London Adventures

Hey, y'all! Long time, no blog!

I've been busy for good reason, though. :) Over a couple of weeks this past July, I've traveled the UK and Northern Ireland with family and friends, and now that I'm back in the states, I wanted to share my adventures there (and photos!) with you.

Without further ado, let's get into my favorite city in the entire world...London!

Since it was such a short trip (we only spent a couple days in the city), here's what all we did:

• When we arrived, we had a curry in Covent Garden at the most amazing Indian restaurant ever. Also, I discovered there that Indian popsicles are delicious.

• The next morning, we did some sightseeing of various hotspots around London, particularly Big Ben (my favorite), Westminster Abbey, Selfridges, Fortnum and Mason, and Buckingham Palace.

• I ate cereal at a restaurant I discovered online called the Cereal Killer Cafe, located in Shoreditch. Coolest place ever. (Shoreditch is also a really cool area.)

• In Chelsea, we met up with friends at Byron Proper Burgers. I ordered a cheeseburger well done with Bleu Cheese. It was pretty awesome.

• On our last day, we hit up the British Library...

• ...and finally, to conclude the visit, I got to go to Platform 9 & 3/4 at King's Cross Station. I am a huge Harry Potter fan and this made me so so so happy. (And yes, I'm a Ravenclaw. ;) )

An Instagram Roundup of the Fourth at Grayton

I hope y'all had a safe and wonderful Fourth of July this year! And if you're in another part of the world, I hope you had a fun weekend!

This year's Fourth of July was a really, really fun one. We hopped down to Florida for a weekend to visit my grandparents and just be down here in sunny Grayton for the Fourth. They are incredibly festive here in the panhandle, from the parade bright and early at 8 AM to the fireworks we can see and hear from the beach.

Here are the Instagrams I caught this past weekend. :)

1. This was from the day after we arrived. :) (We got in super-late the night before and all we really wanted was sleep, ha!) But man, I can't get over how amazing that pool felt this weekend once I actually got in it. It was really, really hot down here. Like, 90's hot (but no, I didn't try to fry any eggs on the pavement, for the curious).

2. The 4th was also my dogs' birthday. Harvey and Azalea are 11 this year, and they are still the cutest. :) The beads I'm wearing are from Grayton's Fourth of July parade.

3. While Dad and I walked down to the beach, I saw these gorgeous neon-colored sailboats down the shoreline. That water in front of what looks like a sandbar is actually the inlet of a lake that locals call the "Washout." Because it's lake water (that sometimes opens to the ocean), there's not really any surf, and it's safe for kids to play in. Beyond those sailboats is the ocean. If I were to pan the camera right or left, you'd see tents and beach chairs packed end-to-end. The beach is CROWDED over the Fourth weekend, especially July 4th day.

4. Last, but not least, is my favorite reading spot in the entire world: the front screened porch of my grandparents' house. Especially when it's raining or has just rained. :) (By the way, I finished The Wrath and the Dawn yesterday, and it'll be part of the July book wrap-up I'll do later on).

International Travel Hacks

That's me circa 2010 in Gleneagles, Scotland :)

International travel is an absolute blast. In fact, I actually prefer international flights over domestic ones (one of the many reasons being a guaranteed selection of movies depending on your airline).

I've blogged about international travel/packing tips before, but in this post, I want to round up some of the best ones - a collection of travel hacks, if you will - that I've come across over the years since I first flew overseas about 10 years ago (!!!). I'm dividing them up into categories, too.

With that said, let's get right to it. :)

Before You Start Packing

• Make sure your suitcase meets regulation weight. You don't want to have to pay extra for your suitcase to board the plane with you, or worse, have to leave things behind. Check out your airline's website for more specific details.
• On that note, check your phone carrier, bank, and other important places like that to let them know that you'll be leaving the country and to set any international modes/alerts.
• Make sure you purchase the correct adaptors for your country, and that you double-check to make sure they're the right ones you need.
• As far as your actual suitcase goes, make sure you bring one that's easy to spot at baggage claim (and won't get easily stolen), like one in a bright color or anything other than black. (EVERYONE carries a black suitcase.) Or, if you do have a black suitcase, just add bright belts or ribbons, or a pom-pom. :) The possibilities are endless. Also, ones that spin on four wheels are great to carry into larger airports.

Packing

• Roll. up. your. clothes. I can't stress this one enough. Rolling reduces wrinkles and frees up TONS of space for more items, especially if you want to leave room for souvenirs. This works best for lighter items (T-Shirts, dresses, light shorts/pants, leggings). I would fold up jeans and heavier clothing, like raincoats.
• Along those same lines, tiny rubber bands go well around rolled clothes in thinner material so they don't slip. This is purely optional, though.
• I learned about packing cubes last year, and they're another great way to compartmentalize and further organize your travel gear. Amazon has a great selection.
• Want to pack things flatter? Try two-gallon zip-loc bags. Pack/roll your items, stick them in the bag; zip up the bag until there's about an inch and a half-two inches open, then sit on the bag to let all the air out before zipping it fully closed. You've just created your own DIY vacuum-sealed bags.
• Pack an extra change of clothes in your carry-on bag (whether or not you decide to pack checked luggage). You want to be prepared in case your bag gets delayed in transit or stolen.
• Pack a copy of your passport to put in your suitcase, then carry your actual passport on your person. This is a safety regulation no matter where you fly outside the country.
• Consolidate as much as you can. This means going for electronic books or a Kindle instead of bringing individual paperbacks, bringing things you can re-wear and/or wash, etc.
• Make sure all of your liquids and gels are either packed in your checked luggage and/or all packed in a quart-sized zip-loc bag. If you're pressed for space, remember that you can buy a lot of your toiletries when you get to your destination, depending on where you're going. With that in mind, you'll be able to pack just the absolute necessities (like any medicines) and save a lot of room.
• Plan on wearing your bulkiest items on the plane, like heavier shoes. This is another easy way to free up space.

