LLWorldTour

Chicago Block-by-Block: the Chicago River

llworldtour — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 04:01:41 +0000

Yes, Virginia there is a Chicago River. Perhaps Chicago is most known for its vast Lake Michigan or for its towering Sears (Willis) Tower or its old, ivy-covered Wrigley Field. But lest we forget this amazing thoroughfare that serpentines right through the heart of the city. It carries commuters on water taxis. It’s crossed by 38 bridges. For forty years, it has been dyed a bright green every St Patrick’s Day. And its direction was magically reversed away from Lake Michigan in an engineering feat back in 1900 to help improve sanitary conditions of Chicago’s drinking water.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging public interest in architecture and design. CAF gives hundreds of tours (by boat, bus, bike, Segway, or on foot) exhibitions, lectures, and special events all around this city very famous for its skyline and architecture. From Daniel Burnham to Frank Lloyd Wright to Frank Gehry, Chicago has been progressive and innovative since it was burned to the ground back in 1871, creating that blank slate and canvas for something well-planned and truly amazing.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to be invited by the CAF to take their wonderful and informative Chicago River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady. I had taken the river cruise years earlier and had frequently recommended it to others. It’s fun to be on the river and also cool to learn more about the buildings that surround us everyday.

Expert volunteer tour guides—called docents—interpret more than 50 buildings along the Chicago River, revealing how the city grew from a small back-country outpost into one of the world’s most important crossroads in less than 100 years.

For more info or to sign up for the CAF River Cruise, click here.

Let’s Dance!

llworldtour — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:12:20 +0000

Looking for an evening of sheer fun and non-stop smiles? This will do the trick: Dancing at dusk in Chicago with the beautiful Chicago skyline above. Good music. Good people. And great fun. Plus…it’s free. Summer Dance is an annual Chicago program that takes place all summer, 4 days a week in Grant Park providing free dance lessons, live music, and good times.

[Cue big band music] Whether you’re into swing, ballroom, salsa, house, gypsy, step, whatever… Summer Dance has something for everyone. Got two left feet? Don’t fret because before each night’s performance and open dancing, there’s a fun hour-long dance lesson. It’s a great place for beginners who want to learn, and also for experienced dancers to slide across the dance floor.

My friend Robin and I checked it out last week and I couldn’t get rid of the smile plastered across my face. We sweated our way through a “jive” lesson while the Polish instructor made us laugh with his “stop…and jive” rhythms and funny jokes. Then it was time to ‘pair up.’ Just like an old-school dance, the ‘boys’ were instructed to come over to the ‘girls’ side and take a girl by the hand and twirl her around for the rest of the lesson. It was also my partner’s ‘first time’, but I have to admit his dancing skills were worse than mine. This made me feel pretty confident until some ‘real’ dancers pulled me out on the dance floor later on and made me feel klunky and lost.

The greatest thing about Summer Dance, besides the actual dancing is the people watching. The event draws together people from all walks of life, backgrounds, ages, classes, ethnicities. You’ll find yourself watching (or dancing with ) a variety of people of all kinds – giggling toddlers and their proud parents, enthusiastic elders, groups of friends, couples hand-in-hand, and a few loners scattered throughout the dance floor. Yes, there even were some people kind of ‘out there’ that we really believed were on a field trip from their ‘ward.’ But they were some of the ones who looked like they were having the most fun. On a beautiful evening out, it’s a wonderful way of appreciating Chicago and those who reside here.

Go dance. You will make friends and forget your troubles for a few hours. There’s just a few weeks left.

Check out these fun pictures here:

Moving Forward

llworldtour — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 05:10:44 +0000

A few weeks ago a friend called me from the Appalachian Trail. I’d originally met Jeremy at my hostel in Rome and then coincidentally months later saw him again for a day in Jerusalem, and then we met up yet again in New Jersey as he was driving through on his way to his sister’s in NYC (you’d be amazed how many new traveler friends I’ve seen–planned and unplanned–more than once in different corners of the globe). And now Jeremy was literally walking the Appalachian Trail.

The Appalachian Trail is a hiking trail that runs nearly the entire length of the United States on the east coast from Georgia to Maine. At approximately 2,179 miles (3,507 km) long, the trail passes through the states of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Growing up on the east coast, I’d learned about the trail early on in school and had crossed it or been near it several times, but of course never really walked any bit of it. Later on I’d read Bill Bryson’s humorous and sarcastic account of his trail trials in his book, A Walk in the Woods.

