The Las Vegas Foodgasm: An Introduction

I have a confession: I am not a foodie.

Foie gras does not make me weak in the knees.

It is only recently that I have developed a taste for cheese (and it’s got to be really bougie cheese at that) and steak (same deal … has to be super good). Hell, to be quite honest, other than on pizza, I can really do without dairy in my life. Oh. And ice cream.

Fortunately, just because I’m not a Foodie does not mean that I can’t appreciate good food. And, just because I won’t eat certain delicacies, doesn’t mean I can’t read the momentary bliss someone else experiences when rolling something delicious on their tongue. After all, I live in Las Vegas, where the number of celebrity chef restaurants and five-star dining trumps the cheap food on The Strip.

And, while I’m confessing, here’s another one: I don’t do buffets. Well, I do, but not often. I have never really grasped the concept of a buffet. To me, it’s Spend Money to Stuff Your Face Until You Nearly (or do) Vomit. These button-undoing feasts simply leave me overwhelmed and stressed at the mere thought of consuming, what I would consider, my money’s worth of food.

So, when I pitched writing a story on the Buffets in Las Vegas to HostelWorld, I knew I had my work cut out for me. It had been years since I had been to a Las Vegas buffet, so the task at hand was pretty huge.

And seriously tasty.

Thankfully, Las Vegas is packed with some seriously good (and some affordable) buffets.

When I had the opportunity to visit Wicked Spoon at my favorite property in Las Vegas, The Cosmopolitan, I knew I had to prepare myself for what awaited.

But, in reality, I had no idea what I was walking in to.

My good friend, Katie (we met in Bosnia, traveled Croatia together and have stayed in close touch), was bopping in to Las Vegas for a few days before heading to become and ex-Pat in China. The timing couldn’t have been better. A story due on buffets, and dining experiences being scheduled at Wicked Spoon and The Buffet at ARIA. Suddenly, Katie was going to be treated to some seriously fine buffet eats, a perfect send-off to China, foodgasm style.

What went down? Well, that’s another story.

 

Escape of the Week: Walls of Chauen

Perhaps one of the most stunningly colored cities I have ever visited, Chefchauen, Morocco, provided me with a photo opp around every winding road, narrow alley and blue-walled building.

The entire medina is a refreshing bright blue stacked with white half-way up nearly every building’s wall. And then there are gorgeous splatters of color — souks with bright magenta leather sandals, electric turquoise wallets; scarves lining the walls; rich table cloths draped under plates of deep green salads and pink watermelon.

The day I spent wandering this city was my first in Morocco. I arrived via ferry from Tarifa, Spain to Tangier, Morocco, hopped a cab to the bus station and then hopped a locals bus (think rickety tin box with windows I thought would pop out) to Chefchauen.

I had heard about the magic of this city. How it enchants. Mesmerizes. It did just that for me as well.

I love this photo because the sun beaming in is just so, making every color just pop.

Escape of the Week: Colors of Prague

 

 

I’ve been to Prague twice in my life, and was taken by the city both times.

As someone who is not used to seeing the gorgeous myriad of architecture in Prague (stuff like this just doesn’t exist in America, sadly), every turn down a new street delighted my eyes. The colors. The shapes. The details. The buildings in Prague just leave me in awe.

I took this photo on my big walkabout of the city on May Day. I love how the buildings appear so alive and aged.

How to have a Travel Adventure without Adventure Travel

 

 

Adventure. It’s a pretty hefty word with a lot behind it.

To me, adventure is more than just jumping out of airplanes … more than climbing a mountain. I’m so not that girl. In my world adventure is about taking risks. Going off my beaten path to experience something new.

As a traveler, each day is an adventure. Whether it is getting off a bus before check-in time at a hostel and trying to find something to do, or kayaking in the Mediterranean.

I tried to be adventurous each day on my trip. And, unlike the time I fell off the cliff while embracing adventure/sports, I normally was met with pretty great results.

So, how can someone have an adventure without raising your pulse?

Well …

1. Don’t plan. Well, plan a little. But, don’t feel the need to always stick to the plan. There were plenty of times when I would wake up in the morning and decide I wanted a different view, so would ask around to other people in the hostel, find out where they were going/coming from, and then make a game-time decision as to where  I would go later that day. To ensure I wasn’t bed-less for the night, I would book a room, but that’s it.

