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The Danger of Expectations (in Marriage and Travel)

By The Fighting Couple on May 29, 2012 in Best of the Fighting Couple, General, Slideshowable

One of the many precautions we take in our travels is getting the proper immunizations. Before our Amazon trek, we went in to our local medical clinic and said, give us everything you’ve got! We felt like human pin cushions! Those pesky shots, while painful in the short term prepared our bodies to reject the attack of those pesky yellow fever things. But no immunization or medication can protected someone from an unrealized expectation. We have found this out the hard way.

Perception is Reality?

We just returned from a two week trip to Asia, visiting both Thailand and Cambodia. I had lived in Taiwan for a couple of years in college, this was Luci’s first visit to the Orient. It was so intriguing to watch her experience a new culture, and dispel and confirm some of her preconceptions. She thought that the food would be spicy, and it was! In other areas she discovered that she was completely off base. Each new place we visit we arrive with the rose colored glasses of glossy guidebooks. (That’s one reason we love the travel blogging community, for its candid un-gussied up descriptions.) As travelers, we tend to be loaded with pre-conceptions. These notions rarely hit the mark.

Pinterest Perfect?

Just like travel, we build in our minds some times unrealistic expectations from our marriages/ relationships. We think things should be a certain way. Simply because…that’s the way things happen in the movies or on TV. Why would we want to model a relationship after a fictional portrayal? #epicfail ! (I just used a hashtag as a complete sentence! Cross that off the bucket list!) Our culture, our environment push us to envision and quite frankly expect the ideal. Look no further than Pinterest to see well-meaning people create a palette of perfection. The never ending quest for the perfect wedding centerpiece. Then there’s the dress! All of this leads us to create in our mind an expectation, typically unrealistic and unattainable.

Is that really healthy?

How to overcome?

Some of the best advice we have ever received was offered by Javier, our young Peruvian guide in the Amazon Jungle. Before embarking on our night safari in the Jungle he counseled us, “don’t set your heart on seeing any one animal or insect..just enjoy what you find in the jungle.” Wise words for sure. We have often reflected on this advice. Enjoy the ride. Don’t say..i want this, that and the other or the experience is an abject failure. Don’t do that to yourself. Enjoy the journey for what it is. Leave your expectations at the lodge of life and open your heart to the experience.

Finding the perfect in the one you love

Come up with your own perfect. One thing that we have discovered in 15 years of marriage and 25 some years of friendship is that neither one of is perfect. We likely know each other’s flaws and quirks better than anyone else in the galaxy. For a relationship to thrive, we can’t expect our lover to be a combo of every perfect character we have read about in Jane Austen novels. Likewise, it is completely unrealistic and a little dangerous to expect our sweetheart to look like a supermodel 24/7. It is up to us to find the best in those we love, especially our significant other.

How do you overcome your preconceptions? What are your secrets to rejecting the pressure for perfection? Let us know in the comments below.

My Pilgrimage to “Gone With the Wind” Mecca

By The Fighting Couple on May 27, 2012 in General, Slideshowable

There are three literary pilgrimages that are required of every romance loving, third wave feminist, book obsessed woman: Jane Austen’s home in Chawton, England, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s home in Prince Edward Island and Margaret Mitchell’s home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Now, I’m slightly infatuated with Gone with the Wind. I started watching the film when I was eight years old. I’ve seen it 28 times: every second of the 238 minutes. I checked the book out from the adult section of the local library when I was 10 (with my mother’s permission of course). I have a room in my home dedicated to the movie and book. It’s the Gone with the Wind room pinned with Scarlett Barbie dolls, collector plates, numbered art, and of course green velvet curtains.

Even if you don’t know Scarlett O’Hara’s first name (It’s Katie, by the way) or couldn’t care less if Rhett gives a damn or not, seeing Margaret Mitchell’s home (apartment) in Atlanta, Georgia is an absolute must see for a visit to Atlanta.

