La Vida en Viaje (Life on Tour)

Costa Rica: Day 1

2012-04-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

Solomon and I arrived in San Jose around 1pm on Sunday and took an airport taxi to the hostel. We had woken up at 2am that morning to get to the airport on time and were quite exhausted by the time we arrived. The taxis are bright orange with big yellow triangles on the side and have set prices to various parts of San Jose. Our taxi driver couldn't find his way directly to the hostel as a street festival was blocking the way so he turned off his meter part way and we ended up paying $30. We checked into Aldea Hostel into a dorm room with 8 beds and a private bathroom ($13 pp). There were wooden lockers to put your packs (had to supply our own locks) and a promise of hot water for certain hours of the day. Our rooms water was broken so we took cold showers for the first time of our trip. The hostel was decorated with pop art pictures of girls with big, juicy lips smoking cigars. A pool table sat under a chandelier in the front hall and the kitchen was in a courtyard outside.

The first thing we did was head to the Tica Bus stop which was a couple blocks away to try to get three bus tickets to Nicaragua the next day. We figured out you could go straight to Granada (not to Managua) quite easily on the Tica bus as it was a scheduled stop, but we needed all three passports to get the tickets. Since Nick was not arriving until 9 at night, we left and planned to get them early the next morning. We went to Pali, the grocery store and bought some pasta to cook for the night while we waited for Nick to arrive. The hostel staff sat around smoking while we ate dinner and took a nap to pass the time. The sheets were clean and we didn't need sleep sacks here. By the time Nick showed up, the hostel staff had changed shifts and we had to convince the guy at the front desk that Nick was already paid for and reserved. We decided to try our luck with the bus stop again and were happy to find it open so we could buy our tickets. For anyone trying to go to the Tica Bus stop it is open quite late at night, if not 24 hours a day. We went at about 11 pm and had no problems. In fact, a bus was just getting in. Buying the night before turned out to be okay but we could only get on the noon bus and not the 6am one. Knowing this bought us a few more hours to catch up on sleep, we headed back to the hostel to bed.

Nica Living (Culture Shock)

2012-04-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

One of the most interesting things about travelling is seeing the little differences between where we live and where others spend their days. There are many of these observations in my day to day details but here are a few overwhelming discrepancies.

First of all, the heat. This may seem obvious but the heat and humidity combined was simply...overwhelming.
This was coupled with frequent electrical outages that turned off the rusty fan right when you needed it the most. The best way to cool off was in the showers because there was no hot water. Water was often collected in rain barrels and so heated somewhat by the sun but at most it was tepid, and at the least it was icy. While this felt nice in the middle of the hot day, an icy shower in the morning was a sure way to ensure an efficient bathe. The one hostel that had hot water was heated by an electrical device attached to the shower head. Occasionally the water would just not run at all on the Isla de Ometepe.

The water from the shower often ran directly out into the yard behind the room, which was at times in a courtyard and just open to the sky.

Speaking of the bathrooms, one of the first things you'll notice if you visit a similar country is that the plumbing is rather...touch and go. Instead of flushing anything down the toilet, you must put all your, ahem, toilet waste into a trash can near the toilet. You can imagine the aroma this gives to every bathroom and surrounding area as this sits in the hot sun.

Riding Nica Style was another stunning difference. Nicas would put 2-4 people on one bike and ride to and from work. Instead of sitting on the handle bars or on pegs like we sometimes do, another person and a baby would sit on the main frame of the bike in front of the seat. The rider would wrap their arms around their passengers, helping to keep their balance.

These were a few of the things that stood out the most but read on to the day to day recaps for more!

Nica Living (Costs for Costa Rica and Nicaragua)

2012-04-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

Phew! Well the past couple weeks went by FAST. We successfully moved to Colorado and a week later got on a plane for our much anticipated Costa Rica- Nicaragua trip!
There will be many posts and pictures to come detailing what we did and where we stayed in the following days but let's start with the nitty-gritty.

First of all, keeping a daily budget kind of fell through. Travelling with three people we found ourselves fronting each other money and then being paid back later--something that made it very hard to keep track of day to day expenses. Instead I will give overall cost of the trip and details of what some important things cost.

Before we left we were able to save up more than we originally thought so we raised our budget to $1500 for two people. This turned out to be a good thing because we came in at $1494- wow, that was close! That comes to $93 dollars a day, for two people. Things that were more expensive than expected: bus tickets, border crossings, Costa Rica as a whole (we forgot how many of the prices rival those in the US!), and a much needed night with air conditioner when we all weren't feeling well.

Nicaragua was much, much cheaper than Costa Rica and spending most of our time there surely helped us from going over budget. We were significantly under the daily $93 on our days in Nicaragua but even a few days in Costa Rica quickly made up for it. Here are a few of the daily costs:

