tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74686014706397842262024-03-14T09:10:51.230-05:00Goodbye Dallas Hello WorldI've traveled the world. I've gone back to school. I've restarted a career. But I still have no idea what I'm doing-- except having fun.Goodbye Dallas Hello Worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00788498187351411798noreply@blogger.comBlogger238125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-31266145378563840972013-08-07T13:53:00.001-05:002013-08-07T13:53:16.620-05:00A little dullMy life has been a little boring lately. It seems like I have nothing to talk about. I consider calling friends and family to chat but then I think that don't really have anything to say and so I just don't call. <div><br></div><div>I do fun things. A trip to the river yesterday. I went to the lake 3 weeks ago. But, that takes two sentences to tell. I don't have drama going on right now. I don't spend money on shopping or home decor (I already have way too much stuff). I don't really cook at home because I'm constantly at work.</div><div><br></div><div>Is this what getting older and more settled is like? A fun and wonderful life but just less drama? For the amount of drama I went through last year I am really relieved to not have hours of drama to talk through. </div><div><br></div><div>I'll try and stir some things up to find some writing inspiration because I really do want random people on the internet to think that I am witty and clever....</div>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-68986932455584189082013-05-16T00:46:00.001-05:002013-06-05T18:55:50.672-05:00one day at a time<div>I <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">don't live a regular Monday to Friday nine-to-five life style. I get Tuesdays and Wednesdays off of work as my "weekend". I leave work at a different time every night. I do the same thousand motions every day at work but I never do them in the same order. I love my job. It's a crazy life but it's perfect for my adult ADD, constant need for stimulation, and my extroverted desire to always have someone to talk to. </span></div><div><b style="font-weight: bold; "><br></b></div><div>Here's an average day in my life with pictures stolen from my instagram www.instagram.com/sweetmeredithmarie (feel free to follow me!).</div><div><b style="font-weight: bold; "><br></b></div><div><b style="font-weight: bold; ">11:00-- </b>Rise and shine. Yes, I'm a giant asshole and don't wake up until late into the morning. Perks of working the night shift. </div><div><br></div><div><b>11:30--</b> Go for a run. I am completely miserable the entire time. But what can you do? Think skinny thoughts I guess.</div><div><br></div><div><b>12:45--</b> Shower, quick lunch, rush rush rush. </div><div><br></div><b>1:20--</b> Leave for work. Down the big hill, cross the river, and up a mountain. Best 25 minute commute of my life<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVTszMpH7L0to-c2y3DSkxMrvN1V5gplrvBs4Pih52q1vxIULM9iwjvxozqj51qhqKxPb45S5Y4GvZkv4sMyqAD8NL9KuvLIxVDVBrg2Kt4IETe8PA6IZATpEci5rAJd9onft98HKsFs/s640/blogger-image--688118632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVTszMpH7L0to-c2y3DSkxMrvN1V5gplrvBs4Pih52q1vxIULM9iwjvxozqj51qhqKxPb45S5Y4GvZkv4sMyqAD8NL9KuvLIxVDVBrg2Kt4IETe8PA6IZATpEci5rAJd9onft98HKsFs/s640/blogger-image--688118632.jpg"></a></div><br><div><b>1:45--</b> Clock in for work. I technically start at 2 but at the restaurant "early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable". Blah blah blah...</div><div>Dive into prep work for tonight's dinner service. Make staff meal. Gossip with coworkers.</div><div>Prep list includes roast red peppers, make roasted ham stock, butcher whole chickens into portions for fried chicken, etc.</div><div>Set up for tonight's private event</div><div><br></div><div><b>4:30-- </b>Staff meal! We hang out at picnic tables behind the restaurant and enjoy 15 minutes of calm before the chaos of service tonight. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0-z11ibL3f9IIGQThZIFyWHbfDbjztomA6m76KlAuUXWssR3OMV2e6pbQxhZPJkUVFkw-SvZm8JVh1KIr_GPheGzUNjHiz2H24-N__89n1GOo9pe0hk5vqei1gnvkdXMrS95SGPT3dI/s640/blogger-image--267949331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0-z11ibL3f9IIGQThZIFyWHbfDbjztomA6m76KlAuUXWssR3OMV2e6pbQxhZPJkUVFkw-SvZm8JVh1KIr_GPheGzUNjHiz2H24-N__89n1GOo9pe0hk5vqei1gnvkdXMrS95SGPT3dI/s640/blogger-image--267949331.