Not only the name of an amazing Subway sandwich but also oddly enough, the theme to my business trip to New Mexico last week.

I’ll be honest, I had only been there once before, and really it was to the airport (one that offers free wifi). So I didn’t know what to expect. It’s an interesting place, reminds me a lot like Salt Lake City. I was sad I didn’t have more time there because I really wanted to go to the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and I was one week late to see the hot air balloon festival. Oh well, maybe next time, I did get my share of New Mexican food though.

Things I learned on this trip:

1. Green Chilies are delicious and a New Mexico Staple
2. If you ask for a side of green chilies and a side of red chilies it’s called Christmas
3. Don’t leave a rotten banana peel in your car door- you never know who will be the next person taking shotgun
4. New Mexico Police Department has some friendly officers
5. It does snow in Albuquerque and they do have ski resorts
6. The media is unpredictable but can be responsive
7. Don’t plan on taking scissors and duct tape in your carry-on
8. You cannot buy biscoff cookies at the grocery store
9. No matter how much you plan and are prepared- something will go wrong
10. It’s ok to stress but don’t stress over the things you cannot control

Places to check out: El Pinto- it’s an old mission that has been turned into a delicious restaurant. Every single presidential candidate has their picture from their visit to the restaurant on the wall, along with numerous other famous people. El Pinto is well known for their salsa and green chili sauce. Ask for a seat on the patio, this restaurant is all about atmosphere.

Last weekend I had the pleasure to spend a few days in my husband’s home state of Minnesota. I had only been there once before and it was during the winter, so much time was spent indoors. This time I was really looking forward to the opportunity to explore the twin cities and spend quality time with friends.

The name of my blog post is more than 10,000 lakes which is in reference to the fact that Minnesota has over 10,000 lakes (There are 11,842 lakes in Minnesota 10 acres or larger in size). This became apparent as we were flying into Minneapolis- there really were lakes everywhere! Minneapolis is probably one of my top 10 favorite US cities. It has an artsy feel with tons of sculptures and galleries everywhere. The downtown area has a ton to do and see, for those of all ages. It even includes some really pretty walking paths. Our first stop was the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden; apparently the cherry on the spoon sculpture is famous. The park is filled with other unique and interesting pieces. It was fun -definitely worth it to check out.
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Ok so not really. More like chilling at the Hampton Inn. But I did want to give a shout out to this hotel chain because while I it’s not a hotel I stay in normally for personal travel- it seems to be the hotel chain of choice for business traveling. Right now I am in Albuquerque, New Mexico on business for a client and I realized that I forgot my make-up remover, I go into the bathroom and bam they have thought of everything that I forgot including mouth wash and a makeup remover cloth. Hallelujah! Finally they start to get it! It’s the little things that matter when traveling so thank you Hampton Inn!

I’m grateful for this opportunity to blog about poverty along with my fellow bloggers out there in the blogosphere on Blog Action Day.

Poverty is an important topic of discussion as it affects every single person, even if they don’t realize it. Poverty affects people of all ages, races, all around the world. It also can not be easily defined. Although the government believes it can. According to the US Census Bureau 37.3 million people were living below poverty level in 2007.  The government takes into account the number of family members living in the household and gives them a monetary value based on their threshold of need. Then the amount of income for that household is divided by the amount of threshold for need. If the income is greater than the threshold of need then that family is not considered to be in poverty by official definition.

But unfortunately the world does not always work like that. Can living paycheck to paycheck be considered poverty? I mean sure you aren’t going under- but still… your not making anything to better your situation. It’s all quite controversial really, but this isn’t the point of my post. My point is that it’s not only the homeless and hungry who are suffering. Because there are speculations out there that the gap between the upper class and lower class is widening and the middle class is disappearing, this tells me that there are many many more than just 37.3 million people out there who are suffering from poverty.

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This post will be my first in a series of posts I will write on interesting and unique hotels that are also wallet friendly. Hotels have become such an integral component of vacations, among the many amenities that are now offered at a variety of hotels that aide in making a vacation as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.  Because of this, choosing a hotel that fits your individual needs and desires as well as budget, has become quite a challenge. 

This post is focusing on The Pod Hotel. It’s a unique and modern hotel that is also an affordable option for the notoriously expensive New York hotel market. The Pod Hotel, formerly the Pickwick Arms, has been redesigned into a modern form on a technically advanced hostel and hotel. The Pod’s unique room features include: iPod docking stations,LCD-screen televisions with cable, free WiFi, wireless mini bar, and rain-style shower heads, just to name a few.  The hotel also has a rooftop deck and a garden style cafe. The hotel offers rooms that share bathrooms, private rooms, and studio style townhouses, many different styles to fit your personal needs.

It’s a great choice for younger travelers who aren’t brave enough to try hostels because the room rates are so affordable. Rooms start at $89 per night and range all the way up to $229- a steal for downtown New York City. One of my favorite things about this hotel is the Pod Community Blog which acts as an online concierge as sorts and allows for guests who are currently staying at the hotel to interact, ask questions, get recommendations and make requests. Questions posted on the site by guests are monitored and answered directly by the hotel’s concierge.

I honestly think we are going to see more and more hotels of these sorts pop up in large metropolitan cities around the country. At least I hope they catch on (or franchise). This is a clearly targeted demographic (one that I’m proud to be a part of) that is looking for hotels with these amentities. The Pod Hotel is pushing the boundaries of the traditional hotels by being above the technology curve. Can’t wait until I have the opportunity to visit New York- have been wanting to check out The Pod myself for some time now. If you get there before me- let me know what it’s like!