on weekends. So no weddings, no photo shoots, nothing on any weekends.
00:02:31
Speaker
So there's mixed feelings about that. You can go research that, see what you think. And then Bill 10 is a little bit more crazy. It would limit all commercial activity, including weddings on agricultural and even residential lands. So this would include honestly many of the venues that are currently used and loved today. And lastly, I know it's not crazy. And lastly, the city is actually creating a park ranger program to start enforcing these laws. So many people who have lived and traveled to, yeah.
00:03:00
Speaker
who've lived and traveled to Hawaii for a long time, you know that there are some spots that you can kind of like do your setups at. And of course we always promote that you do things the right way, get your permits, do everything properly. But for those of you who maybe don't, there is going to be a park ranger program now to be enforcing all of this stuff. So lots of potential changes happening that affect everybody who may live here or who travels here for work. So go ahead and follow Wahoo Wedding Association on Instagram. Make sure you are ready to vote accordingly and stay informed.
Photography Industry Updates and Instagram Algorithm
00:03:30
Speaker
Wow, that's so crazy. I didn't know a lot of that. I feel like it's not the worst thing to be enforcing permits, but if people are used to just kind of like being able to show up and shoot, that's something to look at.
00:03:46
Speaker
Yeah, there's like some spots right now that you that are very enforced so you always have to and there's some spots where people make the decision to not and they just risk it and it's just it's so it's so mixed about these bills that are coming up because some of them would just be that like for example in an area that right now you get a permit for and it doesn't matter how many people apply for the permit if you get a permit you're good to go.
00:04:08
Speaker
but these laws would limit the amount of permits you get. So you may go to apply for a permit, go through all the right steps, you know, you're trying to be a good person and you're just denied because, you know, however many people already got the permit for the day. So it's like split down the middle. There's people who are really upset about it and people who are like, okay, it's better than an outright ban because the alternative in the past has been, okay, just no photos allowed at certain places at all. So it's a mix.
00:04:31
Speaker
right anyways totally well yeah like Beth said go and follow that association on Instagram and if you feel so inclined to donate or vote go ahead and check all the resources she just listed for that the next segment of our community news is just a quick and speedy Instagram update if you haven't seen or heard yet the algorithm has shifted in photographers favors a little bit and photos are popular in your feed again so for the last several
00:04:57
Speaker
months if not some couple years Instagram's really been pushing like IGTV and reels even more so, which can be great in a lot of ways but I know us in the photo world are kind of like, I take photos what about my photos so if you're getting a little tired of reels and you don't want to make
00:05:14
Speaker
them every single day and be dancing and pointing at words every day. Never fear you have the freedom to get some more photos out. I mean you've always had the freedom to do that but now the algorithm is favoring them a bit more so it's very exciting news for the photo world.
00:05:32
Speaker
Alrighty, we have lots to share with you guys today, so we'll jump right into it. So Beth and I are both avid travelers, and we have been for years now.
Sharing Personal and Work Travel Experiences
00:05:41
Speaker
I might be speaking for both of us, but I just love airports. I love airplanes. I love airplane food. I love the hustle and bustle, road trips, all of that. I'm just at my happiest headed to new places.
00:05:53
Speaker
Oh for sure, yes you can speak for me on that too because that is how I feel too. We've both been traveling for fun for years now and of course I also travel frequently for photography for my work. So we've both become pretty familiar with air travel over the years and we have tips upon tips for making it as smooth as possible.
00:06:13
Speaker
I would say my travel mostly has been the United States. I'll just kind of share a little bit like where I've been and what my travel has been. So my travels mostly honestly been the United States. Um, I think I've been to pretty much every state in the United States. Um, although I've been to places like Germany and Puerto Rico, um, I have, I think my favorite places I've been to are like Florida, Colorado, Arizona. I love when work takes me there.
00:06:37
Speaker
It's just so fun. I always have a good time in those places, and I love the weddings there. Years ago, I was in Germany for a missions trip when I was younger, so I've done a little bit of personal travel, but mostly business traveling. Yeah, and then I've done most of my travel for missions purposes and a few for fun as well.
00:06:56
Speaker
I've seen a few of the United States, I think 12 of those states, but it's definitely a goal of mine to hit all of them, mostly the Pacific Northwest and like Southwest states. I love Oregon, Washington. It's one of my, I've done that trip up highway one so many times and it's just like one of my favorite to do.
00:07:14
Speaker
And I actually, for missions, I also went to Germany with Beth. We both went when we were 15, 16, something like that. And it was just the best time. And then for missions, I've also spent time in New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. And then I traveled to and moved to Canada where I live now.
00:07:34
Speaker
Oh my gosh, I just love hearing that. We have so many stories from all the places we've been. We'd really love to have guests on to do the same thing, sharing about all of our stories. Yeah, that would be really fun.
00:07:49
Speaker
But anyways, so we broke up this episode into two parts for you. First, we'll be sharing our favorite travel hacks and like general tips you can apply to make traveling a better, easier experience, whether you travel for work or for fun. And the second part is tips on specifically keeping you safe while you travel, especially if you're traveling alone.
00:08:09
Speaker
Yeah, so there are so many things that airports and airlines won't tell you regarding travel. So Beth and I are going to just quickly spitfire three, maybe a couple more of our favorite travel tips that we implement every time we fly. We're talking primarily about air travel today in this episode, but a lot of this can carry over to other forms of travel. Okay, so let's just get right to it, right? Let's do it.
00:08:33
Speaker
Number one, this is going to be my first piece of advice. Track your flights with Google Flights. That's what I use. There's other apps out there, but I just like using Google Flights. It's easy and consistent. Yep, same. And book about two months in advance. One thing that I recommend is not booking super far in advance. I actually get the best deals when I book like one to two months in advance. And also, side note for this, this kind of goes in with this tip
00:08:59
Speaker
Don't go crazy searching for your flight a bunch of times before you're actually ready to sit down and book so I do not start Researching my flights until I'm ready to sit down and book them and the reason for this is because the more you search for your flight the more it's actually gonna they Google algorithm is gonna push you the more expensive flights as weird as that sound I don't know if I'm explaining that well
00:09:22
Speaker
you are no Chris and I do the same thing like as much fun as it is to just like be searching your flight the months and months leading up to it it will track that and push the more expensive flights on you yep yep helping out the airlines to sell more expensive tickets yeah or actually if Chris and I do search we search in incognito mode
00:09:42
Speaker
before already. I don't know how much that helps but if you like really got to be doing research in advance that helps but yeah that's a real one. Yeah so just try to remember that I know that it's really tempting to go and look like a few months in advance and then a few weeks in advance just when you're ready to book sit down and find the best rate.
