Lack of Internet = Lack of Posts, or How I Realized That I’m an Internet Addict

July of 2013, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

So I want to address something that I’m sure many Americans have realized when traveling: we are spoiled.

My best friend tutors six years old, and she has horrified me with the knowledge that all of her students own either a tablet or a smartphone. This as a base is terrifying to think about, especially since when she also told me the kids had no idea what hopscotch is.

Desk, meet my head. Repeatedly.

This! This is hopscotch!

I’m terrified of the day when children don’t know what jump ropes are until their obsessed over their appearance and weight and go to a gym with them.

So for those of you not living in America, yes this is sort of what America is becoming these days. Is it everyone? No, but as I’ve said, every stereotype lies a grain of truth. And America’s addiction to technology (which I admit I’m a part of with my own array of tech) has crippled our ability to enjoy anything outside the net universe.

I didn’t not think I was as bad as most Americans; I pride myself in enjoying the outdoors when I’m not being assaulted with work and school at the name time. But living in Ireland for one month, I’ve realized how addicted I am to the internet. The wifi at my farm was located at the owners house, and to use it you had to sit outside under a small awning that does not necessarily protect you from the rain that is so common in the land of green. So while you got to see two posts from me while I was actually in Ireland, I gradually lost interest in lugging my seven pound beast of a laptop all the way to the house and shiver in the cold. In a way, it helped my addiction to the internet, and I’m looking forward to taking advantage of my new tan- yes, a tan in Ireland- and going out to enjoy America for more than just the internet-verse.

Ireland in general, and I’m sure much of the world outside of America, has a distinct lack of technology. Many places are cash only, and lacks ATMs in order to allow you withdraw money off of your card. Being so used to every store having some sort of free wifi, I found myself floundering for an internet connection in order to send a text to family members to assure that I was still alive and not kidnapped while I was taking my couple days off out and about seeing what Ireland is like.

Because honestly, how can anything on the internet beat seeing this in person?

Nevertheless, this next month is going to be filled with posts about my adventures in Ireland, one month late because internet access to post was lacking…

And I’m okay with that.

Until my Next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre

Don’t Forget to Wear a Coat!

November of 2010, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

So, every trip has its screw up, and when I went to Guatemala for a few days to attend my uncle’s wedding, I made a minor mistake… I forgot to bring a real jacket.

Now, one might think, hey you’re in a tropical area, why worry about the lack of a proper jacket? That’s what I thought. But I was wrong. Boy was I incredibly wrong.

So here’s the story: My uncle’s wife is a native Guatemalan, and so they had two weddings. One was located in our home state for legality, the second was in Guatemala for his wife’s family. As bridesmaids, my sister and I manage to scrape together the funds to go for three days (a very touchy subject…. not something I’ll cover today). With our dresses and some traveling clothes, we set out for a country that had never really been on our list.

It took me three planes, my sister two; I had to fly to where my beloved sister lives so that we weren’t traveling alone. After that we flew down to South America, but had to take a smaller plane to Guatemala itself. It was the first time I’d ever boarded a plane by walking across tarmac (usually we have those little hallways straight to the door).

Our pilot boarding the plane

We arrived in Guatemala late afternoon early evening, and we went to dinner and check out our hotel. Our hotel that looked like it was enchanted…

Our bed with handmade textile blankets

The courtyard, complete with fountain

This was the hallway. No joke.

Yeah, it was gorgeous. The food was amazing too. As a farming major, there’s just something about super fresh eggs that just makes your taste buds go to heaven… Man, were they yummy. Pair that with some re-friend beans (first time ever having them), fresh mango slices, bread, and fried plantains (swooning just thinking about them) and you have a very classy and beautifully presented breakfast. As a note, it’s hard to have coffee in America when you have coffee fresh from the number one farm in the world… I’m spoiled…

Anyways! My uncle’s wife and her family offered to take my sister around the sight seeing. What that meant was leaving the town we were in and driving two hours around some mountains to get to another city surrounded by volcanoes and a lake. I do apologize for the lack of names, but I never got the chance to get the names of the cities and mountains before family differences stopped me. Nevertheless, I cannot get over how beautiful it was to make our way through the windy mountains to a city that was completely isolated. The only way to get there was by the long windy road, or by boat.