Margaret Mitchell’s Home

990 Peachtree Street

Atlanta, GA 30309-1366

Phone 404.249.7015

Web: http://www.margaretmitchellhouse.com/

In the urban sprawl of the high rise city of Atlanta, the house seems out of place. But thank goodness it’s still standing. Arsonists have tried to burn it down twice! Margaret Mitchell never liked it much either. She called her apartment, “the dump.” But preservationists have done a magnificent job of recreating the apartment.
The museum focuses on the house. Guests used to start at the visitor’s center and then shuffled to the house, but that changed a few years ago. Now guests enter the house on Crescent Ave, like Mitchell would have, and go immediately to view Mitchell’s apartment for a guided tour. You’ll see the apartment almost like it was when Mitchell lived there. Be aware, very few things in the apartment are original. However, even being the same the room where Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone With the Wind is a rush for an enthusiast like me.

Next you’ll learn about Mitchell’s life, her newspaper career, philanthropy efforts and most of all her spunk. I’m embarrassed to say, I didn’t know a lot about Mitchell before I visited the museum. She was part of Atlanta’s affluent society, a serious beau died in World War I, and her mother died during the flu epidemic while Mitchell was returning from college (GWTW enthusiasts will recognize the similarities of Scarlett not being there for her mother’s death as well). Mitchell was a strong writer, and began working at the Atlanta Journal (something society women did not do). In an industry dominated by men, the petite Mitchell was one of the first female reporters to earn her way from the society columns to hard news reporting. But it was a sprained ankle that changed her life and the world. Her second husband John Marsh got tired of lugging books back and forth to the library while Mitchell was recovering and bought her typewriter and encouraged her to write a book. And Scarlett (although she was named Patsy during writing) was born.
My favorite part of the museum is the Making of a Film Legend: Gone with the Wind exhibit. The museum is full of artifacts from the movie, including Tara’s doorway from the movie set and the giant of painting of Scarlett in the blue dress that Rhett throws his drink at during the movie. There are also original costume sketches from the film. The best part of the exhibit is you can read copies of the movie script and act it out. It’s a literary pilgrim’s dream come true.

Whether you are in Atlanta for the day on a long layover, a couple of days on businesses or leisure see the site which created a worldwide sensation: The Margaret Mitchell House.

Also check out the new PBS documentary: Margaret Mitchell-American Rebel.

Open Love Letter to Istanbul

By The Fighting Couple on May 22, 2012 in General, Slideshowable

I Love Istanbul. Let me count the ways.

The People

Our love Fighting couple love letter to Istanbul must begin with the people. But before we start our overture, let’s say we accidentally fell in love. It was Luci’s year to pick our location for the annual big trip. We went back and forth on various spots around the world. Luci wanted a place with history, culture and food. I showed her a video of Turkey. In the next 24 hours, we booked a trip to Turkey. It happened so fast, she says I “Jedi-Mind Tricked Her.” She spent the next six months trying to get to Greece! But it turns out our “accident” in selecting Turkey was a dream come true. We fell in love.

Like most Norte Americanos, the first thing that comes to mind when we think of “Turkey” is the poor foul that gets placed in the center of the table in November. But Turkey is one of the most hospitable countries to visit.

We found Turks to be the epitome of kindness and generosity. On several occasions, Turks went the extra mile to show off their country and culture. As an example, once my subway card won’t work, and a man came up and swiped his. Whether we were buying a rug or a kabob, we were greeted with a smile and a “Welcome, my friend.”

The Shopping

Shopping is one of our favorite pastimes. Shopping in Istanbul is a contact sport! If you can buy it, you can find it in Istanbul. Of course, you cannot visit Istanbul without a trip to the famous Grand Bazaar. It literally takes days to explore it from top to bottom. There is so much to take in, so many little dark alleyways leading to hidden treasures.

A friend recently asked if an hour would be sufficient, we laughed. An hour is sufficient to have lunch before even going in. The main attractions at the Bazaar are rugs. Prices range from a few dollars to hundreds of thousands. Part of the game is agreeing on the price. Turkey also sports some beautiful hand painted pottery and delicately designed ceramics.

The Spice Market

The Spirit

Our exposure to Islam has been very limited. In preparation for our visit, we invested some time to learn more about the world’s second largest religion with 1.5 billion followers or over 22% of the earth population. A few of the keys to understand about Islam: Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslims and Islam are not different (common misunderstanding).

