Anyone had the chance to travel somewhere sunny this winter for their flip flop fix?
These last two months I’ve mostly been skiing – France, Austria, Italy and Germany – it’s been an incredible adventure and I’ve seen some beautiful vistas up there on the slopes. I’m kind of obsessed with mountains right now. You’d think I was a pro the amount of ski trips I’ve had, but sadly no, sometimes you just have to do things for the sheer pleasure rather than the fact you have any sort of skill.
Those ski boots have been an uncomfortable change from the usual flip flopping about. I’ve learned from experience that you really need to make sure your boots fit in the shop before you head out on the slopes. As in really stamp around and wear them in the shop for a bit. There was one day when my feet were so squashed into the boots up on the slope that I could barely ski down to change them. Not cool.
The Sunshine State
I did get to Florida since my last update though, twice actually. Just like that you wait a lifetime for a trip to the Sunshine State and then all of a sudden two opportunities come along at once. I road tripped from Tampa to Daytona to Fort Lauderdale and down to Miami for a week, and then went back a month later for a week chilling in the Florida Keys. It’s cool there. From seaplanes to stingrays to turtles and fancy dinners on desert islands, it was lush.
It’s such a laid back lifestyle in Florida, in the Keys especially. I would check with my friend as to what to wear for every occasion and the answer would always be ‘flip flops and take it from there’. You can dress them up – which I do with my Roxy Sevillas – or dress them down – like I do with the Havaianas. If only it was that simple in the UK!
Thailand
I’m in Thailand right now, in the Hua Hin area to be precise. Yesterday I hired a moped and went exploring around the Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park. I chose my Havaiana Lunas for the task, thanks to that extra back band to keep them on your feet. They turned out to be perfect for my unexpected hour-long hike up to the Phraya Nakhon Cave. A few oldies tutted at me from their walking boots as they went by, but I was cool, calm and could only imagine how hot they were in the midday 31C sun. It’s not about wearing shoes if you can get away with it.
I find the soles of Havaianas great for walking long distances – the thick rubber sole leaves me light on my feet. And the cave was definitely worth the effort.
The next trip for me will be SXSW Festival in Texas – can’t wait! Have you got any trips planned?