My Journey to Scotland's Cities, Highlands and Islands

For some reason, this fall my family and friends were more accepting of my travel plans than they usually are. I didn't get any off-the-wall comments like "what are you thinking traveling somewhere so dangerous?" or "you are so crazy traveling all the way over there by yourself". I guess to them Scotland didn't seem like such a dangerous destination compared to, say, Mexico or Costa Rica. They encouraged me to go and said things like "you are so lucky" and "have a great time and take lots of pictures". I was quite surprised. Maybe they're finally getting used to my just-getup-and-go way of life. Maybe they're warming up to the idea of me traveling to far-flung destinations by myself after seeing me return unharmed time and time again.

I didn't have much time to plan this trip. My work schedule was up in the air, car repairs drained my bank account and I just couldn't decide where I wanted to go. I started researching potential destinations for my next trip months before. I would choose one, make plans and something would come up to derail them. All I knew for sure was I wanted to avoid Central America and the Caribbean only because I've already spent a lot of time in that region and wanted to try somewhere different. Greece was my first choice. When that didn't fall through, New Zealand was my chosen destination. That got derailed too. Finally after researching, planning and cancelling, I settled on my final destination; Scotland.

I've wanted to visit Scotland my whole life partially because I am half Scottish and partially because everyone I know who has been there tells me how beautiful it is. Since my finances were pretty much depleted from car repairs and surprise expenses, I decided to cash out my hard-earned AirMiles for this trip. If you didn't already know this (as I do now), AirMiles are pretty much useless for flights from Canada to Europe. I say this because I was able to search return flights to Glasgow and Edinburgh for under 600 bucks on various dates. When I searched with AirMiles, I was able to find return flights that would only use a quarter of my miles (about 3500 miles) and set my bank account back 850 bucks in taxes and fees. Yes, you read that right. It's cheaper to fly from Canada to Europe with cash only. Save your AirMiles for domestic flights which only carry fees of about 200 bucks or less. This was a disappointment to me because, as any of you AirMiles collectors know, these miles were set to expire on December 31st (that has since changed and now the miles carry no expiration date).  I did have another option available to get an almost free flight to Europe and that was my WestJet Dollars. I used my expiring AirMiles to order a new tablet and a pair of snowshoes.

Everything came together perfectly at that last minute. Before I knew it, flights were booked, hotels were booked and a 5-day Highland and Isle of Sky tour was booked. I even managed to find some advanced tickets to enter Edinburgh Castle without having to wait in line. Early on the morning of September 15th, I hopped on a shuttle to Halifax Stanfield International Airport to catch my flight that evening. I was lucky to only have to share the shuttle with one other non-chatty, non-annoying traveler so I was able to catch up on sleep that I knew I wouldn't get on the plane.

I made good use of my 7-hour layover in Halifax by charging my gadgets in the onlyoutlet I could find, catching up on text messages, eating fast food, reading, rearranging my carry-on luggage to make it the right size to be taken on-board, booking my return shuttle, exchanging currency, chatting with the lady trying to get people to sign up for a credit card, twiddling my fingers and staring at the ceiling. When it was time to check in, I made a silent plea to the luggage gods asking them to please, please let me board the plane with two pieces of carry-on luggage and a purse. The ticket agent looked at my bags and asked if that was all I was taking on-board.  I said yes, asked no other questions and pretended not to be surprised when she asked me to proceed to security. I quickly walked away before she could change her mind but couldn't help but smile at the realization that I had finally done it; I, a former over-packer, had managed to pack all of the necessities needed for a 9-day, transcontinental voyage in two carry-on bags.  

Flying with one of my favourite airlines, WestJet, is always a pleasure.  Besides a bit of turbulence, the flight was uneventful and I arrived in Glasgow almost an hour ahead of schedule. As I walked off the plane and headed straight for customs and immigration (which was a surprisingly quick process that day), I took great pleasure in not having to worry about waiting for checked baggage! With the last leg of my journey to the Old Country complete, I set out to start the next journey; an overland trip to the city of Edinburgh. This was a part of the trip I didn't plan ahead of time. All I knew was I had two options; a train or a bus. I didn't care which one I took as long as it was affordable, safe and quick. Welcome to Glasgow, Scotland.  Next stop....the city of Edinburgh.

