Has a song ever inspired you to travel? Or alternatively, do you relate a particular track (or even album) to a travel experience? I remember on my first big trip ever when my brother and I headed over to North America and Canada, I had a really good listen to Savage Garden’s Affirmation as we journeyed across British Columbia on board the SkyTrain. The beautiful anthems behind some of the tracks on the album formed a soundtrack which set the scene for me: stunning snow-capped mountains reaching into rainy skies, vast woods broken into parts by deep, eerie lakes, and a spectacular evolving landscape of green, aqua and earthy tones which rolls beyond Vancouver’s city limits. It sticks in my mind and is often something I call upon when reflecting on my most memorable travel experiences; and of course, any time I hear that music I’m transported back to the SkyTrain within a drizzly yet sublime space in time. Music and travel – such a special combination.
A few years ago too, Cooper and I were sitting in a bar in Barcelona – ironically, an Aussie-themed establishment called Hogans. As we ordered tapas and gazed happily upon Las Ramblas in the centre of a wonderful city we’ve come to love, we heard Olly Murs’ Troublemaker for the first time. We liked it instantly, but aside from generally enjoying the song’s fun melody, it was from then on always associated with an adventure en España.
Music and travel – is it just me?
These are a mere two of my examples, so it’s unsurprising that I was intrigued when travel website, Wotif, sent me survey results to consider which touched upon other travellers’ emotive music and travel experiences. They found that while only 39 per cent of participants surveyed said a song had actually inspired them to make real plans to travel, 77 per cent said that emotions brought about by music do generate a desire to get out into the world. Interestingly the tops songs with this impact included Leaving On a Jet Plane (Jen Denver), New York, New York (Frank Sinatra), On the Road Again (Willie Nelson) and another ode to NYC which yes, often makes me feel like catching a flight to JFK, Empire State of Mind (Jay-Z and Alicia Keys).
The survey also found that particular cities or destinations most pined for following musical triggers are New York, Australia, California, America and Paris.
Indeed, 54 per cent of survey participants said they associate a particular song with a holiday memory and 99 per cent of respondents said this was a good thing, that is, a nice memory association to keep hold of.
It seems most travellers associate songs with either an epic road trip or adventure (25 per cent), partying the night away (22 per cent – we’ve all done it!), ticking something off the ‘bucket list’ (13 per cent) or finding love (7 per cent).
What’s your story? Drop us a line in the comments below with a song, artist or album which either inspires you to travel or reminds you of a wonderful adventure.
When I checked in on Facebook from the Adelaide airport announcing my landing for the first time in South Australia for #WordsToGo14, I received a rush of feedback from fans, locals, and ex-pats living in other Aussie regions expressing enthusiasm for the city. Affectionately known as ‘Radelaide’, the city is renowned as being friendly, relaxed yet vibrant, and surrounded by rolling hills, beautiful beaches and world-famous wine and dairy producing regions. I discovered for myself the city’s delightful (and delicious) precincts dedicated to eating, boutique bars and gourmet food trucks, Haigh’s Chocolates, the National Wine Centre, as well as the southern hemisphere’s largest undercover produce market, Adelaide Central Markets.
Tasting Australia in Adelaide 2014
It seems fitting that among Adelaide’s many renowned annual events, the city also hosts one of the world’s most well known culinary festivals, Tasting Australia (tastingaustralia.com.au, 27 April to 4 May 2014).
The event is always a resounding success, and Tasting Australia in Adelaide 2014 is shaping up to be no exception, following a world-class program of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, cooking classes, experiences, tours and workshops presented by Australia’s very best chefs, winemakers and producers. The level of expertise is a cut above, and I became acutely aware of why South Australia has garnered an international reputation as a premier food and wine destination.
Adelaide was actually named as one of Lonely Planet‘s top 10 cities to visit in 2014; described as “effortlessly chic − and like a perfectly cellared red, it’s ready to be uncorked and sampled.”