It’s famous for its many hikers, some of whom, called thru-hikers, attempt to hike it in its entirety in a single season. Jeremy had decided to take his summer to literally walk the trail from Georgia back to near his home in Maryland. Like long distance runners who hit that ‘wall’ around the 20-mile mark, Jeremy was hitting his own wall. On the morning of his 48^th day of hiking, he called me at about 600 miles into his hike. That’s six hundred miles of walking; walking nearly every day sun-up to sundown. He was having a tough time, was burning out, and was looking for help. I heard his message and the sound of his voice and called him right back.

He said, “I was looking through my cell phone numbers at which friends to call and I saw your name and thought, she’s been ‘here,’ she can help me.”

Now, although I traveled around the world solo for a couple years and challenged myself in physical and mental ways, it was still vastly different from what Jeremy was attempting. I couldn’t imagine doing what he was doing – besides carrying all his belongings on his back all day long in the summer heat, he was walking the same looking ‘scene’ alone for weeks on end, basically doing the same exact thing everyday, with very few variables.

Jeremy explained, “while hostel-jumping or WWOOFing [volunteering on organic farms around the world – a common activity of some long term world travelers] or whatever, an explorer has the right-of-way in their plans, and can alter a decision on a moment’s notice (time and money allowing), long-distance hiking (LDH) does not give that leeway. Instead, there is a tunnel. Speed is the most encompassing variable on the Trail: time spent at any one campsite, time in a town, miles per day, hours per day. Besides that, everyone has the same goals: move north (or south, as the case may be), sleep well, eat comfortably, have intense emotions constantly. Okay, the last one might not be at the forefront of every to-do list, but it certainly tags alongside the others.”

But why exactly was he doing this? Like myself, many traveler-types that I met like a challenge and like to keep pushing themselves. I often questioned myself about this — at what point do I push myself so far outside my ‘comfort-zone’ that I am just too uncomfortable? Toward the end of my trip, I realized I was ready for some more ‘normalcy’ and was ready to settle down a bit more, maybe not end my adventures entirely, but take a break. But I often still wonder ‘what’s next?’ Should I do something more challenging so I can grow even more? So after traveling around the world for several months, Jeremy felt the need to push himself even further with a new challenge. Jeremy’s original intent was to just be alone and away from it all.

“I suppose [it was] Thoreau-esque, but I was not as naive as others I met along the Trail. I knew that I would not be completely alone. I was surprised at the number of days on which I saw no one! But, as has been the case with many of my other short and long-term travels, I wanted to get away, not from humanity or society as a whole, but the specific, constraining life I lead at home and school. Just an escape from the norm, I suppose.”

He said his routine was down to a science. He woke up from camping, packed his bag the same exact way every morning and then walked…and walked…and walked. He met some people along the way, but either didn’t want to get stuck at their pace or decided they just weren’t for him. One of the great things about ‘travel’ is meeting people, but in ‘normal’ (not the Trail kind) travel, you can meet people and get to know them for a few days and then go your own way before they grow annoying or boring. But on the Trail, when you are all more or less going at a similar pace, it’s also hard to ‘lose’ these folks when you are all on the same exact path and camping in the same fixed campgrounds along the way. In that way it was so different than my experiences traveling the world. On the trail, Jeremy explained that everyone had generally the same outward experience.

“Whether it is obvious, such as meeting the same creepy person at a shelter or eating at the same ice cream shop in some ho-dunk town on the Nantahala river, or more discreet, such as witnessing the same sunset from two different points on a ridge, or seeing the same resident bear meander out from around the huge oak tree in the glade, hikers quickly grow tired of talking to one another, and relish in visiting a town or seeing a new or inexperienced face on the Trail: both of these instances allow for the hiker to talk. And talk and talk and talk.”

It seemed clear to me how hard and possibly mind numbing this type of travel could be. Yes, there were some beautiful, natural, and rewarding things to see along the way – majestic mountains, wildlife, inspiring towering trees – but the mundane-ness of a dirt footpath and being in your own head and with your own thoughts everyday – could just plain drive a person a little bit crazy.

Jeremy did, of course, have some amazing moments and enjoyed a good bit of his adventure. He was in awe of the beauty of the Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains. On his birthday, he entered the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. While working his way up into the mountains on a steep climb, he came upon a turtle on the Trail, and saw it as a bit of a “revelation” to just slow down and enjoy the hike and to disregard his distance goal for the most part.

