tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57304568895876835712024-03-13T09:53:41.056-07:00Wandering SoloNancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.comBlogger784125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-31967120048327094362012-08-27T23:59:00.000-07:002012-08-29T14:14:36.003-07:00Road Trip #2: NYC to SFO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-plfX5VmRSVM/UD6FU9h5s5I/AAAAAAAADq0/o0C0144JX14/s1600/SFO+to+NYC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-plfX5VmRSVM/UD6FU9h5s5I/AAAAAAAADq0/o0C0144JX14/s400/SFO+to+NYC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Total miles driven after two tours: 11,942<br />
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My second tour was with another group of French teenagers. We did the same trip I just did but in reverse. The second time was so much better. My passengers were nice & respectful, & the chaparone was fantastic!<br />
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Things went much smoother logistically too. It helped that I had already been to all of the locations, but using the GPS made a world of difference. They should issue each guide a GPS before they head out. It's probably the single most useful tool on tour. <br />
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This job has a steep learning curve, but I feel like I'm doing well so far. To be honest, it doesn't feel like this is a job at all - more like a paid vacation. I mean, I get paid to go on a cross country road trip, using someone else's car, gear & money. I think I came out ahead on this one. <br />
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Unfortunately, I have no photos of my own to share for trip #2 since my camera crapped out on the last tour. I'll just have to grab some of the passengers' photos from Facebook to post here. Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-61488506786232176682012-07-29T19:39:00.000-07:002012-07-30T17:50:10.930-07:00Road Trip #1: San Francisco to New York City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRp95Wtj7j0/UBXx8T_C18I/AAAAAAAADoU/-Vptx1sCh2U/s1600/SFO+to+NYC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRp95Wtj7j0/UBXx8T_C18I/AAAAAAAADoU/-Vptx1sCh2U/s400/SFO+to+NYC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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24 days; 6000 miles; 9 French teenagers</div>
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... & a whole lot of fun!</div>
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A: San Francisco CA</div>
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B: Lake Tahoe NV</div>
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C: Ely NV</div>
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D: Salt Lake City UT</div>
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E: Jackson WY</div>
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F: Yellowstone National Park</div>
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G: Cody WY</div>
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H: Devils Tower National Monument</div>
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I: Badlands National Park</div>
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J: Mitchell SD</div>
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K: Minneapolis MN</div>
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L: Thunder Bay ON</div>
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M: Heron Bay ON</div>
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N: Sault St. Marie ON</div>
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O: Tobermory ON</div>
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P: Niagra Falls ON</div>
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Q: Ottawa ON</div>
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R: Quebec City QC</div>
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S: Montreal QC</div>
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T: Catskill NY</div>
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U: New York City NY</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Scroll down for photos!</span></strong></div>
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</div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-7877838666397075282012-07-22T23:59:00.000-07:002012-07-30T16:57:21.897-07:00On the ferry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3y3pYmKq1bE/UBcfMA5gr8I/AAAAAAAADp8/I0mrY3Ov-yM/s1600/DSCN6153+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3y3pYmKq1bE/UBcfMA5gr8I/AAAAAAAADp8/I0mrY3Ov-yM/s400/DSCN6153+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Lake Huron, Ontario</div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-65383756075073140102012-07-21T23:59:00.000-07:002012-07-30T16:56:00.258-07:00Mining for amethyst<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-hhkPCrTo8/UBce2YWjLfI/AAAAAAAADp0/1QqP80Z4d4g/s1600/DSCN6127+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-hhkPCrTo8/UBce2YWjLfI/AAAAAAAADp0/1QqP80Z4d4g/s400/DSCN6127+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thunder Bay, Ontario</div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-51798980840043219772012-07-20T23:59:00.000-07:002012-07-30T16:54:47.026-07:00Canoeing near Lake Superior<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mitchell, South Dakota</div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-76342606966633636862012-07-16T23:59:00.000-07:002012-07-30T16:51:51.735-07:00Mount Rushmore!