The Lost Girls 2

Training for a Tri

2009-03-06T13:25:00.003-08:00

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

2009-03-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

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!!

2009-03-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-03-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

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!

Honeymooning for a Living: The Globetrotting Bride

2009-02-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

New York-based publicist Lyla Gleason has what most would consider to be a dream job—she jet sets around the globe, showing off destinations to journalists who write for the glossiest of travel magazines. Who wouldn't want to fill her shoes (or at the very least, carry her bags?).

Recently, this PR maven embarked on a very different kind of journey: she took a trip down the aisle. While preparing for her wedding and the honeymoon that followed, she discovered the few online resources were really devoted to the intersection of marriage and travel. So Lyla decided to create her own blog, The Globetrotting Bride which features travel destinations for bachelorette trips and honeymoons, travel-friendly beauty products, wedding/honeymoon fashions, gift ideas, expert travel tips and more. Here's how her latest project got off the ground....

*********
Lyla: I’ve always had a passion for travel. Between my yearly trips to Florida to visit my grandparents, teenage visits to Europe, a college semester abroad and dozens of girlfriend getaways, couples vacations and family trips, I’ve always said “yes” to a fun-filled getaway.

Spending spring semester of my junior year in Rome was one of my favorite travel experiences. Getting to take art classes and actually visit the famed works of art was unbelievable. And, don’t get me started on all the yummy pasta and gelato, amazing fashions and cute guys. Since then, I’ve explored much of Europe and my favorite cities remain: Rome, Istanbul, Venice, Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels.

As it became time to choose a career, my travel addiction helped lead the way to my becoming a travel publicist in New York. I’ve worked in several PR firms where my clients included hotels, resorts, destinations and airlines around the world. While this sounds very glam (and it sometimes was), there were definitely flight delays, cranky journalists and long, grueling itineraries. And to think, my mom thought I was a “travel agent” while my friends thought I was really going on “vacation” every time I packed my bags for a press trip.

All in all, I got to see some amazing countries and I met lots of interesting people. Some of my career highlights include going on South African safaris, playing croquet with Robin Leach in Antigua, learning to fly-fish in California and flying to Jamaica to help couples “test drive” a one-day honeymoon.

When I was planning my summer 2008 wedding I realized how few wedding blogs really covered topics related to the honeymoon and all of the other fun wedding-related trips like bachelor/bachelorette trips, pre-moons, scouting trips for destination wedding, etc.

To me, getting married meant getting a travel partner for life so the honeymoon (or honeymoons) was at the top of my to-do-list. In fact, since I met my husband three years ago, we have been on many fun-filled road trips and far-away getaways. Sometimes we go for romantic, kinda fancy getaways like Riviera Maya in Mexico, sometimes it’s a spa getaway like our St. Lucian mini-moon and now and then it’s a road trip to visit friends and family (he drives, I sing and take pictures). And when you think about it, weddings are all about romance, and what's more romantic than an exciting trip shared with your partner? So traveling together can also be a fun way to bring back the romantic magic of your wedding, even many years later.

I dubbed myself the Globetrotting Bride and started blogging to share my passion for globetrotting, travel and packing tips, suggestions for romantic and bachelorette getaways (my girls took me to Bermuda) and scoop on travel-friendly products. Whether you’re a bride-to-be or a travel fan like I am, you can visit me at www.globetrottingbride.com. I’ll be sharing reviews from my personal travels including the hopefully two more honeymoons we’re planning to take this year.

Lost Girls Field Trip: Andros Island-Part 7

2009-02-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

Jen: While I wouldn't trade my position as 1/3 of The Lost Girls writing team for anything in...well...the world, I recently spread my journalist wings and accepted my first solo assignment: a 9-part web series on Andros Island for the pop culture travel site, Jaunted.com. But even though I temporarily flew away from the nest, I felt compelled to bring my stories home to you, my favorite TLG readers. I'll admit that this, my 7th post, is a bit on the random side (sorry all you bonefishers out there), but quirky enough to justify reading! So enjoy The Great Bonefish Debate and stay tuned next week for Cage-Free Swimmng with Sharks!
*****

"The Great Bonefish Debate": With a little time to kill in the Nassau airport before we hopped a puddle jumper to Andros Island, my travel buddy Mark and I had decided a little "Welcome to the Bahamas" drink was in order. So we pulled up a few bar stools at Marshall's--it's in the domestic terminal--and ordered our first of many island rums. It was Marshall, the delightfully friendly owner, himself who poured our drinks before asking us to fill out his NFL fantasy football card. Since I’m pretty much a college-ball only gal (Go Seminoles!), I can only hope I didn’t lose too much money for poor Marshall that day. But I digress!

It was there in that little tiki hut that the Great Bonefish Debate was sparked. That may sound random, but with a vast expanse of mangroves and flats, Andros has earned the title of "Bonefishing Capital of the World" from the international community of avid anglers. So it’s only natural that it came up in conversation. Well, in this case I specifically asked Marshall about bonefishing, but same difference. It’s not that I don't know my fishing: After all, I’d gone on numerous catfish expeditions with my dad in Mississippi when I was a kid. And later, I'd dutifully watched Brad Pitt cast his reel in the film “A River Runs Through It.” But admittedly I was kind of a bone head when it came to the specific art of bonefishing. Luckily I had Marshall to clear things up...

In the brief time we had before dashing off to catch our flight, Marshall explained that many people don’t even keep the prey they catch, but he says bonefish are one of the absolute sweetest tasting swimmers in the sea, so they make for an excellent meal if prepared properly. Since there are an extraordinary amount of bones in bonefish--yeah, that I kinda figured--you have to know a very specific "snap and break" process, which Marshall described as squeezing the body just so in order to then rip all the bones out in one whack. While even he doesn't know how exactly it's done, he has Bahamian friends who do, he insisted.

Once the fish is clean, Marshall continued, he likes to fillet it, top it with onions, lime juice, salt, pepper and spices and cook it to perfection. Well that all sounded pretty straight forward to me. In fact, I was genuinely excited to sample this supposedly delightful cuisine.

But the second I arrived at the Small Hope Bay Lodge and began speaking with the knowledgeable staff and actual fishermen, I realized pretty quickly I'd probably never get a taste. My tale horrified some and delighted others, but everyone agreed that bonefish was probably one of the last sea creatures you’d want to consume. Not that it isn’t possible, but it’s not worth the hassle--and it would be in strict violation of the bonefishing code of conduct, which generally deems the sport catch and release only.

From what I’ve been told, actually catching a bonefish is a pretty rigorous process that requires immense physical endurance and strict concentration. I won’t even attempt to get into the technicality of it all, but for those who are interested, you basically balance on the edge of a boat or stand knee-deep in water, watching, waiting and stalking the fish for hours in the hot sun. That didn’t sound particularly appealing to me either, but some friends I met at the lodge are wildly passionate about it.

In the end, I never did resolve the Great Bonefish Debate of "too eat or not to eat." But maybe that's the point: There's no one answer to the question!

For more info on Fishing Vacations at Small Hope Bay Lodge, visit http://www.smallhope.com/Fishing.html

*****
Dying to view my entire Andros blog series to date?...Of course you are! Click here to re-visit Part 1-7!

What you don't know about Kansas City, MO

2009-02-24T05:51:00.000-08:00

by Molly Fergus

Out of nowhere, it seems, the travel industry is buzzing about Kansas City, MO.

SmarterTravel.com named the town one of its 5 Destinations to Watch in 2009– which also includes the decidedly more exotic Riviera Nayarit and Peru. Shortly after, Jaunted compared the city to Teddy Grahams, and of course a slew of travel blogs criticized the ranking.

Needless to say, we wanted to get in on the action. So after six days in the City of Fountains, we present our five things to love about good ol‘ KC-MO.

1. The Power and Light District We were afraid that this restaurant and shopping district, which the Kansas City utilities opened late last year, would feel too artificial. Instead, we found a thriving eight-block hub of shops and restaurants that are delicious, lively and even kind of swank.
2. The barbecue From the old school, fluorescent-lit Arthur Bryant’s to the “white linen” pulled pork at Jack Stack, KC knows its meat. ’Nuf said.
3. The airport MCI is as hassle-free as airports come. Each gate boasts its own security terminal, and the average TSA wait time hovers around five minutes.
4. The cultural mix Straddling the Missouri-Kansas border, Kansas City feels solidly Midwestern and gracefully Southern all at once. Case in point: You won’t have to choose between Culver’s and Chic-fil-a.
5. The Oregon Trail For about a day we couldn’t figure out why Independence, MO sounded so dang familiar. It turns out the Oregon Trail began in the Kansas City suburb…and when we played that ancient Apple computer game, we stocked up on oxen in Independence.

Molly is just 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

Lost Girls Field Trip: Andros Island-Part 6

2009-02-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

Jen: While I wouldn't trade my position as 1/3 of The Lost Girls writing team for anything in...well...the world, I recently spread my journalist wings and accepted my first solo assignment: a 9-part web series on Andros Island for the pop culture travel site, Jaunted.com. But even though I temporarily flew away from the nest, I felt compelled to bring my stories home to you, my favorite TLG readers. So enjoy my sixth post and stay tuned each week for a new entry!
*****

"Captain Bill's Wild Blue Hole Ride":
It was the 6th day of my week-long Andros Island vacation, when I realized that I had yet to step one barefoot out of the 100 yard beach radius surrounding the Small Hope Bay Lodge. Between all the amazing scuba diving trips, an abundance of hammocks and a self-serve beach bar, there’s not a whole lot of incentive to leave this slice of paradise. But considering there were miles of uninhabited and virtually untouched wilderness just beyond the lodge borders, I figured a little DIY exploration was in order.

Since Small Hope provides bicycles free of charge, my travel buddy Mark and I decided to do one of the most popular suggested excursions – a 6 mile ride to Captain Bill’s, an inland blue hole in the middle of a pristine pine forest. Coated in bug spray and SPF 30, our backpacks filled with water bottles, towels and a change of clothes, we grabbed a hand-drawn map from the office and headed to the bike rack to pick out our trusty steeds for the day. As it turned out, they were way more rusty than trusty, but we decided to take our chances.

While Mark managed to get a fairly decent mountain bike (albeit female), I was left to contend with, what I can only describe as two mostly flat tires hanging precariously from an unstable metal frame. Affectionately naming him the Silver Piranha, I asked him nicely to try to keep his wheels on for the duration of the trip, made a quick sign of the cross and took off down the sandy slope towards Queens Highway. Rather than an actual highway, it was a paved two-lane road that was much easier to navigate than we’d expected. And there were so few cars that we decided to make a game out of counting them, agreeing that each one that passed us from behind would represent the number of beers we’d have to drink when we returned. We coasted about two miles before our smooth sailing abruptly came to an end.

We’d reached the point on the map where we were supposed to turn onto a dirt road. Umm, dirt was a vast understatement. For the next, count ‘em, four miles, we banged, crashed and bumped down a gravel trail teeming with fallen tree branches, pot holes and what can only be described as an odd cement, mud mixture. By the time we reached the entrance to the national park, our stomachs hurt from laughing so hard, with any feeling remaining in our asses left in the dust.

But all the pain was well worth it when we reached our destination. Propping our bikes against a tree, we navigated a narrow footbridge that led us to an even narrower path. A few branches in the face later and we emerged to find an enormous blue hole carved out of a dense thicket of Andros pine forest. Fortunately for tourists like us, the Navy had constructed a wooden gazebo and platform that hung 20 feet in the air over the water. The Small Hope staff had told us that the blue hole was more than deep enough to take a running leap and dive in so that’s just what we did. Well, that’s what I did anyway.

Mark decided to stay on dry land and snap some photos, while I immediately stripped off my sweaty clothes (yes, I had a bathing suit underneath) and hurdled myself into the inland pool. Emerging to the surface from the deep splash, I felt instantly cooled off and refreshed. Aside from a few bird calls and the gentle swish of my treading, an eerie silence hung in the balmy air until we broke it with echo-inducing cries. Boasting better acoustics than Madison Square Garden, the blue hole reverberated with an amazing melody, turning our Hello, into a never-ending Heeeeelllllloooooo!

As heady as it was to be the single swimmer in an immense Ice Age sink hole, it was also a bit creepy. My mind started to get the better of me and I begin to conjure up images of the mythological Lusca monster lurking underneath me in the inky depths. OK, time to get out now! Climbing up the wooden stairs, I met back up with Mark on the platform, toweled off and prepared to head back through the trees.

It took all the energy we could possibly muster (and a few more butt bruises), but we made it back to Small Hope in less than an hour. Not counting an embarrassing tumble onto an unsuspecting Bahamian’s front lawn (don’t ask!), we arrived at the lodge mostly in one piece.

Our car-to-beer count had only tallied five, which Mark and I split between us. Luckily, that was just enough to ensure that I didn’t feel the effects of my good ‘ole Silver Piranha for the rest of the night!

*****
Dying to view my entire Andros blog series to date?...Of course you are! Click here to re-visit Part 1-6!

Lost Girl of the Week: Kristen J. Putch

2009-02-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

ADP: A few weeks ago, The Lost Girls were invited to Syracuse University to do our first panel discussion with the members of Syracuse Ed2010 and Women in Communications. During the two hour session, we discussed our careers in publishing, film and television, tips for getting jobs and internships and how to take a break (eventually) in order to travel.

One of the best parts of the evening—if not the best part—was meeting the students and discussing where they hoped to go with their careers. We fielded tons of great questions, including whether or not to shoot for an internship or study abroad the summer after sophomore year (we said travel, of course!) and how to get an entry level job in integrated marketing (better email Jen for the answer to that one).

After the event, we went to dinner with Kristen Putch, 21, who's not only president of Women in Communication at Syracuse, but is also the Managing Editor of 360 Magazine and the former Editor in Chief of The Student Voice (she's now the web editor). Kristen seemed excited to graduate and enter the "real world" but also expressed her concerns about what that actually might mean. Here, she shares why you don't have to rack up stamps on your passport or even leave the country to consider yourself a full-fledged Lost Girl.

*****

Kristen J. Putch: Unlike many "Lost Girls," I am not a seasoned traveler. Actually, I have never left the East Coast.

But, in terms of my future, I am about as lost as any girl could be.

My name is Kristen, and I am a senior journalism student at Syracuse University. In three months, SU will push me out of my safe bubble and into the real world. The problem is, once I enter the real world, I'm not exactly sure where to go...the destination is a mystery.

In the hope of gaining some direction—and get a head start on my undefined future—I have been taking part in any career-related workshops or events offered on the Syracuse campus.

Last week, the university hosted one of its campus-wide career expos, which takes place once a semester. In the past I have blown off these expos, deciding they held nothing of interest for me. But this semester, I decided to go and see what it was all about. Maybe I'd even make a contact or two.

We were told that more than 80 employers would be attending, and all I could think of was "80 employers? There's got to be something there for me." The day of the expo, I looked around campus and saw what seemed like hundreds of thousands of students in business suits. They all had a slight look of terror on their faces, but I could also see them planning their strategies to make the best impression possible.

I laughed a little as I watched my classmates walk around in ties and carrying briefcases. I'd seen many of them out at bars just days before in jeans and hoodies.

After taking it all in, I slowly made my way to the auditorium. As I got closer, I stopped. Thinking back to all those e-mails I received, it suddenly dawned on me that all the employers there were looking for two people: engineers and business/finance students. As I stood in the entrance, it was the first time in my life I wished I had pursued a degree in business, rather than journalism.

I waited outside the door for another minute and then turned around. As much as I need a job come May, I refuse to lose myself or my passion in that process.

And so, for now, I shall remain "a Lost Girl."

*****

If you're interested in blogging for us, or becoming a Lost Girl of the Week, drop us a line at lostgirlsworld@gmail.com. We love to hear your stories!

Lost Girls Field Trip: Andros Island-Part 5

2009-02-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

Live from the Wienermobile: The breakup

2009-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Molly and Selena: It would be an understatement to say that, after spending seven months traversing the Southern U.S., we know a lot about each other. The truth is, we know practically everything – what entrees we’ll order at lunch, what we put in our coffee, whether we prefer Coke or Pepsi or RC. Heck, half the time we even wear the same color shirt after work.

It’s like a marriage, but now we’re splitting up. Every January all of the hotdoggers are assigned a new region with a new partner. For the next five months, Selena will criss-cross the U.S. in the world’s only Mini Wienermobile (it’s built on a Mini Cooper), and Molly will tour the Midwestern states.

We’ve got a lot to look forward to, but in the spirit of reflection we’re sharing a few of the oddest things we’ve discovered we have in common. Stay tuned for our separate, ongoing adventures!

1. As kids, neither of us could be witches for Halloween. Our Catholic moms thought that was too evil, so Selena compromised on a nun costume (she still got the black robe), and Molly went for a Glenda the Good Witch getup.
2. Our parents were strict on T.V. More specifically, neither of us could watch The Simpsons, which means we still miss out on many a pop culture reference.
3. Bart was nixed, but Dorothy was welcomed. Remember our visit to the Oz Museum? That love for the classic started when we were kids.
4. Selena’s family is as Mexican as Molly’s is Irish. Even though we’re both fourth-generation Americans, our families have strong cultural ties…like listening to bagpipes and mariachis at weddings.
5. Back to being Catholic – our fathers were both CCD teachers (that’s like Sunday school for anyone who doesn’t follow the Pope) during that very impressionable late elementary-middle school age. Our friends all thought it was weird.

