Live from the Wienermobile: 4 Ways to Pass The Time on Road Trip

Here's the latest on-the-road dispatch from our Weinermobile girls. You can read more about their hot dogging adventures by clicking here

Molly and Selena: Well, we’re exhausted! In the last 13 days, we’ve driven through nine states and visited at least 11 towns.

That means we’ve logged at least 40 hours cruising in the Wienermobile. So, how do we pass the time? Because – sorry, Kansas! – the Midwestern plains don’t engage the senses quite like the Rocky Mountains.

Sometimes, we’re boring and work (hey, we have hotels to book, events to plan and blog entries to write!), but usually we embrace the time. Here, our top picks for wiling away a 9-hour drive.

1. Simply Audiobooks: We just discovered this gem of a subscription service. Like Netflix for audio books, the program sends us one title at a time for $15 a month.

2. CB radio: Flip on this trucker radio to eavesdrop on the world of professional drivers. We admit, this is more fun in a Wienermobile – who knew truckers love to sing the jingle? – but we still guarantee a solid hour of entertainment.

3. Learn Italian Pod: It’s not Rosetta Stone, but we download these language podcasts, upload them to our iPods, hook our adaptors up to the radio, and start conjugating. So far, we know how to say “gelato.”

4. White boards: Hold a dry erase board up in the window, write something clever, and watch the responses. Our favorites: “Honk if you like hot dogs!” and “I love your car!”

Now, you tell us! What do you do on long road trips?

Feel-Good Gifts

Though political pundits may be debating whether or not we’re really in a recession, you need look no further than rising gas and food prices to know that your bank balance is falling. Many of the hardest hit during the economic downturn will be the world’s poorest women as people pinch pennies. But empowering women to support themselves and their families battles poverty because they’re more likely to spend the funds on food, education, and health care for their children, according to Women Thrive, a non-profit that gives poor women in over 15 countries economic opportunities.

Recession or no recession, lots of us will still be buying holiday gifts. When you purchase presents from Shop The Cause, your money goes back to the women who made them in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Check out some of the jewelry adorned with semi-precious stones, such as the necklace this Ecuadorian woman created. You’ll also find embroidered cosmetic bags made by Mayan women, baskets woven in Darfur, and peace candles crafted in Israel. Each and every item will be a gift that gives back.

Photo credit: Lucina Jewelry

Live from the Wienermobile: Heavy Python Petting

Here's the latest on-the-road dispatch from our Weinermobile girls. You can read more about their hot dogging adventures by clicking here.


Molly and Selena:As Hotdoggers, we’re used to surprising people. We drive up in the Wienermobile, honk the jingle horn, and watch for smiles, thumbs-ups and camera phones.

But on a Sunday afternoon in Junction City, KS, we were definitely the surprised ones.

After making a wrong turn into a residential neighborhood, we spotted a group of teens and parents outside. We prepped the horn and readied our entrance, until Selena’s eyes opened wide. “Did you SEE that?” She asked.

And there it was: A 14-foot-long Burmese Python shedding its skin and casually hanging out on the front lawn like a squirrel might. Of course, we parked the Wienermobile to get the full scoop.

The owner had purchased the snake as a pet when it was about a foot long. Now, he wanted to sell the python, but no one wanted to buy the full-size version.

The best part of the stop, though? Even as we gaped at the enormous reptile, people still stopped to check out the Wienermobile – oblivious to the python behind the chain link fence. A Wienermobile sighting, it seems, is more rare than an exotic pet.

Election 2008: Voting for change!

ADP: I filled out absentee ballot this weekend and dropped it off in the mailbox on the way to work this morning. Yay for the electoral process. Cheers for change I can believe in!

As much as I would have loved to do the deed with my fellow New Yorkers on November 4th, I failed to switch my registration from Florida (where I'm from) in time. Oops! Can't say I'm disappointed...I have a feeling it might make more difference down there anyway.

I am a tad embarrassed to admit, this is my FIRST TIME casting a ballot in a presidential election (any election, really) but I thought this was a pretty important time to get involved. Plus, I did see a few centenarians casting their votes for the very first time on CNN, so I figure I'm still 70 years ahead of the game.

