Lauren

About Lauren

Indiana native Lauren Fitzpatrick never got a proper job. Instead, she got working holiday visas for Ireland, England, Australia, New Zealand, and Korea. She has held over 30 jobs, including carny, English teacher and movie extra. Lauren blogs about travel and working abroad at Lateral Movements, and you can follow her on facebook or twitter @LateralMovements

London in the Summertime

April 6, 2014 By Lauren

London gets a bad rap for weather, which is sort of…deserved. But that’s not to say that you won’t get at least two glorious weeks of summer each year. Since the summer is famously fleeting, be ready to make the most out of it. When the sun comes out, so does everyone else. Although London gets part of its personality from the ubiquitous drizzle, it shines during the summer.

When you’re planning your trip, look at Hotels4U for London Hotels that are close to transport links so you can access all that the city has to offer. Most of central London is walkable, but there’s plenty to see on the fringe and for that, your best option is usually the train system. Here are just a couple of suggestions to get you started.

Richmond

Set on the banks of the Thames, Richmond is the perfect place to find a pub and claim an outdoor table for the afternoon. If you want to do some exploring before settling in, check out Kew Gardens or Richmond Park. You could also visit Hampton Court Palace on the way in or out of London. Bear in mind that when it rains in Richmond, it pours:

Greenwich

On a sunny day, jump on the Docklands Light Railway to Greenwich, ground zero for the modern concept of timekeeping. This is where time starts, and you can get a photo of yourself straddling the prime meridian. Greenwich is its own little center of activity, with the Royal Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark (the world’s last surviving tea clipper) all within walking distance.

Covent Garden

If you’d rather stick to the heart of the city, head down to Covent Garden. It’s an old covered marketplace that is a constant flurry of activity. You can shop, watch street performers, eat, drink, and generally be merry. Is it touristy? Yes. But for good reason.

Notting Hill

Admittedly, I’m biased towards Notting Hill because I used to live there. It’s close to Portobello Market, a long street lined with a hodgepodge of shops and its main attraction, the Saturday market. It is rammed with people but don’t let that stop you. Get there early and investigate what the stalls have to offer – you could find anything, from trinkets to the best chocolate banana crepes this side of Paris.

London revels in its brief, blissful moments of summer. It’s a time when people break out the Pimm’s and (somewhat bizarrely) eschew the sunscreen, soaking up as much of the season as they possibly can. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you are in London, because you’ll be able to sense the way people’s moods have buoyed. Pull up a chair and join them, but bring an umbrella – just in case.

High tide in London — May as well go to the pub.

Discovering the Romance of Berlin

August 14, 2013 By Lauren

When I was nine, my fourth grade teacher held up a small velvet pouch.

“Inside this bag is something very important,” she said.

The class was entranced. What was in it? Gold? Money? Chocolate?

She reached into the bag and slowly pulled out…a rock.

Our faces screwed up in disappointed confusion. A rock? Half of us could have turned out our pockets to reveal the very same thing.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Mrs. Trettin said. “What’s so special about a rock?”

Our interest was piqued. That was exactly what we’d been thinking. Mrs. Trettin’s mind-reading capabilities kept our attention where the rock couldn’t.

“This rock came all the way from Germany. It’s a piece of the Berlin Wall.”

She went on to explain how the Berlin Wall had been formed and subsequently destroyed. I was fascinated. It was like the imaginary line I made in the living room that my little sister couldn’t cross, but real.

For the next 18 years, Berlin existed in my mind as a city full of rubble, war-torn and grey, host to an atrocious leader and military enemies.

I was wrong.

Berlin holds a special kind of romance. It’s not obvious, like the gondolas of Venice or a sidewalk café in Paris. It’s gritty but beautiful, scarred but alive.

Where I expected blandness and institutionalism, I got elegant architecture, archways, and mint-green rooftops. I wanted to stay longer than three nights; I wanted to rent an apartment and spend the whole summer there. Berlin has layers that can’t be peeled away in a few days.

The history is what made Berlin shine, and I’m not a history nut by any means. But when I stood in front of the remnants of the Berlin wall, I was fully awed. I love that pieces of the wall still stand as a silent acknowledgement of the past, twisted with metal and fractured by time.

Berlin’s romance comes from the way the German people have built towards the future without erasing the past. There are gorgeous old churches and museums to gape at, mysterious sculptures to stumble upon, and colorful murals in unexpected places.

It seems odd to call a place with such a tumultuous history ‘romantic,’ but it is. The city gets in your soul. In the Bebelplatz, formerly known as Opernplatz, the Nazis burned 20,000 books one night in May 1933. I stood there, 75 years later, staring at the memorial embedded in the ground. Unlike coming face-to-face with other pockets of history, like the coliseum or Gettysburg, this felt real. Right there, at my feet, history happened.