Lots of (Low Cost) Love for Valentine’s Day

2009-02-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

No matter your status this V-day, you’ll be able to find plenty of ways to pamper yourself on the cheap. Whether you’re spending it solo, celebrating with your friends, or cozying up with Mr. Right (or just Mr. Right Now), check out these cupid-inspired packages:

Spa and The Single Girl Spend Friday the 13th getting a glow with a chocolate body scrub or soothing tense muscles with a hot stone massage at GemVie MediSpa in midtown Manhattan. All services are 15 percent off for singles. If you make it a girls’ night and bring a single friend, you’ll both get 25 percent off.

Boyfriend Not Included Prefer not to sleep alone on Valentine’s Day? Gather your friends and head to The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park for a grown-up sleepover. You’ll get a four-person room, in-room manicures, complementary food and beverages, and the option for either a “girls’ night in” with movies, music and snacks; or a “girls’ night out” with private car service to a concierge-recommended hotspot and late-night gourmet treats. Prices are $599 per person based on four-person occupancy.

Champagne + Massages= Love Disconnect from the daily grind and indulge with your sweetie by checking into a hotel that has an onsite spa. Extra brownie points if it’s on the beach. The Watercolor Inn & Resort in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida has a Valentine’s Day special that includes a room with a view of the Gulf of Mexico; champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries; two 50-minute Swedish massages at the InnSpa; one three-course dinner; and daily complimentary breakfast. It’s going on February 10th through the 18th and starts at $390 a night with a two-night minimum.

Choose Your Own Romance: Whether you want to get out of town or simply escape to a hotel close to home (you’ll skip the pricey plane ticket but still score maid service!), check out the Valentine’s Day deals at Hotels.com. Four-star rooms at the Sofitel Chicago O’Hare come with cozy fireplaces, are located just two blocks from Rosemont Theatre, and start at less than $100 a night. Bonus: You’ll get a $20 gift certificate to 1-800-Flowers.com so you'll save on those red roses you meant to buy anyway.

We just couldn't resist posting this felled cupid image, so here's his photo credit: www.eatdrinksnort.com

The 2009 New York Times Travel Show

2009-02-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

ADP: This weekend, Lost Girls are teaming up with our favorite all-guy traveling trio, The Longest Trippers, to attend the sixth annual New York Times Travel Show. The 2009 event is being held on Feb 7 and 8 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Manhattan’s west side. It will host nearly 500 exhibitors representing more than 100 countries, and will focus on travel destinations, tour operators and cruise lines. That's a lot ground to cover, which is why our group of six is gonna divide and conquer!

One of the best draws of this year's event is that several of the presenters will be offering special discounts, packages and chances to win big fat travel prizes (my favorite: a flight to St. Kitts--a place I've been dying to check out). Here's a breakdown of where to go—and what to get your hands on—this weekend.

Happy roaming--and we hope to see you there!

*********

American Express Booking Station
Booth# 741 – Ski three days and get the fourth free at one of the Vail Resorts.

Booth# 741 – Receive discounts of up to 50 percent when you book with Stay More at more than 200 Preferred Hotel Group hotels around the world.

Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association
Booth# 317 100 different hotel stays at 99 resorts on 24 Caribbean islands will be auctioned off during the show. The auctions are part of an ongoing effort by the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF) to provide scholarships and grants to help Caribbean youth.

Context Travel
Booth# 474 Context Travel is offering chance to win a private three-hour walking seminar led by a Context scholar in any of the eight cities where they operate: Rome, Paris, London, New York, Florence, Naples and Istanbul.

Hotel de La Montagne
Booth# 647
Hotel de la Montagne, located in the heart of Montreal is offering the chance to win a two-night stay with dinner and breakfast for two.

Puerto Rico Tourism Company
Booth# 523 Stop by the booth and enter a drawing to win a three-day, two-night hotel stay for two with two VIP weekend passes to Saborea, an Annual Culinary Event & Extravaganza at the Escambron Beach, in San Juan, from Apr. 3 to 5, 2009.
You can also register to enter a drawing to win a three-day, two-night hotel stay at the San Juan Water & Beach Club Hotel.

St. Kitts and Nevis
Booth# 515 Win a trip on American Airlines nonstop to St. Kitts; Win three-night, four-day stay at the St. Kitts Marriott Hotel; Win a three-night, four-day stay at Hermitage Plantation Inn, Nevis;- Win a three-night, four-day stay at Oualie Beach Resort, Nevis.

For a regularly updated list of special offers available at this year’s Travel Show visit http://www.nytimes.com/travelshow.

Lost Girl Field Trip: Andros Island-Part 4

2009-02-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Jen: While I wouldn't trade my position as 1/3 of The Lost Girls writing team for anything in...well...the world, I recently spread my journalist wings and accepted my first solo assignment: a 9-part web series on Andros Island for the pop culture travel site, Jaunted.com. But even though I temporarily flew away from the nest, I felt compelled to bring my stories home to you, my favorite TLG readers. So enjoy my fourth post and stay tuned each week for a new entry!

*****

"The Great Wall (Dive) of Andros": I’ve hurled myself out of a plane in Switzerland...repelled down rock walls in Ecuador..and conquered three bungee jumps in a row in New Zealand. But those were mere child’s play compared to my most adrenaline-inducing endeavor -- diving to a staggering 185 feet below sea level in Andros Island, Bahamas!

Since my 7 day scuba package at the Small Hope Bay Lodge was just about up, I decided it was now or never to take the ultimate plunge. Earlier that week, I’d broken my standing depth record of a pitiful 65 feet, by upping it to 90. And then came 110…then 130…and finally, all the way to 140 feet. But like any addiction, once you get a taste of the goods, you gotta have more. Not to say that I took the decision lightly. But as I realized during my previous deep dives, if I followed my trained underwater professionals, stayed calm and paid attention to my time and air, it was pretty much smooth sailing, err, floating.

And unlike some scuba sites around the world, where going for distance doesn’t necessarily have any aesthetic or experiential benefit, its quite the opposite case with Andros Island. Why you ask? Well, it’s simple. The Andros wall, which begins where the ocean floor ends, is a vertical drop-off where the continental shelf plummets down to 6,000 feet into the Tongue of the Ocean. No, I did not add an extra zero to that figure by mistake. It really is 6,000 feet. And I was about to fly head first over the wall and down to an ice age shoreline to see the great wonder of the world for myself.

Under the expert tutelage of Small Hope Dive Master, Amanda Lee, my dive buddy Mark and I were as ready as we’d ever be. The process was amazingly simple. Descend to the edge of the wall and drop fast as hell until we reached a sandy alcove. Without letting Amanda’s fins out of our eyesight for even a second, we made it from 0-185 feet in less than two minutes.

Borrowing the standby scuba analogy that scuba diving is like being in outer space, arriving on the underwater beach seriously felt like landing on the moon. It was absolutely other-worldly. And then, thanks to a touch of nitrogen narcosis (aka ‘getting NARCed), which is pretty much guaranteed at this depth, it felt delightfully silly. Without getting into the science of it all, I was thoroughly enjoying its “Martini Effect” - which humorously likens NARCO diving to downing a few of 007’s favorite libations (shaken vs. stirred not specified). All day leading up to the dive Amanda warned us that if we saw the elusive chicken fish, we were NARCed for sure. So when she pulled a pre-hidden rubber chicken from the sand and waved it in front of me and Mark, it was pretty much confirmed.

As we hung mid-air staring into the vast 6000 foot abyss below (did I mention it was 6000 feet!), my inner monologue went something like this: “Awww, Mark’s gonna geeettt iiinnn troouuuble for going too close to the edge. Hee hee! Ooh, I just laughed under water. That’s funny. Hee hee! Glub Glub! Ooh, look, bubbles. That’s really funny. It’s so nice on this little beach. I really like it here and…”

My mega deep thoughts were swiftly interrupted by Amanda who motioned that it’s time to begin our ascent. “Goodbye strange space world. I’ll miss you,” managed to eek out of my brain just before we hit 135 feet and I returned to normal. Well, relatively speaking anyway!

After such a seriously mind-blowing experience, the only thing to do was throw high fives all around, grab a seat at the outdoor bar and brag about going 185 feet to anyone and everyone within earshot. As we re-played the events of the day, Amanda mentioned an article that Esquire.com ran earlier this year entitled, “60 Things Worth Shortening Your Life For” and guess what was ranked #30? Narco Diving in Andros Island!

And I have to say, I thoroughly agree!

For more information about scuba diving in Andros Island, visit Small Hope
*****
Dying to view my entire Andros blog series to date?...Of course you are! Click here to re-visit Part 1-4!

Live from the Wienermobile: Our Favorite Spot for Spa-ing

2009-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

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

*****

Molly and Selena: We love blogging about cheap finds on the road (remember that dinner-movie combo in Pensacola?), which is why we have to give a serious shout out to Hot Springs, AR.

The former gangster hangout earned fame for its mineral spring water, which bubbles from the Ouchita Mountains at 147 degrees. Naturally, a spa community built up around the waters. Although many of the elegant old bathhouses on the main drag have shut down, a few still offer traditional bathing packages.

We chose Buckstaff Baths, a local favorite and the oldest continually operating house in town. Its traditional package includes four hot water treatments and a 20-minute massage for a grand total of…$50, a.k.a. the cost of a pedicure in most major city day spas.

Of course, we indulged. And we’ve got to say, it was one of those days that made us think, “Wow, we have one of the best jobs in the world.”

Our favorite things: Maghound

2009-02-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

by Cassie Kreitner
courtesy of: Syracuse Ed2010

Tired of burning your hard-earned cash on your favorite magazines? Recently, Time Inc. debuted a solution for avid magazine readers: a cheap Netflix-like service for monthly subscriptions. Maghound.com, the self-professed “magazine lover’s best friend,” is a great concept that allows you to choose the magazines you want to read each month, sent at the same time as regular subscriptions.

There are already 250 magazines on the site, including Prevention, Real Simple, Food & Wine, Body + Soul, Elle, Fitness, Marie Claire, Nylon, and New York Magazine. Prices range from a low $4.95 a month for three magazines to $9.95 a month for seven magazines, and $1 more for each additional magazine.

Whether you're an armchair traveler (add: Sherman's Travel, Travel + Leisure, and National Geographic Adventure to your cue) or a frequent flier (you'll have glossies to pack in your carry-on), this service can save you big bucks at the newsstand.

10 Most Popular Backpacker Destinations

2009-02-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

Not all travel companies are feeling the pinch of the global recession. This week, the folks at the UK-based Hostelling International (HHI) reported that their bookings are at an all-time high—about 14 percent more people booked accommodations on their site (hihostels.com) in 2008 than a year earlier. According to HHI, the 10 most popular countries for backpackers are:

1. France.
2. USA
3. England & Wales
4. Italy
5. Spain
6. Argentina
7. Norway
8. The Netherlands
9. Switzerland
10. Belgium

And the most popular hostels? Here’s where budget travelers like to lay their heads:

Top Hostels (booked on hihostels.com)
1
Paris - Le d'Artagnan (France)
With a capacity for 440 guests, this is the largest hostel in France. It offers a free cinema, four internet terminals, a bar, a cafe and a laundry.
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Paris---Le-d-Artagnan-020001.en.htm

2.
Paris Clichy (France)
Located a few steps from Mairie de Clichy metro, the hostel offers easy access to many of the major sights of Paris, such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysées, Montmartre and the Louvre museum. There is capacity for 338 guests and facilities include bar, Internet access, TV and kitchen.
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Paris-Clichy-020024.en.htm

3
HI - New York City (USA)
This hostel is located in a landmark building on the Upper West Side, one block from Broadway Avenue, near a main subway line, and only minutes from Central Park. From now till the end of the winter, Hostelling International NY will provide free breakfast to guests.
http://www.hinewyork.org/

4
HI - San Francisco Downtown (USA)
Housed in a renovated hotel, HI-San Francisco Downtown is located one block from Union Square and steps from Chinatown. The hostel offers both private rooms and dorm rooms, with a maximum of four beds per dorm. Lockers are available in each room, and many rooms come with their own private bathrooms. Free linen and towel service, as well as daily housekeeping, are included, and laundry facilities are available on site.
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-HI---San-Francisco,-Downtown-060009.en.htm

5
Paris - Jules Ferry (France)
Placed in a historic district and popular but quiet of the city of Paris, this hostel is near several tourist attractions and a few minutes walk from several metro and bus lines.
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Paris---Jules-Ferry-020131.en.htm

6
London Central YHA (UK)
YHA London Central boasts seven floors of modern budget accommodation five minutes walk from Oxford Street. Guests can take advantage free wifi in the 24 hour cafe/bar, either over a relaxing glass of wine or a more lively head-to-head on our plasma screen Nintendo Wii. The travel desk offers discounts on major attractions (Madame Tussauds, Tower of London, London Eye etc)
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-London---London-Central-YHA-018282.en.htm

7
Roma - Foro Italico - AF Pessina YH (Italy)
Situated 4km north west of the centre of Rome, the hostel is close to the Olympic Stadium and within easy reach of the Vatican, with its museums and the Sistine Chapel ceiling. There are 334 beds and facilities include internet access, TV, meals and bike hire.
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Roma---Foro-Italico---AF-Pessina-YH-031003.en.htm

8
Barcelona - Rambles Center (Spain)
Located in the city centre, 100 meters from Las Ramblas, 5 minutes from Plaza Catalunya, and 10 minutes from the beach. Inaugurated in 2002, the hostel has 200 beds in share dorms and offers free internet access, breakfast, sheets, and cable TV. http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Barcelona----Rambles-Center-051044.en.htm

9
Nice Camélias (France)
Close to the train station, the beaches and the nightlife of the Old Nice, this bright, sunny hostel includes breakfast.
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Nice-Cam%C3%A9lias-020173.en.htm

10
Venice – Venezia (Italy)
Located in an ancient, refurbished grain store on Guidecca Island in the heart of Venice, this hostel is near Palladian churches, the Doge's Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. It has 260 beds and facilities include meals, TV room, common rooms, tourist information, luggage store for members and lockers.
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Venice---Venezia-031001.en.htm

Music The Lost Girls Love

2009-01-30T09:05:00.000-08:00

HCC: The best part about going to hear live music is that it takes your mind off your daily life and you can just get lost in the crowd and dance. When I first saw the Zac Brown Band in NYC this summer, I literally could not stop myself from moving in time to their southern rock/country/bluegrass beats. And their songs are relatable because they all tell a story: From "Chicken Fried," a song about growing up in Georgia and enjoying the simple things, to "Toes," about taking your vacation frame of mind back home with you from the beach.

The Zac Brown Band is playing at the Bowery Ballroom on Delancey Street next Tuesday, February 3rd. With tickets costing just $17, it's a small price to pay for a night of live entertainment. You can check out their video, below, for a sneak peak.

Zac Brown Band More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

Lost Girls Field Trip: Andros Island-Part 3

2009-01-28T16:27:00.000-08:00

City Escapes: The Jade Journey at Juvenex Spa

2009-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

ADP: When The Lost Girls began our backpacking adventure in South America, we knew we had to trade in certain luxuries (i.e., private rooms, hot showers, meals served without chicken feet) in order to adhere strictly to our $30 per day budget. Some days—particularly the sub-arctic ones in the Andes—it was pretty tough to put our long-term financial goals ahead of immediate desire for comfort and warmth, but we persevered like hearty travelers should.

That spendthrift martyrdom lasted a few months, but flew out the window almost the moment we arrived in Southeast Asia. In places like Bangkok, Thailand and Luang Prubang, Laos, for example, it was possible to get a private, heated room in a safe hostel for less then $6, a taxi across town for $2 and a delicious meal for under a buck. Because we came in well under budget each day, the three of us opted to spend the cash that remained every night on something truly useful: acupressure and reflexology massages at one of the many excellent spas located within our vicinity. Sure, it would have been more prudent to tuck the extra funds away for some freezing cold day ahead, but where else in the world could we get a 90 minute full-body rubdown (plus jasmine tea!) for less then the cost of a latte back home?

Since completing our trip and returning to NYC, we’ve come to yearn for the days when we could find such deeply restorative, well-priced spa treatments within an easy walk or taxi ride. Just as we were commenting that we’d have to return Asia to get pampered without breaking the bank, a friend recommended that we check out Juvenex, (http://www.juvenexspa.com/) a spa located in Manhattan’s Little Korea. The facility is renowned in spa-junkie circles for staying open 24/7 (you can get a couple massage at 3:00a.m), for the celebs that frequent it (P. Diddy, Sofia Coppola, Tiki Barber, and the Queer Eye guys have all been there) and for its Jade Igloo—a sauna made from 20 tons of the semi-precious green stone. Best of all: the spa offers treatments imported from around the globe, including the same kind of acupressure bodywork treatments we’d come to love—and miss—from our time abroad.