The lowest part of his trip was his last few days. He had had dark moments throughout the trek, but those last days were the worst. It was incredibly hot and humid and surprisingly there was very little water available. He was weary of the same hikers he’d been seeing over the days and was also not feeling well. His diet had deteriorated as he could only really eat ‘packable’ type food and little to no fresh fruit or vegetables. He was weak and his mind was darkening. I do feel the mind can be a scary place if you are left alone in it too long.
At one point, he was feeling somewhat ‘homesick’ and his mom had joined him for a few days of hiking.

“It wasn’t actually missing home, but rather being so comfortable and recognizing familiar sights and scents, from just my mom being there to the significant smell of her car to the great food that she brought for me.”

Now after 7 or so weeks of walking several hundred miles, Jeremy was feeling physically and mentally run down and just not sure what to do. “Should I keep going?” “Should I go back to a town I liked and stay and work there?” “Should I have some friends join me?”

They were all very valid questions. We talked about the American mentality to be goal oriented and keep trudging forward to attain that ‘goal.’ His original goal was to get to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, right at the corner where the states of West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland all touch, which is well-past the 1,000-mile mark. But besides losing a lot of weight, was he losing sight of the journey itself? Ultimately, my small advice was he had to ‘shake it up’ any way he could—by doing one or all of the things he was considering – but mostly, I really thought he needed to ‘get off’ the treadmill for a bit and regroup and refocus and get healthy. If his heath was deteriorating, what was the point? Get into a town and hang. Treat himself to a real meal (he was subsisting on trail mix and canned/boxed foods that wouldn’t spoil and was feeling weak, malnourished). Get some real sleep.

He had also called his mom and within a matter of hours she was there picking him up (moms are the best). He felt better about getting off the trail and cleared his head enough to know he needed rest and medical attention (it turned out he had literally been infected by a parasite which was living in his intestine and needed medicine go get rid of the nasty critter).

He didn’t reach Harper’s Ferry (yet), but I really think that did not matter. He learned so much more possibly by NOT reaching his initial goal, but wrestling with some larger issues along the way.

“ I received, in ‘life lesson’ terms, the assurance that I am capable of taking care of myself, at least in the wilderness and in back-country Southern towns. Also, that I am stronger than others might have me believe I am; that leads into the culminating concept, which I feel I only began to understand at the very end, thanks to some messages from my parents, but mainly my older brother: I can do what I want, when I want to, assuming it doesn’t harm anyone, fiscally or physically or emotionally. That is, I used to (up until a month ago, you see) have to ‘ask permission’ to do something. Not directly, but rather tell a parent or sibling or mentor my plans, but have the notion of uncertainty in my voice and maybe even tack on a question (or just a question mark) at the end, such as, ‘I am thinking of visiting a friend in Baltimore tonight. What do you think?’ Or ‘Maybe I’ll drop this class?’ thus inviting input on my actions. Now, I tell my plans with fervor and concreteness, accepting of opinion, but not at all tied to accepting the opinion. The hike made me stronger, and I do hate using this euphemism, but I am afraid it is all I have in my lexicon, both physically and emotionally.”

Jeremy ended up recovering at home with meds, good, healthy food and love from mom. Then he did return (not on foot) to the small town of Hot Springs, North Carolina and worked for a few weeks at the historic Sunnybank Inn where he’d stayed during his trek. And now, he’s back home in Maryland, gearing up for another year at university…he’s back in the ‘game’, back to the’ norm’ or at least what’s ‘normal’ as defined by our society.

Life changes as we plod along, goals change, and sometimes we actually make the change ourselves and really feel we are in control of our own destiny and already have everything we need to make ourselves happy. We adjust and adapt and hopefully learn a hell of a lot along the way… but either way we still have to put one foot in front of the other to get there. Kind of trite and a cliché, but still true.

(all photos courtesy of Jeremy Krones)

Eat Pray Love: Coming Soon to a theater near you

llworldtour — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:39:36 +0000

So we all know I love to eat. And I love being in love. I guess you could say I don’t pray too much (okay, not at all) unless it’s for love…or some really tasty cheese. Mmm…cheese.

The much-hyped movie Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts comes out this weekend. Based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling book of the same name, it tells her story of chucking it all to travel around the world while doing some eating in Italy, loving in Bali, and praying in India. Sound familiar? Well, as I mentioned I didn’t do much praying unless you count praying for certain rickety buses to make it to their destinations safely. You’ve probably already been bombarded with the marketing machine for the film, but just in case you have not… here’s some more for you.

