Trip Next Week!

For those of you who have been reading my blog since the early days - you might recall that I had wanted to visit Norway. Well, it's about to happen.

Next Thursday I'll be flying out to Stockholm and starting my 19-day vacation in Scandinavia. Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark. Not the best time of the year to visit, of course, but I'm excited!

Tourist tips much appreciated.

One Is No Longer the Loneliest Number

A friend of mine told me that survey says the number one fear is the fear of traveling alone - it even tops the fear of public speaking.

My ears burn and cheeks flush if I have to speak to a large audience. It makes me anxious. In fact, I'm already stressing out about having to present at our company sales training in January - and it's more than a month away!

Traveling alone, however, is something I enjoy thoroughly. But it does have its inconveniences - not being able to share the cost of hotel stays, for example, is one of them. A New York Times article today perked me up - apparently, the travel industry has taken notice and expanded their offers to attract more solo flyers. Now THAT's good news.

I should also add that the comments are much more interesting than the article itself. I'd like to meet all the solo travelers out there! :)

Added on December 6, 2007:

Thanks for your comment, Bill. :) Nairobi, Kenya is definitely the most unusual. I'm not sure I'd even brave a visit, not to mention LIVE there. But like you said, people fear the unknown and the unfamiliar.

Here's my comment on the NYT article:

"It's so nice to read through the comments here and find people who are as addicted to traveling alone as I am. Some find it intimidating, but for this group it's an absolutely freeing and elevating experience. To be on your own, navigating through a new city or country, do whatever your heart desires, and make no comproises.

I had the best experiences in Sydney, London, and Kyoto. I agree with what most of you said here, that booking independently allows you more freedom AND saves you money. We have the Internet now - just go to the travel sites and start comparison shopping. Alternatively, if you have impromptu change of plans, get help from the local tourist information center. Those guys helped me get last-minute hotel rooms in Venice, Brussels, and Amsterdam, all for very reasonable prices.

The adventure, the risk, the uncertainty, and the chance meetings are all part of the allure. It's nice to have the option of pairing up with other solo travelers.... but those elements ARE the core of traveling alone. That's what makes it addictive.

— Kristen, San Francisco, California"

Death & Taxes

Taxes make me want to die. OK... maybe not quite. But taxes definitely make me miserable.

I'm proud to say I'm 90% done with the filing. Only next steps left? 1. Call the doctor's offices in the morning to figure out exactly how much medical expenses I incurred in 2006, and 2. TurboTax it! So, if you haven't done your taxes yet - don't forget to include expenses on disposable toothbrushes (considered medical supply, I hope), mileage driven to medical facilities, parking, x-rays, and of course, prescriptions. Get back as much as you can. Heck, the lot of us here have certainly spent enough on braces and surgery (another whopping deduction for 2007, I'm sure).

I promised myself to absolutely get it done before Friday. Because I have a business trip to New York City next week, and another one to Portland immediately after. But I WILL have time for some fun towards the end of April, when I visit a friend in Vancouver, B.C.

On that note, a former colleague of mine invited me to his wedding in Spain this August - he and his future bride, who grew up there, were even generous enough to offer me free room and board (thanks Chris!). I'm so psyched! But I want to get the most out of the trip and add another country to the itinerary, somewhere I've never visited before. After mulling over a map of Europe for almost an hour and checking airfare, I've narrowed it down to three cities: London, Amsterdam, and Lisbon. Which one will it be? I'm so torn. Decisions, decisions!!

I won't book the flight until I'm done filing the taxes. Now THAT's motivation. ;)

Oslo

This posting has nothing to do with teeth, jaws, or orthognathic surgeries. Nope.

Has anyone ever visited Norway?


It's 2:30 in the morning, I can't sleep, and I'm dreaming about the next vacation destinations. Last year I visited Frankfurt, Berlin, Rome, Venice, Paris (again), Hawaii, and Sydney. This year I'm going stir-crazy.

If you've ever been to Norway or Sweden, please kindly give me some pointers. What are the truly memorable spots to visit? What's their food like? Do's and don'ts? Thank you.

On that note, what's the best place you've ever visited?

We can't just all sit at home obsessing about jaw surgeries (not that we HAVE been). OK, maybe *I* have been. But, it's time to change that.

Li, if you're reading this - maybe I should hop over to Stockholm on the same trip. And yeah, I know YOU've got lots of tips on Scandinavia. ;)