We’d scheduled our massages for January 3rd—surely we’d need to detox after all of the champagne that would enter our systems on New Year’s Eve—did a two-hour Bikram yoga class just prior to ensure that the toxins would begin their expedient journey back out again. Needless to say, by time we arrived, we were more than ready to begin the Jade Journey—which meant crossing a wooden foot bridge into main part of the spa, plunging into three Japanese style soaking tubs infused with sake, ginseng, seaweed and tea tree, sweating it out inside the diamond-shaped herbal steam room and taking a trip inside the baked clay sauna.

After completing the 45-minute experience, we were lead inside private treatment rooms where each of us received a 60-minute energy balancing massage. The therapists used a blend of therapies from around the world—acupressure, shiatsu and deep sports massage—to stimulate the meridian systems of the body and release blocked chi.

I’m not entirely sure where my chi is located (and if it was successfully set free) but by time we all reconvened at the tropical fruit and tea bar, our muscles had completely melted, and we were as happy and relaxed as we’d been back all those months ago in Bangkok. Taking the Jade Journey in Little Korea might not be quite as exotic as a trip to Southeast Asia for a nightly rubdown—but you’ll use a hell of a lot less frequent flier miles in the process.

Live from the Wienermobile: Who are these Hot Doggers anyway??

2009-01-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

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

*****

Molly and Selena: How rude! We've been blogging about hot dogs and cross-country adventures for nearly six months, but we still haven't properly introduced ourselves. Guess we're too busy eating chocolate-covered pickles and petting Burmese Pythons.

Molly Fergus hit the road as a hotdogger in June 2008, a few months after graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in magazine journalism. A semester in Barcelona fueled the Chicago native's wanderlust – and she's still looking for more. When her tour wraps up in June, she'll be searching for ways to keep traveling and writing; let her know if you have any leads!

With an appetite for adventure, Selena Armendarez, hit the road in June 2008, only one month after graduating with a degree in communication and public relations from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. In disbelief that driving the Wienermobile was an actual job, the South Texas native discovered it to be a job she could truly relish. One year behind the wheel of a 27-foot-long hot dog isn't your typical first gig after college, but it has proven to be one of the best experiences she could have imagined.

Lost Girl of the Week: Lauren Stitle

2009-01-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

Jen: One of the things I love most about being a Lost Girl is receiving emails from other fearless ladies who have dared to get 'lost' themselves and are eager to share their stories. And what's even more extraordinary is when one LG tale motivates another, as was the case with Lost Girl of the Week, Lauren Stitle:

"Hi I just wanted to let you know you girls and your blog were an inspiration to me to follow my dreams and travel. After I saw Courtney Scott as one of your "lost girls of the week" I got in touch with her and found out about an amazing organization in Italy. I then quit my job and moved to Italy to teach and also have become great friends with Courtney. She convinced me to blog about my journey too!"

After receiving the above note from Lauren and checking out her site, lstitle.blogspot.com, there was only one more thing left to do...make her the next Lost Girl of the Week. May her beautiful Italian adventures continue the circle of inspiration!

*****

Getting Lost by Lauren Stitle:
As long as I can remember I have been very passionate about one thing in life...traveling. I think my love of travel began when I was 13 and my parents took our family on a two-week backpacking trip to Europe. Right then and there the travel bug bit me. This began my love affair with the many different and beautiful sights, sounds, experiences, cultures and people our world has to offer. This love affair of mine continued all through high school and college where I was fortunate enough to travel abroad for the many milestones that school brings your way. Along the way I had love affairs with Paris France, Sydney Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Spain and Italy just to name a few.

There is something about the atmosphere and energy of traveling that feeds me. It is when I feel most at home. Whether is it strolling through a city soaking up the new, unfamiliar and interesting sights, sitting outside of a great little coffee shop, grabbing a glass of wine with new found friends or simply sitting on a bench with a magazine and coffee in hand whilst watching the world walk by and admiring and picking up on the unique and interesting qualities that make these people who they are...these are my favorite moments and when I am at my happiest. These are the times when I think…my life is full.

When I graduated from Uni I did all the things I was supposed to do like score the perfect job, move to a big city, make a good living and start my life as an "adult" and to be honest at the time I thought this road I was heading down would be fulfilling. But I quickly began to feel that my world was mundane and mainstream, something in my life was missing mainly my happiness. I found myself working in a job I was miserable in, living in a city that did not feel like home and trying to be content by buying more and more useless tangible items. To put it simply I was lost....

For years I talked with my family and friends about my desire to see the world, live abroad and travel…some would call it wanderlust but for one reason or another I was hesitant to take that next step. But last spring the stars began to align...

And so after working in pharmaceutical sales for 3 years and hitting a bit of a quarter life crisis I decided to quit my job, leave Chicago and move to Italy to teach English. I have always felt there is more out there for me than the typical progression through life...school, more school, job, marriage, family. As mentioned above my life's passion has always been to travel and learn about new cultures and the ways of the world. I believe this is the best education one can get. So I have decided to follow my gut, make a drastic change and see where life takes me. I know this next phase in my life will be full of beautiful adventures and life-changing experiences that I welcome with open arms and could not be more excited and ready for.

Follow Lauren Stitle as she blogs about "La Mia Bellissima Avventura" on her site, lstitle.blogspot.com

Walk This Way

2009-01-15T21:15:00.000-08:00

HCC: Being in a new place can be disorienting: Where can you grab coffee? Take a yoga class? Find a good book? To learn what’s around, check out walkscore.com. Simply type in your address to get a list of grocery stores, coffee shops, libraries, parks, restaurants, bars, gyms and more within 2 miles of where you are. Then dress for the elements and head outdoors—you’ll fit in some exercise, and do the planet good by not burning gasoline. WalkScore.com also ranks the "walkability" of over 2,500 neighborhoods in the largest U.S. cities.

And though you may have a specific destination in mind, walking can help you uncover stuff you might not have otherwise found. In my own wanderings, I’ve unexpectedly stumbled upon community gardens, sidewalk art drawn in chalk, and—I kid you not—an old highschool friend. That’s why my favorite way to explore a city will always be on foot.

Photo credit: mazatlan.com.mx

Live from the Wienermobile: Dinner and a Movie

2009-01-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

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

*****

Molly and Selena: Like most long-term travelers, we’re always on the lookout for a bargain – which is why we practically passed out from joy when we discovered the Silver Screen Theater-Café in Pensacola, FL.

The independently owned four-screen theater shows first-run films daily, serves up both movie theater fare and heartier fast food entries, and offers café-style viewing with tables and big cushy chairs.

We caught Valkyrie while munching on popcorn shrimp and cheeseburgers. Admittedly, the food is nothing to blog about, but the grand total for our evening certainly is: $10. $10! That barely covers the cost of an evening movie ticket in most major cities.

When we asked why – and how? – the theater keeps its costs so economical, the cashier simply said it’s because the café is independently owned. Just one more reason we love seeking out the local joints.

The Lost Girls Need Your Love (One Last Time!)

2009-01-12T08:52:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of our readers and friends who've voted for us as "Best Travel Blog" in the 2008 Weblog Awards! At one point, we were in serious contention to win, but thanks to the great efforts of fellow competitors vying for the spot, we've dropped back to 5th! If you could, please take a second to click here or the button above to cast your vote. Your chance to vote ends tomorrow, so be sure to cast your ballot now.

We'd also be hugely grateful if you could pass along the word to your friends and fellow travelers out there!

Lost Girl Field Trip: Andros Island-Part 2

2009-01-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

Jen: While I wouldn't trade my position as 1/3 of The Lost Girls writing team for anything in...well...the world, I recently spread my journalist wings and accepted my first solo assignment: a 9-part web series on Andros Island for the pop culture travel site, Jaunted.com. But even though I temporarily flew away from the nest, I felt compelled to bring my stories home to you, my favorite TLG readers. So enjoy my second post and stay tuned each week for a new entry!

*****

"Journey into the Great Blue Hole": When I got my open water scuba certification a few years ago in Belize, I had neither the time nor the experience to tackle their famous Blue Hole. My fears aside, I was seriously bummed to miss out on such an extraordinary underwater adventure that I may never have the chance to experience again. If only I had known then, what I know now: The highest concentration of blue holes in the entire world is actually in the Bahamas.

Now, I know what some of you off-the beaten track travelers such as myself may be thinking. Aren’t the Bahamas for those cruise ship junkies who’ve just ‘gotta’ own one of those zany souvenir coconut monkeys? Or for blue haired grandmas with a penchant for the Atlantis slot machines? Well, perhaps. But not on Andros Island, home to the largest land and sea park in the Bahamas and a veritable playground for scuba divers!

Boasting one of the most extensive lists of Blue Hole expeditions available to sport divers, my home away from home, The Small Hope Bay Lodge, was my ticket to redemption. As if kicking in the fin-steps of the legendary Jacques Cousteau wasn’t cool enough (his Calypso crew filmed in Andros in 1970), I was going to explore the second deepest ocean blue hole in the Bahamas, "cleverly" called the Great Blue Hole. Oh wait, it’s also known as King Kong’s Cavern. Now that’s more like it!

Before I actually saw one with my own (masked) eyes, the only visual reference I had to what blue holes would look like came from sweeping aerial shots in glossy travel magazines, which painted them as mysterious cobalt eyes staring up from a pale turquoise sea. While these satellite images gave me the impression that I would be lost in pitch black, barely able to see the swimmer in front of me, my in-the-water experience was much different.

Before departure, our dive masters reviewed the game plan, explaining our exact route through the Great Blue Hole and what to expect during the journey. As soon as the boat was safely anchored and we were all in the water, our group headed down to 40 feet to the entrance of the blue hole. From there, we drifted down an ancient waterfall chute and made our way long the rim. An intricate maze of underwater caves, blue holes offer limitless secret nooks and crannies to explore. Luckily our first swim-through, aptly named the skylight room, was bright and spacious enough to accommodate even the most hard core claustrophobic.

As we glided through the passageway, our guides motioned for us to look up through the openings in the rocks where sunbeams had wiggled their way through from the now faraway surface. To up the ‘ooh and ahh’ factor--which sounded more like blub, blub under water--the dive masters pulled out their regulators and sent a stream of tiny bubbles shooting up the cavern wall towards the light. We continued on to what is called the big room where you can look straight across the center of the blue hole from one side and stare down into its vast chasm.

I was so swept up by the breathtaking views and complex limestone formations that without even realizing it, we’d returned to the waterfall and were told via scuba hand gestures that we had a little free time to look around before our ascent. As my dive buddy Mark and I edged our way towards the rim of the blue hole, I tried to do what Small Hope had suggested and imagine what my surroundings would have looked like during the last ice age when the blue hole was on dry land. Had I been able to transport myself that far back in time, I’m sure it would have been a phenomenal sight. But considering how extraordinary it was now, I was more than thrilled to have an ocean around me to float in for just awhile longer.

For more information about scuba diving in Andros Island, visit Small Hope

The 2008 Weblog Awards: Vote for The Lost Girls!

2009-01-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

Over the past couple of months, the three Lost Girls have been in different parts of the country—Jen in St. Augustine, Florida, Holly in Syracuse, New York and Amanda in NYC and North Carolina—finishing the first 1/2 of our book. We recently accomplished that mission (woo-hoo! halfway there!) and returned to Manhattan for a New Year's Eve reunion and blowout party on the Lower East Side.

While the countdown to 2009 was pretty exciting, it couldn't compare to the charge we got from becoming a 2008 Weblog Awards Finalist. Thanks to the reader(s) who nominated us--an awesome holiday gift indeed! In order to win "Best Travel Blog" we need your support. Just click here or the button above to cast your vote; it only takes a few seconds and we'd really appreciate it! If you have a bit of time (or just can't bear to get back to your real work after the long holiday) vote for the blogs in the other categories.

Again, thanks to all of our readers, guest bloggers and fellow Lost Girls. Happy New Year!

Live from the Wienermobile: The Two Gracelands

2009-01-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

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

**********

After wandering through the King’s admittedly tacky but charmingly extravagant Memphis mansion, we couldn’t help but remember another Graceland we visited in August: Little Graceland in Los Fresnos, TX. (littlegraceland.com)

Just off the highway en route to South Padre Island, this roadside replica of Elvis’ home is possibly the quirkiest attraction in Texas – and maybe even all of America. Simon Vega built the museum in 1993 to commemorate his friendship with the rock ‘n’ roll idol himself; the two lived in the same barracks during Elvis’ military stint in Germany.

The museum is stocked with memorabilia – records, newspaper clippings, books – but the owner is the top attraction. He so admired Elvis that he wrote and recorded a song after his death (ask for a listen), and now he keeps the King’s memory alive by hosting an Elvis impersonator’s festival each August.

We didn’t make it to the Elvis fest, but our trip to the mini mansion convinced us – once again – that smaller spontaneous stops often make better memories than the hyped-up originals.

So of course we want to know, whether it’s a rib joint or a big ball of twine, what are your favorite roadside stops?

Lost Girl Field Trip: Andros Island-Part1

2008-12-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

Jen: While I wouldn't trade my position as 1/3 of The Lost Girls writing team for anything in...well...the world, I recently spread my journalist wings and accepted my first solo assignment: a 9-part web series on Andros Island for the pop culture travel site, Jaunted.com. But even though I temporarily flew away from the nest, I felt compelled to bring my stories home to you, my favorite TLG readers. So enjoy my inaugural post and stay tuned each week for a new entry!

*****

"Big Love for Small Hope"
Every time I see one of those Corona commercials with the bare feet and beer bottles chillin’ out on a stretch of palm-fringed, powdery white sand, I always think “If I could be anywhere in the whole world right now, it’d be there.” Sitting by the ocean…a frosty cocktail in hand…completely sans shoes…Ahh! As luck would have it, I discovered just such a place during an impromptu vacation to Andros Island.

Desperate to escape the chill and gloom that had settled over Manhattan, I accepted a spontaneous invite from my friend Mark for a week of beach bumming, bungalow-side boozing and world-class scuba diving in the Bahamas. In less than a New York minute, I’d stuffed my passport, PADI card and a few bikinis in a bag and was ready to head south in pursuit of the much hotter sun. Although it’s the largest island in the Bahamas, Andros is far less inhabited and touristy than it’s Nassau neighbor, yet conveniently close in proximity (only 15 minutes by plane), making it an ideal destination for a quick trip from the States.

The day was just beginning its slow transformation to twilight, when Mark and I arrived at the Small Hope Bay Lodge, an über laid-back, all-inclusive resort we’d reserved for the week. We were greeted by office manager extraordinaire, Anastasia, who quickly got down to the most important order of business – ensuring we were happy and relaxed with an ice-cold Kalik, a popular Bahamian brew. OK, how could I work it so that I never had to leave this island?

Fortunately for us, Small Hope is a self-contained sliver of paradise, so everything from the guest cottages and main house to the ocean front hot tub and outdoor patio bar are just a few (shoes optional) paces down the beach. Since Mark and I were on the scuba diving package, which includes two tank dives in the morning and a third in the afternoon, our schedule was a bit more ‘rigorous’ but still allowed for ample hammock time. All-in-all, our days went something like this:
8:30am: Leisurely breakfast and chat with the dive masters about the morning scuba trip
9:30am-11:30am: Walk a grueling 100 feet from our cabin to the dive shop to grab our gear and board the lodge-owned dive boat. Experience two out of more than 60 spectacular recreational dives on Small Hope’s regularly scheduled menu, including colorful shallow reefs, coral gardens, wreck dives, blue holes and wall dives. Strip off our wet suits and basked in the sun during the return ride.
12pm-1:30pm: Beach-side lunch followed by a dip in the hot tub
2pm-3:30pm: Another amazing exploration of the Andros Barrier Reef
4pm-6pm: Relax in a hammock and watched the Caribbean waves roll in. Force myself to find another, shadier, hammock setting if the hot Bahamian sun started burning my pasty white Yankee complexion. If feeling extra motivated, indulge in other activities like nature walks or a bike ride to an inland blue hole for a fresh water swim
6:30pm ‘til whenever: : Take up residence at the beach bar for happy hour with my new Small Hope friends. Dine on a delightfully fresh dinner with many sinful desserts (scuba diving burns tons of calories so it’s my duty to make up for it somewhere). Join the impromptu group jam sessions with lodge-owned guitars, bass, make-shift tambourines and harmonica (Note to future guests: I was shocked to discover that I, in fact, have an uncanny harmonic gift/talent for the harmonic arts - particularly with Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry - so you’ll have a lot to live up to). Retire early for a peaceful night’s rest in one of only twenty-one, beach-facing rooms. Wake up and repeat it all again the next day.

It’s a tough life, I know. But someone has to do it!

And with no telephones, clocks or televisions to be found, it’s easy to slip off the technology radar completely, which provided a must-needed break for this overly plugged-in New Yorker. But rest assured all you Type A and ‘Crackberry addicts, there is free wi-fi in the lobby and a computer in the main office if you start to experience withdrawal shakes. Although in my opinion, that’s nothing a stiff dose of island rum can’t cure.

But whatever your getaway fantasy, it’s easy to find it here. And since Small Hope Bay Lodge is featured in "1000 Places To See Before You Die" (by Patricia Schultz listed under The Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda), that only leaves you 999 other travel journeys to plan. And with any luck, they’ll also come with a flip flop free guarantee!

