tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40155553178272559742024-03-05T04:33:57.583-07:00Our WanderlustThe tales and trials of a couple who threw it all overboard for a life on the high seas - ahoy!Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-65841024843363061082013-10-09T08:00:00.000-06:002013-10-09T08:00:01.681-06:00It's Gator Time!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We’d been living in Florida for long enough that not having seen an alligator was beginning to be a badge of shame. We live right next to the Everglades, and apparently they fish these bad boys out of people's pools all the time... So it was Gator Boat Tour time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Juliano, our friend Dani and I headed out to the Everglades to see what the swamp was all about. I was expecting some hillbilly excitement, and friends - I was not </span></span>disappointed<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Please excuse the random girl doing a 'sexy pose' next to that truck. I'm just jealous because I can't sexy pose very well.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We went with <a href="http://www.evergladessafaripark.com/" target="_blank">Everglades Safari Park </a>because they were on the main road, had a decent website and seemed fun. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You get to ride an airboat (so fun!) around the glades and spot lots of great wildlife including turtles, alligators and all sorts of birds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Best part of it all?? You get to HOLD A BABY GATOR at the end. I don’t know if my crazy face adequately describes the amazingness of that. I kept trying to cuddle him like a puppy - and the guy was all... “don’t put him so close to your face - he’ll bite you” and “stop trying to kiss him, he’s a wild animal”. What a buzzkill.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The tour is a little over an hour and costs US$23.00, but if you buy your ticket online - you cans save $3.00. Back at the lodge you can walk a path around the property and see lots more older, larger alligators and crocodiles. Did you know the Florida Everglades are the only place that the two exist in the same place? It’s because of the mix of salt and fresh water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On the way back home, we stopped off at Calle Ocho in the Cuban section of Miami (yeah, it’s a real place - Pitbull didn’t invent it...) in Miami for some authentic Cuban sandwiches... YUM.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What’s the craziest animal you’ve ever tried to kiss??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Also - the quality of the photos here didn't just magically increase overnight. Dani took these with her awesome camera and mad photography skills. Thanks Dani!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(<i>Side note: This isn’t a sponsored post or anything - I just went because it seemed awesome, and it was)</i> </span></div>
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Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-11124206499408256292013-10-07T08:00:00.000-06:002013-10-07T08:00:00.925-06:00I'm not retired, but I live in West Palm Beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I thought West Palm Beach was just where rich, retired people go to play golf. I was wrong - that’s Boca Raton. Ha ha ahh... that’s a Florida joke.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">WPB is a pretty nice place to live actually. I see why people pack up their pleated chinos , throw their golf clubs in the porsche and migrate here for the chilly months of winter. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Clematis Street is sort of the ‘main drag’ (<i>to steal an expression from my dad</i>) and ends up at City Place. Both are full of fun pubs/bars/restaurants/theaters, etc. Sometimes there are parades there. I like parades - everything is so EXTRA.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If your crew is into diving as well - the diving around West Palm is surprisingly awesome! The water is warm, the vis is good and there are lots of operators that will take you out for a reasonable price. My first mate Matt, his brother and I showed up to one of these on an improptu day off.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Best surprise of all - we got to see a baby and mama manatee! Manatees live in the intercoastal waters and are a protected species. They’re slow and hard to spot - so they get hit by boats often. ** Note, running fresh water near them isn’t really allowed... sorry to be such a rule breaker**</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re willing to drive inland a bit - equestrian sports are big around here. Dressage, Jumping, Polo - the whole bit. Get out your bow ties, people! Just kidding. But because of this there are lots of stables that will let you come and ride for a few hours if you want.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry I don’t have much for specifics here! To find fun stuff in a new place I usually just sign up for Groupon or LivingSocial to see what kind of deals I come across. It also helps expose me to small business and local things to do :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have you ever been to West Palm Beach? What was your favourite thing?</span></span><br />
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Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-64181592320496404582013-10-04T08:00:00.000-06:002013-10-04T08:00:05.766-06:00The One Where I Get a Job<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I just noticed that this is my 100th post!! Crazy. Thanks for following along for 100 little stories of how I got from where I started - to fittingly, my first yachting job. Cheers to all of us!</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I came into this adventure knowing that we may have to work separately. Living apart was the downside we were expecting on our way to our goals. That time finally came. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It happened quickly. I got a call, an interview, another call and then started packing my tiny bag all over again. Juliano drove me to a train stop. I was nervous about working on my first boat, anxious about leaving Juliano and excited to see what it was all about. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is what I had been working for wasn’t it?</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I sold my house so I could live here.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I quit my job so I could work here. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I moved to Florida so I could get onboard here. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I bought two computers so we could live apart. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I took courses so I could know what to do here. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The pressure to be happy with the dreams I had achieved was immense.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4Ss_ymQ7mm5ZTznKnNJ7X811vcnEZNwaRdm-2TzkaWsrdj0iIaFqRZfR7B2P3XhhyaICMl7wv9tSC1jenpg0rDaBrigJmWcDjJaeyxDorcuFjYI-wwMhqywZasftoGL-0VVNty96-34/s1600/IMG_3486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4Ss_ymQ7mm5ZTznKnNJ7X811vcnEZNwaRdm-2TzkaWsrdj0iIaFqRZfR7B2P3XhhyaICMl7wv9tSC1jenpg0rDaBrigJmWcDjJaeyxDorcuFjYI-wwMhqywZasftoGL-0VVNty96-34/s640/IMG_3486.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I stepped onboard and met the rest of the crew. Six crew keep this 130’ boat floating, moving and clean. It was based in West Palm Beach, a 1 hour train ride north of Fort Lauderdale where Juliano was staying. I liked it here. I work hard right away.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I got hired as Stew/Deck which essentially puts me at the whims of both my chief stew and our first mate. I clean the rooms, I clean the bilges. The pay seems low at first, compared to what I was making at my Official Office Job - but then I realize slowly that I don’t pay mortgage. Or utilities. Or food. Suddenly the amount I’m making stretches much further. Also, I don’t have space to put anything I would buy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I live on boat now.</span></span><br />
