Alpaca-n Some Heat! (Warning: Extreme Dorkiness Ahead!)

We brought rain-covers for our backpacks, SPF 30 sunscreen to protect our pasty city-girl skin and a first-aid kit that would make any emergency medical technician proud. The one thing The Lost Girls didn’t really prepare for? The frostbitten evenings and Icelandic temperatures that we’d encounter in Cusco, a city that might as well be home to Santa and his reindeer after the sun sinks behind the Andes.
At first, we tried to make do with our single set of long johns and lightweight fleeces, but after a few nights sleeping in every single stitch of our clothing (and still freezing our asses off in unheated hostel dorm rooms) we threw out the fashion rules we’d been clinging to and splurged on some serious Alpaca outerwear. At $12 per sweater and $3 per hat, the prices may be pretty, but we sure aren’t!

As New Yorkers who once thought that wearing brown and black together should constitute an arrest from the style police, we’re not proud of the pictures we’ve attached. But, in the spirit of honesty as both LGs and world travelers, we thought that you should see what qualifies as high fashion on the Gringo Trail…enjoy!

Food Fight

Eating exotic new dishes and sampling local delicacies can certainly be one of the best parts of traveling abroad, but the Lost Girls learned today that satisfying our stomachs isn’t an enjoyable afterthought—food is absolutely essential to our collective group happiness. Without regularly scheduled feedings, we’re reduced to a trio of Lost babies, our dangerously low blood sugar the driving force behind some pretty uncool crankiness.

To explain…

After convulsing all night with shivers in our latest hostel and realizing that our icebox of a room didn’t get hot water (an absolute bottom line essential), we decided to pay a bit more for a lovely, warm triple at the Hotel Nino, located right next door. By the time we’d packed our things, checked out of one place and into another, showered and gotten ready for the day (1 bathroom/3 girls = 2 hours), it was early afternoon, and none of us had eaten so much as a piece of toast. Bad news. While we didn’t understand it at the time, the lack of grub had put the three of us into a pretty sour mood. By 3:00pm, a dark cloud had descended upon the LGs.

Sensing the group hostility (and potential fist-fighting ahead), we decided to splurge on a cab and a hearty meal at the Inka Grill, a chic, candlelit restaurant that serves traditional Peruvian dishes such as Stuffed Amarillo Chile Peppers, Lomito Saltado and Aji de Gallina (shredded poached chicken in a yellow sauce with rice and egg). When the complimentary basket of homemade potato chips arrived (along with a creamy mint dipping sauce), we wasted no time in leveling it—and requesting another from our incredulous waiter. By the time our entrees arrived, the LGs were friends once again, and agreed that we’d never, ever wait so long to feed ourselves. After all, if downing a grilled cheese sandwich here and a candy bar there can keep everyone happy, well, then we’re more than happy to eat one for the team.

LG of the Week: Victoria Brown

In short, a lost girl is any woman on the road to self discovery. We were inspired by fellow Lost Girl Victoria Brown, 25. Check out how she caught the travel bug and her lessons learned on the road.

"I made my first venture abroad at the age of 13, traveling to eastern Australia and New Zealand as a student ambassador. Removed from my home, my family, and my comfortable teenage life, I discovered a newfound, life-long passion: a true, deep love of travel.

My adventures did not stop there. By 18 I had been to Mexico; at 19 to Eastern Europe, soaking up post-communist architecture in Hungary, visiting the remains of Holocaust camps in Poland, roaming the old city in Prague. My 21st year found me living in Greece, studying archaeology at the Parthenon and boating to island heavens in the turquoise Mediterranean. At 22 I departed on a seven-month backpacking and writing journey to South and Southeast Asia, where I motor biked the back roads of Cambodia, boated the Mekong River through Laos, trekked to hillside villages in remote northern Thailand, swam Halong Bay in Vietnam, climbed rainforest canopies in Malaysia, collapsed on beaches in Indonesia, hiked 4,000 year old rice terraces in the Philippines, danced and partied until 6am at swanky clubs in downtown Singapore, trekked Kashmir’s Himalayan mountains, prayed at dawn on the Ganges River in Varanasi, India among holy men, and drove my 1989 red Ford Falcon station wagon, the Mullet, cross-country through Australia’s southern Nullibar from Perth to Melbourne. My 24th year found me exploring Brazil’s multicultural mosaic and Belize’s pristine isles.