For more information on Small Hope Bay Lodge, including activities, all-inclusive packages and rates, visit Small Hope

Heading North for the Winter

2008-12-26T20:10:00.000-08:00

HCC: The due date for the book is coming up fast, and so I decided to leave fast-paced New York City in November to move back home to Syracuse for the winter. It’s quieter here so I have more time to think.

Still, I have to discipline myself with a set schedule every day to keep from getting side tracked. So I set my alarm for 8 a.m., and then shower and dress as though I’m going into the office. I’ll make eggs and coffee before sitting down to write for four hours without stopping. I don’t allow myself to check email until after lunch, or else I’ll surely get sucked into the world wide web. An hour break for lunch gives me enough time to eat and walk my sister’s dog, before continuing to write until early evening. My biggest social interaction involves taking a spinning class at the gym. It’s been working pretty well for me so far, and I’ve discovered that writing is just as much of a craft as it is an art.

Rather than filling my nights with happy hours, public relations events, or any of the other million things that are always happening in the city, you kind of have to make your own fun here—time seems slower somehow. Last Friday night I went to my sister Sara’s house to bake Christmas cookies and have a beer. We randomly went sledding at midnight, stomachs full of sugar, flour, and chocolate chips. Sara's husband kind of looked at us like we were crazy—which we probably are—when we walked out the door with our plastic sleds. I told him Sara and I didn't have kids yet, so sometimes it's okay to still act like one!

Packing Made Simple

2008-12-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

The holidays can be pretty hectic, so it's easy to forget to put an important item in your suitcase before hitting the road (one LG actually misplaced a typhoid vaccine enroute to South America, and has since learned to be a lot more organized). We came across this cool customized packing list of over 100 common items ranging from documents to toiletries to gear. It even lets you add your own essentials. Once you've checked the items you need, you can create your own unique list to mail to yourself and your friends, or to save to your desktop for future trips. Happy travels!

Photo credit: fredlet.wordpress.com/.../

Live from the Wienermobile: Chasing Shadows

2008-12-16T12:21:00.000-08:00

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

We’ve already posted on how we pass the time during long drives, but sometimes the serious silliness of our job distracts us for a while. Like when we’re looking at our shadow.

Live from the Wienermobile: How to be a Hot Dogger, too.

2008-12-01T07:14:00.000-08:00

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: The Wienermobile is our only car. That means we drive it to the store for groceries, the bank for cash, the mall for clothes. That also means everywhere we go, people ask us how we got our job.

We don’t blame them for their curiosity. In so many ways, we have a dream job. Oscar Mayer pays us (a real, grown-up salary) to drive across the country; we spend our weekdays making people smile and our weekends exploring different states.

Did we mention we don’t pay any bills? For one year, our lives are overwhelmingly great.

So, how did we land this plush gig? Kind of how you’d land any other job fresh out of college – with a strong resume, polished interview skills, and a genuine interest in the position.

Each year, Oscar Mayer hires a crew of college graduates to pilot its Wienermobile fleet. This year, seven Wienermobile vehicles traverse the country – six full-size vehicles and one scaled-down version of the icon built on a Mini Cooper. Our managers assign each Wienermobile to a region; two hotdoggers man each vehicle and are responsible for planning events, working with local media and acting as goodwill ambassadors for the company.

Most hotdoggers studied some form of communication – advertising, journalism, marketing, public relations, etc. – but all majors can apply, and Oscar Mayer specifically looks for enthusiastic, personable and trustworthy applicants (after all, they hand us the keys to the Wienermobile!).

Interested in trying out? The yearlong job is highly sought after – Oscar Mayer received at least 1,200 applications for14 spots last year – but we’ll give you our four-step path to hotdogger fame:

1. Apply now: Get your resume and application materials turned in by the end of January for the Hotdogger Class 22, which hits the roads in June 2009.
2. Study up: First built in 1936, the Wienermobile has some serious history. Click on over to Oscar Mayer’s Web site, and peruse the What’s a Wienermobile section
3. Be punny: Hotdoggers aren’t required to use hot dog puns, but we sure do think they’re franktastic. Pluck a few out of the Hotdogger Oath (http://brands.kraftfoods.com/oscarmayer/omm_hotdogoath.htm), and pepper your application materials with your favorite jokes.
4. Think positively: Check out hotdoggerblog.com — our newly launched blog chronicling the adventures of all seven teams — and envision yourself behind the wheel of a giant hot dog.

Live from the Wienermobile: Getting Lush for T-Giving

2008-11-27T17:46:00.000-08:00

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

Molly and Selena: We’re a little bit spoiled when it comes to traveling. Driving across the country in a Wienermobile means we (almost) never have to haggle with TSA agents, fork over cash for our baggage or dash to catch connecting flights. Plus, the whole back of the Wienermobile (check out the picture) is storage for office supplies and luggage, so we don’t stress about carryon-sized anything.

Now we’re heading home for some turkey. When it seems like the entire nation is cutting back on holiday travel, we know we’re lucky to make it home for Thanksgiving at all – but that doesn’t make the fit-it-into-a-carry-on dilemma any easier, particularly when it comes to liquids.

Which is why we’re intrigued by Lush’s solid shampoos. (http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/hair/solid-shampoos) Packaged like bars of soap, they’re supposed to lather up like any other shampoo and could theoretically double as bodywash. As a bonus, they come in delicious-sounding scents like Godiva and Jumping Juniper.

We haven’t yet gotten our hands on the shampoos or the solid Jungle Conditioner (http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/hair/conditioners/jungle), which the British-based company lists as a best seller. If the bars work as well as Lush’s other products, though, we’ll be ditching our Ziplock baggies come Christmas.

Have you used these shampoos? Or better yet, do you have any genius tips for keeping carryon bags TSA-friendly?

North Carolina: The Writing Retreat

2008-11-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

ADP: On Saturday, I flew down to Tampa and drove 9 hours north with my family to Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Dad and his wife Nadine bought a house there a couple years ago (before the market started crashing) and they constantly drive up to take advantage of the solitude and spectacular views.

This year, there were several reasons that I felt strongly compelled to join them, and here they are, in no particular order:

1. Turkey Day: Rather than the massive extended family gathering that we typically have at my Aunt's and Uncle's place in Courtlandt Manor (an hour north o f NYC) Dad, Nadine and my sister Jenn decided that we'd rather retreat to the mountains and do our own subdued affair.

That by no means translates to less food consumed. Dad Pressner fancies himself quite the gourmet chef, and has been planning our feast for days and possibly weeks on end. All I have to do is show up, gorge, and promise to wash a few dishes. You know, after my nap.

2. Impending deadlines: Um, so we're a little behind on the deadline for our book. It's not due yet (Jan 30th, to be exact) but we're not exactly putting the finishing touches on our first draft either. Eep!

Earlier this year, through a trial and error, we realized that you can't expect to write a full-length memoir at night after putting in 10+ hours a day at work. That's why, in August, The Lost Girls once again made some pretty big lifestyle changes: Jen quit her job, Holly stopped accepting freelance assignments, and I negociated a part-time gig at my magazine. Since then, our fingers have been flying on our respective keyboards, but we all needed to get away this month to really concentrate (we're all bad at turning down social activities and other must-do events at home). Jen's in St. Augustine with her folks, Holly's in Syracuse with her mom and sisters, and I'm in Maggie Valley.

Since arriving at the NC house, I've been able to fully throw myself into the chapters, and write in a much more comfy/cozy environment than my cramped apartment. I leave the house once a day to walk down the hill, get exercise, and maybe go on a grocery shopping run. In early December, we're turning in the first half of the book to our editor (told you were were behind!) so fingers crossed.

3. My Jack O'Lantern Smile: Okay, this might gross a few of you out, which is why I seperated this from the turkey day post. Last Friday, I had to get some dental surgery with resulted in my front right tooth getting taken out. Ahhhh! They're replacing it, of course, but for 6 months, I have to wear a "temporary." Its not the most awesome thing that can happen to a girl, but I'm so grateful to have a week and half or so where I can rest, heal and not see anyone besides my family. They're having a blast making hillbilly jokes, but I actually think that I look a bit more like Alfred E. Newman (the guy on the Mad Magazine covers).

At the very least, my new look helps give me this healthy new perspective on all of those upcoming deadlines....

What, me worry?

Stay in New York on the Cheap

2008-11-24T13:11:00.000-08:00

HCC: For those of us on a backpackers’ budget but who want to stay within walking distance of New York’s trendiest neighborhoods, The Jane Hotel opened its doors this fall. The restored waterfront building has rooms for just $99 a night and is next to the legendary Meatpacking District, West Village, and Chelsea.

Granted, these rooms—modeled after luxury train or ship cabins—are only 50 square feet and have communal bathrooms down the hall. Still, what they lack in space they make up for in character (the building was once a sailors’ stomping ground, after all). Plus, each room comes equipped with free Internet, air conditioning, and flat-screen televisions.

There’s another upside to the meager room size: Guests are more likely to get out and mingle in the lobby. More upscale than the hostel scene, the space was once a ballroom before being converted into the Jane Street Theater. The owners, who also created the chic Bowery and Maritime Hotels, are replacing the lobby’s wall of windows with a French-door lined terrace, as well as adding a sauna to the tiled pool in the basement. And for those who crave a little more sleeping space, you can opt for one of the 50 rooms at 250 square feet with private bathrooms—for about double the price tag.

Live from the Wienermobile: Escape to Oz

2008-11-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

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

by Selena Armendarez and Molly Ferges

We’ll be frank: We’ve been giddy about our trip to Wamego, KS since it was scheduled (around the time of our first hurricane, back in July).

With a quaint Main Street and picturesque windmill, the small town would be a pleasant stop for an afternoon of fudge samples and antique shopping…if you hadn’t been a Wizard of Oz fan since birth, like us.

But Oz fans we are, and Wamego is Mecca.

Each year, the town of about 4,000 brings in more than 30,000 visitors – all thanks to the State of Kansas-funded Oz Museum, which enjoys plum Main Street real estate. Now, the town is flush with Wizard-themed businesses, including Totoz Tacoz, a Mexican restaurant and the Emerald City Market, a gourmet food shop.

Sheepishly, we loved it all. The town was touristy, the theme restaurants cheesy and the gift shop stocked with frivolous souvenirs, but Dorothy and her pals hold a special place in our hearts.

As kids, we both obsessed over this film. We rewound so often that the Wicked Witch lost her fear factor, Halloween costumes rotated among characters, and red shoes were de rigueur.

The museum didn’t disappoint. A sepia farmhouse opens up into a Technicolor display of L. Frank Baum memorabilia, a Haunted Forest replica and life-size movie figurines. We reveled in the nostalgia, but at some point we realized the movie isn’t too different from our own cross-country adventure: We spend plenty of time outrunning extreme weather, shopping for shoes, and journeying to new lands.

Love, Marriage, and Wine

2008-11-18T19:25:00.000-08:00

HCC: My sister, Sara, got married last month. Rather than celebrate her dwindling days as a single woman by hiring a cheesy stripper to perform (why pay for something when a woman can get it for free? Ha!), or going on a beer-fueled pub crawl, we opted to do a wine tour through upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region.Dozens of wineries dot the shores along Seneca, Cayuga, and Keuka Lakes. Plus, the climate is perfect for growing grapes that churn out crisp Reisling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

We loaded ten women into a limo that picked us up at my sister’s house in Syracuse for the tour through Seneca Lake. A cooler packed with beers, cheese, crackers, and other snacks provided sustenance for the 50-minute ride to the trail. Sara may have been spared the lap dances, but her caring friends still forced her to wear a tiara that said “Bachelorette” and to sip wine out of a phallic sippy cup.

With over 36 wineries to choose from, we decided to not be overly-ambitious (for Sara’s livers’ sake) and chose to visit just four. We kicked off the tour at Hazlitt’s, started in 1852 and best-known for their Red Cat brand, and plopped down at a picnic table to split a bottle of Bramble Berry wine (I’d recommend only if you like sweet dessert wines).

Next we headed to spot perfect for Jerry Garcia fans: Rasta Ranch Vineyards. Here we sampled the Greatful Red (dry, berry finish); Piece of my Heart (described as “a jug Janice would be proud to drink”); and Purple Haze (a light, fruity red). You can pretty much guess the ambience: Joplin music in the background, tie-dye tees for sale, and burning incense.

Next was Wagner's, which all you beer lovers will be happy to know is both a winery and brewery. Being Columbus Day weekend, the lines were out the door—I’d definitely recommend making reservations for this popular vineyard. There’s a restaurant onsite, and you can take your wine selection to the patio for panoramic views of the vineyards and lake.

Our final destination was Three Brothers Wineries & Estates, which only recently opened. With three wineries to choose from, we of course picked the one touted as being “for those who have a lot more fun in a dive bar.” So we followed a dirt trail to the edge of a pond for the “backwoods bayou tasting room” known as Rogue’s Hollow Winery. Upon arrival, Sara was thrilled to discover that her tiara-wearing self wasn’t the only form of live entertainment: Our group ended up getting the dance party started outdoors while listening to the two-man band (well, a man and his talented 10-year old son who was playing the harmonica, trumpet, and a handful of other instruments).

While autumn is the perfect time to visit because of the leaves turning blazing shades of red, yellow, and orange, winter is a fine time to come as well. You’ll miss the crowds and have a better opportunity to learn about the winemaking process, since the owners won’t be as crazed. Plus, you can sample vino on the cheap with the , which allows you to pay $10 for unlimited visits to dozens of wineries from December 8th to April 13th (tasting fees at each are usually $1 to $4). To really enjoy yourself and not have to worry about driving or planning, try signing up for a Finger Lakes Wine Tour.

Cool stuff: Damn Good Candy Canes!

2008-11-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

ADP: Christmas came a little early to my cubicle this year. One of the candy companies that I work with in my job as a food and nutrition editor (I know, tough life) sent me a box of these pink and white striped canes. Normally, I can take or leave anything minty (except those powdery squares typically offered in a big glass jars at Chinese restaurants) so I distributed half the box amongst my co-workers.

So uproarious wast the reaction to this little edible gift that I had to unwrap a cane and try it for myself.

Holy sweet Santa! The mint factor was incredibly mild, almost creamy, and when I actually took the time to look at the package, I discovered that this candy is made with just four organic ingredients (cane juice, brown rice syrup, peppermint flavor and fruit juice).

Since they're only 62 calories each, I'm eating my second one as I type this. I may have a third later. Gotta say--this made a far superior snack to the sugar-free Peep pumpkins I had yesterday.

Live from the Wienermobile: Boycotting the Chains

2008-11-17T14:50:00.000-08:00

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: CBS News reported last week on a trend that we’re noticing all too often as we criss-cross the country: struggling local business.

As often as possible, we hit up local restaurants. The food is usually tastier, the service more personalized, and we’re always happy to give our money to a community business instead of a corporate chain.

But as the economy sinks ever lower, there just aren’t as many of those mom-and-pop joints.

In Springfield, Missouri last month, we pulled up to Tortilla’s, a family-owned Mexican restaurant. The owners stepped outside to snap a photo of the Wienermobile – and tell us that they had closed shop two days ago, for good.

In search of espresso and pie in a Houston suburb in September, we detoured to a local coffee shop…only to meet the owners who were shutting off the building’s water and electricity that morning.

The CBS piece focused on a shuttered Elkhart, Indiana barbecue joint and spelled out just how troubling the situation is all around—for entrepreneurs, for their employees, for local culture. Least of all, it’s disappointing for travelers like us who want a bite of something authentic.

The silver lining? We’re more determined to skip the chains. Fellow Lost Girls, are you with us?

Is Venice Really Sinking?

2008-11-14T07:21:00.000-08:00

ADP: Earlier this month, my boyfriend Jeff and I were invited to join a group of journalists on a five day whirlwind tour of three Italian cities—Venice, Florence and Rome. I've been trying to stay close to home lately (writing the book has been a study in discipline for me, as there's always something more distracting and immediate to attend to) but neither of us could pass up the chance to explore some of the world's most culturally relevant sites. Plus, my friend Courtney told me that in Italy, they have a rule that you must eat gelato eat least once a day to stay fit and healthy. So, we both signed up for our absentee ballots, packed our bags and booked the tickets to the first city—Venice.

I'd been to the City of Bridges nine years ago with fellow LG Jen Baggett right after we graduated from Florida State, and predictably, we absolutely fell in love with the place. One of our favorite spots (and arguably, the most recognizable) was Piazza San Marco, or San Marco Square. The summer we were there, gathering places was absolutely packed with tourists, photographers and pigeons, the latter of which flew around artistically for photos before dropping back down to collect breadcrumbs.

Jen and I paid some ridiculous amount of lire (this was in the pre-Euro days) to sip cappuccinos along its perimeter and sample finger food from tiny bowls. Up until that summer, I'd sort of hated olives...squishy little black things that came from jars and ruined an otherwise perfectly good slice of pizza. That day, I tried a fresh, ripe, deliciously perfect green olive no doubt picked somewhere nearby and delivered, still warm, to our table. One bite, and I became a devotee.