If you live in New York State and plan to be out of town on election day, you still have time to get an absentee ballot! Click here to snag a form, and read how and where to send it here.

How to: Pack for a Year Away

by Jodi Ettenberg

After being on the road for a few months, I've found that everyone becomes a walking encyclopedia of travel tips. "Oh, you DEFINITELY need to check X place out, but whatever you do, don't go to Y." I am not exempt from this pathological need to impart advice, and have amassed a laundry list of tips, tricks and places to eat over my months of travel. When the Lost Girls asked me to put together an advice post, I kept going back to what kicked off my year: the terror of packing.

It is easy to get overwhelmed when packing for a RTW trip. Everyone has a different, often conflicting, piece of advice for you and you can research for hours on end, only to find yourself paralyzed, rucksack in front of you, trying desperately to choose between a black zip up or a pullover. In the end, packing for a trip so varied tends to be extremely subjective and based on itinerary and personal preference; my friends who have opted for the "round the world without winter" trip didn't need to contemplate a compressible cold weather jacket or a heavier sleeping bag as I did. And then there is The Great Jeans Debate (not to be confused with the Great Laptop Debate, about which many a BnA post is devoted): when I set out, I left my jeans at home. But somewhere between Chile and Peru I started to actually...crave a pair. I stopped feeling like me without them. And while zip offs and quick dry pants are extraordinarily practical, it was great to have a pair of jeans to slip on when I wasn't trekking.

After many months of research and several slack-jawed hours of staring at my piles of items to pack, the following comprises my "thank god I brought them" items. The essentials - deodorant, underwear (though not the wicking kind - you will be glad to have some cotton panties, ladies!), soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc - have been left out.


1. The "Bag in a Bag". There is a slew of posts on BootsnAll and other message boards about whether one should go with a backpack / rucksack or a more travel-adapted Eagle Creek pack, where you can zip up the whole thing and lock it. Unfortunately, due to a bad back and the fact that I am practically a midget, the Eagle Creek travel packs didn't work for me. The hipbelt fell at my mid-thighs, even in the women's model. I thus opted for a Gregory Deva 60 pack, which is by far the best pack I have ever owned. Since the pack has a myriad of zippers and pockets, it is impossible to lock with some piece of mind....unless you go with the Bag in a Bag option. I picked mine up in Canada (at Mountain Equipment Coop) but you can also get an REI or EMS duffel bag or Osprey's AirPorter. The "Bag in a Bag" meant that my rucksack looked fairly innocuous when on planes or buses (actually, I referred to it as containing "dead people" since it was lumpy and curved, just like my Gregory Pack. It got some odd looks when coming off a plane's luggage belt), it had extra room to stuff in jackets or boots that couldn't fit IN my rucksack and - the best - when other people were missing stuff from random pockets in their packs, mine was completely locked. Most of the travelers on my bus from Uyuni to La Paz in Bolivia had their packs rifled through quite enthusiastically - mine was still locked and protected. These duffels each have shoulder straps too - so you can carry it for a bit if you need to.

2. Zinetic Pocket Slippers: I discovered these as I was about to leave and they have been great. They're absurdly small and they conveniently roll up into a ball for storage. I kept them in my daypack at all times, and was able to relax almost immediately upon boarding a train, bus or plane: off came the hikers, and on went the Zinetics. Also, for those of you traveling Argentina, the deliciously comfortable overnight buses have a "no shoes? no bus ride!" rule, and my Zinetics meant that I was able to keep my shoes off and still not get screamed at by the attendant. Extra bonus? If you don't have flip flops, the Zinetics have a rubber sole so they can be used in hostel showers, and they dry quick.

3. Headlamp: Almost everyone I met had a headlamp, but I can't stress how useful they truly are. I used mine in hostels, trains and buses when I wanted to read without a spotlight in my face, and on the many camping trips, hikes or overnight treks along the way. I have a Petzl Tikka Plus, which I picked because of its light weight. However, were I to buy another, I'd opt for the Petz Tactikka Plus, since the red light means that you can read unobtrusively (I might have blinded a few fellow travelers by looking up at them as they entered a room).