McDonald's at the Denver International Airport: $15
Taxi ride from Juan Santamaria international airport (Alajuela) to hostel in San Jose:: $30
Hostel in Costa Rica (Aldea Hostel, near Tica Bus station in San Jose): $13 pp (one night- $26)
Tica Bus tickets from San Jose to Managua: $26 pp ($52)
For this we got off at Granada and had the option to get off at Rivas but the price does not change.
Border crossing into Nicaragua: $14 pp ($28)
Note that Costa Rica is free to exit and enter, but Nicaragua charges for both.
First night in Granada (unknown hostel, found at night on the way into town from Tica Bus stop): $5 pp (one night- $10)
Next two nights in Granada (the Bearded Monkey): $7 pp (two nights- $28)
Las Islas tour from Granada (random boat off the beach): $5 pp ($10 for both + tip)
1 Litre of Flor de Cana Rum: $12
2 750 mLs of Flor de Cana Rum: $8 each ($16)
Haircut, shave, facial and face massage at local barber (Sol and Nick): $18
5 hour ferry from Granada to Altagracia on Isla de Ometepe: $5pp ($10)
Shuttle from ferry to hotel (from tout on ferry): < $1 pp ($2)
Hotel Castillo in Altagracia: $6 pp (two nights: $24)
Guided hike up Volcan Concepcion: $20 pp ($40, but should have been less because we paid a middle man)
Bike rental: $6 pp/ per day ($8 for both, half day)
Natural spring swimming hole: $2 pp ($4)
Taxi back from Playa Domingo to Altagracia: $15 for three people
Taxi to ferry stop in Moyagalpa: $20
1 hour ferry from Moyagalpa to San Jorge: $2 pp ($4)
Taxi from San Jorge to San Juan del Sur (about 45 min to an hour): $15 for three people
Hotel Estrella in San Juan del Sur: $8 pp with free breakfast (two nights- $32)
Transport to Playa Marsella from the hotel: $15 with hotel transport, for all three of us
Hostal Amelia with air conditioning, San Juan del Sur: $30 for the room
Taxi from San Juan del Sur to the border: $16 for two people
Leaving Nicaragua: $3 pp (paid in increments of $1 each and then $2 each- $6 total)
Bus from the border to Liberia Costa Rica: $12 pp ($24)
Posada del Tope in Liberia: $20 for the room (one night)
Bus from Liberia to Puntarenas: $5 pp ($10)
Bus from Puntarenas to Quepos: $6.50 pp ($13)
Wide Mouth Frog Hostel in Quepos: $35 a night per room with free breakfast, plus an $8 deposit for keys and towels (4 nights, $140)
Bus to Manuel Antonio National Park: 50 cents pp one way ($4 for two days, round trips)
Manuel Antonio National Park entrance fee: $10 pp (2 days, $40)
Bus from Quepos to San Jose: $8 pp ($16 total, but we bought 4 tickets because we needed to change our time after our original purchase, so $32)
Taxi from Coca Cola bus station in San Jose to Maleku Hostel in Alajuela= $25 (unlicensed cab)
Maleku Hostel with free airport shuttle= $15 pp (one night- $30)
Costa Rica airport departure tax= $26 pp ($52)
Parking at the Denver International Airport: $7 per day ($112 for 16 days)

These are the main expenses we incurred. All prices are dependent on the exchange rate at the time which was around $1= 23 cordobas in Nicaragua and $1= 520 colones in Costa Rica.

Other taxi rides in Nicaragua ranged from $1- $15.
Meals in Nicaragua ranged from $2 pp for a set plate (rice and beans, mixed veggies, and meat), to $5 pp for spaghetti, to $10 pp at an American-style restaurant in San Juan del Sur. With the prices above for lodging and transport, we spent an average of $30 or less a day on snacks and meals (going out to eat and groceries).
In Costa Rica meals ranged from $6 pp for a set plate to $20 pp for upscale Italian food.
A tour of the petroglyphs and natural springs on Ometepe was going to be $10 pp but we ended up renting bikes instead.
A soda in Nicaragua cost anywhere from 20 cents (at a small, local tienda which you had to return your glass bottle) to $1 (at bus and ferry stations). A 2 liter bottle of water cost less than $1 (around 80 cents).
In Costa Rica a soda cost around $1.75- $2 and a 2 liter of water cost around $2.
In Nicaragua, a t-shirt with little to no haggling cost $5. A small painting cost $5 as well.
For groceries we spent an average of $5 per trip (consisting of food for 1-2 meals) in Nicaragua and $15 in Costa Rica.
Nick's sunglasses at a local market, no haggling, cost $15. A hair band for me cost 1/23 of $1 (1 cordoba).
A coloring book at an exclusive stationary store in Nicaragua cost around $3.25.
Bananas cost less than 4 cents each in Nicaragua.

Some things that are hard to account for are bank foreign transaction fees and ATM fees and conversion rates at street money changers. Just make sure you know your bank's policy and the exchange rate before you go.

Another thing to consider is that when you travel with three people, it is often more convenient to pay for all three hotel beds at a time, and thus each person inevitably ends up paying for the others at some point or another. Unless you rigidly keep track of this or religiously keep each payment separate, budgets will be harder to keep and you may end up over or under spending compared to what you calculated for yourself.

Packing List: Costa Rica- Nicaragua 2012

2012-02-23T20:32:00.003-08:00

One of the things I find most helpful about reading other travel blogs is information on budgets and what to bring. Here I'll post the packing list for our 16 days in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. While this might seem like a long list, most of the stuff we only need one between the three of us. Many of the things are also very small and will fit easily in our pack

We will each need to bring:

1 swimsuit
1 long sleeve shirt
1 sweatshirt/ thin jacket
1 rain poncho
1 travel towel
1 sleep sack
1 pair of pants (travel pants)
4 shirts
2-3 tank tops (for me, not for the boys)
1-2 dresses or skirts (again, not for the boys)
3 pairs of socks
1 pair of flip flops
1 pair of walking shoes
3 pairs of shorts
enough underwear for the whole trip
a toothbrush
razors
deodorant
makeup (for me: foundation, eyeliner, mascara, blush/compact with a mirror)

Collectively we will have to bring:

toothpaste
floss
chapstick
hair brush/ comb
lotion
sunscreen
bug spray
shampoo
body wash
conditioner
face wash
ear plugs
duct tape (wrapped around a pen)
camping silverware set
clothes line
drain plug
malaria medication
anti-diarrheals
cipro (antibiotic in case of bad case of stomach bug)
motion sickness meds
hand sanitizer
sewing kit
guidebooks
pack of cards
daypack (to hold valuables during bus trips or water, snacks, books, etc. for day trips)
band aids
cortisone cream
Advil
antibiotic ointment
tweezers
wet wipes
paper copies of prescriptions
sunglasses
camera + case + charger
phone + charger
journal + pen
book
flashlight
headlamps
travel pillows
passports
US dollars in small bills (keep some in moneybelt with passport and some in another location)
moneybelts
luggage locks
credit cards (be sure to notify companies of travel)
copies of passport (stored separately from originals)
insurance cards and ids (including student id)
toilet paper

Optional items:

allergy medicine
mosquito coils
water sterlizer

We will keep toiletries and things that can leak in plastic ziplock bags. We have a toiletry case for the small items/ medicines/ first aid stuff so that it won't get lost in our bags.

