Living in Another Language

a travel & adventure blog

  • About
  • Blog
  • Destinations
    • Asia
      • Bali
      • Borneo
      • Japan
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • Belgium
      • Croatia
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Norway
      • Poland
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • Fiji
      • New Caledonia
      • New Zealand
    • North America
      • Alaska
      • Hawaii
      • Texas
    • Cruises
  • Reviews
    • Accommodations
    • Tours
    • Locations
    • Products
  • Photography
    • Tutorials
    • Photojournalism
  • Travel
    • Guides
    • Travel Tips
    • Expenses
    • Travel Blogging
  • Work With Us

Archives for October 2014

LIAL Reader Survey 2014

Written by: Amanda // Category: Blogging

I mentioned a few posts ago that I am changing Living in Another Language to be a more travel-focused blog. My hope is to encourage, inspire, and help answer questions to those that are interested in life abroad. My readers (hey that's you) are very important to me, and I want to hear from you about what you're interested in. I've been weighing my options and reading the comments on my blog, and I think the best thing for me to do right now is to have a reader survey! 99% of the survey questions below are multiple choice, so it'll take you about two and thirty seconds flat  (I did not test this) to complete the form, and I will be eternally grateful! As I see my readership grow, it's harder to know where you all are from, what your ... Read More

Queens Park, Invercargill

Written by: Amanda // Category: New Zealand

We celebrated a three day weekend this past week, and Derik and I enjoyed soaking up the free time. Instead of doing something epic like we very much wanted to, we decided to save the money (hey, Christmas is only like 50 something days away) and take it slow. Derik found a couple of used surfboards for sale in Invercargill, so we took a trip down south to pick them up. Saturday was absolutely perfect weather-wise, but wouldn't you know it, it was also the day a nasty migraine came to visit me.  I was basically dying in the car the whole way to Invercargill (three hour drive), and immediately after grabbing the boards, we paid for a small cabin in a Top 10 campsite so I could go lay down in a pitch black room. Sucky way to spend a ... Read More

The 5 Types of Travel Bloggers

Written by: Amanda // Category: Blogging, Travel, Travel Blogging

Travel blogging is a tricky industry. I'm realizing there's no cut-and-dry way to travel blog, except for the fact that it's important you get pretty pictures and information out there for readers to wanderlust at. There are solo travelers, couple travelers, and family travelers. There are those that do it for fun and some that do it as a living. But one of my favorite things to figure out while discovering new travel bloggers, is learning what their travel blogging lifestyle is. This can be tricky, especially since the internet allows us to paint pictures of ourselves in basically whatever way we want. Here are the 5 types of travel bloggers I have discovered in my ventures with blogging. In no way, shape, or form are these true ... Read More

The Lunar Eclipse

Written by: Amanda // Category: New Zealand, Photography, Photojournalism

I meant to write this post shortly after October 8th, but time got away from me. October 8th was a significant day for two reasons, one being the lunar eclipse (blood moon) that happened late in the evening (my time) or maybe early morning yours. The second significance? It was my 26th birthday. I was actually pretty bummed during the day because I thought my husband forgot my birthday, and I didn't have a single person to go out and celebrate with. But no, I was being overdramatic for nothing, because he came home with chocolates, beautiful brown orchids (seriously they're so pretty), and a dinner reservation at a local Thai restaurant. My day immediately did a 180 degree turn, and I thoroughly enjoyed rest of my birthday with ... Read More

10 Tips to Improve Your Photography

Written by: Amanda // Category: Photography, Photography Tutorial

Alt title: How to rock the socks off of whatever you take pictures with. Disclaimer: I can’t tell you how to be an instantly awesome photographer. It doesn’t happen overnight (unless your born with it, which some people naturally are). Just like any art form, you’ve got to learn it, study it, practice it. You can’t just expect to point your shutter at something and win ‘photo of the year’ on National Geographic. I don’t have a super long history with photography (and am not a professional), I've just been working on my skills long enough to know there are little tricks you can use to help improve your photography instantly. Yes, instantly. You just need to know what they are and how to use them! Nowadays, with the technology ... Read More

Minus 5 Ice Bar, Queenstown

Written by: Amanda // Category: New Zealand

You never know what you'll stumble into while taking a walk around town. During our first trip to Queenstown we thoroughly enjoyed three days in the self-proclaimed 'adventure capital of the world,' and spent most of our time outdoors. That is, until we found the Minus 5 Ice Bar located right along Lake Esplanade, one of the most picturesque parts of the town. Sure it may have been dead winter outside with a temperature of 14 degrees (F), but that didn't stop us from giving this icy adventure a go! We donned the coats and hats we were given at the door and headed into the bar. Side note, they had us put the coats OVER the coats we already had on, so we pretty much looked like overstuffed sausages the whole time. Oh well, we can just ... Read More

Rain Boots or Wellies?