4. Pack towel: Dries quick, durable and absolutely indispensable. MSR seems to hold up the longest and remains the least smelly.

5. Sleep sack/Sleeping bag: Used one of the 2 almost every night. My sleeping bag is a Mountain Hardwear Lamina 35F bag and is amazingly soft. It's synthetic, not down (so it can be washed and tumble tried without fear) and it compresses really well for a synthetic bag. It was a great addition since I was in colder climates for the first few months. For warmer weather, a sleep sack (I opted for one of my favorite brands, Sea to Summit) was used just about every night that my sleeping bag stayed stowed.

6. Ziploc Big Bags: These are gargantuan ziplocs and for those of you doing any hiking/camping or overnight safaris, they are great. They fold up small, can be used for wet stuff when you swim or get stuck in a monsoon, and are perfect for putting your hiking boots in at night when you sleep. I was the only one without any creepy-crawlies (read: large spiders) in my hiking boots in the morning because they were stowed in one of these bags. I threw this Big Bag in at the last minute pre-departure and it ended up being a great item to have!

7. Fleece Pillowcase: I used a stuff sack with fleece on the inside for the first leg of my trip, but ended up switching to (and preferring) the pillowcase instead. It takes up almost no room, can be dumped into the wash and makes a very comfortable pillow. I used to do the "put-all-my-clothes-in-a-scarf-and-hope-this-stays-put-while-I-sleep" thing, and this small item works way, way better. For those of you with sewing skills (i.e. not me), just buy a bolt of fleece from a fabric store and sew your own.

8. Ipod: I barely used mine at home, but it has been indispensable on the road for long bus rides, showing new friends what music you enjoy, blocking out the sounds of (a) The Passion of the Christ being shown at full volume at 1am on a night bus to Banos, Ecuador, (b) the loudest snorer of all time sharing a train carriage with me and (c) dogs howling furiously in Mongolia, as well as for passing the time on flights. If you have an Ipod touch you can also dump Wikipedia on the device (accessible without the internet) and a currency exchange application or dictionary, each serving to make your life easier when you need information on the go.

9. U-Pillow: I've never traveled with so many sleeping implements, but this pillow was a savior on long transport runs. You can squish down in your seat and lean your head over and .....zzzzz. It's instant comfort.

10. Compression Sacks: Everyone is an expert on how to pack clothes down tightly for a rucksack, and many don't opt for compression sacks at all. I know I wouldn't be able to fit my clothes in my bag without them. Instead of the pure waterproof, thicker material, I use the nylon impregnated with silicon model from....you guessed it: Sea to Summit. Since the bags themselves are so light and thin, they were an easy item to pack. I also have a spare stuff sack in the same siliconized nylon for dirty laundry.

Runner Ups (also indispensable but less gush-worthy):
- Gore-tex windbreaker,
- Teeny stretch glove liners
- Leggings (doubled as sleepwear fairly often)
- Sock liners for hiking (and moleskin...lots of moleskin)
- Lightweight travel umbrella
- Bandanna (drenched with DEET when mosquitoes were present, washcloth, sun protection, etc).
- The "just add water" towels - in a bind, these were great to have.
- sunscreen
- Pack covers. Again, Sea to Summit is my favorite brand. Very sturdy.
- Lots of extra quart size Ziploc bags
- Antibiotics (Z pack and Cipro), and probiotic capsules for when I need to take the antibiotics.
- Leatherman multi-tool (with scissors)
- Jersey dress. Doubles as a nightgown in warmer weather.

Things I regretted bringing and subsequently ditched in random places:
- Far too much Techwick/synthetic long sleeved tops: those posts about the fact that they start to smell no matter how many times you wash them? All true. I kept the tanks, but got rid of the long sleeved shirts and replaced them with Icebreaker clothes (expensive, but a worthy investment) or Old Navy long sleeved t-shirts (not remotely expensive, and deliciously throw-outable without guilt).
- Macabi skirt: great concept, but I found it stuck to my legs (damn static!) and I ended up sending it home and using a cheap jersey skirt I bought at H&M before I left instead.
- Travel shirts/Buzz Off shirts: Lightweight and compressible, they are great in concept but I never used mine and sent them home fairly quickly. I opted for a long sleeved zip up and tank top instead of a travel shirt and used DEET.