During our stay in summer of 2000, the was warm, the skies azure and cloudless, and it was nearly impossible to imagine that that the rumors were true. Venice couldn't be in any danger of sinking....could it?

Nine years later, I observed the answer to that with my own eyes—and feet. On Halloween morning, our group disembarked from a taxi boat and entered San Marco Square, only to find that it was completely flooded. The only way to move from one side to another was to walk across a serious of raised wooden walkways, or passarelle.

This path snakes across the square and actually continues inside the Basilica...the water level has gotten so high that completely covers the intricate mosaic tile floors of the cathedral. As we walked through, I could see tiny little streams of bubbles rising from the ground. While there was so much beauty to look at all around me in the church, it was all I could do to avoid looking down and wondering what kind of damage all of this water is causing. Our guide told me that the flooding is worst from late October to April, when changes in the weather and tides bring even more water the Adriatic Sea into the Venetian lagoon.

Whether or not Venice is still sinking—or if its reached a critical point where the flooding won't get any worse—is still being debated by engineers and city planners (PBS devoted a whole series to the topic). Most experts, however, generally agree that it's still slowly going down. Several massive construction projects have been proposed to hold back the tide, and keep the rush of acqua alta (high water) from completely drowning the city.

In May 2003, the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi approved the building of The Gates, a wall of hinged barriers at each of the three entrances to Venetian lagoon that would rise at the flick of a switch to block extreme high tides from entering. The should be finished in 2011.

Until then, tourists will just have to resign themselves to hopping across the passarelle or packing a pair of Wellingtons in their suitcase. Locals, as the have been for hundred of years, will simply seek out higher ground during the floods, and go about life as usual.

The Longest Trip

2008-11-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

The Lost Girls have come across three other Lost Boys named Stephen, Dean, and Devin. They're starting a website, called The Longest Trip, about looking for answers to everything from which city to call home to how to make a living doing what you love.

"The Longest Trip started out as more of an abstract concept of traveling day-to-day through life. In the end, the hope is to take that abstraction and apply it to an actual journey, such as maybe a cross-country roadtrip," says Stephen Bailey, one of the masterminds behind the idea.

If you're in NYC on Thursday, November 13, check out Solas (232 East 9th Street) for their launch party. The Lost Girls and, of course, Lost Boys will be there, and we'd love it if you stopped by to say hello.

The World’s Largest Marathon: New York City

2008-11-08T16:24:00.000-08:00

HCC: My favorite way to explore any city is to run or bike through it. And I was lucky enough to be able to join 39,000 people running through all five boroughs for the ING New York City marathon last Sunday. More than 100,000 people applied from all over the world.

I took the Staten Island ferry to the starting line and ran the 26.2 miles across the Verranzano-Narrows Bridge, through the Hasidic Jewish and hipster neighborhoods in Brooklyn, past the melting pot of Queens, over bustling Manhattan, into cheering crowds in the Bronx, and finally crossed the finish line in Central Park. It was like running through dozens of countries in a single day. The best part was by far the two-million spectators: Kids supplied candy and squealed in delight when runners gave them high-fives, bands rocked out with live music, and people yelled your name in encouragement if you displayed it on your shirt.

The biggest difference I noticed this year from when I ran it back in 2002 was the plethora of politically-charged signs: Spectators waved messages such as “Yes, YOU can!” and “I can see the marathon from my backyard.”

My goal was to break four hours, and I did it by one minute (3:59!). Scarlett Johanssan’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, finished the race in 3:50. British Paula Radcliffe took first place for women (again!) when she crossed the line in just 2:23, and the men’s prize went to Brazilian Marilson Gomes Dos Santos, who sprinted the course in just 2:08.

I hobbled my way post-race to meet my friends at The Parlour, an Irish pub on the Upper West Side, where I refueled with French fries, ice cream, and a celebratory Guiness.

Photo Credit: ING New York City Marathon

Live from the Wienermobile: Relish Your Vote

2008-11-04T15:23:00.000-08:00

Molly and Selena: With record voter turnouts expected, a woman up for Vice President and an African American vying for the presidential slot, today's election promises historic results – and we can't help but feel the energy. We don't care if you're red, blue or purple. Just relish your right! We already have.

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

2008-10-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

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: 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

2008-10-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

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:

********
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

2008-10-04T04:55:00.000-07:00

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??!!

*****
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

Lost Couple of the Week: Monna and Damien

2008-09-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

The old adage "out of sight, out of mind" might ring true for some friends, but not teachers Monna McDiarmid and Damien Pitter. These two Canadians realized that while thousands of miles might have separated them, their common love of travel could actually unite them in the end. Here, one half of the Lost Couple of the Week shares how she and her guy fell for the nomadic life in Columbia and Mexico...before falling for one another.

For the Love of Travel

—Monna McDiarmid

I had just finished my Bachelor of Education when a small private school in Columbia hired me—over the phone—to teach English Literature. It was a classic teacher meets world story; I needed a job and I wanted to travel. I had never imagined a place like Cali, Colombia. There, the temperature hovered at 32 degrees C (89 degrees F), always. The palm trees reached the stars. Even the five year olds danced better than I did.

On the high road to Tierra Dentro—where other buses had gone over the cliff—I got frostbite where my earrings were. On a chiva bus I sat beside a man holding a chicken. Cali was surreal like Gabriel Garcia Marquez novels. I didn’t know how lost I would need to get before learning that my Canadian way of seeing and doing things was not the only way. Cali was a fantastic education for an educator.

Back in Canada, I pursued graduate work and met Damien who was learning to make films. We became friends.

Then we both got lost, but separately: Damien grew up with some privilege in a loving Canadian home. A path laid out for him, with all the tools to get there. There was work involved, but it wasn’t going to be a hard life. Except that he didn’t know if he believed in the place it was all leading to. So Damien got lost. He taught in Pereira, Colombia, a land of contrasts. Green rainforests beside towers of landfill, a woman with her burlap bag, praying on the church step, feeling too dirty to enter. He recalls, "It was an experience of contrasts too, negotiating that first cultural clash, but I’ve never enjoyed everyday life more."

Damien and I found each other again, in Mexico. When Damien went to Colombia, I moved to Monterrey, Mexico, where I taught English and became a High School Counselor. After three years, Damien joined me Monterrey and we got lost together. We followed Neruda to Chile and drove across the story of America, from Monterrey to Ottawa and back. We still miss Mexico, still dream about Oaxacan mole, the falling-down beauty of Real de Catorce, Zihuatenejo’s simplicity, and open fields of Joshua trees.

Currently, we work at a small international school in Barcelona, Spain. I love Europe and the way Europeans live. Fruit and vegetable markets. Pastry shops. The hard-won love of local merchants in Catalunya.

Most of the time we lead pretty regular teaching lives but we’ve used our long weekends and holidays to continue losing, and finding, ourselves. We’ve loved the food in Florence, the buskers in Dublin, our train companion in Budapest, the Paris in Paris, and the history, holy history, of Rome. We’ve learned some things about power and privilege, about kindness and simplicity, about risk and safety, about magic and faith, about food and love and our love for food. We’ve learned a little history and a lot about beauty. We teach and write and take photographs; I blog at Teacher Meets World, and we share a little photo blog, 14 Lenses, with some of our former colleagues and students who have dispersed around the world.

In all of our travels, perhaps we’ve loved this best: Valparaiso, Chile is a brokedown palace of color that huddles up on its hill-haunches as though the Pacific were a bonfire. On Christmas Eve, the streets were empty, the windows unshuttered. Walking through the hills, we caught glimpses of extended family dinners and decorated warmth. Bells sounded midnight and children flooded the streets, each with a new toy, a bicycle, a ball, and with joy… simple and palpable as whipped cream on hot chocolate.

—Monna writes about daily life in her adopted city of Barcelona at Teacher Meets World. Her past homes include Colombia and Mexico. She say that her Spanish "ought to be much better than it is."

Vote Now!! Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children

2008-09-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

Jen: Since returning from our trip around the world, The Lost Girls have pledged to support non-profit projects and philanthropic organizations we believe are making a positive impact in the lives of those in need. So when we found out that the International Medical Corp was eligible to receive up to $1.5 million to support their "Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children" project, we felt compelled to spread the word. Funds will only be awarded to those groups ranked in the Top 5 American Express Members Projects, so every vote counts!

For more information and to cast your vote before tomorrow's (September 29th) deadline, please log on to: http://www.membersproject.com/project/view/OZH1P1

Dispatch from the Weinermobile: Outrunning the Hurricanes

2008-09-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

ADP: Well, pass the relish and say "Hot Dog!" Today we are psyched to announce that Oscar Meyer Weinermobile girls and fellow LGs Molly Fergus and Selena Armendarez will be blogging regularly on Lost Girls World. They'll be sharing tales of their about their on-the-road adventures in the US every few weeks. Their inaugural post details how their got their um, buns, out of the path of the Hurricanes Gustav and Ike last month. To get the "frank" details about their assignment inside the country's most recognizable vehicle, click here.

*****

Outrunning the Hurricanes

by Molly Fergus and Selena Armendarez

“Bread! Isn’t that what you get during a hurricane?” I asked Selena as I grabbed a wheat loaf from the picked-over Wal-Mart shelves. I threw the bread in the cart next to a case of Diet Coke, a box of Zebra Cakes, and a packet of tuna.

“I think chocolate is more important,” she answered and reached for a box of chocolate-covered graham crackers -- the kind that taste really good smothered in peanut butter.

We were stocking our Wienermobile for what might be one of the ultimate travel adventures: evacuating from a natural disaster. Based in Lafayette, LA for a week, we had immersed ourselves in Cajun culture – and by immerse, we mean chowing on crawfish, dancing Cajun two-steps, and spotting alligators during swamp tours.

Then Hurricane Gustav swirled into the Gulf of Mexico over Labor Day weekend, and our eating/dancing/swamping tours were halted. The first major hurricane to target Louisiana’s coast since Katrina and Rita in 2005, Gustav threatened to become a Category 5 storm – meaning winds would have topped 155 m.p.h.

And there we were in the middle of evacuation procedures. With a Wienermobile.

So we stockpiled on chocolate and caffeine and hit the road at 4 a.m. In July, we stayed in Corpus Christi, TX during Dolly, a Category 1 storm that beat up Texas’ South Padre Island. This time, we feared gridlocked evacuation traffic and empty gas stations as the entire Louisiana coastline headed north.

What we didn’t expect: that stressed out, anxious evacuees would forget their troubles long enough to smile, honk and wave at the giant hot dog zipping down the expressway.

We traveled for six hours before we landed in Fairfield, TX, a small town between Houston and Dallas, where a Holiday Inn-full of evacuees greeted us.

Fortunately, Gustav mellowed before striking Louisiana and came onshore as a Category 2 storm. The winds and storm surge still damaged parts of the coast but spared the state from the anticipated devastation.

Since Gustav, we’ve evacuated a third hurricane; Ike hit the Texas and western Louisiana coastlines while we were hotdogging around Houston. We left the storm to hide out in San Antonio, where we brought the Wienermobile to a shelter for a few hours and donated toys to the Salvation Army’s relief efforts.

In both situations, we were thrilled to give evacuees a temporary distraction. It reminded us that even though we embarked on his yearlong road trip to see the country and skip the 9-to-5, traveling is not an entirely selfish endeavor. Travel changes us Lost Girls, but we also impact the world – whether we drive giant hot dogs or volunteer in Kenya.

Tasting Table: NYC grub one bite at a time

2008-09-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

ADP: Anybody hungry? I am—its only 3:18 pm and I'm still 42 minutes away from my regularly scheduled snacktime!

But the real reason my stomach is growling is because a friend just tipped me off to a yummy new website called TastingTable.com. It's a free daily subscription service that works kind of like Daily Candy for foodies. Sign up, and you'll get one email per weekday designed to keep you in the know about New York City dining, wine, cocktails, cooking and restaurant personalities. Even if you're not based in the Big Apple, I'd sign up before planning a visit here. You'll learn about cool new dishes and insider-y spots even before most locals do...and you can astound your travel companions with your ability to take them somewhere not overrun by, um, tacky tourists (not you, of course...)

Rolf Potts On Travel Writing

2008-09-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

Our previous entry highlighted Rolf Potts’ sophomore book that weaves his personal tales of adventures on the road with commentary on the art of storytelling. In travel, we seek to discover our humanity, our connection to other people, and our place in relation to it all. And the act of writing is a way of experiencing it all over again, and trying to make sense of the journey. We challenge you to read Marco Polo Didn’t Go There: Stories and Revelations From One Decade As a Travel Writer and not want to grab a notebook or laptop and start recording the world around you—wherever you may be on your own journey. Today, we’re honored to have Mr. Potts visit our site as part of his virtual book tour (he may even be coming to a town near you). Here, he shares lessons learned from a decade of interviewing top travel writers at RolfPotts.com.

From the author:
"Way back in 1999, when I was first cutting my teeth as a travel columnist for Salon.com, lots of readers wrote in to ask me how they, too, could get jobs as travel writers. This question kind of caught me off guard, since I didn't know much about the travel-writing trade; I only knew my own experiences with it.

Thus, in order to better assist people (and myself) in understanding what it's like to be a travel writer, I began posing a list of 10 basic questions to various travel-writing colleagues. I started with Lonely Planet writer Joe Cummings in November of 2000, and I've since gone on to interview nearly 100 folks from all corners of the travel-writing milieu, including Tony Wheeler, Holly Morris, Rick Steves, Simon Winchester, Tony Horwitz, Sarah Erdman, and Arthur Frommer.

Having culled some choice quotes from those interviews over the years, here are seven key lessons my colleagues have shared:

1) START IN YOUR BACK YARD

"Why wait? If you don't have the funds to take off for, say, Chiang Mai, why not write about a neighborhood in your own town or city? Or a creek? Or the people who fish in that creek? Or are trying to save that creek? Subjects are nearby, and infinite."
--C.M. Mayo, Author of Miraculous Air and other books

"Anybody who is a talented travel writer will be discovered, and has more than adequate outlets for his writing. If a person wants to write about travel, they should immediately sit down and write about aspects of their own community. They can do a story on Cincinnati or Milwaukee — or wherever they live. If it is good, it will be published. It will be seen, and you will build up enough of a dossier of published articles to obtain a job as a travel writer for magazines or for book publishers."
--Arthur Frommer, travel guidebook pioneer

"The craft of writing is similar to dancing. If you want to get good fast, learn slowly. And practice. If you don't master the basics of storytelling and writing in the beginning you will suffer by making the same mistakes over and over again."
--Eric Hansen, author of Stranger in the Forest and other books

2) WRITE ABOUT THE THINGS YOU CARE ABOUT

"Travel writers should find the places and stories they have a real emotional connection with; otherwise, the journey will flag, and readers won't care. You have to find the stories that only you can tell, or that no one else has thought to tell."
--Tom Bissell, author of Chasing the Sea and other books

"If I have any advice at all, it is to only write what you are deeply interested in, and to enjoy everything you do. Strive to have an interesting life. I have so many friends whose agents from time to time get them big solid book deals for projects they are less than enthusiastic about, and most of them are resounding flops."
--Tahir Shah, author of The Caliph's House and other books

"Try to think what you in particular have to add or contribute. A million people go every month, no doubt, to the Taj Mahal, and many of them write eloquently about it. What is it that is particular to your interests and experiences that can allow you to say something new? Find a particular angle that arises out of one of your strengths and advantages, and try to make the focus of your piece as narrow and specific as possible. Don't try to summarize all of Japan after a two-week trip; pick one small corner of it, or one theme."
--Pico Iyer, author of Video Night in Kathmandu and other books

3) RESEARCH, BUT DON'T OVER-RESEARCH

"Before going [to a place], learn a lot, but not too much. Have ideas, but not a plan. Essentially, aim for an informed ignorance, so that you can know the contexts beforehand, then let the place define itself."
--Tom Haines, Boston Globe travel writer

"The biggest challenge in the research process is to let go, to stop, to say enough, and then to reduce all of that beloved labor down to a few succinct paragraphs that shape the background to your narrative. I love research — that's all the fun, especially in the field. To write, however, is to suffer, and my pieces usually come in thousands of words over the assigned length. That's a serious flaw in my writing process — shaping and disciplining the footlockers of material one has so happily gathered."
--Bob Shacochis, author of Swimming in the Volcano and other books

4) THIS LIFESTYLE WILL REQUIRE SACRIFICES

"Learn to love living in basements and eating ramen noodles. You must be utterly obsessed with it — more than you want a new car, a house, a family, a dog, houseplants — because you are competing with those of us who are willing to give up all those things in order to write."
--Karin Muller, author of Japanland and other books

"The reason this works for me is that I don’t want anything. I don't want much stuff. So far it's been easy to get up and leave and go someplace else because I don't own anything that I have to haul behind me. Nothing that I'm physically or emotionally attached to. So my advice is to learn how to make do on as little money as possible, because sometimes there's just not a lot of money coming. …If you really want to write, and write only, as opposed to writing while you're waiting tables or writing while you're teaching somewhere, just have to cut your expenses and cut your needs and wants."
--Eddy L. Harris, author of Mississippi Solo and other books

5) IT'S ABOUT HOW YOU TRAVEL

"Go into travel before you go into travel writing. You should know how to cross a land border, book plane tickets in a language you don't speak and befriend the old lady who squints evilly from the second-story window at everyone who passes by. In other words, if you're just after paid vacations, then you're going to have a tough time. But if you're willing to put aside your ego, embrace the unknown and endure crushing poverty, then you might have a shot."
--Matt Gross, New York Times travel writer

"Don't just travel; live in another country for awhile -- preferably a non-English speaking one."
--Thomas Swick, author of A Way to See the World and other books

6) IT'S ABOUT SITTING DOWN AND DOING THE WORK

"Avoid being swept up into the romance of the idea; just because travel is exotic doesn't mean the writing profession is any less routine than a 9 to 5 desk job. Tenacity counts for more than any single personal attribute. If you are going to make it, it will only be via your unflagging, inexhaustible, indestructible ability to persevere."
--Jennifer Eaton Gokmen, co-editor of Tales from the Expat Harem

"You either write or you don’t. My advice to people who aspire to be me is to stop whining and just do it. Everything falls into place once you begin the process. If it doesn't, there is always Wal Mart. Just write and use it as your passport to learning about the world."
--Robert Young Pelton, author of The World's Most Dangerous Places and other books

7) IN THE END, IT'S ABOUT THE WRITING

"The beauty of this business is there is no barrier to entry. You can have a degree in journalism from Columbia and editors won't give a damn. You can be fresh out of the local community college and if you can write well, you'll get your stories published. This is the ultimate meritocracy: If you're good, you get work."
--Amanda Jones, freelance travel writer and photographer

"Editors, for the most part, don't care "what" you've done, or how astounding the physical event may have been. You need to write well. Many others are capable of doing what you have done, so you must write better than they."
--Tim Cahill, author of Road Fever and other books

"Editors are looking for writers who dabble in travel rather than travelers who dabble in writing. Plop Pico Iyer down at a Stuckey's on the Jersey Turnpike and I guarantee he'll come back with a great story. On the other hand, a dozen men have walked on the moon and not one has written anything worth reading about it. Strive to be a writer, not a travel writer."
--John Flinn, San Francisco Chronicle travel editor

You can follow the rest of Rolf Potts' virtual book tour online, or see him in person at one of 20 cities nationwide as he celebrates the release of Marco Polo Didn't Go There (Travelers' Tales, 2008). We encourage you to ask for the book at your favorite local bookstore or Amazon.com, and follow Rolf's tour diary at Gadling starting Sept 29th. Monday's virtual book tour stop will be at Matador Pulse. To read yesterday's tour stop, go to Vagabondish.

