Away From The Office – Page 4 – Away From the Office: Full-time office worker, part-time traveler

Help save Kauai’s shelter dogs

Before my recent trip to Kauai, I was browsing the Alaska Airlines Flyertalk forum and came across a post asking for volunteers to help transport pets from the Kauai Humane Society to one of the non-stop destinations Alaska Airlines serves from Lihue. I love supporting shelter animals in any way possible so I emailed the shelter manager and agreed to transport some puppies on my return flight on September 11th.

According to the shelter’s website, the Alaska Airlines Pet Transfer program has sent over 400 animals from Kauai to the mainland, where they get adopted much more quickly. If the dogs are accompanied by a passenger, the cost of the transfer is free. The volunteer only needs to meet a representative from the Kauai Humane Society at the Lihue airport and hand off the dogs to a volunteer on arrival at the mainland.

On my return flight, my husband and I helped transport 4 adorable puppies to the Seattle Humane Society in Bellevue, WA. The dogs generated a lot of attention from fellow passengers and I think a couple of them wanted to adopt the puppies right there. On arrival at Seattle, we met up with a volunteer from the Seattle Humane Society who took the puppies home before delivering them to the shelter the next morning.

If you’re flying to Kauai via Alaska Airlines, I highly recommend contacting the Kauai Humane Society to see if you can help transport some Kauai pets to the mainland.

Review: Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle to Lihue, Kauai

I’m an MVP Gold with Alaska Airlines which means that I often have the opportunity to instantly upgrade to First Class, such was the case with my 10-year anniversary trip to Kauai. Alaska is a favorite among Seattle-ites and the only carrier to offer non-stop service to Kauai from Seattle.

Outbound flight: Alaska Airlines 879, Seattle to Lihue
Departure time: 8:55 AM
Arrival time: 11:52
Total flying time: 5 hours, 50 minutes

Boarding was speedy and efficient, with First Class being called with Alaska’s 75k and MVP Gold members. Since Kauai is a vacation destination, there wasn’t a stampede of passengers boarding at the same time, which you usually see on flights to San Francisco, Chicago and Newark. Continue reading “Review: Alaska Airlines First Class: Seattle to Lihue, Kauai”

In Pictures: London’s Borough Market

On my recent trip to London and Scotland, I spent half a day roaming around Borough Market, stuffing my face full of delicious food. Borough Market, located in Southwark, is a gourmet food market, consisting of over 70 vendors, ranging from cured meats to gourmet cakes. While it’s not a hidden gem, the market is definitely worth a visit if you like to eat (which is pretty much everyone, right?).

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the market:

Borough Market: Fresh Produce — Fresh produce at Borough Market

Borough Market Coconut Pancakes — One of the Thai restaurant vendors cooking up the most amazing coconut pancakes. I’m obsessed.

Borough Market: Duck Confit — Making duck confit at the market.

Borough Market: Duck Confident — The finished product: Duck confit sandwich

Borough Market: English muffins — The largest English muffins I’ve ever seen.

Borough Market Cheese — Delicious cheese.

Borough Market Croissants — You can never go wrong with croissants.

Borough Market Produce — I love how fresh and vibrant the produce looks.

Borough Market London produce — I think I’d shop here every week if I lived in London.

Borough Market Scotch Eggs — Scotch eggs.

Borough Market Mushrooms — I love mushrooms.

When to go:
The full market is only open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am – 5 pm.

Getting there:
The easiest way to get to Borough Market is to take the tube to the London Bridge Station, serviced by the Jubilee and Northern lines. Visit Borough Market’s page for full directions.

Top tips for visiting the market:
Avoid mid-day Saturday or Sunday if you can. The market was an absolute zoo and was so hard to navigate. Try to visit during a weekday if at all possible. Make sure you bring cash; not all vendors accept credit cards.

Off-road adventures in central Washington

Last weekend, my husband and I took out the jeep (aka Zombklr) for some off-roading and camping fun in the central Cascades. Our destination was Gallagher Head Lake, part of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, just past Salmon La Sac, ending at the base of Hawkins Mountain.

The real adventure began as soon as we left the FR 4330 for trail 4W301, a rocky, one-lane off-road trail with some steep 1,000+ foot drops on the side. For 2 1/2 hours, we were bumped and shaken inside the Jeep as we made our way over rocks, through streams and wash outs. We had to pull over a couple of times since the transmission fluid in the Jeep kept overheating. Continue reading “Off-road adventures in central Washington”

19 essentials every traveler needs

Don’t leave home without these must-have items.

Carry-on luggage
Don’t rely on airlines to get your valuables from point A to point B. If you’re traveling with irreplaceable items, such as prescription medication, jewelry, computers or anything else you wouldn’t want to lose, make sure to include it in your carry-on luggage.
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Sleep mask and earplugs
Get a good night’s sleep on the road even if your hotel room is right next to the bar or your room faces the bright lights of Times Square. Pack your own sleep mask and ear plugs and you’ll sleep great even if noise or light intrudes into your room.
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Extra clothing
Don’t get stranded at your destination without an extra change of clothes. I have first-hand experience with this one: my luggage to Colombia was delayed by three days, resulting in an impromptu shopping trip in Cartagena. At minimum, pack at least one shirt, a pair of shorts or pants, socks and underwear.