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Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-84929087875180558812013-10-02T08:00:00.000-06:002013-10-02T08:00:05.454-06:00Pilgrimage to Ironman Florida<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Okay - this adventure is not ALL about how to become a yachtie. That part just took over the beginning of Florida for us. But luckily, we had family force us into an impromptu road trip because....</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My brother-in-law Ryan is a pro Ironman triathlete. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What?! Yeah, I know. He’s crazy. And until now, we’ve never had the opportunity to see him race in person. So when we found out that he was competing in Ironman Florida - a mere 12 hour drive around the gulf.... what were we to do?</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We haven’t been on a road trip since our little jaunt around the Pacific North West when we sold our house. We were due for another.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And - in a scene straight out of Friday Night Lights (Clear Eyes, Full Hearts!) we came across a High School Football game. Guys, there were lights. There were cheerleaders. There was a f*cking MARCHING BAND!!! I was clearly overexcited about the prospect of sitting down for the remainder of the game and soaking in the Cross City Super Bowl.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But with an early race start looming and many hours left to drive, Juliano’s logic won out over my pee-my-pants-intense excitement. Damn him.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ironman spectating should be a sport in itself. Seriously, it’s hectic. My sister-in-law Lauren is the race-watching guru. Ryan raced for 8hrs 45mins, and we saw him 6 times. Running into the water, out of the water, transitioning, running past, transitioning, biking past, finishing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can read Ryan’s <a href="http://www.ryancain.ca/p/race-report-ironman-florida-2012.html" target="_blank">account of the race here;</a> he talks jibberish about electrolytes and bike wattage. He came in 15th overall which is pretty badass of him.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a person who’s neither athletic, nor competitive - I find competition at this level hard to relate to. This dedication to pushing and training to shave minutes off your time and beat just one more person through the gates is admirable. But for those of us that think walking across a parking lot is a hardship - doing anything for nine hours is insanity. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ironman has a cutoff time of 17hours. SEVENTEEN HOURS! You can deliver a baby in less time than that. It’s probably more pleasant. Knowing it was our first Ironman experience, Ryan and Lauren brought us back to the race for the end of the line finishers. The people who complete the race in the last hour have no business running an Ironman. They are not elite athletes, they don’t have top of the line gear or sponsors. But holy shit do they have some spirit. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you pass the finish line the announcers shout out ‘YourName, you are an Ironman!’. It’s a cool moment and a very clear goal for many of these end finishers. It was heart warming to watch people brutalize their bodies and overcome their physical boundaries to achieve these immense goals. I’m in awe of what people can do when they put their minds to it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Congrats Ryan on a great race - and thank you for letting us into your world!</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Side note: Ryan is cooler than I give him credit for. If you want to check him out here’s his <a href="http://www.ryancain.ca/" target="_blank">Blog</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ryancain.triathlete" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ryancaintri" target="_blank">Twitter. </a></i></span></span><br />
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Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-49972062071199224442013-09-30T08:00:00.000-06:002013-09-30T08:00:09.629-06:00Yacht Life II: Daywork and Crew Agents<br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, you've got your STCW and you can fold toilet paper like an expert. Now, you’ve probably spent all of your money on courses and crewhouses - here’s the real question: how do you get it all back???</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let’s get to work.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Step One: Get a Yacht Resume</b></span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Weird thing about yachting: Resumes are SO PERSONAL. They include things like</span></span><br />
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<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">photos</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">marital status</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">health/smoking status</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">citizenship</span></span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pretty much every item that goes against every HR requirement in every job I’ve ever applied for. But, in this industry - you’re hiring a roommate and a worker all in one. </span></span><br />
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<b>Step Two: Get Daywork</b><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a great way to get your feet onto a boat and start working. If you go around the boat show times, there will be lots of daywork. Fort Lauderdale Boat Show is usually around the end of October which is at the start of the Carribean season for many boats. Interior and exterior extra crew are usually needed to get the boats looking good! </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dockwalking, talking to friends and <a href="http://daywork123.com/">daywork123.com</a> are how we got this type of work.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>Step Three: Crew Agents</b></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Besides ‘networking’ (<i>ugh, I hate that term. It’s so sleazy - but true)</i> with your fellow yachties, crew agents are the way you’re probably going to get a job. Don’t worry - it’s free. The boats pay their fees to get matched with crew. Each agency works a little differently but in general: apply on their websites, get ‘interviewed’ by the agent, monitor the website/emails for jobs you’re interested and apply accordingly.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is how we (spoiler alert!) got jobs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a couple of the ones we worked with in Ft Lauderdale,...</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.northropandjohnson.com/" target="_blank">Northrop & Johnson</a> ~ </span></span><a href="http://www.elitecrewintl.com/" style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">Elite Crew</a> ~ <a href="https://www.luxyachts.com/" style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">Lux Yachts</a> ~ <a href="http://www.nauticcrewintl.com/" style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">Nautic Crew</a> ~ <a href="http://www.crewunlimited.com/" style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">Crew Unlimited</a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every yachtie you meet will have a different story as to why and how they got into yachting, this is just us.</span></span><br />
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-6854731933976188662013-09-27T08:00:00.000-06:002013-09-27T08:00:09.278-06:00Yacht School II: Stew School + AEC<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can fold toilet paper into a little fan. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can set a table with 12 pieces of silverware - per person. I can create a lively flower arrangement with some grocery store flowers and crowns out of crisp linen napkins that would shame Martha Stewart into eating McDonalds take out for life.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am the champion of fancy shit. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where did I learn these game changing skillz you ask? Stew School. Known officially as ‘MegaYacht Interior Operations Course’, Stew school is a yacht stewardess intro course. It teaches everything from cleaning and laundry to table settings and silver service. It’s a fun, but expensive (around $1000!) 5 day course that I took at the same school as my STCW. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While it’s not necessary to get a job, and redundant if you have one - I would recommend it for green stews who are looking to get their first job. Not necessarily for the specific skills (you’ll have chief stew who will tell you how she likes it, trust me) but for the confidence and connections. The instructors of this course have been stews, and they know the game. Here’s your chance to ask aaaaalllll the questions and meet other girls just starting out in the industry. It’s fun, and it was the first time that I actually got my head around the level of service required in this industry. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">StewFact: Did you know we clean the bathrooms EVERY SINGLE TIME their used? </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yep. We do that. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THE GUYS: Deckies and AEC</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While I was off learning how to fold fitted sheets, Juliano was learning how engines work. This industry is still quite gender segregated. While there are notable exceptions of female deckhands and male stewards - it’s not the norm. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stews : girls. Deckies : guys. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The career path for the exterior crew is also clearer - there is a long series of courses and qualifications available for Juliano to take as he moves forward in yachting. For the interior crew there are course you can take (ex wine tasting, bar tending, service, etc) but no specific certifications that pre-qualify you for advancement.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back to the engines... Juliano took the AEC ‘Approved Engine Course’ which is an intro engineering course. It’s a 5 day course as well, also quite expensive ($1000). </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While hands on learning is the best for this, it’s a good general overview of the mechanics of boats - including jet skis and tender, the items typically required to be cared for by the deck crew. Additional, taking extra courses like this can show a bit of commitment to the industry - and differentiate yourself from the backpackers that fall into it looking for a quick season of cash.</span></span><br />
