Happy New Year to everyone around the world!!
First, I would like to share my Miraclecatcher New Year's Wishes with you:
May 2011 be your best year yet!!
As you know, I am sharing my tips on how to Travel 4 Free all over the world. So here are more tips that I hope you will use to follow your dreams and go anywhere your heart desires.
Travel Secret #8
Become an Aupair, Nanny or Child-Care Giver
I have several friends who have come to the USA as aupairs (or nannies). You must love kids and live with the family. The benefits are that you get free room, board, and sometimes a car!! You will also get days off to travel on your own, plus a salary. This site www.culturalcare.com was recommended to me. Moreover, you not only get to live in another country for free, but you get to travel with the family that you work for. Some of the places that my friends have gone as nannies are: Hawaii, Cape Cod, and Miami. As an added bonus you can accumulate frequent flier miles to get more free flights on your days off!! You will, no doubt, need excellent recommendations and complete interviews and questionnaires to apply. If you are young, responsible, adaptable, love kids, and can move to another country for at least a year or more, this is a good way to go.
Travel Secret #9
Get A Job On A Cruise Ship
I would like to try this option. You can work for short periods of time or long ones. Every cruise ship has hundreds of employees and jobs available. Even though you will be working while on the ship, you will get days off to explore the many ports of call. Plus, the salary is pretty good! One site quoted $10-55 USD per hour, plus tips for cruise ship jobs. Furthermore, since most cruise lines are in partnerships with airlines and travel companies, you may get big discounts on other travel ammenities like flights. This is a good way to see many places and meet many people from around the world. Maybe you would like to move to another country, but are not sure where?? I recommend checking out many possible places first on a short visit. To get a job on a cruise ship, you need to apply directly to the cruise line company, such as Carnival or Royal Caribbean http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ourCompany/career.do. Here is a site with more info on jobs http://www.cruiselinesjobs.com/ It says that you need a valid passport and be proficient in English.
Travel Secret #10
Be A Contestant on a Game Show
This is a funny story...
One of the benefits of growing up in Los Angeles is that many TV shows are filmed there. In 1997, I was at the beach in Santa Monica and was approached by a recruiter. He asked me if I wanted to be on "The Dating Game" TV show. I said, "Hmmm...What do I win?" He said, "You win an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the USA." I said, "Do I really have to go on the date?" He said,"No, you get your own ticket and your own hotel room." So I thought it would be fun. I had to fill out a questionnaire about my life, go to a group interview, and do a on-camera test. It was all very silly and fun. The upside--I got a free makeover and had a great laugh while filming. When they asked me where I wanted to go, I chose Chicago. I went on the trip alone and stayed a beautiful hotel downtown overlooking Lake Michigan. If you want to try your luck on a game show, here is the website to be a contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire http://www.dadt.com/millionaire/auditions/index.html If you cannot get on a show as a contestant, you can be in the audience instead. They usually film these shows in LA or NY. So being in the audience might be a fun thing to do while you are there on vacation. Check out this site for FREE "Price Is Right" Tickets http://www.cbs.com/daytime/the_price_is_right/tickets/ !! Have fun!!
**Travel Spot of the Week: Italy**
Of course, I have a weak spot for Italy because my dad is Italian. But even if I weren't Italian, I would still love Italy. Let's start with: lemon gelato in the summertime, Renaissance art, pizza alla diavola, the romance, the wine, the olive oil, the food; did I say the food? the country-side, dining al fresco by candlelight, the beautiful clothes and beautiful men, oops I mean people (;-)... I could go on and on... Here is a video of some of my favorite places in Italy. I was lucky enough to live in Florence, Rome, and Milan in the early 90s.
Here are some of my Must-Dos in Italy: ride a motorcycle/or even a bicycle through Tuscany, sail to the island of Elba, dance at the Carnavale di Venezia, enjoy" bacio" gelato in Florence, marvel at Botticelli at the Uffizi museum, sample the wineries of Montepulciano, Trentino, Udine, stuff yourself with mozzarella affumicata in Campagna, walk the winding streets of Le Cinque Terre, kiss someone in Positano on The Amalfi Coast, go fishing in Sicily, listen to opera at La Scala, relax on a gondola in Venice. And without exception, befriend the warm, hospitable Italian people who are always ready to invite you into their hearts.
Grazie Italia, sei sempre nel mio cuore.
miraclecatcher.com
**Packing Secrets**
For those of you who travel a lot or who travel a little, I have some great packing tips for you.
1. Only bring what you can carry by yourself. I can remember crying in the Narita airport one time because I had too many #^%$#&(&( suitcases!!
2. Bring old clothes with you, so if you are in a place where people have less, you can give them all away when you leave. Giving makes the world go 'round.
3. Roll, roll, roll. Yes, it really does work!! Roll your clothes into small balls and squeeze them into all the tiny little corners of your bag/suitcase.
4. You never need as many clothes as you think you do. Heck, if you are going to a warm place, all you need is a bathing suit and a sarong (a wrap). One piece of fabric has a plethora of uses. In Asia, my sarong served as a towel, a dress, a skirt, a blanket, a curtain, a head-wrap, etc.. You get the idea.
5. This is the best one!! When you carry your whole life in a backpack for a year, you learn that life is not really about stuff. So I made a rule. If I buy one new item, I need to give one item away, i.e., if I get a new pair of shoes, I need to give an old pair away. This way my bag never gets heavier.
By the way, I still use this rule in my house. It keeps things very simple and Feng Shui-ed. :-))
Well that is all for today my friends. Thank you for stopping by. Wishing you a new year filled with bliss, adventure, and expansion.
Spread your wings and fly higher. MM