As I plan my next adventure – a year-long trip through Central and South America – I reflect on these moments, remembering what drives me to venture out into this great world. Traveling is a passion that gets under your skin, burrows deep inside you, and demands constant attention and nourishment. Once you have the bug, you will Never Again Be A Tourist. Traveling grants you overwhelming perspective: on life, on your place in the world, on social issues, political happenings, economic dynamics. Traveling teaches you humility, humanity, humor.

I travel to see the world’s true colors, their vibrancies never accurately captured in a picture or on a two-dimensional television screen. I travel to challenge my own and others’ attitudes, perspectives, views. I travel for the sheer intrigue of untrodden roads, different places, interesting people, life-changing encounters.

Traveling has given me – as a woman – a newfound strength in myself and in my ability to drift independently and effortlessly around this world: female, empowered, unattached. It is This FREEDOM I seek when I travel, and my undying love affair with This Same FREEDOM that brings me back for more, each and every time."

*Are you a Lost Girl? Do you know a woman who is? To nominate her, write 150 words or less about why she fits the bill and email to lostgirlsworld@gmail.com.

The Children of Cusco

The Lost Girls find themselves 11,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains in Cusco, Peru. This center of ancient Inca culture boasts bustling squares, historic cathedrals and rainbow-colored flags. But what the Lost Girls find most enchanting about this city are all of the beautiful children. As we wander the cobblestone streets, what captures our attention the most are the kids who are coming home from school, playing in doorways and selling local crafts. The best part is watching their little faces light up when we show them the images of themselves on our digital camera screens. Since most of these children have never seen photos of themselves, the Lost Girls are happy to provide this service. Take a look at all of these cuties for yourself!

Lima After Hours

The Lost Girls hit the town for our first night out in Lima, Peru. Our quest for our first Pisco sours ended at a trendy restaurant, Scena, in Miraflores (Lima’s most cosmopolitan neighborhood), where we quickly learned how just a view sips of this potent Peruvian libation are enough to turn any night into a wild one. And the LGs did!! After downing our first free drinks, Scena’s signature Black Martinis, compliments of the cute waitstaff, we headed to our next destination.

After our second Pisco sours at Café del Mar, we hit the upstairs room for live music, and dancing (although we were the only ones doing it)! There we discovered the smooth stylings of legendary jazz cat, Manonyo Mujica, a favorite among Peruvians and now among the LGs too!

We spent the night mingling with lots of hip locals, including a photographer who was snapping photos for a Lima magazine – I hope we made the cut! After realizing the bar was closing around us (literally all the lights were being turned off and we were still sipping our cocktails at the table), we headed back to our fantastic hotel to dream about the delicious breakfast buffet that awaited us in the morning! Check out the video clip of our noche loco!

LG Tip of the Week: Splurge on Sleep

Figuring out your itinerary, lugging heavy baggage and sitting for hours in a cramped plane can leave you exhausted by the time you reach your destination. The Lost Girls’ cure? Check into the nicest hotel your budget can afford on your first night. (We checked into the decadent Miraflores Park Hotel when arrived in Lima, Peru). Take a bubble bath, curl up on those fluffy pillows and get a good eight hours of shut-eye. We know, it’s a splurge. But you won’t be able to enjoy your vacation if you’re run down—and you deserve every second of your holiday. Happy travels!

How We: Stay in Touch

The Lost Girls often remark, if we were traveling a few years ago, or really any other time but the present, it would be a heck of a lot harder to keep in touch with our loved ones. Now, in addition to the travelers’ classics—postcards and phone cards—we can keep an online web log (like the one you’re reading), make free international phone calls using our computers and send out instantaneous email updates to our friends and family around the globe.