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Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-70084659265691538272013-09-25T08:00:00.000-06:002013-09-25T08:00:03.899-06:00Yacht School I: STCW + RIB<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Numero Uno question I get asked when strangers find out what I do: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">How did you get a job like that? Did you have to go to school?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well my friends, I did. I fought fires, I practiced CPR, I swam into a life raft. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite my usual glib-ness about yacht life, safety is a huge factor. Boats burn to the water line in minutes, storms happen, and people fall overboard. Yacht crew are a relatively small group people charged with the responsibility of the guests, other crew members and the boat itself - everyone on a crew list needs to be informed and able to perform in emergency situations.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THE BASICS: STCW ’95</b></span></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a must have to work in the yachting industry. It’s a 5 day course and costs around $900 US. It’s a really fun and informative week, you learn lots about the industry, safety and firefighting.</span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="340" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/48466790?color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="680"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/48466790">International Crew Training - STCW 95</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user7578194">ICT Fort Lauderdale</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">RIB is a Rigid Inflatable Boat... aka dinghy. Every yacht has (at least) one, and this course will give you the license to drive one. Note I said license, not necessarily skill. This is a quick, 2 day course that will teach you the basics of driving a simple tender. We didn’t really get enough time to be confident drivers, but.... it’s a rubber boat.</span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/62340753?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/62340753">ICT Powerboat II</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user7578194">ICT Fort Lauderdale</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where to go?</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We took all of our courses at<a href="http://yachtmaster.com/" target="_blank"> ICT</a> in Ft Lauderdale. They were great there - friendly and helpful, especially going in a newbies. <a href="http://www.mptusa.com/" target="_blank">MPT</a> is the other big school in town, and while we don’t have any personal experience there - we’ve heard good things as well. What ever school you choose, just make sure that its recognized by MCA, USCG and/or PYA. Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-38076652990009693812013-09-23T08:00:00.000-06:002013-09-23T08:00:07.610-06:00Yacht Life I: Crew Houses are a way of Life<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">It feels like a hostel - but no one’s goal is just travel. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Everyone seems to have money - but no one seems to have jobs. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fort Lauderdale, full of wanna-be yachties lurking around for the beginning of the season, is where we found ourselves early in this adventure. The secret underbelly population that neither travelers nor yachties will claim as their own; the crew housemates are the frat brothers you never had. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first house we stayed in had up to 32 people living, eating, drinking, partying and hustling for work at any one time. It was insane. It was overwhelming. It was great.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But, despite all the craziness, it was an amazing learning experience. Here are some things I learned...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How to cook Thanksgiving dinner for 32.</b> Canadian thanksgiving, not that weirdly scheduled American version. With turkey and a teapot full of gravy. I had to call my mom for an apple pie recipe after Juliano made a fuss over the exclusivity of pumpkin. Moms are the best at pie recipes. And a rum punch helps everything.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How to do laundry in a sketchy laundromat.</b> Answer: lots of quarters, </span></span>bring friends, <span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">don’t talk to the guy who works there, don’t open the dryer before it’s finished. Bring your own soap.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How to party</b>. I though I knew, I was wrong.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How to party in costume</b>. Everything is better in costume. Especially drinking.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How to not have a job.</b> Here’s a weird one. I’ve had a job steadily since I was 14 and worked in a Korean Bakery. Most of my life I’ve had two jobs. I’ve never had zero jobs. Turns out: It’s fun in the short term. Go to the beach in the middle of the day on a Tuesday? Of course I will.</span></span><br />
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<b>How easy it is to sneak into fancy hotels and use their pools</b>. From Ft Lauderdale to Miami.... just wear your bikini under your clothes, and order a drink if there’s a bar. Enjoy acting fancy.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How to do shit for free. </b>When you’re broke, free shit is the best. </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Work out in a park. Go to free drinking days at restaurants (they exist!). Go to the beach. Download movies from the internet. Rent a SUP with a whole group of people, they all take a turn. Ride a crappy bike.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How to make awesome friends. </b></span></span><br />
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<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do something life changing that is hard to relate to.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meet other people that can relate to that/you and live with them.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Get drunk with them, better if in costume.</span></span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, so thats not exactly the golden rule for making new friends. Nor do I really recommend jobless binge drinking as a long term choice. But, when you put yourself out there, when you’re open to new experiences in life - you attract new people and new experiences. It’s amazing how many people are really out there, disrupting their lives for new goals and adventures. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meet them, learn from them, befriend them. Soak in their luminosity and lust for life - it can fuel yours.</span></span><br />
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Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-3325689014641436402013-09-21T08:00:00.000-06:002013-09-21T08:00:07.523-06:00One Year In.<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">One year ago today, I picked up a tiny bag. I flew away from my home, my family, my things (not much left) to go and try something new.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Let’s live on a boat,</i> we thought. <i>Let’s travel for living.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Holy Shit, friends. We did it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We live on a boat. We travel for a living.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where are we today you wonder? Today, we’re in Brazil - on holiday. Yep, on holiday from living on a boat and traveling for work. Craziness! Here are the places that we’ve been since stepping onboard this adventure...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pretty good for a season and a half, and we’re just getting started. How about this then... I’ve had a couple of very flattering commenters ask if what we’re up to. So let’s catch up. Grab a cup of coffee, and take a seat in the galley - it’s a bit of a long story, but it’s a fun one...</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><i>Side Note: I’ll be throwing down my version of "how to be a yachtie" advice. It’s only based on our experiences getting into the industry from Florida. Feel free to disregard if you disagree!</i></span></span><br />
