Gettin’ Carried Away

I’ve always said that people should immerse themselves in another culture. This includes celebrating another country’s holidays, as well.

While I did not live in England until the second half of the year (September to December 2006), that does not mean that I didn’t get into the English culture completely. I learned a lot about holidays like Guy Fawke’s Day and Boxing Day, and I even became aware of the various Bank holidays that occur throughout each year. But there’s one holiday in the United Kingdom that falls on, well, today! And I’d like to celebrate it here in the United States.

~* Mom & Me, shortly after my return from the UK in 2006 *~

Like Mother’s Day here in the United States, Mothering Sunday is a holiday celebrated within the United Kingdom where children pay respect to their mothers. The difference is that Mothering Sunday in England is a more Christian holiday that is celebrated on the fourth Sunday during Lent, whereas Mother’s Day in America, while inspired by the British holiday, is not associated with religion and is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May.

One tradition of Mothering Sunday in England is baking Simnel cakes. It’s basically a fruit cake, which boasts a layer of marzipan on top, decorated with 11 marzipan balls. These balls represent the 11 apostles, as one of them (Judas) betrayed Jesus. This resulted in the crucifixion of Jesus and his subsequent rising from the dead, which is what Christians celebrate on Easter Sunday.

I’d be lost without my mom, my #1 fan. Just because I love her so much, I’d like to celebrate Mother’s Day twice this year. So here goes Round One: Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

Before you ask… no, I’m not getting married. However, after watching Celebrity Apprentice tonight, I began thinking about it. And you know I can’t think about anything without associating it with travel.

On tonight’s episode, the challenge was to sell up to 125 wedding gowns, with all the proceeds given to the Project Manager’s charity. While I watched people like Melissa Rivers and Clint Black try to sell designer gowns to the women of New York and to all of their celebrity contacts, I started to daydream about destination weddings and honeymoons. And then I remembered a fellow blogger lady…

The best advice I could give any bride-to-be when it comes to weddings and traveling is to visit Globetrotting Bride. Written by a New Yorker/recent bride, the website offers the best tips on bachelorette parties, weddings, honeymoons and more.

Right now, the Globetrotting Bride is up to honeymoon packing tip #8! And ladies, trust me when I tell you that this knowledgeable New Yorker really knows how to help you pack for your honeymoon. She covers everything from perfume and makeup to bathing suits and undergarments!

If you were curious to know about my honeymoon plans, I truly don’t have any yet. I don’t even have a fiance. But I do know that I would love to go to Australia/New Zealand for my honeymoon. Where would you go?

Times are tight. Money isn’t easy to make. Hopefully, the state of the economy in 2009 (and beyond) will improve little by little. Until then, we have to work with what we’ve got.

I have even neglected my own blog in order to devote more time to work. And while I’ve been making more money, I realized that I lost sight of my passion: traveling. So what do we do when we’re struggling to make a buck, but we still want to travel? I’ve got a few ideas…

Explore your city: If you live in (or near) a big city, get out there and do some exploring! Chances are, you have not visited every square inch of your neighborhood. Even if you live in a small town, there might be a local bar or a family-owned restaurant close to your home that has never been graced with your presence.

For me, I headed up north to Wrigleyville. As a White Sox fan, I don’t venture over there too often. However, I made some amazing discoveries, like the Horizon Cafe. Here, you can get a $5.99 breakfast any time of the day. For me, the Teriyaki Chicken Pita ($8 with fries and soup) was a the most perfect afternoon meal I could ask for.

Take day trips or 24-hour trips: I live roughly 20 minutes from the Illinois/Indiana border. I also live about two hours from a friend’s cottage in Michigan. If I just do a little net research, I can find endless ways to fill my days.

Lucky for me, though, my friend Sam has invited me to his cottage  in Michigan the weekend of April 24. My plan is to go for just a day, as I work on Sundays. However, I also need to save money, so this little 24-hour getaway is perfect for my budget. Where do you live? I’m willing to bet that with some good research, I’d be able to find something exciting for you to do in a span of 24 hours.

Plan inexpensive weekend getaways… and bring friends: It’s always easy to travel when you split the cost with a few people. When you’re going away with, say, three people, a $300 hotel stay becomes $100 and a $150 worth of gas pumping becomes $50. The rest of the expenses left to you will include fun and food… and you can always find affordable activities and cheap eats.

I have a few baseball road trips in the works, including a day trip to Milwaukee and road trips to Cleveland, Kansas City and Minneapolis. I think I have one or two spaces left in the car… who’s in?