Flight Booking and Layover Strategies
00:10:00
Speaker
Absolutely. For my first tip, I always like to have a real physical paper boarding pass. I know we're in the electronic age and it's so easy to get boarding passes on your phone. And here's the thing, I do that too. So I always have two boarding passes on me. This might be super tweaky of me, but I don't trust technology to get me to and from where I need to go. I have traveled with a boarding pass only on my phone and it's been fine.
00:10:29
Speaker
But let's be honest, phones freeze, phones die, things don't load. What if you're not connected to the airport Wi-Fi when you get up to where it needs to be? There's just so many reasons that a paperboarding pass is just extra security for you. And vice versa, I will get the paperboarding pass and then also have the boarding pass on my phone in case I lose. I've ripped paperboarding passes before because they're just the flimsiest pieces of paper.
00:10:55
Speaker
So that's my main tip. You don't have to do this, but I, every single flight, whether it's a quick one from the US to Canada or fully like around the world international, always two boarding passes on me.
00:11:09
Speaker
I really like that. And honestly, that's such a good point. It doesn't hurt you at all to just go to the counter and get a paper version of it. So I like that. Yeah. Oh, and I was going to say for that one, there's been a flight where I've been running late.
00:11:26
Speaker
because in my hometown it takes a couple hours to get to the airport and my mom was taking me once and we hit traffic and I was running late so I got the boarding pass on my phone while we were sitting in traffic and thank goodness I wasn't checking a bag so when we got to the airport I was able to just zoom through security and not have to get a ticket so that's a really great reason to put a boarding pass on your phone too in case you're running late but if I can I definitely yeah get to
00:11:50
Speaker
Oh yeah, having both is just so smart. And again, doesn't hurt you. I love that. That's a good one. Let's see. Okay. So my next tip, this one follow along with me here because it gets a little bit detailed, but it's important. So read the fine print of the airport that you're flying with. That's my tip. Okay. And this is specifically in regards to the compensation compensation you can get for like cancellations and delays. And I'm saying this because it feels like especially now there have been so many recent like cancellations and delayed flights. And I think we've all seen
00:12:20
Speaker
Yeah, whether we've been the ones flying or not, we've all seen the drama that's been going on with airlines. So it's really important now more than ever to know these things. Like each airline is different, but for example, okay, if an airline cancels your flight and you decide not to travel, you're actually entitled to a full refund, even if it's a non-refundable ticket.
00:12:38
Speaker
So that's really great. I know. Yeah. And then so also with certain airlines, if you have a delay of more than like say three hours, you're entitled to being one rebooked on a different flight for no additional cost. And you also get compensated for meals.
00:12:54
Speaker
And if it's an overnight delay, you can get complimentary hotel combinations and transportation to and from that hotel. So really, there's so much you can get. And the first time you ask about it, like if your flight is delayed or canceled, you may go up and ask an attendant, you know, what can I do? And they may
00:13:10
Speaker
not give you every answer right away. So you want to be able to know what rights you have and just say, okay, I know there's actually more that I can get. Can I please also talk to you about hotel accommodations, getting a meal voucher, stuff like this, and then they'll be able to give you more information. So if you don't know your rights, they may not tell you. So just research that. Like I said, it's more important now than ever to know about these things when you're traveling.
00:13:35
Speaker
Well, they won't tell you. Airlines do not want to be. So the amount of delayed flights that have happened to me, I've had a mix of, I've been on one that was a full on like put off till the next day.
00:13:52
Speaker
And they did give us hotel vouchers and taxi vouchers for that one. I didn't take it because it was in the winter. And again, I have a theme of not trusting people in airports. I didn't trust a taxi to get me to the airport the next day on time. So I just stayed in the airport. But I didn't know that you could get it fully refunded if you decide to not fly because that has happened to Chris and I. We've gone to leave California and not been able to get on our flight and had no idea about that.
00:14:21
Speaker
You know, a lot of these tips come from experience. Yeah. So have the information for that airline. I would say pulled up and like screenshot it on your phone and be like, yep, this is right here. Be that person. Uh, my next tip is paying close attention to your layover time. When you book again, this may seem excessive. This just seems to be how I am. And I know it's not always possible when you're booking a flight to have this much control, but I've been caught with some short layovers and it's
00:14:52
Speaker
stressful every time. Never have I had a 45 minute layover and been like, wow, I'm so glad that was so fast. No, I don't like rushing through airports. I just like to have enough time. So if you have a domestic layover, I'd recommend making sure it's at least an hour and 30 minutes at minimum.
00:15:11
Speaker
Uh, for international flights, like for example, when I flew to Australia, I had a layover in Hong Kong. Um, I would recommend at least two hours for that three is better. Um, and my reasoning is, uh, anyone who's traveled understands when you land in a plane and the seatbelt sign goes off, you're not actually leaving the plane for another 10, 15, however, 10, 15 minutes, however long it takes people to get their stuff and go.
00:15:38
Speaker
And same with boarding and taking off. That process is always longer. So if you imagine you have to get to your gate half an hour before your takeoff time, and it takes about 20 minutes for people to deplane, that's roughly almost an hour of time. So if you have only an hour layover, you only have a few minutes to get from gate to gate. Domestic, this isn't usually a problem if I'm connecting from, say, Saskatoon to Vancouver, or you know, I'll do
00:16:04
Speaker
American towns if I'm connecting from San Francisco to LA. My gate might be right next to each other so that's fine. International, if you're switching a border on your layover you might have to go through customs, you might have to uncheck and recheck your bag, you might be in a huge airport that you're unfamiliar with.
00:16:23
Speaker
For anyone who ever has to go through the Calgary Airport, it's huge and I always find myself walking like a mile in there. So basically all of that to say, make sure you are leaving yourself enough time on your layover. It's better to sit and have some extra time and throw on a movie than to be running around an airport.
00:16:40
Speaker
like a chicken with your head cut off so so true i think the closest i've ever been to tears in an airport was when i had like a 40 minute layover and i had to get off the plane and it was a huge airport that i'd never been to before trying to figure out how to find a train i was supposed to get on to get to my connecting flight it was the most and i i was the last person on the plane the last person but i made it so yeah and i was literally shaking when i got on the plane but i made it so
00:17:07
Speaker
Learn my lesson there. I had one in Calgary. It's a very long airport and the international terminal is terminal E. So you have to go through terminal ABCD and each terminal has like 50 gates or something. And I had an hour.