Muslims take their teachings from the Qur’an. They believe that the religion was revealed universally through prophets including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and the last prophet Muhammad.

With a basic primer in Islam, we took in many of the famous holy places in Istanbul. Many of the historic mosques are now open to the general public to enter and explore. Again, we found the people of Istanbul more than willing to help us interpret what we were seeing. The artwork, carpets, stonework and the parishioners make visiting these places something special. Hearing the call to prayer at diverse times of the day added to the mystic of the city. We found the “quality” of the prayer caller to be dependent on the size of the city. Istanbul hosted the most beautiful prayer callers.

Regardless of your religious bent, take the time to understand what you are seeing, what it means to the people and why. Most of all please be respectful of the buildings. Most mosques require conservative clothing, women’s heads to be covered and shoes removed.

The Water

One of the defining features of Istanbul is the water. It is magical. The city itself is dived in half by the Bosporus River. It is not like the wimpy canals of Venice. The mighty Bosporus is a powerful, choppy and colorful symbol of the city. The bridges that link the city and two continents are works of art in both day and night time. Also, check out the Basilica cistern with discarded columns underground that held the city’s drinking water. It’s another monument’s to the city’s dramatic water.

Istanbul….(or is it Constantinople?), we love you. We love your intense waterscape, spirited markets, your warm people, and your heart. We can’t wait to go back!

If you are looking for help booking your holidays to Turkey, look no further!

How to Beat the Post Trip Blues

By The Fighting Couple on May 20, 2012 in General, Slideshowable

Jet Lag. We all know the feeling: you just got back from a great trip and now it’s back to “real” life.

I love the buildup leading up to our next big trip: learning the language, researching the new food, planning what to see and when. It is such a rush! But once our passport reentry is stamped, and the luggage collected, and laundry started, the blues sets in: the Post Trip Blues.

Symptoms:

Jet lag: Returning from our latest adventure to Cambodia (a 24 hour endeavor). It was Jet Lag 2 vs. Fighting Couple 0. Exhaustion sets in during the day, and we were wide awake at the unseemly morning hours. We felt like we had the flu: stomachs upset from adjusting to our native fare, dizzy, and thinking in a fog. We transformed from the fighting couple to the grumpy couple!

The Learning Let Down: For us, our trips are an academic exercise. Every waking hour is engaged in learning new things, meeting new people, eating new things, adjusting to new challenges. Then, once we get home…not so much.

The Left Overs: Both Luci and I have pretty fast paced and demanding jobs. Upon our return, we face hundreds of emails, fires to put out, and fires to start. Then we have our kids who haven’t seen us in two weeks and we have to “peel” them off of us because they missed us!

At times we even question why we do this to ourselves.

The Secret to beating the Jet Lag!

So what’s our secret to beat the post trip blues? We don’t have one. The fact is-You travel so you can get away from home and coming back home means going back to “normal life.” But we have found a few things that seem to help a little.

Let’s take on the first symptom:

The Nasty jet lag. Step one is rest at the right times. This is hard, especially when your time change is significant. Our Cambodia trip put us 13 hours at odds with our home time. Resist the temptation to get up at 2 a.m. and do work. (Luci woke up and did work.) It’s only going to make it worse. Likewise, you must avoid the 2 p.m. naps. (Luci also took naps) Take it easy on the caffeine. (Luci likes Pepsi.) Drink your water. Our secret, if there is one, is sunlight. Luci take hers via melatonin pills and vitamins, I prefer walks or some tennis. Getting some sun tells the body that it’s day now and get with the program! USA Today recently had an article supporting sunlight therapy.

The Learning Let Down: This is a tough one. The one thing that we really enjoy is to inflict our friends when we get home with a “trip report party.” We invite a bunch of friends over, and share a few of our pictures, cook up some of the local cuisine (last year we brought back Eurocream from Bosnia and made crepes) and discuss what we saw. Not sure why people keep coming back to these because we can’t think of anything worse than looking at other people’s vacation pictures, but we have some really great friends and they ask about it every year. Plus, it helps us process what we saw and tie it all together. Once we land, we start putting together pictures and share some self-reflection on how what we saw has affected us. We highly recommend a trip report party because you get to share the world with your friends and encourage them to travel!

