A thoughtfully packed travel bag makes all the difference when jet-setting around, especially if you’re trying to survive a long-haul flight. These are the inflight essentials that I never fly without. In order to make going through security and my inflight routine easier, they are all organized into small pouches, and my toiletry bag and electronics are the easiest to reach. A sturdy, organized travel bag is essential for your personal carry-on bag, and you can find our favorites here.
Traveling to Marrakech was a dream come true! It’s an exciting vacation for lovers of color, architecture, food, shopping, and a bit of chaos. You could easily get lost and lose track of time, spending your whole time in the city navigating the souks, but you don’t want to miss the Medina’s historic sites. If you are only in Marrakech for a short time, here are the 4 Must Visit Sites in the Historic Marrakech Medina.
Everyone is always asking us how we take at least one international trip a year, especially since I’m a teacher and Meagan works at a non-profit. Well, we travel for free! Here’s how we do it!
How did I pick the right card for us, you may ask?
There are tons of reward cards on the market, but we recommend 2 strategies here for when you’re starting out.
First Option: If you already have some miles saved up, take a look at all your reward miles balances, and see which one is the closest to netting you a free trip. Meagan and I both had flown on United for various long haul trips in college, so we had already accrued a number of frequent flier miles. Naturally, we wanted to add to our already-existing stock, so we waited until the signup bonus for the United Mileage Plus Visa card was at least 50,000 so that we would already be assured of at least one free flight to anywhere in Europe, North/Central America, or the Caribbean (60K needed). We were almost halfway to two round-trip tickets.
Second Option: Consider your nearest airport. Which airline has a hub there? We live in Atlanta, so flying Delta is always an easy option. We eventually signed up for a Delta American Express card when they were offering 50,000 bonus miles as well. That gave us both a Visa card and an Amex card.
Planning a week-long escape to the beach? You’ve come to the right place for our ultimate beach packing list! It’s the perfect mix of comfy casual for days spent lounging by the pool or relaxing on the beach, active wear for exploring & adventuring, and a few nice items for dining & going out. Continue reading
We tried so hard to narrow down our top travel experiences of 2015 to a Top 10 list, but it was just too hard! So many wonderfully exciting things happened! We eventually narrowed it down to our Top 15, our #Top15of2015, and we’ve been sharing them on Instagram for the past few days. These are, of course, in no particular order – how could we decide?!
Meagan couldn’t believe her luck when she visited the most picturesque lavender fields in Provence. Every stop along the drive was like a photo from a book! All of the flowers were blooming brightly!
In January, Stephanie traveled with her husband to Thailand to show him where she studied abroad.
Our second photo for our top 15 experiences in 2015 comes from my trip to Thailand in January. It was my first time back since studying abroad there & I had so much fun watching my husband take in a country that will always hold a special place in my heart. One quintessential Bangkok experience we had was riding in a tuktuk, weaving in & out of traffic. What a rush!
A photo posted by A Friend Afar Blog (@afriendafar) on
Meagan had the most amazing experiences in France, and cycling through Burgundy with Beaune as a home base blew her away! She wants to go back again right now! It probably isn’t on your travel list yet, but is should be! Continue reading
Our New Year’s Resolution is to travel more often and travel differently. When we first read about Clare’s 12 Trips in 12 Months challenge on Need Another Holiday, we knew immediately that this challenge is exactly what we need in the upcoming year. It’s brilliant and inspiring, and we’re ready for the challenge! (And if you’re not already familiar with Clare, go check her out. Like us, she’s a part-time traveler and full-time travel day-dreamer, so we can all relate to her travel style.)
We couldn’t resist one more round up of our favorite gifts! This time we’ve pulled together our favorite travel coffee table books, and we’ve included a fun variety of art, photographs, and home decor that reflect some of our favorite travel experiences.
Great Journeys – Travel the World’s Most Spectacular Routes by Lonely Planet
This gorgeous travel coffee table book will have you yearning for a few months off of work so that you can embark on an epic trip. It covers routes from the original Tour de France to Marco Polo’s exploration route. Get ready to add a few new trips to your bucket list!
National Geographic – The Covers by National Geographic
It’s no secret that we’re in love with National Geographic magazines around here. This collection of covers spanning the magazine’s 125 years inspires us to learn more about the places we travel to and the people we meet.
Nomad by Sibella Court
Sibella is our style icon, and we love how Nomad inspires us to bring our travels back home with us. Isn’t it wonderful how decorating your home with souvenirs big and small can take you back to your travels?
Jutaku: Japanese Houses by Naomi Pollock
Japan was one of our first loves, and we’re fascinated by how modern and traditional architecture manage to blend seamlessly. This gorgeous travel coffee table book showcases 400 homes that epitomize modern Japan.
59 Illustrated National Parks by Joel Anderson & Nathan Anderson
We just fell in love with The Anderson Design based out of Nashville, TN. Meagan even bought a print of all of the National Parks for Stephanie for Christmas. You know how Stephanie loves her parks! Anderson Design Group creates some amazing vintage-inspired travel posters – I’m sure they’ll have your favorite spot – and this book contains all of the national parks posters as well as fun facts and a history for each park.
Graphique de la Rue by Louise Fili
Our new found love of France (yeah, we’re a little behind – it’s because we were focused on Asia or Africa) cannot be underestimated. This gorgeous book captures one of the many things that make strolling the streets of Paris so special – the art of Paris’s signs. It’s perfect for your friends that are Francophiles, graphic designers, or just art lovers.
Maps by Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielinska
As cartography enthusiasts, we can’t get through a gift guide around here without including a map or a globe, and this travel coffee table book is an incredibly fun find. The gorgeous illustrations detail the history and cultures of countries and regions. It’s perfect for travelers of all ages!
Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky
Just as Great Journeys has us daydreaming about extreme voyages, this book has us adding new locations to our bucket list solely for the sake of “do you know anyone who has been there?!? Neither do I!” Visiting exciting and remote places that none of your friends have heard of will make you quite the explorer. Just adding them to your bucket list will make you feel like one.
You can see our other favorite travel gifts here, here, and here! And don’t forget to give a little back while doing all of your holiday shopping. We rounded up some of our favorite international charities to give you some ideas.
Sometimes that rolling carry-on is just too big for your long weekend! We’re a little too old and a little too well-traveled to be carrying our old high school gym bags around, so we’ve rounded up the best weekender bags that make it easy to carry everything you need. These bags have all the stylish details we love and still hold up to constant travel.
Cuyana Canvas and Leather Weekender Bag
Price: $150
Why We Love It: Cuyana makes a gorgeous twill and leather weekender in 3 colors. We love the leather strap, the contrast lining, and the gold hardware. With the option to monogram it, it’s a great bag to give or to get!
Baggu Sailor Stripe Weekend Bag
Price: $74
Why We Love it: Baggu bags are consistently showing up in our lists of travel must-haves and for good reason! This is a great price for a sturdy and roomy canvas bag, and the sailor stripe is so fun!
Mark & Graham Weekender
Price: $199
Why We Love it: This one comes in at the top of our budget, but we can’t get over the great details. The leather accents and monogram reflect an old-fashioned style of travel, and the long shoulder strap makes it easier to tote around when full. It comes in 4 colorways, and while we love the natural canvas option, this navy version is less likely to get dirty.
Stella & Dot Versatile 3-in-1 Getaway
Price: $138
Why We Love it: You’ve got to love a bag that does double-duty! Stella & Dot’s Getaway bag is the perfect size for the overhead bin when expanded, but it also fits under your seat when zipped down to its smaller size. We love the blue ikat and the red elephant designs!
Everlane Twill Weekender Price: $98
Why We Love it: I have this bag as well as the twill tote, and I love packing it for a long weekend away! The leather straps are very sturdy, and the canvas is thick, water-resistant, and beautifully lined. The interior zip pocket and the outside pocket keep my cords and smaller items contained. It’s a great bag! Check out Hitha on the Go’s instructions for how to pack a duffel – it features this weekender.
Lo & Sons Catalina Canvas Weekender
Price: $120
Why We Love it: Lo & Sons makes an amazing carry-on bag for business travelers, and Stephanie’s currently toting it around Istanbul right now for work! Their Catalina Canvas Weekender is even roomier and more affordable, and it comes in 7 fun colors. We love the lower zipper compartment to keep shoes or dirty laundry separate and organized. The bag is even machine-washable, so it’s ready for an adventure!
Herschel Supply Co. Novel Duffel
Price: $80
Why We Love it: I can’t even begin to count how many designs this bag comes in, but at just $80, it’s worth treating yourself to this fun buffalo check print that is everywhere this fall! Like some of our other favorite bags, the shoe compartment and padded shoulder strap will make your weekend travel a little easier.
Sole Society
Price: $80
Why We Love it: We’ve been seeing this bag all over travel and fashion blogs lately, and the customer reviews are really looking good! It’s a chic vegan leather in a classic style at a great price point. What’s not to love?
Do you carry any of these weekender bags? Let us know your reviews in the comments!
Looking for the perfect carry-on personal bag? You can find our favorites here along with a review of how our Everlane tote held up during a trip to France.
A few weeks ago we shared with you how we use vintage suitcases to bring that wanderlust style into our home. We love vintage maps as well, and we wanted to share some of our favorite inspirations, including a great DIY that currently graces our living room.
I just adore vintage classroom maps! Their faded colors, tattered edges, and wooden dowel rods for hanging give them so much character. I also love when the maps are old enough that their subject matter has changed – maybe they feature the Soviet Union or the Territory of Alaska. My husband and I have a large classroom map of the world entirely in Spanish. It adds so much character to our guestroom.
[Sources: Top: Conversation Pieces; Bottom: Country Living, Apartment Therapy, Shelterriffic]
If you’re looking to make a really big statement, I love the idea of maps for wallpaper. You can either get a large scale mural of a world map or a city map like the black and white map of London below, or you can make your own “wallpaper” by hanging maps in a collage all over the wall.
[Sources: Majesty Maps, The Inspired Room]
As I mentioned above, my husband and I have a giant Spanish language world map that was once used in a classroom. Lucky for us, it’s the same width as a queen-sized bed, and it now serves as a headboard in our guestroom. We hope it inspires sweet globetrotting dreams for our guests.
[Sources: Urban Outfitters, My Favorite and My Best, The Painted Hive, and 47 Park Avenue]
The map collages on the slanted ceilings shown below fascinate me. What a dreamy and unexpected idea! Since I’m also a collector of globes, of course, a vignette of globes in front of a large-scale map also caught my eye.
[Sources: Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, and Elle Decor]
And one final idea for you: the vintage-style map of Italy below, which we purchased at Paper-Source, was my husband’s and my gift to each other for our second anniversary. I used cotton thread to stitch our honeymoon trip along the train routes in Italy. The hearts mark the cities that we visited: Rome, Florence, and Venice.
Do you have any maps decorating your home? Tell us about them in the comments!
Alaska never disappoints! This photo of Ptarmigan Creek in Moose Pass on the Kenai Peninsula was taken by Blake, Meagan’s cousin. We love how the sun shining in highlights the gorgeous purple fireweed!