The North Shore and the Viking Motel

2012-02-20T16:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we took an awesome, spur of the moment trip to the North Shore. (for those not in the know, this is the Northeast part of Minnesota along Lake Superior) It all started while we were eating and having Vietnamese coffee at Kinhdo in Minneapolis. It was suggested (not sure by whom) that we should take a weekend trip to the North Shore. Early afternoon was already approaching so we had to decide quickly. After everyone was in agreement we packed a quick backpack and headed out.

On the first night (and it was evening by the time we got there) we made it as far as Two Harbors. Along the way we stopped at two small town/ blue collar liquor stores to stock up on rations. Megan and Nick went classy with two bottles of wine, while I decided on Bell’s Two Hearted IPA which claims to be “well suited for adventurous trips to the upper peninsula” which is very close to the North Shore. As soon as we made it to Two Harbors we picked the first random/creepy/cheap motel to stay at. The name of the place was Viking Motel and the rooms were what I would lovingly call “retro”. The innkeeper was very friendly (possibly because we were the only people staying there on a Saturday night) and strangely enough suggested a restaurant called Viking Legends. She even had a coupon we could use for one free drink! The draw to this place was the fact that you could meet a Viking legend, Jim Marshall #70, who was also a co-owner. We never did meet him (or actually know who he was), but it was very Minnesota-ey and to boot- the staff was friendly.

Once we arrived back at the motel, we went ahead and quickly started the festivities. The first order of business was to restore the heat (which was not working, but was quickly restored by the innkeeper). Next, we went ahead and “upgraded” the room by turning the bathtub into an impromptu hot tub! Unfortunately the water was a little rusty so I decided to reclassify it as a natural hot spring. At first everyone sat around with just their feet in the light brownish red water. Later as the adventurous spirit that is Bell’s Two Hearted consumed me I decided to seize the moment and go all in!

The next day we started with breakfast at the well known Betty's Pies. Corned beef hash, biscuits and gravy, and delicious pie was a great start to the day. Then we drove up the North Shore to Split Rock Lighthouse where we watched a historical video about the lighthouse's history. A small museum detailed the maritime history of the lake. We were able to admire the lake during the daylight the entire way home.

Goals and Dreams: First world problems?

2012-02-16T14:37:00.000-08:00

When I think about all the goals and dreams I have in my life (re: bucket list, reading list, travel goals, etc.) I can't help but think about how fortunate I am to even be able to hope for these things. What if I had to wake up each day and spend every waking moment trying to eat, trying to survive? I would have no time to wish for travel, to fulfill personal goals, to try to become the person I want to be. There are many, many admirable people who overcome their living situations to fulfill their goals and dreams and to make a difference in the world. There are many more who can never do more than struggle to survive.
This makes me feel the need to spend more time just appreciating the life and opportunities that I have. It makes me want to make sure my luxurious extra time is not wasted and that I do become the best person I can be. I have the luxury of being able to spend time just on myself. I have health, security, support, love and so many other blessings that I am able to sit around pondering the meaning of life and what I wish to do with it. This just blows my mind sometimes...that I can even be so introspective and spend so much time on self fulfillment. I want to give back in some way and I'm hoping that one day I figure out just how to do this. I want to be able to take the luck and opportunity I have been given, just by virtue of where and to whom I was born, and give that to others who are not so fortunate. I also do not want to waste what I have been given because so many others would give so much for what I have.

At the same time, this makes me feel superficial about my own personal goals. Travelling around the world? What good does that do for anyone besides myself? At times I feel selfish and spoiled. If I ever have a bad day or feel upset with my life, I wonder what gives me the right to feel that way when I have so much. I guess the only thing I can do is try to help others along the way to fulfilling my own goals...hopefully I will figure out how to do this as I go along because it seems so vague as I think about it now. Are all those first world volunteers going out for two weeks to "help" a third world community really helping? Or are they just doing it to make themselves feel better? Where is the line between too privileged and making full use of your opportunities? What is selfish and what is just understanding you are fortunate and not letting this be taken for granted? I'm hoping to gain more insight on this this year.

100 Novels Reading List

2012-02-07T17:57:00.000-08:00

So in trying to compile my list of 100 books to read for my bucket list I began searching online for ideas.
First of all, I decided on only putting fiction/ novels on my list as nonfiction seemed like a wholly different goal. I found a couple sources to draw from in creating my list:

First, Modern Library's 100 Best Novels list and the companion Reader's Choice 100 Best list:
http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/

Then there was Radcliffe's Rival list:
http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/radcliffes-rival-100-best-novels-list/

Then another reader submission-based list:
http://www.thebest100lists.com/best100novels/

And finally NPR's top novels list:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103869541

From this I created my own. What I liked about the reader submissions was that there were more contemporary novels, not just "classics." In choosing my list I wanted some variety and not just the obvious literary greats. So here goes:

~~To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee~~
1984 by George Orwell
~~Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen~~
Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
~~The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger~~
~~The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald~~
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
~~Animal Farm by George Orwell~~
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Arabian Nights
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
~~Lord of the Flies by William Golding~~
Ulysses by James Joyce
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
~~One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez~~
~~Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling~~
~~The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain~~
~~The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien~~
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
~~Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck~~
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (In Progress)
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
~~The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini~~
~~The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis~~
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
~~Frankenstein by Mary Shelley~~
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
~~One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey~~
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
The Stranger by Albert Camus
~~Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad~~
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Watership Down by Richard Adams
His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Stand by Stephen King
~~The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown~~
~~The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway~~
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Dune by Frank Herbert
~~Little Women by Louisa May Alcott~~
~~Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert~~
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
~~Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden~~
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (In Progress)
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Middlemarch by George Eliot
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
The Golden Cage by Shirin Ebadi (In Progress)
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
~~Persuasion by Jane Austen~~
Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
The Trial by Franz Kafka
The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
~~The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho~~
Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World by H.H. the Dalai Lama
~~The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath~~
Emma by Jane Austen
~~A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini~~
Siddharta by Hermann Hesse
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (In Progress)
Atonement by Ian McEwan
What is the What by Dave Eggers (In Progress)
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
~~The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne~~

GoPro

2012-01-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I got an awesome present from my mom: A GoPro HD Hero2 video camera.