My Winter Travel Plans..or Lack Thereof

Overall, it's been a good year but one thing really disappointed me; I didn't get to go on my annual vacation. You know, that trip I take every year to a foreign land that I've never been to before? Yeah that one.

Lots of things came together to make 2015 the year of the Staycation. Technically I did travel to an international destination when I flew to Barbados at the last minute in December but it's getting so close to a year since I got on a plane that for the sake of rounding things off, we'll just say I haven't traveled this year...because it has been slightly more than 365 days since I left Canada.

I planned to travel to Newfoundland in the spring but was called to work from June to October. Having a set-in-stone date for the end of work meant I could plan to go anywhere I wanted for however long I wanted and I had 4 months to think about where to go and plan an amazing trip. I thought about it a lot. First, I thought of doing a multi-country tour of Europe. That was soon replaced with the idea of going to just Greece. That idea faded fast when the Syrian refugee crisis reached its peak and it looked like traveling anywhere in that region might be a bad idea. Hawaii also crossed my mind around that time but it was New Zealand that I finally settled on as my travel destination for the fall of 2015. I made the decision to visit the North Island and planned to do a semi-guided tour with GAdventures. I looked at flights and set up flight alerts to keep track of prices. I did tons of research on the Island. And it didn't happen. None of it fell through. It's the end of December, just days away from 2016 and my renewed eligibility to be recalled to work and I'm here writing about how I didn't take that trip to New Zealand instead of writing about my experience in the place that has been at the top of my bucket list since I was a child. Yeah it's a bummer alright.

The downward spiral leading to the demise of my most recent travel plans started with a dull ache in the right side of my head that turned out to be a toothache. A trip to the dentist revealed a severely decayed wisdom tooth in desperate need of either a costly root canal or an almost as costly extraction. I made the appointment to have it taken out the following week and continued to make plans for the upcoming trip that I already told everyone I was going on, much to the envy of my friends and co-workers. Meanwhile, I discovered that the house I'm living in is to be sold next spring and I have to find another place to live which will double my cost of living. My car started to act up around this time too. The brakes were grinding, the engine light came on, a loud squealing started under the hood and something was rattling under the front end. I dropped it off at the garage one morning and 4 hours and almost fifteen-hundred dollars later, my car was returned to me only to be parked in the yard for emergency use only as I was no longer able to afford to put gas in it. And to top it off, the dentist called only two days before my scheduled appointment and informed me that they were unable to do the extraction as it was more suited to a dental surgeon who specializes in more complicated extractions like mine. That appointment ended up being a month away - during the time I would be traveling. So with all that having happened over a short period of time and the fact that I suddenly became short on both time and money, I cancelled my trip. And yes it broke my heart. No I am not being my typical sarcastic self, it really broke my heart.

Some excitement started to stir right before Christmas when rumours started to spread that some people may be called back to work in January. At first I hoped I wouldn't be because I hated the thought of driving to work every day in blustery, winter conditions. But the idea of having the summer off started to appeal to me and I hoped they would call. They didn't...yet...and with January quickly approaching, I don't suspect they will. Either way, I've started making plans to travel as soon as time allows me to do so. I have three options for the near future: 1) If I get called back in January, I will travel to a climate that is warm around the time I get laid off again which will be May or June. I'm thinking Western Europe...England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. 2) If I don't get called back in January, I know I'm safe until at least April when call backs start again so I'm thinking I will use some of my Airmiles that are soon expiring and head somewhere warm in South America or the Caribbean. Argentina is a destination I am seriously considering. 3) I am also considering the option of not going anywhere until the fall of 2016 and saving up to go to New Zealand. Three great plans of attack, one tough decision. I think the best way to tackle this whole scenario is to do minimal planning until almost the last minute so I don't face disappointment again and just play it by ear and see how things transpire.