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My first time in South Dakota</div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-32889000364826210232012-07-15T23:59:00.000-07:002012-07-30T16:50:38.750-07:00My home for the summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Devils Tower, Wyoming</div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-51856108158094663092012-07-14T23:59:00.000-07:002012-07-30T16:46:43.826-07:00On the road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hVr5jPpsjts/UBccYnCjBMI/AAAAAAAADpE/jfpsFvK5z_U/s1600/DSCN5959+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hVr5jPpsjts/UBccYnCjBMI/AAAAAAAADpE/jfpsFvK5z_U/s400/DSCN5959+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-3343953762714219202012-07-12T23:59:00.000-07:002012-07-30T16:47:02.196-07:00Bison!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yellowstone National Park</div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-29712921853929070002012-07-11T23:59:00.000-07:002012-07-30T16:47:02.194-07:00Not a bad way to wake up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yellowstone National Park</div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-55764999416413824642012-07-08T23:59:00.000-07:002012-07-30T16:47:02.198-07:00Some of my group at Lake Tahoe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S1IH21AKCeA/UBcbaNr5v0I/AAAAAAAADos/eedIroK8efI/s1600/DSCN5804+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S1IH21AKCeA/UBcbaNr5v0I/AAAAAAAADos/eedIroK8efI/s400/DSCN5804+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-23635951790699665722012-07-01T13:39:00.003-07:002012-07-30T16:38:48.205-07:00Offline for the summerLooks like I'll be offline for most of the summer. I'll be busy camping & hiking & road tripping. Take a look at my home for the next three months over there on the left <--<br />
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See you in the fall!Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-91827949448957695022012-06-16T17:58:00.005-07:002012-07-30T16:38:48.208-07:00Off to training campNow that I'm all <a href="http://nancylewis.blogspot.com/2012/06/licensed-to-drive.html">licensed</a> & certified, I'm headed to San Francisco for a two-week tour leader training camp. We'll travel to Yosemite, Death Valley, Zion, Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas & Malibu. Not bad for a business trip, eh?Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-2325899070074055772012-06-11T16:05:00.000-07:002012-06-11T16:11:19.705-07:00Fremont Saddle Campout<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xhvh3WcvGoc/T9ZzDwjo-_I/AAAAAAAADmU/5kM4coQx-_Y/s1600/1994_12_25+OtisSantaJustice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xhvh3WcvGoc/T9ZzDwjo-_I/AAAAAAAADmU/5kM4coQx-_Y/s200/1994_12_25+OtisSantaJustice.jpg" width="140" /></a>I spent 14 years of my life with my dogs Otis & Justice. I adopted them when they were four weeks old, & they were with me until they died. They were by my side for some of my life's best moments - & most of my worst. It absolutely broke my heart when I lost them. <br />
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It's been several years now since I took their ashes up to Fremont Saddle in the Superstition Mountains. The trail to the saddle is fairly easy & the views are amazing along the way, not to mention the incredible views of Weaver's Needle at the end of the hike. <br />
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I'm in Phoenix for a short time before I head off on my next adventure, so over the weekend, I went with a couple of friends out to Fremont Saddle for a visit. </div>
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To avoid the hottest part of the day, we decided to do the two-hour hike to the saddle just before sunset. By then the temperature had thankfully gone down below 100 degrees (about 38 degrees Celsius), & the canyon was entirely shaded, so the hike was surprisingly pleasant. </div>
