What are the Pre-Travel Blues (and How to Beat it)

by Tasha in Pre-trip, Epigrams and Interludes

There are some days, beautiful days, where you can feel the momentum pulling you towards your travel D-Day. You cash in a whole grand into your travel account or you find that must-have item you've been looking for - and its a whopping 60% off! These are days where you can practically taste the Tapas in Spain.

And then there are other days.

Retake the City! - Street Art: The Viewers Guide

by Alex in Retake the City, Melbourne, Australia

My mission this week was go out and make a concerted effort to see the world of art and culture among Melbourne’s backstreets. Armed only with a tourist map and the camera in Tash's phone, we dove into the laneways and back alleys to see what all the fuss is really about. Let me preface this list by stating - all art is subjective, so I have tried to judge based on colour, condition and detail. So, with no further ado, I present for you my top three works of street art in Melbourne: 

Something different this way comes

by Tasha in Pre-trip 

The observant among you may have noticed a slight change to the site. Go ahead, have a look, I'll wait.

Can you see it?

Look closer...

Yes that's right, we have changed our blog name! Yes it is huge news! I'm so happy you're as excited as we are!

Yes I know the old name was pretty good - I'll miss it too! But you have to admit - the new one is pretty damn good.

Oh? You want to know why we changed it?

Retake the City! - Being a Tourist in Your Own Town

by Alex in Retake the City, Couch Surfing, Melbourne

Or, How To Travel Without Leaving Home.

Have you been to any of your local tourist traps? Have you ever picked up a brochure, gone a-gawking, and seen your city through the eyes of a traveller? Sure, while you're travelling you've probably gone to the big names, famous buildings, and oversized landmarks. Or perhaps you prefer to 'live like a local' while away from home, forgoing the most visited sites for some native flavour, to see the 'real' city, just like the locals do. But what about the everyday?

Spare me your Judgements and Spare me your Dreams

by Tasha in Epigrams and Interludes, Couch Surfing, Pre-trip

Do you ever find yourself listening to a particular song, visiting a particular place or meeting a particular person who invokes a particular thought, which permeates and leads you to question everything around you, the world through your eyes?

Everything you see, everything you think, everything you experience? The practical term of which would be considered an epiphany, however it appears to go deeper right down to the core of what in fact makes you you. If this experience seems familiar to you, congratulations, you have been on the receiving end of a dramatic adjustment to your world view.

Are you Dave Gorman?

by Alex in Couch Surfing, Pre-trip

One of the best things about being involved in Couchsurfing is the opportunity to meet not just travellers from a variety of countries, but also people travelling under a variety of circumstances.

This week we hosted Rachel and Andy, from Pittsburgh USA and Cumbria UK respectively. Hosting a backpacking couple was a great chance to see how other couples handle long term travel, and learn about some of the opportunities and problems inherent to travelling with a partner, rather than flying solo.

photo by: hankjames