The Left Overs: It ceases to amaze us, every time we get back; there is two weeks’ worth of work awaiting us. We call it hitting the “post trip wall.” One of our little strategies to deal with the immersion is to hit the office in the afterhours. Email is kind of like the timeline of what you missed, so start with the most recent first. You may find out that half the problems emailed to you in week one of your trip are solved by week two. You also get a synopsis of what happened while you were gone, so when you do face folks in person, you have a reference as to what they are talking about. We have great coworkers, and they all want to know if we actually ate dog or cat on our trips and all the skinny on what happened, so getting a head start lets us be much more personal when we go back. Also, don’t make any major decisions the first few days back to work. You won’t be right in the head, so don’t risk your job.

Then, there are the kids….. 1000fights’ mission is to get couples to leave their children at home and take a trip. You love your children and they love you, but you’ll love them more after the trip. Getting accumulated to the kids, takes time. Expect a few of your children to punish you. When our girls were little, I remember one of our daughters being so mad at us when we returned. At first, she ignored us and then she yelled at us over silly things. This phase will pass. To ease reentry back to the family, do some snooping. The fact is, your kids aren’t going to tell you everything that happened while you were gone. Go through every one of my children’s worksheets from school, call the piano teacher or baseball coach and ask how things went. Also do a thorough debrief with grandma or who watched your kids. You’ll find things were fine while you were gone, but it doesn’t mean your kids didn’t miss you! Most important, share what you learned from your trip. It’s therapy for you and it’s a great social studies less for your kids.

So what is your secret for dealing with the post trip blues? What works for you? Never underestimate the power of a good fight to help as well! Next time your are Glasgow, check out the Windsor Hotel. Glasgow has been called the style capital of Scotland. It plays host to 13 plus free museums! It also sports over 70 parks and gardens, great for walking that jet lag away.

My Day With Gaudi

By The Fighting Couple on April 30, 2012 in General, Slideshowable

Those who look for the laws of Nature as a support for their new works collaborate with the creator. –Antonio Gaudi

There is a long list of things the Catalonian region (Barcelona, Spain) has given to the world: amazing paella, an incredible football team, and one of the greatest modernismo architects: Antonio Gaudi.

We are going to take you on a visual day tour of the greatest Gaudi masterpieces in Barcelona. You are going to see futuristic designs, wild abandoned whimsy and holy edifices that rival the best of Rome!

First off a little primer on Gaudi:

The most famous architect of the 20^th century was born in Rues (or just outside, depending on what account you believe) in the Tarragona providence of Catalonia, 50 miles south of Barcelona. After enduring a childhood troubled by rheumatism, the son of two coppersmiths travelled to the Catalan capital to enroll as a student at the Escola Technica Superrior d’Arguitectura where he duly studied from 1873 to 1877. Even his professors did not quite know what to make of his work, and when he was awarded the title of architect in 1878, Elies Rogent, the director of the school, declared: “Who knows if we have given this diploma to a nut or to a genius? Time will tell.” http://www.barcelona-life.com

Lets start our tour!

Park Guell

One of Gaudi’s wealthy patrons wanted to build a par for the blue bloods of Barcelona. He wanted to build a gates community before the advent of gated communities. He wanted a park setting with fountains, dramatic vistas and swanky amenities. Gaudi was up for the challenge.

Park Guell sits atop a gentle hill with views of the city, the sea and another piece of Gaudi’s handiwork the Sagrada Famila.

Today you can stroll through the park setting and take in some amazing vistas.

Casa Mila-La Pedrera

At the top of the mighty tough fare Las Ramblas is the Modernismo masterpiece, La Pedrera. La Pedrera means The Quarry. It is the precious gem of Barcelona. The apartment complex was commissioned with money made in America by married couple Roser Segimon and Pere Mila.

The address quickly became the pinnacle of success. The façade of the building reflects the rolling waves of the sea.

