Practical Wanderlust

Off-Beat Couple's Travel Blog

What not to do on a France road trip through Bordeaux, Avignon, Seillans, Provence, and the French Riviera!
Europe, Travel Stories & Fails

Off-Season Road Trip Through France: What Not to Do

Our off-season road trip through France was always doomed. It’s not just that Jeremy and I seem to attract disaster like magnets made of whatever the opposite of disaster is. But we have particularly awful luck when it comes to cars. But here we were, renting one in France in January. What could go wrong? … Everything, of course. This is the story of our doomed French road trip. Or as I like to call it, the story of the time we ran a BMW into into a medieval castle.

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  • Jeremy and I both have the tendency to be workaholics. Most nights, you'll find us at home on the couch, furiously tapping away on our respective Macbooks, with some awful reality TV show playing on the projector until one of us drags the other one to bed an hour after we meant to turn in. Workaholicism (sp) is one side effect of loving your job - it doesn't feel like work when you love it! Well, until you've been working non-stop 14-hour days for like, a month straight, and it hits you like a ton of bricks and oh my god, you NEED a break.⠀ .⠀ It's times like those when we're even more grateful than usual to live in California, where weekend getaways abound, and everything you could ever want is just a few hours away. Want some snow-topped mountains? Maybe some Jurassic Park-esque forest with giant trees and massive ferns? Perhaps a nice desert? A giant lake? Wine country? Or maybe a beautiful, white sand beach with perfect waves (just a few minutes away from wine country)?⠀ .⠀ Before we were travel bloggers, Jeremy and I spent most of our weekends exploring California. We were out finding "hidden gems" before we ever wrote the words "hidden gem." Now, of course, we've written it so many times our eyes are permanently crossed and the phrase just sounds like gibberish.⠀ .⠀ Now that travel is Lia's full time job, it seems rare just to have a weekend at home. But sometimes, in between flights and international trips and adventures and catching up on laundry, we find the time to steal away on a little weekend getaway. To return to our roots. To hop in a car after work on a Friday, turn on our "Driving in California" playlist, and drive off into the sunset, only stopping for In N Out and gas before finally pulling in to somewhere new and exciting sometime after midnight. ⠀ .⠀ Cayucos, California was one of those perfect California getaways. Check out the link in our bio for 12 charming things to do in this beautiful little beach town 4 hours south of San Francisco. ⠀ .⠀ Do you like to take weekend getaways? Where is your favorite place to escape to?
  • As a stereotypical Californian, Jeremy grew up surfing (and wearing fish shirts, I guess). The first place he EVER went surfing was right here in Cayucos, California. It was magical: the air was heavy with fog, all was quiet except for waves and the occasional call of a gull, and as he waited to catch his first wave, a dolphin appeared. They became best friends and frolicked together and this is the story that Flipper is based on. . OK, I'm slightly exaggerating. But there really was a dolphin, and his first ever surfing experience was freakin' magical. . Many years later, he attempted to share his favorite California pastime with his Kentucky wife. Here's what happened: I attempted to squeeze myself into a size M wetsuit (LOL) because apparently the employees at the surf shop had never seen a fat girl before. Then, it took me a full 45 minutes to actually paddle my way out to the right spot, by which time I was cranky and my arms were aching. Every 5 seconds, freezing cold saltwater would splash in my face, causing me to shriek and nearly flop off my board. . Before I could even attempt to catch my first wave, a cluster of menacing jellyfish appeared .5 inches from my face. They waved their angry little tentacles at me. They bobbed terrifyingly in my general direction. I immediately knew I was going to die. . In the blink of an eye, I unshackled my leg from its massive, surfboard-shaped anchor and bolted to shore faster than any wave could take me, screaming my head off. The fear of those gelatanous little monsters chased me all the way back to shore. . I was later informed by my patient husband that they were a harmless species of jelly. Apparently, Jellyfish Idenfitcation is one of the things you learn when you grow up in California. . Needless to say, that was the last time I ever went surfing. These days, I prefer to swim next to Jeremy instead - the better to help him watch for dolphins, jellyfish, and quality waves. . Have you ever been surfing? Are you a mer-person like Jeremy, or do you agree with me that it is a terrible sport made for incredibly athletic people and Californians? Drop me a comment below!
  • Some beach towns feel sort of like you’ve stepped onto the set of a glamorous teen drama, complete with gorgeous 20-something's disguised as high schoolers and Phantom Planet playing in the background. But not Cayucos. Visit Cayucos, California and you might feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the Old West... except on the beach. There are saloons and American flags and antique shops selling exquisite marine-themed crafts and the air is thick with salt, coastal fog, and the scent of the ocean. Welcome to the last of California's historic beach towns. . Cayucos is a tiny coastal town located in California’s Central Coast. It's right on the Pacific Coast Highway, down the beach from Jeremy's hometown of Morro Bay. Blink and you might miss it as you speed past on Highway One. But Cayucos is well worth a stop! . I'm a little embarassed to admit that until the @shorelineinn_cayucos invited Jeremy and I down for a romantic weekend getaway, we hadn't spent much time exploring Cayucos. But we finally spent some time getting to know Cayucos on it's own terms, and we're so glad we did! . We'll be introducing you to Cayucos over the next few days, or you can take a shortcut and click the link in our bio to read our full guide. . We want to know: have you ever visited the Central Coast of California? How about Cayucos? Drop us a comment below! . #sponsored #cayucos #VisitSLO #travelinladies #sheadventures #earthgirllifestyle #ladiesgoneglobal #wearetravelgirls #globelletravels #radgirlcollective #girlsthatwander #dametraveler #darlingescapes #GirlsBornToTravel #thetravelwomen #sheisnotlost #igglobalwomenclub #girlsborntotravel #girlslovetravel #girlslovetravel #wearetravelgirls #citizenfemme #girlaroundworld #femaletravelbloggers #theeverygirltravels #babeswhowander #femmetravel #ShareSLO #CentralCoast #californialiving
  • "Networking" was always a scary word for me. In my former corporate fashion life, networking usually involved talking to people (aah) in person (AHH) about work things (ugh) often while standing around for hours in cute but painful shoes (noooo). But lately I've been realizing that networking within the travel industry is ... different. . For one thing, it's totally acceptable to wear practical shoes, thank goodness. But something about connecting with people who love travel just feels more ... organic. For me, and I think for many of us in this industry, travel is at the very core of our beings: it defines who we are, and there's a reason we built our careers around enabling us to discover new places, meet new people, get out of our comfort zones, and see the world from different perspectives. Besides, it's easy to make a personal connection when you can jump straight from "what do you do" to "sooo, tell me your most ridiculous travel story!" . I recently joined @travelmassive, the world’s biggest travel industry community, as a @travelmassivesf Chapter Lead. So now, not only am I networking regularly with fascinating travel-obsessed people from all over the world, but I'm also helping to lead & plan monthly networking events for the travel industry here in the Bay Area (psst, you should come)! . Last night, we hosted an amazing event in partnership with @VisitCarlsbad supporting their #ColorsofCarlsbad campaign. The campaign is beautiful and visual and colorful and incredibly unique. Carlsbad is the kind of coastal getaway where you can frolic around in Legoland and then drink craft beer and then eat artisinal s'mores and then take a long walk on the beach, all in one day. Not only did I have an amazing time learning about Carlsbad, but I got to meet other travel industry professionals, content creators, and even the founder of Travel Massive! . I'm learning that "networking" is no longer a painful chore, but a fun opportunity to learn and engage and grow ... and even make new friends. Does this mean I have to hand in my introvert card?!. Do you like networking or do you struggle with it too? Drop me a comment below!
  • Is there a "right" or "best" way to travel? Some travelers return to the same place again and again, year after year. Some aim to see as many different places as possible, cycling through 4 cities in a week in every new country. Some check countries off lists like I check "make to-do list" off the top of all my to-do lists. . As for us, we're a mix. We're always tempted to return to our favorite destinations again and again - there is no universe in which we would turn down another trip to Colombia, and the fact that we take weekend trips to Lake Tahoe multiple times each year has never made us not want to go back. Sometimes it's just really freakin' nice to go somewhere that feels ... familiar. Especially when it's within driving distance! . When we do visit a brand new country, we tend to pack in our itinerary like crazy people and try to cover as much ground as possible, moving every 3-4 days to see somewhere new. Sure, it's exhausting, but we might never be back to this country and we have to see as much of it as possible, right?! YOLO, FOMO, etc. . And then, there's the voice in the back of our heads that chastises us when we look at plane tickets to South America or Europe. "You need to see other continents," it says. "You're in a rut. You have to get out more." We aren't continent-counting, but maybe we should be ... . Still, we don't think there is a "right" way to travel. The best way to travel is whatever way gets you out and exploring the world, making connections & experiencing cultures, and challenging your comfort zone. . What about you? What's the "right" way to travel for you? #DameTraveler #wearetravelgirls #sheisnotlost #GirlsWhoTravel #girlslovetravel #sheexplores #WomenWhoExplore #radgirlslife #thetravelwomen #girlsvsglobe #femaletravelbloggers #girlsjustwannatravel #ladiesgoneglobal #wearetravelladies #adventureladies #fatgirlstraveling #GirlsWanderlust #maketimetoseetheworld #wanderingwomen #myboldtravelmoment #colombiagrafia #igerscolombia #loves_colombia #colombia_folklore #visitsouthamerica #PassionPassport #realismomagico #colombia_estrella #loves_colombia #darlingescapes