We took pictures.

We ate new foods.

Fresh made in the restaurant, including the chips!

Some of them were yucky.

Banana curry soup… yuck

Nevertheless the most important thing I learned in Guatemala was the one thing that I forgot to pack.

Bring a proper jacket (a sweatshirt would work too).

I should explain my thought process. Guatemala has a very warm climate, so I brought a little navy blue jacket that didn’t button shut. This proved to be my undoing as I realized that we spent the majority of our time in the windy mountains. We also traveled across a very windy lake!

Note how it’s a half jacket…. Also the adorable little turtle backpack I purchased

Sometimes, yes, I took the coat off.

 

Now yes, my arms were covered, but it was a half jacket that didn’t button/zip/attach at all. So all the lovely little breezes that whipped my hair straight up…

Were mildly uncomfortable!

I wish I’d remembered at least a sweatshirt to cover up with. Nevertheless it was a minor issue, just a small lesson to be learned. But make sure y’all remember your jackets before you leave the country!

Until my Next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre

Gift Ideas for a Travel Enthusiast

December of 2012, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

As a a travel enthusiast, I absolutely adore travel gadgets and doo-dads. And as you guys might also know, I’m a huge nerd, and thus spend way too much time on the internet looking at all the awesome toys that could be in my possession if I worked a real person job.

Food service part-time is not a real person job.

Nevertheless, I thought I’d share with you some of the items I found on my favorite nerd toy website, Think Geek.

Stocking Stuffers

Caffeinated Soap

No really, it’s soap with caffiene in it. Despite being a faithfully Thin Geek lover, even I had my doubts. But no, this stuff really works and had been tested time and time again even on Good Morning America. So it got me thinking. When traveling, the worst part is hygeine. You either have to get all your products into little three ounce containers to bring it on a carry-on, or fret about your liquid containers bursting all over your clothes and ruining them forever. But now, you can kill two birds with one stone! Instead, have a solid shower bar that won’t explode all over your clothes, and have it help wake you up in the morning! With all the walking around and exploring you’ll be doing, who couldn’t use a little pick me up?

Prices Range between 6.99 for one bar and 37.99 for ten!

Caffeinated Lip Balm

I swear I wasn’t going through two caffeinated items, but when getting the picture for the soap I noticed there was lip balm as well. This would be perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up for those who abhor coffee (aka, me unless it’s made with half milk and a gazillion sugars and chocolate). So the Spazzstick is another possible option for that sticking you need to fill cause you bought one waaaaaaay too big!

***

Price is only 2.99 per stick!

***Note- I had to leave on a small trip before I could post this (having computer issues) and when  came back to post pictures and post this whole thing, the lip balm was gone. But I still like the idea! So if you can find it elsewhere, it’s an idea!

Stainless Steel RFID Blocking Passport Sleeve

A bit more on the practical side, here’s a small gift that will help protect against identity theft! And identity theft sucks especially when you’re out traveling in a foreign country.

Price is 44.99 which is a little bit on the pricey side, but if you’re moderately wealthy it might not be a bad idea.

iPhone Powered Personal Fan

Holy moly is this one a bit silly. But I can see for those iPhone lovers who are in a warm area, or a stuffy train, a small breeze might feel heavenly. And here’s a nice compact one that will not take up much room in your luggage.Priced at 12.99

Metal Inkless Micro Pen

Now for those of you who have loved ones who travel with a journal, this is a priceless treasure to stuff in the giant red sock. This pen writes anywhere (EVEN SPACE AND UNDERWATER!), and doesn’t need refills. I won’t lie, I have not used this for myself, but I desperately want one, cause it also fits on your keyring. SO you never have to worry about you pen sinking to the bottom of your daypack when you only have a few minutes to scribble down all the facts you never want to forget.