The Great Laptop Debate: My family jokes that I am "powered by Google", so a year around the world without interwebs wasn't an option. However, at 5 feet tall and with limited space, I needed to figure out what to bring with. I opted for Nokia's N810 Internet Tablet instead of the many Ultra Portable PCs, mainly because it is extremely light, has Skype built in and camps onto any WiFi signal. I've definitely had laptop envy at times, but it has been easy to update the blog and dump pictures onto Picasa via internet cafe. In hostels, the N810 has been great for calling home using Skype.

****
About Jodi:

My family jokes that I inherited my mother's love of travel in the womb, and 29 years later it shows no signs of abating. Growing up in Montreal, I dreamed of doing a RTW trip one day and after 5 years saving up as corporate lawyer in NYC, I quit my job and left for my trip on April 1, 2008. People often ask what made me quit my job and decide to travel, but it was actually the other way around: I took the job in order to save faster so that I could travel. In the end, my priority was seeing the world, and I'm thrilled to be on my journey now. You can follow my travels, and those of my friend Jessica, another former lawyer from NYC, at www.legalnomads.blogspot.com.

• My favorite place thus far: 5 days in the Gobi desert with a nomadic family
• Worse moment: food poisoning and diarrhea during a 4 day Salar de Uyuni trip - in a 4x4 on bumpy roads. Ugh.
• Mascot: "Potato", a conch shell from Key West engraved with the word Potato (background post here), who has his own tag on my blog.
  

Please feel free to send any questions about packing or other RTW-related items to jettenberg@gmail.com.

Travel News: One hotel that's got your bag

TLG: We're not sure who still checks two full-sized pieces of luggage anymore, but if you're a chronic overpacker (or just planning to haul presents across the country over the holidays) there's a cool way to skirt the extra-baggage fees you'll incur at the ticket counter.

Kimpton Hotels just extend its "We Got Your Bag" Program through December 31, 2008. At locations across the U.S. and Canada, hotel guests just need to show proof of a second checked baggage fee upon check-in to receive a room credit in that amount—up to $25.

It's a pretty sweet perk, and the LGs happen to be big fans of the Kimpton brand properties (especially the Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, MA and Hotel Monaco in Denver). Besides being uber cozy, the properties are ultra animal-friendly—they actually have four-legged "pet relations" managers—and can accomodate most requests to include Fluffy or Rover in your stay. If you haven't packed your own Shih Tzu or tabby in your carry-on, the staff will let you borrow their pet, a goldfish, to keep you company on cold nights.

Live from the Weinermobile: The State Fair

Here's the latest on-the-road dispatch from our Weinermobile girls. You can read more about their hot dogging adventures by clicking here.

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Molly and Selena: Is there anything more American than a state fair? Probably only a state fair in Tulsa, OK, behind the wheel of a giant hot dog, next to a massive monument. We spent last week at the Tulsa State Fair, where after passing out Wiener Whistles and showing off our favorite hot dog on wheels, we ate too much fried and chocolate-dipped foods, spun around on more than a few Tilta Whirls, and enjoyed the end of summer surrounded by some of the most American Americana around. Here are a few highlights from the trip:

What does it take to carve this butter statue? Close to 900 pounds of the fat, at least 133 hours of work, and a thermostat set around 40 degrees. That's impressive.



Fair food is usually delicious, but it's also rich and definitely quirky. Amongst the fried and chocolate-dipped selections (including fried brownies, fried bread tacos and chocolate-covered cheesecake), we indulged in a chocolate-dipped pickle. The consensus: Pickles are tasty, chocolate is divine – but they're not soul mates.




Erected in 1953 during Oklahoma's oil hey day, this 76-foot statue – called Golden Oil: Titanic Driller – is now the state's official monument. We think it looks even better next to a Wienermobile.

