Category Archives: Trip Reports

a close up of stamps

Which National Anthem Never Gets Sung?

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Do you get fascinated by certain travel facts that send you on fun journeys learning something new? A friend recently asked me if I knew that there were national anthems that people don’t sing. Hmm, interesting question. I always imagined that a national anthem always gets sung, but I was wrong. Then my friend told me it was actually the national anthem of a country I’d even been to. OK, now I was really curious. And also feeling pretty dumb realizing just how few national anthems I’d even recognize. There are actually four anthems with no lyrics, hence no singing! Do you know which ones they are? Do you think you’d recognize many anthems? I’ve been having fun listening to them , but then I know I’m weird. I can’t wait for my next trip so I can sing, or maybe just hum, the anthem while I’m visiting. Check out the anthems of every nation and maybe even sing along! And here’s the anthem my friend was asking me about.

a blue and red airplane with black text

Best Southwest Airlines Boarding & Safety Announcement One-Liners (Share Your Favorites)

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Good afternoon everyone.  I don’t know about you, but I just love flying Southwest Airlines.  And one of the many reasons why I enjoy flying Southwest Airlines is the happy attitude of the flight attendants, pilots, and crew.  Normally, after boarding a Southwest Airlines flight, I start watching free TV or listen to my music, but every now and then, I listen to the flight attendant announcements.  Here are 3 examples of funny Southwest Airlines one-liners that come to mind.

1. After all the passengers are seated and the plane begins to push back from the gate, the flight attendant comes on the speaker and says:

Attention passengers, did someone lose a wallet?  Now that I have your attention, let’s go through the safety announcements for this flight.

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a heart made of coffee beans

Bean Around The World: Stockholm, Sweden

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I guess it’s time for a true confession. I’m a coffee snob. And when I travel, I have a passion for supporting local roasters and coffee houses. Let’s just say I’ve BEAN Around the World and I’m feeling like now is the time to start sharing the love… and caffeine, one city at a time. Recently, I had a wonderful holiday in Stockholm, Sweden. And though it was hard to tear myself away from the sites and all the bakeries, I did explore the coffee houses, and I’m glad I did. I drank plenty of coffee, talked with baristas, and I’ve got lots to share with you. Let’s open the TWG cafe society doors and talk coffee, Stockholm style.

I’ll say right up front that Scandinavia gets a lot of buzz for having the current “happening” coffee scene. Part of planning this trip was actually based on wanting to experience the scene myself and see what all the hoopla was about. My impressions in Stockholm, as they did in Copenhagen, run the gamut from being thrilled to being disappointed. Continue reading →

a heart made of coffee beans

Bean Around The World: Copenhagen, Denmark

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I guess it’s time for a true confession. I’m a coffee snob. And when I travel, I have a passion for supporting local roasters and coffee houses. Let’s just say I’ve BEAN Around the World and I’m feeling like now is the time to start sharing the love… and caffeine, one city at a time. Recently, I had a wonderful holiday in Copenhagen, Denmark. And though it was hard to tear myself away from the sites and all that delicious herring, I did explore the coffee houses, and I’m glad I did. I drank plenty of coffee, talked with baristas, and I’ve got lots to share with you. Let’s open the TWG cafe society doors and talk coffee, Copenhagen style.

I’ll say right up front that Scandinavia gets a lot of buzz for having the current “happening” coffee scene. Part of planning this trip was actually based on wanting to experience the scene myself and see what all the hoopla was about. My impressions run the gamut from being thrilled to being totally disappointed. Continue reading →

a map of europe with black text

Come Say Hi to Me at the Chicago Seminars (Friday-Sunday October 19-21)

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Good morning everyone. I am heading to Chicago this weekend for the Chicago Seminars travel conference. Registration is still open if you can get to Chicago this weekend. I’ve gone to the Chicago Seminars several times over the last few years and it is my favorite travel conference (shhh, don’t tell FTU). I’ll be there wearing my Travel with Grant shirt, so feel free to stop me and say hello. I love meeting readers and putting faces to names. Here are a few of my friends who I’ve met at previous Chicago Seminars:

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Have a great day everyone!