Training for a Tri

HCC: With just a few chapters left to write, my fellow LGs and I are almost done with the book. Kind of like cramming for finals, we've hunkered down over our computers, fortified ourselves with coffee and chocolate, and have pulled more than a few all-nighters.

Now we're ready to shoot for a different kind of challenge: training for a triathlon. We had plenty of practice on the road, between running stairs in Cusco to prepare for our 26-mile Inca Trail hike, biking the 20-plus miles around Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and practicing our strokes while at surf camp in Byron Bay, Australia. Still, it's been awhile since we've pushed ourselves physically.

Unlike marathons, triathlons require a lot more equipment. To help decide what kind of bike to get, how to find a wet suit that fits, and how to move faster through the transitions, I went to a triathlon education night in New York City organized by Dr. Jordan Metzl, a sports physician and six-time Ironman triathlete. You have to sign up to see the webcast, but it has a lot of useful information. We'll keep you updated on which triathlons we'll be doing, and would love any training tips from those of you who have done one before.

A Day in the Life of the Wienermobile Girls

Molly is one of two Lost Girls criss-crossing the country in a Wienermobile—yes, that's the frank-on-wheels. You can read more about her hot dogging adventures at clicking here

by Molly Fergus

After eight months on the road, we’re skilled at convincing ourselves we have sort of normal lives. Each morning we wake up, hop in the company car, and head to work.

That’s what we tell ourselves, anyway, until we have a day like this past Saturday in southern Tennessee. At each of our three events, we were startled by both the randomness of our lives and the generosity of the people we met. A rundown, for your enjoyment:

7:45 a.m. Drive through Lawrenceburg, TN, which we discovered is the hometown of Fred Thompson, Law and Order actor and brief Republican presidential candidate.

8 a.m. Arrive in Loretto, TN, a two-stoplight town.

10:30 a.m. Give two jazzed high school students a ride around the block.

11 a.m. Meet the owner of Tietgan’s Super Rama grocery store in Lawrenceburg, TN. He treats us to sandwiches (made with Oscar Mayer lunch meat, of course).

12:10 p.m. Ask if anyone knows Fred Thompson.

12:15 p.m. Decide no one knows Fred Thompson.

1:45 p.m. Cruise through Amish country.

3:45 p.m. Meet a group of six from Full of Faith, a Tennessee-based ministry that feeds the homeless; they assemble and deliver hundreds of sandwiches each week made from…Oscar Mayer Bologna, of course.

3:55 p.m. The Full of Faith members pray for us; we’re flattered and also really enjoy hearing the word “Wienermobile” in a prayer.

4:30 p.m. Head to our home sweet Hampton Inn.

Travel Blogger Eats for Free in NYC!!

Jen: As I sit here in my office, polishing off an $8.50 Lenny's tossed salad and $2.25 organic tea while a space heater melts the slush off my boots, two thoughts cross my mind: 1) I need to run, not walk, out of this steel gray city and not look back til Spring and 2) it's slightly tragic that the cost of my lunch alone was more than 1/3 of The Lost Girls' daily budget when we were on the road. Fortunately, Amanda, Holly and I are planning a trip to China in April (our first one together since returning from our RTW adventure - yay!) so that assuages my wanderlust enough to get me through the day.

But trying to eat on the cheap in one of the most expensive cities in America? Well...considering my insatiable addiction to dining out, an utter lack of cooking skills and the extensive list of take-out numbers I already have programmed in my cell, that just seemed way too daunting a task for this New Yorker. But as luck would have it, one of my favorite Lost Girls of the Week, Courtney Scott, recently set out to prove it could be done. Embarking on a culinary challenge of epic proportions, Courtney managed to satisfy her every hunger whim for an entire week (and counting) without spending a single cent.

For a detailed account on how she accomplished such an extraordinary task and the current state of her stomach, check out the below.

Bon Appetit!

*****

Courtney Scott on: Free Eats Week
I've passed my one week mark, still feeling good, and finding a plethora of diverse snacks to satisfy almost all of my cravings. I'd still love to find a nice fat eel and avocado roll, but hey, Free Eaters can't be choosers! Health-wise, this week's diet has run the gamut. On the nutritious side, I've eaten locally grown apples, organic corn salad, braised fennel, hummus and even freshly pan-seared tilapia. On the more glutinous side, well, the list is long: Dark chocolate, gelato, pizza, artisinal cheeses, cured meats, chips, brownies, and to-die-for bread pudding. I think my fat intake has even been upped this week, despite the small portions!