Mini-trips, or Staycations as some people like to call them, are always in the works but I don't really count any trip made within Canada as a "real"trip which is defined by the use of a passport and the crossing of at least one border. I have quite a few WestJet dollars and I'm thinking I may use them for a trip Out West to see my sisters in Alberta.
Although I didn't get the chance to travel to a far-flung destination this year, I still managed to explore some new places closer to home and enjoy some relaxing time spent in some of my favourite places around Cape Breton. I'm rarely idle, I'm always itching to go somewhere and if that somewhere happens to be to places closer to home, then so be it. There are more than enough places to explore around here. So many beaches and trails that I have yet to lay eyes on. That being said, my itchy feet won't allow me to stay put for too long. Only time will tell when and where my next international adventure will take place. I can only hope it will be sooner than later!

I Finally Used up Some of those AirMiles I've been Saving up and my Next Adventure is just Around the Corner!

I try to travel somewhere new every year and I haven’t gone anywhere outside of Canada since my trip to Costa Rica in April 2013. This past few weeks, the travel bug has been biting hard. My life currently meets all the criteria needed for an overdue international adventure; I’m laid off from my job and have some free time until at least January, I have more than enough Airmiles saved up to fly me almost anywhere in the world and the weather is starting to get cold here. Without hesitation, I started researching various destinations and for the deals to get me there as cheaply as possible.

I’ve been collecting Airmiles for more than a decade and, until recently, miles had no expiration date. When the company decided that miles would start coming with an expiration date, I knew I had to use them at the first opportunity I got or risk losing them.

Back in October, I won a blogging competition that saw me win a stay at a resort called La Francesca in Italy. Europe has been near the top of my travel bucket list for some time and I always thought if I went there, I would do a multi-country backpacking trip. However, since I had a free stay at that resort and all those Airmiles to cover my return flight, I was open to traveling to Italy and exploring that region for a week. I logged into my Airmiles account, searched for a flight into Florence (which was the closest airport to that resort) and discovered I had more than enough miles to go there. I promptly emailed the owner of La Francesca and told her of my plans. I even knew what day I would arrive and how long I would stay. Within a few hours, she sent an email with some information about the resort and surrounding area. In that email, she mentioned that many of the resorts services and the town’s attractions were closed for the season. That’s when it dawned on me; it’s the off-season (aka winter) in Italy. Why on earth would I spend those hard-earned miles to escape cold and snowy Canada only to arrive in cold and snowy Italy? I quickly shot that plan down and informed her that, perhaps, I would go there in the summer or fall of next year instead. And so the search for a warmer destination continued.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the Caribbean but, after already being there several times, I thought I was done with that region for a while. However, two islands always stuck out to me as potential destinations to eventually travel to; St. Lucia and Barbados. I started with St. Lucia first. I had enough miles to get there and back but the prices for accommodations were outrages! I put St. Lucia on the backburner and researched Barbados so I could compare the two. I also did some research on other Caribbean destinations while I was at it. Turks and Caicos, The Cayman Islands, Antigua and Trinidad and Tobago all looked appealing but, in the end I narrowed it down to my first two choices. Barbados looked the most promising. There was a deal on how many Airmiles were needed to travel to the island and the prices for accommodations were much lower than in St. Lucia. Without giving it much more thought, I decided I would go to Barbados and got to work finalizing my trip.

Although it was a bit hard getting through to someone at the Airmiles booking center, the process was easy once I did get through. While my booking agent was finalizing my trip, he informed me that the promotion for Barbados that was allowing me to go there for so little miles was set to end in only a few hours. That just goes to show how quickly airfare prices can change.