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Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-87837643659781317832012-10-31T11:00:00.002-06:002012-10-31T11:00:55.137-06:00Yup, Still Alive - Fort Lauderdale Edition.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjBuPpWfsB8zO9tCAzRgWh2rhzZuasXCOr1SSIKxjR-CpIBQfh_-3sb8oNrhIuWFsPsIIf_zL8zlC8mQqHQlw2Fgk7cdV-mBkh67QngF2METTZ_feU3crYYzL_3NyHeyhqcgS5bv16_A/s1600/Aerial2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjBuPpWfsB8zO9tCAzRgWh2rhzZuasXCOr1SSIKxjR-CpIBQfh_-3sb8oNrhIuWFsPsIIf_zL8zlC8mQqHQlw2Fgk7cdV-mBkh67QngF2METTZ_feU3crYYzL_3NyHeyhqcgS5bv16_A/s640/Aerial2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Hey Friends! Sorry for the absence, we arrived here almost 5 weeks ago (5 weeks?!?!) and life kinda got away from us before I had a chance to process what was going on around me... never mind write it down for the blog. Anyways, I seem to have acclimatized myself to life here a bit, and hopefully I'm back in the saddle!<br />
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When I last left off, we were still getting ready to go. We had some great going away parties...<br />
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And we (well, maybe just me...) were doing some last minute shopping, and skyping our lovelies...<br />
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We spent our last night at home at my mom's house. It actually just turned into a packing explosion. We came down here carry-on only.<br />
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INDEFINITE TRAVEL, CARRY ON ONLY.</div>
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I'll let that sink in for a second while you contemplate my crazy level. (I'll post more about what we packed, and how it's working for us soon!) But, before we left, it looked like this:<br />
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Next Stop: Waterworld. </div>
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As we flew over the everglades and into this city that would become our new home for now, all I could see was water. There are canals and bayous and ocean and lakes and canals and rivers and pools. Even the air is wet. I'm pretty sure that alligators live everywhere - but now I feel like i've moved into their habitat, not the other way around.<br />
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We arranged a ride to our crew house and got picked up at the airport. It was the first of a series of "OMG. This is my life now" moments. When you don't have your own car or home, you end up getting rides everywhere and staying in odd accommodations. It's a strange combination of becoming more independent and more reliant on strangers.<br />
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We walked into a giant house, with slight travel-hangovers from the long day and say a scene that looks something like this:<br />
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It's a giant house, it's boisterous, busy and full of people who all know each other. I've never travelled and stayed in any kind of hostel or crew accommodations before (married young!)...so this was all new for me - and to be honest quite overwhelming. We snuck up to our cozy private room to get settled.<br />
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Before going back down to the main section of this house, which houses between 18 - 32 people...<br />
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It's crazy here! </div>
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But as it turns out - </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I love it.</b></span> </div>
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Living with lots of people is really fun (most of the time). We make 'family dinner' about once a week, and we're all working towards similar goals (for the most part). There's always someone putting on a movie, or going out to a pub, or making dinner. My new crewhouse family helps me out lots. We work together and we hang out together. They know where to get the best tacos and what agencies to sign up for (more on job gettin' later). They lend me interview clothes, and the girls all get overdressed and go out to ladies night on Wednesdays. There's an amazing sense of camaraderie that, having never really played on teams, I haven't quite experience before. It's so fun.<br />
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We got ourselves some bikes, and started checking out Fort Lauderdale. Our strange new home.<br />
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More to come soon, thanks for your patience and thanks for all the support we've gotten already!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">High Five!</span></div>
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<br />Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-46747352844826638212012-09-21T13:13:00.002-06:002012-09-21T13:16:21.649-06:00We're on our way!Early morning flight, stop over in Dallas and we're in our way... So excited to finally be going!<br />
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Yep. That is ALL OF OUR LUGGAGE {we're both wearing small backpacks in this pic}. We're travelling carry on only - and I'm stressed already that I've brought waay too much stuff! It's going to be an adventure.<br />
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Ps. We're having a debate on the value of upgrading to first/business class. I vote it's worth about $100/hour of flight time. {So a 2hr flight is worth it of its a $200 upgrade.} Buuuut... I haven't quite shifted my mindset to someone with no job! What do you think??<br />
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<br />Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-54667815367291297152012-09-20T06:00:00.000-06:002012-09-20T06:00:13.436-06:00Long Term Travel Insurance for Albertans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEkO2uz1asMkcNCwXSAbMlksmV3w8V7kEnTzkff-5yWzrXEigSN92kpcVnOi84r_2A_QVng8yFIpGXJHH0XHN5LnrcVCWbcPYB5hzlyyjhD2OD6IOcFmemW7MrADI_lfpQ3MAekaG3aY/s1600/Travel+Insurance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEkO2uz1asMkcNCwXSAbMlksmV3w8V7kEnTzkff-5yWzrXEigSN92kpcVnOi84r_2A_QVng8yFIpGXJHH0XHN5LnrcVCWbcPYB5hzlyyjhD2OD6IOcFmemW7MrADI_lfpQ3MAekaG3aY/s640/Travel+Insurance.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The mixture of being Canadian residents and full-time employees with additional health insurance has afforded us the luxury of never really thinking about our health in terms of money. Everything has always been free. We pay nominal fees for some prescriptions and <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/03/medical-immunization-time.html" target="_blank">travel immunizations</a>, but not much.<br />
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To be honest, I can't even really relate to having to <i>pay</i> for healthcare. You have <i>to pay</i> if you get hit by a car? You have <i>to pay</i> to have a baby in a hospital? This doesn't make any sense to me. I'll keep my politics to myself, but my views are based on my experiences with this system of healthcare.<br />
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Venturing out into the world, we had to consider our health coverage internationally. We're both certified SCUBA divers and plan on continuing to dive - so that was a concern as well. Luckily, through the power of the interwebs, most of the research was already done for me.<br />
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Yeay to blog friends! Yeay to being lazy!</div>
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Steph over at <a href="http://www.20yearshence.com/" target="_blank">20 Years Hence</a>, wrote an amazingly detailed post <a href="http://www.20yearshence.com/better-safe-than-sorry-health-insurance-for-canadian-u-s-travelers/" target="_blank">Better Safe than Sorry</a> about her experience with Canadian, American, and International health insurance. I won't even try to recap what she has to say, because most of my posts are rambling diatribes about drinking too much, not information packed learning experiences.<br />
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Point is: I agree with all of it, and have had many of the same experiences looking into insurance.<br />
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There are only a few differences we have as Albertans. <a href="http://www.health.alberta.ca/AHCIP/outside-coverage.html" target="_blank">AHCIP requires that you be in Alberta for 183 days out of 12 months to maintain coverage</a>. Since we will be gone for longer than that, we can<a href="http://www.health.alberta.ca/AHCIP/contact-AHCIP.html" target="_blank"> call to extend it out</a>. But even that will only bring us up to 12 months of coverage for AHCIP basics {this is free coverage that all Albertans get}. If we lose this coverage, we will have to insure<i> all of our coverage independently,</i> and not just the additional insurance that we would get with most plans.<br />
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<a href="http://www.worldnomads.com/" target="_blank">World Nomads</a> and <a href="http://www.travelcuts.com/insurance/" target="_blank">Bon Voyage</a> are two companies that provide international insurance. After some comparisons, World Nomads looked more like the insurance that we would need, as it included more extended diving and 'adventure travel' coverage.<br />
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However, we had two more factors to consider:<br />