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div><div><b>5:30--</b> Our first reservations arrive.</div><div><br></div><div><b>7:30--</b> Buffet for 75 starts. The dishes on the buffet can never go below half empty so we have to constantly keep them filled while also cooking for a full dining room. It's a beast of a night. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEt6fgB4rzAcQ3l9YgZ95M_zmxS8qMih9xMrn1ANBXJMHLvVFtjdHbEjes7WDQWcHIOUb0TQzsQsrDD5NPZPbsNCmM4RMYUBFirdBbBFWCTp1VL4R13XNvti7e3y0Rfis5hCAjMk4-Eg/s640/blogger-image--27850758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEt6fgB4rzAcQ3l9YgZ95M_zmxS8qMih9xMrn1ANBXJMHLvVFtjdHbEjes7WDQWcHIOUb0TQzsQsrDD5NPZPbsNCmM4RMYUBFirdBbBFWCTp1VL4R13XNvti7e3y0Rfis5hCAjMk4-Eg/s640/blogger-image--27850758.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><b>9:30-- </b>Last entrees go out. Let the cleaning begin!</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><b>11:00--</b> Finally clocking out. Change into my own clothes, pull my hair out of the ponytail and pin it back, paint on some make up. Now I'm ready for the bar! So so so ready for the bar. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><b>11:30-- </b>Arrive at Ye Olde Dive Bar (names have been changed to protect the not so innocent). It's karaoke night. Beer is $2 a bottle. Drink. Dance. Definitely don't sing kareoke. Avoid coworker who is trying his damnedest to take me home with him. Definitely don't go home with him. Do flirt with the cute friend of a friend.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVL9dxY3sivwJ81Ums-f4bdru7NOtG17STuROmKQdUKgYS7Kw9TOAgQY5fMnO3p3Z87zx7EszyFQmf2lsuRKMqUib57gLqa6kvkFr8QcuGjbUzWxB7KEiSmUDpTbn381YwYaYWJp9jARk/s640/blogger-image--1490302617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVL9dxY3sivwJ81Ums-f4bdru7NOtG17STuROmKQdUKgYS7Kw9TOAgQY5fMnO3p3Z87zx7EszyFQmf2lsuRKMqUib57gLqa6kvkFr8QcuGjbUzWxB7KEiSmUDpTbn381YwYaYWJp9jARk/s640/blogger-image--1490302617.jpg" style="max-width: 90%; "></a></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><b>2:00--</b> Come in the door. Yoga pants happen within the first 30 seconds of arrival. Flop into bed and read cookbooks. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><b>3:00-- </b>Lights out. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Let's start this whole thing over again tomorrow.... (especially the part where I flirted with the hottie)</span></div></div>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-56407073977007660602013-05-15T13:52:00.001-05:002013-05-15T13:52:40.388-05:00Oh, herroIt's been a year, huh?<div><br></div><div>I fell off the map a little. Chris and I broke up and just didn't know how to handle it or address it on the interwebs. So I just stopped. Completely. </div><div><br></div><div>But, it's been a year. And while the pain of heart break is still there, it's not the same as before. I can talk about it. I don't want to talk about it now. But I could, you know, if I wanted to.</div><div><br></div><div>What have I been up to? Work. Drinking (life skills people, cut your judging). Obsessively collecting cookbooks. Hanging out with friends. Getting addicted to games on my iPad. Pinning like crazy but never doing anything with the pins. Dating and the ups and downs that comes with that. </div><div><br></div><div>But today, I caught my oven on fire...</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwwPTmebB26CCbAwlhz_an87qXS_2Hd0CrmPl0C7QiaaEwG5pMav0YE-GMBzmFLkG_JDvcVRi7ba1Lu0Mx_zJp60FJ3Ds-zKvU8YMT762wa6r1YVQis02atHJtlsT1fzHAmJ-95v0xcM/s640/blogger-image-428990868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwwPTmebB26CCbAwlhz_an87qXS_2Hd0CrmPl0C7QiaaEwG5pMav0YE-GMBzmFLkG_JDvcVRi7ba1Lu0Mx_zJp60FJ3Ds-zKvU8YMT762wa6r1YVQis02atHJtlsT1fzHAmJ-95v0xcM/s640/blogger-image-428990868.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It takes a very special professional chef to make that happen. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'm glad to be back. Talk to you all soon.</div><br></div>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-12254147192505519492012-05-01T00:55:00.000-05:002012-05-01T01:02:40.482-05:00CGB: hilarious y'all!Have y'all been watching CGB on ABC? Because if you haven't? Watch it.<br />
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No, shut up, go set your DVR right this moment. Because this shit is hilarious. HILARIOUS. And the best part? Even if you don't have TV (like this pretty girl) you can watch it on the interwebz! <a href="http://abc.go.com/watch/gcb/SH55126560/VD55196125/adam--eves-rib">ABC's website here.</a><br />
