I do have to note an exciting rumor that I recently was made aware of that In-N-Out will be soon joining us in the Salt Lake valley. A bitter sweet feeling really. In-N-Out is more than just a fast food place to me, as it will be seen here. It’s nostalgic from growing up in California and working there to pay for my college. It’s something that I don’t get that often that when I do- I appreciate it more. But oh well- I love In-N-Out that much that I just don’t care. Welcome to Utah!

How about appealing to college students and teaching them how to travel abroad while utilizing hostels and tour groups. How about shows that teach how to search for the best deals and use social networks for travel purposes. I mean let’s get a little creative, and actually air shows that are useful to the general public! People love reality shows so how about a reality show on what it’s like to work on a cruise ship, or working at huge resort in a remote location. And let’s find hosts for shows who are normal people and not the most annoying person on the planet (I won’t name any names but it’s a woman who drives me nuts!).

Don’t get me wrong there are things about the Travel Channel I really enjoy but let’s be honest for the most part- half of the locations I will never visit in my life (Antigua), so while it’s cool to showcase those places- lets add some places I am likely to travel to. Take a hint from Rachel Ray’s Tasty Travels or $40 a day. It may seem a little crazy but I bet it just might change your channel around- I have many more ideas so Travel Channel- I will be waiting your call!

I came across this article on CNN about volunteer vacations and I think they are a great idea. The article mentions that while third world country living conditions aren’t everyone’s thing, you can still go on a luxury vacation and implement volunteering and doing humanitarian work into a small portion of your trip. A lot of tour companies are now offering that as part of their packages. Check out the article for specific examples.

This probably isn’t something that would be of interest to everyone, as most vacations are about relaxing and forgetting your problems. But if you are going on a two week vacation why not sacrifice two days and do something good. Most likely it will make your vacation even more memorable and meaningful anyways. Not to mention the bonding that will happen between you and your fellow travelers. Keep an open mind you might be surprised by the outcome!

Although it is called North Carolina it is still very much apart of the south. Accents are rich and plentiful, although while I am out there, I am often told I am the one with the accent. Every time I venture east I am always surprised by the trees- mainly the quantity of. When we landed in Raleigh I thought we were landing in the forest. It was a beautiful time to visit though because the trees were turning colors and losing leaves.

I wish I could give you recommendations on what to do and where to eat, but this trip really was about spending quality time with family. Something that is more meaningful to me, when you don’t get to see those you love that often. Someday we will go out there and go to the beaches, see the lighthouses and the plantations. This was a quick trip and I was just as happy blowing raspberries on my 2 year old niece’s tummy and playing school with my five your old niece then venturing out and exploring the town. We did go to a place about twenty miles outside of Greenville called Deadwood, a little family fun place that had a train, a small roller coaster, a mini golf area, and other fun things. It was really cute- and for the most part the kids enjoyed it (they were a little young for mini golf) as well as the adults.

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.

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.

We ate dinner at Pizza Luce (insert appropriate accents) where for the first time ever I tried mashed potatoes on pizza. Gotta say I didn’t hate it, actually it was really good. The restaurant has unique art hung on the wall, a friendly staff, and nice collateral (sorry work at an advertising agency).

The main reason we came was to see a premiere of the snowboarding film: That’s it that’s all. It was awesome. The showing was held at Pantages, a venue that mostly hosts musical and plays in the downtown Hennepin Theater district of Minneapolis. The movie is really cool, if you haven’t seen it yet (the movie is on tour). After the show we headed over to Sebastian Joe’s Ice-Cream Cafe. The ice-cream there was drool worthy. It is all homemade in the shop and they are famous for their unique flavors. I had the Pavarotti- a banana ice-cream with chocolate chunks. Oh so good. Apparently the Oreo sundaes were pretty tasty as well.

The next day of our trip was spent exploring Rochester, MN where our friends live. Rochester, as most people know, is famous for the Mayo Clinic. I couldn’t believe how big the Mayo Clinic Campus is! It’s pretty impressive. Also, our friends took us to the Plummer House. The house is an English Tudor Mansion and the former home of Henry S. Plummer, who was a member of the Mayo Clinic Staff starting in 1901. The house is 5 stories high, contains 49 rooms, and occupies 11 acres which include outdoor gardens and water tower. The house was closed for tours but we enjoyed walking around the gardens.