I did read the book and have a mixed review of it. Many who have asked me about it said it reminded them of me and my trip and understandably so. But personally, I actually found it a bit dry. Perhaps it was because I read it during my own real life adventures around the world. Yes, similarly, I had made the decision to chuck it all: the boyfriend, the car, the condo, the cushy television job, to travel around the world solo. But that’s where the similarities ended. I also honestly feel that since I’ve read and enjoyed so many other travelogues , I have more to compare it to and just enjoyed others more. I think for many readers, this may have been their first travel memoir since it managed to get off the travel book shelves and onto the best sellers’ table and in that respect it is a very inspirational story.

And then there’s the envy part. Since I am writing my own book about my travels and had some amazing moments and stories to tell, I can only hope that the successes of Eat Pray Love will help expand this genre.

The good news? Books and movies like this are shining a spotlight on long term travel. Because of this, I am excited to be hosting the Chicago portion of a nationwide event in September fittingly called Meet, Plan, Go!

We hope to really show people who have been dreaming of doing this, HOW to actually do it. The good folks at Briefcase to Backpack and Three Month Visa are putting together this travel ‘movement’ to help inspire others to really do it and give them the tools and info they need to make it a reality.

It’s all about inspiring other would-be travelers and answering all those common questions like:

Where do you get the guts to quit your ‘life’ and do this? The spleen store.
How did you pay for it all? Sold my other spleens.
What did you pack? Not a lot.
How did you plan for such an long trip? You don’t.
What about your safety? Weren’t you scared traveling alone as a woman? Nope.

So, if you are thinking of making a life change, a career break, or a major trip, then good for you! Don’t put it off until tomorrow, because something will always come up to get in your way. And there are very few excuses that really fly. I have met many people traveling who had lots of possible ‘reasons’ that would stop them: pets, spouses, children, careers, homes, cars, lack of funds, on and on. Just as beautiful spots are ‘touristy’ for a reason (um, they’re beautiful!), so are clichés: Where there’s a will…there’s a way..

Join us September 14^th for this exciting network of FREE events. Besides Chicago, the event will be held simultaneously in 13 cities around North America. You will meet many others who want to do what you want and talk to inspiring world travelers that have already done it. Come and learn from them. Come be inspired. Come to make your dream a reality too. Please join us for Meet, Plan, Go!

Here I am on WGN News Midday show talking about my travels and the event:

Photo Essay: My Furry Friends Around the World

llworldtour — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 06:03:07 +0000

As I’ve mentioned many times before…my travels were ultimately all about the people I have met. I’ve made some amazing friends and learned so much. But who says I loved everyone? When not ‘feeling it’ with my human counterparts, I always connected nicely with some international furry friends. I am not talking about Greek guys here (ouch!)…I am talking animals. I encountered many house pets and other creatures in the wild. I hung out with my share of cats, dogs, a guinea pig, a snake, a turtle, goats, kangaroos, camels, and other assorted friends. In actuality, the reason I was originally able to go on my journey at all was because my 11-year-old cat, Sneakers, had to be euthanized due to an illness he was unable to overcome. Until recently, it was one of the saddest and most heartbreaking moments of my life. But because of it, I realized I was able to go on this journey, a journey that changed my life. So along the way, it was always comforting for me to hang with a furry friend from time to time and think about my little “Sneaky Beast.”

Travel Tip Tuesday: Flying – 5 tips & 5 sites

llworldtour — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:09:05 +0000

Whether you are a seasoned traveler or a once-a-year holiday goer or a business travel, you probably deal with airports, airplanes, and flying at some point. Jetting across the country or around the world can be an exhilarating, technological feat, but dealing with the airlines can often be a frustrating act of futility. Thanks to another technological marvel – the interwebs – there are some pretty great airline/flying/booking sites out there. Here are a few of my faves:

5 sites:

