I started travelling when I was just four years old. Of course at four, I can't remember anything about the country I visited or which country it was. In fact, I never actually appreciated the concept of going to another country to explore or discover new places until I had to pay for my own trips. You see, I am an SIA brat.
What do I mean by SIA brat? My dad worked for many years for Singapore Airlines, my country's national carrier. Now maybe you did know, but for the benefit of those who don't, SIA staff get a free ticket each year to fly to any country the carrier flies to. And this free air ticket extends to the spouse of the staff as well as their children - provided the children are not working and under 26. Unfortunately, I have to reveal my age here for you to fully comprehend the meaning of this. I am most definitely above 26. In fact, I am closing in on the big 3-0 very soon.
So this yearly free ticket to go anywhere in the world SIA flew to meant that I could travel the world once a year for free. If you think about it, its not entirely free of course! There's still the accommodation to pay for, the attraction entrance fees, food, and of course you pay for all the shopping you eventually will do when you're visiting a new country. But we all know that when travelling, the 2 most expensive things you tend to spend a lot of money on is the air fare and the accommodation. So being able to fly for free frees up your budget for perhaps better accommodation, decent food, and a few more attractions.
When I was going on family trips with my parents and my younger brother, because I have been travelling since a really young age, I took the ease at which I was able to travel to new places for granted. So I never realised how much I loved to travel until I didn't have that many years left to fly once a year, for free. Now, with work taking up most of my time, the opportunity to travel is diminished. I pay more than I ever had to to travel, and considering I'm not in a high paying job, travelling to different countries becomes even harder. But nonetheless, I love to travel and I won't stop trying to find ways and means to do so. Hence the name of my blog The SIA Brat Adventures.
One of the main features in my blog will be the series of articles called My Week In. It's a work in progress as blogging is currently still a part time thing for me and my work keeps me busy most of the time (I'm a writer at my national broadcasting station you see). So what is My Week In all about and how did it come about? Well, here's the story.
I recently returned from a work trip in New York City. And although I was physically in New York City for more than a week, I really only got to explore the place for a week. And I was thinking, I have 21 days annual leave, I can afford the time to make 3 to 4 trips anywhere in the world if I wanted to. Money is another matter, but I don't have to travel to exotic or expensive places for all 3 trips.
"One week is not enough to do justice to any country or city" I hear you say. And I agree wholeheartedly. But, if I can only afford the time and money to conquer a place one week at a time, then so be it. I used to think it was more worth my while to go to one region of the world then hop from country to country for a whole month. Because that way, I saved on having to buy the expensive air ticket it would cost me to fly to a region further away from home (Singapore) more than once. Well it does make sense to do that. However, I find that I become greedy and eventually, I will put more and more places I want to cover on the trip and end up only going to places for less than a week. I did that last year with my Mother and visited 5 countries in a month - Spain (Barcelona), Italy (Capri, Florence, Milan, Naples, Pisa, Pompeii, Rome, Sicily, Sorento, Venice, Verona), Vatican City, London, Paris. And true enough, I was never in any city for more than a week.
So from here on end, even if I do a month long trip, I'm going to explore one city or one country for at least a week before moving on to the next place.
Now everyone enjoys taking photographs, especially while on holiday. I am no exception. And so the photo series Snapped was born. I love taking photographs and I don't just take landscape photographs. Maybe it's an artwork that draws me to it, or something pretty that caught my eye, but usually I end up going to great lengths to snap a photo of it.
Another main feature will be the Book It! series. You see I am not the kind of traveller that likes to wing it or backpack. So I like to plan and book what I can way ahead of time. With Book It!, I will share my thoughts on things one would book for a trip - like a tour, or hotel, or show/performance.
Well, that's it for now. And I know this blog is pretty sparse right now. But hey! Rome wasn't built in a day right! So I hope you will enjoy my blog and join me as I go on my adventures.
Monica Alexia - The SIA Brat
What do you think?
Is one week too short a time to get to know a city? How many 'one weeks' would I need to get to know your city? Which city would you suggest I plan my next trip for?