About The City of Churches
WeekendNotes.com has presented a few neat facts on Adelaide that I’ll share with you briefly. “In 1836, a city named Adelaide was born with a proclamation under a gumtree at Glenelg, now a seaside suburb west of the city… Adelaide has been nicknamed the ‘City of Churches’. Although it is not known as to who first started using this nickname, one only needs to take a look around to dig out the rationale behind such a nickname. Churches boasting exquisite architectural designs abound in this beautiful city with the Holy Trinity Anglican Church being the oldest which was built in the year 1838…
Adelaide is reportedly home to the biggest display of Aboriginal Culture and artefacts. These are showcased at the South Australian Museum as well as at Tandanya – the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute… Arguably one can reach any point in the city within a period of 20 minutes thus the [other] nickname, ‘20 minutes’ city… Adelaide’s exotic Botanic Garden has the largest and oldest glasshouses in the Southern hemisphere. These glasshouses sure make some terrific tourist attractions… Adelaide is not only the capital of South Australia but is also the opal capital of Australia… [In Australia] Adelaide was the first place to abolish sexual and racial discrimination, the first to do away with capital punishment, the first to recognise Aboriginal land rights, the first to give women voting rights and interestingly is also the first place to legalise nude swimming.”
The southern hemisphere’s largest undercover produce market and South Australia’s most visited tourist attraction, with roots dating back to 1869. The market boasts over 80 stalls selling everything you can imagine, from fresh cheese, fruit, veges, bread, cakes, coffee, nuts, yoghurt and fare from around the region and the world. The market is easy to navigate as it’s divided into a colourful array of lanes and broadways; it’s also easy to find being as it’s generally referred to as being the ‘Heart of Adelaide’.
Now this is an experience that everyone in the family will adore. Indulge in a cheese-making master-class hosted by the gorgeous Sheree Sullivan and the team, who will guide you through making your very own cheese which you can create, take home, nurture and in good time eat. You’ll learn all about cheese (in an entertaining context − no boring science lectures here) as well as the wonderful local businesses in the Adelaide Hills region (many tight-knit family owned for generations); and you’ll enjoy lunch while your cheese mix incubates. A cheese and wine trail is on offer to explore on location in Hahndorf, and you can even take a cheese themed high tea for good measure. Many of the experiences on offer at Udder Delights are booked out in advance, so reserve your space to avoid disappointment.
Also worth a peep while you’re in the area is the picturesque Bird in Hand winery where I was lucky enough to experience my own unique version of the Udder Delights cheese-making master-class. Bird In Hand is now also hosting wonderfully chic musical events on site at the vineyard, check the website to see if something’s on that coincides with your visit: birdinhand.com.au.
Planning a trip to Adelaide? I enjoyed my stay at the Rendezvous Grand Adelaide Hotel –read more.
Got a comment, query or suggestion? I’d love to hear from you – there’s space below :-)
Best blogging tips (for business and hobby blogging newbies)
1. If you are writing “how to” type posts, longer and more detailed pieces generally receive more shares because if the piece is good, it becomes a point of reference for anyone interested in the subject matter (so the more detail the better; 800+ words).
2. Posts should be easy to read and neatly laid out. This means utilising H1 and H2 headers (larger text, such as the ‘best blogging tips’ headline above), bolded words and headings, sectioning pieces off as quotes, and using images to add colour and break text apart.
3. If you’re aiming to gather newsletter subscribers, your sign up form should be prominent and at the top of your site. Additionally, you should ask for as little detail as possible, and restrict sign up to simply email address and/or name, not age, location, address, phone. If people have to work too hard to be part of it, you’ll lose them.
4. Learn a little about SEO, so you are familiar with how to choose appropriate key words for your posts, and then include the key word / phrase (minimum four times) in the post and within the URL and H1 or H2 headlines. A resource I enjoy is Jim Stewart’s platform on Stewart Media, and his weekly videos.
5.Compose interesting blog posts which feature useful, helpful information. This works to position you as an expert and authority in your field (whatever it may be), rather than someone who is merely trying to “sell” a product or service. Helping others by sharing valuable information will lead to sales anyway, because through your blog you have the opportunity to garner trust as well as showcase your knowledge.
6. Readers love numbers and lists, so sometimes it is a good idea to present your material in this way, as I’ve done here with these snackable blogging tips.
7. Share and re-share. It is entirely feasible to share your post more than just once. Indeed, if you promote it on Twitter, Facebook or wherever you play on the web, there’s only a certain number of people who will see your update at that one particular point in time. Re-share (scheduling is ideal) your blog posts many times, at different points in the year and at varying times of the day for maximum exposure.
8. Make use of social sharing tools like Facebook scheduling, HootSuite, Viralwoot and Buffer so you may schedule as many posts as you like ahead of time. You could schedule material for social media sharing for a year ahead if you wanted to, and all in one day’s work.