Really, I’m a Planner

2. Book a hostel, not a hotel. Hostels are much more social than hotels. At hostels, you are much more likely to meet like-minded people who want to check out A, B or C. Some of my closest friends today have come from hostels. Just be sure you follow hostel protocol during your stay. Nothing sucks worse than being That Guy/Girl at a hostel.

Dude, don’t be a hostel dick

3. Try the local cuisine. I didn’t really venture anywhere with cuisine that was too out of my comfort zone, but I can assure you eating bugs AND snake are both on my list when I hit Asia this year.

Para morirse — food to die for in Valencia

4. Get lost. Within reason. Pop on some good music, grab the camera and wander. Take note — don’t be ignorant about wandering. Find out the safe places to go before you leave your room. Ladies, keep your purses under your arms. And don’t broadcast your riches.

Being Jewish in the Krakow Jewish District

5. Hit the local markets. It’s easy to get lost in the maze of fresh fruits, veggies, flowers and crafts. Super easy. And, most times you can actually purchase items at these markets without spending a lot of money.

6. Rent an apartment for a little. If you want to spend more than a night or two in a city, rent an apartment. All over the world, there are apartments to rent for a few nights to months or longer. When I traveled, I rented a gorgeous little place on the Adriatic for a few nights with some friends. It was amazing.

Living in Technicolor

7. Talk to the locals. Nothing can make an experience in a foreign place better than having a local’s insight. The more locals you meet, the more opportunities you have to really get the flavor of a place.

A week of Spanish

8. Volunteer. There are plenty of options for short-term volunteer work all over the world. Plus, volunteering opens you up to meet other travelers and locals. And, its totally good karma.

The only English-speaking town in Spain

9. Take a class. Learn how to make sushi or prepare Thai dishes. Or do a language exchange.

10. Rent a car. This may be a little bit risky, but it lets you travel places you might not normally see.

Steering wheel death grips and driving in Romania

11. Go camping. Get a cheap tent and fork out the few bucks to camp instead of stay at a hostel.

12. Use a squat toilet. Seriously. You haven’t lived until you use one.

13. Go to a nudie beach. Or a topless beach. If necessary, grab some tall boys before hitting the surf. Just make sure you do it. And use sunscreen to prevent burning of the bits.

To be or not to be … topless

14. Find a festival or event that sounds good and go. Like La Tomatina in Spain, or Exit Festival in Serbia. Or Fringe in Scotland. This would require a little planning, but still. Go.

15. Don’t book a return ticket. Until you have to.

What do you think makes for a travel adventure?

This post was sponsored by InsureandGo Travel Insurance.

Escape of the Week: A Silverback in Rwanda

I remember this day like it was yesterday, although it was almost a year exactly since this photo was taken.

It was me, Anna, JD, Adam, Jason, and Mary, along with William, a representative from the Rwanda Development Board. We had been invited to visit Rwanda for a little more than five days to see the sites and (of course) write about our time there.

When I first saw the itinerary and the gorilla trek on there, my heart kinda stopped. Two thoughts ran through my mind: 1. Gorillas!! Bad ass. 2. I hope we don’t have to climb any mountains. See, if you know me, you know me and mountains aren’t great friends. I prefer flat hikes (if you can still call it a hike). Anyway, this trek was most definitely NOT flat. There were a lot of steep inclines, sliding down dirt slopes on our bums because walking down them would have resulted in a tumble down a vine-covered cliff into the pits of a volcanic jungle, and more.

But, the moment we saw those gorillas … man, it was worth every ounce of sweat, every second of being out of breath, every little pain twitching through my body. Because, damn, those gorillas are just some of the most spectacular creatures I have ever had the great honor to stand near.

This photo was taken of the silverback in the group we trekked. The silverback is the head honcho of the group, as you can tell from this picture. We were standing a little more than 8 feet away when I took this, but he was watching us closely the entire time. And, when he decided to get up and get a closer look at the humans stalking him, well, we all had to retreat a little bit. No one wants an angry silverback in their faces.