{1} We wanted to add onto our current AHCIP coverage, not double it up<br />
{2} If we do end up working soon, many boats will include medical insurance as a part of their package, and we don't want to pay for something that could be offered for free!<br />
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We went to check out <a href="http://www.ama.ab.ca/travel/travel-insurance-packages?link=InsurancePackages_TravelInsurance" target="_blank">AMA Travel Insurance options</a>, and they provide some shorter term extended coverage. This is what we went with in the end. We bought insurance until December, which is 71 travel days and cost us $486 for both of us. Not the cheapest, but it's what works best for us.<br />
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<i>**Side Note: All of these policies are health insurance that we carry on top of a personal life insurance policy that we pay monthly. Look how grown up we are! Multiple levels of insurance!**</i><br />
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When our AMA coverage runs out, we'll most likely purchase the World Nomads package if we still need it. What about you fellow travellers? Did you purchase any insurance? Have you had any experiences making claims worldwide?<br />
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If you have any specific questions about Alberta/Travel insurance - let me know!<br />
<br />Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-11462285760303554772012-09-19T14:47:00.000-06:002012-09-19T14:47:17.073-06:00Do Not Lose your Safety Deposit Box Keys.As I write this, I have a countdown clock open and ticking down in front of me. 40 hours until departure. We've been busy having drinks with friends, and fussing about our packing list - as expected.<br />
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Buut... every plan has kinks doesn't it?<br />
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Here's ours: I lost the keys to our <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/03/money-time-canadian-banking-edition.html" target="_blank">safety deposit box</a>. Yep. With all this moving around and packing, they're gone. I do not suggest this.<br />
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Turns out that the bank can't just <i>please let you into the box</i>, even if you ask. You must pay. You must book a locksmith - who usually books out up to a week in advance. But if you beg and plead and let them know you are <i>moving out of the country at the end of the week!!</i> you can get in. For $200 we had a lovely visit with Wayne the locksmith who literally DRILLED our box open today.<br />
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Less that one day to go and we're chasing our tails and running all over town in cars we're borrowing from friends and family while trying to solve problems that shouldn't even exist.<br />
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Silver lining: we got to move our box to a bank branch thats more convenient to us now. 39.5 Hours. Losing my bananas.<br />
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Have a good day and don't lose your stuff! ha ha...<br />
Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-46849841419981693832012-09-18T06:00:00.000-06:002012-09-18T06:00:04.515-06:00We Don't Have JOBS!!<div style="text-align: center;">
Yep, You are looking at a bunch of unemployed vagabonds for the time being!!</div>
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My last day of work was Friday, and it feels soooo weird to not be at work today. No matter - I scheduled us some massages to 'ease our pain'.<br />
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[Budget Note: Yep, I knoooow we're supposed to be cheap when we have no jobs and we're planning on travelling. But seriously, we booked with students at a massage school - so it's cheap! And we're <i>helping someone get an education</i>. Who doesn't believe in education?? Exactly.]<br />
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We had one last run to the storage locker yesterday, and have some banking and shopping to do to get our last minute packing done... I'll get a money post up in a bit now that we have a solid handle on our pre-adventure finances...<br />
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Have a great day - 3 more sleeps to Florida!<br />
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<br />Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-77742924313915896062012-09-16T13:23:00.000-06:002012-09-16T13:23:14.076-06:00Van Sold, Party Had<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey Friends!<br />
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Holy crap - countdown is almost done! 4 days until departure for us...crazy. All of our last-minute stuff is almost done, except packing of course. We sold our van (Yeay, another $1000!), so now we officially own nothing that doesn't fit into a backpack. (Or a <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/08/storage-and-stuff-and-squirrels-oh-my.html" target="_blank">small storage locker</a>)<br />
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We went out with some friends to celebrate our going away, had some beer at a German pub called <a href="http://wurst.ca/" target="_blank">WURST</a>. If you're in Calgary, it's a great place - the basement is a Beer Hall. I already love beer, now I love halls. They play games like 'Stein-Holden' where you have to hold a one litre mug of beer out in front of you. Last one standing wins beer...<br />
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We both lost. Also this happens every weekend:<br />
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It's been a surprisingly emotional week saying all of our goodbyes. I guess we've been so excited, and a touch anxious about the details of our adventures, that we haven't really thought about saying our farewells.... So, while everyone we talk to asks us if we are going to miss <i>the people at home</i> we never really thought about the fact that <i>they might miss us</i>. Quite unsettling.<br />
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But, the world is small and technology is fast and amazing. Everyone has our skype/facetime/email/facebook/twitter/blog information to contact anytime. Now it's up to us to try to stay in touch as well.<br />
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Countdown is on, we're nursing some mild hangovers today and spending all of our time with family and friends...<br />
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D&JDanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-70348998537276404162012-09-10T11:29:00.003-06:002012-09-10T11:32:22.624-06:00Eye can see!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Soo... after I blasted out my blog to my friends and family <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/09/were-moving-friends.html" target="_blank">here</a>, my mom helpfully pointed out that <i>there are things on the Champagne List that are done and you haven't blogged about them!</i> Thanks Mama.<br />
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Anyways, remember the <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/p/champagne-list.html" target="_blank">Champagne List</a>? It's a list of things that we'll drink Champagne to celebrate as we get closer and closer to our departure date. And on the list... DANA GETS EYE SURGERY. I'm quite blind, and I don't want to have to deal with contacts and glasses and eye exams while I'm out and about in the world, so here we go. My last day with glasses:<br />
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I signed myself up for a consult, asked my brother (who got it done last year) how it goes, and put my name down for surgery. After about a billion people poking and prodding at my eyeballs, getting a million different drop that did weird shit to my eyes and vision... the doctors spoke. <a href="http://www.gimbeleyecentre.com/vision-correction/phakic-implantable-lens-calgary-edmonton/" target="_blank">Implantable lenses</a> it would be for me. With some very generous help from my Mom (full disclosure: 100%), I can now see!<br />
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Something funny? They <i>filmed</i> my eye surgery. I'm not posting it here because its just freaky weird medical stuff, and really - we are that kind of friends yet...<br />
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{Okay, fine - since you asked. Actually I'm too lazy to upload my video, so<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYKLEhfmq1I&feature=youtube_gdata_player" target="_blank"> here is my brother's</a> if you really need to see it. You've been warned.}<br />
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Have a good day - enjoy seeing the world around you in whatever way you can :)<br />
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Dana<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i>Ps. I got my eye surgery done at <a href="http://www.gimbeleyecentre.com/" target="_blank">Gimble Eye Centre</a> in Calgary, Alberta. I highly recommend it for anyone looking into the same thing. They were great with everything and I have better than 20/20 vision now! Despite our awesome Canadian heath care system (not being facetious) You still have to pay $$ for this unless you have cataracts or something. It's not cheap so have your mom pay for it if you can.. </i></span><br />