Perhaps the most photographed part of the structure with its unique statues and fireplace chimneys.

Sagrada Familia

Gaudi has been nicknamed, “God’s Architect”. While this might be a little presumptuous, one cannot argue his dedication to integrate what he say in Creation with a capital C into his creations with a little c.

The construction of the Sagrada Familia predates Gaudi’s involvement. It began its construction in 1882. Shortly there after, Gaudi was brought in and completely transformed the scope and design of the project. Gaudi employ his skills building the cathedral until his untimely death in 1926. At his passing the building was a little over 25% complete. The Sagrada Familia is still a work in progress. Gaudi’s grand vision outstripped his lifetime’s devotion to building.

When objections were raised as to the extended completion date of the Sagrada Famila, Gaudi said:

“Don’t worry, my client isn’t in a hurry.”

Since then the project has been on again off again. It is projected that the completion date will be around 2026 the centennial of Gaudi’s death.

Gaudi’s work is on full display in beautiful Barcelona. Don’t miss it!

Are you looking for Free Coupon Codes or Southwest Airlines Coupon codes? You just found them.

Do Olympic cities really win gold by hosting the “Games”?

By The Fighting Couple on April 20, 2012 in General, Slideshowable

“The Olympics are a wonderful metaphor for world cooperation, the kind of international competition that’s wholesome and healthy, an interplay between countries that represents the best in all of us. “
– John Williams

During our recent trip to Barcelona, Spain I went on a mission to really see what the aftermath of hosting the Olympics really is. The answer I found truly shocked me.

First off, you must know, that both Luci and I are huge fans of the games. I remember fondly of donning my PJs to watch the games on our little black and white tele, watching the games. Names like Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Mary Lou Retton are linked with my view of the games. Victors of the games become national heroes overnight it seems. Needless to say, I am bias when we start to talk about the games. One must not overlook the international unity that the games create.

But what happens after all of the gold is given out, the spend-happy tourists have been lightened of their coin and the lights are dimmed? Then what?

Barcelona an Olympic Story

From the start of the games with its dramatic torch lighting display, there was something magical about the Barcelona games:

The before and after picture of Barcelona is just as dramatic as one of those cheeky weight loss pictures where a huge hulk of man is turned into a bantam weight string bean. The Olympics certainly changed the face, the mind, the strength, but certainly not the heart of Catalonia.

Barcelona 20 years after the Olympics

The Olympics have long been a huge endeavor for the cities that win the bid. The sheer expense of building venues, building infrastructure to get to and from the events not to mention the efforts to attract the patrons that help pay for all of the above.

Here are the quick facts:

Expense:

Installation and prep for facilities ($460 million usd)

Services to Olympic Family ($370 million usd)

Telecommunications and electronics ($240 million usd)

Competitions ($100 million usd)

Commercial Management ($10 million usd)

Ceremonies and cultural acts ($90 million usd)

Image and promotion ($80 million)

Security ($40 million)

Key Revenue:

Sponsors: $580 million

Television Rights: $635 million

Bottom line: It is estimated that the direct investments related to the games of Barcelona from 1986 to 1993 reached over $8 Billion. Staggering.

Source: http://olympicstudies.uab.es

Infrastructure Legacy

The Olympic Stadium

The entire area of Catalonia is dotted with improvements. The stadiums and venues, primary located in Montjuic, Diagonal, and Vall d’Hebron, are a lasting tribute to the games. A lion share of these venues are still in full use today. Transportation improvements were significant. The improved ring roads of the city, improved mass transit capabilities made the city much more easier to navigate for come lately tourists like myself the and millions that call Barcelona home. There was an increase in new sewage systems of 17%, new green zones and beaches increased a staggering 78%! The results of these key infrastructure investments continue to pay mighty dividends today.

One of the infrastructure highlights is what has been dubbed, “the Most Beautiful Dive Pool in The World”:

Seeing the Olympic side of Barcelona today

Start your visit at the Joan Antoni Samaranch (The father of the 1992 Games) Olympic Museum. Located right next to the amazing Olympic Stadium. Wander around the many venues located on top of Montjuic. Footstep of famous Olympians adorn the sidewalk outside the entertaining Museum.

