Tag: travel

Destinations, Europe, Sweden

Midsommar: Swedish Midsummer

Midsummer is a celebration on one of the longest days of the year. While it is and has historically been celebrated through most of Northern Europe, the Swedish midsummer is, well, uniquely Swedish. Uniquely Swedish things seem to fascinate non-Swedes, inspiring things from the very popular “Swedish Midsummer for Dummies” video (an excellent multimedia supplement to this post) to an original NBC TV series premiering in the US on July 10th.

This past weekend, all of Sweden and Finland (and several other countries as well) celebrated midsummer. I had the chance to teach some of the quirks and intricacies of celebrating midsummer to some of my closest non-European friends, and it inspired me to write a travel blog post this week. Here’s a selection of things you don’t want to go to midsummer without, whether you’re celebrating in Sweden, NYC (the biggest organized midsummer celebration outside of Sweden apparently), or elsewhere: Continue reading “Midsommar: Swedish Midsummer” →

Anchored, Home Design

Design Blog: Marimekko and 50 Years of Unikko

Design is one of Finland’s most renowned exports, and it takes many shapes. Phones, adorable trolls, jewelry, interior design, and textiles are just a few. One of the most iconic and easily spotted textiles in the world is the Unikko pattern from Marimekko. Continue reading “Design Blog: Marimekko and 50 Years of Unikko” →

Destinations, Getting There

4 Trends in the Cruise Industry and Their Impact on Your Onboard Experience

In celebration of finishing my undergraduate career today, I am back in action with a new blog post. I have been waiting for a vacation to write about my vacation (this evening is my minivacation), and with cruise ships positioning themselves for the summer season, I would like to share my thoughts on the cruise industry.

In March I had the opportunity to sail on Princess Cruises’ newest ship, the Royal Princess. Thanks to an extensive travel background in almost all modes of travel, this was my tenth cruise with almost 100 days at sea. My latest cruise experience and supplemental research indicates four key trends for the major cruise lines. Continue reading “4 Trends in the Cruise Industry and Their Impact on Your Onboard Experience” →

Accomodations

Fresh Hospitality: The Marriott-IKEA Millennial Venture

In my Global Retail Marketing class this week, my professor mentioned what I think is a brilliant development in the hospitality industry and branding: the announcement of a joint venture by IKEA and Marriott to create Moxy Hotels, a millennial-geared, low-cost, Scandinavian-designed, quality hotel brand. Continue reading “Fresh Hospitality: The Marriott-IKEA Millennial Venture” →

Destinations, Getting There

Cruising from Retirement to Real Life

Princess Cruises

You could say I am a bit of a cruise connoisseur. At the rate I’m going, I will be one of those little old ladies that has racked up months or years’ worth of sea days that you meet at the Captain’s cocktail parties… except super tall and in the midst of young adulthood. The true irony is that I am an expert in retirement and I haven’t started my career yet!

This, dear readers, is one of the many gifts of growing up with retired parents. The way I see it, these cruises are a win-win method of travel for us. My parents revisit places that they have already enjoyed properly, that is, in a much deeper way than a few hours walking about, and I explore them for the first time and make note of where I want to go back. Continue reading “Cruising from Retirement to Real Life” →