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Featured Post: The Great Durian Quest Part 1 - Durian Cream Puff
In South East Asia, most people run away from Durian. But me on the other hand, I sought it out. But before trying the fruit, my first entry into the quest was for Durian Cream Puff. Putrid or delicious? Find out in the video!
FEBRUARY 4, 2013
One Year of Travel Hacking - Credit Card Rewards Points Update

8:26 PM JEREMY NO COMMENTS
Last year we published an article about three credit cards we were looking at opening in order to start our massive mileage run. While we will never be extreme hackers that open dozens of cards across different networks, we saw benefit in opening a select few to help fund out future travel plans without being tied down to many new cards we never plan to use. Our goal for the year and a half that followed was to use these cards as much as possible on our everyday expenses in order to amass over 300,000 airline miles and >$750 in free cash to travel on. How are we doing with our goal? Well, as it stands right now we're almost at our target and haven't even finished opening half our accounts! (Photo "Mock Credit Card" by highwing) Find us on Facebook Read more Living the Dream - RTW On A Budget
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Jeremy and Angie are a traveling couple that seeks out adventure, great food, and the unknown wherever they go in order to live their dream. At 35+ countries between the two of them and over 200+ days of travel, they are only just beginning.
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FEBRUARY 1, 2013
1,285 people like Living the Dream - RTW On A Budget
The Chinese Food I Actually Crave

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12:00 PM
JEREMY
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It is a common theme on this blog for me to talk about how hard of time I had finding food suitable to my tastes while in China. Between days of being sick or being in a travel rut after 60 days of continually moving I would be lying if I said that I didn't hit McDonald's a few (dozen) times to cope. But while I like to play up these stories in my articles I am really doing a disservice to China by not taking a minute to look at the other side of the spectrum. There is actually some good food in China. Really good food. In fact, a few of the dishes I had in China were far better than anything I could have imagined, and it is time I shared them all with you. Prepare to drool, because today we will only be talking about the good foods I had while spending a month in China. Accommodations (19) Angie Eats (4) Blog Related (36) Contest (17) Cruises (14) Do and Dont (4) Guided Tours (5) Language Challenge (2)
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JANUARY 31, 2013
Lists (21) On the Road (13) Packing List (14) Planning (44) Reviews (32) Roaming Gnome (22)
Reviewing Paradise: Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto

7:42 PM ANGIE 1 COMMENT
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The drive from the Loreto airport in Baja, Mexico, to the Villa del Palmar resort is simply stunning: rocky mountains rise up all around, and glimpses of the pristine Sea of Cortez abound. You know when you get that warm feeling inside like what's about to happen is going to be fantastic? Yep, that's what I was feeling. As beautiful as this drive was, nothing prepared me for the beauty that awaited me at the Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto resort.
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The Living the Dream Network is comprised of several travel sites for your trip planning and reading enjoyment. Our network of sites includes the following Living the Dream International Food Project The Travel Atlas Free Travel Contests
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JANUARY 30, 2013
Tips and Traps on Staying Healthy While Traveling

12:38 PM JEREMY 2 COMMENTS
Often the last item on any traveler's mind is personal health. Sure, we all get vaccinations and avoid drinking local water sources in an effort to not get sick, but personal health goes well beyond that. With the busy and often hurried lifestyle of traveling, the other aspects of physical health like eating right and getting enough exercise goes straight out the window. We are guilty of this just as much as the next traveler as it is incredibly easy to fall into common traps that
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can ruin a diet and set the ball rolling for an inevitable sickness. But fear not! With a few changes to your daily lifestyle your road to healthy traveling becomes easier and the inevitable days of sickness start becoming few and far between. (Photo "Legs of a Young Man Running" cienpies.net)
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JANUARY 25, 2013
7 Reasons a 7 Day Caribbean Cruise is for You

6:45 PM JEREMY 1 COMMENT
We are big fans of the cruising lifestyle here at Living the Dream and have been on 3 amazing itineraries throughout the Caribbean and are considering a fourth to Alaska in the near future. While we are primarily a backpacking and adventure travel blog, we often like to talk about why you should consider a cruise for both short vacations and inclusions in a long-term adventure. But us talking about how much we enjoy cruising is not going to convince you to book a trip. We've done that enough in our older posts. Instead, it is the destinations themselves that must do the talking. To do so, we picked our 7 favorite reasons to help make our argument.
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JANUARY 20, 2013

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Introducing the Living the Dream Network