For more about my time trekking for gorillas, click here.

 

Interview: Adrenaline Living

I had the pleasure today of being interviewed by Angelia Miller on her Adrenaline Living Talk Show. It’s my first interview, and quite a change from being the person pitching to the person being interviewed. If you have the time, give it a listen. It’s insight into quitting your job, traveling and my experiences traveling long-term, along with the hardships of returning to America. Check the interview out here: Adrenaline Living with DTravelsRound

12 Questions to Ask Any RTW Traveler

12 questions to ask any travleler

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“So, tell me …” it always begins, often while sitting over an adult beverage in a crowded bar (at least in my experiences) … “tell me ALL about your travels.”

Pause.

I look down. I look to the inquisitive person across from me, wide-eyed, sitting up straight, alert. I look down again.

That’s a hell of a loaded question. Where to begin? Where to end? Where to fill in the blanks?

Returning home and telling the tales of travel isn’t easy. In fact, it is actually quite challenging. I mean, I love it when people want to know what I have done in my travels, but such a broad question … there is no possible way to answer that question without talking for hours on end about my adventures.

Therefore, for all of you who are in my shoes (or will be in my shoes), here is a handy-dandy breakdown of some good/great conversation starters to talk about your travels or questions to ask any traveler. Along with my answers to these questions … Note: Special thanks to Florian for asking the first few questions to get me on a roll.

What questions to ask any RTW traveler when they return?

What is the hottest hook-up you had on your trip. (You know you had at least one).

Spain. To be more specific, Granada. After an amazing night of tapas, claras, Jameson, flamenco and a Spanish club. Mmmm. Affairs of the something or other

What is the best day you had on your trip?

Trekking for gorillas in Rwanda. I didn’t think I could do it, and I did. And, WOW. What an experience it was. Gorilla trekking

What was the best food you ate?

In Alicante at Monastrell. Dining with the culinary goddess Chef Maria Jose San Roman and Stefanie (@adventuregirl). Pulpo (octopus) and more deliciousness. The best food ever

What was the worst food you had?

Ramen noodles. Mutliple times. When I was in my cheap mode and wanted to use the kettle instead of cook anything of substance.

What was the scariest thing to happen to you.

That’s a split. One, Kusadasi, Turkey. Two, Fethiye, Turkey. Both scared the crap out of me. One was more of a psychological threat. The other, physical. 1) Running Scared; 2) Para-falling

What was the weirdest thing to happen to you?

Again, Kusadasi. Also, the very forthcoming men in Morocco. I got more phone numbers from random strangers than I have collectively in my life. The Story of Mustafa

How many countries did you visit?

18.

How many modes of transportation did you take?

Planes: 15; Trains: 11; Buses: 44; Boats: 3; Private: 5

Who do you still keep in touch with?

Thanks to the amazing world of social media, there are quite a few I still keep in touch with. More I keep tabs on. My circle of travel friends has shrunk but the people I actually traveled with are still very much in my life.

If you could go back and do one day over again, which would it be.

No-brainer. Going out to the stupid club in Barcelona. The time I (didn’t) party with Will Schuester.

What advice would you give to other people who are traveling?

Soak up ever, single nano-second. Seriously. Breathe deeper. Let the food linger on your tastebuds long. Every day is a blessing, and treat it as such.

How have you changed?

So, so many ways. RTW Travel: A Blessing and a Curse

 

What are some other good questions to ask  a traveler returning from RTW or long-term travel? And, what are your answers? Post ’em below!

Escape of the Week: Merida’s Roman Statue

Tucked into the westernmost part of Spain is the Extremadura region. A land heavy on the nature, light on the bustling city. A place where people go to get away from the big cities and take a few more minutes to sip their coffee. A place where people go to explore the local wildlife (bird watching is huge here). And, a place where people go to take in the sites. Merida, a small city in this region, boasts some of the oldest Roman ruins in Spain, including the shell of an aqueduct, the Temple of Diana (you know I loved that one!) and a theatre.

I was fortunate to receive a guided tour of Merida’s historical gems, courtesy of the local tourism board and my friends.

I snapped this shot in the museum.