Thanks to these nifty digital inventions, we may be thousands of miles away, but we’re rarely out of touch.

The Lost Girls Blog
Soon after The Lost Girls cemented the idea for this adventure, we decided to create a website that would allow us to share stories, pictures and videos from abroad. The trouble was, launching a functional site that looked halfway decent could cost us our entire trip budget, and even then, we wouldn’t be able to update it easily from the road. After making a few attempts to create an ultra cheap version (and failing miserably!), Amanda stumbled upon a new service offered by Google called “Blogger.” This totally-free, web-based program gave us the freedom and the ability to custom create a web site that reflected our personalities and allowed us to update graphics, photos and text from any computer at any internet café worldwide. Using additional no-charge programs like You Tube, Flikr.com and Slide.com, we were able to add video and image slideshows to enhance each entry.

Besides offering fun anecdotes about our adventures, we hope that the site becomes a one-stop shop for young women travelers everywhere. As we make this 35,000 mile journey, we’ll offer tips based on our own experiences and provide insights from professionals across the travel industry. We invite you to email us your own advice and stories, so we can share them with the world!

Skype
When the Lost Girls first heard about an internet-based telephone service that offered free unlimited computer-to-computer calling among its members, it sounded way too good to be true. How often can you get something for nothing? Now, like millions of Skype users around the globe we’re total converts: Just download the program to your desktop or laptop, plug in your computer headset and start calling friends and family with Skype identities. For a small yearly fee, you can also get a 10-digit phone number so folks can call you directly (and even leave a voicemail message!). Our favorite part: For a tiny charge (about ½ a cent per minute) we can call our loved ones on their cell and land lines from our computers, even if they’re not Skype members. Want to give the LGs a ring? Check out the service at www.skype.com

Famous Last Words

Well, Holly did end up getting her bag back…about an hour before our next flight to Cuzco departed. Phew! Here’s a clip documenting the Lost Bag scenario. Note the famous last words at the beginning of the video—Holly swearing that she won’t let her bags out of her sight. Poor thing…not her fault, this go round.

A Shot in the Arm

Yes, having a half dozen needles jabbed into your arm does somewhat suck, but we hear that yellow fever, typhoid and meningitis can be inconvenient and painful as well.

To avoid this travel unpleasantness, we knew we'd have to get several vaccinations and at least one prescription (Malaria) and that getting protected could get expensive--fast. Since most insurance companies don't cover the cost of travel shots, and only a tiny fraction of prescription medications for travel, we researched ways to get the sticks and pills we needed for less cash.

After writing a piece for Travel + Leisure last year, I learned many government-run health departments offer travel shots and prescriptions "at cost," which means they don't add a surcharge to the vaccinations and the office visit is free. I decided to test my research at the Hillsborough County Health department in Tampa, where I ended up getting all six vaccinations I needed without an appointment. The shots were still expensive--around $400--but I could have paid nearly twice that if I'd gone to a travel clinic in New York City.

A few things I learned:

* Check with your insurance company to see what they do and don't cover: Jen's plan included a free tetnus shot, so she saved about $28. That's the cost of three night's lodging at a Peruvian hostal.

* Don't get all of your shots in one sitting: Both Jen and I did, and felt like complete shit for days. Jen's arm swelled up like she'd been stung by a wasp, but since she'd gotten three different shots in that arm, she wasn't sure which one had caused the reaction (after a few days, we were both fine).

* Check your paperwork: Before you leave your doctor's office or health department, make sure you get a shot record and that all of the information on it is correct. I left the HC Health Department with the wrong person's name and address on my yellow card. Unfortunately for me, I realized this yesterday, when I arrived in Peru. Not sure yet how I'm going to deal, but hopefully I can get through customs in Brazil (they require proof of yellow fever).

* Take it with you: Keep your shots records on you when traveling abroad, but leave copies in a safe place at home. It's as valuable as your passport for entry into many countries.

Got Baggage? The Lost Girls Don't

We have arrived! Unfortunately, not all of our bags have. Holly flew from NYC to meet Amanda and Jen in Miami yesterday for the 5 1/2 flight to Lima, Peru. We spent our first night at the airport trying to track down Holly's missing luggage, which also happened to contain the very last in a series of oral vaccine pills for typhoid.