We are pretty excited about the new developments that have been going on in the background here at Living the Dream. After several months of work, and a few new sites to show for it, we are ready to share some of our newest features and plans! While we still have a bit of work ahead of us to finish our modifications, we want to go ahead and get started by introducing the Living the Dream Network.
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JANUARY 16, 2013
In Travel, Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

When we travel there are destinations that just don't seem to do it for us. It is one of the eventualities of travel in that not every place will live up to your expectations and you may not get the full benefit of being there. You may be sick and not do justice to a city, or you may be in a travel rut and take it out on the place you just happen to be in at the time. Of course, there is the other eventuality that you simply do not like where you are at. They can all happen at any time. We tend to take these destinations in stride because one of our major travel mantras is that a poor experience abroad is often still more enjoyable than being at home working. But what happens when those poor experiences start fading away over time? As it turns out we end up starting to like the destination more in retrospect and, as the saying goes, absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. But why is that the case?
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JANUARY 13, 2013
Angie Eats Paris! - The Restaurants

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7:03 PM
ANGIE
4 COMMENTS
Although our visit to Paris is not until June, I am already salivating at the thought of all the delicious food we will hopefully eat while there. When I started researching restaurants and other food establishments in Paris, I began with the most near and dear to my heart: bakeries and patisseries. While there may seemingly be a bakery on every corner in Paris, they are certainly not all created equal. I spent a huge chunk of time researching the best places to get baguettes and baked goods. And because I guess we will have to eat something besides pastries at some point, I've also included a list of crepe places, cheese shops, coffee shops, and affordable wine bars and restaurants most of which are under 20 Euro per person.
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JANUARY 7, 2013
Angie Taking Photos of Things - Spain Edition

As you may imagine, Angie and I take a lot of photos when we travel. Partly because we like photography, but also because we are bloggers and want to make sure we have enough images to cover anything we want to write about in the future. Not only do we take thousands of the beautiful spots we visit (at last count we are at over 30,000) but we also take dozens of
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background photos that you wouldn't necessarily find on a traditional post on this site. This series serves as an outlet for one of those photo sets. While on our honeymoon in Spain last year, I started taking photos of Angie while she was in the act of taking photos of the amazing destinations we were exploring. In what was just a off-hand set of photos to be goofy turned into a habit that I've been carrying on to this very day. Rather than keeping these photos to ourselves, we will now be sharing them periodically here for your enjoyment. Let us take you behind the scenes of some of our best travel photography with our lighthearted take of Angie Tak ing Photos of Thing - Spain Edition!
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JANUARY 6, 2013
Day Trip to the Columbia Icefields from Lake Louise

Back in 2010 I had finally got enough reward miles for a frequent flyer ticket anywhere in the USA and Canada. Naturally I booked one of the most expensive tickets that I could get my hands on, and ended up on a short trip to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Between the stunning vistas of Lake Louise and the gorgeous hikes near Banff National Park, I could easily see why this park is one my Canadian friends are most proud of. While in Lake Louise, I decided to take a day trip further north, almost to the entrance of nearby Jasper National Park to explore the Columbia Icefields. After plunking down $150 for the day trip I boarded the coach in the early morning to see what the icefields were all about.
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JANUARY 5, 2013
Classic Holiday Hotspots for 2013

Some holiday destinations never go out of style, and its always for a good reason. They are amazing! If youre trying to choose where to jet off to this year, why not consider one of these firm favorites where the sun is hot, the sand is soft and youre always guaranteed a getaway to remember. Whether it is our chosen honeymoon destination of Spain all the way to the beaches on the coast of Turkey, there are a lot of classic destinations yearning for your visit in 2013!
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JANUARY 4, 2013
2013's Top Festivals in Goa

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Goa has a rich multicultural heritage and a tradition of embracing different faiths. If you travel here then you can expect to meet people with Portuguese, British and Indian ancestries. You will also come across churches, mosques and other spiritual places that are used on a regular basis. For a real insight into the special identity of Goa you should check out some the festivals happening in 2013 as they highlight what living in Goa really is all about. Who knows, you may even find us there later this year too! (Photo "Rocky Beach" by mail2prash)
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JANUARY 3, 2013
Whats Open Around Christmas in Tenerife?

