LATEST EPISODE!

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This week we spoke with Kirstie and Christine, a couple from New York City who are making progress on their goal of backpacking all around the world. Kirstie and Christine are hoping that by following their passion for traveling they can help inspire others, especially in the LGBT community, to do the same! 

Inside the Episode:   

• Quit Your Job and Travel the World: a headline we’ve all seen over and over and sometimes brush off as being impossible. However, in Christine’s case she did just that and as she confidently states, “You know what, I can come back to this. It’s not going anywhere”. As we continue to interview travelers about taking this leap we have noticed a recurring theme...eventually you need to stop thinking about it and just GO. 
• Kirstie and Christine’s travel style was actually very similar to ours where Kirstie just went with the flow (Elliot) and Christine did all the hard work of planning the trip (Bob). So,two things here: One, find yourself a travel buddy that compliments your strengths and two, Elliot and Kirstie need to pull some weight. 
• Curious about how your favorite travelers get these incredible shots? So were we, and on this podcast Kirstie and Christine gave us the “behind the scenes” insight on how they get their astonishing photos!
• We had an interesting conversation on cuisine differences between South East Asia and the US. Not only are the dishes culturally different but we all agreed that you can really taste and feel the differences in the ingredients used. The limited availability of outsourcing ingredients in these remote island nations lends to a much more satisfying and fresher meal. Where is the freshest meal you’ve ever had? 
• Kirstie and Christine break down some of the cultural differences between the countries they visit and how these foreign cultures view their lifestyle. They’ve had varying experiences, where some cultures are more accepting (and less gawky) than others. One of their favorite experiences was the Philippines!
• Kirstie and Christine’s passion for travel is fueled by their curiosity to seek the unknown, but more importantly to experience people. As Kirstie says, “That's the best part about travel”, and we couldn’t agree more. Think about it, what good is the food, the architecture, and the history without the people?
• “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone traveling who has come back a more narrow minded person”, Kirstie says. You can argue that being accepting of new cultures and/or people is what drives people to travel to begin with. So how can we, as travelers, preach travel to people who may not be inclined to venture outside of their “cultural comfort zone” in order to expand their understanding of human differences? 
• Guinea pigs, two-foot long lizards, and fried scorpions.....We swapped cuisine stories with Christine and Kirstie who had the courage to try some interesting foods.
• We were provided with insight on their travel experiences as they pertain to the impacts caused by global climate change. In the US, we have yet to suffer or feel any true impacts of this change in environment. As we hear in this clip, when you meet the people on the front lines of these impacts, it becomes obvious that this is a global issue, and one we all need to take seriously. Keep it in mind, and try to just do your small part in living a more sustainable life. It will make a difference.

Tasha Goldberg is a writer, reporter, video producer, and ethnobotanist. Tasha has travelled the world reporting at United Nations negotiations and events on the topic of sustainable development over the last decade. In 2004, Tasha founded Sustainable Solutions, a business consultancy designed to implement global strategic sustainability programs and maintain an active voice in the ongoing planetary dialogue of sustainable development. Tasha’s focus is on opportunities to empower indigenous communities, add value in natural ingredient supply chains, and cultivate carbon awareness.  

Inside the Episode:   

• Tasha’s journey towards Sustainable Development led her into global politics as a reporter for the United Nations negotiations around Sustainable Development. This move allowed her to navigate towards her ultimate passion, understanding and solving the global over-consumption crisis.
• Be sure to check out Tasha’s Evidence of Hope! A series of portraits featuring people and projects from around the world who are addressing global challenges, demonstrating the reason we should have hope for a sustainable future.
• Rather than be someone who can advise people what they should do to be more sustainable, Tasha sought a path to continue learning herself by seeking the stories and people brave enough to look directly in the face of global challenges and create sustainable solutions.
• Tasha was truly inspiring. Her motivations are inspired by her curiosity for those who do good, tend to the environment around them, and strive for inclusivity. She shared beautiful stories of her travels around the world in her journey to understand the world on a much deeper level than we were used to hearing. 
• If you haven’t already, check out Tasha’s short film How Evidence of Hope and see how it creates a shareable experience of the concepts in sustainable development. As she mentions in this clip. 

Valerie Stimac is a San Francisco Bay Area-based space tourism and travel writer. She began working with Lonely Planet in 2014, providing local content about Seattle and San Francisco. In 2019, her first book Dark Skies: A Practical Guide to Astrotourism was published by Lonely Planet, and she has also contributed to other Lonely Planet books including The Universe. Her love of space was inspired by growing up in Alaska, watching the northern lights, and seeing the Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. While her professional career is focused on tourism rather than science, she's working to make space accessible and help more people travel to enjoy the night sky. 

Inside the Episode:   

• As a travel author, Valerie’s interest in Astrotourism was sparked by her intrigue around seeking the “new and exciting”. She settled on Space Tourism and has created the ‘go to’ guide at for space tourism on Earth at spacetourismguide.com
• Valerie’s book opened our eyes in a profound way. As travelers, we are constantly looking for the awe inspiring, the new, the interesting, the unique. But most of us never think to look up at the stars and take in the spectacle that is the universe. 
• Valerie was able to break down what Astrotourism is and how there are designated dark sky parks throughout the US (and the world). With views of the Milky Way, Auroras, and distant galaxies we are all able to enjoy under the right dark sky conditions. 
• How can you have a conversation on outer space without nerding out, contemplating our existence, discussing the potential for lightspeed travel, they very thought provoking question of “what is time?”
• City people rejoice! Dark Skies provides great insight on how you, the urban dweller can work around the light pollution in your city in order to have your own unique star gazing experience. Valerie was clear on a few tips you can implement in order to get a better view of the visible universe. 
• One of our goals is to clearly see our galactic neighborhood, an extension of the Milky Way Galaxy. With Dark Skies, we learned that Cherry Spring State Park of Pennsylvania was a Designated Dark Sky location which can offer clear views of astronomical events, including...if the conditions are perfect...the Aurora Borealis.
• We can obviously see the moon with the naked eye. However did you know that you could also see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus with the naked eye. With good dark sky conditions for some of these planets and the right alignment you can “eye up” what may be a future home for our species (or so we hope)!
• SPACE TOURISM in 2020! Fingers are crossed, and as we discussed companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin have their tech prepped, their facilities built, and the logistics nailed down. What can you expect in 2020? Well, it seems like we may be at a minimum getting the opportunity to go on non-orbital space trips.