00:17:22
Speaker
layover and I had to luckily I didn't have a checked bag but I had to clear customs and there was a long customs line and the and I already had only like 30 minutes left before boarding so I still had some time but I was in customs line and the customs officer saw like some of my tattoos and he started being like oh those are nice where did you get those and I was like I need to go I was like I told him I was like I'm sorry I have a flight that's like boarding and
00:17:50
Speaker
And then I had to haul through all these gates and you just get hot anyway. Yes. Oh man, I relate to that on such a deep level. All right, let's see. I'll finish up with my last tip for smooth travel.
Luggage Security and Airline Rewards Benefits
00:18:04
Speaker
This one kind of relates to something going wrong as well. So my tip is to put an Apple AirTag or some kind of tracker in your luggage.
00:18:13
Speaker
Um, if your luggage gets lost or stolen or delayed stuff like that, you'll be really glad you did this. Like, okay, I'm just saying thank me later. Just do this. Um, you know, there've been so many stories of people who can't find their luggage, but they have a tracker and they see it's like in the airport or it gets stuck somewhere.
00:18:31
Speaker
So they're able to go and ask an attendant to help them recover. There was one story of a girl. I actually, I know her and I was following her on Instagram and she was like, my bag never showed up, but it says it's right there. Like behind, I don't really know how the, the like luggage sifting works, but it was right where they should be like putting it onto the conveyor belt.
00:18:52
Speaker
And it was just like stuck behind a door or something or stuck behind a flap. And she went to an attendant and was like, I see that it's right there. It's not lost. I'm like, if you don't go back there and get it, like I'm going to climb back there and get my luggage. It's right there. But obviously it was, it was fine. They just went back and checked and they found that it was stuck.
00:19:10
Speaker
But it's just, I mean, how often do you hear about people losing their luggage? Sometimes it can be something really simple if you just had a tracker in it. So it seems like a small tip, but just go on Amazon, go online, buy yourself a little tracker or an Apple AirTag and put that in your bags.
00:19:23
Speaker
Awesome. Yeah. I haven't done anything like that, but for how much I fly, I really should. I just trust that it's in God's hands every time. True. Yeah. Well, that's good too. Amazing. So my final-ish tip, my final tip is to get the app of whatever airline you're flying. I know there's an app for everything now and it's kind of a lot, but I, whatever airline I'm on, I put the app on my phone. So right now on my phone, I have the Delta
00:19:50
Speaker
app, the WestJet one, Air Canada, Qantas, Southwest, like anyone I've ever flown on because you can get your boarding pass on this, you can get updates to your flight, you can check in the day before your flight so that they know you're coming. I've gotten so many notifications directly on the app.
00:20:07
Speaker
for delayed flights or anything like that. And they just kind of lay out your flight number, departing time, really clear and easy. Ever since I started putting apps for flights on my phone, I haven't had to stand at the departing or arrival boards where you look up and find your flight on this giant board. I've never had to do that because the same information is on the app in your hand. So I don't have to sit there. I can pull it on my phone and still be walking if I need to.
00:20:34
Speaker
I like that one. Yeah. I love those. I think I actually learned to do that from you, Ayla, and that has been the best ever. I literally never check in later than like, as soon as I get the notification on my phone, like, oh, your flight's in 24 hours. You can check in. I'm like, done. Like, I'll check in right away. And I also, yeah, I heard that
00:20:55
Speaker
You if you're ever like really low priority on a flight You know how sometimes they can like bump you from a flight if you're you know Something if they overbook the earlier you check in the less like you likely you are to be bumped So that's a really good one. And you know what that's terrifying. I didn't even know that was a possibility and I hate that
00:21:12
Speaker
Yep. There's so many, well, and kind of like what I said with my earlier tip to there, you have rights if that happens to you too. You have refunds, you have, you can also volunteer and you can actually get paid to volunteer to like lose your seat. If they're ever booked, like there are so many things and tips you can look into for that.
00:21:28
Speaker
We're actually going to be making a few reels for those of you who are listening and who follow us on Instagram. We're going to be making a couple of reels about some travel tips that we have in addition to these. So follow our Instagram there if you want to, to see those coming up. And actually, if it's okay, I thought of one more tip that kind of relates to this. Yeah, go for it.
00:21:48
Speaker
So my last tip, my real last tip this time is to join the free rewards program for whatever airline you fly with the most. You can usually find this when you go to check out buying your ticket, it'll be like, Oh, do you want to join United rewards or United mileage or whatever? Or for me, it's Hawaiian miles. Um, this is different than getting their credit card. This is just a free program you sign up for. And every time that you buy, yes, it's you need, you need to do this. If you haven't done this, I'm sorry.
00:22:16
Speaker
Sorry, I'm so stoked about this. I did this with a couple of airlines, but the one that made a big difference was Hawaiian Airlines because I use them every time, obviously. What happened was I signed up for it the first time they asked and I was like, whatever, this is, I might get a discount later. Okay, you build up miles every time you buy a flight. I have gotten multiple free flights.
00:22:37
Speaker
like one-way flights, like discounts and stuff. And because I am in their program, the longer I fly with them, the better status I get. So I actually have gold member status.
00:22:49
Speaker
with the airline, even though I don't have their credit card, I've never had to get their credit card. So I skip every line. I literally have two free checked bags every time. And I get like, Oh yes, I'm not kidding you. I'm not kidding. This is like the best thing ever. It's yes. And it's all free. So, you know, Hawaiian airlines sponsor us. No, I'm just kidding. Yeah, really, dude. I'm embarrassed for how much I fly that I've, I always thought you had to pay for that. So every time I've checked out for a flight, I'm like, not me.
00:23:19
Speaker
No, because you can. People think it's their credit cards, and you can get those too. And I've been tempted to do it. I was going to get the Hawaiian Airlines credit card last year, but it's me. I procrastinate and then never did it. But it doesn't matter because I got this. And I've gotten two free island hopping trips. It's in points. So they say, oh, you have this many. You have 20,000 points. Do you want to use those towards your ticket? And I say, OK, yes, I do. So I've gotten free.