For visitors who like gourmet food for Christmas, there is El Rincon de Juan Carlos in Los Gigantes which has three Michelin stars, so they can treat themselves and their families to the best food in the world for Christmas. Some people like to pamper themselves for Christmas and there is no better way to pamper oneself than to stay at one of Tenerifes luxury fivestar hotels. The Hotel Sir Anthony is very popular example of this and has direct access to the Camison beach and fabulous views of the island.
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With cheap flights to Tenerife with Jet2.com, British holiday makers can enjoy the warm climate and magic of this spectacular island at Christmas time. (Photo "Palm Leaves" by babykrul)
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JANUARY 1, 2013
Living the Dream's 2013 Travel Resolutions

10:14 AM JEREMY NO COMMENTS
Happy New Year everyone! We're excited to ring in another new year here at Living the Dream, and much like last year we are starting this year out with our annual list of travel resolutions for the next year. We had a hard time figuring out how to out do 2012 where we launched our first book, got married, went on an amazing food centric honeymoon to Spain, and even brought Angie on as a permanent author - but I think we figured it out. The following are just a few of the major items we have in store for you this year, so sit back and enjoy the great content we have coming your way!
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DECEM BER 30, 2012
Traveling as a Couple: Her Perspective

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8:05 PM
ANGIE
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Today's post is the second in a two-part series about our perspectives of the perks and challenges as traveling together as a couple. Jeremy recently weighed in on the pros and cons of traveling with a significant other (me!), so it's only fair that I get to respond with the pros and cons of traveling with him. Here are the major pluses and minuses that I have experienced on our adventures together up until now.
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DECEM BER 27, 2012
Sending a Travel Note to Your Future Self

8:00 AM JEREMY 2 COMMENTS
Have you ever thought about sending a note to your future self to keep you on track in case you lost your way? How far would you take it? We stumbled upon this great video from the Peru Tourism Board that takes the theme of sending a letter to your future self to the next level. To us, this short film epitomizes everything we love about travel and makes us want to do something very similar. What do you think? Will you send a letter to your future self? Where will it take you?
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DECEM BER 26, 2012

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Traveling as a Couple: His Perspective

8:00 AM JEREMY 1 COMMENT
Today's post is the first in a two-part series about our perspectives of the perks and challenges as traveling together as a couple. This post focuses on Jeremy's perspective of traveling with Angie on recent trips. The second post in this series features Angie's follow up on traveling with Jeremy. Some of the pros and cons featured in this post are common to all couples, while others are unique just to us. In any case, traveling together as a couple is an adventure, no matter what cons come our way.
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DECEM BER 24, 2012
Tailor Made Itineraries for Vietnam

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Today's Post is a guest post by David Elliot. The best way to see a country like Vietnam for the first time is to join up with an organized tour or, if youre set on striking out on your own, to do some serious research beforehand in order to pack as much in as you can manage. Travel to Vietnam with a tailor made itinerary and you can take advantage of its unique shape and demarcated regions to create a remarkable getaway experience.
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DECEM BER 22, 2012
The Secret to Not Running Up a Huge Cell Phone Bill When Backpacking
While the term bill shock is becoming a widely used term, it seems that little is being done to protect us against painful international roaming charges on cell phone bills. Many companies do not even send warnings to their users, notifying them that their bill is running in to $1000s whilst away on vacation like this unlucky lady from the UK. Without being the wiser, you may go off on your next budget vacation with your phone and return with a bill almost as big as the whole trip! But there are many ways to protect yourself when traveling with your phone to keep the bill down as
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low as possible.
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DECEM BER 20, 2012
Sneak Peaks: An Introduction to the Mountains of Alicante

From the northern Catabrian Range that merges east with the Pyrenees, the Sierra de Guadarrama north of Madrid, to the Sierra Morena range and the Cordillera Penibtica along the south coast of Andalusia, Spain has vast and varied mountain areas. The result is a paradise for hikers and walkers who are in search of a diverse landscape they can explore all year long.
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DECEM BER 19, 2012
Sensory Overload: La Boqueria Market in Barcelona

12:09 PM ANGIE 2 COMMENTS
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It was a good thing that Barcelona was the last stop on our honeymoon, because almost any experience would have been a let-down after visiting La Boqueria, the huge foodies paradise market featuring over 250 vendors selling everything from offal to olives. This place is massive: there are 20+ vendors that sell charcuterie alone, over 40 fish vendors, over 60 fruit vendors, and the list goes on and on. With a list like that it isn't surprising that we chose our hotel location purely to be within walking distance of the market, and explore it we did on our four days in the city.
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DECEM BER 18, 2012
Unique Spa Treatments Around the World