Medicine
If you get sick while you’re on a trip, spending time trying to track down a pharmacy is the last thing you want to do. Be prepared by packing some basics, including painkillers, bandages, vitamins, anti-diarrheal pills and cold/flu relief. If you’re traveling abroad, check with your doctor to see if you should bring prescriptions or need any immunizations before you depart.

Reusable shopping bag
Planning to shop at the local markets during your trip? Make sure to pack a reusable shopping bag which is tougher than the average plastic shopping bag. As a bonus, resusable shopping bags can also double as beach bags or picnic bags.
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Spork
While it might not seem like a necessity, a spork is handy for eating street food and picnic items along the way. You may also find yourself needing your spork after you’ve ordered room service at 2am and they forget to bring utensils.
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Entertainment
While you’ll ideally spend most of your time away from your hotel room exploring your destination, just about all trips include mind-numbing moments, like taking an underground train to the airport. Make sure to pack some form of entertainment, whether it’s an e-reader, portable video game or a deck of cards.
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Toiletries
Don’t waste valuable time shopping for deodorant and toothpaste on your trip. Make a list of your can’t-live-without items, whether it’s your favorite lip balm or hair gel.
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Smart phone
Pack your smart phone so that you can get email, find directions and stay in touch with loved ones while you’re away. If you travel abroad, make sure to disable data roaming, unless you have a pre-paid plan.

Comfortable walking shoes
Depending on your destination, you’ll likely bring a pair of dress shoes, flip flops or boots. Pack a pair of comfortable walking shoes so that you can spend hours on your feet without painful blisters or foot cramps.
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Camera
Even though most smartphones take great pictures, I still recommend traveling with an actual camera to capture detailed shots. Smartphones generally fall short on photographs taken in the dark or those that require zooming. Many newer cameras have wifi built in, allowing you to share photos on Facebook and Instagram while you’re on the go.
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Chargers and travel adapter
If you’re packing an electronic device, make sure to bring the charging cable. If you’re traveling internationally, pack a travel adapter or else you won’t be able to charge any of your devices.
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Headlamp or flashlight
From dark buses to hiking out to the beach at night, headlamps and flashlights are an essential item every traveler must pack. Make sure to turn the batteries around so that the flashlight doesn’t accidentally turn on in your luggage.
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Snacks
Most major airlines no longer offer free meals and even if they do, it’s usually bland or inedible. Bring your own meal and snacks or risk going hungry on your next flight.

Ziplock bags
Ziploc bags are an essential multi-purpose tool for travelers. They protect your belongings against liquid spills, they separate clean and dirty clothing. The bags can be washed and used repeatedly during the course of your trip.

Fold-up duffel bag
These small pouches transform into a spacious duffel bag, perfect for the traveler who needs more space to bring home vacation purchases. Most of these duffels are lightweight and can be checked as luggage on the airplane.
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Paperwork
Chances are, your boarding pass, hotel reservations and travel itinerary are all saved online. Print out all essential trip information and take it with you in case you have a technology failure while you’re on the road. If you’re traveling internationally, you should also make a photocopy of your passport in case it gets lost or stolen while you’re abroad.

Quick drying towel
A lightweight travel towel has many uses and won’t take up much space in your luggage. Whether you’re headed to the beach or want to picnic in a London park, a travel towel is crucial to keeping yourself clean and dry.
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Travel blanket
Many airlines no longer provide blankets in economy class, potentially leading to a very uncomfortable flight. Even if the airline has blankets available, it’s best to use your own to avoid the germs and drool from previous passengers. Pack your own lightweight travel blanket and you’ll stay warm and reduce your exposure to germs on the flight.
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5 comfortable (and stylish) shoes for travel

On my last trip to Europe, I traveled and average of 10 miles per day on foot and was thankful for my Nike 3.0 Dance Studio shoes. I made the mistake of wearing ballet flats one day on the trip and my feet ended up swollen and covered in blisters. You’ll likely want to bring along an extra pair of shoes for nights out or dressier occasions but during the day, you’ll want to wear stylish and comfortable shoes. My top 5 recommendations are below: Continue reading “5 comfortable (and stylish) shoes for travel”

In Photos: Caye Caulker, Belize

I visited Belize in January 2014 as part of a Guatemala, Belize and Mexico comfort tour with Intrepid Travel. The 9-day tour started in Antigua, Guatemala and ended in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

In this edition of In Photos, I’m going to focus on beautiful Belize, where the highlight was by far a snorkel tour with Ragamuffin Tours, off the coast of Caye Caulker. Enjoy! Continue reading “In Photos: Caye Caulker, Belize”

I’m afraid of flying (but I do it anyway)

The cabin of the plane was completely dark except for the occasional flash of lightning. The plane started to bounce around the clouds, prompting an announcement from the captain that the landing into Bogota would be fairly turbulence due to some thunderstorms. My palms start to sweat and my heart is pounding my chest. I put my head between my knees, which helps lessen the effects of turbulence and the guy next to me stares at me like I’m crazy.

Continue reading “I’m afraid of flying (but I do it anyway)”