00:23:45
Speaker
And then I got like round trip tickets for Chad and I to California and back to Hawaii for like, it was like a hundred dollars for both of us. Like total is what we paid because of my points. Oh my goodness. Yeah. So just, I mean, granted I flew like 30 times last year, but still I had that, it added up to all of that. And I even got like meal vouchers, I think from it. So I got like free meals once on a plane. So it's just like, there was so much, even if you fly half of that,
00:24:14
Speaker
For all the destination photographers or anyone who travels for work, that's amazing. Or personal life, because after a couple of years, it'll still build up too. Yeah, there was a time I flew a lot more and then obviously things and stuff, but I hope to be flying a lot more again at some point in life, so that's great. I fly mostly WestJet to get to the United States, and I think they have one as well, because I've been on like 10 WestJet flights.
00:24:41
Speaker
Yes, exactly. Oh, I'm sorry. I mean, I was definitely cringing when I realized how much I could have been doing this before too, but it's never too late to sign up for that. I had one more bonus tip, I guess, because I couldn't pick just a few. This one's really simple and sweet, but if you're nervous to fly, like if you haven't traveled very much before and you're potentially traveling alone or with anyone and you're just nervous, trust
00:25:04
Speaker
airport signs. If you don't know where to go, literally just read the sign. They are not trying to trick you. They're not trying to mislead you. They lead exactly to what you're looking for. When I first started traveling alone, you want to overthink it. And I actually looked up airports on my maps, on Google Maps, to find where I needed to go. Don't do that. Not helpful even a little bit. The signs, there's always a sign for where you need to go, for what gate, for what terminal you're looking at.
00:25:31
Speaker
And honestly, don't be afraid to ask for help. I would rather never ask anybody for help ever. If my water's empty at a restaurant, I'm like, I'll just be thirsty. Cause I don't want to ask her to refill it. Like I won't do it except when it comes to travel, it's not worth, you know, missing a flight or anything like that. So trust the signs and don't be afraid to go to, um, usually the information desk is a good place to go for help. Cause if you see like a flight attendant walking around, they are only there for their airline. They might not know that airport.
00:26:00
Speaker
But anyone at the front desk, like at an info desk should be able to help you. So I love that. And that actually perfectly transitions us into our second portion. Like I told you, we split this into two parts, the safety portion of today's episode.
Solo Travel Safety and Hotel Security Tips
00:26:15
Speaker
Um, and just a quick note, you know, we know those were so many tips we just threw at you. So like I said, we're going to do like a series of reels on Instagram that kind of break those down, uh, into different
00:26:24
Speaker
videos so you can save those refer to them later and we'll even expand on each of those tips if we can so let us know if you want us to do that okay but now we're gonna be shifting into protecting yourself while traveling alone of course we recommend traveling in groups or pairs that is ideal a friend a group of friends your husband can all help you ensure a safer traveling experience
00:26:48
Speaker
help you watch your stuff, keep track of boarding passes, and just general safety in numbers, right? However, we know we're speaking to probably a lot of solo travelers, so we're sharing these tips with you specifically in mind. All right, should we just jump right into it? Yeah, sure. I'll take it away with my first one.
00:27:07
Speaker
This is one of the most important tips I can think of for travel and life, but stay off your phone as much as possible. I would even argue keep headphones out of your ears while walking around in an airport. Of course this doesn't always apply if you've got like a six hour layover and you want to watch a movie, you know.
00:27:27
Speaker
cozy up and go ahead and do that that's fine but when you're walking around when you're boarding a flight i just recommend keeping headphones out of your ears so you can hear any important announcements sometimes a gate change sometimes the front desk needs to verify your passport or something like that but also not walking around being on your phone and this is especially
00:27:47
Speaker
important once you're outside the airport and potentially in a new city state country just be I'm a really big advocate for being aware of your surroundings and being aware of what's happening to you and not making yourself look like a target and it's just a pet peeve of mine when I see people walking around on their phone I'm like just put your phone in your pocket in a safe place and keep your eyes up where they need to be
00:28:11
Speaker
Please oh my gosh, please yes exactly okay, and then another one don't look lost Even if you are please walk with purpose keep your eyes in front of you Especially in a new place in a new town or city don't let yourself look like a victim Okay, if you're lost get into a public space like a coffee shop a gift shop ask an employee for directions
00:28:34
Speaker
and get into wifi, be able to look up where you need to go, but just please don't look lost. This is something I could totally go on a tangent about, but I have an LA mom, my mom grew up in LA, and this was something that she taught us from a very young age, and I know other parents probably taught the same thing, but if you haven't heard this before, don't look lost. Just don't. It makes you look like a target, it makes you look like a victim, and you just don't want to.
00:28:58
Speaker
Like we said, keep your head up. Just keep walking. Don't walk slow. Don't look confused. Just look confident and just walk to the nearest public group or walk to, like we said, a coffee shop, something like that, and get help from somebody or get wifi and look something up on your phone. Just don't look lost.
00:29:16
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. This isn't to freak people out necessarily with air travel. Generally in airports, the people you're surrounded by aren't really a threat. Travel's not cheap, and the people traveling by air generally aren't trying to steal from one another or you or to harm you in any way. Once you're past security, it can actually be a really safe place to be. However, it's best to always stay diligent.
00:29:42
Speaker
Vigilant, no matter how safe you may feel, it's just good practice to be aware of yourself no matter where you are, even if you are in a safe place.
00:29:54
Speaker
My rule of thumb is always act like you're not. It's better to be over prepared, I would say. Yeah, and once you get out of the airport and you're in that new spot, that's when that really, I think, takes over and applies. Yeah. Okay, what's your next tip? My next one. Tell family members where you're going. This might apply especially to destination photographers who are going on lots of short trips. Usually when I've traveled, I'm gone for a few months at a time, so people are pretty aware that I'm not going to be back right away.
00:30:20
Speaker
But no matter how long you're going to be gone, tell family members where you're going, how long you'll be there, when you'll be home, and get home when you say you're going to. Or if you decide to stay a few extra days or whatever, make sure you call
00:30:34
Speaker
and let people know you're safe. You're just staying this way. Obviously, if you're not home when you were supposed to be or anything like that, you've got people who know that and who can start reaching out to find you. I would even say, I always give Chris my flight numbers and landing times and stuff. And he texts me at those times to make sure I'm where I need to be. And then he's got flight numbers in case something were to happen. He's able to say she's supposed to be on this flight, you know,
00:31:01
Speaker
all that stuff. Okay and the next one I'm gonna say don't share your exact destination or where you are on any socials. I know especially if you're a traveling photographer it seems like our whole job is to advertise you know these cool places and where we are but just remember not to share exact geotags or locations and don't share what hotel you're staying at don't share any pictures that kind of give away where you are until you've actually left that location.