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We camped at the saddle, watching shooting stars & bats whiz by over head all night long. In the morning, we packed up & were back at the car by 9:00am. Along the way we saw this: </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bw-X8DJaKIs/T9Z5PiQyoSI/AAAAAAAADnU/1_4EHKq5RQk/s1600/DSCN5181+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bw-X8DJaKIs/T9Z5PiQyoSI/AAAAAAAADnU/1_4EHKq5RQk/s400/DSCN5181+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-67155452923089880922012-06-08T23:59:00.000-07:002012-06-11T16:07:23.691-07:00Licensed to drive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f_b9pxCMTV8/T9YxocfXN3I/AAAAAAAADmI/kztc3Hs0n18/s1600/DSCN5270+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f_b9pxCMTV8/T9YxocfXN3I/AAAAAAAADmI/kztc3Hs0n18/s400/DSCN5270+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-16171668008597451212012-06-05T10:41:00.000-07:002012-06-11T11:00:35.329-07:00Learning to drive: Adventures at the DMV<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iXcKYwFaU8w/T85BiZGN4yI/AAAAAAAADlw/O9H7_BH6xs8/s1600/FordVanPicMedium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iXcKYwFaU8w/T85BiZGN4yI/AAAAAAAADlw/O9H7_BH6xs8/s200/FordVanPicMedium2.jpg" width="200" /></a>I'm preparing for a summer job as a tour operator. I'll be driving a 15-passenger van full of European tourists around to the national parks in the western part of the US. We'll be camping & hiking & singing campfire songs all summer long. I'm really excited about spending the summer outdoors. </div>
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You can drive a 15-passenger van on a regular driver's license in Arizona, but since there will be paying customers riding along, I need to get a commercial driver's license (CDL) with a passenger endorsement. <br />
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The CDL study manual has all kinds of information about driving semi tractor-trailers & Greyhound busses. Even though I won't need to know that stuff for my job as a tour operator, it's still included on the test. Go ahead. Ask me how to control speed on a downhill slope. Or what double clutching is. <br />
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When I arrived at the DMV, I saw a very very long line - yuck! But as a CDL customer, I got to jump straight to the front - yay! I passed the written test (which is actually a computerized test now) with a 93%. Now I need to find a 15-passenger van to rent so I can take the actual driving portion of the test.Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-36724773764364023312012-06-02T00:01:00.000-07:002012-06-02T00:01:00.609-07:00208 Things!I just counted my stuff. I have 208 things. <br />
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If that sounds a little strange, let me fill you in. <a href="http://nancylewis.blogspot.com/2008/07/100-thing-challenge.html">For the past four years</a>, I've been engaged in a personal challenge to reduce my possessions to 100 things - you know, just to see if I can do it. <br />
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I began by putting most of my possessions up for sale. I gave some of my favorite things to friends & family, scanned old photos & journals, & the rest got donated to charity. Then I went off to travel the world. <br />
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When I arrived at my first stop, <a href="http://nancylewis.blogspot.com/2009/06/100-thing-challenge-update.html">I had about 350 things</a>. Not bad for a first try, eh? Each time I go to a new place, I leave another pile of things behind me - peeling the onion, I call it. It feels so good to slough off unnecessary stuff. <br />
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Not to say that it's easy to do. It took me a couple of stops to get rid of my collection of brightly colored paper clips, & I'm still holding on to my <a href="http://www.mcphee.com/devilduckie/" target="_blank">devil duckies pencil toppers</a>. I suppose they will go eventually, but I'm not ready to give them up just yet. It's all part of the journey. <br />
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Over the past few years, I've been learning what I don't really need (a stack of read-write DVDs; a stapler), what I really can't live without (my Kindle; a good headlamp), & what I like having around just because it makes me happy (my magic wand, for example).<br />
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I've just recently made another move & thought this would be a good opportunity to check in with my stuff. I counted a total of 208 things. 208.<br />
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When I think about that, I realize that I've accomplished quite a lot already. I've not only reduced my possessions to a very small number. I've also greatly squelched my habit of acquiring more stuff - a great achievement. Of course, being a traveler helps with that. Whenever I'm tempted to buy something I don't really need, I just think about having to carry it around with me, & that usually does the trick.Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-16343342600018530362012-05-30T00:01:00.000-07:002012-05-30T15:54:34.026-07:00Per diem: Vietnam, China, New Zealand & Australia<strong><u>VIETNAM</u></strong> <br />
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I was in Vietnam for seven months. I lived & worked in a city about an hour from Ho Chi Minh City for five months, & traveled for the rest of the time. <br />
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Unfortunately, I don't have accurate numbers for Vietnam, but it's safe to say that it was very very cheap. I didn't worry about the price of anything while I was there - I went on tours, ate out & traveled to my heart's content. I even went to Bangkok for a week without thinking twice about it. <br />