Lost Girl of the Week: Melissa Saul

TLG: While we welcome Lost Girls from every corner of the globe, we can't help but be a little partial to our own hometown heroines. Not only did Melissa Saul (pictured on the left) have the courage to leave all of her friends and family to move clear across the country to New York City, she also brought her passion and dedication to non-profit organizations with her.

Below, Melissa describes her incredible work with the National Kidney Foundation, how her life was forever changed after experiencing Fall in Manhattan, and how she "found the beauty in the uncertainty and the unknown" -- all told with a raw and witty elegance befitting of a true 'lost' girl!

*****

It was a trip to New York that found me lost....

Born and raised as a Southern California girl, life was always pretty good. Actually, it was great. I had my family and friends, 350 days of sunshine, the beach, Pacific Coast Highway, a decent cd collection, a cozy apartment. I was even getting promoted at work. My life was on track, just as I imagined it would be. Until one day, my roommate and I decided to take a vacation to New York to visit my best friend from college. That’s when phase one of “getting lost” began…

For as long as I can remember, every time I would see my best friend’s New York email signature I would think "one day I’m going to move to New York.” Just seeing the state spelled out was enough for me to imagine myself at Central Park in the fall, with a fuzzy black turtleneck, hair in a bun, gloves, book in one hand, hot chocolate from Payard in the other. But, the fantasy was short-lived as I knew in my heart it would never happen. Too many ties to the people I loved in Cali…

Then something magical happened. I saw “Fall” for the first time…in my life…at Central Park. I saw 2,000 yellow cabs and people in suits and sneakers. I brushed shoulders with the city, with so many cultures of the world represented and so much energy to go around. I was changed forever…

As soon as the wheels touched the ground at LAX and I heard “welcome to Los Angeles, the local time is…” I blurted to my roommate “I’m moving to New York!!” I think the people in the last row heard me. She didn’t believe me…no one believed me. I didn’t believe me. When I told my parents, my mother was mute for three days and my father simply said "no.” My sisters, my friends, my colleagues – everyone, s-h-o-c-k-e-d!

On January 16, I officially parted with the west coast. I cried and sobbed as I said goodbye to my beloved family and friends at the airport (exit stage left - dramatic I know). I cried while I was boarding (loud), I cried for the 6 hour duration of the flight (louder), as we were landing (hysterical), and at JFK (exhausted). Upon arriving at JFK, I was greeted by my suitcase and a beautiful snowfall (wearing flip flops of course). I was completely out of my comfort zone, scared, unsure, unsettled, and just like that…I started to embrace “getting lost.”

As the days carried on, I started to get the hang of the NYC routine. i.e. made my way through Grand Central and earned my spot on the 6 train all while carrying three bags with two pairs of shoes, three papers, an umbrella, an extra jacket, a change of clothes, coffee, a book, and work files; a 5th floor walk-up and paying triple the rent from LA; mice; miniscule living spaces and non-existent kitchens; trains and transfers; flight delays; temperamental rain storms; humidity and bad hair days; the seasons; severe allergies; $15 hot chocolates and $30 sandwiches; the longer work day; east and west blocks; the gym that’s too far (but one block away), and…missing home…

… I found myself and what I was really made of. I found the beauty in the uncertainty and the unknown…and how to own it. Best of all, I learned strength and courage on a whole new level.

As far as my career, I was able to continue my path in the non-profit world. I’m currently managing events for the National Kidney Foundation serving Greater New York. We raise awareness and funds for kidney disease, which strikes 26 million American adults. Another 20 million are at risk and don’t know it.

For anyone interested in helping spread the word, we’re having our 7th Annual New York City 5K Kidney Walk on Sunday, October 19th at the South Street Seaport. This event presents an occasion for dialysis patients, transplant recipients, donor families, living donors, the medical communities, and the general public to celebrate life. Over 3,500 participants of all ages are expected to attend!

To register/donate to the Kidney Walk, please visit: http://walk.kidney.org/newyorkcity or visit http://www.kidneygny.org/ for more information.

Cheers to getting lost and found!