00:31:28
Speaker
Yeah. And speaking of hotel rooms, know how to protect yourself in hotel rooms. So when you get there, do a quick check to see that the room is safe. I know on TikTok and Reels and stuff, it's a big thing to be like, check the mirrors to see if they're one way glass and check for cameras. Honestly, I'm not overly worried about stuff like that. If you feel inclined to do check. But I'm just saying like, make sure your room's empty.
00:31:53
Speaker
and then know how to prop up a chair in the door to prevent it from opening. And there's actually many little gadgets and stuff you can get on Instagram on Amazon that will physically prevent your door from opening. So they either wedge into the door or they create a brace or something like that that just compact and fold up into your backpack. I personally haven't used one of these, but I always block the door in some way. Even Chris and I, when we're together, we always like extra lock up
00:32:22
Speaker
Hotel room doors and always obviously keep them locked even if we're in a safe area. It's so worth it It's just a few dollars on Amazon and you just if you don't usually travel alone I can tell you that The safety that you'll feel having done that is so what you'll sleep so much better. It's so worth it. So just yeah, let's see Um, what else so I would say this is something I definitely did before I was engaged and
00:32:48
Speaker
And it sounds funny at first, but this is actually really a really good one. So this is to wear a fake wedding ring if you are not engaged and you're not married.
00:32:58
Speaker
Go to Walmart, get one off Etsy. I don't care. Go to a thrift store and get one. That's what I did. I had like a couple of ones from a thrift store. Um, this is just a general safety one. You know, it makes you look like you have somebody who is tracking you and taking care of you. Um, if needed, you can also say, Oh, my husband is right over there. He's in the bathroom. He's coming or, you know, so, yeah. And with that, uh, I've never actually done this, but I know a lot of people
00:33:22
Speaker
do, and I think it's definitely a good idea, but consider coming up with a fake name to give to people that you don't want to tell your real name to. I've never been in the situation where I've had to give my name to a stranger in an airport necessarily, but in new cities, me and some friends have definitely used fake names if we don't want to share our name. Kind of in general with that is in airports, in new places, you don't have to give anybody any information at all if you don't want to.
00:33:53
Speaker
Um, I mean, obviously, especially if they're asking where you're staying, uh, you, I just would always say like, Oh, nearby or something. And maybe I'm not staying nearby at all. You know, like nearby is very general. Are you like.
00:34:09
Speaker
Oh, are you here alone? Oh, no, my husband's at the hotel. Like always, even if he's not, you know, like always just insight that you're not alone. And even in an airport, there can really be a culture on some of my bigger international flights. There can definitely be a culture of like sitting at a bar and being like, oh, where are you going? Where are you from? All this stuff. Engage into that as you will. I try not to overshare. I'll share a little bit about where I'm coming from. I'll say, oh, California.
00:34:38
Speaker
won't say where in California or anything like that. But honestly, if you'd rather not have any of those conversations, just finish your food, finish what you're doing and be like, all right, I got to go wait, something like that. Don't worry about being rude. Yeah. When it comes to safety, it's always okay to lie and it's always okay to be a little bit rude. Strangers don't have to like you. Safety is more important than that. So, oh, I love that tip that you just gave.
00:35:03
Speaker
let's see another one is just we kind of touched on this I guess before but just do your research before you go to a new place research the airports research you know just the general area it's just that's a pretty self-explanatory one I don't know if you want to expand on that at all I love but just yeah just research before you go to a new place really well
00:35:23
Speaker
Yeah, well, a good way to research an area, like, because if you're trying to find if an area is safe, it's kind of hard to Google. Is this neighborhood in San Francisco safe? You know, it's hard to actually Google that. Look up hotel reviews in the areas you're looking at. And usually hotel reviews will say, nice hotel, terrible area. I've gotten myself out of a couple
00:35:44
Speaker
Airbnb is actually I have a great Airbnb story that I should share one day But the reviews were like place is nice. I hate the neighborhood something like that So if you're wondering about a neighborhood to stay in for a wedding Research reviews of the hotel and they'll usually tell you what the area is like Because people are doing it for the area, right? So they'll say oh, it was great. It was just a short walk from town. It felt safe and
00:36:07
Speaker
People actually leave reviews like that quite a bit. I love that. Oh my gosh, and I just gave a tip so why don't you go ahead and give another one. Sure. I would say ensure your transportation is solid. This one is a huge deal to me. It may not sound like that, but if you're flying to a wedding,
00:36:27
Speaker
have your transportation to the venue, to your hotel, and to the airport down so you're not stuck looking for rides anywhere.
Transportation and Personal Safety Tips
00:36:34
Speaker
Really, it's best to try and rent a vehicle so you're avoiding rideshare or Uber or anything like that. We know that's not possible in every situation, but if you can swing it, it's just a better idea. You're in control of where you're going and when you get to go there.
00:36:50
Speaker
you'll avoid waiting on curbs outside for cars and getting into cars with strangers. And also, I know it might be tempting to, you know, whoever you're arranging rides with, if you're not renting a vehicle, if like the bride's family or somebody is supposed to be picking you up or just in general travel, if someone's supposed to be picking you up, don't leave it up to that time and be like, oh, I messaged you when I land or I'll do this when I land, be like, I'm landing at this time, get there at this time.
00:37:15
Speaker
I will meet you at this area of the airport. Just don't leave anything up to final decision or chance. Have it all planned out.
00:37:22
Speaker
And let's see, I think my next one would be to travel with only carry-ons or a carry-on so that you don't risk lost luggage. Of course, yes, this isn't always possible, but I definitely personally travel as light as I can specifically to avoid the chance of losing my luggage. And then of course, if you do have to have checked bags, just everything most important goes in your carry-ons instead of in your checked bag. My personal role is if,
00:37:50
Speaker
It doesn't go in my checked bag unless I can par with it just fine. So, cause you know, you never know if it'll get lost. And then of course, like we said earlier, make sure you have some kind of apple air tag or tracker in your luggage. If you do choose to check it, right? Yeah, that's a good one. I try to only travel with carry on. It doesn't always work, but it's just easier for a lot of reasons.