I remembered being nine and learning about Berlin for the first time; being introduced by a humble little rock. Mrs. Trettin told us about the burning books, and I was as horrified as a fourth-grader can be; who would have the audacity to burn books? I never imagined that one day, I’d be standing there in Berlin, seeing it for myself.

Berlin invokes feelings of nostalgia, love, and loss, even for someone like me who wasn’t there to experience any of it. The city still stands, vibrant and modern, yet somber and worn, ready to teach us all a thing or two about what it means to be romantic.

Five Places to Re-visit in Europe

March 13, 2013 By Lauren

I’ve been traveling for ten years, and the number one question I get is “Where’s your favorite place?”

My answer differs depending on my mood. Some days, it’s the Galapagos. Others, it’s Cambodia or Australia.

But quite frankly, Europe will always have my heart.

These days, I hear more about Southeast Asia and South America as backpacker destinations, and it’s true that these regions are much easier on the budget. Although Europe costs a little bit more, it is still a traveler’s dream.

Because of Europe’s many options, you can tailor your trip to suit your budget and time frame. You can travel by bus, train, budget airline, and even ferry. You can sleep in bare bones hostels, fancy hotels, or seek out a vacation apartment through Go with Oh. You can eat at markets, sidewalk cafés, upscale restaurants, or shop at supermarkets.

I can’t pick my favorite European cities, but I can tell you about five places I’d definitely go back to. They’re not off the beaten track. They might get crowded. You might not agree with me. But they’ve still got that European magic.

5. Croatia

I can’t say enough about how gorgeous Croatia is, only that I could have stayed much longer than the eight days I spent there, sailing down the coast. The white cities feel ancient and powerful, and the coastline is craggy with clear, salty water.

4. Greece

Mykonos, Greece — Wouldn’t mind seeing this again.

I went to two places in Greece: Athens and Mykonos. Somehow I suspect that there’s more to it than a famous capital city and an overrated party island. If I ever get back, I’m heading for the volcanic island of Santorini. And I’m eating way more Greek food. And not drinking any ouzo, because it tastes gross.

3. Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey — Next time, I’d go inside instead of being too lazy.

Five days in Turkey, regrettably, is not enough. You could easily spend 5 days in Istanbul alone, let alone tackling the rest of the enormous country. I’m tempted by the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia and the Mediterranean coast.

2. Berlin

Berlin, Germany — Regrettably, this is the only photo I could find from my trip to Berlin.

I would happily return to all of Germany, but Berlin really knocked my socks off. I wasn’t expecting it to, but it did. It was one of the first times that I felt history come to life – all that we’d learned about WWII in high school suddenly seemed shockingly relevant, from the remains of the Berlin wall to walking gingerly through Sachsenhausen, a Nazi work camp.

1. Paris

Sacre Coeur, Paris — The Sacre Coeur in Paris.

Many people don’t like Paris. That’s okay. I get it.

Okay, I don’t get it. It’s PARIS. The city of love. The city of lights. The Eiffel tower, crepes, baguettes, the Seine. I’ll love Paris until the day I die, all based on my first trip abroad when I was 12. That’s when I learned that the French language was more than just 7th grade French class – it was a door opener to a whole new foreign culture.

What do you think – agree or disagree with my choices?

What European cities most appeal to you?

The Trouble with Philadelphia

February 28, 2013 By Lauren

I’ll give you two scenarios, and you tell me which one sounds like more fun:

1) Taking advantage of 5 hours in Philadelphia by exploring the historical sights on foot.

2) Taking advantage of 5 hours in Philadelphia by exploring the historical sights on foot while dragging your luggage behind you.

If you picked number two, stop reading. This won’t help you. Also, you’re weird.

My fiancé and I recently took a weeklong trip along the east coast of the US, visiting friends and family along the way. We had five hours in the city of Philadelphia before heading to his friend’s place, about an hour away by train.

The plan was simple – arrive by Megabus at the 30th Street Station, drop our bags at the luggage storage, take the train into the city, check out some sights, then get back to the train station, grab our bags, and catch a 4 o’clock train.

Liberty Bell, Philadelphia — This bell tolls for freedom. But not freedom from baggage.

We rolled into the cavernous, museum-like station and straight to the information booth.

“Hi,” I said. “Is there luggage storage here?”

“Are you an Amtrak customer?” the woman asked. “Luggage storage is for Amtrak customers only.”

Hoping this was a lie, we went to the luggage storage to inquire directly.

“Are you an Amtrak customer?”

Shaking our heads sadly, we wandered towards the subway. Maybe they’d have lockers or something, we reasoned.

“No. No luggage storage around here.”

Jared had a 40 litre backpack and I was pulling a small neon-green rolling suitcase. Hardly a burden, but not quite how I’d envisioned the day.

We had one last resort: The Independence Visitor Center, right in the historic district of downtown Philadelphia. Trudging through the January drizzle, we entered the flashy new building, the sound of my bag’s wheels echoing throughout the hall.

