It is Okay to miss the boat!

Whether you’re new to travelling or have worn out several pairs of shoes on your adventures, there is one thing everyone needs to remember; it’s ok to miss the boat. If you’ve planned every minute of your trip, you’re missing out on stumbling upon great finds or hidden gems.

My first trip to Germany Candy had everything planned and were gung-ho on seeing what they wanted, but early into the trip everything changed. They took a train far south from Cologne to Mainz. They knew they wanted to take the boat through the Rhine river and see the castles and all that, I just wanted to make sure I could get some treats – YUM! Well, the instructions to get to the boat were not that great, and Randy being slow with sore feet (best to have comfy shoes on trips) couldn’t run (he doesn’t have hooves like I do to trot). Because of that, they missed the boat and were a little upset because it was part of the plan and something they wanted to do.

Well, they took a breather at a café to have a snack – YUMMY snacks of sandwiches and French fries! After regrouping and thinking about alternatives they decided to beat the boat to another town by train (having a rail pass is very handy). By doing so, they gave themselves a breather in Mainz, and explored town of Koblenz while they waited for the boat.

Koblenz

Mainz

The second part of the boat ride wasn’t as scenic as the first leg, but it was equally as nice – although Randy grumbled a lot about the cost of snacks on the boat (why they are packing more for me for Norway). 


The day wasn’t ruined in any way, and improved it by being able to see a few little towns that would have been skipped otherwise. Now because they missed the boat, they found their pace and enjoyed the trip even more.

They still saw most of everything of what they wanted, but more importantly, they could feed me lots of goodies from hidden gems. So, the lesson to be learned or remembered as a traveler; you don’t have hooves so you can trot like me. Wait, I don’t think that was the lesson... oh, it is ok to miss the boat. Just relax and enjoy your holiday.  

*oink oink

Castle along the Rhine

Castle along the Rhine

Travelling with a “Photographer”

Ok, travelling with a photographer can be great to get wonderful images of me eating and drinking, but it can be annoying because of the time needed to “get the shot”. Randy is a good guy and only pretends to get annoyed when I eat his food, or drink his drinks (he really likes Orange Fanta in Europe and it is soooooo yummy), but at the same time he is a “photographer”. What photographers need to do is this, think about why they’re travelling and what they really need to bring with them. I try to tell him, you’re not being paid to travel and you’re not taking the time to set up sessions with people along the way, you’re travelling to relax (and for me to eat your snacks).

I tried to lift his camera bag the other day and wow, it was half the weight of Candy… why would he even consider lugging that around on trains, busses, boats, and by foot? I did overhear him the other day saying he wasn’t going to take nearly as much as other times. I think he finally learned his lesson.

All photographers who are new to travelling or veteran travelers who just bought some fancy new camera gear usually “need” to take the gear with them. Sure, take it and learn what you really need. Pay attention to what you use during the trip – are most of your images at 80mm (take just that, or a lens that covers it). You’ll likely be packing a lot lighter the second trip, and even lighter the following trips.

I’ve travelled to several countries with too much gear and it is a pain in the neck (literally since I use a shoulder bag). That stuff is heavy and isn’t needed. I’m really looking forward to Norway and I’m only taking my Fuji x100t and my iPad mini for editing – no Canon 5DIII with 70-200 lens, lights, laptop, 24-70 lens, 100mm lens, tripod and all that crap. No, I’m going to enjoy my trip and make the images I can make with what I have limited myself to. Plus, having a sub $1500 potentially stolen is much better than a bag of stuff costing upwards or over $10k.
REN 

I’m happy Randy learned his lesson and could change things up. It will make room for so many snacks in his bag that I might not have to leave it at all. Candy as well has switched back to a lighter easier camera for travel. Her Canon S90 is still going strong after buying it in 2009 and it produces great images of me.

So, the lesson to be learned here for photographers new to travel or veterans just buying fancy new equipment – travel light and enjoy your trip. If you don’t believe me, David Hobby from Strobist has a great blog here to check out. 

*Oink oink

Travelling with Creep Cost

For most people the search for a trip starts online with the cost of tickets or the all-inclusive package. Understanding the price you’re going to pay is important, so then you can budget out accommodations, food, transportation, etc., to set the “cost of your trip”. That however is all during your travel, so what about those pre-trip creep costs that impact the overall expense? How much is that new raincoat, shoes to walk those horrible cobblestone streets, numerous swim suits, sunglasses, some fancy new technology, or most importantly some snacks for the travel time to get to the destination… tasty tasty snacks.

Looking at a trip budget, should certainly start with the travel costs of where you want to go, and how much it will costs to be there for that time frame, but an important factor in travel budgeting should also include those pre-trip purchases to “get you ready”. Perhaps not spending an additional $100, $500, or even more on pre-travel accessories are needed and you can put that towards experiencing the destination more. Remember some food is very expensive – I had Starbucks in Sweden for almost $50 CDN (but I am a hungry little piggy and those sandwiches were DELICIOUS).

So, instead of buying a new bag or a swimsuit to be worn once or twice will allow some freedom to spend more freely on snacks, new regional experiences, or local treats – tasty tasty treats.

Pack light and self-edit your needs before you go… especially since most people plan on a little shopping while they are away.

*oink oink