Prices are usually 38.99, but are currently on sale for 29.99

Okay! Well now that you have a few stocking ideas, why not take a look at some of the bigger present that go under the tree!

Under the Tree

Anti-Theft, Slash-Proof Messenger Bag

The title kinda explains everything as to why a traveler would adore one of these, but I’ll explain for those who are clueless and are just looking for last minute goodies. Traveling can be dangerous, and one of the biggest dangers is a pickpocket. Because losing all your money sucks and makes getting home rather difficult. So get your travel lover something that they could really use, a bag that’s knife proof!

Price is 89.99!

Olloclip iPhone Camera Lens

Yet another one for the iPhone fanboys. Since I’m currently camera-less, I have to rely on my phone for any travel pictures which is why this cuts kinda close to home. So why not get a few lens to enhance your iPhone! They’re small, compact, and that makes one less breakable electronic to bring!

Price is 69.99, but for the 4/4S it only comes in red. If you want it in black, you gotta get a 1.99 converter.

Freeloader Pico Solar Charger

We all know the trials of trying to keep your electronics charged, especially phones and cameras. Well now you don’t have to worry about trying to conserve your battery until when you retire to your hotel for the night. Use it during your lunch and/or snack break and keep your electronics charged and ready to capture a priceless memory! This is a perfect gift for a photography lover.

Price is 29.99 because it’s on sale right now. Original price is 39.99

While this is a little late, I hope I’ve given you a few ideas for some last minute gifts for the one you love who loves to travel.

Until my next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre

How to Incorporate Travel Into Your Education

October of 2012, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

So as a college student I have been very run down with the fact that school and work has pretty much absorbed my life; that hasn’t been taken up by those two categories I try to devote to my boyfriend and my family. This previous summer I did essentially nothing. At most I managed to go to the parks in my area like Canobie Lake Park (I actually went to that one a lot). With this in mind I didn’t want to repeat that next summer.

Since I’m already saving up for my Disney trip January of 2014, I had to make sure this trip was within a college student’s price range. And since I’m a college student who only works weekends, that’s make it even tougher. But I was determined to make it work. With this in mind I also had to consider my schooling: maybe I could incorporate travel into what I want to do for my future.

While right now I’m just your average Biology major, but its destiny is to be switched to Sustainable Agriculture and Livestock. I have a passion for nature and animals, and my ultimate goal is to bring good eating and living to those who think that they cannot due to their living situations such as those living in apartments or in the city. You don’t need to have land and a garden to have fresh herbs and other product. That is what I hope to donate to the world with my little slice of life.

But with this in mind I’ve been pondering about how I can travel while working a career that- frankly- deals a lot with staying in one place. How will I be able to get out an experience the world and all the culture that it holds?

I’m surprised I didn’t think of it earlier honestly.

WWOOFing!!!

I have no artistic ability, so no I did not make this graphic. I actually found it on another blog! SO credit to them if they made it: http://elleswim.net/2010/10/05/324-wwoof-in-central-america/

Alright make all your dog jokes now and get it over with. Trust me I giggled the first time too.

WWOOFing stands for World Wide Organization on Organic Farms. And it’s pretty much how it sounds. It’s a world-wide farming community that helps organic farms get in contact with volunteers who have a hunger for knowledge and getting their hands dirty.

One thing I love about travel is going off the beaten path and not only being able to experience the country but being able to experience the people. It’s the people that make up the meat of the cultural pie, and I prefer interacting with the people than just getting my picture taken at monuments. That’s just boring.

With this in mind, I will be WWOOFing in the country of Ireland!

This picture was taken by my father. All credit goes to him.

That’s right, Ireland. A country well known for it’s farmland and love for self-sustenance and organic practices. WWOOFing will be able to let me not only see Ireland, but to experience Ireland. I’ll be able to get in there, get my hands dirty, learn new foods, new skills, new sayings. I’ll be living and breathing Ireland!

