How I spend my arrival day in a new city

After numerous trips to Europe over the past 30 years, I've come up with ideas for what to do when you first arrive in a foreign city - anywhere - and are trying to survive on jetlag!  Here's what works for me.  Use some common sense on the airplane.  Drink lots of water or juice.  This will keep you hydrated which is really important.  Caffeinated drinks will dehydrate you and keep you "buzzed".  If you can't sleep (like me!) then at least do something relaxing like listening to music.  Try not to keep your brain active the entire flight by watching videos or playing games.  Remember you're losing a lot of hours on the flight that you will not make up for.  So be kind to yourself so you're not a complete zombie once you land in your new, exciting city!  If it's too early to check into your hotel you can ask the hotel desk where you might be able to store your bags until check-in time.  They always have a room or closet where you can leave your things.  Then take a walk around the neighborhood.  Look for the closest ATM.  BTW, your debit card is the best idea ever for getting cash anywhere in the world (just be sure to let your bank know you'll be out of the country otherwise you risk having your account frozen when they see foreign transactions).  Find the closest market/grocer.  This is actually a fun place to visit.  Other countries' versions of the neighborhood market are very different from ours.  Find some cookies or candies that look different and interesting - or buy some local cherries or strawberries - yummmmm!  See if there's a pharmacy nearby.  You never know when you might have an allergy flareup or trouble sleeping or need bandaids, sunscreen, antacids, etc.  Grocery stores don't sell these things in Europe.  Maybe there's a little cafe where you can grab a coffee or soft drink.  Sit outside and watch the world go by in your new neighborhood.  If there's an attraction close by you might want to enjoy that, but a quick note here - it will be hard to enjoy if you're really dragging from jetlag - save it for later.  Familiarize yourself with the currency if you haven't already done that - and with the public transportation system.  If you're going to be in a city for longer than a couple of days it may be advantageous to buy a metro/bus pass and a museum pass.  In Paris these will save you, not only money, but time!  You won't have to stand in lines!  Once I get checked into the hotel I usually take a shower first thing.  After sitting on a plane for 10-12 hours and wearing the same clothes for over 24 hours a shower is a welcome refresher.  I'm not a napper, but I know some people benefit from a short nap.  SHORT!  You want your body to get accustomed to the new time zone as quickly as possible and this won't happen if you sleep through the first day.  Eat meals at the time they are eaten in your new city.  I like to eat an early dinner and then try to get a decent nights sleep that first night.  And be sure to set your alarm clock or have a wake-up call ordered or maybe both!  I can't tell you how many times I've slept through my alarm that next morning as my body is rebelling against waking up at an unusual time.  The first 2 days for me are the hardest but then once I get into the pattern of things I'm fine.  I hope you'll share what helps you get over jetlag and how you like to spend your "landing day" in your new city.  A bientôt!

On Traveling

My dad had a phrase he'd use a lot when we were traveling or camping, especially when he wasn't sure exactly where we were.  He'd say, "It's just around the next bend."  When I was little I didn't realize the significance of those words.  I'm not sure he did.  It became a little joke between us.  But now, after years and years of traveling (I must have picked up the travel "bug" from my dad!), those five words are the reason why I love to travel.  I don't understand people who say they don't want or don't like to travel, or those who say they would never travel outside the US.  I wonder what they're afraid of.  Are they fearful of what's around the next bend?  I suppose for some, it is scary - the "not knowing".  For me, it's exactly why I love to travel!  I've learned so much about myself from being in a new place.  It forces me to stretch beyond my idea of who I am.  Every new place and adventure adds to the person of "Candy".  I've never been one of those people content to simply read about life.  Oh, I do love to read!  It's the cheapest form of travel.  I learned that when I was a child.  You can be anyone, anywhere, in any time period when you read a book.  As an extremely visual person, I have a "movie" going in my head when I read.  I much prefer reading out loud as I love the sounds of the words and the pictures that they paint on the canvas of my imagination.  But, if I can have the real thing - the actual experience of being in a different place - then I feel that I'm the luckiest person on earth.  I have "lived" with the Neanderthals in the south of France, with the Romans in Italy and France, with Richard the Lionheart as he conquered towns during the middle ages, with Michelangelo as he painted the Sistine Chapel, with Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette as they lived the life of luxury and then were executed by the people they loved, with the Mayans in their temples to the rain god.  Oh, I could go on and on.  And yes, I could read about all of them, but it isn't the same as walking where they walked and feeling their spirits become part of my life.  That's what I mean about stretching who I am.  And so I thank my daddy every time I travel and feel his spirit of adventure in me.  To all of you travelers (in life, if no where else!) I say to embrace the idea that we don't have all the answers and we don't know what will happen next. Seeing things from a new and different perspective is, not only healthy mentally and emotionally, but will change how you view yourself and the world.   So take the challenge to go down that path - either treading lightly or running full steam ahead - to see what's around the next bend.   A bientôt!