Turn To Rolf Potts For Travel Inspiration

2008-09-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

As travel writer Rolf Potts’ says in Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, “If travel truly is in the journey and not the destination, if travel really is an attitude of awareness and openness to new things, then any moment can be considered travel.” He encourages us to be creative, seek out adventures, and “live your life in such a way that allows your dreams room to breathe.”

Where his first book delivered a practical and philosophical guide to travel (and, might we add, life in general), his second, Marco Polo Didn’t Go There: Stories and Revelations From One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer, offers a glimpse into the essence of travel writing itself.

Rather than being a straight up how-to manual, Potts’ tome is a veritable guide to fully embracing the highs and lows of life on the road, as well as the creative process. It features a collection of essays penned over Potts’ decade of voyages across five continents, complete with a “bonus track” following each that reveals insider information as to how these tales came about—and what things were left out for the sake of good storytelling.

Here are a few cool insights we liked from Potts’ latest read:
• Seeking an “authentic” travel experience by attempting to break out of the “backpackers’ circuit” in Vietnam (after which he instead discovers “Sometimes, the Circuit is not a physical route, but a largely unavoidable state of mind that regulates your expectations”).
• Trying to put together the series of events that culminated with him drugged and robbed in Istanbul (to which he concludes, “You come out, in the end, with a sense of wonder at all those other, unseen moments when the threads of chance fluttered—nearly connecting, but not—just past the periphery of your life”).
• Attempting to crash the movie set of The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, on a Thai island (even if it wasn’t a mission accomplished, he’ll tell you in the end “…that I walked through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and that I feared no evil—for the Valley of the Shadow of Death will soon feature guided tours and a snack bar”).

Potts’ willingness to share the motivation behind his own wanderings—and provide nuts and bolts info on how he crafted his compelling narratives—will help readers make better sense of how to translate their own experiences onto the page. But you don’t have to read the commentary track at all to absorb the book’s real message: Travel, and life, is a delicate balance of creating your own adventures, yet being open to unplanned detours.

Summer In The City

2008-09-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

HCC: My fellow Lost Girls and I have been busy plugging away at writing the book all summer long, so we haven’t been getting out as much as we used to. Heck, after a few days spent cuddled up with my computer, I consider just going to an evening yoga class a big night out. And while it tends to be naturally quieter this time of year with many New Yorkers migrating to less humid locales, such as the Hamptons, there’s still plenty of writing distractions happening in the city that never sleeps. Here are three urban experiences for when you can’t get to the beach during the dog days.

Have fun for a cause. My friend Meg and I discovered a whole new singles scene that exists outside the traditional pub-filled stomping grounds: charity events. It may sound strange, but there seems to be a huge community of singles who prefer to spend their entertainment dollars on worthy causes than to burn through their wallets on over-priced martinis at a fancy bar. You can log onto sites such as charitybenefits.com or charityhappenings.org to find events that interest you and causes that you care about. Meg and I attended the Ultimate Summertime Party at Central Park’s outdoor amusement park at Wollman Rink, put on by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The $75 we paid for a ticket went to help fund education and research for the disease, and we got to act like kids again by playing carnival games, eating fried food, and jumping on rides (how dare I go down a slide in a skirt?!).

Take me out to the ball game. I’ve committed the ultimate crime in the eyes of many baseball fans: I’ve lived in New York for more than six years and had never been to a Yankees game. Since this was the final season to see our team play in the old stadium before they christen the new one, my friend Matt somehow hooked us up with tickets to watch the Yankees play the LA Angels. Though I know next to nothing about baseball, I couldn’t help but cheer along with the crowd as the bleachers shook and vibrated from fans stomping their feet. But I suspect Matty may have regretted his decision to bring me along when die-hard Yankees fans dressed head-to-toe in attire decorated with their team’s logo threw me menacing looks after I stood up to yell wildly when the teams switched places on the field. “Hol, you’re cheering from the wrong team,” he’d leaned over and whispered in my ear, no doubt a little nervous that the group of inebriated men seated behind us might retaliate. We both came out okay, but our team didn’t: The Yankees lost 0 to 1.

Sip and sail. Sailing past the Statue of Liberty at sunset is a welcome relief from the steamy heat rising off the smoldering concrete—well, as long as you don’t get seasick! For Amanda’s fabulous 30th birthday celebration (which actually lasted an entire month with the myriad of dinners, lunches, and parties we had planned for the youngest Lost Girl), we embarked on a 40-person sailboat around the tip of the island we call home. More upscale than the popular booze cruises, we nibbled on foccacio and tasted various Italian wines as the crew did all the heavy lifting. And nary a one of us got seasick—though we might have felt a little queasy from overdosing on the birthday cupcakes we smuggled onboard.

LG Obession: Idlewild

2008-09-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

ADP: I didn't think it was possible to love bookstores even more than I already do (the scent of freshly printed paperbacks mixed with coffee grounds practically makes me high) until the random Thursday morning I stumbled upon Idlewild in New York City.

I'd been granted a full day off work, and I must have been in quite a mood, as I was actually gazing upwards at the buildings instead of down at my feet in a typical gotta-get-there beeline. On the second floor of a nondescript building in the Flatiron district, I spotted what appeared to be a new specialty bookstore travelers.

I couldn't believe it. In a city where many of the cool mom and pop bookshops have bowed out to the big Barnes and Noble-type superstores (You've Got Mail wasn't entirely a fictional tale), some maverick had opened up a shop designed exclusively for travel and literature junkies. Who would be so reckless?

Apparently, that man would be David Del Vecchio. A former United Nations press officer with a penchant for all things travel, Del Vecchio got his passion project up and running just a few months ago. He named the shop Idlewild as a nod to the original name for New York International Airport, which was renamed JFK in December 1963.

There's oh so much to love about this shop, which is located on the parlor floor of an 1880s-era home. Charming to the hilt, the 1,000 square foot space contains stained glass and chairs from the original Idlewild Airport. It's filled with globes and maps and of course, row after row of travel guidebooks, cookbooks, memoirs and children's books, all grouped geographically. The shop also carries travel accessories, including international power adapters, disposable cameras, carry-on bags, luggage tags, and, of course, itty bitty book lights for long-haul flights.

Check out the website to learn about upcoming book launches and signings--according to The New York Sun, Del Vecchio's goal is to develop a set of regulars (which he already sees forming) and to create a sense of community. Since opening, he has hosted a number of discussions and signings, including the American book launch and reception for "A Town Like Paris" by Bryce Corbett.

Speaking Franglish: the tale of modern day pen-pals

2008-09-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

What could happen if two women, who have never met, on two different continents, in two different cities, at two different places in their lives wrote letters to each other, back and forth, for a year? That what Glamour health blogger Sarah Jio and her friend-from-a-distance Valentina Russo asked themselves as they launched their charming new blog Speaking Franglish. Their goal: "to see we could learn about friendship, life, and ourselves by slowing down and writing letters."

Sarah, a freelance writer and author, lives in Seattle and has published stories across ton of glossy lifestyle and women's mags (including Gourmet, Health, Glamour, Marie Claire, SELF, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Cooking Light). Valentina lives in Marseille, France and is fluent in five languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. She started her career in Paris at Italian Vogue and Studio G, a photographer's PR agency.

The two connected after Sarah (who felt a bit stalkerish) found Valentina's MySpace page and sent her a note.

"I didn't expect her to respond, but she did!" recalls Sarah. "We've never met or talked on the phone. We know nothing more about each other than what we're reading from our letters and a few emails we exchanged before we began the project."

On their blog, Sarah and Valentina share that they're hoping to learn from one another. They love getting mail and the idea of becoming modern day "blog pals." Their goal is to keep up the project for a year.

"I guess we felt that doing a blog would be a good excuse to come back to our desks, sit down, and write (which is actually kind of therapeutic given our crazy-busy lives). We also felt that others might be able to connect with our writing, too."

The Franglish bloggers have been keeping the notes flying (and sharing them with us) since this past April. Keep it up, ladies! We're loving your letters...

Marco Polo: Rolf Potts' New Book (and some info on ours)

2008-09-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

At long last, ramblin' man and Vagabonding scribe Rolf Potts has announced the release of his long-awaited new book, Marco Polo Didn’t Go There. According to Potts, this sophomore title is "a look back at my boldest, funniest, and most revealing travel-writing adventures from the past 10 years."

In an effort to teach as well as entertain, Potts has included a “commentary track” — notes designed to show the reader how his stories were created and written (he wants this to be "travel-writing textbook," of sorts). Potts has offered to do several book club appearances, so the Lost Girls may well have to create one (stat!) in order to meet the man himself. Any New Yorkers want to join us??

We also want to thank Potts' and his team over at vagablogging.net for posting a very nice Q&A on their site about our upcoming book (see below). So far, so good on the writing process. Well, sorta kinda good. It's going a tad bit slower than expected (ack! blank page anxiety!!) but we're still working out how to blend three different takes on the same RTW adventure. If you thought sharing a hostel bathroom was tricky, try sharing the pages of your memoir!

Over the past few months, in an effort to determine the ideal writing locale, we've also been systematically trying out all of the "free wi-fi" hotspots in Manhattan and Brooklyn (not a distraction technique, we swear!). So far, the winners are the SoHo Grand (best hotel lobby), Cocoa Bar (best Lower East Side coffee shop) and Fresh Salt (best dive bar). Please send us your favorite spots and we'll post 'em here.

Below, the reprint of our Vagablogging interview...visit the site, leave (friendly) comments!

******

The Lost Girls Book and… Movie?

It’s official: The Lost Girls have a book deal! The Girls (Amanda Pressner, Jennifer Baggett and Holly Corbett) are currently hunkered down in New York City writing and perfecting their tome for the masses.

In 2006, the Girls left their jobs, families, boyfriends, and worldly possessions behind to travel the globe on a girls getaway for a year. Their magnificent blog won the 2007 Travvies Best Group-Written Travel Blog award. They have blogged on everything from how to quit your job to travel to tips on starting a travel blog to selecting the best travel bra to interviewing each other about life on the road. The Lost Girls can do it all.

In 2007, they came home and are started putting a book proposal together. HarperCollins bought the book, a movie deal soon followed, and now the Lost Girls are working hard to get everything ready.

They were kind enough to take a few minutes to answer a few questions.

What advice do you have for a traveler who wants to get a book published?

First and foremost, know that it is possible to get a book deal. Someone has to write this generation’s incarnation of On the Road or put a cool new spin on Eat, Pray, Love—why shouldn’t it be you? The thing to keep in mind, however, is that it can take even talented writers several years before they find an agent, and a publisher, willing to take them on. Some of the most famous novelists got doors slammed in their faces (or worse, heard nothing at all) countless times before they finally convinced someone to believe in their ideas, and their talent.

Before going for the big book enchilada, we’d strongly recommend honing your voice and narrative style as much as possible by, well—writing. Keep a journal and jot down notes and ideas everywhere you go. Sign up for your own a travel blog. Contribute pieces to other well-know travel sites like Vagablogging, World Hum, or Brave New Traveler (some will actually pay you to publish your work!) Pick up a copy of the Writer’s Market to find out which travel magazines and newspapers accept queries. Learn how to write an article query by snagging a few more books from Amazon.com on the topic (there are several guides out there to help you get started) or take a class through Mediabistro (locations in cities nationwide). The point is to gain both experience—and collect the clips—that will later show an agent and publisher that you have the chops to write an entire manuscript.

One interesting thing we learned when trying to shop around The Lost Girls: agents and editors have recently been flooded with book ideas from one writer who has visited a single destination. These ideas are often discarded, because they’re not viewed as compelling, or unique enough. Our editor at Harper Collins told us that the reason they liked The Lost Girls was that it presented a unique spin on a travel tale: Three best friends from New York City, who abandoned all of the things that 20-somethings are supposed to want (stable jobs, great guys, a positive bank balance) in order to travel around the world.

Was it difficult to find an agent/publisher?

Not as difficult as we’d anticipated! We were surprised to learn that editors and agents—who receive thousands of book queries every year—actually check out popular blogs to see if they could possibly be translated into print. The reason being, if a blogger has already gained a large following online, her book might also be a popular success.

A few agents and one editor at a major publishing house stumbled across our blog while we were still traveling, and wrote to express interest. Of course, no one actually wanted to meet with us until we’d composed a polished book proposal, so the three of us holed up for an entire month at Holly’s family’s house in Syracuse to put together our 60-page document together. The whole thing sort of felt like we were cramming for a huge test or writing a group term paper—but the process was so much more enjoyable because we had each other around to take the pressure off.

Another thing we learned—writing a proposal is a little like taking the LSATs or SATs. It seems hugely daunting before you sit down to do it, but if you read a few how-guides, figure out what the people reviewing your work are looking for, it’s actually not as scary as it might seem.

Finally—anybody can write a proposal. And it’s amazing how many people you’ll find to help if you just start asking around—talk to friends, write to authors you admire, attend writing workshops. Plus, there is a tremendous number of resources online. You can sign up for an online class at Mediabistro.com to learn exactly how to write a proposal with the help of a professional. Look for agents in places such as publishersmarketplace.com.

How many queries and proposals did you have to send in order to sell your story?

We met with about five agents before we found one who “got” our quirky personalities and understood The Lost Girls’ vision. Once we signed on with an agent, he pitched it around to 18 different publishers, casting a wide net to garnet as many responses as possible. We ended up meeting with six publishers, and finally signed on with one.

Your priority should be to find the right agent—a person who you could imagine working with for years—because he or she will do most of the legwork for you. The agent will guide you toward a publisher who understands your project and agrees on how you want to market the book. We went with HarperCollins because they shared our vision for writing The Lost Girls as a memoir. Other houses wanted us to turn TLG into a how-to tale or guidebook—a setup we didn’t feel as passionate about.

Along the way, we also learned that a winning book proposal has to have a really strong sample chapter. Initially, we’d created an extensive proposal, but decided on blog entries to serve as examples of our writing. Most publishers wouldn’t even look at the proposal until we went back and penned a really solid sample chapter so they could get a sense of our voice and how it might work as a full-length book. It was an important section, because it demonstrated that we could blend our voices in a way that isn’t shown on the blog.

Is it true that The Lost Girls may become a movie?

Yes! Almost as soon as our agent had sold the book rights to The Lost Girls, he worked with the agency’s Hollywood arm to sell the movie rights as well. We knew he might do this at some point, but had no idea that it could happen so quickly.

Warner Brothers optioned to buy the movie, which basically means they have rights to The Lost Girls idea for 18 months. At 18 months they decide whether they want to keep the rights and move forward with a screenplay and producing a movie, or they can give us back the rights and we can try to resell them to another studio.

We feel that the success of films like Sex and the City and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants helped convince studios that movies about friendship (and lead by strong, likeable female characters) can do well at the box office.