00:38:10
Speaker
All right, my kind of final safety tip, I suppose, would be if you have to sleep in an airport, lots of things to do. I've spent so many nights in an airport. I'm actually, it used to be fun for me. When I was like 19, 20, I was like, I'm being so adventurous. Like, wow, I'm over it now. I hate sleeping in airports now. I don't sleep, it's cold anyway. But I've had to do it a few times.
00:38:37
Speaker
And if you have to sleep in an airport, of course, this might seem obvious, but set an alarm so you don't miss a flight. I've had, I've had to spend the night in airports for flights that are at 6am the next day. Obviously, I don't want to miss that. So I'll set an alarm and then use if you have
00:38:52
Speaker
Stuff carry on sometimes your checked luggages with you on an overnight layover if you're in a foreign country Use a belt to attach your stuff to you So I just belt loop it through the handle of my suitcase and then through a loop on my belt or around my hand or something like that Again, people generally aren't trying to steal from you in an airport, but it's just some free insurance
00:39:16
Speaker
I I've actually never been prepared for this step the amount of times I've slept in the airport I have not had a belt with me but I'll either just lay my hand on my stuff or kick my feet over my stuff just that way if I feel it move or tug at all it'll alert me it's not necessarily gonna stop somebody from absolutely taking it if they're stronger than me but it'll alert me to wake up and at least
00:39:39
Speaker
be in control of the situation and not have it just taken away while I'm sleeping. Not like I sleep that well at airports anyway, but I always just have my stuff close to me in some way. Yeah, I like that. And I definitely sleep better the little bit that I do sleep at an airport when I have to be there overnight, when I have my stuff physically touching me because I get so paranoid about that.
00:39:59
Speaker
And let's see, I'll wrap up our tip portion I think for this with just an overall give yourself permission to leave unsafe areas and situations. Like we said before, it doesn't matter if you look rude. It doesn't matter if it's like embarrassing for you to get up and leave. And yeah, we know this may sound obvious, but maybe you'd be surprised to learn how many people
00:40:22
Speaker
stay in unsafe scenarios, places, or situations simply because it's convenient or they're afraid to ask for help or they're just ignoring their gut feelings, but in situations like this, your gut is your best friend. That's called discernment and intuition. You can't ignore that. Those are so important. Even if you may be wrong, maybe the situation you think might be unsafe and you leave it and you find out, oh, I was overreacting, it's better to overreact. It's better to be safe.
00:40:50
Speaker
than sorry right and we all grew up hearing that better safe than sorry well it's true yeah that is an amazing point i'm glad you touched on that even if the situation ends up being fine don't let that discourage you from in the future if something feels off and this it can actually this is like maybe a hotter take but this can actually come down to if it if it really costs you something to leave like say you're at a wedding and for some reason the setup isn't what you thought it was the venue's not correct or um
00:41:19
Speaker
you weren't given lots of information and when you get there it's not what you expected it to be and you feel unsafe for some reason whatever you were going to make from that wedding whatever the couple might have to say about you whatever happens is not worth you being in danger uh there's one photographer both Beth and I kind of know and follow she's really big in the destination photography industry uh her name's Darien and she had a story of starting to get treated weirdly at a wedding and
00:41:47
Speaker
put into a situation she didn't want to be in. So she went to her couple and was like, I'm sorry, I need to go. This isn't happening. And luckily, her couple was amazing and was like, yeah, go. We've got it handled. And she left because it wasn't safe. And she shared pretty openly about that on her Instagram. And I was just like, geez, so many people would just brush that off and be like, it's fine. This is my job. It's whatever. But no, if people are treating you unfairly or weirdly, you get out of there.
00:42:12
Speaker
It's yeah, it's not your job to be in danger. And that being said, actually, since you brought that up, always have a clause in your contract that mentions safe working conditions. I have that actually ever since I saw Darian's story, I had like a little bit of a clause in there, but I revamped it after watching.
00:42:29
Speaker
and hearing from her what she went through. I have a big clause in my contract that says like need to have safe appropriate working conditions and if there's a certain timeframe where like if it's not resolved completely, I leave and they do not get a refund, they do not get anything. They can't sue me, you know, just total protection for my safety.
00:42:51
Speaker
Nice. Love that. Well, amazing. Thank you guys so much for letting us go off on those travel tips. We are obviously super passionate about staying safe when traveling and especially traveling alone. I think traveling alone is a beautiful, fun thing that everyone should try once in their lives. And we hope we didn't make it sound scary or anything. It's not scary. It's not impossible. It's really freeing and empowering. Just these are like the tiniest tips, little free insurance that you can do to protect yourself.
Beth and Ayla's Personal Travel Routines
00:43:20
Speaker
Beth, I have a couple more questions before we wrap up this episode, but I wanted to dive into this because I feel like we'll both be different, but can you list your typical round trip beginning to end? I do have a very typical trip because I'm usually traveling for work.
00:43:39
Speaker
Let's see, I'll start with when I book. Like I said before, I typically book my flights one to two months in advance. That's when I get the best rates. Then I explained, of course, before how I do that. In the weeks leading up to the trip, I load up on vitamins. That's so random, but I'm very intentional about that. I'm taking extra vitamin C, vitamin D, extra zinc to build up my immune system because I'm one of those people who usually gets sick when I travel.
00:44:04
Speaker
Which is so sad, but especially if you're traveling for work, you know, when do you rest, right? It's just chaos. So everything I can do to not get sick, especially for my weddings, I can't get sick before a wedding. And then I usually pack the day before I leave. I'm not a very early packer. Like for example, I'm leaving on Thursday for a trip and I'm packing on Thursday during the day.
00:44:23
Speaker
And then I get to the airport. I usually push it pretty far. I get to the airport no earlier than an hour early. I have gone to the airport one time like 40 minutes before. I was aiming to get there like 40 minutes early and that was the one time I forgot my ID at home and I had to go all the way back and back again. That's a story I'll tell another time but I was taking an Uber. I'm very lucky to live only like 15 minutes from an airport so I actually made it back.
00:44:51
Speaker
But I got out of the car, out of the Uber. The driver was pulling my luggage out of the... I know I said this was a story for another time, but obviously I'm telling it now. But the driver was pulling the luggage out of the car and he was putting it down on the curb and I was like, I have to go back. And he was so confused. He's like, wait, what? And I was like, can you drive me back? I'll explain in a second, but can you drive me back? And then back again. And he was so confused, but he did it. And on the way, I was like, I forgot my ID at home. I think I might've been crying. I don't know.