The reason this is all the more troublesome is that the vaccine has to be kept refrigerated (we're thinking by the time we get that ice-packed thermos back, the pill will be warm and no longer effective) and Peru is a high-risk area for the disease.

We know, never check in your prescription medications! But sometimes in the thrill of things you forget. Let this be a lesson to us-Slow down and make sure you've got all your essentials in your carryon to save you headaches later when your luggage inevitably gets lost.

Though we're having a bit of a rough start, our wishful thinking is that bad luck in the beginning of a trip will make for good luck at the end. We are so excited to go explore Lima after a big brunch of bread and nutella and coffee. We'll report back soon.

The Big Apple gets a Little Love

We're practically breaking out in hives we're so itchy to get the f*#$&^ out of town already (have we been planning this trip for years, or what?) but we're saving a little nostalgia for our favorite city on the planet. Here are the places we've loved since our "freshman year" in New York.

Good Eats!

* Moonstruck Diner – A celestially-inspired café in Murray Hill, our first neighborhood (a.k.a. the gray section on the taxi map). We spent many drunken nights and hung-over days nursing ourselves sober with mass quantities of chicken fingers, French fries and omelets.
* Sam’s Noodle Shop – The absolute best dumplings in the city! Perfect for when the cash flow was low, Sam’s dumplings were cheap enough (and filling enough) to serve as an entire dinner, which we survived almost solely on from Summer ’01-Spring ’02.
* Serendipity 3 – despite being overrun by tourists, this is one of the best spots for sweets in the city so we can’t go too long without paying a visit (gorging on huge portions of Forbidden Broadway Sundaes and frozen hot chocolates is a must!)
* Fontana de Trevi – Amanda and I stumbled across this random little Italian restaurant almost five years ago when I first came to visit her in NYC. Back when tickets to Rent, and surprise seats at the coveted SNL dress rehearsal were enough to woo me into moving here.
* Tasti D’ Lite – The most popular fro yo shop in the city – perfect for a post work out reward or in lieu of dinner. Holly knows every location in the city by heart so we can always find one!
* Alice’s Tea Cup – our favorite place for a tea party (the Pumpkin scones are to die for!) in our UWS neighborhood; complete with the cutest Wonderland décor.
* Café Lalo – The twinkle lights, vintage French photos and yummy desserts are enough to lure us in every time. Plus it’s where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks met in “You’ve Got Mail” and we’re cheesy enough to be excited about that.

Drinks and Dancing!

* The Naked Lunch – We actually used to have to whip out our work IDs and talk our way to the front of the line at this uber popular downtown bar. That’s not the case anymore, but it’s still a fun place to dance!
* Snafu – Between our guest bartending stints and Sarah’s bachelorette party kick-off, we somehow wind up dancing on the bar every time we’re here!
* Alphabet Lounge – In the heart of Alphabet City, this is still one of the greatest places to dance. Playing the best 80s beats all night long, we can still close this bar even today.
* Musical Box – A shout out to Steph Sholtis on this one! Another LES favorite, we practically went there every weekend for someone’s birthday, going away party or just to hang out on the back porch area.
* Tribeca Grand – Once labeled as one of the most chi-chi places in the city, we spent countless wild and crazy nights at this still-fabulous hotel bar.

Relaxing!

* Oasis on Park: Jen had some sweet deal with Spafinder.com, so we used her gift certificates to get fabulous massages whenever possible.
* Central Park: Nothing beats laying out on the Great Lawn in late summer, except doing so with a few bottles of wine.

An NYC Staple!

* Sex and the City – Between rushing home on Sunday nights from wherever we were to catch a new episode and spending countless hours watching re-runs with loads of our favorite take out du jour, these fellow ‘lost girls’ were a big part of our city lives!

Don't Mess With a Lost Girl!

