All Entries in the "Travel Tips" Category

7 Attractions in 7 Hours – Turbo Tourism

It was 11:30AM and the man at the ticket counter looked at me anxiously and said “Are you ready?”.
I took a deep breath, tightened my backpack straps, got a good grip on my camera and said “Yes” confidently.
The machine let out a long BEEEEEP!
My I Amsterdam card was now officially ticking.
I was off to the [...]

How to best utilize the I Amsterdam Card

Amsterdam has a lot to offer for tourists – but how do you see everything Amsterdam has to offer while on a budget?
Prior to arriving in Amsterdam, I had heard of the I Amsterdam card from many websites; see everything Amsterdam has to offer a tourist in a limited amount of time. It sounded [...]

San Francisco Museums Fit Your Budget

As a person with no real ’stable’ job, I appreciate a good bargain! And after spending the last year living in Vietnam with no real art scene, I’ve been starved for some great art. You may think that budget and art don’t really go together; oh – not so….
While in San Francisco in [...]

Growing Up, Growing Scared

I had all the kids stand up and one by one they sat down…
“If you haven’t been outside of Lincoln, Nebraska – sit down.” I stated.
Everyone remained standing…phew.
“If you haven’t been outside of Nebraska – sit down.”
I lost a couple.
“If you haven’t been outside the United States – sit down.”
They started dropping off rapidly [...]

Unique Boston Travel Experiences

My first trip to Boston was only 12 years ago. I was 28 and was finally starting to venture out of the ‘safety’ of the Midwest. I was excited to see the city where American history came alive; I wanted to walk the Freedom Trail, see the where all the famous events [...]

Itinerary Update – Boston to Europe

It’s time for a little Sherry update. I try not to do these too often so that I can remain a mystery and therefore more interesting…but here goes – the mystery is revealed in a short post.

Where am I now?
I’ve been in Boston now for 5 weeks house-sitting and haven’t really written a [...]

What to expect in a Vietnamese Restaurant

Going out to eat at a restaurant is easy, right?
…not always.
Often when you find yourself in other countries, even though there’s a waiter, a table, you are putting food in your mouth, and there’s a bill – there are many things that can be vastly different. As I lived in Vietnam there [...]

Win Your Way to a Career Break

“I wish I could do that.” A phrase I have heard often regarding people’s reaction to me quitting my career of 14 years to go travel around the world on a mini-retirement. Normally this phrase is followed by “but…I have a family/house/pet/no money/insert dream killing word here…”
This ‘wish’ is the sole reason we [...]

The Ecstasy of Unpacking

When I meet people, I live in fear of people asking me ‘the’ question; but eventually after some small talk, the question always comes.
“Where do you live?”
It’s an innocent question, but it throws me every time. I normally look at the person and size them up before I answer. I try to determine [...]

Ups and Downs of Solo Travel

After 26 days traveling with my father in Nepal, we parted at the Delhi airport. I found myself choking back tears as I gave him a hug and we parted. Why was I, a person who typically travels solo, crying about being solo again? I wish I knew. I [...]

McDonalds and the RTW Traveler

It has to be said…and this may be controversial…
Eating at McDonalds in a foreign country does NOT make you a despicable traveler.
In all honestly – up until I took my career break and traveled around the world, I would have scoffed at that statement. I thought Americans who ate at McDonalds while traveling abroad [...]

Q&A – Travel with a Laptop

I get many emails from travelers all over the world asking me questions about my travels.  Here are some of the recent ones that are great to share with everyone!  If you have a question, don’t hesitate to ask!
Q:  From Anna in New York city – I’m [...]

Travel Tips Bring Clean Water

America is easy…yes…easy.  I think about this every night when I brush my teeth.  I run water from the tap over my toothbrush and rinse.  I never have to worry about the tap water I’m using.  This is a far cry from Vietnam where I lived last year.  I became so accustomed to brushing my [...]

Grounded for Meet, Plan, Go!

The Iceland volcano grounded air travel in Europe last week; it was a frustrating week for travelers. I know their pain because I too am grounded…here in the US. I’m waiting to travel. It’s hard for me to stay grounded and be patient waiting to travel; I have trouble taking my own advice [...]

Have a Little Patience

If you are going to travel around the world, it requires patience.
I hear from many people who want to travel, but they have to wait for the right time to begin their journey. Sometimes they have to wait for money, for a school degree, banking enough time off, for a wedding, for a child [...]

Visa Required

Tiger Balm Tales Vol. 21
Visa Required
Even though I didn’t start traveling internationality until I was 30 years old, I’ve done a lot of traveling; some people may even consider me an ‘expert’. I’m not real sure if I deserve the ‘expert’ title, but there are certainly a few things I’ve learned about international travel.
You [...]

Using Your Network to Housesit Around the World

I’ve been back ‘home’ in the US for 4 months, yet I’m still living out of two suitcases, changing locations every week, finding unique adventures, experiencing new things. I’ve been staying on lakes, farms, and in suburbs; watching cats, dogs, chickens, horses, and pipes (so that they wouldn’t freeze); gathering mail, picking up [...]