Obama Versus McCain: The Remix

Computer-savvy performance artists have invented a new political spin on the debates: real-time analysis. The show, called ReConstitution, is broadcast on a big screen using a computer software program especially designed to create live re-mixes of the debates. Its the brainchild of MIT grads Eric Gunther, Justin Manor, and John Rothenberg. The Boston-based group also runs the performance and visual arts collective known as SoSolimited.

As the candidates face off, the trio sit in front of the audience wearing black suits, donning sunglasses, and working their magic. They tally up key campaign words such as “terrorism” and “taxes,” remove the video’s background to make the candidate’s body language the sole focus, and morph the closed captioning into colored pixels. “We’re taking a live news event and translating the raw information into meaningful statistical analysis,” explains Manor.

These guys may mix things up, but the legibility of the underlying debate is maintained so you won’t miss a word! And for those who need additional stimulation, drinks will be served. If you didn't catch their show in Boston on September 26th, or in New York City last night (the Lost Girls checked it out), you can still see them live at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. on October 15th.

ReConstitution 2008 - Live Presidential Debates Remix by Sosolimited from Sosolimited on Vimeo.

BootsnAll 10th Anniversary Party: 12/6/08

TLG: For the past decade, travel info and networking website BootsnAll has been hooking up vagabonders of all stripes with the know-how and social support needed to launch their own domestic and international journeys. In fact, when planned our own RTW adventure, we scoured BnA for info on hostels, advice on packing and even used their trip planner feature to price out cheapo-deepo airline tickets.

This year, BnA is turning 10, which in blog years makes them just old enough to...do all kinds of crazy stuff. Drink. Party their asses off. Get naked and go streaking across the quad.

From the looks of things, the brains behind BnA are planning to do all three this winter at one gigantic anniversary bash Portland, Oregon. Of course, it wouldn't be real party without all you crazy readers and ravers, so better start booking your planes, trains and automobiles now. Here's what you need to know to ring in a new era of BnA:

The BootsnAll 10th Anniversary Bash
Date: Saturday, December 6, 2008
Location: The Wonder Ballroom in Portland, Oregon
Time: 7 pm till 11 pm - main party
After Party: 11 pm till 2 am - DJ spinning and all that stuff.

Besides the promise of some really killer photos, here's why the founders Chris Heidrich and Sean Keener say you should come.

Top 13 Reasons to Come to the BnA 10 year anniversary Party

1) It’s gonna be fun. We have tonnes of travel prizes and activities that you probably haven’t done before.

2) It’s gonna be huge. The Wonder Ball Room can accommodate up to 600 people. We’re not sure how many will be there, but when was the last time you went to an event, put on by a private company that has been in the online travel space for 10 years? Never? Thought so. Come.

3) If you come, I will give you a hug. Now, you’ll need to mention this, and I will happily do it. There is not enough hugging in this world.

4) Beer, Wine, and Fun. There will be loads of drinks. If you are a drinker, you’ll be fine here. If you are non-drinker, you will also be happy cuz no one will be getting smashed out of their minds besides Static (and me once the dance party starts at 11 pm).

5) Rolf Potts. Legendary traveler and writer Rolf Potts is coming to the BnA 10 year anniversary party. Come meet and drink with this thoughtful traveler.

6) Get inspired about life: Are you bored with your job? Are going through the motions in life? If so, get your arse to this party and meet people that are planning epic trips, on epic trips, or just got back from an epic trip.

7) Aussies. Yeah, you know. The folks from down under. The shrimp on a barbie/kangaroo hamburger people. At least one of them will be at this party giving away drinks and spreading good cheer. Meet this secret guest and uncover the secret of Australia, the modern day land of milk and honey.

8) If you come, BootsnAll’s Italy Lover Jessica will teach you at least one swear word in Italian. It sounds cool and is fun to blurt it out at inappropriate times.

9) Keep Portland Weird! It’s a saying that we see on bumper stickers in this town. I also like to scream it out at random times during the day. Come to the beautiful city of Portland Oregon, see why it’s a little weird, but also why so many young and old creative and green folks are moving to the town that most magazines rate as the best, the greenest etc.