This tiny little camera takes amazing HD footage and can be mounted on your head, your chest, your wrist and every piece of sporting equipment you can imagine. Hopefully videos will help make our blog more dynamic in the future and we hope to capture some pretty cool stuff while travelling.

Here's the GoPro promo video to give you an idea of how great this thing is:

Life

2012-01-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

If I've learned anything in the past couple of years it's that life is hard. Life seriously sucks sometimes. I've also learned that life is precious. It can be beautiful, it can be excruciating, it can be stressful, it can be exhilarating. Life is short and it's about, well, living. I look back over recent years and can hardly fathom how much has changed.

The biggest change for me was the loss of my father. As we approach the two year anniversary of his death (January 25th) I am still finding out that life has a way of throwing curveballs at you at every turn. I never could have imagined that life would have turned out like this. In the past two years since the accident I managed to finish school a semester early, write a Summa thesis, graduate with the highest honors my University awards, buy my first home, get married, get my first post-college job, and so much more. All of these things are wonderful accomplishments that I am very proud of but I never in a million years imagined that my dad wouldn't be there to see them. He couldn't walk me down the aisle (although I was honored to have my mom fill this role). He couldn't give me advice on the joys and horrors of homeownership. He couldn't tell me he was proud when all my hard work paid off at school. So many life changes that should bring so much joy but are always shadowed by the fact that he isn't here to see them. I miss him every single day and still have a hard time imagining my life without him. He won't know his grandchildren or be here to see what his children become. However, even though he cannot be here in person, everything I do is touched and affected by my dad. I fill with pride whenever I recognize a part of him in me. I miss him watching football in the living room on Sundays. I miss him getting excited as he talked about his trips. I miss him bragging about us kids to his friends. I miss his hugs, and pats on the back, and "I love you, Meggy"'s. But everything I accomplish is for him. Everything I want to achieve is for him. I want to make my dad proud, whether he is here to physically see it or not. I would have loved for him to tell me I looked beautiful in my wedding dress, and I would have loved to tell him about my travels. I would have loved to tell him my plans and for him to see what I eventually become. But I am ready to take on life because of him and his love and dedication to our family provides me with so much inspiration as I move forward.

And now, after so many changes, I am preparing for even more. I want to attend the Josef Korbel School for a graduate degree in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance. This means applications, letters of recommendation, taking the GRE and adjusting to a whole new university. We are planning the move to Denver, Colorado and looking at new apartments, jobs and moving services (Moving is expensive! Yikes!). This also means selling our first home and being a renter again. In our relationship we call Solomon the settler and I'm the wanderer. Renting, moving, change, change and more change is all exciting to me. It keeps more looking forward. I love to plan, to organize, to take steps forward. It helps me to keep on living and to take control of my life after so much has been uprooted. It helps me to feel alive and fulfilled. Sol likes to settle, to nest and to make a home. Hopefully we will find a happy middle somewhere.

Moving also means living much farther away from family, something that breaks my heart even if they may not think so all the time. It means not being able to go home on the weekends and feelings of guilt that I'm abandoning my ties here in Minnesota. It means I will miss them horribly. I am hoping that eventually everyone I love will be able to understand and accept the decisions I make in my life because nothing is more important to me than the people I love. We have struggled together through physical and emotional recovery from the accident and have celebrated accomplishments together. As I muddle through the logistics of moving and starting a new chapter in our lives, I am forever grateful for my family and friends. We have too little time with our loved ones as it is, and I'm hoping, if nothing else, that the distance will make me appreciate our relationships that much more.

Sometimes travel means visiting a foreign country. Other times it means moving to a new state. Other times it means looking back and realizing just how far you've come. Our journeys are ever unwinding as we get lost and find our way again.

How about a few words of wisdom from my favorite quotable man to help us through?

“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways--either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

“There is a saying in Tibetan, 'Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.'
No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

“If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

Bucket List

2012-01-19T17:38:00.000-08:00

This is a list of things we'd like to do with our (our being mostly Megan with some input from Sol) time on earth. Seems like its going to be hard to limit this list but let's start with no more than 500 things. Many of these are travel related! And in no particular order...