<br />Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-50209337219431836402012-09-06T20:31:00.000-06:002012-09-06T20:31:24.636-06:00We're Moving Friends!<div style="text-align: center;">
Hi Friends and Family... </div>
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Guess What?</div>
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In about 2 weeks. Holy Crap.</div>
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Welcome to the blog. I wrote it to tell you a bit about the crazy decisions we were making to sell our stuff, move away and add a splash of adventure to our lives! Take a look around if you want, here's our <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2011/12/inspiration-and-adventure.html" target="_blank">first post </a>which explains a little about what we're doing and why...<br />
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Keeping in touch with our family and friends from home is super important to us... so I'll try to keep this blog updated with where we are and what we're up to as we go. In return, please comment, email, facebook, Skype, FaceTime or message us as much as you want!<br />
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We love you all - so buy us a beer before we're gone :)<br />
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D&J<br />
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<i>ps. for our regular bloggy friends.... telling our friends and family is another check of the <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/p/champagne-list.html" target="_blank">champagne list!</a></i>Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-27041935158077105342012-09-06T19:20:00.000-06:002012-09-06T20:25:12.901-06:00Road Trip: Portland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey Friends! We're back with more of our Pacific NW Road trip.... and it's Portland Time! We added Portland to the trip because we heard (a) The Beer is Good and (b) It's like Seattle, but weirder. I'm here to tell you... both are true!<br />
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<b><u>Where we stayed: </u></b></div>
AirBnB! This was our first experience staying with an airbnb host... and it was great. It was cheap ($50/night) and close to Hawthorne (trendy area filled with food and shops). The house was weird, but I figured we were just getting in the spirit. Also, our awesome hosts gave us some great food recommendations...<br />
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<b><u>What we ate:</u></b></div>
What <i>didn't</i> we eat? Ha... I'm going to YOLO my way to obesity while travelling. Anyways, we mostly just ate to justify all of the beer we were drinking.<br />
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Full Sail Brewery ~ <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/05/house-selling-101-do-it-in-bar.html" target="_blank">We sold our house here</a>!! This was the first of many brewery tours, and gave us a great reason for celebration.... Juliano votes LTD5, Dana loves the Amber. Yum.<br />
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Hair of the Dog Brewery ~ Another awesome microbrewery, with 5 extra points for the name. Juliano's favourite by far. Also... two the plates of JUST MEAT that we ate for lunch were beyond delicious...<br />
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Awesome Oddities<br />
I know that everyone says the Portland is weird, and Portlandia rings true... well my friends: They are right. Portland is a crazy, awesome, hilarious place to be. Somewhere in amongst the face tattoos and the organic street food - we fell in love. <br />
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Here's some awesome moments courtesy of Juliano's camera addiction!<br />
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<br />Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-15494623977493709562012-08-08T06:24:00.000-06:002012-08-08T06:24:00.175-06:00Road Trip: The Drive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey Bloggy Friends,<br />
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{I hope all my Canadian Blog Friends had a great long weekend!}<br />
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Remember <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/04/roadtrip-pacific-northwest.html" target="_blank">that time I said we were going on a road trip</a>? And then <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/05/house-selling-101-do-it-in-bar.html" target="_blank">I told you we sold our house</a> while on a road trip? Except I never really told you anything ABOUT the road trip? Yup, it's because I'm a crappy blogger. As it turns out, keeping a travel blog about <i>preparing</i> to travel comes a lot easier to me than a blogging <i>about actually traveling.</i> Strange.<br />
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Anyways...We did it. We went on a road trip! The first leg of our journey was from Calgary down to Sandpoint, ID for one night. It was a gorgeous drive through the foothills and into Rocky Mountains. Turns out I might not hate road trips as much as I was expecting to... {so cynical, Dana}. Here are some fun facts about our trip:<br />
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3350 Km driven</div>
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6 Face tattoos spotted</div>
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5 Nights in AirBnB homes</div>
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3 Nights with friends</div>
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2 Professional sports games attended</div>
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1 Sorta hitchhiker</div>
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Waaay too much beer sampled...</div>
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<u>On the way there...</u> </div>
USA border security confiscated a bag of oranges we had in the car. Sad, because I was hungry later. The cheap motel we rolled into late that night was 50s themed. It was hilariously amazing.<br />
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<u>On the way home...</u></div>
TMI: I'm a horrible road trip partner because I probably have to stop for a pee every 2 hours or so. On the way home, while enjoying the gorgeous drive down the <a href="http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/coquihalla/index.htm" target="_blank">Coquihalla Highway</a>, I forced Juliano to pull over at a rest stop for a 'break'. While slowing down to pull over - we passed a speed trap {moral of that story: my tiny bladder saved us a massive ticket!}. At the rest stop, a teenaged guy approached us and this happened:<br />
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<b>Guy:</b> Umm... excuse me? Are you guys by any chance driving to Calgary?<br />
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<b>Me:</b> Yep. Why? Is that your car over there getting towed?<br />
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<b>Guy:</b> Yeah, well... technically it's my mom's car getting towed. I was driving my girlfriend home to Kelowna.<br />
<br />
<b>Me:</b> Ah ha ha.... that sucks. Hey - did you know that today is Mother's day?<br />
<br />
<b>Guy:</b> Really? Shit. I don't have any cell reception here. <br />
<br />
<b>Me:</b> You should call her.<br />
<br />
<b>Guy:</b> Yeah, I know. Can I please get a ride with you? I can pay for gas or whatever.<br />
<br />
<b>Me:</b> ha ha ha...I don't need your gas money. But I feel like this will be hilarious, so hop on in!<br />
<br />
And that is how we picked up a sorta-hitch-hiker in BC and brought him all the way home. Turns out getting your mom's car towed on Mother's day is not really appreciated by your family - his dad was <i>pissed</i>. It was hilarious. Also he was quite polite and friendly {Canadians...} and complimented my taste in music {which made me feel young and trendy} - overall success on our part.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFakF6sLm88AtxqhB19-RwglJYIed9j7reLgWstVKMQG8EhqYyahdZeycC_llMRg3mbF5qRWN93hbRS-IRn25oA9iKH0BVL-sEVpY2CQtIpvqSliluGnIwDlCqyZcaZ6KTZ2d3xvjYb0/s1600/roadtripguy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFakF6sLm88AtxqhB19-RwglJYIed9j7reLgWstVKMQG8EhqYyahdZeycC_llMRg3mbF5qRWN93hbRS-IRn25oA9iKH0BVL-sEVpY2CQtIpvqSliluGnIwDlCqyZcaZ6KTZ2d3xvjYb0/s640/roadtripguy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><br /></u><br />
<u>Some random notes about road tripping... </u><br />
<u><br /></u></div>
- I know the words to A LOT of songs. What a waste of brain space, I should be fluent in Portuguese by now.<br />
<br />
- Trains are cool, bridges are awesome. Train bridges = super awesome<br />
<br />
- Road side {and river-side!} picnics are the best<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYax8y1EmJ6PNjG1ryTDCe-pNWGDycbsCh_HzZ2ta56ZYzzOgnmblGCaXEt42mHkOXggDKebU8UPEFtebPdKBQLTxUoQyvPbCOjEypzbCUXI2ANyQv6DXWNtAgksvdpMuQ1tNKmCbHBg/s1600/roadtrippicnic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYax8y1EmJ6PNjG1ryTDCe-pNWGDycbsCh_HzZ2ta56ZYzzOgnmblGCaXEt42mHkOXggDKebU8UPEFtebPdKBQLTxUoQyvPbCOjEypzbCUXI2ANyQv6DXWNtAgksvdpMuQ1tNKmCbHBg/s640/roadtrippicnic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
