June | 2014 | Gypsy Woman

Archive | June, 2014

Travel Tips for Freedom and Flexibility

When planning for a vacation, dream journey or family excursion, it never hurts to have a bit of flexibility. In my past three years of wandering and international travel, flexibility has been a key theme. Plans change. Sometimes quickly or unexpectedly. In my global escapades, I have found myself in France one day… and the next being offered a job in South Korea. In a matter of weeks… I rerouted my life back to the United States and began the long process of acquiring a Korean Visa. Ah, flexibility… a good partnership in the exploration of freedom.

No matter what your 5th grade teacher or high school boyfriend told you, it’s okay to change your plans or your mind. It’s alright to be flexible. In fact it is essential in the exploration of a created life. For me personally, flexibility does not always come easy. Despite the wide assortment of change in my life, I like to have my plan. This lesson for me often includes some growing pains. But a dose of flexibility goes a long way.

Flexibility and travel plans might seem like an oxymoron. In these days of cheap internet flights and travel deals, flexibility may seem like an antiquated story told by your old Aunt Nellie. But it is possible and often optimal to build a little flexibility into the foundation of your travel plans. Here are a few tips that will help put the flow back in your travels.

1. Get the Facts on Your Flight.

Regardless of which search engine or budget travel site you use, before purchasing any airline ticket, take a little time to find out how refundable your flight is. What happens if you cancel? Does it make a difference if you cancel one day or a week before your flight? If you cancel, can you get a full or partial refund? Being informed with facts can put some swagger in your travel foundation should your plans change… for any reason. A ticket that is slightly more expensive, but has a better refund policy may in the end be the better deal.

Money Back Guarantee? Some flight search engines and travel sites offer extra insurance and money back guarantees for modest fees. Before checking that purchase box, read the fine print to see be clear about the conditions of that guarantee.

Recently I purchased a ticket from Tripsta at an impressively affordable rate. In an effort to support my travel flexibility I purchased the add-on Money Back Guarantees and Premium services. When my plans changed and I wanted to cancel, I was disappointed to learn that the guarantee was only under certain circumstances (death, hospitalization, alien takeover…). And so, while I did get a partial refund for my ticket, it would have served me well to get 100% clear about these services before making my purchase.

2. Know the Cancellation Policy of Your Accommodation.

When it comes to accommodation I am always looking for the best balance of affordability and quality. I have only recently discovered how important a location’s cancellation policy is when weighing its pros and cons. Yes it may have everything I am looking for, but how much do I pay if I cancel one day or five days before my arrival. In the spirit of flexibility, a more relaxed cancellation policy is a huge bonus and can be a deciding factor if choosing between a handful of places to stay.

Recently I booked two different accommodations for a vacation that, in the end, I did not take. As I often do, I booked through Airbnb.com and found a couple of places I was really excited about. I checked their cancellation policies but unfortunately I looked at the information incorrectly and was misinformed. When it came time to cancel…I waited too long and was out a little more money than I expected.

The best practice is to write your perspective host and ask specifically for the details of their cancellation policy to be sure you are correctly informed. When you are clear and understand the terms of the agreement you can make your choices accordingly. Then, if you need to fly the flag of flexibility, there won’t be any expensive surprises.

Do you have any tips on flexibility and travel? Any great experiences or resources to share?

Thanks for reading. It’s always good to hear from you!

Tags: airbnb, canceling flights, flexiblle airline tickets, hotel cancellation policy, travel flexibility, Tripsta

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Categories Travel Tips

Slow Summer Beat

17 Jun

Life continues to be a bit strange and unpredictable in the recently altered and still mostly quiet land of English Village. As many of you know, work life suddenly and surprisingly changed after the tragic SEWOL ferry accident in South Korea. After so many students lost their lives traveling on a class trip, many schools, parents, and even the government responded by canceling class trips for… we don’t know how long.

With no students visiting English Village on their class trips, we now make our way following our leadership’s attempt to more actively engage our daily visitors. The only problems is, during the week quite often… visitors are few and far between. Often we sit at empty tents waiting for no one to come, or stand at the front gate ready to greet a handful of visitors.

There are still some students to be found at English Village. The regular syncopation of my Saturday book club classes continues to beat consistent and strong. But these modest Saturday classes teaching young Koreans to read are a tiny drop in a now quite empty bucket.

Despite continued change and a degree of uncertainty, there are still some things at English Village I can always count on. I can be sure, without fail, that if I give a package of crayons to my young book club students, before coloring can begin they will sort the crayons and put them in proper order. If, after sorting them, they find they have two of one color or a color is missing, I know for sure that soon I will hear an innocent voice call “teacher” alerting me to their crayon situation that must be handled before coloring can commence.