Celebrate Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
Go whitewater rafting
Start our own business or entrepreneurial endeavor
Join the PeaceCorps
Spend a year or more travelling the world
Sleep in a hammock on a beach
Float in the Dead Sea
See the Pyramids
See Machu Pichu
Go to the Galapagos Islands
See the Bolivian salt flats
See Iguazu Falls
See Victoria Falls
Spend time in some off the map village
Visit a Buddhist monastery
Get a job working in the travel industry
Live and work in a foreign country
Take the GRE
Get a graduate degree
Learn a new language
Create a picture wall/ art wall in our home
Decorate a home based on books, art, travel, and environmental sustainability
Adopt a child
Get a tattoo
Learn more about world religions
Read a book about Buddhism
Read a book by/ about the Dalai Lama
Learn to meditate
Create a meditation routine
Be "regulars" at a local bar
Donate $1000 or more to charity
Volunteer for a local NGO/ non-profit
Volunteer for an international NGO/ non-profit
Write a travel guide
Have a well-followed travel blog/website
Start a charity
Go fly fishing (Solomon)
Climb a fourteener
Camp by/ swim in a mountain lake
Swim in a natural hot springs
See the Dalai Lama
Get a hot stone massage
Make a video about our around the world travel
Make a video about our bucket list
Own a home with a library or art studio
Own a home with an inner courtyard
Renew our wedding vows
Go on a "staycation"
Take a road trip
Read every book by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Go to Vietnam
Take a pottery throwing class
Own every single Lonely Planet guidebook
Go skiing at Vail
Attend a concert at Red Rock
Celebrate Day of the Dead in Mexico
Stand at the corner of the Four Corners
Visit all 50 states
Go Couchsurfing
Host a Couchsurfer
Buy the World Heritage Sites book
Visit all 851 World Heritage Sites
Visit all places on at least one 7 Wonders of the World list
Go island hopping in the Caribbean or Southeast Asia
Learn to ski
Get scuba certified
~~Ride on a zip line~~
~~Climb a volcano~~
Go volcano boarding
~~See some monkeys~~
~~Hike through the jungle~~
~~Snorkel with stingrays and tropical fish~~
Visit a white sand beach
Visit a black sand beach
Take a boat down the Amazon River
Explore the Amazon rainforest
Stand on the banks of the Nile
Move to a different state
Go on a safari
Learn to Latin dance
Visit Havana, Cuba
Get TESL/TEFL certified
Have $500,000 in savings
Buy groceries/ day to day supplies in a local shop or outdoor market
Live in an open-air home
Have a home with solar panels
Live in a walking culture
Live in a slower paced, more social culture
Complete Rosetta Stone Spanish
Complete Rosetta Stone Arabic
Have a small, close knit group of friends to share everything with
Furnish a room with floor cushions
Learn to belly dance
Fill an entire sketch book
Make a reading list and finish it
~~Visit the North Shore in winter~~
Visit the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar
Climb a 14er
Travel to Buenos Aires
Paint the Granada cathedral
Travel to Turkey
Travel around South East Asia
Travel across North Africa

1000 Places to See Before You Die (Patricia Schultz)

2012-01-19T15:10:00.001-08:00

Many of my experiences that I truely treasure are not on this list but it is an interesting way to gauge travel experiences against a static list! My biggest complaint is that the list oftentimes sums up cities into one item on the list when, in my opinion, there is SO MUCH to do in each city that one could spend weeks just in one place. Here is where you can see all 1000 places listed out as they are in the book: http://listology.com/openstacks/list/places-ive-been-patricia-schultzs-1000-places-see-you-die

And these are the one's I've been to (not very many on this scale)!

England: Windsor Castle, London

Ireleand: The Book of Kells

Austria: Vienna

France: Paris

Italy: Rome, Sistene Chapel

Netherlands: Red-Light District

Spain: La Catedral de Toledo, Madrid

Czech Republic: Castle District, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square

Morocco: Essaouira, Place Djemma El-Fna

United States: The Grand Canyon in Arizona, the Pacific Coast Highway in California, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Walt Disney World Resport in Florida, Oahu in Hawaii, the Art Institute of Chicago in Illinois, Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts, East Hampton in New York, the Badlands and the Blackhills in South Dakota, Pike Place Market in Washington

Mexico: Acapulco Bay, Taxco

Puerto Rico: Old San Juan

Other places I have been and experiences I have loved (that aren't on this list!):

Swimming with stingrays in the Cayman Islands.

Spotting quetzals in the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica.

Lounging in the hot springs underneath Volcan Arenal in La Fortuna Costa Rica.

Mountain climbing and rooftop relaxation in the blue medina of Chefchaouen Morocco.

Seeing the setting for the Sound of Music in Salzburg, Austria.

Walking down to our own private beach in Olbia, Sardinia (Italy).

Noting the proximity of the McDonalds to the 'isolated' mountain hotel from The Shining in Estes Park Colorado.

My plan is to add blogs about each of these trips retroactively, wish me luck!

Next trip planned: Nicaragua and Costa Rica 2012

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

The next three posts are going to be a lot of lists. And our first list is....some goals for the year 2012!

Practice/ brush up on Spanish
Draw and paint more
Successful move to Colorado
Read more
Get a climbing gym membership and go climbing once a week
Go backpacking in Colorado
Pick a destination for our 2013 trip
Try flyfishing
Try skiing or snowboarding
Fight less

Movies that will touch your soul and open your eyes

2012-01-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

1. Beyond Borders: A movie about a young woman who oscillates between domestic life in London and life as a humanitarian aid worker. This contrast provides quite a unique perspective on some of the world's most pressing humanitarian crises.

2. Trade: A movie about sex trafficking in America. Young girls trafficked through Mexico City to be sold in the US.

3. The Road to Guantanamo: A true story about the destructive reality of Guantanamo Bay.

4. Under the Same Moon: A movie about the plight of illegal immigrants in the United States. A mother and a son desperate to reunite.

“World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

Social Awareness Posts: A Preface

2012-01-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

This genre of post needs a bit of prefacing before writing. Those of you who know me know that for my job I spend my time reading about human rights abuses around the world. Because of this I come across many, many horrifying crimes committed against innocent people every day. While some may find this very difficult to do on a day to day basis, I believe that awareness is one of the most powerful tools to stopping these violations. Once in awhile a certain pattern of crimes or type of crime really stands out to me and hits me right at my core. Something so horrifying and systematic that I just have to turn around and let others know what is happening on our very planet. That is what these posts will be about.