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By the time I got to China, I was in the habit of recording my expenses, so I know that I spent an average of US$45 per day there. Based on that, I can guess that I spent about <strong>US$25</strong> a day in Vietnam - without even trying to save money. It's so incredibly cheap there. <br />
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<strong><u>CHINA</u></strong><br />
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I lived & worked in Shanghai for two years, where I rented a room from a Chinese couple for US$365 per month, which is on the cheap end of the spectrum. I went out about once a week & went shopping for clothing about once a month. I ate out for almost every meal - mostly at Chinese restaurants - but I ate at Western-style restaurants too, about once a week. My highest monthly expense was accommodation, followed by tourist attractions, then food. <br />
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Here's the monthly breakdown: <br />
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<em>US$407 - Accommodation (including hotels on trips outside Shanghai)</em><br />
<em>US$296 - Tourist attractions (tours, museums, festivals, flights, etc.)</em><br />
<em>US$253 - Food (95% eating out)</em><br />
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<strong>CHINA PER DIEM: US$45</strong><br />
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<strong><u>NEW ZEALAND</u></strong><br />
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I traveled around the North Island for three months. I mostly stayed in free accommodation, either <a href="http://mindmyhouse.com/" target="_blank">housesitting</a> or <a href="http://couchsurfing.org/" target="_blank">Couchsurfing</a>. I did stay at a few hostels along the way, so accommodation still figures in the top three expenses. My highest expense was food - even though I was careful to shop at the grocery store & eat at home. The next biggest expense was tourist attractions. Although I skipped the super expensive activities (skydiving was NZ$400!), I didn't miss out on the true once-in-a-lifetime experiences. <br />
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Here's how the monthly averages turned out: <br />
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<em>US$379 - Food (90% eating in)</em><br />
<em><em>US$342 - </em><em>Tourist attractions</em><br />
US$232 - Accommodation (mostly free stays, or cheap hostels)</em><br />
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<strong>NEW ZEALAND PER DIEM: US$42</strong><br />
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<strong><u>AUSTRALIA</u></strong> <br />
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I was in Australia for six weeks, staying with friends in Sydney for most of that time. Australia is extremely expensive, so I was really mindful of finding free or cheap things to do while I was there. The last ten days of my stay, I "splurged". I went to four different cities, flying cheap airlines, staying in backpacker hostels & going on affordable tours. I definitely skipped doing things that I would have done normally because of the cost. I didn't go to Ayers Rock (US$1000 round trip flight from Sydney!), & I only spent a few days in each city outside Sydney. I just couldn't afford Australia. <br />
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Here are my average monthly expenses: <br />
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<em>US$715 - Tourist attractions</em><br />
<em>US$611 - Food (90% eating in)</em><br />
<em>US$217 - Accommodation (10 days in backpacker hostels)</em><br />
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<strong>AUSTRALIA PER DIEM: US$68 </strong>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-55661422518092845312012-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:002012-05-27T00:01:00.286-07:00How to tell you're back in the US<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Gluten-free beer.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WCz7azr0EGE/T7_wZrCcEaI/AAAAAAAADkY/09cM3eFdURw/s1600/DSCN4810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WCz7azr0EGE/T7_wZrCcEaI/AAAAAAAADkY/09cM3eFdURw/s400/DSCN4810.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-35341898886405455742012-05-24T00:01:00.001-07:002012-05-24T00:01:00.402-07:00Baggage allowance: The tables have turnedWhen I first left the US three years ago, I was a nervous new long-term traveler. I had taken short trips out of the country before, but never had I spent such a long time away from home. I was so worried I wouldn't be able to find my favorite things overseas that I grossly overpacked, <a href="http://nancylewis.blogspot.com/2009/06/day-one.html">causing the scales at airport check-in to scream weigh-limit alarms</a>.<br />