Fingers crossed it’s a go!

Where do you find your “Lost Girl of the Week” for your blog?

They generally find us! We started that online feature to turn the spotlight on inspiring women we’d met on the road, or a reader with a compelling story about why she left to travel, and what she learned along the way. And since we know that women aren’t the only ones hitting the road to gain insight, we’ll occasionally feature the tale of a particularly cool Lost Guy.

We fully recognize that getting Lost isn’t a concept that applies just to us. There are young adventurers roaming every pocket of the globe and travelers who have left behind everything comforting and familiar in order to better understand themselves and the world at large. We love reading about their stories, and sharing as many of them possible on our blog—so write and let us know what you’re up to!

What are each of you up to now?

Despite our passion for full-time vagabonding, the three of us accepted desk jobs in order to restock our bank accounts (boring, but necessary!). Amanda is a nutrition editor at a health magazine, Jen does integrated marketing for an independent film/television channel, and Holly now taste-tests chocolates all day for a major candy manufacturer (well, that’s her dream job…she’s actually a freelance writer and editor for several national publications).

Recently, both Jen and Amanda approached their individual bosses about the possibility of going part time in order to focus more attention on book writing. And to their shock—both supervisors agreed to the arrangement! We’ve realized that if you put in the time and hard work to cultivate a successful career, your company/boss is generally more willing to allow time off to travel, or to rearrange your schedule to accommodate special project.

Now, all three of us spend our Fridays together at a coffee shop in Union Square, so we can make the task of book writing a collaborate process—and a fun one, at that.

Are you living in Manhattan?

Yes, Amanda and Jen both live in the Lower East Side, and Holly lives in Brooklyn.

Are you working on the book full-time or do you also have other jobs?

See question above. While we’ve received the first third of our advance (and split it by three!) we realized that we didn’t quite have enough left to quit our day jobs entirely.

Working a few days a week puts enough into our bank accounts to pay for rent and lots of caffeinated beverages while we’re writing the book.

Do you still crave a life on the road?
Absolutely. After living out of a backpack for a year, we found that we craved the stability and comforts of home. But now that we’ve been back in NYC for a while, all three of us find that we miss the freedom and ever-changing nature of life of the road.

Travel brought us rewards in the form of new friends, discoveries, and cultural experiences. It’s kind of fun never knowing where the day will take you, and we can’t wait until our next adventure.

Are there any trips in the works?

When we finished our year-long trip, we vowed to take a Lost Girls Getaway together once a year for the rest of lives. Since returning, we’ve planned a few weekend excursions together in the United States, and have traveled independently to Antarctica, Ecuador and the Bahamas. For the next six months, we’ll be staying close to home in order to write and promote the book. Once we finish the first draft of the memoir in January ’09, we’re planning to return to Argentina, the country that inspired our around-the-world adventure.

Lost Girls of the Week: Molly Fergus and Selena Armendarez

2008-08-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

TLGs: How could we NOT make the gals who drive the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile our Lost Girls of the Week?? Since we're rooted in NYC writing the book, we can't get out and actually travel as much as we used to. So, we're living vicariously through these girls, and have asked them to submit posts from the road as they hit up towns across the US. Here's hoping they accept our challenge and share their hot doggin' antics online!

******
When I graduated from the University of Missouri in December, I knew I needed to skip the traditional diploma-to-fluorescent-lit-office track. As a journalism major, I had things to see, people to meet and places to go. Settling down just wasn't in my cards.

So in June I hit the road with my coworker Selena Armendarez...in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

As Hotdoggers – a catchy title that means we drive one of the world's seven Wienermobiles – Selena and I are lost girls in every way. We haul our lives around in suitcases. We repeat outfits way too often. We deal with culture shock (yes, in America!). And most importantly, we gleefully said hasta luego to the 9-to-5 routine.

Each year, Oscar Mayer selects 14 college grads from more than 1,200 applicants to man its iconic vehicles. Hotdoggers travel the U.S. in teams of two; we live out of suitcases, hop from state-to-state, and work as spokespersons for Oscar Mayer. Selena and I began our adventure June 15 in McAllen, TX (a city near the border of Mexico). We'll travel below the Mason-Dixon line until January, when we'll switch partners and trek around another region of America.

Although most Lost Girls choose the ex-pat route to fulfill (or feed!) wanderlust, Selena and I have found that vagabonding across the U.S. is just as satisfying. Eight weeks on the road, and we've already weathered a hurricane on the Gulf of Mexico, parked the Wienermobile in front of the Alamo, and driven to an archeological dig overlooking the Rio Grande.

The sights in the U.S. might not be as old as Rome's Colosseum or as exotic as Peru's Lake Titicaca, but our job is still an adventure. Like lost girls worldwide, we wake up each morning and thank the travel saints that we get to spend our days outside, meet new people and explore the world. Now that's something to relish! —Molly Fergus

Random Reader Question: The Best Travel Bras

2008-08-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

Q. I came across your blog a few months ago as my husband and I were in the midst of planning our around the world travel (www.chrisandjodi.net ). We've pieced together most of our itinerary and what we're taking, but I'm still lost as to the best bras to bring. Just wondering if you guys had any opinions? Cheers—Jodi

A. Do you mean regular bras, or sports bras? We'd actually highly recommend the Victoria's Secret IPEX bra for regular everyday wear, as its smooth under t-shirts and comes in pretty colors for when those straps inevitably show under tanks. It's also perfect for gals who are a bit more "ample" on top, because it keeps everything in place, and minimizes. It can also stand up to several washings without losing its shape, so I'd take one black and one color.

You'll also need one convertible bra, something you can wear strapless or under halters and such. Again, I'd recommend VS: go with their Very Sexy 100 ways bra...which, as the name implies, has several hooks that allow you to wear it under several different tops and dresses.

Finally, you'll need at least two sports bras for hiking and days when you're sitting on buses going over some very bumpy roads (Costa Rica, Kenya, etc). Try the Champion Friction Free seamless sports bras...they're lightweight, don't bind against your ribcage and won't cause chafing.

Of course, you can always do as we did in a pinch, and use a bikini top! On that note, invest in at least a dozen pairs of quick dry microfiber undies. Not sure if the husband will love 'em, but they'll keep you very comfortable all trip long!

California Dreaming

2008-08-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

HCC: I am in love. You know the feeling, that I’m-so-excited-to-be-alive/ butterflies-in-my-stomach/ nothing-can-get-me-down sensation. However, this high is not for a person, but a place. California’s Central Coast is better than being a single woman landing in Rome if you enjoy breath-taking scenery; outdoors activities such as surfing, biking, and hiking; and laid-back vibes. I came here to cure a case of writer’s block and to visit my sister, who is a nurse in the college town known as San Luis Obispo and who lives in nearby Shell Beach. SLO, as it’s called both for the obvious moniker and for the in-no-hurry mentality of the locals, is about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. There’s so much stuff to do here that I was able to sample only a few of the highlights. Here's a virtual tour of a few of my favorite things:

Beach bars. Mr. Rick’s bar in Avila Beach has ocean views, pool tables, and karaoke. They even have a movie screen so you can watch music videos as you dance—or mimic them. Can you guess what my sister and our new friends are reenacting here? Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” of course!

Organic eats. The biggest social event around is the Farmer’s Market that happens everything Thursday on Higuera Street in downtown SLO. The entire street closes to traffic for a block party filled with fresh produce, barbecue, and live music.

Exploring coastal towns. Once an old whaling station, Cambria is a picturesque little city about an hour north of SLO and is an inspiring place to chill out and write—or shop. It’s filled with sidewalk cafes, art galleries, antiques, and historic buildings such as the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse.

Getting there on two wheels. My new way to get around town is on a bike. Luckily, Kate had an extra set of wheels for me, so we pedaled the 50-mile round-trip route to the fishing town known as Morro Bay. You can rent kayaks and dive here, but we only had enough energy to refuel with halibut fish tacos and a glass of chardonnay at Giovanni’s Fish Market and Galley.

Roadtripping. When my sister had to fly back to New York for a wedding, I stayed behind in her apartment to write by myself and watch her dog, Lulu. With the famous natural wonder, Big Sur less than a three-hour drive, I decided that Lulu and I could use a change of scenery. I had a hike planned for us on Ewoldsen Trail but the area was shut down due to the forest fires. Still, every (hairpin) curve along the way on Highway 101 revealed awe-inspiring views.

Wining and Dining. If you make it to the Central Coast, you have to eat at the Olde Port Inn. Seriously, I insist. Located at the end of the pier at Port San Luis, it was started by a fisherman who felt happiest sitting in that spot over the ocean and wanted other people to be able to experience it, too. When my sister and I arrived, we heard a sound strangely similar to barking dogs (about as harmonious as me attempting karaoke. Ha!). We quickly ran to the edge to discover these elephant seals who made their home on the wooden slabs. After that detour, we were seated inside the cozy eatery to watch the sunset over the harbor. Fresh seafood dishes such as classic clam chowder, crab quesadillas, and the Fisherman’s Plate (a combo of grilled fish, shrimp, scallops, and calamari) make it worth the trip—with or without the added bonus of seal sightings.

Random Reader Question: Language Barriers Abroad

2008-07-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

Q. I'm considering taking a RTW trip next year, but worried about the language barrier in the countries I want to visit. How did you handle this when you were abroad? Did it cause difficulties for you? —Jessica

A. Shockingly, in nearly every country around the world, we found that it was fairly easy to just use English...it's truly become the international language. Don't let a fear of not being able to communicate stop you from traveling. In the highly touristed areas, locals can almost speak English better than we can :-)

That said, its always helpful—and much appreciated gesture—to buy a guidebook and learn a few phrases in the local language. we kid you not when we say that the three of us practiced saying "no butter, no oil, please" in Thai, Vietnamese, Spanish and Portuguese. This handy command helped us break the ice in many a restaurant—but never actually worked out as intended. Maybe something was lost in translation?
—The Lost Girls

Lost Girl of the Week: Melissa Braverman

2008-07-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

ADP: A few years ago, in the scary in-between time of leaving my position at an assistant editor at a women’s magazine and actually getting my toe in the door of the freelance writing world, I received an email from a travel publicist Melissa Braverman. It seemed that the Hilton Barbados was hosting a press trip for a few select journalists, and she wanted to know if I’d like to join them for the grand reopening of the hotel.

Saying yes would require me to fly down the Caribbean, stay in my own corner suite in the new Hilton, feast on traditional Bajan cuisine, and fill my time with various activities like scuba diving, watching local dance performances and sipping cocktails by the pool. Of course, it was a difficult decision, but after consulting the vast wasteland that was my work schedule at the time, I wrote Melissa back to give her the appropriate (but very professional) “hell’s yeah!” response.

Upon arriving at JFK several weeks later, I managed to locate our little crew of press junketeers and fell into easy conversation with Melissa, who, within an hour takeoff, had revealed that her then-boyfriend had nasty little habit of putting his two dogs before her in the relationship. In fact, she’d practically gotten pushed to the floor on more than one occasion when the girl dog Jasmine had commandeered a place on her guy’s bed.

“I don’t know how much more of this I can handle,” she said, pouring her heart out to me over the shared packet of airline peanuts between us. “It’s like I’m in…a ménage a dog!”

Relationship puns? I liked this girl already.

We spent the rest of weekend in Barbados doing exactly the opposite of what I’d anticipated—rather than lounging poolside with pina coladas, our group rose with the sun to participate in property walk-throughs, press conferences, island tours, and something called “Crop Over,” a multiple day Soca dancing festival held in the national stadium. The latter probably would have been pretty cool, had the pouring rain not transformed the bald grass field in one gigantic mud-wrestling pit. Melissa and I buddied up to brave the elements, share an umbrella and go “local” by trying out the national dish, cou cou and fried flying fish sold by the local food vendor.

Despite our initial efforts to stay dry and avoid ruining our shoes, we eventually gave up and just slogged it out in the rain and mud with the rest of the revelers, trying (and failing) to keep up with all of the locals as they jammed out to the beat. I know I felt pretty ridiculous (that lightening fast “booty clap” perfected in hip hip videos surely originated in Barbados) but it was actually kinda fun to let loose in the pouring rain with a thousand strangers. A Carib-a-polooza, if you will.

Long after returning home and writing up a short piece on the island for Bride’s magazine (I did not advise newlyweds to make Crop Over a part of their romantic getaway) Melissa and I stayed friends. In fact, she was the lifesaver who took me in for a full month (for free!) when the girls and I returned from our year around the world. She’s one of my favorite people—not just a loyal friend, but a crack-you-up funny storyteller whose relationship dramas could rival any of the SATC girls.

And since we don’t have the musing of one Miss Carrie Bradshaw to keep us entertained any more (sniff!), Miss Braverman has volunteered to fill the void by launching her very own blog—Melissa, Single Gal in the City (www.melissa-singlegalinthecity.blogspot.com). I’m so psyched that she’s going to be sharing all of the relationship heartaches, successes, dramas and mayhem that have kept me so entertained (and feeling in good company!) these past few years. Click on over there and pay her a visit. And ask her to share the full ménage a dog tale—her ex in the city will make your own guy seem like a saint.

Strawberry Fields

2008-07-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

HCC: I’ve always wanted to be a California girl. So I decided to go there for a three-week visit to see my sister who has landed on the Central Coast as a traveling nurse. It wasn’t intended to be a vacation—I figured the sunny weather and ocean air would offer inspiration for writing the book. But, I soon discovered, it’s impossible to be all work and no play in the Golden State.

Case in point: Even a simple coastal drive can morph into a pleasure cruise. One of my college roomies, Melissa, picked me up from LAX for a road trip to a beach town called Carpentiria. The plan was to camp overnight with her and her boyfriend in his RV, and then hop on a train for my sister’s home in Pismo Beach (one of the most beautiful places ever, but more on that later). It was the day before the 4th of July, traffic was thick, and we just wanted to get there, already! We had fireworks to light, campfires to build, and s’mores to eat. (Tough itinerary, I know!)

Smoggy haze, honking horns, and bumper-to-bumper traffic soon gave way to open road, blue skies, and miles of strawberry fields. As we kept passing wooden fruit stands advertising “fresh-picked strawberries,” I convinced Melissa to make a pit stop. In addition to purchasing a pint of berries, we also stocked up on dried apricots, salted pistachios, juicy oranges, and organic honey. It was my idea of a shopper’s paradise.

Once we got back on the road, I gave Melissa the honors of having the first strawberry tasting. After taking a bite, her eyes grew wide. “These are the best strawberries in the world!” she proclaimed. I looked down at the bright red gems spilling out of the green container in my lap, and tried them for myself. If it’s possible to actually taste fresh sugar spun with pure sunlight, this was it. I had to concur that these were, in fact, the best strawberries in the world.

Either that sugar must have gone straight to our heads or those farmers were using some special herbal pesticide, because all of a sudden we could not stop laughing. Any word out of our mouths seemed hilarious—I’m sure the humor won’t translate so I’ll spare you the sidesplitting details. We laughed so hard we could not breathe. And then we got the munchies.

So we proceeded to stop at half a dozen or so more fruit stands along the way to confirm that we had, in fact, tasted the best strawberries in the world. We probably consumed our weight in berries. I must report that we erred in our initial assessment—each successive strawberry was even better than the last.

Melissa’s very patient boyfriend—who had driven his RV from LA to Carpinteria two days earlier to beat the crowds for a coveted ocean spot—was very good-natured when we arrived over an hour late (but with ample food supplies!). Melissa proceeded to open my eyes to yet another fun pastime—shooting bugs off of rocks with some kind of toy pop gun thingy (don’t worry—I didn’t kill anything. My hand-eye coordination is about as good as my sense of direction—definitely not spot on!) We erupted into another can’t-breath-stomach-hurting laugh attack, and he finally had to ask in bewilderment, “Seriously, what the hell did you girls get into on the ride up here?!” All we can say is this: It’s the strawberries, man.

How You Can Make a Difference

2008-07-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

HCC: Global warming. Genocide. Food crisis. It’s easy to feel powerless with all the big issues happening in the world. As an individual, I want to help, but am not sure how the heck I could ever make a real difference. Then a friend told me about this site, Avaaz.org.

Meaning “voice” in many languages, Avaaz uses the power of the internet to connect people across borders so they can take action on the major problems facing the world today. In a nutshell, when you sign up to get their email alerts about the latest global issues, they’ll give you ideas about what you can do to help—be it signing a petition to send to political leaders, holding rallies to draw awareness to genocide, or combining small amounts of cash that add up to huge donations when pooled with others. Here's a video the nonprofit put up on YouTube.

Dancing Around the World

2008-07-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

HCC: For all of you who haven’t yet seen this guy, Matt, dancing in different locations around the world, you can click here to see his videos. I’m posting it for a few reasons.

1. It always makes me smile, and hopefully it will do the same for you.

2. According to Matt’s site, he thinks Americans should travel abroad more. The Lost Girls share this opinion: The best way to learn about the world is to, well, get out there and see it.

3. One of the FAQs featured on his site is the same question my mom used to ask me whenever she saw pics of us during our own year abroad: “Why are you always wearing the same clothes?” Matt's response: “Ever traveled for an extended period of time?... I didn’t think so.” Ha!