Look at all that green!!! Again, this picture was taken by my father. All credit goes to him

I will be leaving not long after my anniversary with Tom in June, and I will be staying on a farm for about a month. I have about eight months to save, plan, and prepare for working on a farm, and taking day-trips out when I can. As the time gets closer to my departure I’ll be posting about home-stays and prepping for long term travel. I’m also more than willing to take suggestions and answer questions about WWOOFing, farming, travel, and any other burning questions that you wish to ask. Just leave a lovely little comment and I’ll make a post about it.

So I hope you all you travel lovers will be able to take a long look at what you want to do for your career, and maybe you’ll be able to find a way to incorporate travel into it! Because nothing is better than doing what you love in a completely new and foreign place!

Until my Next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre

Tony’s Travels- AAC 2012

October of 2012, Boot Size 12

…. Oh, no, I don’t have an explanation for my absence  Take any combination of life, college, and been out traveling and that’s pretty much. If you want to know more about the everyday events of my life, I have a Facebook page and an Instagram (vivianaayre). It’s easier to be active there.  Anyways, on with the story!

Not long ago, Tony and I ventured up to New Hampshire to attend Another Anime Convention 2012 to have a truly nerdy time. During our time there, Tony met some pretty awesome people, and saw some cool cosplays.

First he chilled with some Narutards and one adorable little Kayleigh (from Firefly) cosplayer.

Then he helped out Misa on Wheels, New Englands favorite cosplayer on wheels, with her wheelchair. For some reason she wouldn’t let him install rockets. 

Check out Misa on Wheel‘s Facebook page! She’s an inspiration for all

Next was a trip to a Brentalfloss concert

Next Tony demanded to see some lady cosplayers. The pervert!

After harassing the ladies, security decided to have a word with him… but Tony has that kind of charm that just draws you in.

Overall both Tony and I had a blast with all nerds, sharing our love for anime and and good times with the rest of New England.

Until our Next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre and Tony

Attack of the Tweeners

October of 2012, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

So as I had told you guys, I attended CampAnime as a performer a few weeks back. It took me a long… long, long while before I had the time to post about it (college is fun!) but here I am now, keyboard and candy at my disposal!

Now of course I have to state outright that I cannot reveal everything about my adventure, due to the fact that I work for Steam-Funk Studios, and I have to be quiet about company secrets and obviously I have to be polite about my experiences. Aside from that, I intend to dish about different aspects of attending a new con.

There’s the big thing about adorable little CampAnime. Honestly it is a brilliant idea: put a convention on a nice campground and increase the number of possible activities. The only downside to attending the con this year was it was a first time con with a first time con-head (the person who is essentially the boss of the convention). First time cons never run smoothly because let’s face it, it is the first time and they haven’t figured out what could go wrong yet. So a lot of this con was spent figuring out what can go right and what can go wrong. Such as crashing computers!

Three… crashed… computers… containing the registration lists. Which you need to get your pass and entry into your convention. Oh boy. I ended up spending an hour sitting around being ignored because I was a performer and not a casual attendee. So I waited for my boss to arrive and make some magic.

Overall opinion of the con given that it was a first time convention? It was very peaceful and relaxing, with a lot of fun activities to participate it such as archery and swimming. The panels were lacking, considering the company I work for had to cancel 2/3’s of our panels due to a lack of attendance. No, we don’t suck… We’re actually kinda funny! But sadly our panels were more on the informational and intelligent humor side of the panel world, and the highest population of the convention (tweeners) usually aren’t interested in learning how to be awesome and build nifty things quite at that point in life.