You may be wondering, why is this on a travel blog? For me, travel is about understanding the human experience. It is about seeing and feeling the lives of our fellow man, woman, and child. It is about realizing that there are people out there who live lives completely different than our own. It is about appreciating what we have and reaching out to help those who need it. It is about cultural understanding and appreciation of all things "different" from our daily reality. In order to effectively travel we must understand the world around us. Travel has taught me nothing if not the fact that the world is so full of beauty. There is so much...life and vitality in every new place I see. Everything is pulsing, living, breathing, new, different, and so much the same. Nothing strikes me more than going on what for me is a vacation, and just taking a moment to realize that these are people just living. Going to work, feeding their families, spending time with friends, passing the time. Same as we do at home. There is so much beauty in the simplicity of that understanding. That everything and everyone has its place. Every little thing means something, if not to you, than to someone else. I believe that the majority of people are good and want to do good for themselves and others. However, amid all the beauty there is evil and there is pain.

Sometimes when reading reports of human rights abuses I find it hard to remember that it is just people, human beings, fathers, sons, sisters, who are committing such atrocities against their fellow man. They eat and drink, laugh and cry, feel fear and confusion, just like the rest of us. These perpetrators aren't some new breed of monsters, they are just people. How, then, can they torture, rape and kill another human being? How could they possibly get to that state of mind that they could orchestrate horrific acts of violence?

To me in life there are some "non-negotiables". Some things that are just wrong or right no matter what. Some circumstances in which "everyone is entitled to their opinion" no longer applies.

Torture is bad. Killing is bad. Rape is bad. Non-negotiable.

Every human life has as much value as the next. Non-negotiable.

NO ONE should be deprived their human rights to live their lives free of pain and fear. Non-negotiable.

Knowing that these things still occur, perpetrated by simple human beings, nonetheless, makes me feel pain that is hard to describe. I weep thinking of what my fellow human must endure at the hands of others. Things that I cannot imagine having the strength to endure.

These things are important to understand for anyone going out into the world to travel and understand the human condition. We must spread awareness of the horrible things so that we can savor the beauty that much more. We must understand the terror that some people face every single day so that we can do anything in our power to help them along the way. We must stop on our vacation or journey and think about those around us and how we are impacting them with our presence. That is why I want to write these posts.

Now, all that being said, I know these realities can be hard to face. I would not recommend my social awareness posts for children as they should not be troubled with the real life villains just yet. If you do not want to read them, that is your choice. I will try not to be graphic but the very nature of some of these atrocities are horrific and I know that many people do not wish to read about such things. That is your prerogative. I will label the posts accordingly but please be forewarned that any Social Awareness Post will not be about pretty sunsets and fun times with locals and make your choice to read accordingly.

Sincerely,

Megan

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

TripIt

2012-01-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

This will just be a quick post about my favorite travel planning website: TripIt

This handy website (and phone app) is amazing! Just forward all your reservation confirmations for flights, hotels, rental cars, buses, etc. to TripIt and it compiles a customized itinerary with all the information you need for your trip. No need to carry around 30 sheets of paper with all your reservation information on it. TripIt includes confirmation numbers, check in times, maps to hotels and airports, phone numbers, flight information and everything else you need to stay on track while travelling.

The Android app is my favorite because you can just click on your hotel and immediately have it entered into your GPS or with another click, call and confirm your reservation.

Additional features include seeing where your friends are and have been, tracking your mileage and trips on a cute little map, and saving all your past trip itineraries for future reference.

So useful and so much fun to play with--- definitely would recommend this for the organized traveler!

Budgeting Overview and Tips

2012-01-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

Now for some specifics on what we spend on a trip.

First of all, the way we prioritize saving for a trip goes like this:

at the end of every month we look at how much we earned and subtract that month's expenditures. With whatever is left over (no matter how little) we put 1/3 into a travel fund and 2/3 into long term savings. Since our expenses are fairly consistent, we have a basic goal of what we want to put into our trip fund every month. This is what we use to estimate how long it will take us to save up enough for our next trip and this is how we know when to book our plane tickets.

Plane tickets we have a habit of buying way too early. Rick Seaney, the FareCompare.com CEO, recommends buying tickets around four months ahead of time and towards the beginning of the week. He notes that Saturday is one of the cheapest days to fly while Sunday is one of the most expensive (see article here). Tips like these are available all over the internet.

However, if you're like me and are too excited to wait to buy tickets when you decide on a destination, try some of these tips.

My airfare booking website of choice: kayak.com

This site is easy to use and compares flights from all different carriers quickly and allows you to see the full price of your ticket (with fees, taxes, etc.) quickly. It also lets you compare with sites like Travelocity and Orbitz instantly so you cover all your bases. Additionally, Kayak allows you to set your dates with complete flexibility so you can find the cheapest month, week, or day to travel if you have a pretty open schedule.

The "Explore" feature helps you decide on a destination by showing you prices all over the world from your designated home airport. The "Buzz" feature allows you to find the cheapest time to fly to a given destination.

This is pretty much a traveler's dream as it gets rid of the rigidity of other fare searching sites and allows your travel dreams to wander.

In addition to all this, Kayak allows you to set price alerts. I would HIGHLY recommend doing this even if you don't think you will be taking a trip for awhile. With this feature you get the lowest prices to certain destinations emailed to you at set intervals. Even if you do not end up booking these trips it gives you a great idea of what a ticket should cost and what would be a good price to aim for. Knowing this ahead of time will get rid of that "I have no idea if this is a good deal or not!" feeling when searching for airfare.

After you book your ticket, sign up for a free account with Yapta.com. This site tracks the cost of your flight and alerts you if you are eligible for a refund from your airline if the ticket prices drop lower than what you paid.

For our tickets from Minneapolis to San Jose, Costa Rica (with no overnight layover this time, thank God) we spent about $600 each. I have seen them go as low as $500 but as high as $900 since then.

After buying a ticket it is important to make a budget for the rest of your trip. While this might seem a bit premature, it is easy for pre-departure expenses to get lost in the shuffle. We like to count things like guidebooks, luggage, and travel gear into our trip budget so we get a better idea of the real cost of our vacation.

For Costa Rica- Nicaragua we are planning on spending $600 a person for 16 days. This includes food, lodging, transportation, activities/ tours, souvenirs, the works. That's $37.50 a day.