We all have those moments. You know the ones. Moments where life becomes too stressful and you all but want to break away and escape to luxury and relaxation. A one way ticket to a far off land may be too expensive to do every day that ends in 'Y' but occasional spa breaks in London or your nearest major city is a relaxing getaway that doesn't always have to break the bank! But how do you choose the best spa treatment to get when splurging for a bit of 'me time?' Sure,
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you could go after the traditional 30 or 60 minute back massage, a go to favorite for many around the world. But why go for something standard when there is so many spa packages available at your disposal? When looking at your next spa outing, consider some of the following treatments we've personally tried in our travels throughout the world.
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DECEM BER 17, 2012
Monte Carlo Without Breaking the Bank

Today's Post is a guest post by Jeremy Head. The tiny principality of Monaco, neighbor to Nice on Frances Cote dAzur, is home to billionaires, tax-evaders and celebrities alike, as well as a Grand Prix and, in its main central district of Monte Carlo, a famous casino: its not an obvious choice of destination for budget travelers. However, you dont have to be banking a sevenfigure Christmas bonus, lucking out on the lottery or be in possession of a Coutts credit card to enjoy the spectacle. (Photo "Monte Carlo" by Cholin)
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DECEM BER 13, 2012
The Time I Experienced S.A.D

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10:06 AM
JEREMY
2 COMMENTS
If you are a fan of our blog's Facebook page, you likely are well aware that I have been going up to Northern Canada for my day job several times this year. My latest trip in particular had some interesting experiences associated with it as the time of year was quickly reaching the winter solstice. The occasional -30C (-22F) temperature was not enough to make me terribly upset, and missing the northern lights is something I am still considering booking a future trip for. But it was another location based experience that really threw my whole life upside down over the duration of the trip. As it turns out, there is a real disorder associated with the feelings I was having while up so far north and it is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or S.A.D. (Photo "Ice Breaker at Work" by SailorJohn)
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DECEM BER 10, 2012
To Eurail or Not To Eurail?

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When planning a trip to Europe, you may hear about rail passes from companies like Eurail that offer multiple regional segments or full unlimited use passes on many rail networks throughout most of the countries in Europe. I know from experience that many travelers are hesitant on purchasing a rail pass for a number of reasons, with rigidity and limitations being a few of the biggest. But for all those who can get past these minor details, a lot of effort is required in identifying the best pass and even if a rail pass is worth the money at all! To help, we've put together this post as a result of our years of research on Europe's ultimate travel question: to Eurail or not to Eurail? (Photo "Railway Tracks" by fcl1971)
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DECEM BER 7, 2012
New Electronics Acquisition for Travel

It is a rare time for us here at Living the Dream. We are about ready to undertake our once every half-decade upgrade of our electronic arsenal! Yes, you read that right. We do not update our electronics collection very often. In fact, most of the work we do for this site is on a computer that is over 10 years old and still kicking. It is not that we do not want the most up-to-date gadget on the market, but rather than update every year like many people do, we want to spend that money on things like travel and more travel. But with all things, our electronics die. My dive camera bit the bucket while in Thailand in 2010 and I never had a reason to replace it until now. One netbook was always good for me when traveling solo, but alas Angie is now apart of the team (yay!) and we need two computers and more computing power. So, with that, our collection needs to expand and we are about to go on a shopping spree.
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This is our tentative purchase list and we are looking to you to let us know if we are making the right choice!
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DECEM BER 5, 2012
Contest! - Win a Food Tour of NYC from Ahoy NY Tours & Tasting!
It is that time again, we're hosting another contest! This particular contest comes at a good time for us as we have had plenty of content from New York City in recent weeks from our last trip and now its your chance to enjoy the city too! This prize is for an amazing food inspired walking tour that will even having Angie drooling at the chance to take it! Our friends at Ahoy New York Tours & Tastings is sponsoring this contest and the winner will receive a walking tour for two the next time they visit the big apple!
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DECEM BER 4, 2012
Business Class on a 4 Hour Flight

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Another business trip came and went for my day job, and I found myself in a unique scenario that has never happened before. I was upgraded! Not just to economy plus, which boasts a few extra inches of legroom, but to full business class; something I've never had without rewards points or discount code. While I was only on a 4 hour flight from Chicago to Edmonton on this particular flight, a business class update meant new perks that I've never had before. But what it is it like exactly when flying on a cross-country business class flight? Well, as it turns out, not much different than you would think. The following are the major perks and drawbacks of a 4 hour business class flight that I experienced on my recent upgrade. Note that these perks may be different depending on your airline of choice, model plane, and other factors unique to your personal situation. (Photo "United CRJ-700" by redlegsfan21) 0
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DECEM BER 3, 2012
Spanish Charcuterie: A Love Story