I was a tweener once, so I’m not knocking them. It is very common to see tweeners nowadays in the anime world. I call them tweeners, but they have another term: weebawoos. So that I don’t have to go into a long winded explanation as to what a weebawoo/tweener is, I have this lovely picture that I found on the delightful internet:

I like to believe that I belong in the first category which is an otaku. I love nerdy things; I am definitely proud of it, and it consumes a decent chunk of my conversations. But I also allow myself to have interests outside of my nerddom, instead of rejecting anything not related to anime, Doctor Who, or video games. Why else would I have a travel blog laced with my love for the geek?

Anyways, this convention consisted of mostly tweeners. They were more enthused by the physical activities like swimming, archery, water balloon battles, and some event involving watermelons. So thankfully this convention was spent relaxing and getting to know some of my coworkers and getting my character figured out, which was well needed since I didn’t know I was to be a performer until about a week before the convention.

So unfortunately I don’t have many wild and crazy stories that I can reveal to you guys since I spent most of it plotting a character and chatting, but I’ll show you a few picture highlights! As a note some of these photos are by Eric LaCore photography, which I have noted with each picture. Seriously, check them out they have awesome shots:

Me on Friday night doing some flagwork.
This picture was not taken by me but by Eric LaCore Photography. Check them out on Facebook!

My coworker and new friend Tony dressed up loosely as Rainbow Dash

Our cameraman, Louis!

Two awesome rings I bought at the event. ^_^

My more obvious steampunk outfit for the con
Again, credit goes to Eric LaCore photography! They’re awesome

My professionally taken picture of my Chinese dress
This photo was not taken by me, but again by Eric LaCore Photography

My boss, regaling us of his tales!

Overall it was a pretty good, relaxing weekend where we focused more on comradeship than on attending events.

Until my next adventure,

Viviana Ayre

It’s Getting Closer!

August of 2012, Boot Size 10

My Dear Readers,

So it is now only a few hours away from being a week until my adventure at Camp Anime begins. My new costume (properly known as a cosplay) has arrived, and I’m super excited. Granted, I have a feeling this trip is going to be very busy considering I’ve discovered that the company I’m interning as a videographer for is running about 50-70% of the panels.

….. Oh Boy I’m going to be busy.

Other possible complications that I won’t mention will also be difficult and I might have to enter an element I’m not sure I’m comfortable with. But hey, you only live once right?

I feel like the term YOLO is a good mentality in its core… but is severely misused. It’s sad really, because it can be such a good phrase to live by when you travel. New food? Try it! Because you only live once. And now that I have gotten my opinion on YOLO out, I can continue my thoughts on Camp Anime.

I’ll be taking off Friday morning to head off to Connecticut, sadly by myself, but I’ll be meeting up with the people I work for. It’s not going to be a super long drive, but I won’t lie, long drives alone are rather brain draining. Having no one to talk to and share the driving experience with is kind of a bummer, but hey, you take what you can take!

I’ll be staying in Connecticut from Friday until Sunday before I head back home to a work meeting that night (lucky timing, neh?). During that time I’ll be running from panels to panel, taking video, taking pictures, and dressing up in cosplay. The nerdlet in me is screaming in excitement, and I’ll be honest with you guys that my fingers are trembling as I type this.

Current events wise, I started college this week! A light load this semester with only three classes and only going to school Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday will help me immensely. Hopefully I’ll be able to bang out some more travel posts for you guys, because I have regained access to my fountain of pictures, and I’ve been getting a few ideas. Alas, ridiculous hours have kept me from my keyboard. But my workload has been lightened with college, so I’ll hopefully have some more time to write. I swear I have a few drafts brewing, but nothing solid quite yet that I’m going to be releasing to you guys quite yet. Until then I’ll be working hard for you guys!

Until my adventure begins next weekend!

Viviana Ayre

Appreciating the Small Stuff

June of 2012, Boot Size…. Wait…. I was wearing toe shoes!!!!