Bing Travel – Bing is the newish big-dog search engine from Microsoft. I have never used it for general searches as I’m still a Google-girl, but it has now become my top site to go to when booking airline tickets. Here’s why: Something they call “Farecast Technology.” Bing searches multiple sites simultaneously for the best fares. The best part is their airfare predictions. They tell you whether to “buy now” because the price is only likely to go or to wait because it’s very likely the price will drop. And according to a third-party audit of their predictive technology, they’re about 75% accurate, saving customers, on average, over $50 on a typical round-trip transaction. I like it!
Yapta - Like Bing, Yapta also allows you to track fares and sends you price drop alerts, but they also let you know if you are eligible for a refund after purchase. If the price of your airline ticket drops below what you paid, Yapta will alert you when you’re due a refund from the airline. I love that. Caveat: Refund policies apply only if you book directly with the airline.
Kayak – Alongside Bing, this is my go-to flight search tool. What I like: it’s no frills, a calendar pops up for the month you are searching allowing you to see prices for each day if you are flexible, and in the results window there are many sliders and options you can change to narrow it down like times, stops, and nearby airports. Plus, just like Bing, once you are ready to book it takes you to the airline’s website so you aren’t buying it from some third party.
Seat Guru – Genius. This site, which lists by airline and type of aircraft (ie Boeing 747 or Airbus A320), shows you a ‘map’ of the interior of your specific plane. Before selecting your seats you can come here to see which are the best and worst seats. By hovering over each seat, little balloons come up to tell you nuggets of info like if they don’t recline or if they have extra legroom due to being on an exit row.
Momondo – This is another great flight search site. The bonus is it is very international so can be helpful when you are overseas. It is another aggregator that compares prices found on popular websites like priceline and expedia. I also like the calendar that pops up showing you prices for every day.

I am not going to give you all the obvious tips that you already know: have your docs/id on you, follow security rules, check baggage size/weight rules, arrive on time, blah, blah, blah. Here are some more specific tips:

5 Tips:

Ask for the exit row. Unfortunately, many airlines are now charging an upgrade fee for these seats, but if not, it’s like sitting in roomy business class without having to pay for it. I’ve sat in exit rows more times than I can count…and I’m 5’4”, but hey, first come first served!
If traveling as a pair…book the aisle and window seats. Hopefully no one will want that middle seat and you’ll have all three seats to yourselves. Unfortunately, since they have cut down on flights, many planes are fully booked nowadays and this little trick doesn’t work as often, but still worth a shot. If someone comes…one of you can always slide into the middle seat to sit together.
DON’T waste another plastic water bottle! If traveling in the US…remember you still can’t bring large bottles of liquids through security. So bring a reusable water bottle and just drink it or empty it before the line. Then after hit a water fountain and fill it back up. I do this all the time and don’t contribute to the sad mountain of plastic bottles sitting in the security line trash bin.
When you first land in a foreign country…make sure you hit the cash machine first. You’ll need local currency to get ‘out’ of the airport whether by public transport (which I found easy and accessible in nearly all my destinations) or taxi.
When booking flights from abroad on the internet, you are often redirected right to that countries website. For example, if you are on Orbitz, it may not be the US version and sometimes there are better prices one way or the other…so also navigate to the US site as well and check the prices.

Sweet Snaps – Photo of the Day: Chicago at Dusk

llworldtour — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:51:18 +0000

A River Runs Through it
Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, Chicago, USA

This beautiful view comes to you from the 22^nd floor of the Tribune Tower. We are looking down on the Chicago River and the Michigan Avenue bridge. Notice there are no cars on the bridge? It had just been closed for a film shoot for scenes from the new Transformers movie.

Guest Post: THIS is Kevin Fitzpatrick

llworldtour — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:29:21 +0000

Last week I brought you a post about my biggest fan (after my mom, of course!), the always eloquent Kevin Fitzpatrick, whose witty quips or introspective takes on one of my tales from the road have come to be expected and very much enjoyed not only by myself, but a myriad of my readers. This week we are graced with this very special guest post from the man himself. The biggest question is: will he comment on his own post? You can bet on it.

I’ve been given the opportunity that mere mortals only dream about; to be a guest contributor on llworldtour.com. Lisa advises me that I’m only the second person to ever receive this privilege. I am one of those guys who doesn’t ask why the next ten best choices weren’t available. I’m more likely to say timing prevented me from being the first guest contributor. Having the opportunity to be beamed through websites all over the globe and trade on Lisa’s good name, good will, and remarkable spirit makes me not question anything. So here I am.

I’m told that any number of you wait with great anticipation to see my comments after Lisa’s posts. Okay, maybe that’s a bit too strong. When Cal Ripken retired from the Baltimore Orioles, the only team he ever played for in Major League Baseball, he was asked “How would you like to be remembered?” His response was “to be remembered at all would be special enough”. It was the single most gracious answer I’ve ever heard and appeared to be completely spontaneous. So the fact that anyone has taken time to notice and appreciate any post I’ve written is a flattering thing. So thank you to any of you who used up one of your smiles or chuckles on me. My Irish grandmother used to always say that every laugh spent earns you 3 more. She also told me freckles were kisses from God. I believe her. I have hickeys all over my body from God and laugh my ass off most of the day.