4:35 PM ANGIE 1 COMMENT
Perhaps one of the most distinctive features of Spanish cuisine is its focus on charcuterie, in particular the focus on pork products. Sure, Spain has paella, gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp), tortillas (Spanish omelets), gazpacho, and a whole host of other specialties, but let's face it:
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we went to Spain for the pig.
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NOVEM BER 29, 2012
The Best Christmas Markets in Europe

Christmas is a time to deck the halls, to pop the champagne cork, to gorge on mince pies and sherry, to hang the Christmas garlands stuffed with variegated ivy, glossy holly, and sprigs of fragrant conifer dotted with bright red berries and shiny ribbon. Its also a fantastic time to pack up the family, or treat your partner, hop on a plane, and visit some Christmas markets. Theyre great places not just to buy gifts for friends and family, but as cultural bases for short breaks, offering you a snow-laden window through which to glimpse the culture of the countries that each market represents. Lets dive straight in with some of our favorite European Christmas markets. (Photo "Covent Garden Lights")
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NOVEM BER 27, 2012

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Angie Eats New York City! - The Verdict

In our previous Angie Eats New York City entry we outlined the restaurants, street food, and other vendors that we were hoping to try on our recent trip to NYC. Armed with a list of 38 restaurants, we set out to try a good chunk of them and hopefully not become chunks ourselves in the process. The following are brief reviews of the 11 restaurants from our list that we made it to in NYC, plus one added surprise, and our verdict on each of them. Is your favorite on our list?
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NOVEM BER 25, 2012
The Foods I'd Rather Be Having on Thanksgiving

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It is no secret that I am not a huge fan of the food that is served in the traditional Thanksgiving meal. In fact, for someone who loves food so much it is kind of ironic that Thanksgiving is my least favorite American holiday. Why is this the case? It is hard to say for sure as my tastes have become so varied through travel that I often find myself dreading having this predictable meal at the same time every year. But what if I had control of the menu for the yearly feast? Well, you can imagine that the best cuisine in the world would take center stage. While not every food item featured in this post would make it into the final menu, you can be sure that these are the biggest contenders.
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NOVEM BER 24, 2012
Black Tomato's Top 10 Tips for a Perfect USA Road Trip

Today's post is a guest post from our friend Oliver at Black Tomato. Here at Black Tomato were often asked how to make the most of a USA holiday and with so much to see and do in the States the answer is obvious take a road trip. Cruising down the coastal roads and iconic highways, you can have the ultimate luxury holiday packed with landscapes to behold, cities to excite and beach retreats to replenish the soul. (Photo
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"Lonely Road" by Chemtec) There really is no better way to see this outstanding part of the world. Having just returned from my own Californian adventure there are a few pointers Id like to share with you all. Here are my top 10 tips for turning your road trip into a smooth running trip of a lifetime: Read more
NOVEM BER 20, 2012
I'm Thankful for My Passport

It is that time of year again. The US holiday of Thanksgiving is just around the corner. While I am not a huge fan of the holiday itself (other than the two days off at our day jobs), I always have something to be thankful for. This year in particular I am brought to one of the simplest items that anyone can own but at the same time is one of the most powerful. An item so essential that without it this website would not even exist. This item I am talking about is something that most Americans sadly do not own, but something I wish everyone did. What am I talking about? Well, for this years Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my passport.
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NOVEM BER 16, 2012

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Why Haven't You RTW'd Yet?

One of my favorite things about going on a longterm, around the world (RTW) trip is the comments I get from others about the whole thing. Not the supportive "that is awesome" comments, those are pretty amazing, but the comments that are negative about the whole experience. It seems like no matter who you interact with, someone will turn sour on you every once in a while. We can shrug these comments off without taking them seriously, but there are others who hear negativity and begin to second guess their desire to go on a RTW trip. Yes, indecisive RTWer, this post is for you. Rather than repeat what is already known, we want to speak directly to those who are on the fence on long-term travel to try and dispel some myths to get you back on track to a RTW journey of a lifetime! To do that, we need to take a look at some of the arguments you've likely already heard, and why they are absolutely pointless if travel is your number one dream.
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NOVEM BER 11, 2012
Angie Eats New York City! - The Restaurants

