Boarding Pass – Lauren of Double Takes

Based on her blog – Double Takes – full of amazing finds, I knew Lauren Kilberg had good taste. But as soon as I saw her response for today’s Boarding Pass column and the fact that she travels with the same gnome as I do, she couldn’t help win me over a bit more. As this post goes up, Lauren is off adventuring in Seoul, Korea. I can’t wait to hear more about her travels over there, but, in the meantime, read on for some great insight into how Lauren travels. She totally makes me want to shoot in black and white again! {Thanks, Lauren!}

{Me-Cliffs of Moher, Ireland}

last trip taken:

Memphis, Tennessee this past April. It was 4 fabulous days of stuffing my face and my ears with bbq and blues.

{Memphis, Tenn.}

next trip on deck:

I’m heading to South Korea this weekend and will be there for the next 5 weeks.

{Prague, Czech Republic}

one place you would go back to again and again:

Without hesitation, Prague. I spent a month there last summer and adored every single moment of my stay. I felt incredibly connected to that city and truly loved the person I was there.

{Korcula, Croatia}

place you’d most likely recommend a friend go visit:

I almost always say Korčula, Croatia. I visited there on a whim while traveling throughout Croatia and was stunned by its beauty. Thus far, it’s the most amazingly serene island I’ve had the pleasure of visiting.

{Zabreg, Croatia}

preferred method of transportation:

When getting to a destination, either by car or train. Truthfully, I’m terribly afraid of flying and prefer the ever-changing scenery of ground travel over just about anything else. My dream method would be vintage airstream trailer. Once I’m at my destination I like to explore on foot and by bike.

place you’ve never been but dying to go:

My travel bucket list is endless. Lately, my compass is pointing me toward Portugal, India, Iceland, or anywhere within the Arctic Circle.

{Lennon Wall Prague, Czech Republic}

place you’d never go back:

So far, no where. I’ve visited a few places I haven’t terribly enjoyed, but that almost always makes me want to go back more. I’ve learned that too many factors can effect how I receive a place and if I don’t love it the first time around, it might be a favorite destination the next time.

{Me-Vince Italy}

{Prague, Czech Republic}

most memorable trip:
I’d probably have to say the backpacking trip I took through Eastern Europe last summer with my boyfriend. I learned so much about traveling, myself, and truly had my perspectives changed.

{Ljubljana, Slovenia}

how do you prepare for a trip?

If I’m flying, panic. Just kidding. Typically I try to do a little research but not over plan. The most successful trips I’ve taken have been without an itinerary. I like to have a enough knowledge about my destination to appreciate it but not so much it ruins all the surprise. Otherwise, I like to have the free will to let the trip’s people and experiences take me where they do.

{Dingle Bay, Ireland}

how do you record your travels when you’re traveling?

This is something I’m tweaking with every trip I take. To a fault, I save every little relic from recites, ticket stubs, coasters, napkins, you name it. I used to try and long-form journal every trip, but I’ve found this distracts from my travels. I leave the reflecting for after I’m home and have started just documenting notes and sketches. I jot down notes on each day, where I ate, what I ordered, quotes, little thoughts, sketches, names of people I meet, anything I think I might want to remember. However, I do the most recording during my travels with my cameras.

{Sunset Photo, Southern Missouri}

what is your favorite thing to photograph in a new place?
Everything! My motto is “snap now, delete later.” I’ve started a little tradition of watching a sunset in every place I visit and almost always snap a picture of that. Otherwise, doors, textures, patterns and sometimes my feet (when traveling alone, you know, to prove I was there).

{Dingle Bay, Ireland}

on an average, how many pictures to you take on a trip?

If you asked someone who has traveled with me, they’d probably say too many. It’s a trait I picked up from traveling with my farther.

{Polaroids I took from various trips}

what’s in your “designer travel kit” ?

Several Moleskine Chier Notebooks for jotting down details and sketches. I always travel with my cameras: Sony Cyber-Shot DSC H5 (I need an upgrade), Polaroid camera, and a Diana lomography camera. My Chaco sandals so I can do plenty of uninhibited exploring (strappy tan lines on my feet are a sure sign I’ve been on a trip). My traveling gnome, which was given to me by my mother for good luck. She has come to expect “photo updates” from the roaming gnome.

what do you do after a trip? how long after a trip does this happen?
It usually takes me a bit to recover from my travels, depending on the length of travel. I typically try to visit family if I’ve been overseas for a long time. I usually edit my photos and develop my favorites. I typically resume long-form journaling and document my reflections on the trip. I also sort through everything I’ve collected on the trip and decide what’s worth keeping and file away the trip’s relics and notebooks.

{Patches}

favorite souvenir/thing to bring back?

My habits are pretty typical. Since I was a kid I’ve collected postcards from my travels and continue to do so today. In college, I started buying maps of every state and country I’ve visited as well as patches. I’m a chronic over packer and after getting gifts for family and friends, I don’t have much room to bring back big souvenirs for myself.