00:45:19
Speaker
But he was just like, oh, you're not going to make it. Yeah, he was zoning. Oh, you're not going to make it. You're not going to make it. I'm sorry. I'll be done. That's a moral of the story, guys. I made it. I was literally this was the second time I was the last person to board the plane. And I mean, last I was sprinting through the airport. I didn't even care. I looked like a crazy person. I kind of wish that someone had videoed it because I was sprinting with my bags like just a comical scene.
00:45:43
Speaker
But anyways, so now I get to the airport an hour early. I didn't learn my lesson fully, I guess, because I don't get there two hours early. I get there an hour early.
00:45:51
Speaker
And then I, like I said, I have gold status with my tickets. So I get to skip the lines. I go through like first-class boarding and then, you know, I am always checked in 24 hours before through the app. So that's all taken care of. I get, when I get there, I will say one way I differ from you is I don't have a printed boarding pass, but after hearing you talk about that today, I might start doing that. I used to do it and I've gotten lazy lately and,
00:46:18
Speaker
You know what? It is nice to just show up and not have to go there. I do understand that. You guys will understand this. I'm so paranoid about all the things. I have backup plan after backup plan. It's not necessary, but yeah.
00:46:35
Speaker
No it's smart I really like that and again it's just none of these things are worth it to ruin your trip like you might as well print out the ticket you might as well be safe because it's not worth it to ruin your trip and then the only other thing I'd say is I do bring food with me to the airport I try not to buy anything there.
00:46:55
Speaker
There's a couple reasons for that. Number one, I like food and I just want to have really good food in the airport and on the flight. And if I do buy food in the airport, I make sure it's from a real restaurant so that for tax purposes. And if you want to know the real reason why behind that, go and check our taxes episode that we did a little while ago and you'll see why. That's really smart. Exactly. Plug in that a little bit.
00:47:16
Speaker
Um, anyways, so, oh, also fun fact, because I didn't know for an embarrassing amount of time that you could bring food onto through security check, but you can. So anybody who didn't know that you can. Um, and then you can also bring liquids if they're frozen solid and they gotta be like frozen solid, like a rock, but you can bring a, like I brought salsa once and it was frozen solid. And that's why I was able to bring it.
00:47:39
Speaker
Oh my gosh. I didn't know that one. I just like, that's something I don't risk because international, I think you can bring food. I just obviously can't be like fruit or jerky or anything like that. But I think, and I always just keep the snack like sealed. Like if I'm bringing a bag of chips, I do like a sealed bag, but international is different than domestic. Domestic's pretty chill with bringing food on to stuff.
00:47:59
Speaker
Yeah, I think you're right for sure But yeah, so all those little little things are if I enjoy those little mini luxuries I guess and then I usually scheduled to arrive like one to two days before the event I prefer two days before my event just to really you know account for potential delays or cancellations and stuff and
00:48:18
Speaker
And then I fly back the day, not the day after the event, but the day after that. So I always give myself one day after the event to rest and edit before I'm traveling again. So that's it. That's my typical trip.
00:48:31
Speaker
Yeah, mine beginning to end. Yeah, I'll try to whiz through because again, I I've traveled for so many different amounts of time. Yeah, but I'll try to like cover kind of generally all of it. So with booking, sometimes I have booked like a year in advance, but it's for mission endeavors. So it's like a long term
00:48:49
Speaker
trip that I usually know about way ahead of time. So I'll kind of be checking rates as I go and be tracking them. And if it drops to a good price, even if it's like, when I went to New Zealand, I booked that flight a year and a month before I left. Because I was working with an agent and they were like, this is a good price. And I was like, say no more.
00:49:10
Speaker
Let's say, here, for the rest of this, I'll just do a general trip between US and Canada, because I've done that so many times. So yeah, same as you one to three months in advance. I make sure my booking goes into my Google calendar. It usually happens automatically, but I put it on my Google calendar, and I physically write it down on a real calendar. I arrange rides to and from the airport a week before my flight.
00:49:35
Speaker
uh two days before i do laundry and clean my house i gotta come home to a clean house so laundry done house cleaned two days before always pack the day before packing you and i are so different with this packing is a whole freaking thing for me i type out a list i print it oh my we don't even have a printer i go seek out a printer
00:50:00
Speaker
Oh my gosh. So I can check. So it looks neat. I do pretty fonts. Like my list is a whole thing. And then I, you know, do all my laundry. So I'm able to pick out clean stuff. I roll all the stuff together and pack it. Like it takes me hours to pack. I flew to the States for two weeks, a couple weeks, a couple months ago or last month.
00:50:24
Speaker
And it took me four hours to pack. And I don't pack very much either. I'm a super light packer, but it's like it's a ritual. So anyway, I always the day before.
00:50:37
Speaker
And then always arrive two hours early to the airport since I'm usually flying international. But, you know, honestly, I show up to the airport and then I sit for like an hour and 40 minutes. But that's just what I do to myself. Like I said, I always take the time to check in and get a physical boarding pass and have it on my phone. And then for food, I buy it all at the airport. It's expensive, but that's just what I do. But I like to eat quote unquote healthy food.
00:51:04
Speaker
while traveling. I like fruit. I like smoothies. I like salad wraps. And this isn't to be a health nut. It's not always how I eat in the rest of my life, but traveling just usually makes me feel kind of greasy and gross, especially if I'm traveling for 15 hours plus. So eating fast food or like burgers and stuff really doesn't make me feel any better. So it's more expensive, but I stick to like fruits and stuff because it helps me just kind of feel better when I'm already not feeling my best.
00:51:33
Speaker
Yeah because I get super hot so just walking around airports makes me hot that's a dynamic so I couldn't eat like hot food so I just stick to like healthy stuff and then I bring a toothbrush toothpaste and I usually if I have like whatever layover is before my final destination I just brush my teeth real quick so that whoever's picking me up doesn't get me being awake for 20 hours breath and maybe even change outfits just to like feel better as I arrive
00:52:01
Speaker
Um, and then yeah, I book round trip 99% of the time for flying international. This is a side tip, but like if you're traveling international, you pretty much always need a return flight. Whatever country you're entering wants to know that you're going to be leaving, um, if you don't have any kind of visa. So always book a round trip and then it's all taken care of. And I don't have to worry about it, but that's, that's me beginning to end.