RTW Travel: A Blessing and a Curse

Being stationary is a weird feeling. Even now, after being stationary for seven months, I still can’t quite get used to it.

I didn’t think returning from long-term travel would be this difficult for me.

Since I’ve been home I have gone through various stages of long-term-travel-decompression.

First, it was that stifling feeling of not being able to breathe. Walking through customs, passport colored with stamps in different languages, alphabets, visa stickers and stamps … handing it over for inspection.

Then, it was the overwhelm. Being in a car, stuck in traffic on a six-lane highway, wrapping around Washington, DC. Getting behind the wheel of a car. Driving.

Even the little things I didn’t think would bother me made my shoulders tense: walking into Target for the first time; wheeling a shopping cart through a super-sized grocery store.

Were stores always this massive? Did people always rush around like that? Have there always been 500 varieties of corn pops?

There were days that would go by where I would do nothing but sit silently with all of this excess energy, unsure of what to do with all of the stimuli surrounding me.

After the overwhelm came frustration.

I had just returned from an experience I could never sufficiently sum up in a conversation over coffee, over a long, drawn out meal.

Over anything.

And yet, for some reason, all I could think about was my journey. How I wanted to tell people, but had not a clue where to even begin.

With the return home also came another frustration: what the hell was I going to do now?

For seven months, I had grown accustomed to not having a routine. To waking up every morning and relishing the fact that this beautiful world was my oyster.

And post-travel? Shit. No job, no belongings, no money … it felt like the future I was searching for just dripped through my fingers.

To fight the sinking, I decided to search out my next adventure. My next high.

Las Vegas.

Yes, the city I had loathed once upon a time was suddenly my knight in shining armour … the copper of Wynn and Encore twinkling in front of snow-capped mountains, beckoning to give the town one more try.

So, I did.

Because, after frustration comes desperation. Desparation to figure out what the hell to do next. Desperation to get situated. Desperation to get a routine.

Then comes satisfaction.

After I got a job and moved my life, I felt satisfaction. Relief.

I did it.

There I was, waking up in a place where red mountains, blue skies and fat palm trees make everything just a little prettier. I felt great. The pride I felt in my job, the comfort I felt in continuing my story from a fixed address.

Traveling long-term helped put everything into perspective once I got back to Las Vegas.

I didn’t care what parties I got invited to.

I didn’t care what celeb was where.

I didn’t care that my backpacking wardrobe didn’t translate into Las Vegas Cool Wardrobe.

But, I did care that I wasn’t traveling.

And, that’s the problem with long-term travel: it’s like a drug. Once you’ve gone and experienced something like that, you just don’t feel right until you are doing it again.

I needed that high.

I catch myself all of the time.

I’m in the moment, and then suddenly, I am wistfully brought into my old life … recalling moments in time, images I chose to stand out in my internal photo album, friends whose faces I yearned to see.

Lately, as I grow more accustomed to the routine of life I am now living — waking up, making breakfast, driving to work, working, going to the gym, coming home, making dinner, wash, rinse, repeat — I grow hungrier for the what I used to have.

Don’t get me wrong — I am here. I am happy. But, there’s this big chunk of my heart that craves my drug of choice. And all of its glorious paraphernalia.

So, I’ve done what any Travel Junkie would do after returning home from long-term travel: I’ve gone and booked another trip.

No, it isn’t another doozy of an adventure. Its more tame. And certainly shorter.

I’m headed to Thailand and the Elephant Nature Park for two weeks this autumn.

And, I’ve started saving my pennies (hello, advertisers!) so I can put it into my Travel Funds (Virtual) Jar.

I guess I won’t know the long-term effects of returning home from a RTW yet.

Or hopefully ever.



Escape of the Week: Spanish Spring

I remember it like it was yesterday … there I sat on a bus barreling out of Madrid and toward the beautiful Extremadura region, ready to go and teach  more English.

I was exhausted from the evening I had before, and was struggling to keep my eyes open.

The Vaughantown bus stopped for a food break, and the Anglos disembarked, stretching limbs in the brisk spring day.

And, there it was. The snow-capped mountain jetting above a carpet of green and yellow against a brilliant blue sky.

And, here it is for you.