Written by: Amanda // Category: Product, Review, Sp

Gumboots or Galoshes? Why are there so many names for a simple pair of boots made of rubber? This is one of the many things I think about on a daily basis. I have a weird mind. I'm also quickly discovering that some of the words I learned growing up mean completely different things on the opposite side of the world. For example: pissed actually means drunk here. And just don't ever mention a fanny pack, because that refers to the female anatomy. Not that we use fanny pack in our day to day language as Americans... Anyway. A few months ago I received this gorgeous dress and wellies from JoulesUSA. I most certainly am not a fashion blogger, and I hate being on the other side of the camera. After checking out the company's ... Read More

What Travel Means To Me

Written by: Amanda // Category: Expat Living, Travel

It means... ...I get to discover different ways people do life. ...I no longer have control over my environment. ...I end up accidentally acting like a fool multiple times a week. ...happiness is not by acquiring things, but by making memories. ...being outside my comfort zone 24/7. ...I treasure the familiar so much more than I used to. ...the world is bigger than I could ever possibly imagine. ...I have the opportunity to make friends from all corners of the world. ...I will constantly be learning and growing. ...wanderlust will always be a part of my life. ... Read More

Sandfly Bay, Otago Peninsula

Written by: Amanda // Category: New Zealand

If I haven't said it before, I'll say it now. New Zealand is the perfect country to go out for a nice Sunday drive. Every 10 minutes of driving you'll stumble upon a different scenic view, and each view is more amazing than the last! Last month Derik and I went out for our weekly drive down random side-roads, and stumbled upon an absolute treasure of a beach. Sandfly Bay is a popular location in Dunedin, but being newbies to the area, we had no idea. Sandfly Bay is known for its yellow-eyed penguins that live in the sand dunes off the beach during the day and come out at night to feed. Also there are numerous seals and sea lions that drop by each day to sun themselves on the warm sand. We've visited the beach a couple times just because ... Read More

Next Page »

Currently on Instagram

Instagram post 2191262001464883691_1586897 We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whistler, Canada! A 10 hour flight from Germany , and I can’t say this one was better than the one we took over the summer on our trip to Alaska, but we survived! Entertaining a 11 month old for that long is much harder than a 6 month old, especially when they aren’t into sleeping on the plane AT ALL. 🤪

Whistler was beautiful despite the lack of snow, and we enjoyed our time with family, the delicious food, and as much sightseeing as one could do with a jet-lagged baby. 
This was actually my first trip to Canada ever, (unless you want to count the move my parents took up to Alaska from Arkansas when I was two. 😂🤷‍♀️ ) and I loved it! We would really like to take a big Canadian road trip someday and explore more of the country! 😍😍🇨🇦
Instagram post 2162391766049924598_1586897 Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time to put myself together, but I would rather spend the extra moments making special memories with our daughter that she can cherish forever. I doubt that she will look at this picture and see a tired, messy haired mama that’s barely had time to wash her face nevermind carefully apply makeup, but am hoping she will see a mama that never tires of carrying and cuddling her, or sharing new experiences with her. 💕
Instagram post 2161269753608488280_1586897 Oh Switzerland, you beaut.🇨🇭 We spent a couple days enjoying the beautiful weather in the land of chocolate, cheese, mountains, and cows with bells 😍😍🤩. If you remember, we visited the same area  a month shy of two years ago but but the weather was quite the opposite! I’d have to say though, when you visit such a majestic and beautiful area, it doesn’t matter what the weather is, you’re going to be in awe and love it anyway!
Instagram post 2137973445900634297_1586897 We’re mid-fall festival season here in Germany! Bring on the wine, music, and all the delicious food🤩🤩.
Instagram post 2111707320150069901_1586897 3,285 days of adventure, love, and learning — that’s 9 years I’ve been able to call Derik my husband, and I can truly say it’s only felt like a few years NOT just one year shy of a whole decade. This year has brought so much change with welcoming our daughter into our lives, and through it has only solidified our marriage and how much I am so deeply in love with this man. He’s the best father (as I always knew he would be) and an incredible husband. I am beyond blessed. 
Happy Anniversary and BIRTHDAY my love! 
We need to get more photos of us together, but since having our little one, most of the photos we’ve taken have been just with her! These were taken on our 'babymoon' in Iceland! As I was going through them, I realized I have a ton to share of our trip, so hopefully that’ll come soon!
Instagram post 2104702897498505367_1586897 Summer in Germany. 🌻

This is the fourth one I’ve been through and they’ve all been a bit different: sometimes rainy, sometimes ridiculously hot, sometimes full of bugs, but always beautiful. Flowers, berries, festivals and wine walks in abundance.

The key to successfully living in a new country is to STOP COMPARING and enjoy it for what it is - entirely different than your native country. Embrace the struggle, the experiences, the adventures, the pain, and the beauty or else you’ll tragically lose out what could be one of the most magical times in your life.
Instagram post 2078684799322929913_1586897 Our little girl has officially become a world traveler as of a couple weeks ago! The @condorairlines flight from Germany to Alaska was long, and she only slept 40 minutes out of the 9:10hour trip, but we survived and she still did remarkably well even with being overly-tired.  My hope is our trip back to Germany runs a bit smoother and that she sleeps so mama can sleep too. 😂😬🙏 Prayers welcomed. Between that and the 10 hour time difference, schedules (eating/sleeping) have been thrown way off and I don’t expect them to level out for a few more weeks 😩.
  • About
  • Design
  • Work With Us
  • Contact

© Living in Another Language 2012-2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Site design by Alpine Lane.