HCC: No joke, we've heard the warning "Be careful on your trip!" a million times (thanks to worried moms, protective boyfriends and concerned pals). Holly decided to put some minds at ease by signing up for self defense with Matan Gavish (www.DEFitness.com), a personal trainer schooled in Krav Maga—the official martial art of the Israeli Defense Forces. Even though I'm praying we'll never find ourselves in a situation where we'll have to use what I've learned, I feel a heck of a lot better knowing what to do if we're ever attacked.

In addition to making me feel like a bad ass, this was a killer workout! I'm a fitness fanatic and do a bunch of different exercises to keep from getting bored—running, boxing, Pilates, yoga, biking, weightlifting, rollerblading. After a session with Matan, my body hurt in places I didn't even know existed and I had to splurge on a massage to soothe my sore muscles.

Here are the top three lessons I learned from Matan while kicking butt:

1. Put up a fight. A lot of attackers will ditch a woman who strikes back and opt for an "easier" target. Moreover, fighting back drastically increases your chances of survival (Disclaimer: Only fight back if you're physically threatened. If someone wants your new Prada bag or iPod, for the love of God, let them have it. Possesions can be replaced, your body can't).

2. Hit a soft spot. It's good to make a move, but striking back without knowing where to hit is wasted energy. It tires you out and may make a bad guy angrier. Basically, hitting an attacker in the middle of his body is useless, as it's hard to inflict major damage to this area. Rather, focus on the "soft spots": Eyes (poke them with your thumbs to blind your opponent), nose (make a fist and hit the bridge hard with your knuckles), Adam's apple (this can stun a person), groin (you know that one, ladies!) and knees (kicking someone here can make them lose buckle and lose balance).

3. Never let them see you sweat! From here on out I'll always wear cotton underwear when getting physical.

Last Night a T-Shirt Saved My Life

Okay, not to be too melodramatic, but I really have been waking up in cold sweats, panicked about the final "packing of the backpack." It's not just that the girls and I have to prepare for weather that ranges from 32 degrees F (Inca Trail Hike) to 90 degrees (Rio), but that my on-the-road wardrobe has to be small, lightweight, quick-drying (damp cotton clothes = mega stinky) and actually look cute when worn for the 5th day running. That's not a Fodor's Guidebook rule, that's a Lost Girls rule. We may rough it here and there, but we're not actually trying to look rough.

This week, I've been dropping hard-saved cash right on travel necessities (14-in-1 camping soap! camcorder case! mini rolls of travel Charmin!) but had yet to find actual clothes that I could see myself wearing at full moon parties, drinks with the girls and nature hikes alike. I meandered in to Banana Republic on a whim (this was the company, after all, that used to sell safari gear back in the early 90s) and end up finding two different tops that were pretty much perfect for what we're doing. Woo-hoo!

While they're two totally different styles, both the t-shirt and tank top shown here are made of a medium weight, super durable microfiber blend, something akin to the matte dance leotards I used to wear as a kid.

Light enough to keep me cool, thick enough to avoid showing, um, nippage and sturdy enough to stand up to several wash-and-wearings, these might just be my favorite new shirts. Count on seeing me wear them (in one of four colors!) in many photos to come.

--Amanda

Goodbye Gotham!

Jen: It's pictures like this one that consistently earned me the esteemed title of “Tool of the Week” almost every single week in college (Amanda dutifully posted the photographic evidence on her dry erase board), but after five years as a Manhattanite, I was confident enough to masquerade as a tourist during my final days here. Probably because I already knew the one thing that no guide book, narrated bus tour or famous landmark could ever explain to these passersby…that you have to survive the unique challenges of actually living here to really understand what NYC is all about.

Like many people, I moved to the city with just a few suitcases, a fistful of cash and one friend to my name (fellow LG, Amanda, who thankfully paved the way for me). I was completely enchanted by everything that New York had to offer from no last calls at bars, to half price Broadway show tickets to the ability to get anything delivered directly to your door at any time day or night. Despite the staggering rents, inflated prices on everything from cocktails to café lattes, very close encounters with subway riders, shady landlords and other random nuances like that disgusting summer sidewalk drip, I knew that there was nowhere else I’d rather be.