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Just a few days ago, at the check-in counter in Sydney, the aisles were lined with people unpacking & repacking, trying to get each piece of luggage under 20 kilos - exactly as I had done at LAX three years ago. It's nice to know I'm not the only one. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6HWc8ppqqso/T7woJng3dXI/AAAAAAAADjM/PeJ10mMJptg/s1600/DSCN4709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6HWc8ppqqso/T7woJng3dXI/AAAAAAAADjM/PeJ10mMJptg/s400/DSCN4709.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-3713590488165210032012-05-21T23:59:00.000-07:002012-05-22T17:23:35.687-07:00Photo of the Week: Eclipse Over LA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ug8bVz6nODI/T7wtntnJvGI/AAAAAAAADjo/9D1d_N9BoUI/s1600/DSCN4746+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ug8bVz6nODI/T7wtntnJvGI/AAAAAAAADjo/9D1d_N9BoUI/s400/DSCN4746+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-80741426708318750162012-05-20T00:01:00.000-07:002012-05-22T11:47:45.150-07:0010 Things I did for the first time in Australia1. Attended a surfing competition<br />
2. Visited a Bahai temple<br />
3. Tasted passionfruit<br />
4. Hung out with wallabies in the park<br />
5. Saw wild cockatoos playing in the rain<br />
6. Heard the laugh of the kookaburra<br />
7. Got entangled with a leech<br />
8. Swam with sea turtles <br />
9. Saw the littlest penguins in the world<br />
10. Frightened a platypusNancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730456889587683571.post-64323422036993087682012-05-17T23:59:00.002-07:002012-07-29T19:30:26.329-07:00Touring Australia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've just finished traveling around the eastern part of Australia. I went from Sydney to Hobart to Melbourne to Cairns back to Sydney in ten days. No small feat considering the size of the country. </div>
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Hobart is a cute little port town with one of the best museums I've ever been to. If you're down that way, be sure to check out <a href="http://mona.net.au/" target="_blank">MONA</a>. I really want to go back to see the rest of Tasmania as well. There are so many mountains & canyons & rivers & wild spaces to see there. Maybe next time I'll get the chance to see a Tasmanian devil too. </div>
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Melbourne was cold & rainy, so the city didn't really get the chance to impress. However, <a href="http://www.penguins.org.au/" target="_blank">Phillip Island</a> made up for it in spades. We saw koalas up close, & watched as the tiniest penguins in the world came in from the ocean to nest on the shore for the evening. Waddle waddle. </div>
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After the chill of Hobart & the rain of Melbourne, Cairns was a pleasant change - sun, beach & palm trees. We spent a full day out on the Great Barrier Reef. It always thrills me to see something in person that I've only ever heard about. It stops being a story & becomes absolutely real. I love that. </div>
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The second day in Cairns, we took a tour of the rainforest. This was no ordinary tour. It wasn't the scenery that was so amazing - though at every stop we saw a beautiful waterfall or lake or rainforest path - incredible all on it's own. But the tour company really made the day one to remember. </div>
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We spent the whole day singing & laughing & waving at strangers as we drove from place to place. We played road trip games, drew pictures on the windows, splashed around in the water, tried to play the didgeridoo, & went in search of the elusive platypus. It was good clean non-stop high-energy fun for the entire 12-hour trip. If you go to Cairns, don't miss <a href="http://unclebrian.com.au/" target="_blank">Uncle Brian's Fun Falls & Forest</a> tour. It's a winner!</div>
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Now, back in Sydney, I'm getting <a href="http://nancylewis.blogspot.com.au/search/label/100%20thing%20challenge">my stuff</a> in order to fly back to the US. It's been <a href="http://nancylewis.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/its-good-to-be-home.html">over a year since I've been back</a>, & almost three years since <a href="http://nancylewis.blogspot.com/2009/06/im-ready.html">I left to wander the globe</a>. </div>
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This trip home will be relatively long. I have a summer job as a tour leader in the national parks, which will go through October. Afterwards, I'll spend the holidays with my family for the first time in four years. I'm really looking forward to that. </div>
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I'm not sure what's in store for me next, but I've had such an amazing time traveling over the last three years, & I've learned so much about life, the world & myself. I know there is so much more to discover out there, & I hope to continue my trek around the globe for a long time to come.Nancy Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08453001361949876150noreply@blogger.com0