Welcome to the Travelling Tillenius’!

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience” – Eleanor Roosevelt

That wonderful quote explains why I love to travel and why I started this blog. Travelling is my passion and I want to share my experiences with all of you. Blogging is my eager reach out without fear for new and rich experiences.

My name is Ashley, I am a twenty-six year old married mom of one. I have a full-time job, I have an event planning company (Intricate Events) and I am an independent distributor for NuCerity International. I enjoy yoga, baking, my family and this blog.

I LOVE TRAVEL – I have loved travelling since I was young. I travelled with classmates, my parents, my in-laws, my best friends and now my own family. I get excited right from the start; choosing the next destination, planning the details, researching the must-see’s in the area and even packing. Most of all, I can’t wait to get there.

I hope this blog will be a collection of my past, present and future adventures. I hope this blog is a resource for you, a travel lover, to find tips and tricks to plan your own adventure. I hope this blog will get you excited about travel.

Please take this journey with me, I hope you find wonder in my stories, helpful tips in my information and excitement in my future adventures.

Thank you for reading, your next adventure awaits!

Ashley

Categories: Housekeeping | Leave a comment

Tips! Air/Car Travel With a Baby

Baby and I just returned from a lovely vacation in BC. Two 1 1/2 hour plane rides, a 4 hour car ride and a 6 1/2 hour car ride were accomplished. We survived them all! This was the third time baby and I enjoyed a ride on a plane together (the first two trips he slept the whole flight!). I didn’t get so lucky this time. Baby is almost 10 months now and he is active! He has just started to walk and is very curious about his surroundings; that all adds up to tiring travel. Here are some tips on how I kept us organized (and happy) through our travels:

AIR TRAVEL:
1. Choose a seat close to the back of the plane. I always choose the farthest back row I can. Airlines fill the seats from front to back so you just might get lucky with an empty seat next to you for baby to explore.
2. Choose a window seat. This seems like an obvious one to me, but I have seen my fair share of babes in the middle seats! At least with the window they can look outside and you can point things out to them. The aisle is too dangerous for the little explorers and your seat mates won’t appreciate you in the middle!
3. Change the diaper on the plane. Don’t be afraid! All planes are equipped with a change table in at least one of the washrooms. It may be small; but, it gives you and baby the opportunity to get out of the seat, stretch your legs, and explore.
4. Gate check your stroller. Bring your stroller all the way to the gate. Baby can sit in it, sleep in it, and wait in it. It’s also a familiar place in an airport and saves you from carrying the little one or worrying about them walking away.
5. Bring toys. I connect all my toys together with the plastic chain clips, this way they don’t get lost. It also makes it easier to grab them quickly or hang them off the stroller, your bag, the seat, etc.
6. Bring food and drink. Infant food, formula and breast milk are all exempt from the carry-on limits. So bring everything you can! (Careful not to bring restricted food items though). Feeding or drinking baby is always a good distraction. Drinking can also help with any ear pressure discomfort.
7. If your baby uses it, bring a baby carrier. If you already use one, you recognize the convenience of being hands free in the airport. With so many items to hold and carry, having a baby carrier is very handy. It might also assist with getting baby to sleep on the plane.
8. Don’t hold baby back. Let him explore the seat! Let him climb on you, play with the tray table, sit on the floor and explore. Babies need stimulation and you can find lots in that little area!

CAR TRAVEL:
1. Pick the right time. I always start my travels as soon as baby makes any motion that he is tired. That way, he will nap for a good chunk of the trip.
2. Take extra time. You will need to stop to let baby out of the car seat and to feed him. Always budget for this extra time when travelling by car.
3. Load up on toys. Baby will be strapped into his car seat the whole time you are travelling; make sure he’s got enough to keep him busy.
4. Bring a sunshade. There is nothing worse than sitting for hours in a car with the sun beaming right in your face. Baby can’t move out of the sun! Make sure you have a shade to keep him cool and comfortable in his seat.
5. Keep baby involved. It’s tiring for everyone to sit in the car for hours and conversation really helps. Don’t forget about the little guy back there; involve him in the conversation – even if he can’t quite talk back yet!
6. Buckle baby up right. Make sure you’ve buckled baby up comfortably. He’s going to be in that position for a couple hours. You don’t need sore necks from falling asleep in an awkward position, sore bums from not sitting properly or sore shoulders from too-tight straps!
7. Use a mirror. This is a double duty one: baby can enjoy looking at himself in the mirror and you can have peace of mind knowing what your little one is up to from the driver’s seat.
8. Don’t forget about the windows! Not only does it provide fresh air, but it can also make fun noises and give baby something new to look at.

I hope you found some helpful tips here. What tips do you have for air or car travel?
Our next adventure involves two flights and a layover; hopefully we will survive that one!
Thanks for reading, your next adventure awaits!

Categories: Family Travels, Travel Tips | Tags: | 1 Comment

Panama: Why you should go!