Not only did moving here help me to get over long term boyfriend #1, discover the zany world of network television and learn to consider $1000+/month to be a perfectly acceptable amount for rent (for one bedroom in a converted apartment), I was finally able to connect with people who shared the same sense of passion, ambition and outlook on life as I did (including some of my best girl friends and long term boyfriend #2). We all shared that common bond of survival; experiencing the extreme high and lows of living here and coming out much stronger people on the other side. But like a hit series, it’s best to go out while you’re still on top. It was so hard to imagine leaving such an amazing city, but I and my fellow Lost Girls were ready for a much needed break. So we did our best to prepare for the big goodbye.

During the few short weeks after our Bon Voyage bash, the mission was clear. Squeeze in as many happy hours, dinners with friends and impromptu get-togethers as humanly possible. Of course, trying to wrap up my final days at work, sort and pack up an entire apartment’s worth of stuff (which included rolling several huge boxes on dollies to the UPS office!) and finalize all of the last minute trip details, made it tough to squeeze everything in. At one point, Amanda and I hatched an elaborate scheme to hit all of our favorite hot spots and old haunts before our departure, but with so much to accomplish we barely managed to scratch the surface. Oh well, now I’ll have something to do when I’m back in the city, unemployed! (Click here to check out our hit list). In the end, I managed to squeeze in all of my farewells - but not without many cocktails and tears!

After living, working and partying in the city for almost half a decade, it was so much harder than I thought to actually say goodbye. Not only was I leaving behind a job, boyfriend and friends who I loved dearly, I had to reduce my life to what could fit into my parents’ minivan. We’d been talking about our big trip for so long, but now that the time was finally here, it seemed like everything was happening so fast. But with my ultimate travel dreams at my finger tips, I knew it was now or never.

Anyone who’s ever lived here can tell you that there’s one question we all ask ourselves. “Where do you go after New York?” I guess The Lost Girls have finally found our answer…the world! With the knowledge that our beloved island will still be waiting for us when we return, we’re heading out into the great unknown to discover other wild and exotic lands beyond the shores of Manhattan. And in the words of a New York legend, Old Blue Eyes himself, “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!” Hopefully that covers tribal huts in Africa, homemade beach beds in Vietnam, tree top lodges in the Amazon Basin and sketchy hostels everywhere. I guess we’ll soon find out!

Bon Voyage, Big Apple! Next stop: Lima, Peru!

Hair Dryer Rehab

While tossing a blow dryer into our backpacks was tempting, we realized we had to simplify our hair care routine to lighten our load. This called for expert advice, so The Lost Girls consulted Alain Pinon, master stylist and co-owner of A-K-S salon in New York City (pictured), and Kathleen Flynn, author of Beyond Blonde, for travel style tips.

Don’t forget your sunscreen. We know, it’s hard to conceive living without beauty helpers like mousse, gel and hairspray. But you can swap those bulky bottles for sunscreen—really! Sunscreen that contains ingredients like shea butter or coconut oil protects hair and adds shine without making it greasy (other ingredients like alcohol counteract the slickness). Bonus: You’ll beat the frizzies because oil saturates hair strands so it can’t absorb more moisture.



All about accessories. Use your imagination to add style and nobody will notice you haven’t showered in three days (unless you forgot to pack deodorant, that is). The scarf you tossed in your bag for a belt can morph into a headband. Those sparkly earrings can be secured to a section of hair when it’s in a ponytail to add funky details for a night on the town.




Pack products that multitask. Every item precious enough to make the packing cut should earn its keep by doing double-duty. Opt for products that’ll minimize the amount of beauty supplies you’ll need to tote. Holly swears by Phyto Plage Moisturizing Hair and Body Wash (who wants to carry around a slippery bar of soap?). Another good bet is leave-in conditioner: It moisturizes your hair and eliminates the need for gel or mousse since it smoothes flyaways.

Do you have a multitasking product you love or an on-the-road beauty tip? The Lost Girls want to hear all about it! Write to lostgirlsworld@gmail.com.