The Olympic Museum in Barcelona

One of the many interactive exhibits at the museum

Money, Money, Money?

Over a third of the game’s infrastructure improvements came from private hands. This is impressive by any standard. The Spanish state, regional authority and local municipalities footed the remaining 2/3rds of the bill. The build up to the games and influx of investment caused a boon for those involved. The population employed in construction grew 72% from 1985 to 1992. The consumption of cement rose 74%! The trickle down effect of this massive influx of investment spread across the entire region. Average family incomes as well as tax receipts increased dramatically. (http://olympicstudies.uab.es/pdf/od006_eng.pdf)

What might be one of the most telling reflections on the Barcelona Games is the number of cities submitting bids to host their own. The total cities submitting bids went from 6 to 12.

Back to our original question asked at the begging of the post, do the games really help cities? In the case of Barcelona you must say yes.

The Fighting Couple on Pinterest?

By The Fighting Couple on April 14, 2012 in General, Slideshowable

Pinterest!!??? Are you tired of seeing beautiful hair bows and amazing looking tuna casserole on Pinterest? Are you looking for something with a little more KICK? The Fighting Couple are finally on Pinterest!!! Luci and I both post our finds onto our Pinterest site. We are always on the hunt for new topics, pictures, ect, so please share if you find something that we should share. We are relative Pinterest virgins, so give us a follow and we will follow you back! We promise!

1000 Fights Pinterest Boards:

Besides our ever popular “Fighting couple” board, we have a couple more that we want to give you a background on:

Flight Fashion– One of our more popular posts was our review of the flight fashion of some of the leading airlines. Haven’t read it? You have come a long way baby!

Finding Hemingway-This is my favorite board. I am such a Hemingway fan. This is my chance to collect some quotes and unique pics of papa.

Una Historia Sin Palabras (a story without words)-We admire great photogs. Sometime one picture can tell you a novel. This is the case with this board. I stare at these pictures and they summon emotion, wonder and passion. My fave of this board is of course the Tiananmen pic.

Je Ne se Quois– This is Luci’s section. Do you ever stumble across a picture that just takes your breath away? It could the beaty of a fall scene, or a tender moment of a child. Of course George Clooney made this board! Enjoy!

So do you have a favorite board? Can we be Pinterest friends?

The Perfect Date in Barcelona

By The Fighting Couple on March 31, 2012 in General, Slideshowable

The Fighting Couple is always on the lookout for great day dates. We found the perfect place during our recent visit to Barcelona, Spain. In the center of town is a vibrant fruit and fish market. Located right off of the Las Rambas, is La Boqueria. Don’t get us wrong, there are a fair amount of touristas there. But the market continues to perform a vital function for much the central area of town. Walk up and down the aisles, take in the sights, sounds and smells of one of the really great traditional European markets.

The Perfect Day Date

The Boqueria is the perfect spot to get a start on your day date. Wander around that many tempting booths of fruits and veggies. Try some tapas. Do some sampling. Pick out some ripe strawberries, a passion fruit?, select a loaf of sour dough bread, and your fave beverage. Best of all, don’t forget to buy some of the amazing Catalan Chocolate! Head for the lovely vista of Montjuïc. Take the metro, or hike to the end of Las Ramblas and walk along the harbor to the hill. Once atop, you will have a commanding view of the city, and the harbor. A beautiful sight on a sunny day. There are many gardens along the north side of the hill. Find your ideal secluded spot and enjoy your finds from the market. Read some versus of the famed Catalan poet Salvador Espriu. As day turns to evening walk down the hill and take in the waterworks of the magic font. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

How to Make a Purchase

If your Spanish or Catalan is limited, the market can seem like a daunting challenge. Don’t let your heart be troubled. You are among friends. This market is one of the more easier markets we have found to make purchases without a command of the native language. Step one is to survey. If you are looking for fruits, walk up and down each of the alleys to scope out your target. It may be helpful to pick a both where there is not a line of people. This will give you a chance to chat up your stall attendant. Once you have identified the object of your desire, flash a big smile and point and ask “Quanto Questa?” The response back will likely be in English. Discuss quantity, fork over the euros and bam! You have your items. Now was that so hard?