With my flights booked and travel insurance secured, I got to work researching affordable accommodations in a nice area near a beach pretty. The island is not very big so I wasn’t concerned about which area I stayed in because it would be easy to get around to other areas. I searched all the usual sites like Expedia and Hotwire. I perused Trip Advisor for hotels with good reviews. I even searched for hostels and it was through a site called HostelBookers that I found the place I would call home for that week. I searched for accommodations in my price range for the days I was to be in Barbados and four options popped up. I researched all of them like I did on the other sites but one, in particular, stuck out from the rest. Angler Apartments, located in the Parish of Jamestown, is located very close to a beach, is in my price range, is close to various services and attractions and got mostly good reviews from previous travelers. I dug a little deeper and when I was satisfied that I had found the right place to stay, I booked it.

The next step was finding a comprehensive tour that would introduce me to some of the top sights around Barbados. I am not one to stay in all-inclusive resorts and remain on-site all week and I am not really one for guided tours either but, from time to time, I like to embark on tours to get a better feel for a place. I found the perfect tour while browsing Expedia. A local company called Glory Tours had a tour available on the day I wanted and at a price that seemed very reasonable considering what is included. I am to be picked up at my hotel to embark on an adventurous day filled with various activities including swimming and snorkeling with turtles, exploring caves, viewing local wildlife and seeing some of the scenic areas along the way.

So now I find myself spending my days leading up to my departure researching my destination and tying up loose ends. You know, stuff like alerting credit card companies that I will be out of the country, catching up on any work that needs to be done before I go, packing, printing off necessary documents and other typical things that need to be done before a trip. And I think I am going at just the right time; five centimeters of fresh snow just blanketed my neighborhood and the temperatures have taken quite a dip in the last week. The white sandy beaches of Barbados are starting to look more and more appealing with each passing day!

To go or not to go?

It’s been over two months since I came back from my most recent trip and I am already itching to get back on the road and go another trip. Somewhere. Anywhere! I love everything about going on a trip. I love packing. I love getting there and everywhere in between. I love sitting in airports and people-watching while I am waiting for my flight. I love living out of my suitcase. Since I went on like 6 or 7 trips in the last year, I am pretty broke now. Beyond broke in fact. I have four credit cards almost racked up, nothing in my savings account and a slow period at my job where I am not getting many hours. It looks like I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Unless of course I win a trip in one of the dozens of contests I enter or I win the lottery. I do have some AirMiles that have accumulated over the years. Last I checked, I had enough to go almost anywhere in North America in the off-season. I would have to pay for my own accommodations of course but there may be a way around that if my sister, the Fairmont Hotel employee, can get me a discount. Then there is the issue of food but I could just pack a suitcase full of granola bars and trail mix and that solves that problem! The biggest dilemma in using the AirMiles is deciding where to go. It took 15 years to save up those miles and I don’t want to waste them on a hastily planned trip to just anywhere. Should I return to Las Vegas since I loved it there so much? Should I try to go somewhere in North American where I have not been before like Los Angeles, San Francisco or Chicago? Should I return to Calgary to visit my sister and see the Rocky Mountains again? Or should I just forego the idea of going anywhere this winter and just save up my miles to go somewhere further like Paris, London, Egypt or even Australia? I have not decided yet and there is no hurry. In the meantime, I will have to adjust to the idea that the furthest I will be going all winter will be to the supermarket and back. I might as well get used to it and settle in for the long, cold Newfoundland winter ahead. In the meantime I will be torturing myself with thoughts of my next vacation and maybe I will reach that breaking point where the cabin fever takes over and I will use those AirMiles to take me somewhere warm and far, far away! Air Miles Reward Miles Website https://www.airmiles.ca/arrow/Home?_requestid=1099123 Travel contests https://www.airmiles.ca/arrow/Home?_requestid=1099123 http://contests.tribute.ca/sherlocklondontrip-090109/?referrer=tribute http://contests.tribute.ca/sherlocklondontrip-090109/?referrer=tribute http://contests.tribute.ca/wherethewildthingsarevacation-093009/?referrer=tribute