Our food mission in New York City was simple: try as many restaurants as humanly possible in a
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three day period, with the focus being on pizza, bagels, street food, and ice cream/gelato. A perfect first entry into the Angie Eats.... series. Trying to fit this much food in a small amount of time was no easy task and required much research before the trip (and much, much more than three meals a day). Since we were staying in Greenwich Village, most of our research centered around the West Village and the East Village. But since we like to explore, restaurants from all over New York are featured. Below is a map of all the restaurants that we investigated and considered visiting prior to our trip. While we did not make it to all of the restaurants featured in the list before, this was our starting point when exploring the New York food scene. The restaurants and their color coding follows.
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NOVEM BER 9, 2012
Top 7 Unconventional Tips to Make Business Travel More Pleasant

Lately I have been traveling a lot for my day job, darting across the continent and back for extended periods at a time (2+ weeks). The one thing I can say about this kind of lifestyle is that being away from home up to 30% of the time for work is exhausting. With 12 hour days and not a day off in half a month, you begin to feel the effect of the hours
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you put in. But with all my travels in the last few months on this cycle, I have figured out a few ways to make business travel more pleasant which have really saved my sanity and well being on the last few trips. The following tips are highly unconventional and not for everyone as they are based on my own personal business travel preferences. Your work schedule and my work schedule could be completely different. A 2 day trip for work has far different dynamics than a 14 day trip, so the tips that suit your style may be reflective of that. In any event, the root of all of the tips featured in this post hold true for most all business travelers relax, take it easy, and travel for work will take care of you as a reward. (Photo "Old Briefcase with Combination Lock" by Mattox)
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NOVEM BER 6, 2012
Lively Laganas
Today's post is a guest post by Craig Gilhooly. Neon lights, loud music and a beach background. All vital ingredients of a summer party holiday. There are many destinations around the world that will offer you all this and more, yet one that is hugely popular, thanks to its Club 18-30s status, is Laganas, in the south of Zakynthos. (Photo "Blue Sea at Zakynthos" by Keurslager)
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OCT OBER 30, 2012
Where You Should Be! - The Balearics

Todays entry into our series Where You Should Be! is focused on the islands of the Balearics! When you hear about the Balearic Islands, the first thoughts are often about clubs and partying. While it is true that many of the destinations in the islands are a haven for wild parties, there is far more to the islands than that with amazing scenery and culture being two of the main highlights. Get ready to book your low-cost airline flights like our friends at Jet2.com, as the islands of the Balearics are calling your name. (Photo "Cathedral Palma" by davidvives)
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OCT OBER 19, 2012
Honeymoon Destinations Full of Adventure

When we were planning our honeymoon earlier this year, we faced a crucial decision. Do we
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pick a destination because of its history and quality of food while exploring in relatively comfortable accommodations, or do we pick a destination that is full of adventure and put ourselves out of our comfort zone for the sake of the experience? As you are aware, we picked the former with our 2 week trip to Spain loaded with so much food and history that we barely had a moment to sit down and relax. But what about the adventure side? As it turns out, we looked at a number of possible adventure destinations for our honeymoon and highly recommend each and every one of them for couples looking to get off the beaten track to celebrate one of life's most important milestones. Pull out your honeymoon registry adventure seekers, this one's for you!
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OCT OBER 16, 2012
5 Things Financially You Should Do Before You Go Traveling

One of the most fundamental things all travelers have to deal with is money. How to get it, how to keep it, where to spend it, how to minimize the amount you spend. This list could go on and on. You may have your own tricks to increase your savings account over time for a trip, but all shortterm and long-term travelers face the same hardships of money management if not addressing the situation from the right angle.
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In many instances, the most common money management and savings problems can be solved with just a few hours of time and small lifestyle improvements. The key is to not perform a drastic overhaul of your lifestyle just to travel, but rather several small changes to help make your goals achievable with far less pressure on yourself to succeed. To help, we put together our five favorite financial tips that will help all travelers find a bit of extra cash that can be used to see the world!
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OCT OBER 12, 2012
A Guide to Singapore's Best Hawker Centers

Hawker Centers. Those two little words make my mouth salivate just hearing it. I have a theory that when it comes to food there are only two types of people in this world. Those who know the miraculous wonders of the Singapore Hawker Center concept and those who do not. If you aren't salivating right now, I'll take it that you are in the do not category. But don't worry, this post is going to let out all of the dirty little secrets of this amazing eating concept. If you aren't booking your accommodation Singapore now, you surely will be by the time I get through with you. These food centers are, after all, the whole reason I went to Singapore in the first place.
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OCT OBER 9, 2012
Introducing Our Newest Site - Trust a Traveler!

If you've been wondering why its been a little quiet around here for the past month or so, you're not alone. To put it simply, we've been busy putting together a new project! Our new site is called Trust a Traveler and is set to be a unique reviews and recommendations database built entirely by verified members of the travel writing community!
Why is Trust So Important?