Plane Travel

• Don't bring any beverages into the airport (because they'll toss them at security), but it's a good idea to bring your favorite dry snacks from home. Otherwise, you can buy drinks and snacks after you get through security to bring on board. Airplane meals only happen twice, depending on how long your flight is, and you may want to snack on something you enjoy in the meantime.
• This works for all plane travel, but bring or buy chewing gum if your ears tend to pop/you get headaches easily on planes.
• Bring fuzzy socks to wear at your seat on the plane. The vents can get really, really cold, and you don't want frozen feet when you're trying to relax on a long flight.
• I've said it before on this blog, and I'll say it again: scarves make great pillows or blankets on long flights. The same also applies to light sweaters or cardigans.
• Other things I like to make sure I bring on the plane include:
• Headphones (noise-canceling or not)
• A book of some kind (usually my iPad so I can load up Kindle books for an entire trip)
• LOTS of great music
• Other things to do (work, getting a head-start on travel journaling, etc.)

When You Get There

• If you're in need of buying toiletries (toothpaste and/or other liquid items), pharmacies are your friend (at least in Europe).
• If you take underground transportation, take your time and read signs carefully to make sure you get where you need to go. This also applies to airports and train stations.
• Make sure you have your camera, because you're going to want to take all the pictures and enjoy every second of your adventure, even after you come home. :)
• Don't forget to document your trip! A journal is a great idea, and you can even use a glue stick to adhere business cards, programs, brochures, 

I hope these tips helped you out if you're planning on traveling internationally! :) Do you have any other tips? Let me know in the comments.

What to Wear on Planes: Summer Edition

I'm going on a super-big trip soon (stay tuned for more info and posts on that later!), and I'm already thinking of what I'm going to pack and also what I'm going to wear on the plane.

Whether you fly international or domestic, what you wear on the plane matters, since you'll either need to be comfortable, or efficient, or both. Plus, this changes when you're in specific weather, too. In the summer, you'll want to take into consideration the heat outside and varying levels of air conditioning on planes and in airports or other transportation.

Here's a sample outfit, built for a particularly long day of travel (I'm talking about 12 hours or more):

What to Wear on Planes: Summer (Long Flight) by savannahinwonderland featuring a stripe tunic

And here are some clothing-related travel tips (for both ladies or the guys in the audience):

• Depending on the length of your flight or how much you're packing, you may want to wear your bulkiest items on the plane. I'm talking about thicker jackets/cardigans/sweatshirts, boots, thicker shoes, etc.
• Scarves make for great blankets and/or pillows in a pinch.
• It wouldn't hurt to bring a spare, simple change of clothes in your carry-on luggage, just in case your luggage gets lost or delayed in transit.
• Bring comfy socks on the plane. You'll want to take your shoes off on longer flights, but the A/C vents by your feet can get really, really cold. (Just keep in mind that if you walk around the plane in flight, you'll want to put your shoes back on, so slip-ons are a good idea for that reason.)
• Minimal jewelry is a good idea to help expedite security. Again, so are slip-on shoes.

What do you wear on planes? Do you have any favorite tips for travel wear?

How to Protect your Blog and Keep It Online

pattern credit

My blog was deleted last Friday without my knowledge.

It was just for a few hours, but it was still scary to try to pull up my blog and get an error message saying that it no longer existed. I found out later that the reason behind my blog suddenly disappearing was because my university email got deleted. I was distraught, but thankfully, we got it resolved (thanks, Dad!).

So, how can you prevent something like this happening to your online space? Your blog contains what you love, so it's important that you take care and make sure that it's secure. Here are my quick tips for doing just that.

(Disclaimer: [S]iW is on a Blogger format, but I'm sure you can apply these tips to blogs on other platforms, too.)

1. Do not associate a long-term blog with a temporary email. I actually can't stress this enough. I've been blogging in this space for a year and a half, but if my email account were to be deactivated, that year and a half's worth of content would be gone off the face of the internet. So, whether you create a Blogger, Wordpress, or Tumblr blog, or anything else, make sure it's on an account that's going to stick around, especially if your blog is affiliated with your work.
2. In the event that you do need to transfer things over to another email address, make sure that you know how to do so. The help section for your particular platform should be able to help you there.
3. Back up your blog, back up your blog, back up your blog...and back up your blog. Much like you would back up important files onto your hard drive, backing up your blog adds a layer of security you can tap into in case your blog gets lost in cyberspace. Again, just check out the help section of your blog platform for more information on exactly how to do this. 

I hope these tips helped you out! Do you have any other way that you back up your blogs? Let me know in the comments!