9. Commenting. Ask readers to leave a comment and/or share. The majority of people cruising through your blog and social sites won’t generally understand the social etiquette rule of ‘liking’, ‘commenting’ and ‘sharing’, so ask them to perform the action you desire. This goes for blog activity as well as posts on Facebook etc. Some more advice here.
Then, when people do comment within any of your spaces, make sure you reply – engage in conversation so they know you’re real and interested to speak to them. It’s also manners if they’ve gone to the bother of engaging with you in the first place. Lastly, develop your online community by leaving comments on other sites and blogs. Read more about this here.
Got something to add, or a question to ask? Drop it in the comments below and we’ll reply as swiftly as we can.
Visualization simply stated, is using the power of our mind to paint pictures of our goals as complete. Visualizing our goals as accomplished gives our subconscious mind a picture of what we want and expect. Then it works towards making that goal a reality. When we visualize we are actually training our brain to seek what we want.
What happened to our imagination? Why were we forced to “grow up” and stop dreaming? Most people ask me how to visualize and usually follow up the question with the statement, “I’m not very good at it”, before I can even explain. The truth is everyone CAN visualize! It is simple and easy.
Why is Visualization Important?
Visualization is one of the most important tools in goal setting. We use it to program our subconscious mind to get what we want. The fact is that only three percent of the U.S. population have written goals. Once written down approximately ninety percent of those goals come to fruition.
The mind functions on different levels for goal attainment. The conscious mind selects the goals. The subconscious determines the actions needed to reach those goals. Both parts of the mind need to be in alignment and working together to attain our goals.
The subconscious mind moves away from pain towards pleasure. It uses the filters of past experiences, emotions and beliefs to judge if a new situation will bring you pleasure. Through picturing our dreams as complete, we have now activated our pleasure program and have given our subconscious the destination.
Why Does it Work?
Our subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real event and a highly imagined one. Athletes have been using the power of visualization for years to give them the winning edge. A golfer will “play out” the next putt going in the hole prior to even hitting the ball. Before shooting a free-throw, a basketball player will picture the ball going in the basket.
Getting started in three easy steps:
1. Write A Five Year Plan.
This can be done in many ways. The most fun and easy way I have found is to create and imagine your perfect world. Then pick a specific time in the future, I like five years, and write down how it looks to you.
How does your perfect world look to you?
Where do you live?
How are your relationships with your friends and family?
Do you have a partner?
Where do you work or do you even work at all?
What kind of car do you drive?
What is your lifestyle like?
2. Visualize Your Perfect World.
I have developed two different ways to visualize as I explain in my book Fun With Visualization: A Simple and Quick Way to Skyrocket Your Success. The first way is closed eye visualization. You simply close your eyes and picture your goal as complete, painting in more of the picture every day.
The second way is open eyed visualization. This is where you can get playful and imaginative. Simply stated, it is role playing with a partner. The five year plan is complete.
Here’s How:
Talk with a friend for 10-30 minutes each night as if you were living in your dream world, as if everything you wanted has come to fruition.
Make it real!
Make it fun!
This is your dream life, Live it up!
3. Commit to 30 days.
A new habit takes some time to develop! Give this the time it deserves.
Daily visualizations, along with happy emotions, are powerful tools that get results. Goals can be easily thought of as happiness we wish to create in our lives. Visualizing is simple, easy and fun! Take action and watch your perfect world move towards you.
About the author
Starr Pilmore is an author, speaker and coach, and founder of the innovative Fun With Visualizationprogram. Have a question? Email her.
We’d love your thoughts. Please do drop us a line in the comments below :-)
This evening I was lucky enough to attend a seminar, How to write a Lonely Planet guide, hosted by Intrepid Travel and featuring acclaimed author, journalist and presenter, Frances Linzee Gordon.
What she said:
[true sentiments on ‘travel’]
“Travel is addictive because of the adventure, self discovery, serendipity, fun, opportunities and stimulation that every day brings.
Travel is like making a new friend – you always listen out for the place in the news, you want to return, and you care about what happens there.
To write about a place you need to be saturated in it – learn some of the language, speak to/interview everyone, understand general costs of living etc.
Keep an ‘as you go’ diary to note down fresh impressions so when you’re tired and go to write up a feature you don’t forget things. Include details, colour, a local feel. Use the writer’s muscle – the more you use it, the better you are.”
