Tourism - The best journey takes you home

"The best journey takes you home." When we dream of traveling we often imagine only the most exotic places, countries as different and far away as possible. We want to immerse ourselves in foreign cultures, hear languages we don't understand, and eat foods we couldn't get anywhere else. But why wander around in the distance, when good things often lie nearby. Traveling does not necessarily mean to board a plane that brings you halfway across the world. Having a traveler's mindset also means to explore your immediate surroundings wherever you are - even if it is at home. When did you pretend to be a tourist in your home town last? Or gone on a road trip around your state? December is often a time even traveling nomads will return home to spend some time with their families and celebrate the holidays. This is why we have chosen to put this month's focus on intimate love letters to our homes and creative ways to get into a traveler's mindset at home. We hope that by showing you our appreciation for our homes, you will show some for yours. And by the end of the month you might agree, that sometimes the best journey takes you home. Before we look ahead though, let's look back at the month that has just passed. Here are some of our favorite reads from November 2016: ▪ How to present Travel on your Resume: A gap year shoudln't stand in your way of getting a job! ▪ About Quitting, Winning and Solo Travel: A personal story of finding your way by guest blogger Dilan. ▪ How Food Tours can be the Key to Understanding a Culture: Food is not just delicious, but gives away a lot about the local culture. ▪ Finding Happiness in Micro Adventures: It doesn't always have to be a long-term adventure! What to expect Of course this is not all we have to offer here! Read on for exclusive previews on what's happening at Travelettes in December, some more great travel advice and a cool GIVEAWAY powered by our friends from VAUDE! Ready to get inspired?!

Featured Destination: HOME As much as we love travel, we also love our home towns. The greatest adventures begin by stepping outside your door - whether you head to the airport, or simply to a local neighbourhood you've never been to before. We want to tell you more about our home cities and countries this month. By learning how to appreciate the little things at home, traveling abroad becomes even more rewarding. For first inspiration check out some of our posts about Portugal: * 6 Amazing Instagrammers who prove you don't need to go far * How to get a Traveler's Mindset from Home * 15 Ways to feel like a Traveler in your own Home * How to decorate a Traveler's Home * 50 Reasons why it might be time to go Home

Get Involved! Do you love where you're from? We would love to feature your home stories! Introduce us to your home town, tell us what's so special about it and why you love it, inspire us to take a stay-cation or show us how to decorate a traveler's home! If you would like to contribute a guest post, have a look at our writing & photo guidelines and get in touch at contribute@travelettes.net! We'd love to hear from you!

We love sharing our favorite products, people and services with you, because we think they can make your travel experience just that little bit better - or a lot, actually, they make everything a lot better!

A Mountain Mug You know we love the mountains just as much as the pristine white sand beaches of this world. There are many adventure-themes mugs out there, but this one - a handmade Mountain Mug made of clay - really caught our eye! It's available on Etsy from $21 plus shipping, and makes for a great Christams gift to yourself or a loved one!

Travelette of the Month: Vanessa Graf Each month, we turn the spotlight on one of our girls and the passions that define her work. This month, we turn to Vanessa, one of our newest members, who's in love with travel just as much as she loves mountains. Since graduating high school Vanessa has lived and studied in Romania, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Kyrgyzstan. How she got involved with Travelettes and what's on her future travel schedule, find out in her portrait!

10 Awesome Christmas Gifts for Travelers Christmas is approaching super fast and we're sure you could use some inspiration for awesome Christmas gifts for travelers - here are our top 10 ideas: 1) The Artisan Box by Globe In: A monthly subscription box filled with artisan crafts from around the world. Use TRAVELETTES for $10 discount (3- or 6-month subscription). 2) Scratch Off Map by Landmass: To keep track of your travels AND decorate your home. 3) Sseko Designs Sandals: The most versatile sandals ever with interchangeable ribbons and accents. 4) Cityscape Rings by Shektwoman: A ring to carry the skyline of your favourite town with you at all times. 5) The Cheerz Box by Cheerz: The ideal DIY gift for which you don't need crazy skills - just some beautiful photos! Use TRAVELETTES for €5 discount! 6) The Feminist Activity Book: Filled with games, colouring projects and crafts to smash the patriarchy! 7) 'Be the Change' bracelet: To support the NGO #ShowSumLove in bringing change to the world. 8) A Crumpled City Map: For a planned adventure - or to get the ball rolling! 9) A Travel Hammock, like the LA SIESTA, for those picture-perfect moments up in the mountains or beneath the trees. 10) Donate in someone's name: There is no better gift than the gift of giving. You can find the full Travelettes Christmas Gift Guide right here! Carry-On Trolley by VAUDE Can't decide between a trolley and a backpack as carry-on luggage? With the Sapporo trolley from VAUDE you don't have to! We have teamed up with VAUDE to give away a handy carry-on trolley with stowable backpack straps and a padded laptop compartment. You can pull it, push it or simply carry it on your back - which ever way is most convenient for you! The Sapporo holds 33L, which makes it the perfect carry-on bag for small weekend trips and flights with low-cost airlines. The bag also has zip pockets and organizers to always keep your most important belongings handy. We are particularly proud to work with VAUDE, because they are a member of Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), and are committed to improve the working conditions at their production facilities. So, what do we have for you? VAUDE is rewarding one lucky Travelettes-subscriber (UK only) with a handy Sapporo carry-on trolley! All you have to do for a chance to win - well, you've already done! This newsletter giveaway is exclusive to you, our subscribers, to say THANK YOU for saying YES to Travelettes! Winners will be chosen at random from the list of subscribers and notified via email. With HOME being our featured destination of the month, you might have already guessed that quite a few of our team are heading 'home' in one way or another - and we'd like to show you around! The month will start with Vanessa taking us away for a skiing trip to her home country Austria, but surely there will be some time for traditional food and wellness as well?! Taking over from the other side of the world, Annika will be showing us around her beloved home town Cape Town. She might live in Hamburg now, but South Africa where she lived for many years, will always be in her heart. Finally, Kathi is bringing you back to Austria, but this time you get to see its bustling capital, Vienna. Here she will spend some quality time with her family, roam the Christmas markets for mulled wine and last-minute presents, and hopefully find some snow along the way!