The week in travel: July 2, 2010

It’s 56 degrees! And raining! Yesterday, I made soup for dinner. Hooray for summer in Seattle (in all seriousness, if I don’t get some sunshine, soon, I’m moving to California. And I hate California).

As for this past week, I’m not gonna lie: it’s been a mixed bag for seemingly everyone but me (my week was downright delightful). Some people have amazing news (new jobs! New apartments! New babies!) while others I’ve talked to have had a rough time of it (some big uncomfortable changes and nasty breaks). Accordingly, this week’s posts are a bittersweet mix of sentimental, silly, and at times even snake-y. Hopefully they’ll either sustain the good mood you’re in, or cure what ails ya. Enjoy.

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The blogatrix behind Brooke vs. the World has written a great piece about the strange, lonely melancholy that occasionally accompanies us on our travels. It’s incredibly easy to relate to, and will have you wondering, “Is travel all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows?” (My answer: No. But it’s still worth it).

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An illustration of the never-ending struggle … between donut and bagel.

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This warmed the brittle lump of coal that is my heart. (Via Slog)

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Keith Savage, of The Traveling Savage, has a great post up entitled “The Goodbye Traveler“. He notes that when a vacation comes to an end, not only should we say goodbye to friends and family members, but also to the places we visited. We should take a moment to reflect, to express gratitude, and to close the book on our travels (at least for now).

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Apparently eating airline food can get you sick. How this is news? We’ve all learned this lesson (and painfully), I’m sure.

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I have not read the Twilight books nor seen the movies (and I don’t intend to). Nevertheless, this made me giggle like a little girl. Professor Snape, FTW.

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Kristin, the blogatrix behind Camels and Chocolate, shares her harrowing tale of encountering a black spitting cobra while on honeymoon in Borneo (don’t worry: she comes out unscathed)

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This picture collage shows the amount of food families in different countries eat over a week (note: it’s depressing, but fascinating). (via reddit.com)

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EU 261 is a new law protecting travelers heading to Europe. The airlines are doing all they can to work around it, and consequently don’t want you to be too informed about the intricacies of the law. So, naturally, you should commit the whole damn thing to memory.

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Hurry! Only a few more weeks to enter The Washington Post’s Travel Photo Contest!

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And one last thing of note – and it’s an important one. My brilliant friend Mimi started a blog (apparently several months ago, but I was drunk at the time, and didn’t pick up on it until now) about what it’s like to be bi-cultural in the U.S. (she moved to the states from Japan while in high school). It’s called Don’t Put Chopsticks in Your Hair. And it’s awesome.

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That’s it – have a safe and happy Fourth!