The Fitzpatrick Clan

My travel has been limited to a fair amount of domestic travel for work and some sojourns into the Dominican Republic when I was in the cigar business for many years. My darling and patient wife of 27 years and I have three children. Our family vacations are fun, but generally chock full of stress moving 5 people through airports, rental cars, hotels and attractions that a significant minority of the family are interested in. We’ve only once traveled without the kids since they were born… Our children are now 26, 23, and 20. The oldest has run away from home and bought a condominium. The next guy threatens to run away, but won’t. Our baby is in college and cooperates just enough to make us miss her. She’s home during the summer and lives like she’s on vacation. Lisa got a chance to meet her and discuss studying overseas. She has taken this conversation to heart and tentatively plans to study in Barcelona, Spain for a semester in her third year [way to go Mae!]. You can tell when they’re growing up. They don’t ask you if they can do something like go half way around the world; they tell you. The new scale of successful parenthood is when they tell you before they’ve already done it.

Middle guy, who threatens to run away from home and then goes upstairs to get some sleep, he’s got plans too. After graduating from Columbia College (a place Lisa taught at) in Chicago, he plans to go to the Virgin Islands for some time to “chill”. Apparently he’s overheated and needs this chilling process. He has a pal down there whose dad has a scuba company. They take people out to snorkel and scuba or just enjoy time on the sail boat with a little rum punch. I hope he does go down and work for a little while in such a wonderful place. His degree is in Film Making. There is plenty of opportunity for him to hone his craft there while working to sustain his life in paradise.

Oldest guy is a bit more like me. He’d be a much better traveler than me because he’s willing to try a lot of different food than I will. I can’t see him meandering around looking at all of the natural or historic beauty around him. I could see him making the most of meeting people from different places and celebrating their customs. He loved going to Mexico and spending time on beautiful beaches and seeing beautiful people (he suffers from a vision problem that only lets him view women) and having fun in the sun. I’m pretty sure he didn’t delve deeper into the society or visit the Mayan Ruins or ask any penetrating questions about the culture.

The simple truth is that I have seen the world through the eyes of my dear friend Lisa. I have shared her visions and beautiful and inspiring words just as you have. I have met many of you through her writing. I’m not the least bit surprised that she has made a lasting impression on so many people in so many places. Rest assured that all of these people and places have left an impression on her. She is so gifted in telling her stories that you feel like you’ve been there. I catch myself telling people great and beautiful accounts of places I’ve been in spirit, but never actually been in person. My pat answer to the question of “Have you been there?” is “Yes, Lisa brought me there”. I’m an advertising specialist in real life and our mission is to tell the best version of the truth.

Kevin and Andy Garcia - Why hasn't he introduced me yet?!

Lisa is a modern day Ernest Hemmingway, long among my favorite writers. She’s every bit as swashbuckling as he is. She brings enthusiasm to what she does and she believes everything is possible. She cares about more than he did and she’s been willing to work along the way to facilitate her travels. She’s kinder and more patient than he is too. Their greatest common gift is that they can both write a story that puts you wherever they are and you experience what they are experiencing in real time. The other common gift they have is that no one who has either met either of them forgets them. They only grow more legendary with time.

So, if you’ve chuckled a bit along the way with my comments, rest assured they will continue. She’s shown me the world. The least I can do is peck a sentence or two of gratitude while I’m along for the ride. I mean, what the hell, we’ve bicycled together in Vietnam (why don’t they make bike seats bigger?), we’ve been to Carnival in Rio (I was not topless – I wore a hat) [Okay, in the spirit of full disclosure, I have never been to Rio. But I can’t expect Kevin to remember everywhere I went over 3 ½ years, 40 some-odd countries, and 200+ posts. Please don’t hold it against him], we’ve eaten a vegemite sandwich in Australia (it sucked) [I’d say it was flavor-challenged and is an acquired taste], we’ve had a lascivious boss at the deli (I told him to quit staring at my ass)[as did I], we spent time speaking English in Spain (How would they know if we were saying the right things? Anything for a 5 star hotel and food on real plates and silverware!), we produced television in Turkey [well, I met people who produced television in Turkey] (we lost our keys to the apartment there [in Madrid] and the cat was starving, meow) and we spent time in a homeless shelter at Christmastime in London. Actually we’ve done a lot more than that over three years, but you get the idea. I was on the passive side of all of these excursions, but no one could convince me I didn’t taste the salt in the air or the sun on my freckled face or the cold water on my tush (we were in Israel too you know). Lisa has done over 90% of my traveling for me.