When it comes to trust, there are only a handful of ways someone can have yours. Some of those include honesty and a historical record to fall back on. When you look at online reviews, these two categories of trust are often missing. Who is the person giving the review? What made them give a thumbs up or thumbs down? Often these questions go unanswered, and faith in a review becomes hindered. Trust a Travel was built to fix this problem, with travel writers and bloggers being the solution.
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OCT OBER 3, 2012
Hunting the Geisha Hunters in Kyoto

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Kyoto is the quintessential Japanese city in my mind. It is large enough that it has a bigger city feel in some places, yet small enough that you can walk it if you are looking for a full day. Not only that, there are numerous aspects of Japanese culture that can be found lurking in various corners of the city. Want a monkey park? Check the outskirts of town right near the Bamboo forest. Want to find amazing temples? Go to Ryoanji Temple or Kinkakuji Temple. Want to find a geisha? Go to the Gion District. But in a city that has has many of the major Japanese highlights in such a small area, there is a downside. The crowds. This is especially evident for those on the hunt for a geisha in the Gion District as you will never be the only one who has the thought of exploring the neighborhood in hopes of catching a photo of this elusive Japanese profession. The crowds for this sight can be so large, in fact, that I gave up in my hunt for a geisha and instead began to hunt the other travelers who were searching for the elusive photo. The hunt for the geisha hunters begins.
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OCT OBER 2, 2012
Post-Olympics Events in London, England

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So you missed the Olympics in Paralympics in London this year. Don't worry! The end of this year's historic games is not the finale of London's 2012 events. In fact, you could say the city is going on just like the games never happened with the number of festivals, shows, and celebrations taking place in the city between now and the end of 2012. Since so much talk and emphasis has been put on the Olympic games this year, we feel it is necessary to take a look beyond the headliner and to find out what great events make London worth visiting even though the Olympics have came and went. Get ready, the following events will make you want to book flights to London right away as some of the festivities begin even this week!
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SEPT EM BER 28, 2012
A Guide for Traveling to Jamaica

Planning a trip to Jamaica can be both exciting and overwhelming. The seemingly tiny country has a lot to offer from a relaxed beach paradise trendy nightclubs and posh restaurants. Depending on the length of your stay, there is quite a bit to see on this beautiful, tropical island. So avoid the trap of picking one destination and staying at an all-inclusive resort, because Jamaica is full of wonderful sights worth seeing if you take the time to explore!
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Oddities of the Egyptian Museum

Out of all of the museums I have visited in the world, only one can stand out as being my favorite. No, it is not the Louvre or the Met, although each have massive wings dedicated to this specific culture. My absolute favorite museum anywhere in the world is none other than The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo! It shouldn't be any surprise that the Egyptian Museum is my favorite, I was dreaming about visiting Egypt ever since I was a kid and finally made it there in 2009. After taking my first step in the museum, I knew that this one was going to be different. Several hours of exploring later, I realized that the Egyptian Museum is quite possibly the most unique major museum in the world and the oddities it contains are something you must truly see to believe. (Photo "The Egyptian Museum" by Bs0u10e01)
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3 Ways to Keep Connected on the Road

We are not big on staying in contact on the road if we're only gone for a couple of weeks, but as the trips get longer and longer the need to connect with friends and family increases exponentially. Between crossing
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thousands of miles of land, being away for weeks or months, and generally being in places where no one knows where you are, it is a good idea to phone home once in a while. We've tried nearly every method of making international calls on the road and have put together the best three ways to keep connected while on the road. You may pick only one of these, or a combination of the three. But each serves their purpose quite well and should be considered by all travelers when heading out the door to a foreign destination, whether it be for a few days or a few years.
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Introducing "Angie Eats _____!" - A New Series

4:15 PM ANGIE NO COMMENTS
How do you find great food when youre traveling? Do you wander the streets aimlessly, hoping that youll serendipitously stumble across a hole in the wall that turns out to be a true gem? Although this sounds romantic and lovely, more often than not, it ends in disaster or at least an unsatisfied stomach. We have certainly done our fair share of that type of foraging for food, but we are here today to announce a new feature on our blog that will hopefully help fellow travelers in their search for great food and restaurants around the world.
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A Packing List Dissection - Things I Want