South of the Border

2008-07-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

HCC: I’m used to hauling backpacks and shacking in hostels with my fellow Lost Girls, but my latest getaway was done family style: I met my mother and sister Kate for a resort vacation in Playa Del Carmen. Just 45 minutes south of Cancun on the Mayan Riviera, the beach town is filled with souvenir shops and restaurants cooking up all types of cuisine.

You won’t find the rampant wet t-shirt contests that come with being labeled a spring break destination like it’s northern sister (yes, my college roomies and I made this spring-break pilgrimage and no, I didn’t enter a wet t-shirt contest). Even so, a few super-chains, such as Wal-Mart, have found their way to playa, as the locals refer to it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend much of my five short days in town since my mother arranged for us to stay at my uncle’s timeshare. When I first arrived at the mega-resort that boasted seven pools, six restaurants, and a shuttle bus to transport guests around the enormous property, I felt completely removed from the Mexico I longed to explore. It seemed the closest I was going to get to “authentic” culture on my family vacation was sipping the $6.50 Coronas at the pool bar.

Traveling with other people calls for lots of compromise (not everyone has the same vacation priorities), but my main M.O. for the trip was to spend time with my family. Though our ideas of adventure are all very different, my mom, sister and I agreed upon excursions that we could all enjoy. Here’s a quick recap of some of the things we saw and did in this part of the Yucatan Peninsula:

Shop on 5th Avenue: No, it’s not the glitzy, designer-filled commercial road that’s found in the Big Apple, but a traffic-free cobblestone street lined with tequila and cigar vendors, kitschy art shops, and “natural” massage parlors. My favorite was Venta Pachamama, where I bought a wooden cross that’s adorned with metallic saints and a Virgin of Guadalupe magnet etched with hot-pink paint.

Jet Setting: We took a water taxi from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel, Mexico’s biggest island and a popular cruise stop. Once we arrived, we signed up for a $30 snorkeling trip. The boat didn’t bring us far enough off shore to really see the Great Maya Reef, which was badly damaged by hurricanes a few years back. In fact, we could have taken a taxi to a beach further away from the ferry landing and rented snorkeling equipment for the same experience. Oh well—travel is all about living and learning.

Once we dried off, we wandered into the town square and sat at one of the outdoor restaurants, where we washed down grilled, garlic-topped grouper with margaritas. Eating fresh seafood and watching the sunset was the highlight of our day.

Back to Nature: Xel-Ha is an ecological theme park located about an hour and a half south of Playa del Carmen near Tulum. Touted as a “natural aquarium,” it’s a protected cove where guests can snorkel, swim with dolphins, and explore submerged caves. For $75, you get access to snorkeling gear, bikes, and all-you-can eat and drink buffets. I snorkeled in a protected cove for hours, mesmerized by rainbow-colored fish that swam right up to my mask. And, after a tough day of having fun in the intense Mexican sun, I opted for a cold-stone massage at the outdoor spa. My only wish was that I’d exerted more self-control at the buffet and not eaten those three ice-cream cones right before—Mayan massage involves lots of stomach rubbing.

Lost Girl of the Week: Ida Becker

2008-07-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

HCC: It’s often people, more so than a pretty landscape, that makes a place really memorable. Rubbing elbows with the locals can open your eyes to a whole new way of seeing the world, as I learned from sitting on the beach in Bahia after a Brazilian woman invited me into her circle of friends. I curled my toes in the sand and clapped along with them as the sun sank lazily into the sea, 100 percent content in that moment. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d noticed a sunset in New York City, let alone took the time out to celebrate one!

So in the spirit of making connections and gaining insight, we’ve made South Carolina native Ida Becker this week’s Lost Girl. Currently on her way to Syria, she’s traveling around the globe for a year to do a web-based photo documentary she’s dubbed "The U Truth Project." She’ll be stopping along the way to photograph people she meets and ask them to share something they believe to be true. Ida’s fearlessly going where no woman has gone before, offering us philosophy in sound bytes and daily doses of wisdom. Here’s what prompted to embark upon her journey in the first place:

“Two years ago, I traveled to Nepal on a whim and happened to be there during the countrywide uprising against the king. For the last week of my trip, I was under house arrest alongside the Nepali people. Martial law gave me the opportunity to have indepth conversations with people at a defining moment in their country's history, and I was struck by the common hopes and dreams that I—a white girl from Charleston, S.C.–shared with a community of people whose existence initially seemed very foreign.

During that trip, I learned that a simple human connection can be one of the richest aspects of travel, and I vowed to always engage indigenous people in a meaningful manner during future trips. That simple resolution evolved into the decision to take a one-year trip around the world with the specific intention of connecting with and learning from the people I encounter. I believe that the more you learn about the world, the more you understand your place in it.

On March 11, I departed for Africa and began the U Truth Project. In an age when neighbors are disconnected and societies are fractured due to religion, creed, politics, race, geography, socio-economics, and countless other markers, the U Truth Project, seeks to discover commonalities within the human drama that supersede surface differences.

Armed with little more than a camera, a laptop, a copious supply of anti-malaria pills, and a tentative route, I am circumnavigating the globe and asking the people I meet to share one statement of truth."

The Rent has been paid

2008-07-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

ADP: I have a (sort-off) embarrassing little secret. I didn't move to New York City for some career opportunity, to pursue a creative ambition or find the love of my life. Eight years ago, I moved to Manhattan--the Lower East Side, specifically—for a Broadway musical.

I'd seen the original Broadway cast of Rent during my first trip to NYC from Florida in 1998. I was a 19 year old sophomore on Spring Break, and from the moment the cast came out on stage and tore into the opening number, I was completely sucked in. This was New York depicted as I'd never seen it--punked out bohemian club kids squatting in some apartment, living, singing, pursuing art and experiencing life. Real life. An ironic first impression, especially considering that I was watching a musical, but I so desperately wanted to graduate into a world where creativity is divine, diversity rules and your friends become the family you chose.

Two years later, after traveling through Europe with Jen (we both jammed out to the Rent soundtrack on my CD walkman) I followed through on a promise I'd made myself and moved to NYC. While I didn't end up becoming a performance artist in Alphabet City a la Maureen or a filmmaker like Mark, I did end up growing into myself here. I transitioned from a suited-up sales assistant to a dressed down magazine writer, moved back down to the depths of the Lower East Side after the Upper West felt too scrubbed down and sanitized for my protection. And, of course, I did find those amazing friends who knit together to make the tightest, most loving sort of family.

The reason this is all top of mind? Last night, Jen and I not only attended a private cabaret performance featuring Adam Pascal, the original Roger in Rent, we got to slip back to the green room at Feinstein's and meet the man himself. I have to say, I have never been particularly star struck—Brat Pitt once sat at the table next to mine, chain smoking with Sean Penn, and I managed to avoid doing anything egregiously fan-stalkerish—but I had trouble acting chill around Adam. I'm pretty sure the entire time I was talking to him, I was acting like Rainman, slobbering all over myself and grinning like a fool.

Yes—he's got one of the sexiest rocker voices in the business, a gorgeous face and an almost indecorous way with a guitar—but for some reason, meeting the guy just made me crazy nostalgic. Ooo--Roger from Rent shook my hand! Roger from Rent is talking to me! Roger from Rent is posing with me for a picture! My co-worker Karen grabbed the poor guy and forced him to listen to Lost Girls travel tales (um, yes, seriously!) but he graciously took everything in stride. Guess we weren't quite as bad as the heckler who almost had to be booted from the show for bad behavior.

Jen and I left the performance at Feinstein's and sang our lungs out in the streets for a full 15 blocks. People walking past barely gave us a second glance. Giddy and delirious (and yes, perhaps a bit toasty on a bottle of wine), we both got the strange sensation that the clock had turned backwards and we were 23 years old again--brand new in New York City with nothing but the fullest expectations for our New York futures. The high lasted until I finally collapsed into bed last night, and the wine giddiness has long since worn off. But even today, I'm still feeling little buzzed...

Where the @&*%$ are The Lost Girls??

2008-06-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, we'll admit it. We've been very, very lackadaisical about posting lately. I'm mean, three weeks since we last put something up? Ridiculous! But, of course, it's not because we're slackers (Oh no—perish the thought!) In the past several months, Jen, Holly and I have indeed been working hard on another LG project, something that we're finally ready (and very excited) to share officially...

In fall 2009, The Lost Girls will become a book! Fo shizzle!

Not long after we returned home from our year abroad (when we were still totally broke and had yet to find paying jobs), the three of us went up to Holly's mom's house in Syracuse, NY to spend a couple weeks in our pajamas, hunkered over our respective laptops, in an attempt to put together a book proposal. Not that any of us actually knew what we were doing. We simply bought some how-to guides with names like Book Proposals for Dummies, and The Complete Moron's Guide to Selling a Book, stocked up on piles of fatty/salty/sugary snacks from Wegman's grocery store (plus a huge tin of Holly's mom's cookies) and installed ourselves at the dining room table to get started.

Writing the proposal felt exactly like cramming for finals—an intense, pressure-cooker situation that combined lack of sleep, information overload, and way too many carbohydrates.

Our days went something like this: wake up, eat breakfast, write, eat a snack, write, write some more, take a break to walk around the neighborhood (or if you're Holly, sprint at a leisurely 9 mile an hour pace), shower, eat lunch, write, write, write, take a break to watch old episodes of Felicity on DVD, eat, write, eat, write, write, crash. Sleep. Repeat.

It took us a longer than we'd planned and we'd all gotten a bit puffier in the process, but we eventually flew back to NYC with a solid 50-page proposal in hand. Woo-hoo!

After securing superagent Ken Wright (a story best saved for another blog post!), tacking on a 30-page sample chapter (apparently, publishers want to see if you can actually write) and stressing as Ken shopped The Lost Girls around to NYC publishing houses, we finally got the news that blew our minds:

Harper Collins--The Harper Collins—wanted to buy our idea. We'd have a year to turn it into a 300-page manuscript. Now, where could they send the contract?

Holy crap!!

It took some doing (and a few cocktails at Tabla), but Superagent Ken assured us that yes, the sale was indeed for real. And now, the only thing that remains is for us to write the darn thing.

So, as we go through that process, we'll be sharing some of the highlights (and lowlights, of course) on the Lost Girls blog.

Here's a fun news item on The Lost Girls (the book, not the blog) in Variety:

Happy Feet?

2008-06-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

HCC: A trip to Antarctica is like the real-life version of Animal Planet: Where else in the world can you sail past seals sleeping on ice bergs or plop down on a snowy beach where curious penguins climb right onto your lap? Thus far all of our wildlife spottings have been the warm and cuddly kind—until our zodiacs landed on Cuverville Island.

The rocky island is home to a rookery of gentoo penguins, so we settled on a hill overlooking the ocean to watch nature’s show. Fluffy baby penguins frolicked in the icy waves and put on live performances akin to Happy Feet. The movie moment quickly ended when an enormous leopard seal tore into an unsuspecting gentoo—throwing it up in the air and catching it in its teeth. It was an instant reminder that, despite the Hollywood-worthy scenery, we’d definitely landed in one of the wildest places on earth.

Even so, The Ice does have a small human presence in the form of scientific research stations. Our ship stopped by one such Ukrainian base, known as Vernadsky, where the hole in the ozone was first discovered. Besides recording data on the South Pole’s animals, weather, and atmosphere, the multi-talented, all-male team concocts homemade vodka and sells it for $3 a shot at their onsite “Bar at the Bottom of the World.” This is also the place where visitors can pick up souvenirs such as penguin embroidery (!) and get an official Antarctica stamp in their passport.

I waited in line with my fellow Students on Ice Ambassadors for the coveted South Pole stamp to prove that we'd made it past 66 degrees South, silently thanking the gods for allowing me to somehow set foot in this natural playground. Though it felt like I'd stepped on another planet by traveling here, this pristine wonderland is just as much part of planet Earth as the fast-paced concrete jungle of New York City. And it's all of our duty to protect this place that we call home.

So I checked out Climate Care to calculate the carbon emission caused by my trip to The Ice. C02 emissions add to climate change, so I tried to offset the damage by donating money to their sustainable energy programs after using the calculator to figure out how much CO2 my roundtrip flight (including layovers) produced. (About 3.24 tonnes of CO2 according to the calculator tool). It's not ideal, but it's better than going on the trip and then not doing anything all to offset my carbon footprint. I try to remember that even small moves can add up to a big impact if everyone lends a hand.

Lost Girl of the Week: Jessica Marie

2008-05-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

ADP: Most would-be travelers need some sort of catalyst to uproot them from a comfy spot on the couch (or an exceedingly uncomfortable office chair) and propel them towards the open road.

For many, its a window of unscheduled time--the period between college and grad school, a sabatical from work, an extended honeymoon, a company layoff (paired with an excellent severance package, of course). Others take off to pursue new experiences and skills through a study aboard program or language schools. Still other nomads leave to live out a fantasy—like climbing Mt Killimanjaro, hugging penguins in Antarctica or diving the Great Barrier Reef.

But for a certain group of travelers, like Lost Girl of the Week Jessica Marie, the reasons for leaving aren't so clearly defined. Jessica intuitively understood the transforming effect of travel, so when the going got tough in her own life, this tough girl wasn't afraid to get going!

While its true that you can't run away from your problems, sometimes changing your geography can give you the perspective to learn and grow from them. Here's Jessica's story--and what she figured out along the way.

*******
From Jessica:

Up until the summer of 2007, my life seemed relatively on track. I had a great job in publishing as a graphic designer. My Toronto apartment was larger than most people I knew. I had a tight knit group of friends, and a loving boyfriend. I had also turned 30 that year—and was actually taking it well.

Now, I had always loved to travel. My dad had first sparked that interest by first taking me to Germany as kid. Years later, I even took a year off to see most of Europe and South East Asia. But now, after getting a real job with benefits, I had really settled in. I had grown accustomed to daily routine, and three week vacations.

Then, quickly, a series of events happened, which changed things drastically. First, there was new management at work. This then led to my editor quitting. At the same time work was extremely stressful with these changes, my dad suffered a stroke.

The summer of 2007 was spent flying home to see my dad on weekends, and trying to maintain sanity in my now tense work environment. It was at that point I made the decision. If I could get through this summer, and things were OK, then I would do something for myself. I would have another summer.

So I started saving, preparing and planning. I dug up a journal from 2000, where I had jotted down some long term goals. Visit galleries in Europe. Travel to Australia. Go to graduate school. Now, it seemed evident what my new summer would hold.

In February 2008, with my dad’s health in good condition, my best friend (since grade 7) and I, eagerly packed our bags for Australia, New Zealand and Japan. While most people couldn’t wrap their heads around the idea of quitting a full time job with benefits to travel, it made perfect sense to me.

My instinct proved to be true. Somewhere along the trip, I felt a shift that happens when travelling. A change of perspective that really changes you, stimulates you, and makes you feel alive. It could of been the challenge of navigating the Tokyo subway system. Or my best friend inspiring me to to sky dive in New Zealand. Maybe it was all of the hospitable Australians and the genuinely interesting people we met along the way.

Now, as I sit in a new city, in graduate school, I can clearly think about the challenges I faced last summer. Even though the experience was difficult, in essence it was my catalyst for change. For this I am grateful. It made me realize that life is short, and it really is what you make it. And most importantly, It brought me back to my first love—travel.
-----

Taking the Polar Plunge

2008-05-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

HCC: Maybe we were on a natural high after surviving the Drake Passage, or maybe all that fresh Antarctic air went straight to our heads, but almost every passenger on our voyage took a (polar) plunge and joined the Antarctic Swim Team.

As our ship headed to Whaler’s Bay, Deception Island, in the South Shetlands, we scored our first big wildlife viewings as humpback whales flaunted their acrobatic skills by breaching over twenty times. Penguins also shot out of the water all around the ship like shiny black-and-white bullets.

We watched from the bridge as our captain skillfully navigated the narrow crossing into Neptune’s Bellows, which was formed when the walls of a volcano collapsed. As we boarded the zodiacs to go ashore, our expedition leader announced that the volcano was still active—but that he didn’t think it would erupt today. We weren’t exactly convinced: Mother Nature and Antarctica were proving to be anything but predictable.

Still, that didn’t stop expedition mates from exploring the broken-down wooden buildings left behind from an old whaling station; watching the fur seals that made a home in the remnants of an abandoned rendering tank; or climbing a steep slope up to the break in the caldera wall known as Neptune’s Window.

Sulfurous clouds lingered above the shoreline as evidence that hot lava flowed beneath our feet. And so the debauchery began: The expedition team dug a hot-water pool on the beach as voyagers peeled away seemingly endless layers of snow pants, fleece jackets, long johns, wool socks, and rubber boots.

Jumping into the frigid ocean was enough to make your heart stop—and going underwater was required in order for the Antarctic plunge to “count.” Sprinting into the hot-water pool afterwards surprisingly burnt our toes. While most took the plunge in bathing suits or underwear, two brave (a.k.a. insane) souls actually stripped down naked. Besides bragging rights, we’d scored a surefire conversation starter: Nothing beats a story about a brisk Antarctic skinny dip at a dinner party.