Lisa told me her #1 question is “What was your favorite place?” and her #2 question is “Who is Kevin Fitzpatrick?” Well…and don’t take this the wrong way… but I’m offended by the order of the questions. I hope I’ve gone a little distance to answer question #2. If you really want to know the answer to question #1, I humbly ask why you’re asking her when you could ask me!

***

I want to personally thank Kevin for not only writing this column, but for always taking the time out of his busy day to read my posts and comment on them making many of us smile across the globe. I couldn’t have asked for a better traveling companion.

Who is Kevin Fitzpatrick!?

llworldtour — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:11:21 +0000

The number one question I am asked regarding my travels is ‘what was your favorite place?’ The number two question? ‘Who is Kevin Fitzpatrick??’

Some of my more loyal readers may have noticed his name in the comments on my blog. Kevin is, by far, my biggest fan or at least the most vocal fan. Kevin has commented on my site 199 times (and counting – insert your comment here, Kevin). That is one quarter of all my comments! He has been so loyal and so consistent. In a way, he was like my virtual traveling partner, always there with a kind word and always there to keep me company and encourage me to keep striving for truth or at least some good food around the world.

Kevin and I had worked together several years back when I produced a TV segment on this amazing throw-back hat shop in Chicago (this is a new version of that story that I produced recently) and then again on a town which employed him to do the PR and marketing. We instantly hit it off and have been friends ever since. I appreciate his honesty and all around ‘goodness.’ He’s the real deal and one of the ‘good’ ones. He and his wife came to my going away party and I’ve since been to their lovely home out in the ‘burbs. Just good people.

His comments have been wonderfully witty, thoughtful, and often flat out hilarious. He adds his own spin, knowledge and observations to my posts making them even better. I have often told him he should have his own blog. I would surely be a fan, but not sure if I could compete with his dedication. He has a fan in many of my readers and of course in me.

After reading through his thought provoking and/or amusing comments to almost every one of my posts, I found it extremely hard to just choose a few. Here is a roundup of some of my favorites. Stay tuned for a guest post from Kevin himself!

Travel Tip Tuesday: Taking the Plunge – a Little Inspiration 2010/05/04

I knew you were tough, but finding out about the balls was rather shocking.

Where Next? 2010/01/08

I’m too jealous to make any suggestions.

Working Around the World 2009/08/12

Let’s face it. You were a very high class, modern day hobo. While at a base level everyone works “for the money”, it’s different when the money matters less than the experience. It’s been said “you haven’t been somewhere until you’ve lived there”. If that’s the case, you’ve “been” to more places than almost anyone. As much as you may be a modern day hobo, you’re just as much a modern day Hemmingway. Pick the one that suits you best. They both apply.

Just a Girl in the World: Fear of Flying…Solo 2009/04/20

You wouldn’t say it, but I will. You also became a wonderful ambassador for the US during this trip. I’m sending your name to NASA. If we send a space ship to Mars with humans in it, I’d like the ETs out there to think Earthlings are all like you. It would make for a friendlier Galaxy.

Warning, Warning 2009/02/11

You are totally a national security risk there. Wherever you go instantly becomes a cool, popular place and a crowd is likely to develop quickly around you. Now they have your DNA from the tea cup and a few ounces of your internationally renowned pee, you have what’s known as a “permanent file”. I’m guessing the Prime Minister saw you walk past 3 times and couldn’t work up the nerve to ask you to lunch.

An Unexpected Surprise – Milan, Italy 2009/01/12

You have been to Italy 4 times. I have been to Italian restaurants 100 times. I win.

I came. I saw. I voted. 2008/10/27

One of the innate tendencies of humans is the sense of pride they feel for their own countries. Even countries that are brutal to their citizens or commit atrocities inspire a feeling of patriotism for the sod they don’t hold accountable for the misdeeds of the stewards of the moment. Nelson Mandela loved a country that imprisoned him. We hear the same about dissidents in China. Patriotism is public and personal. MY country is the best. Whoever says it usually feels it. We can all do better. If we can do so at a ballot box that ensures the peaceful transfer of power, we’re putting “civil” in civilization. You went through a lot to vote which indicates how precious the right is and how serious the responsibility is. I’m nearly positive our ballots will look opposite from one another, but I’m proud of the fact we both feel the same way. Even if your vote waters mine down! We’ll make history either way this time. That is something to celebrate.