  • I missed our wedding anniversary last week. Jeremy was at home in Oakland. I was out of town for the IPW conference (you know, the one that was more "fun" than "work"). I felt guilty for weeks leading up to the conference, like I was the female equivalent of those 1950's era husbands who scoffed at things like emotions and grunted at their their secretaries to send flowers for special events through thick clouds of cigar smoke and white privilege. Had I become a 1950's husband?! . Of course, Jeremy didn't see it that way. He was full of support and encouragement. Every time I felt guilty, he told me he proud he was of me. Every time I felt overwhelmed, he stepped in to help. Despite having his own stressful, 60-hours-a-week-full-time job to worry about, he ran around completing tasks, running errands, and printing and designing things I needed for the conference. Even though I took the reigns on our blog after we returned from our year-long honeymoon, I still couldn't do it without him. . On the day of our actual anniversary, I hired a Task Rabbit and had them pick up cupcakes from the shop that catered our wedding: 2 dozen minis for Jeremy's kids (he's a teacher, so they're a package deal; I didn't want to cause riots) and one full sized Key Lime Cupcake for him. . And of course, like the caring, kind, sensitive, thoughtful person he is, he saved one for me. It was waiting in the fridge when I returned from my conference, exhausted and grateful that I have such an incredible partner. Happy 2nd wedding anniversary to us... and here's to hoping I don't miss the other 63 anniversaries, too! . Have you ever missed a special event? Did you feel incredibly guilty about it, too? Drop me a comment! #couplegoals #travelcouple #couplesofinstagram #coupleinlove #adventuretogether #adventurecouple #travelsandchill #romancetravel #coupleswhotraveltogetherstaytogether #travelduo #travelustcouples  #nowrongwaysf #onlyinsf #alwayssf #igerssf #sfliving #howsfseessf #sfblogger #mysanfrancisco #sanfrancisco #sfguide #dothebay  #TravelGram #PassionPassport #LetsGoSomewhere #exploremore #BestVacations #MyTinyAtlas #darlingescapes #wheretofindme
  • 3 world-famous musicians live in concert. 5 Broadway musicals. 7-10 raging parties (my memory is slightly fuzzy). 30 scheduled meetings, and just as many drop-in conversations. What am I describing here? Some kind of weird networking/party/work/fun mashup? . ... Actually, yeah, that's a pretty good way to describe it. . Last week I was at IPW, an absolutely mind-blowing travel industry trade fair hosted by @VisitTheUSA and @VisitDenver. I packed a suitcase full of blazers and business cards and expected to be exhausted each night after a full day of Very Professionally Networking. And while I was exhausted each night, and I did do plenty of Super Professional Networking Things, what I didn't expect was the amount of FUN I had at IPW! Like ... work ... trade fair ... parties ... fun? These things don't seem like they would go together. But somehow, they did. . I never expected to enjoy myself at a massive, week-long industry trade show. I'm an introvert, remember? Talking to people in general is hard enough without having to speak a language that I just barely learned myself (I'll take "impressive sounding ways to describe my job" for 1,000, Alex). . But IPW confirmed what I already knew deep down to be true: I made the right decision when I quit my corporate job and dove head-first into a brand new industry with absolutely no idea what I was doing. I chose sink or swim, and I've been swimming every since. And since I'm already waist-deep into this metaphor, I guess I should say something about smooth sailing, or fighting the current, or developing Michelle Obama-level ripped arms from all that treading water. Or whatever. You get the idea. . So if you're currently biding your time and wondering whether to chase after a dream, I say: do it! Chase it! But like, practically. With a backup plan, and like, 53 spreadsheets. And 6 months of expenses saved up just in case. OK, I'm not the biggest advocate for impulsively making life-changing decisions. But still: think, plan, and then.... DO IT! . Has something ever surprised you by being WAY more fun than you thought it would be? Drop me a comment below!
  • I spent years at war with my body. It wasn't a mental thing, either: it was an all-out physical brawl. Trigger warning - I'm going to talk about eating disorders and self harm in this post. Please take care of yourself if you're feeling vulnerable today! . When I was a teenager, I succumbed to the same societal pressure bullsh*t that many of us do. Someone hurt me and I was struggling, and the nearest outlet for my anger and hurt was myself. I hated my body. I punished it. I carved angry words into my skin - you can still see the scars. I starved myself. I made myself throw up what little food I did eat, and then run for hours on treadmills or ellipticals, like a deranged hamster - just in case any evil calories might get the opportunity to deliver nutrients to my body. . This was me at 15: a bobble-head lookin' body with stick arms and a big potbelly, face and cheeks constantly puffy and irritated, poorly bleached blonde hair falling out in clumps. Had I achieved society's idea of attractiveness? Hardly. . It wasn't until a doctor actually said the words "if you keep this up, you will die" that something clicked. See, I have a heart problem. Not because of the eating disorder, but it certainly didn't help. My heart, suffering from the punishment I was inflicting on myself, was giving up. It dawned on me that I might actually put myself in a grave at age 16. . And then I was like, "wait, hang on - that's f**king stupid." What would my death achieve? Would the patriarchy collapse? Would the men who had hurt me stop abusing other women? Would anything change, would there be any positive outcome in the world? UM, NO. It was like giving up and letting society WIN. . And then I got angry. . I spent the next few years devouring feminist theory, going to therapy, growing out my leg hair, and getting my body confidence on. I've been fully recovered for about 8 years, and my confidence is THROUGH THE ROOF. I love myself as passionately as I once hated myself, and I use my body, and my voice, as a platform for creating positive change in the world every single day. . I'm f**king awesome. And you are, too. Love yourself today and every day. You deserve it.

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