A word of warning about the market. It is not immune of the pick pocketers. It is close quarters inside the market. Keep your belongings close by.

A Little History

The market was founded around 1200. At that time it was an over growth of another market in the area. For the next 600 years the market held a butchers market, a pig pen and then in the mid 1800s the market was formally recognized by the town. At the turn of the 1900s the metal roof that exists today was installed. Today, the market is a destination for the local and visitor alike.

Have you been to Boqueria? How was your experience? What tastes did you have? Leave a comment below and let us know.

The Man’s Guide to Traveling with a Woman

By The Fighting Couple on March 15, 2012 in Best of the Fighting Couple, General, Slideshowable

5 Things Every Man Should Know About Women…While Traveling.

How do you travel with a Woman? Not long ago we did a post relating little know secrets about how to travel with men. We have now turned the tables and offer you hommes a few insights on how to travel with the fairer sex. While every person has their own travel style, and we certainly don’t want to paint every woman into a box, there are a few helpful general tips, that if understood, can help couples find greater harmony on the road. So here we go:

Miramare Castle, Triste, Italy

It’s all about the journey, not the destination.

Men, for whatever reason have a “let’s get there attitude” when traveling and doing other things. As women, we tend to focus a little more on the path. Men: build in a little extra time into your schedules. Be flexible. Here’s an example from our recent trip to Venice which turned into another 1000 fights. We were driving from Triste, Italy to Venice. We were looking through tourist books and spotted an amazing castle cradling the bay outside of Triste. It wasn’t in our plan. Mike had an Excel spreadsheet that kept a strict schedule with everything we were to see that day and the castle wasn’t on the list. He didn’t even know about the castle. Of course Mike was like, “Gotta get on the road, got to see Venice, got to obey the spreadsheet.” After a fight that resulted in zero pictures of Mike and I together at the castle (in fact, Mike wouldn’t even take pictures of me-our friends were the photographers), we went to the castle. We ended up seeing one of the most incredible sites of our entire trip. Mike admitted he was wrong three weeks after the trip, and I have a few pictures of a fairy tale castle in Italy. Guys take the hint. Be flexible. Slow down a little and enjoy the ride!

Cleanliness is next to Godess-ness

I don’t know how many times I have said…for men…the world is your urinal. Traveling, as we have in third world countries, the facilities are not always ideal. No problem. But there is a clear and bright line between rustic and disgusting. Third world or first world, some truck stops are dens of disgusting. Men take this little hint, when the facilities are sub par, DON’T ARGUE. Try saying things like…”Let’s find another place” or “There is a hotel just down the road, lets go over there.” My hero! One option we highly recommend is skipping the hotel and renting a vacation apartment instead.”

Pictures are the best souvenir

Its all about the social media and the Christmas card. Deep down, women are vain. We really are. Men could care less how their outfit looks or if their makeup is smudged. OK maybe most men don’t care about their make up. For us frau-lines, we truly want our vacation pics to look really good. Why do we take vacation pics? To show them off to all our friends on Facebook! Our photo shoots might take a little long. Guys, take it from me, you want us to look hot for these pics, it will make all of your old girl friends # jealous!

The whole flowers thing

This is likely the hardest concept for men to understand. Women like cute things. Cute things can come in the shape of purring cats, daffodils, teacups and cutie-bug kids. We are going to take pictures of them, we are going to cuddle them, we may put an entire tour on hold to take pictures of a bunny. I can’t tell you how many pictures we have of the dafodills in front of Jane Austen’s house! They were incredible! Guys, this is really going to test your patience. Take a deep breath. Count to 10. Trust me, if you make a big deal about this, you will be removed from our “cute” list. This will not bode well for you later. Girls can I have an “amen?!”