My dear readers,

So a midst my busy life of of working to save for school, conventions, and visiting Tomas, I have decided to change some aspects of my life. You see, I used to be an avid biker, but then I met the internet and we were swept into a passionate love affair. So my once muscle toned body fell into disrepair, and while I am lucky that I am naturally thin, I am now massively out of shape and have more fat (though well contained fat), than muscle. So when I decided to change my diet to alleviate my ADD (no more high fructose corn syrup since major studies in places like UCLA and such are coming out and saying HFCS aggravates ADD and ADHD), I decided to also get active again. And I started yesterday with a nice, brisk walk with my mother in our local park for an hour before my 7-3:30 work shift. During that trip I got some lovely pictures of the lake and the local goose families with my phone.

A bunch of geese and goslings! The goslings have gotten huge in the past couple weeks.

After my shift I stopped at my dad’s house to watch Legend of Korra before using his Kinect to do an exercise routine. Dear goddess my legs were burning a bit by the end after all the walking and standing from that day, so I kept it short and stayed with the tutorial before calling it quits. I broke a small sweat considering I spend most of my time hooked to a laptop when I’m not traveling, so I figure it’s a start. Add in my new diet choices and I’ve had a good start.

Well this morning the mother, Tony, and I decided to take another walk. This one was a little later in the day (started around seven) and I traded in my boots for my toe shoes in the hopes I could do some climbing. Well unfortunately my mother’s foot acted up so we stayed on the easy trails, but I got a few more pictures in.

You see, I have extreme issues working in a gym. I’m rather self conscious (thanks elementary school) and I don’t like other people creeping on my excercise. But taking walks in the park? Especially one with really awesome hiking trails? For me that is how I like to excercise. Because there is more to the work than just walking in place. I mean, which would you rather: running in one place with creepy people trying to look over your shoulders to see your burned calories, or walking though this?

Tony enjoyed the ride, since I found my old mini purple backpack. So that’s his place to chill when he’s not being a perv and riding in my shirt. We found the beaver dam, but no beaver sadly. Our music was the sound of bullfrogs croaking out a jazzy tune, which was pretty sweet. Hopefully we will get there early next time, and if we’re quiet we will be able to spot more wildlife. While boots keep your feet warmer, my toe shoes helped me walk a lot quieter considering I have a heavy step. So when I go for nature watching I’ll definitely wear them again.

Yes, I’m wearing my favorite sweatshirt, and Iron Man suit. Paired with yoga pants. I’d just woken up, sue me!

Tony was rather put out that the geese weren’t out today. But he loves lake scenery!

Now I’m just getting ready for a trip up north to the White Mountains this upcoming Tuesday/Wednesday! It’s a gift from my mother, and I’m pretty excited to go. I will definitely post pictures while I’m there.

Oh and did I mention we saw the cutest chipmunk ever?????

I love my phone’s camera…..

Until my next adventure,

Viviana Ayre

Plotting my Next Course

No, this is not a real post. I just have news that I’m itching to release to the world. After all the hardships in my life, I decided I needed something to look forward to. I plotted the course for my next long adventure.

I am going to DISNEY!!!!!

Yes, I am going there!!!

What you don't know is I have a 100 degree fever in that shot. But that is another story. The important thing is that I will be there too!!!

My favorite NEW ride. Granted I love everything about Disney.

Oh famous ball at Epcot, I will be seeing you again and screaming you're name soon! ❤

Oh Walt, I will be seeing you again!

Yes, I am going to one of the places on Earth where I can almost never be unhappy. And with my partner, and a few of my companions I intend to make this wish come true. It will be hard, yes. I will probably need to increase my plundering up the three times the amount that I normally do. But the coordinates have been plotted, and I am thrilled to go.

I am giving myself a lot of time to prepared. This journey will not be until January of 2013 (maybe later depending on if I get that third job since my schooling and bills comes first).

So along with long winded posts on my Friday updates, I will also blog once and a while about PLANNING for a trip, and what you’re looking at to make a cheap-ish journey to Disney World.

Any suggestions? Opinions? Ideas (similar to suggestion, but somehow different ;P)? Please leave a comment below!

Until my Next Adventure,

Viviana Ayre

HS Chronos Aetherium