Monthly Archives: March 2012

The Lucky Ticket

Picture of ticket.

My winning numbers?

The country is abuzz about tonight's Mega Millions lottery drawing with an estimated jackpot of $640 million. People from all walks of life are daydreaming about what they would do if they won. While browsing an Internet forum today, I came across a wide variety of ideas, ranging from practical:

I'd pay my debts!

To unselfish:

I'd pay my friends' and family members' debts!

To creative:

I'd buy the space shuttle and make it street legal!

To funny:

I'd buy a billion Twinkies!

But more than any of these, I became fixated on a common response:

I'd travel the world!

Do you really need half a billion dollars to travel the world? No, but you already knew that. After all, let's say you spent $2000 on your last weekly vacation. If you continued that exact style of travel for a year, you'd need $104,000. Not chump change, but a far cry from half a billion.

So how much do you really need? What if I told you that I traveled for years at a time, including to exotic and expensive destinations such as Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands, all for an average of $1000 per month, including airfare? Sound impossible? Well it's not.

You don't need to be rich to travel the world!

I created this website for two main reasons: to document my own travels, and to show you how to realize your dream of world travel, even if you don't win the lottery. Check back for more advice in the coming months and years of where to go and how to do it.

For the record, the picture at the top of this post is of my actual Mega Millions ticket. Winning would be nice, but even if I lose, I have a backup plan to see the world. And it won't cost me half a billion bucks.

Late Winter Climbing

Picture of climber.

Lauren working her way up Cheetah (5.10b).

It's hard to believe with last weekend's 80-degree weather in Wisconsin, but today is the first day of spring.

Two weekends ago when it hit 55 degrees for the first time this year, I went with the local mountaineering club to nearby Devil's Lake for some rock climbing. For most of us, it was our first outdoor climbing of the year. The lake was still frozen, the trees still bare, and the air wasn't quite warm enough for us to shed our parkas. On top of that, it was extremely windy, so we had to be extra careful getting set up. The hardest part of my day was traversing a ledge without getting blown off. But it was still a great day of climbing, and many more are sure to come this year.

Speaking of which, when it got into the 80's a week later, I had to hit “The Lake” again. The ice had completely thawed, and suddenly sunburn became our biggest hazard. Other than placing anchors, which I guess will always sketch me out.

I hope you got a chance to get outside and enjoy the weather on the last weekend of winter!

Photos From March 10
Photos From March 17

Duluth CouchSurfing Invasion

Last weekend was the Duluth CouchSurfing invasion. CouchSurfing is a great way to connect with other travelers in your city and around the world. About thirty-five of us made it all the way up to Duluth, Minnesota for a chilly February weekend. Madison has had such a mild winter, it was a bit shocking to take on the North Shore's 15-degree weather. Still, it was a great getaway, even if for only a few days.

Click here to see my photos from Duluth.

I'm Back!

I know it's been a very long time, but I finally got this blog up and running again. Look for posts in the coming months about what I've been up to, as well as lots of travel advice. And before you ask, I don't have any big trips planned, but stay tuned.