00:52:26
Speaker
I like that. Oh my gosh. Um, yeah, I think you definitely healthier than I do in the airports because I actually like that comfort food. I'm, I get pissed if I'm in an airport and it does have like burgers and fast food. I'm like, what is this place? All I see is fruit. Stupid.
00:52:41
Speaker
That is to say, there was one time, it was the same story as my flight that got canceled. I had to spend the night in the Minneapolis airport. And I had already been awake for so many hours. I think I slept for like one hour. And then I woke up at 3am and went and got a burger and a Coke. And I was like, this is bizarre. But that's all I wanted. I didn't want healthy food for that one. I was like, this is 3am and I want a burger and a Coke. And no one questions you if you just go buy dinner foods at like 3am. So yeah, I'm not always perfect on it.
00:53:11
Speaker
No, I do like that. I do like that you do that. And I should probably start trying that too because I always feel so like icky and tired when I travel, but it's probably because I eat like crap when I travel. So I'm going to try that actually this trip. So hold me to that next time we talk. Yeah, exactly. And I did, you reminded me, I did forget. I also cleaned the house before I leave. Um, I'm really strict about that as well. We're very similar in that at least.
00:53:33
Speaker
that I do that. And then of course, if Chad isn't going with me on a flight, I meal prep for him as much as I can. It's not always possible, but I will like meal prep as many meals as I can and freeze him or put him in the fridge so that he's taken care of when I'm gone too. Because I'm usually traveling without him. You're so nice. Well, that's so nice. Keeps the complaints away, right?
00:53:54
Speaker
Yeah. The last time I left, I don't travel much without Chris, but the last time I flew home, it was just me. And I didn't do a thing. Like the night before, I was like, should I have shopped? Should I have at least got you groceries? Because we were like out of food. And he was like, no, I got it. And I was like, okay, sorry.
00:54:13
Speaker
He's a good cook though, right? If I recall. He does like to cook. He can do that. He can take care of himself. Okay, let's see. Loved that. Loved hearing that. It's so fun to hear about other people's travel and their plans and everything. I love that. Yeah, and their little quirks.
00:54:32
Speaker
Exactly. I love it. I actually question for you, Ayla, like when you travel, how planned or unplanned do you like things to be? That kind of relates to all this. I'm curious.
00:54:43
Speaker
right right well as as like we kind of explained i when it comes to actual travel ticket booking behaving in an airport i'm super structured and like on it which is funny because i'm pretty loosey goosey and free-spirited in the rest of my life but i've just i've had too many encounters of flights getting cancelled missing flights being late i just don't mess around with it so the actual travel part i'm like
00:55:22
Speaker
we're gonna wake up at 6. We're gonna eat breakfast at 6 30 then we're gonna have exactly 30 minutes at the pool and then we're gonna go on this guided tour and then we're gonna go to the like I just the worst like I like to leave room for rest I like to leave room
00:55:29
Speaker
as planned as
00:55:37
Speaker
for all this stuff so like for example Chris and I went to Banff a couple years ago and we were only there for a few days so we we each basically picked something that we knew we wanted to do I wanted to go on a hike um he like had looked up this restaurant he wanted to try so we were like as long as we do those things that we really want to do we'll figure out what's there when we get there and like what everyone recommends um so like half planned but the looser the better I like
00:56:06
Speaker
That's hilarious, dude. I am the exact opposite. I mean, are we surprised? No, but I am the opposite in everything you just said. Like, I was just laughing so hard. First of all- I just went- I got so passionate about that. Sorry. You're like playing it out. It's the worst. And I just lost it. I was like, oh, shoot. Well, we- but honestly, though, we would be good travel buddies, though, I think, because we'd balance each other out. Because when it comes to planning the trip- You get me to actually go do things.
00:56:35
Speaker
Yeah, but you would also like make sure that we're safe and we get places because I do not plan my travel. I'm sorry. I'm just over it. Like I, I get my tickets, you know, like I said, last minute, I do everything last minute. I arrive late. I usually do not have everything super planned out. Like in some ways, I guess I do because for work you have to have certain things planned out, but I just,
00:56:55
Speaker
I'm just so last minute with everything and just, I don't even know. I'm just so last minute. And then when I get there, I love having everything planned out. Like I am the person who will be like, I, not for other people, because again, I'm usually alone, but I feel so good and I feel like I can just cram everything in. If I'm like, I'm waking up at six, although I sleep in. So no, it'd be like, I wake up at nine. I go to this, I will, I will write down on my to do this, eat breakfast. I will do it. I will write it down because everything will be written down.
00:57:23
Speaker
and then everything we plan all right how long the driving is from one spot to another and then everything we're doing and what we even do when we get to the places so oh my gosh that's so funny but i not because
00:57:36
Speaker
It's not because I'm like paying for a bunch of guided tours or anything. I'm not a touristy tourist in that way. I don't like going to museums. I don't like doing guided tours at all, but I like having what I want to do planned out, if that makes sense. That is so funny. It's so funny how we pack differently. We're on the planes differently. We get to the places differently. But I feel like you and I have traveled together and it's been fine. Yeah.
00:58:01
Speaker
I don't know. I don't know. Somehow it just works out. But oh my gosh, what a fun. This is like, I know I've been saying this last few episodes, but I had so much fun with this one. So much good stuff in this episode. Seriously, if there's anyone out there looking into destination photography or solo travel in general, save this episode to look back on later. A lot of these tips were learned through mistakes or being unprepared. So it's really just best to over prepare.
00:58:29
Speaker
Absolutely. And like we said, we love travel and especially the beauty in traveling alone. It teaches you to be independent and even a reliable person. And we think it's so good for everyone to try at least once. But just remember that with the beauty does come, the reality of the world isn't always a super safe place. So really, please just take protecting yourself seriously. Absolutely.
00:58:53
Speaker
Well, with that, that is a wrap on today's episode. We hope you enjoyed listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it. Like Beth said, you can check out Art of Intention podcast on Instagram. We'll be posting, I suppose, more and more content related to this, like travel, tips, safety, and we list resources for all kinds of topics per episode that we do.
00:59:18
Speaker
Really, any resources that come with what we say is there, and we keep you updated on each new episode. If you like what you're hearing, feel free to leave us a review or give us your five-star rating wherever you listen. It helps us so much, and honestly, it really means the world to us when you do that. As always, you can reach out to us on Instagram or by email for your episode ideas, guest requests, and more. We hope to see you there. Bye.