I can also rely on my book club students laughing at the strangest things. If I accidentally put the dot on my “i” to the right of its “base” when writing quickly, I know I will get a chuckle or two. Dropping something on the floor will merit ridiculous giggles. And, shockingly, if they see my stomach when my shirt accidentally lifts up a little while describing something in an animated way, I can count on the laughter bringing down the room. One time I even had a sticker on my butt… ridiculous chuckles. Yes, some things will never change.

We have a small bundle of Russian students now visiting English Village. Some of these students just visiting for a week or two have already come and gone. What remains is the modest assembly of students here for 3 and 6 weeks. A handful them have our full attention with behavior busting boundaries on an hourly basis. Others are sweet and somewhat engaged and ready for class. When I see them move from class to class, the look on their face reflects a mixture of homesickness, heat exhaustion and perhaps just a bit of “English Village” fatigue.

Russian students typically visit English Village a couple of time each year. It is undoubtedly a bit less “exciting” this year as the small group of students are the only ones on campus. Typically they would be just a spot in a sea of Korean compadres. Not this year.

We hear that our special programming in August is going to be hopping with students. Perhaps after that a return to the regular craziness bursting at the seams with students.

In truth, aside from tragic event that caused this interruption, I am earnestly appreciative of a shift in intensity. I was ready for a break from week after week and month after month of stampedes of Korean adolescent students. A teacher mentioned recently that I look happier lately and in truth I think it is because I simply feel less stressed without teaching so many students in such an erratic schedule and system all of the time.

June weather has been kind in Paju so far as the humidity and heat continues to gently make herself known. It is still nothing compared to the wall of heat and humidity I knew and sort of loved in New Orleans.

It is Tuesday, but also my “Friday” as I have a mid-week weekend. It’s always nice to have a break for a few days, even just to have some simple time off to relax and do whatever feels good and fun in the moment.

How is summer settling in for you? Thanks for reading and it’s always good to hear from you!

Photo of lush and green summer days at English Village.

Tags: gyeonggi english village, Sewol Ferry, South Korea

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Categories South Korea, Teaching ESL, Travel Stories

My 5 Favorite Healthy Snacks

4 Jun

Whenever people learn that I don’t eat sugar, not any, not even a drop, it is often met with faces of horror or disbelief. “What do you eat” they often ask. In truth, while inconvenient at times, it’s not difficult to eat a simple, healthy diet. Living in Korea does complicate things further with language challenges and most Korean foods being tucked with a hearty amount of sugar. But the benefits and improvements of how I feel without sugar definitely outweigh the inconvenience.

I am like anyone else – I still love to snack! It’s important to have things I love to eat so I don’t feel denied. For me, snacking is something that requires no fuss. Nothing fancy, no big preparations. As more and more people are choosing a sugar-free healthy eating lifestyle, I thought I would share my favorite munchies. Here are my top five healthy gluten-free, sugar-free snacks. With the help of Iherb.com, they are accessible no matter where you are in the world!

1. Peanut Butter and Apples
This is my go-to favorite snack, so simple and healthy. I use only natural peanut butter with no-sugar added. My top pick is Arrowhead Mills Organic Creamy Peanut Butter. It is delicious, smooth and creamy, and not a drop of sugar added. You can find this peanut butter in many health food stores as well as iherb.com.

2. Kale Krunchies from Lydia’s Organics, Herb de Provence flavor
This crispy treat is a great way to go when you have the munchies for something crunchy. The Herb de Provence flavor is very inviting. I often use it as an addition to a simple, quick lunch or to fight off the evening munchies. It’s also a good way to get some veggies on the go if you are traveling or someplace where you don’t have access to healthy food choices. Delicious!

3. Macadamia nuts
Oh, my favorite of the nut family. In the 90’s romance film, It Could Happen to You, the first thing she buys when she wins a million dollars is Macadamia Nuts. True luxury! I find when I eat these I feel like I am getting an unexpected treat. Surely I must have done something good to deserve something so yummy. A great late afternoon snack to get you through until dinner time. I order NOW brand from iherb.com.

4. Beanitos
This is my solution to my snack chip cravings. It is a great alternative to corn or potato chips. The ingredients are simply black beans and rice. They can be purchased at most US grocery stores or at iherb.com. They are delicious on their own, but also great for dipping in humus or guacamole. Yumm!

5. Fresh fruit and Greek Yogurt
As ice cream for me is a thing of the past, this is truly a refreshing and satisfying treat. It is so simple, just a dollop of yogurt and fruit of your choice. I often like bananas or kiwi. It’s important to choose a greek yogurt with no sugar added. Here in South Korea I order from a company in Seoul that makes their own fresh and delivers it to my door. If you are curious, you can find them at www.medfoodinkorea.com.