10) Because you like the little guy. BootsnAll is the last independent online travel company of substantive size that has not sold out to The Man. No one from the 90’s is around in it’s original form. Come find out why, or rediscover, what makes the BootsnAll community unique. People actually care. People like you.

11) You are a blogger or want to be one. There will be a lot of Blog and Twitter fodder for this weekend. Take fun pictures and meet new people to add to your Twitter.

12) Diversity of people. We have been doing these parties for five years now. All sort of folks love to travel independently. Come meet people you don’t normally talk to. They don’t bite and it’s fun to learn about the world through other people. Kinda like traveling!

13) You are my friend/acquaintance and you want to see what BootsnAll is up to. Maybe you met me 2 to 9 years ago. Maybe I was cool. Maybe I was a wanker. Either way, we made it this far and have made a lot of friends over the years. Come hang with me and let me buy you a few beers. Let’s reconnect. Seriously. sean at BootsnAll dot com to get it started.

Lost Girl of the Week: Denice Crawford

TLG: While Denice Crawford admits that she's never been the biggest fan of traveling (motion sickness and a fear of flying kind of put a damper on things) few things make her happier than journeying overseas to learn about new cultures and places.

She recently wrote to tell us why she's living overseas with her husband and has no plans to head home anytime soon:

"I always knew I would never fit in at a desk job. Although I love my friends and family stateside, I cherish the amazing opportunities and challenges of living and working as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Eastern Europe and as an ESL teacher in Asia. My lifestyle may not be popular with (or taken seriously!) by most of my friends and family back home, but reading the other Lost Girls' stories and visiting their blogs reaffirms that my choice is the best for me and that I wouldn't want it any other way."

We second that, Denice! Her story, below:

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Denice: I don't know when my love affair with all things foreign started, but I blame the liberal community I was raised in which celebrated diversity before it was trendy. As soon as I had my own library card, I checked out all the books on other countries and cultures. I insisted on celebrating every culture's holidays at home and miniature flags stood atop my dressers and nightstand where most girls kept their dolls. I went to school early in the morning to take Spanish lessons beginning at age 8, watched soccer games on Rai Uno to hear Italian, and at night, I was lulled to sleep by Polish radio. I forced my family into looking at all of the cultural exhibits at Chicago's finest museums.

In high school, I attended foreign exchange student recruitment meetings, bringing home the brochures, begging my parents to allow me to study abroad for my senior of high school. However, they refused and insisted that I had to be 18 first and that they'd rather have me go to college a year early than to have their youngest daughter live far across the world

So, I did what any spiteful teenager would do—I graduated a year early and found a college which allowed freshman to travel abroad. As a small nod to being duped, my parents took me to visit my first foreign city, Toronto. But signs in English and French and a maple leaf on the McDonald's sign was hardly exotic. A month later, I found myself at college in rural Iowa, which was completely foreign to a self-professed city-girl. But unfortunately, I picked up a boyfriend, got distracted with trying to find a responsible career, and put my dreams on hold.
Luckily, things started falling into place during my senior year, and I came across a volunteer opportunity in Guatemala. It was my first opportunity to get a passport and I was ecstatic. I was interested in joining the Peace Corps and saw the trip as a very small taste of living abroad. During the tour of the village I'd be serving in for 8 days, I heard my calling for the first time in my life—I wanted to help people around the world in any way I could.

At the same time, I was invited to do a summer internship at a school for the blind in northern Greece which I pounced on, even extending my graduation to do so. After returning home that summer and prepping for the Peace Corps, September 11th happened and the world seemed too unstable to travel around so I honed my skills in Youth Development as an AmeriCorps Volunteer in Arizona and Oregon (escaping the mid-west for a desert and a temperate rainforest).


Finally, in 2004, I was invited to work in Bulgaria as a Peace Corps Volunteer. It was the only career goal I had set for myself in life and as I boarded the plane I was thrilled to be coming into my own and to be living my dream. Little did I know that the fellow Volunteer sitting next to me from New York to Paris would turn out to be the man of my dreams!