Passport to the World

Ever since Holly’s wallet got pick-pocketed in a Starbucks in Times Square during a Lost Girls’ planning session, she’s been toting her passport around in lieu of a driver’s license. Even in the intercultural Big Apple, bouncers’ gasp in surprise at seeing the notorious travel document presented as proof of age.


And while The Lost Girls are happy to hear the number of Americans’ holding passports is a record 21 percent, according to the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, we’re hoping the other 79 percent join the traveling club.


Need incentive? Flip through Lonely Planet’s "Don’t Let the World Pass You By! 52 Reasons to Have a Passport." Our favorite motives to get that little blue book:

Reason #7: It’s Not Such Risky Business
While our family and friends have been amazingly supportive of our big adventure, it seems we hear more warnings the closer we come to our departure date. (Bird flu! Kidnappings! Weird food made from dog meat!)
This book helped us put things in perspective by pointing out that the U.S. has the most violent crimes per capita of any developed nation and is reportedly home to over 75 percent of the world’s serial killers (maybe we’ll be safer in New Zealand!). Moreover, the greatest danger abroad is the same as at home: traffic accidents.

Reason #10: Get More Bang for Your Buck
If you divide the cost of a passport over it’s 10-year lifespan, it’s a measly three cents a day. What does this get you? Well, if you opt to vacation in Morocco over San Francisco, you can trade the cost of a $20 taxi ride for a $2 camel ride. Or treat yourself to a three-course meal in Peru rather than New York City, and you’ll fork over $2 instead of $75. Even if an international flight’s price tag is higher than a domestic ticket, the money you’ll save once you land in your exotic locale is apt to counterbalance your vacation budget.

Reason #26: Stay Awake in Class
Sure, you could read up on Shintoism in Japan—or fly there to visit a temple and experience the religion for yourself. Want to speak Spanish? You’ll pick it up a lot faster by conversing with locals in Argentina than listening to lessons on your iPod. Or discover how to cook Italian style: Attending culinary school in Tuscany is bound to boost your cooking skills better than a dusty old cookbook. The Lost Girls’ motto? The world is a classroom and travel is the best education.

Tags: Manhattan, NYC, New York, RTW, adventure, flying, girls, journalist, lost, passport, quarterlife, round the world, travel, twentysomething, writing, books, Lonely Planet

How We: Chose a Route

In a Lost Girl’s life, nothing’s ever set in stone, and that holds true for the path we plan to travel during the next year. It’s not if we plan to change cities, schedules, ports of call and our minds, but just how many times we can do it...and get away with it.

Since the moment we decided to take this trip, the three of us have been fantasizing about the places we’ll go and the people we’ll meet. So, to get the ball rolling, we dusted off Amanda’s old school, 3rd grade globe and tried to put a basic route together. It took all of 14 seconds to realize that our concepts for a world itinerary were very different.

Holly, the biggest dreamer among us, wanted to hit all six continents, including Antarctica, in a six-to-nine month journey (“let’s go there on our way to Turkey!”). Amanda, the instigator of the group, insisted that we remain on the road for no less than a full year (“c’mon, do you really want to rush back to work?!”). And Jen, the strategist and voice of reason, pointed out that the more countries we added, detours we took and months spend traveling, the likelier we’d be to come home completely broke...if we even made it home at all!

So, we deliberated.

After hours of discussions—and a several cocktails to keep the negotiations rolling—we successfully compromised, deciding on a eastward-crawling route that took us to five of the six continents over a one year period. But rather than trying to rack up as many stamps on our passports as possible, we choose just a few countries in each major region, enough destinations to give us an amazing sampling of the planet, but not so many that we got burnt out. And since many of these spots are in developing areas, we could conceivably stay on the road for a year or more—and still have enough left to buy a plane ticket back home.

Here’s a list of the countries we hope to visit (as of June 2, 2006)…watch for changes!

South America: Peru, Brazil
Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa
Europe: Turkey, Czechoslovakia
Central Asia: India, Nepal
Southeast Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
South Pacific: Australia, New Zealand