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Travelcast #6 with Cristina Owen

Today’s podcast is with the lovely and loquacious Cristina Owen of www.chroniclesofatraveladdict.com.  In this travelcast, we talk about everything from package tour ripoffs to her cat-sitting duties gone wrong.  She also provides me with a very thought provoking and useful top ten list for budge travel.  And what’s more, she even goes to eleven!

Check out her latest post on the podcast here.

So for everyone trying to save money on the go and wanting advice for solo female travelers, you’ve located your go-to gal.

When you’re finished watching, why not head over to her blog, subscribe to her updates and connect with her on twitter and Facebook (@TravelChronicle; facebook.com/thewritingchronicles)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXyyMqd1WXc&w=560&h=315]

After this podcast, head over to her blog post and get her thoughts on the podcast and the followup to the Top Ten (plus one) list she gave me.

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Top Ten Things I Miss from Back Home while Traveling

It’s not often that I get to enjoy a nice, juicy steak.  But when I do, I savor it.

Why is this?  Because I have been living outside the U.S., home of the best porterhouse beef ribeyes this side of the moon, since 2009 and I have come to appreciate a good ol’ side of beef.

But a steak can still be bought in most places in the world.  Being picky about how it is cooked or where it’s from is at least something that restaurants do for us in the expat community to try and emulate what it must be like in restaurants throughout the U.S. or other like-fashioned eateries.

But what about the stuff that you just can’t get abroad, or what about the conveniences that are thoughtlessly enjoyed back home?

Well, I’ve chosen this particular list for my very first Travel Geek Top Ten video blog!

I’ll be doing a lot more of these as I get more ideas for top ten videos.  But for now, I thought I’d just put this video out and see if I could get the conversation started.

Watch below and let me know what your top ten would be, or tell me what would you add to my list.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xIJI3_aItU&w=560&h=315]

One note about this video; I would also like to add two things to the list that I talk about in it:

  1. I miss being able to eat a meal with chicken in it (chicken salad, chicken soup, chicken parmesan, etc.) and not having to pick all the bones out while I’m eating.  In Asia, they really don’t think it’s rude to prepare a meal and just leave the bones in – even in expensive restaurants.  So just keep that in mind on your next date!  [You look so lovely tonight…. Oh wait, sorry, I have to pick this giant wing bone out of my mouth and look like a fool and leave you with this as your first impression of me…]
  2. Stick deodorant… THAT WORKS.  Buy it up before you travel kiddos.  You won’t like what you find in third-world countries.  It sticks to everything but the armpits, it smells worse than perspiration and it does absolutely nothing to thwart your body’s inclination to sweating.

Okay, that’s my list.  What’s yours?  Leave it in the comments section!