As you can see, plane tickets are a HUGE part of your expenses. Time at the destination is actually quite cheap (depending on where you go). You may actually be thinking "Whoa, I spend more than that living HERE!"

During our trip we will post daily budgets to show what we spend where and to see if we make our budget goals. It's always important to have more money than you budgeted for your trip in case of emergencies but so far we have completed every trip on (or very close to) budget!

From past experience, lodging can cost the most but if you travel with another person, it is cheaper than two individuals traveling alone. In other words, travel for two (or more) is not equivalent to double the expenses for one. You are able to share rooms, transportation costs, food costs, etc. which makes a huge difference.

Also, as much as we enjoy trying local cuisines, we always look for hostels with shared kitchens. Going to the grocery store can be a cultural experience in itself and you can save so much money by not going out to eat for every meal, even just for breakfast.

So we will see just how close we can come to our budgeted goal...

Gear, gear and more gear

2012-01-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

One of the fun things for us about traveling is buying all the cool gadgets that make it that much more enjoyable. Here is a list of gear we have amassed for our upcoming trips.

Packs (REI Crestrail 70 for Solomon, Gregory Jade 65 for Megan, and a sweet 70s backpacking pack for Nick)
Sleeping pads (Thermarest Z-Lites)
Tiny inflatable travel pillows (Cocoon Ultralight Air-Core and Cocoon Hyperlite Air-Core)
Travel towel (Sea to Summit DryLite)
A universal sink stopper for doing laundry in sinks
A clothesline
A first aid kit
A camp stove (MSR Simmerlite)
Rain ponchos
Anti-bacterial hand wipes
Mosquito netting
Duffel bags to cover packs for checking at airport (REI Airporter)
GoPro video camera
Money belts
Power adapters/converters
Sleep sacks for hostel beds (sleeping bag liners)

What we still need:

Water purifier
Travel locks for our baggage

Now, not all of this will be dragged along to Central America and some of it is for use exclusively in the US (like the stove). When we pack for our trip I will make sure to give you an updated packing list of what we are bringing along to help anyone else prepare for a similar 16 day excursion.

Itineraries: A Work in Progress

2012-01-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

In planning our itinerary for Costa Rica-Nicaragua 2012 (now only a little over 2 months away!), I've tried to stay flexible while maximizing our time.

Here's what I have come up with so far:

Arrive March 18 San Jose, Costa Rica around 1pm
Stay at Aldea Hostel in San Jose (close to the bus station to grab the early bus to Managua)
March 19- Get on international bus to Managua around 5am (if tickets were successfully purchased the day before)
9 hours later arrive in Managua and get on mini-bus to Leon, Nicaragua

After this it gets much more open ended: From Leon we will head to Granada, from Granada we will make our way to the Isla de Ometepe, from there to San Juan del Sur and then back into Costa Rica. Our last stop will be the Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica before heading back to San Jose for our flight out.

The logistics of all of this isn't quite figured out, but this is the plan thus far.

We are currently working on getting travel vaccinations and prescriptions. For Nicaragua the CDC recommends getting Typhoid, Hepatitis, and Rabies shots. In addition they recommend anti-malarial drugs for certain regions in addition to insecticide treated bed nets. Medicine to treat travelers diarrhea is also suggested. Phew, sounds like fun. Finding a travel clinic open convenient hours is almost just as fun.

Stay tuned for more specific details of these adventures that will hopefully help any future travelers navigate pre-travel preparations as well as in country transportation.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T22:25:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!! Let's make 2012 fantastic.

Question Number 3...

2011-12-29T14:41:00.000-08:00

Aren't you scared?

3. Short answer: NO.

If you google this issue (dangers while travelling), it is generally found to be equally as likely to die or get into some sort of trouble at home as it is while you are traveling. Big stories such as plane crashes or terrorist attacks hyper-saturate the news. This makes them seem much more prevalent then they actually are. However, just like at home, there are common sense precautions you can take to prevent injury, accident or illness. Here are some tips to stay safe and avoid (the infinitely more possible) petty crime/ theft.

Read up on local hygiene problems. Check to see if tap water is safe to drink and if raw foods, such as fruits and vegetables, should be avoided.
Get all recommended vaccines/ preparatory medications.
Use locks on your luggage and don't leave valuables in your room without a safe.
Use a moneybelt to keep your valuables out of sight and out of easily accessible pockets.
Have a dummy wallet with some low denomination currency in it (ideally US dollars). If you are robbed or pickpocketed you can easily part with this wallet.
Keep your money in different spots on your person: some extra emergency cash in your sock will help you get home if you are the victim of theft.
Keep copies of your passport and go to your local embassy if your passport is stolen.
If something makes you uncomfortable, don't do it! Seems simple but if the taxi driver makes you feel nervous or the safety recommendations for the zipline don't make sense to you, better safe than sorry. While everyone may not follow this advice, just use common sense. And just because the locals are doing it, doesn't mean you necessarily should.
Get travel insurance!

Question Number 2...

2011-12-29T14:02:00.000-08:00

How do you manage all the planning?

2. First of all, I am lucky because I LOVE planning. Seriously, like almost as much as going on the actual trip. I love reading guidebooks and forums and writing lists and itineraries. My husband...not so much. Because of this I end up doing most of the planning. If there is someone in your travel group who is a natural planner, like me, you will have an easier job of having at least one person familiar with your destination before you get there. But if this is not the case, just remember to start early. Planning a vacation should be fun, not stressful. If you start early enough you can do it when you get the urge or inspiration to do so and not feel a time crunch to get your planning done.

The first time we went to Costa Rica we made hotel reservations for the entire trip. This was because a) it was our honeymoon and we didn't want any added stress of not being able to find a place to stay after we got off the plane and b) it was Semana Santa which is the biggest travel week for a lot of Central America and every website and book told us to make reservations. However, once we got there we realized that it was extremely easy to get around, even during Semana Santa. The hostel staff and locals we met were all happy to help us make plans. Because of this we ended up cancelling the second half of our lodging reservation and going to an entirely new town and hostel. We were still glad that we had a reservation, just in case, but after this first trip to the country we are confident that we can play it by ear on our next one.