Five months later, on New Year's Eve, we were married in a small Bulgarian civil ceremony and we spent the remaining 2 years in Bulgaria on the best honeymoon ever. We vowed to spend our anniversary in a new place around the world every year. After our service was over we had to return to the States to conquer the dreaded student loan situation. I took a desk job in International Trade and quickly found it painful to look at document after document coming across my desk from faraway ports in China, Russia, Brazil and Korea.

Eight months in, I'd had enough and knew I could never be satisfied staying in one place at this point in my life, and my husband whole-heartedly agreed. We both loved language, travel and the ex-pat lifestyle, and we realized that teaching ESL would allow us to pursue all of those things.We saved a bit more and turned in our resignations. A few weeks later we were getting our teaching certifications in Costa Rica, and shortly after found ourselves teaching ESL at middle schools in a charming rural coastal village in South Korea an hour away from one of the ports I used to only read about on my import documents. Our plan is to continue on teaching in various capacities until we find a place we can't bear to leave.

Contrary to what most people assume, I am not a backpacker. I actually HATE the act of traveling (motion sickness plus fear of flying = bad mood). The thought of carrying 50lbs on my back for months at a time, makes me want to crawl in bed and never leave home. I haven't "done" Europe or South-East Asia or Latin America. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to turn down a short trip to a new place, and I do hope to one day travel around the world, but I love getting to know a country and its people. I love that the ex-pat lifestyle (at least mine) has always given me the opportunity to become a part of the community.

Everybody here knows who I am, and how I am helping their community. My husband and I are greeted by everyone on the street and people go out of their way to share their culture with us. Moving far away from home does take an independent spirit, but it has taught me to be humble and child-like in depending on others to help me with even the most basic of tasks like learning how to operate household appliances or setting up a bank account.

Working overseas requires amazing patience, flexibility and a generous sense of humor. If my boss does something really offensive or counterintuitive here, I can laugh and chalk it up to cultural differences, but if my boss did something annoying in the US, I'd probably take it personally and think he was a total jerk.

And while being the token foreigner in town is like living under a microscope that gives odd feedback all of the time ("Wow! You can eat with chopsticks!... Do all Americans drink Coca-Cola every day?... Are your eyelashes real?"), it has also shown me that I am a capable, respected and valued community member in places where tourists rarely travel ("You have many new good ideas... I want to be a teacher like you... Will you stay here forever, please?"



The old cliche is true, spending time abroad gives you a new perspective on the world, your culture and mostly yourself. If you're reading this blog, you are probably a lot like me- you could spend hours looking at the travel section in a bookstore or reading travel blogs- saying to yourself, "I really want to experience that!" Many people out there don't think it's realistic, but I can't think of any other reality that makes me happier.

To read more about Denice's experiences living and loving abroad, visit her blog at notanothertourist.blogspot.com.

Live from the Weinermobile: 5 things we can’t travel without

Weinermobile hotdoggers and LGs Molly Fergus and Selena Armendarez check in with us to share a short list of their on-the-road essentials.

Check out this photo of their their tan lines! Ladies...how did you manage that??!!

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5 Things We Can't Live Without

Traveling for long stretches definitely requires some sacrifice (anyone else miss closet space and home-cooked food?), but we’re firm believers that a few luxuries are necessary. In that spirit, here’s what we just have to pack.

1. Perfume. It’s bulky, breakable and everything that should be on a savvy traveler’s don’t-pack list. But after a long day in the sun at a state fair, nothing feels more deservedly indulgent than a spritz of Chanel Chance or Sarah Jessica Parker Covet.

2. A roomy purse. Because sometimes our wallets, antibacterial lotion, iPods, planners and WienerWhistles all need to be in the same place.

3. Neutrogena Cooling Mist Sunscreen. On a steamy South Texas day, this spray makes us excited to use sunscreen – and it keeps our tan lines from getting any worse.

4. Avocados, cilantro and limes. We swear this magic combination makes anything delicious – even soggy gas station sandwiches.

5. Electrical tape. When 88.1 won’t pick up “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” from our iPod, we tape the radio adapter in the perfect spot – without leaving that sticky duct tape goo on our dashboard.

—Molly and Selena