Falling in love all over again 2008/05/27

Yadda, yadda, yadda. What your world wide readership really wants to know is….did you have lunch with me? Don’t make them beg for the information!

Chicago is a life long mistress. No matter where you go or what you’ve done, you can fall in love with Chicago over and over because you never stop loving this city. Even when it’s cold, windy, humid etc. she’s still the most comfortable city on Earth. Granted, she’s not as good when you’re not here, but she’s still a great broad!

Locked Out 2007/11/18

Why didn’t you call me? I have a key.

Running Away from Home 2007/11/05

Thanks for the update LL, but you were late. There was a story in the New York Times filed by Reuters and syndicated all over the U.S. about the American jogger who saved a cat in Valencia, Spain. Details were sketchy, but the kitten said “the two legged creature moved with the speed and agility of a cat. I thought we were related, purrhaps”. meow.

Mona Lisa 2007/08/19

Many of your readers back home must be very preoccupied with the “hot guy” theme. The soulmate “hot girl” theme has been a long time coming. On behalf of roughly 90% of my gender, Thank you. The other 10% has done just fine with the previous updates! You can truly see the genuineness of the people of whom you speak in the pictures on a screen half a world away. It’s not just reflected in how they appear, but how you appear in their presence. Now that you’ve moved out of burka territory, a bonus beauty (besides yourself) every now and then, eh?

“Should I Stay or Should I go…” 2007/07/09

I guess I was expecting this kind of an update a while ago. Good for you that it has taken this long before you had Stage 5 Reflection Issues. Just think of the personal ad you could write: I’m a Virgo. I like long walks on Vietnamese beaches, Hang gliding in Singapore, 10 story waterslides in Dubai, quiet evenings in the Galapagos, Partying in Rio, and sitting in cafes in Melbourne eating vegimites…
Non Smoker.

Springtime in the Middle East 2007/05/11

I know how crass this is going to sound before I even write it, but the Arabic symbol on the stop sign looks like a teenage boy waking up in the morning. Look at it again…..See.
I’m looking forward to your updates from Dubai. As modern and progressive as it is for this part of the world, it seems to be a place where 21st century wealth meets up with 6th century thinking. If happiness is defined by the best of what you’ve ever known, people may not know any different. I’m interested to know what kind of conversations you have with the women of Dubai.

Halfway Point…or is it? 2007/04/13

I have been half way around the world vicariously through you. I can hardly believe it. Somewhere on this journey, anxiety has turned to a peacefulness and allowed you to enjoy this Earth in an unencumbered way. Perhaps that’s been the most amazing thing yet. To know how good you have it at the precise moment you’re having it is a gift of wonderful perspective. We all really live in the world. You just know it better than we do. And we know it more than most people because we’ve been on this trip with you in our own way. Cam Un & Chao Em !

“Sandwich Shop Dropout” 2007/02/23

My dear Matilda,
You have been in Melbourne long enough now. STUD earrings from your Sicilian boss-How unironic! I think you will be a brilliant sandwich shop owner back in the nifty fifty. Remember you won’t be just another cute migrant worker here, you’ll be Boss Lady. You will be the one in the position to hit on your staff. You won’t of course. Well, probably not. I can’t imagine you will. Oh, maybe just rarely, you know, if there’s chemistry. No, totally won’t do it. Not your style. Oh, but what if……Nevermind.
Looking forward to the next leg of your journey. Stay safe Deli Babe!

Stay Tuned for a guest post from the one and only…Kevin Fitzpatrick.

Sweet Snaps: Photo of the Day – Spain

llworldtour — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:33:30 +0000

Spain has won the FIFA World Cup title for the very first time in their history. Their extra-time goal claimed a dramatic 1-0 victory over orange-clad Netherlands in Johannesburg.

Congratulations & felicitaciones to all my friends in Spain who are most likely still celebrating and knowing them, will be for a long time. Not sure if the hombre pictured here is still celebrating, but this modern-day ‘man of La Mancha’ looks like he certainly did some partying of his own back in the day…perhaps he was a drinking buddy of Cervantes.