A little more talk and a little less action

Women need to talk. We need to communicate. We need to discuss. Guys: a couple of different options for you. Some of you are talkers as well, so no problem. Some of you are good listeners, no problem. If you are neither or your name is Mike, a few ideas for you. Let your spouse known that you need some time to talk. You finally have some time together, and for women it’s all about communication. If you don’t know what to talk about, we suggest “The Book of If: Questions for the Games of Life and Love” by Evelyn McFarlane and James Saywell. On a four hour drive through Croatia, we found out a lot about each other. Like, “If you could fire someone from work, who would it be,” or “If you could relive one romantic date from high school just as it was, which would it be.” Some answers we had to plead the “fifth.” But overall, it’s a great way to get a conversation going.

If communicating together isn’t your thing, join friends you meet on the tourist trail for drinks before/after/during dinner. Meeting fellow travelers is one of the most dynamic experiences that can create lifelong friendships and maybe a few Facebook friend requests!

Gentlemen, these are a few little hints for keeping us gals happy whilst on the road. Every women is different, but take these ideas into consideration and know your travel partner.

Gals, did we miss anything? If you could tell you guy just one thing that would make life a little easier out there, what would you tell him?

Win a Keli’s Kreation!

By The Fighting Couple on March 14, 2012 in General, Slideshowable

The Fighting Couple is always on the lookout for things that make packing and travel easier, more fun and of course cause less fights.

When we travel, we typically do two or three dressy dinners. After a day a traipsing on the tourist trail, it is so refreshing to clean up and spiff up a little for a nice night on the town. Sitting down at a nice restaurant and revisit the day’s conquests is a moment that we savor. One of the challenges is packing for these nights. I highly recommend that “little black dress”. Bring something that is easy to iron and care for. One challenge I have always had is jewelry. I don’t typically travel with a ton of “bling” but I do bring some nice accessories to separate myself for the dusty “backpacker” crowd. (Nothing against the backpacker crowd.) Security of these items is always a top concern. That’s why it is critical to keep everything together and organized. How you ask? Meet the Diva!

The Diva collection by Keli’s Kreations is the perfect solution to keeping your precious things organized, safe and accessible. The collections come in a number of different sizes from the Diva Lite which is perfect for those weekenders to the full-on Diva Deluxe which can house an entire collection of fine things.

So how does it work?

The Diva Collection is pure genius. Each Diva size is made up of two parts, the attractive case. Faux alligator leather on the Deluxe size and a ton or different colors and textures on the smaller two versions are available. (I went with the pink and white foulards design, cute huh?) On the inside, you have an ingenious sorting system with pockets, clasps and buttons that keep everything from getting all tied up into a big jumbled mess. Honestly, this is the only product that I have found that keeps everything from becoming a tangled glob.

The Diva Collection is perfect for the sophisticated female traveler. One that can hit the trails and museums all day and then shine up for an evening on the town! For you gals that travel out of town on business, the Diva is the perfect companion.

We at 1000Fights love to partner with small business people. Keli’s Kreations is a great success story. It is owned and operated by Ms. Keli Hazel of Atlanta. She saw a need and designed a product to solve it. Besides producing beautiful products, Keli is a great person. Keli gives a portion of the proceeds from her creations to Haven House, a non-profit organization that helps women who have left abusive relationships recognize their worth and start a new life. Kudos to Keli!

Guess what?

Would you like a chance to win your very own Diva? Thanks to Keli’s Kreations, we are giving away a Diva Lite! You get to pick your colors and everything! Sweet!

So here’s the skinny in three easy steps:

1) Give 1000 Fights a like on facebook HERE

2) Give Keli’s Kreations a like on facebook HERE

3) And lastly leave a comment below: where you dream of taking your “Diva”.

Paris? NYC? Shanghai? There are no wrong answers.

Easy huh?

A few rules:

Prize can only be shipped to the US. (Sorry, I know this stinks.)

Must complete the three steps above. (duh?)

Winner will be selected at random with the help of www.random.org

Entries will be accepted till March 30, 2012 7pm Mountain time.

Void where prohibited. (I would hate to live there…sorry.)

Just so you know, we were provided products to review in this post. (Thanks again Keli’s Kreations!)

Don’t wait to win the contest! Order your Keli’s Kreation Diva today!

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