Best of the Boards for the week of January 22, 2007

Check out the topics currently being discussed on the BootsnAll Travel Forums:

• We'd all like to find the perfect job that earns us money while allowing us to be permanent vagabonds, if we so choose. KPG thinks she may have found it - hairdresser. What do you think? Could it work?




• Some might say traveling is a gamble. So why not try your hand at the local games while you're out and about? Willis wants to know what foreign casino experience you've got. He's interested in checking out casinos in Central and Eastern Europe.




• It's time to help settle a domestic dispute... Katerina Urda and her boyfriend can't agree on how much they'll need to save for their year-long trip. He thinks she's overestimating with her $20,000 number. What do you think?




• Smells can evoke powerful memories - and not always good ones. Quimby wants to know - what's the stinkiest place you've been? She's voting for the open sewer in Sukhumvit (Bangkok). What about you?




• Jaydeschizo is trying to decide - now that he's nearing the end of his undergraduate career, should he get straight to work to collect some "travel money," or go to grad school (which he'd like to do eventually anyway) in order to be better qualified to make more money down the road?




• Would you rather save for retirement so you can play when you're done with work, or work until you're unable to do it anymore, playing all along the way? Or is there another option?




• Does your pantry look like a travel guide? Can you whip up foreign dishes with the right spices at a moment's notice? Do you bring home food-related souvenirs when you travel?

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Best of the Boards for the week of January 15, 2007

Check out these topics currently being discussed on the BootsnAll Travel Forums:

• Struggling with what to get for that vagabonding friend before their next round-the-world adventure? How about the Globetrotter's Logbook? Seriously, this thing looks pretty cool. And it's not prohibitively expensive, either!




• Most of us like to travel on the cheap, and that usually means staying with friends on occasion. Maybe we've even played the host role as well. The thoughts in this thread will help make sure that you're always invited back after a stay on your friend's couch. You could also pass it along subtly to the last person who shaved her legs in your living room when she stayed with you. (And no, I'm not kidding. Read the thread.)




• Now that airlines don't always offer the "freebies" they used to (full meals, in-flight movies), are you one of the people who springs for the "extras" when you fly?




• Unless you're very, very lucky (or perhaps you've made a deal with the devil), you'll experience jetlag after a long flight. Are there any tricks to avoiding jetlag that actually work?




• What are the best ways to get around that nasty currency conversion fee bank and credit cards charge? What cards have the lowest conversion fees?




• Returning "home" can be a serious adjustment after a trip, especially if you've been away for a long time. What are the best ways to cope with the returning-home blues?




• Smells can remind us of places we've been, and so can food. What's the best food you've ever eaten, and where were you? Come share, and make all our mouths water.

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Best of the Boards for the week of January 8, 2007

Check out these topics currently being discussed on the BootsnAll Travel Forums:

• There are a few things that everyone has to deal with the world over, regardless of nationality, income, race, education... And one of them is using the toilet. Poochythedog has had some trouble with squat toilets in the past, and is looking for pointers. (Warning: Don't read this thread if you've got a weak stomach.)



• It's that time of year again... When people are planning their summer European backpacking adventures! Get educated on your Eurail options, and read one person's Eurail tips. You could save yourself money and headaches if you're well-informed!



• What is your travel personality? Find out and post the results!



• Bigmaude wants to take her three teenagers backpacking through Europe this summer and wants to know if she's nuts to even try it! She thinks she's going to have to drag them kicking and screaming because they want to go to Disneyland instead... There are already plenty of volunteers ready to stand in for her kids if they don't want to go! Can you offer any advice for her to get her kids interested in the trip?



• Time to reminisce - what was the first stamp in your passport?



• Madhu met a young American filmmaker while traveling who's making a film about aid, volunteerism and the passion that makes NGOs work - and also fail. This gal thinks that "2 week volunteer programs where you pay to go teach, or similar ones where you volunteer for a very short period fail...they harm more than they do good." What do you think?



• An oldie but a goodie - if you need inspiration to pack your bags and get outta dodge, this video should do it.

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Best of the Boards for the week of January 1, 2007

Check out these topics currently being discussed on the BootsnAll Travel Forums:

• Sean posted a great list of the cities he visited in 2006, which inspired me to create my own. What does your year in cities look like?



• I've got a serious sweet tooth, so it's no wonder my favorite part of the grocery store is the candy section. What are your favorite foreign sweets?



• This is a timeless thread... When we're not able to travel, most of us like to dream about our next trip. What books help transport you when you're stuck at home?



• Do your experiences of "deja vu" increase when you're traveling? Houseblend says it's not necessarily the been there, done that kind of deja vu, but more of the "I've dreamt of this place before" kind of feeling. Is she the only one?



• Finally, scubamama's New Years resolution is to not date anyone who doesn't have a valid passport... Her date the other night asked if she'd ever be content with a life where she wasn't planning another trip. Yeah, I'd say that's a pretty red flag, too.

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