Jeffrey Brownson is the manager for AwardWallet’s social communities, including the ever-growing Facebook groups, Award Travel 101™, Travel Grumps 101, and Award Travel Singles Mingle. He also hosts the weekly Award Travel 101 Podcast. Jeff found his way to miles and points while researching a trip more than a decade ago, and has been hooked ever since. Over the years, he has taken his family all over the world, with his kids having already traveled to 6 continents and over 25 countries. From speaking at major conferences such as the Chicago Seminars and Frequent Traveler University to writing for several prominent travel sites, Jeff has proven himself to be one of the world’s foremost experts in the travel and loyalty program space. Jeff has visited over 50 countries and is always sure to try the local beers wherever he goes. When at home, he spends most of his spare time searching for open award seats and planning his next few vacations. 

Inside the Episode:   

• Jeff dropped some serious information on how YOU can become a travel points/travel credit card master and travel the world free of the cost for airfare and accommodations. Listen for yourself and learn the ins and outs of manipulating the credit card system to your advantage. 
• What are travel points? As Jeff explains, there are a few different types of travel points; including airline miles, fixed credit card points, and transferable points. 
• The Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) is recognized among the travel points hackers as the go-to card for travelers just entering the travel points realm. Chase Ultimate Rewards can be used for airfare, hotels, car rentals, and tours making them very valuable to those who are constantly on the move!
• Jeff, the manager for several travel points social media platform, including Award Travel 101 and AwardWallet, which are great resources for those looking to learn more with the opportunity to bounce ideas off of fellow travel point enthusiasts and plenty of material to educate yourself. 
• Something we want everyone to consider before signing up for travel credit cards is that it is crucial that you are not in credit card debt and that you have the financial responsibility to make sure your credit cards are paid off every month. If you aren’t paying these cards off each month you will negate the rewards in the interest or late fees you pay. This travel hacking game is for those only capable of staying on top of their payments. 
• What airline uses your home airport as a hub? That’s something to consider when signing up for an airline rewards card. For example, American Airlines flies a TON out of our home airport in Philadelphia. It was wise for us to sign up for the AA card to get the most flight availability and will see the most open rewards seats. 
• This is a big deal: Make sure you hit your points reward! If you miss out on the, let’s say 50,000 point bonus you will not get the opportunity to earn it again. So, when applying for a travel rewards card make sure your have the capability to spend!

Kelly Hayes-Raitt, aka the House Sit Diva, ran for public office and got her butt kicked 10 years ago. After a 30-year career as a political activist promoting social and environmental justice, she decided to take a sabbatical from politics and visited the Middle East several times where she worked with refugees. To finance her writing, she rents out her own home while she lives in other peoples’ homes, aka house sitting. She’s been housesitting full time since 2009 in the U.S., Mexico, United Kingdom., Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Gibraltar, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Senegal, Malawi and Mozambique. She’s visited more than 60 countries, including pre- and post-U.S. invasion Iraq and has co-led delegations in Syria and India. Kelly provides a wealth of knowledge on house sitting and is a leading expert on the subject. 

Inside the Episode:   

• Our episode with Kelly was JAM PACKED with logistical information on how YOU can become a house sitter and travel the world with free accommodations. Kelly has decades of experience seeing the world, and as aspiring world travelers, we were fortunate to have her on our show. 
• In 2009 Kelly was house sitting for friends, watching pets, and enjoying her time sightseeing the country. What she didn’t realize is how this would snowball into an incredible journey house sitting around the world. 
• The House Sit Diva is an advocate for @trustedhousesitter which allows you to form relationships with people around the world who need someone to help watch their house and/or pets. 
• What we learned about house sitting is that a majority of these house sits are actually more like “pet sits”. One thing that Kelly really made clear was that if you volunteer to house sit, you need to be prepared to tend to their pet, ensuring their house is clean and managed, and anything else the owner may ask of you. You cannot look at these house sitting opportunities like you would an all inclusive resort. You are there to perform a service, not get in some R&R. 
• Kelly literally wrote the book on housesitting, “How to Become a Housesitter”. A very useful tool in preparing anyone capable and/or willing to be a good housesitter!
• Kelly provided us with impeccable insight on how anyone can become a global house sitter. From online booking platforms, to tips for managing someone’s home in a foriegn country, she spoke to us from years of valuable travel experience. 
• Do you like to immerse yourself in the culture and daily life of your destination? Do you adopt the “slow travel” trend and become a temporary resident of the city you’re in? If so, housesitting is for you, where you can enjoy the luxury of living in a home while exploring a new city on your free time. 
• Community is one of the things Kelly longs for as a world traveler. She tells us that over the years she learned to create her own sense of community on the road, building relationships and keeping in touch with the people she meets online.
• Kelly presented profound stories from her travel experiences, including her heartfelt relationship with a young Iraqi girl at the beginning of the US led invasion of the country, and her experiences with Japanese school children and their perspective on the detonation of the atomic bomb during WWII.