IMG_1184

Feast your eyes on the skyline of Panama City. Beautiful. One of the many reasons  you should visit Panama. My husband and I had the pleasure of visiting Panama City in February 2012 and it is a wonderful city. Although we didn’t get outside of the city; Panama has something to offer every traveller. We learned much about the country and I would love to see the rest of it in my future travels.

My top reasons to visit Panama:

1. The entire country is beautiful. Panama has tons of coastline (read: beaches!), lush rain forests and some mountains too. The flora and fauna of the country is something to be seen.

IMG_1176 2. Panama City. A beautiful city that can not be passed by. Full of luxury hotels, great shopping and delicious restaurants; not to mention stunning architecture.

3. Casco Viejo. (The Old Quarter in Panama City) Stroll along cobblestone streets, narrow shopping avenues and explore government houses; including the Presidential Palace.

IMG_1193 4. Weather. When we were there the weather was great. It was warm with a light breeze; coming from Canada it was so refreshing! They do have a rainy season; but, from what I heard it’s mostly rain bursts that don’t disrupt the day too much.

5. Friendly people. I have visited my fair share of places that are not friendly to tourists. In Panama City everyone was so friendly; from asking for directions, to ordering food, touring the Old Quarter and merchants in the markets.

IMG_1224 6. The canal. Obviously! We had the pleasure of travelling through the canal on our cruise ship and it really was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The ease in which the ships sail through amazed me – and how close the two sides are to each other! It was remarkable engineering. It was also pretty neat to be in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea in one day!

7. Shopping. We found some great deals in Panama; but, the best one was definitely the booze! My husband enjoyed picking up his favourite rum at an unseen price!

I hope that you have the opportunity to visit this beautiful city and country in your future travels. Whether you travel with family or friends, stay in a resort or backpack – Panama should definitely be on your list of future adventures!

Thank you for reading, your next adventure awaits!

Ashley

Categories: Past Adventures | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Why cruising is a great way to travel.

Coral PrincessThat is the Coral Princess. One of the ships in the Coral class of the Princess Cruise Lines fleet. It can hold almost 2000 passengers and about 900 crew. A smaller ship, but a wonderful journey.

The photo was taken on the beaches of Costa Rica on a cruise I took in February 2012. It was wonderful. Fourteen days on board a luxurious Princess Cruise. Stops in Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia and Aruba; but, the best part was sailing completely through the Panama Canal. That was once in a lifetime. It was brilliant.

If you have never been on a cruise before you are missing out. It is a hassle-free, relaxing, all-inclusive, inexpensive way to travel.

Let me give you my top ten reasons why cruising is a great way to travel:

1. It’s all-inclusive. (Well minus the drinks.) A cruise includes: great food, accommodations, transportation, entertainment, casino, recreation activities, gym, fitness classes, library, pools, and so much more! You will never be bored on a cruise.

2. It’s several vacations in one. This is great! You unpack once, sleep in the same place every night and all your meals are prepared for you; but, you can visit so many ports of call on one vacation. No travel arrangements, lost time, lost luggage or forgotten visa’s to deal with.

3. It’s delicious! The food is delicious, plentiful and sometimes, exotic. There is food available at all times, yes 24 hours a day! The variety is unmatched; you can visit the main buffet, special a la carte restaurants, the main dining room or themed snack bars. Plus, the dessert is never ending. Often, you can even try exotic foods from the ports of call that you visit.

4. It’s inexpensive. Dollar for dollar, cruising provides you with the best vacation value. When you break down the per-day costs (which could be as low as $50!) you know you are getting a good bang for your buck. Where else could you find three meals (or more!) per day, accommodations, transportation and entertainment for only $50 a day?

5. It’s relaxing. Are you the type of person who prefers to lounge pool/beachside? Then a cruise is the right vacation for you! With pools on board, pool activities, relaxing adult-only pool areas and great beaches at each port of call; you will find your lounging fill on a cruise.

6. It’s fun. There is so much to do and see on a cruise that it’s hard to not have fun. From the activities on board, to the excursions at each port of call you can keep yourself having fun at all times!

7. It’s stress free. Nothing says vacation like having someone else do all the work for you. Don’t want to cook? No problem. Don’t want to drive or fly? No problem. Don’t want to park at the theatre for a show? No problem. Don’t want to arrange your own activities at each destination? No problem. Cruising is hassle-free.

8. It’s ideal for every age. On a cruise you will see the very young to the very old. There are things to do at every age and no one will be bored.

9. It’s going to leave you wanting more. Once you go on a cruise you will be addicted. The ease of the vacation will make you ready to plan the next one before this one is over! But, I always say you can never have too many vacations.

10. There are tons of options! Not only on board, but before you go. You can choose from: different cruise lines, different cruise ships, different ports of call, different sail dates, different staterooms, and different itineraries. The choices (and fun!) are endless.

I hope these reasons might help to tip the scales and persuade you to try a cruise for your next vacation. I know you won’t be disappointed.

Thanks for reading, your next adventure awaits!

Ashley

Categories: Family Travels, Past Adventures, Travel Tips | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

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