I haven't bought any groceries, ordered takeout or paid for a restaurant tab in nine days, allowing me to put more money towards my looming college loans. Although I began this experiment out of curiosity, I'm saving a heck of a lot of cash-o-la and may not shutting down my Free Eats operation any time soon! Through this week's research I've discovered dozens of free and cheap specials around the city, and will continue to share my tips as the list keeps growing.

As any New Yorker can attest, New York City is a miserable place to save money. Those who choose to reside here often sacrifice savings to pay astronomical expenses, but we do it to experience the magic of the greatest city in the world. Free Eats Week was a reminder to myself that, with a little perseverance, creativity and an open mind, there are alternative ways to save...and have delicious fun in the process!

For extensive coverage and up-to-the minute updates on Courtney's Free Eats Week, visit Abroadrview.com

Free Eats Week has also been featured on:
Midtownlunch.com, Eater.com, NBCNewYork.com, BuzzFeed.com, CityFile.com, TheFoodSection.com, MediaBom.tv, Williblog.tumblr.com, LarryFire.wordpress.com, Bankergonebroke.com, SuperSillyUs.com, KaufmanHerald.blogspot.com, Gothamist.com, Preash.net, Open.Salon.com


About Courtney:
Courtney Scott is a vibrant freelance travel journalist and on-air personality based in New York City.

As a correspondent she has appeared on national television including MTV’s Total Request Live and The Rachel Ray Show. She has been a contributing editor for CondéNet’s Jaunted: Pop Culture Travel Guide, and her travel writing has been featured on PeterGreenberg.com, Trazzler.com, The Lost Girls and Examiner.com.

Courtney’s photo coverage of this summer’s garbage crisis in Naples, Italy and prostitution rise in Treviso, Italy captured the attention of Peter Greenberg who featured her photography in his New York Times Best Seller, DON’T GO THERE!

Courtney experienced incredible success during her career at MTV Networks, lived in New Zealand and Italy and has explored four continents. She has survived a harrowing boat crash on the Mekong River, hitchhiked across Milan in a windowless truck, danced the Haka with Maori natives and interviewed Hollywood celebrities on the red carpet.

She focuses her writing on what she knows best: independent travel, budget travel, women travel, food, culture, lifestyle and entertainment. Through her writing she has inspired young professionals across the world to begin exploring life outside the corporate cubicle. She is driven by the connective power of travel journalism and will continue to motivate, educate and entertain through her writing.

Contact me: CourtneyNYC@gmail.com Blog: http://www.abroadrview.blogspot.com/

Creative Ways to Save for Travel: Move to Latin America

by Kyle Hepp

So the last time I blogged for Lost Girls World, I had just married my Chilean husband, was adjusting to life as a newlywed expat in Chile and trying to save money for a trip around the world.

Well, guess what I’m doing now – still trying to save money for a trip around the world. No surprise their, we’re planning a major trip that should last for 1 to 2 years, so we need major cash.

My husband and I paid off our wedding and our previous credit card debt in December from 2007, and from there we started socking away every extra penny. It took all of 2008, but we currently have about $21,000 in the bank. I’m proud of how much we have saved, but I know we have a long way to go to reach our trip goal of 60k (10k for an emergency fund and 50k for making our way backpacker style through Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia).

The Lost Girls were hoping I could give a little advice on how to save money for a big trip like the one we’re taking, so before I created this post, I thought long and hard about what to tell you.

I could list off the typical tips – Stop going to Starbucks and put all your latte money in savings, put all your change in a jar, create a budget, don’t eat out, etc.

But, the truth is my husband and I haven’t done any of that. We live like ballers in Chile and we’re still saving. We’re not financial rockstars in the sense that we make really wise investments or know a lot about banking and money. The big secret is, we live in a third world country and I make a first world country salary.

So yes, I’m telling you that before you even take your big trip or whatever it is you’re saving up for, you should move to Mexico, or Chile, or really anywhere in South America. Santiago, where we live is actually one of the most expensive countries, but this strategy is still working for us.

Because honestly, living costs in developing countries are much lower. And if you’re creative you can think of a way to make a U.S. salary and work that to your advantage. I currently own my own destination wedding photography business, blog for 4 different companies and I do online operations for a mystery shopping company. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

My working hours are crazy, I bust my arse to make my money. It’s worth it. Within two years we will have saved up for the trip of the lifetime. And we’ve done so while continuing to maintain a high quality of life – living in a nice loft, going out regularly, continuing to travel on smaller trips, and having a maid come once a week. Are you jealous? Well then, move to Chile!