For Costa Rica- Nicaragua 2012 we have a hostel reserved for the first night. After that we are going to use a general itinerary as a guideline and find places to stay as we go. This will allow us the flexibility to change our plans and add/skip towns as we go along.

We have pretty much done this for every new country we visit. We go once with reservations to get a feel for how flexible we can be on subsequent trips.

Additionally, as previous posts have mentioned, I love Lonely Planet guidebooks. Nothing sparks my imagination more than seeing shelves of new destinations waiting to be explored. Now you don't necessarily have to go with LP but definitely feel free to find a guidebook that fits your style of travel. Just remember to use these as guidelines, not strict must dos. There are plenty of wonderful things to see, people to meet and activities to try that are outside of the guidebooks.

Here are a couple general tips to remember:

Call your credit card company to inform them of your travel plans so your cards don't get stopped as soon as you make a foreign transaction. Also ask them of any fees they charge for currency exchange.
Call your insurance company to see how long you are covered overseas. If your coverage runs out, get travel health insurance!
Keep all your travel plans (itineraries, reservations, etc.) in one place like a designated folder or drawer.
Print out a copy of any hotel or flight reservations for each person travelling.
Make copies of important documents such as passports and other forms of identification and keep them somewhere separate from the originals. If your originals get stolen, it will be easier to replace and in some cases you can use the photocopies instead of the originals (like to give your passport number to a hotel or traffic cop).

Question Number 1...

2011-12-29T13:37:00.000-08:00

How do we afford to take these trips?

1. We make a very strict budget and stick to it. Also, travel isn't all that expensive if you are willing to put up with a few inconveniences and are prepared to deviate from a perfectly structured vacation. We are shoestring travelers which means we are prepared to lug our 25lb packs around for an extra half hour to find somewhere $3 cheaper a night to stay. It means we bargain down an item that costs $2.50 until we hit that $2 mark. It means we opt for the jeep-boat-jeep option instead of taking in country flights. Some of these things are probably ridiculous (the haggling) but there are also ways to get cheaper (if you can put up with mice on the ground or have the patience to take local buses that are likely to break down for 4 hours en route you can save even more). Our last trip to Costa Rica was actually quite full of splurges: comfortable shared shuttles, tour guides, and private double rooms. Even so, staying cheap is easy when you travel to "cheap" countries. You can easily spend more in Europe in a week than you would spend in Central America for a month. We pick destinations that maximize our dollar.

Our strict budget also means that we do not buy many souvenirs. What we do buy are from local markets, vs. gift shops, and are things we would actually use once we get back home. In addition, we have spent whole days shopping around for that one item we decided we had to have. Our guidebooks become our main souvenirs.

Our next money saving tip: do use budget/ shoestring guidebooks as a starting point. I want to emphasize that these are to be a starting point because most travelers will jump down my throat for insisting on using guidebooks. However, having an idea of what things should cost, what the most efficient way to get around, how a town is laid out, hostel price ranges, etc. will save you a lot of money in the long run. While we do enjoy just showing up and figuring it out as we go, having guidelines and some knowledge of what you are getting in to will help enormously. This also means knowing the exchange rate for the country you are visiting ahead of time, knowing whether you will be charged more if you pay in American dollars or local currency, knowing if taxis use meters or rely on a price decided up front, etc. This research should be enjoyable, so start enough ahead of time that you do not feel stressed or rushed and you peruse guidebooks, the internet, and talk with fellow travelers about your upcoming plans.

(See later budget post for trip-specific budget information)

Trip Planning (Budgets, Reservations, Itineraries and More)

2011-12-28T16:34:00.000-08:00

In our travels so far I have been asked a few common questions:

1. How can you afford to take trips like this? (subtext: you just graduated college and barely employed--how the f*** do you not just spend all your money on booze and rent??)This is usually followed by "I wish I could travel" (Well, you can!)

2. How do you plan for trips like this? (subtext: I get overwhelmed when I even look at Travelocity's hotel lists, where do you start?)Usually followed by "Wow, you're so good at this, you should do this as a job" (Ha, I wish)

3. Aren't you scared? (subtext: Don't you worry about being kidnapped and held by terrorists in the jungle?)

I will now try to tackle these questions in the next couple posts and outline our travel strategy, giving details with our upcoming trip to Costa Rica- Nicaragua.

"The Peace Corpse" by Andy Christofferson

2011-12-28T12:49:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to give a quick recommendation of this book. This unfiltered look at life in the Peace Corps (in Tanzania) is quite literally laugh out loud funny. The usual optimism found in accounts of volunteer trips is replaced with cynicism and a harsh, opinionated narration. The unforgiving descriptions of misunderstandings between cultures, sarcastic commentary, and self professed lack of tact all make Andy's writing not only hilarious but unabashedly honest. Reading this I felt that I got a realistic look into what it would be like to give up all your daily comforts to live in the middle of nowhere in Tanzania. There was no sugar coating in this book---Andy wasted no time telling you how much it sucked. I loved it, made me wanna join the Peace Corps even more. Digital edition is available for $3- read it!

Bismarck for Christmas

2011-12-23T11:27:00.001-08:00

Charlie's Café in Freeport, MN

Biscuits and gravy, caramel rolls, milkshakes, pie, all day breakfast. A, wonderful respite to make a long, scenery-less drive a bit more exciting. Also the only time I really like exploring small town middle America- road trips!

Since its almost Christmas there is a large nativity scene in the center of town and Christmas music blaring from speakers attached to every street light (next to the light up snow flakes). Almost makes me wanna hang out for awhile and get to know these people with so much Christmas spirit...but its time to get back in the car.