Last year we published a three part series entitled "A
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Packing List Dissection" where we took a closer look into my packing list for a long-term journey of 151 days. The series was broken into three segments that looked at items I needed, items I did not need, and items I couldn't live without. One year later we've definitely changed our ideal travel style a little bit and have been on several shorter trips using a similar packing list to what I had for the long-term trip. After having more time with the same old stuff, I have come to the conclusion that there are just some things we want to add to our travel packing list. Not surprisingly, they are all technology based. For each item, we're taking a good idea / bad idea approach as every "want" has their own challenges and drawbacks associated. We fully believe that the good vastly outweighs the bad, but before we make the leap into purchasing any of these new travel companions, we would take a bit of time to consider the ramifications other than just on a cost aspect. (Photo "Inside Lens" by boogy_man)
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How the Airport Experience Makes Us All Stupid

Disclaimer: The following rant is meant to be tak en as satire only. All stories shared in this article noted with numbers (1) to (11) are true and actually occurred during a flight of mine in early September 2012. The frustration of being stuck in Chicago for 14 hours in what was supposed to be a 2 hour layover inspired this post. Have you ever noticed how everyone in an airport magically loses all sense of logic and reason? Even the most ordinary, well intentioned person goes into the magical airport machine and comes out a bumbling idiot. It is like there is some mysterious enchantment that surrounds various locations in an airport where smart
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It is like there is some mysterious enchantment that surrounds various locations in an airport where smart people go in and unreasonable, unobservant, and generally stupid people come out. After witnessing this phenomena dozens of times over the years, I can safely say that the airport experience makes us all lose a few IQ points during our transit from A to B.
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Celebrating Four Years of Travel Blogging!

Today we mark a great day here at Living the Dream, the completion of our 4th year being live as a travel blog!. It's been a long time since we started out as a basic travel journal for a long-term trip abroad and have evolved in ways we would never have expected. Considering that, it is hard to pull together 4 years of blogging into one post - but we're going to try. So here it is, our 4th anniversary spectacular, full of our favorite highlights, advice to new bloggers, plans for the future, and some other secrets we've been holding onto for some time!
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The Best Beaches in Barcelona

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When it comes to beaches, Barcelona has plenty to offer. One step into this city, and its obvious why this Catalan capital was named best beach city by National Geographic magazine. Although the city didnt have any beaches for lounging purposes before the 1992 Olympics, its since cleaned up its act and is home to seven sandy spots. Heres a list of some that are well worth a visit.
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SEPT EM BER 8, 2012
Why Be a Tourist?
The one thing I cannot stand as a travel writer is the traveler versus tourist debate that seems to pop up time and time again. When looking at these articles from a broad perspective, many are focused on why you should be a "traveler," as if the distinction really exists. Only a few tend to go with my belief of "who really cares?", something that is somewhat startling in this day and age. When it all comes down to it, whether you are a
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tour group fan, cruiser, backpacker, or luxury spender the truth is that we are all travelers. Regardless of how you do it, going away and seeing the world makes you a traveler. Some may disagree with that thought, but when compared to staying at home and not traveling, you already have the upper hand. Why should there be distinctions past that? But ignore my distaste for the whole traveler versus tourist debate for a few minutes. Today, I want to talk about all of the good things that being a "tourist" has meant for us over the past four years of exploring the world.
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SEPT EM BER 6, 2012
The Many Different Faces of Turkey - Infographic

Turkey is one of our top destinations to visit in the next year for more reasons than we can list in one post. But if we had to pinpoint one reason that Turkey is near the top of our upcoming travel list it would be due to one very personal region - Angie lived there for a few years. Unfortunately, she doesn't remember it since she was only a toddler at the time. Who does remember it is her parents, and the country of Turkey is something we hear about all the time while visiting. From the food to the Grand Bazaar all the way to the beautiful beaches on the coasts, there is something that keeps tempting us to book a ticket to Turkey every time we learn more about this great country.
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During our research on Turkey's best destinations, we were given this great infographic that highlights some very interesting facts about this country we've heard so much about. Some are mainstream and others completely unique and we couldn't help but want to share. We can assure you, some of these facts will surprise you. (Photo "Side" by goxi777)
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SEPT EM BER 2, 2012
America's First Pizza - Lombardi's in NYC

New York City pizza is iconic, something everyone must try when visiting the city. The giant, delicious slices are so large that they even need to be folded in half to fit in your mouth. With a pizza place on every corner, many selling slices for as little as 99 cents, choosing the best place to visit in New York can be a little daunting. Before even researching the top rated pizza shops in the city, there was one I knew we had to visit. This particular place was on our list not because it was considered to be the best, but because of a different distinction - it was the first. The first pizza place in the USA - Lombardi's Pizza.
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