That night we ate some of the best burgers of our lives in downtown Rochester at Newts. Newts has been voted the best burger in Rochester for five consecutive years. It was packed when we got there so we had to wait about twenty minutes. The vibe was very laid back, a very home town cheers feel. I got a mushroom burger and I have to say it was delicious. They also give you about a pound of fries with your burgers.

It was a great trip and thank you to Chris and Lisa for putting us up (and putting up with us) and spending time with us. We had a blast and look forward to returning the favor to them this winter. I have to say I was genuinely sad to leave.

*photo credit to genius photographer Reid Fuller

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.

It’s a scary and sad thought. Many of us have friends and families who, especially with this economic downturn, are worried how they are going to feed their families dinner next week, how they are going to buy diapers for their babies, afford daycare so the parent can get a job (possibly second). Millions of children don’t have healthcare, and so parent’s suffer those burdens. I wish there was an easy fix-all solution to these problems but unfortunately there really isn’t- unless we are willing to adopt communism (which thank goodness we aren’t). Every program, solution, non-profit, and volunteer make a difference.

One of my friends at work, Candace is a great example of being just one person but making a difference. Every month she volunteers at the soup kitchen, she participates in a food co-op and I have seen her give away her lunch to homeless people before. She just has a giving attitude and that has translated into blessing the lives of others. I think if the world was full of Candace’s it would be a great place to live.

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!

Can change the world. Ok, so a little cliché and not to mention a little old school punk rock, but I honestly believe that this has some truth to it. Ok maybe not change the entire world, but I went to a concert last night that changed my little world and I think that’s pretty darn good.

It had been awhile since I had gone to a show. So long I am too embarrassed to admit it. So long I had almost forgotten why I love them so much. You listen to music through your ipod or your computer or by whatever means and you decide you like it. But then you go and see them in person and (hopefully) gain a true understanding of that artist and their music. You gain respect. That is- if the show was done right. Younger bands usually don’t get this right- right away- as they are still developing who they are and their sound. But it can be accomplished, and I have first handedly experienced it.

A good concert leaves a fan feeling satisfied. They came to the show because they needed a release, they needed validation of the music, or simply because they are a fan (sometimes all of the above). It’s the artist’s job to deliver confidence, energy and just plain darn good music. In return the artist looks to the audience for feedback and a different kind of energy to feed of off. When the two parties come to an understanding- magic happens. This is where fans are turned into fanatics and the artist has done their job by creating loyalty in their listeners. One bad show can turn off a huge fan base.

Many other elements can contribute to a good show. You don’t need to be a huge band with fancy stages, and lighting. Smaller and lesser known bands have the same opportunity, if taken correct care. In fact smaller bands have an advantage as they usually play in more intimate settings. A well crafted play list with the right arrangement of slow and fast songs can help set the tone for the crowd. Having confidence in your music and letting the music speak for itself. Also, respecting your audience. Let them know you appreciate them for listening. Respect them by putting your all into a show. In return they will respect you even more.

One of the biggest factors between a good show and a great show would be letting yourself as an artist share the emotions you felt when you wrote the song, come out to your audience. Just like when looking at a painting, you hope to see the emotion behind the painting you see. If there is no feeling, no emotion, then it is just noise. This is one of the biggest things I have noticed as I have transitioned from a teenager going to shows and as an adult going to shows. As a teenager I would show up to a concert with a wad of bills in hand- expecting to be up front, sweating my brains out and buying as many t-shirts as possible. Now I go to shows to experience and validate the music.

Mainly, I would say the important part is the take away. What are your fans taking away from this experience? Are they going to rush home and become friends with your band on myspace, or are they going to walk away having mixed feelings? The worst a band could ever hear is: They sound great on their CD’s but they just weren’t that good live. That in and of itself is the hardest thing for a fan to swallow. I still question myself when I turn on an artist’s music when I have seen them live and have been disappointed. So consequently, it’s important to learn that one bad show can also change the world, and not in a good way.

***I know that I have a travel blog- but this is what I felt like writing about***