- I don't know anything about geography. Seriously, I'm lost about 90% of the time.<br />
<br />
- Farmers Markets are cool in every city. And the food is always the best there.<br />
<br />
-
There is no chance in hell that I'll ever be able to translate
USD-per-Gallon to Canadian-Cents-per-Liter for gas comparisons. You
literally need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. I give up.
But still:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Most expensive gas: 1.47/Liter in Vancouver, BC </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cheapest gas: 3.71/Gallon in Sandpoint, ID </div>
<br />
<br />
- Cheap motels always have free breakfast and wifi. Fancy hotels make you pay for both. Why?<br />
<br />
<br />
I know this post was a bit scattered, but I'll be back with more about Portland, Seattle, Vancouver and Kelowna soon!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cheers!</div>Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-5602205048444199692012-08-03T06:00:00.000-06:002012-08-03T06:00:00.249-06:00OMG. WE BOOKED A DATE.<div style="text-align: center;">
Holy Shit Friends. We've done it. We Booked a DATE.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTj0lUmWdZbhSGXHgRLTOn0CR3h338oKydi-zDbmWbI_yH3m-GMjsLf8egSIYNFxxhqXiGzjwC8jvcWH4wpu2qf3Cc4rnbq6M5D6yQe-wngtHO5GSUA1ImYu2CE7SkWlSAlHnl6GWOWAM/s1600/movingsoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTj0lUmWdZbhSGXHgRLTOn0CR3h338oKydi-zDbmWbI_yH3m-GMjsLf8egSIYNFxxhqXiGzjwC8jvcWH4wpu2qf3Cc4rnbq6M5D6yQe-wngtHO5GSUA1ImYu2CE7SkWlSAlHnl6GWOWAM/s640/movingsoon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Pause. Rewind. Review.</i></div>
<br />
It was almost a year ago (Nov 2011) that we first had the discussion. We talked and talked and decided that maybe this Calgary life wasn't exactly what we were looking for right now. Maybe, we should take this double-income-no-kids moment in our life as an opportunity for something crazy instead of a stepping stone to the next inevitable 'phase' in life. We asked each other what our goals were if we were to give up the fairly awesome and successful existence that we had earned ourselves... these were our answers:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Dana: Adventure. I want to travel and see the world. </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Juliano: I want to be financial independent, debt free and ahead of the game.</b> </div>
<br />
Those goals are not usually compatible. But we got <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2011/12/inspiration-and-adventure.html" target="_blank">some inspiration</a> together, and we threw around a few ideas that might work. The<a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2011/12/big-idea.html" target="_blank"> Big Idea</a> came up, and both of us thought "<i>noo... that's crazy!</i>". But soon, <i>'no...that's crazy</i>' starts to turn into... '<i>what if...</i>' which turns into '<i>could we really?</i>'<br />
<br />
Friends, let me tell you - What Ifs can take over your life. Literally. What if we made money while we were traveling? What if we could travel indefinitely? Eventually... What Ifs turn into Could We Really?s. Could we really sell our house? Could we really move away from family? Could we really quit our jobs?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_hnVqKUjUbFpN5BFDcBe1SJhtixJusTAJ7q1xOKILzh24v4MaGzBSkA1ydkAoAcglJ1citnkvVvMwv33y1r-Wsu6Oa0qLsEZt2vw_HYLZWl-k0OG3uCvRaXYPjTUttphhXdc52CFz24/s1600/excited+about+the+tickets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_hnVqKUjUbFpN5BFDcBe1SJhtixJusTAJ7q1xOKILzh24v4MaGzBSkA1ydkAoAcglJ1citnkvVvMwv33y1r-Wsu6Oa0qLsEZt2vw_HYLZWl-k0OG3uCvRaXYPjTUttphhXdc52CFz24/s640/excited+about+the+tickets.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We just started answering YES to every question. YES, we could make money and travel at the same time. YES we could sell our house. YES we could move away. YES is a very powerful word, so it seems.<br />
<br />
We began to secretly put a plan into place to move us closer to this goal. We saved money, and sold our stuff. We didn't buy or receive any Christmas gifts that year. We only told a few people about our 'crazy' plan.... and then we listed the house. And sold more stuff. And moved. And saved. And waited.<br />
<br />
What started out as a silly idea between two people turned into and HUGE project that we felt was taking all of our time and effort. Now that we're close to the finish line, this plan has taken on momentum of it's own and is snowballing ahead of us, dragging us along for the adventure of lifetime.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuLI7YIuEB2DJ3w1HVXQGpUkRUmGNDke9-GQN20u-pf89dSEFX-HEMtPvL5PCwQlLsN_zX6w5fZeLxkjs6WSO2iCqq8VsQvs4e7880UnQ4_fIDYQ7b5viLk0q5jghvK-ukIxvPrmnI5M/s1600/triocollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuLI7YIuEB2DJ3w1HVXQGpUkRUmGNDke9-GQN20u-pf89dSEFX-HEMtPvL5PCwQlLsN_zX6w5fZeLxkjs6WSO2iCqq8VsQvs4e7880UnQ4_fIDYQ7b5viLk0q5jghvK-ukIxvPrmnI5M/s640/triocollage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We're excited, anxious, busy with so many details and a touch overwhelmed. But we really wanted to solidify the plan and make it a 'Real Thing' in our minds. So we bought our plane tickets! Yep.<br />
<br />
We are now the proud (VERY PROUD!) owners of two one way tickets from Calgary, Alberta, Canada to the yachting capital of North America - Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. We leave...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>September 22, 2012</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Holy Shit. It's less than seven weeks away. We're moving this weekend to live in a condo with some friends, and we'll stay there until we leave. I still have to give notice at my work, decide on a packing list (yikes!), register for some courses, book a place to stay, organize our finances here (will share that with you!), finish a million detail of our lives here and about eleventy-million other things.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Let's get this party started!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cheers, D & J </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-1904528646877326202012-08-01T19:41:00.000-06:002012-08-01T19:41:00.407-06:00Storage and Stuff and Squirrels, Oh My!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxstVwb6DWR_SMOEz9EHMZvLOoiS_FDqESwxNu9EbEFz0m6wufLDePO3IcFE84W-bKVatTY92OrYLss5iZAmK_m2zQl9U0cAC5mtM0Kn1m5tGnuADtMQORSSX6rYgsoGaO1sQQXupClao/s1600/619481493_best-squirrel-shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxstVwb6DWR_SMOEz9EHMZvLOoiS_FDqESwxNu9EbEFz0m6wufLDePO3IcFE84W-bKVatTY92OrYLss5iZAmK_m2zQl9U0cAC5mtM0Kn1m5tGnuADtMQORSSX6rYgsoGaO1sQQXupClao/s640/619481493_best-squirrel-shot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Despite getting rid of all of our stuff, we keep stashing it away into smaller and smaller compartments as we move locations. It's getting culled down, but we keep mini-hoarding without realizing it. Just one closet full of stuff --> Just one suitcase full of stuff --> Just one box full of stuff.... People are crazy, us included.<br />
<br />
Selling all of our furniture was on the Champagne List. Well, we did that. Actually most of it went to a friend from my work who is setting up a new home (What's up, Jess!). But some things, and some furniture are too sentimental to leave behind or sell (family heirlooms, etc). So we got a storage locker. It's the smallest one we could find 5x8, and it's a bit out of town (cheaper!) - but it's still an expense we're carrying with us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXoD_jA9SCAFi8cLkhq2KbuZG8JnUVCDhPZ5nUKF5P9jQDiNLF73OGfg2Q5QKPsnLzB3Rv5d0NiuC98a2G7sYzMwHL72xvzF998q-jegyQPazeGH3Z66q0qHAeapCeWanih4xTyhztyg/s1600/storagecollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXoD_jA9SCAFi8cLkhq2KbuZG8JnUVCDhPZ5nUKF5P9jQDiNLF73OGfg2Q5QKPsnLzB3Rv5d0NiuC98a2G7sYzMwHL72xvzF998q-jegyQPazeGH3Z66q0qHAeapCeWanih4xTyhztyg/s640/storagecollage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Money Disclosure: </b>Our storage locker is costing us $92/month to keep while we're gone. We<a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/04/robots-pay-my-bills.html" target="_blank"> auto-pay it</a> monthly and can manage it remotely while we're gone. After traveling for a while it may seem like a large expense, but for now it's worth it to us to keep the heirlooms and such safe.<br />
<br />
And I think this brings us to the end of the story of our Stuff! Yeay!Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-39292867390963621102012-07-30T08:41:00.000-06:002012-07-30T08:41:00.243-06:00What a Ride!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4ppZbrah3WZr74ELVUIpPiHIQp5aku7JT9sWB2KBj-4d1pNbX2ssT7TY7aTltUY5xDxHlwQ4kkRXmUHk6U3CEBnNRvGESCqvPg_N9_MA63Dt-YLikUwI8m6DanfFrEq0ZBGi_EqazDw/s1600/sadfacenogolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4ppZbrah3WZr74ELVUIpPiHIQp5aku7JT9sWB2KBj-4d1pNbX2ssT7TY7aTltUY5xDxHlwQ4kkRXmUHk6U3CEBnNRvGESCqvPg_N9_MA63Dt-YLikUwI8m6DanfFrEq0ZBGi_EqazDw/s640/sadfacenogolf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Hey Friends, guess what?<br />
<br />
We got rid of our car! Yep, our much beloved VW Golf is gone. It took care of us for 4 years, and brought us to lots of amazing adventures. But, the lease was up the same day as our house possession.. so it was a busy day for us!<br />