[writer / traveller action points]
Keep a Diary – for fresh impressions on the road.
If you don’t have writing experience, consider taking a course.
Photography course – a great idea because your stories are more marketable with images. Also, you can sell to image libraries (eg. Getty, Lonely Planet) for extra income (because a travel writer’s income is limited).
Learn a language(s).
Enjoy the moment (adhere to the concept of ‘mindfulness’)– it’s easy to worry about money, going home, terrorists etc. – but stop and take in the amazing things you have in the moment.
Choose to support local businesses and industry.
Try everything – dance, eat – go outside your personality.
Enjoy – be safe without being paranoid, don’t be budget obsessed, be inconspicuous and be open to everything.
[Keep in mind…]
Beware: check local conditions before travel (eg. Disease, weather, crime).
Double check passport / copies accessible.
You’re more vulnerable to local threats if you look like a tourist. ‘When in Rome’… and be aware of what different clothes, or smoking / drinking in public may represent in some areas of the world.
Support is often not readily available so understand what emergency services etc are/aren’t available.
Arrange all relevant health vaccinations, dentist etc. 6 weeks prior to leaving.
Travel insurance – critical – but also check your insurance covers your proposed activities (eg. If you are going skiing, diving and so on, carefully check the terms because you can be caught out).
Research where you’re going.
Pack carefully – make a list then pack in ten minutes to avoid unnecessary extras.
Be aware of scams.
Always tell someone where you’re going.
Leave valuables behind, only carry money.
Stay in touch with home / leave an itinerary.
Make friends with the hotel manager – they are good for safety tips, local information and many other things.
[some final tips]
1. Especially in ‘hot’ places keep an eye on local press and talk regarding what’s going on – they’ll pick up on issues or uprisings etc. before national or international press.
2. Visit local tourist organisations and introduce yourself, say where you’re going, what you’re doing and ask for a letter for introduction. It can come in handy in sticky situations or if you’re in trouble.
3. 3-second rule (trust your gut) – look someone in the eye for three seconds, make a character judgement – stick with that impression no matter what.
4. Be careful when taking photos – you’re often not concentrating on what’s happening around you in order to capture ‘the shot’, so in pairs keep an eye out for each other so that no one is being robbed while they are photographing something.
5. Photo tips – make people laugh, use alternative angles and look for different places to take photos of famous landmarks (i.e. alternative vantage points from where most tourists are directed to take shots). Always ask for permission before taking someone’s photo.
6. When in a restaurant write notes – you look like a food critic and are more likely to receive better service!
How to write a Lonely Planet guide
Serious about being an author for Lonely Planet? Their recruitment notes on how to write a Lonely Planet guide state:
Evidence of ‘special expertise’ (eg. Language, rock climbing, diving, other special interests, e.g. Lived, travelled, written; any evidence of independent travel)
Always meet deadlines and word count
NB. LP publications use simple sentences and language – be mindful they’re usually translated.
[This is a re-post from the archives. Originally posted July 13 2011, London]
As a follow up to yesterday’s musings on lack of motivation, I decided to take action, and am excited to say I feel back on track. I didn’t this morning however, but following these steps, I’ve been humming along nicely.
1. One piece of advice I mentioned I’d read about on how to get motivated now, was to do something first thing that inspires towards your goal.
With that in mind, I listened to a webinar re-play on “being productive” by the lovely Melanie Duncan. In it she shares her top 10 tools that will make you ten times more productive in less than a week.
Hopefully you can listen to it HERE, but if that link is expired, sign up for her mailing list at melanieduncan.com and I’m sure there’ll be another opportunity for you to learn with her soon.
2. Geared up following an hour on “productivity”, I thought it was important to take heed of one of Melanie’s key messages on ‘focus’, so decided to dedicate twenty minutes to getting my head in order.
This really helped:
3. One of the tools Melanie mentioned in her webinar is Focus @ Will which captured my interest because it blends music with neuroscience studies, and promises to deliver tracks that increase attention span by up to 400%! So important when you have to spend your day writing… and focussed (sometimes really hard!). I’m presently trialling it – so far so good. It’s quite classical, but apparently that’s conducive to concentration and productivity, so I’ll stick with it.
Do you have a comment, suggestion or advice? Please do share in the comments or drop me a line on Facebook or Twitter.
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