The 90-year-old woman behind the desk was very sympathetic to our plight.

“You know,” she said. “I only work here on Fridays, but somebody asks me that every week. Just last Friday there was a little girl with a suitcase bigger than she was, looking for somewhere to put it.”

“What did she do?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. There’s no luggage storage anywhere around here.”

Independence Hall, Philadelphia — This is where they actually signed the Constitution.

Despondent, we exited and headed for the neighboring Constitution Center, hoping to at least leave the bags in a coat check as we visited the museum.

“Coat check!” I hissed victoriously, spotting it as we approached the glass entrance doors.

Unfortunately, it cost $14.50 to get in. Apparently there is a room full of life-sized bronze casts of the signers of the Constitution, but for nearly $30 between us we could imagine them pretty vividly in our heads. Besides, Independence Hall, where they actually signed the Constitution, was free and just on the other side of the square.

“Do you think they’d…” I let my statement trail off.

Jared and I stood, my suitcase between us, looking longingly at the coat check area. The shade was drawn, and a sign directed us to the information booth in front.

“I’m just going to ask.” I approached the booth, where two girls in their late teens/early 20s were sitting, looking bored.

“I know this is a long shot,” I said, “but is there any chance we could leave our bags here for the day?”

“Sure,” the girls said, as one sprang from her seat, eager for something, anything, that would distract her from sitting.

And just like that, our bags had a home. For free. All day.

Philly Cheesesteak from Reading Terminal Market: Tastes so much better without luggage.

We never even bought admission tickets, just turned around and went to Independence Hall. Normally I would feel sort of guilty about this, but at that point I was just grateful.

City of Brotherly Love, you’ve earned your title. At least when it comes to covert luggage storage.

Destination Honeymoons for Frequent Travelers

February 5, 2013 By Lauren

In theory, I’m planning a wedding. On February 18th my Australian fiancé and I will have been engaged for a year. At the time, I said to him, “I don’t want to be one of those couples who are engaged for years before the wedding.”

Oops.https://ishouldlogoff.wpengine.com/2013/02/20/luxury-mud-and-salt-a-visit-to-the-dead-sea/

In that year, we’ve finished working in South Korea, traveled through South America, and come to the US, where we’re putting together a de facto partner visa application so I can get to Australia.

Big Merino, Australia — Only in Australia.

Once that’s approved, we’ll get down to business on the wedding. Like, setting a date. And deciding which country we’ll get married in. But then you get all the messy details like catering, venues, flowers, color schemes; all the stuff that doesn’t interest me.

So I allow my mind to wander to more fun things.

Like our honeymoon.

Among all of the questions we get about our cross-cultural marriage, people are constantly curious about the honeymoon.

“But you’ve been to so many places. What’s left?”

And that is where they are wrong. There are plenty of places left. And it’s our honeymoon, so I figure we’ve got a license to splurge on some luxury. Right?

So I get lost in travel websites like Exsus, imagining what it would be like to let someone else take over the planning. To sleep in a fancy room with windows and fluffy pillows, have everything paid for in advance so we’re not thinking about the budget every day. A vacation in pure, unadulterated, luxury.

Drumroll, please: I now present you with my top three fantasy honeymoon destinations.

Africa

As in, the whole continent. I haven’t narrowed it down to a country yet, but here are some of the things I want to see:

One of those blazing sunsets where the sun takes over the whole sky and multiplies in size to the point where you can’t believe the sun is this big and you’ve never seen it like this before

African Sunset — Like this but BIGGER. Image Credit

Animals. Specifically lions, elephants, or giraffes, doing their thing in the wild. The real wild. Not a fancy-schmancy zoo that looks like the wild (although I am a sucker for those, too).
Victoria Falls. Though whether or not I’d get into that pool on the edge remains to be seen.
Morocco. Everything in Morocco from Marrakech to romantic and luxurious Casablanca.

That’s it, really. Any suggestions for exact locations are welcomed.

Whale Sharks

I realize that ‘whale sharks’ is not a country. But I feel like anywhere that has whale sharks has other desirable aspects, like clear blue waters, tropical climates, and secluded beaches. Countries that could satisfy this requirement include Borneo, Belize, Mexico, and Madagascar, but I’m flexible. Ideally, we’d be able to surf there, too, because it’s only fair that the honeymoon be about both of us.

Caribbean

I know. It’s generic, but I’ve never been there. Except for once, in college, when I went to the Bahamas with a group of friends. We stayed at a rundown spring break resort that had crazy happy hour specials and plenty of drunk students crowding the postage stamp-sized pool. One time I got on a bus and the driver was swigging from an open beer. Taking a trip to the Bahamas or even another island like Anguilla or Antigua would be just plain nice.

I was thinking somewhere a little more swanky for a honeymoon. Not much, but a little.

Help! Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Did you go luxury or backpack?