<br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">** financial disclosure: The Golf was leased for 4 years, and cost us $979 to return for some minor repairs and admin fees, ouch **</span><br />
<br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">In the meantime - we’ve been driving our van. And while suuuper handy, it’s been a bit of a weird adjustment. Excuse me while I go all ‘<a href="http://thechive.com/2011/08/29/20-first-world-problems-20-photos/" target="_blank">first world problems</a>’ on you here: Driving a nice car like the golf was quite reflective of our lifestyle and status in this city. Now, cruising around in a sketchy van - it’s a tactile adjustment and our first taste of ‘less possessions’. We knew it was going to happen, but having to let go of your ego in even the smallest of ways is an interesting shift in view. Just trying to be honest with you.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgB9ELtX291APK-Cvq-MldlMQ9NyttYs2CuB82m1gqHuXIqx74wkYdvYQ8oaWJ34JLxxnF6PfkLCMZPbHsWW1UsbPh9X8Ozd9NgJI1nePV-e1_wcHXsWB7CgIq3lbaXCFYZayAVBzk9-4/s1600/sweetvan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgB9ELtX291APK-Cvq-MldlMQ9NyttYs2CuB82m1gqHuXIqx74wkYdvYQ8oaWJ34JLxxnF6PfkLCMZPbHsWW1UsbPh9X8Ozd9NgJI1nePV-e1_wcHXsWB7CgIq3lbaXCFYZayAVBzk9-4/s640/sweetvan.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We’ve been staying with family in the ‘burbs for a couple of weeks, but next weekend we’re heading back downtown to stay with friends in an apartment. It’s going to be great to get our commute down to just a few minutes, but now we don’t want to deal with the expense of parking - so we’re selling the van (yeay money!) and signed up for an awesome new car sharing program to get us through the next couple of months!</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhku8tMN4Alm_O6586IAsMmyU2VoR9H1qq91XvmKu2JRLHeJ5ZHeJfszNQ0cK_f9ph7wrv-w3sVIqXPI1mUJJact4-ZeH4V33EaOljmzqSTnxQH8xdmqsIJOTT6lGVmDU1EEQxi0RTqDK4/s1600/IMG_1919car2go.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhku8tMN4Alm_O6586IAsMmyU2VoR9H1qq91XvmKu2JRLHeJ5ZHeJfszNQ0cK_f9ph7wrv-w3sVIqXPI1mUJJact4-ZeH4V33EaOljmzqSTnxQH8xdmqsIJOTT6lGVmDU1EEQxi0RTqDK4/s640/IMG_1919car2go.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.car2go.com/" target="_blank">Car2Go</a> is a great program that we heard about on twitter (@danadebrito).We get to rent smart cars by the minute to use whenever/wherever we want! It’s all app based for finding the cars, parking and gas is all included, and it’s charged automatically to our credit cards. We signed up at an event so our registration was free (yeay free!) but I think it’s usually about $35/year.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ps. I wasn't paid/sponsored by car2go in any way for this. It's just a sweet idea that I paid for with my own money.</span><br />
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</h2>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Another check off our <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/p/champagne-list.html" target="_blank">Champagne List</a>! Cheers!</span></span><div style="font: 12.0px 'Nanum Gothic'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-38621473905934767352012-07-26T20:50:00.000-06:002012-07-26T20:51:14.538-06:00$275.99<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px;">Hey Friends! </span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brief Interruption: I disappeared again for a bit - I guess 'the internets' spooked me out a bit. I started this blog using my full real name without thinking too much about it, and recently several casual acquaintances and friends have found out about the blog (not too hard really). It has always been my intention to let all of my family and friends know about the blog... but being 'outed' about the blog spooked me, and I was avoiding it for a while (can I get a woot-woot from the other avoiders out there?!) On the the fun stuff:</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After the negotiations in the pub in Portland - we had to run off to an Office Depot…. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But - You're dying to know if we made our millions selling the house! So, drum roll please….</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">$275.99</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After lawyer fees, real estate fees, negotiations with the buyer and all that jazz... That's how much we made selling our house. I know, don't spend it all an once, right? It was a hard process that we alluded to <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/01/our-house-is-listed.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/03/we-got-offer.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and even <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/03/argh-frustration-and-house.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. And in the end we shared our excitement over selling <a href="http://debritowanderlust.blogspot.ca/2012/05/house-selling-101-do-it-in-bar.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>! That was a fun day. After all was said and done, we broke even - coming out just a squeak ahead! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We sold our furniture. We donated our clothes to Goodwill. It's crazy how much stuff people accumulate when living in a set place for what they expect to be an indeterminate amount of time. We're still culling through it, scaling back and cutting down. The good news is that seeing your 'stuff' in boxes on the floor of your mom's basements sure adds perspective to their worth. It's simplicity time!! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cheers, until next time!</span></div>Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-24065010539503236872012-05-16T10:01:00.000-06:002012-05-16T10:01:32.274-06:00House Selling 101: Do it in a bar.Okay friends, I know you all want to know about our trips, but we have WAY MORE EXCITING NEWS to share!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>We sold our house!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>WHILE ON VACATION. </b></span></div>
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Yep, the deal is already firm and possession is June 15. That is exactly 30 days from today. Or 722 hours... but who's counting? Money question: We'll end up breaking even.After nearly 3 months on the market, we're happy with that.<br />
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Here's the funny part for you - we got it all on video! Juliano [the video nerd] was trying to film some beer tastings we were doing for his Portland video when I got the call from our realtor. So, through the magic of technology - I present you:<br />
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Selling a house while sampling beer in the middle of the day!</div>
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And that is our tale bloggy friends. I'll be rolling out our trip stuff and keeping you posted about the move - yikes! Meanwhile, out of town family will be staying with us this weekend and next... so we'll be busy!</div>Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015555317827255974.post-69309315666623554252012-05-14T09:02:00.000-06:002012-05-14T15:10:31.157-06:00Imma Back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Bloggy Friends!<br />
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It's been a while since I've made an appearance around here - and while I'm not going to grovel and apologize (it's my blog! I'll neglect it if I want to!) I will say this: All you other bloggers who keep up regular content <i>while traveling</i>, you get a a huge digital HIGH FIVE! from me. Seriously.<br />
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I hear you saying '<i>this is a job</i>' and '<i>blogging takes lot of time and effort</i>'... what I actually heard was '<i>sunshine! traveling! writing about stuff! beer!</i>'. Soo.... excuse my rude awakening while I tip my hat to your awesomeness.<br />
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Anyways, I've been up to LOTS of fun stuff, that I'm super-excited to tell you about so hold onto your hats. Here's a recap of what I've been up to and what's coming up soon:<br />
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<li>I went to Houston, Texas - that place is f*cking hilarious and awesome, it was all crawfish and two-steppin' for me</li>
<li>Traveling solo + carry on only makes me feel like a <b>badass super traveler</b></li>
<li>I went on a Pacific NW road trip. Road Trips are CRAZY - you see so much stuff! </li>
<li>Portland is weird, lots of beer</li>
<li>Seattle is cool, lots of coffee</li>
<li>Vancouver is fancy</li>
<li> I ate/drank my face off - and my work pants juuuuustbarelyfit this morning. Problematic.</li>
<li>We have some exciting house news brewing on the horizon - will keep you posted. </li>
<li>I definitely want to travel forever and ever</li>
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Have a great day - I'll be blog stalking all my friends and catching up with you too!</div>
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Cheers! </div>
<br />Danahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05203361021535231191noreply@blogger.com4