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And while I do love me some jokes about Dallas I think the show is great for perfect for everyone whoe loves great outfits, jokes about bitchy women, and Kristen Chenowith.<br />
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I'm not really a "laugh out loud at the tv" kind of person. But GCB makes me snort with laughter.<br />
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Seriously. Listen, watch, and laugh... Go take those 45 minute as the best escape of your week.<br />
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Trust me, it's way more uplifting than watching intervention. And this way we can talk about if we hate Carleen or not!<br />
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<br />Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-82859952368708854342012-04-27T23:39:00.000-05:002012-04-27T23:41:43.141-05:00the new life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello loves!</div>
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So, I thought you all might like the scoop about the secret life I've been living since moving back to the US. (And by secret I mean just not completely and totally exposed on the internet) I've been working for about a month at an amazing restaurant.</div>
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<i>(see that peak up there? that's my new "office")</i></div>
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I'm not sure if work would care if I openly blogged about work but I don't want to risk it, nor do I want to talk to HR about my online ramblings. And honestly I don't want to talk to HR because that seems like a lot of work. I'm lazy, deal with it. </div>
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So, I'll be keeping the exact location of where I'm living and working a little bit of a secret. But, to be vague about it, I work in a small resort town in the mountains in the Mid-Atlantic. While it's small there are luckily lots of cute shops, galeries, and of course internet access to keep me occupied. And the area is AMAZING. All of these shots were taken to and from my daily drive to work!</div>
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<a href="http://distilleryimage7.s3.amazonaws.com/c5132aae874311e19e4a12313813ffc0_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="170339677786171495_37721625" border="0" class="imgthumbinstagram" height="200" src="http://distilleryimage7.s3.amazonaws.com/c5132aae874311e19e4a12313813ffc0_5.jpg" title="The view to and from work. Not bad y'all. Not bad at all." width="200" /></a></div>
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At the restaurant I make salads, cold appetizers, and desserts. It's a great first culinary job because it's hard to really screw up a salad. So far I love working in the kitchen, my coworkers are so much fun, and my boss is great. I'll sneak some pictures at work soon so you can check out my creations.</div>
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All pictures were taken with my new and beloved iPhone via Instagram. Join in on the fun with me on Instagram! My user name is merh924 or if you don't have an iphone you can check out my daily photos <a href="http://followgram.me/merh924/">here</a> on the interwebz.<br />
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Happy weekend y'all!<br />
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xoxo,<br />
M</div>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-45042887395720931502012-04-27T01:37:00.000-05:002012-04-27T01:38:14.082-05:00Oh heyyyyOh heyyyyy<br />
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I know, it's been like a year, or a few months--whatever, since I posted. A lot of shit happened...<br />
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So where was I last, the Philippines? So Chris and I traveled through several more countries (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia) and had an amazing time and I took several hundred photos.<br />
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But, things were changing, I wanted to get back to real life. I wanted to actually use my culinary schooling. I truly wanted a job. I wanted to be a real person with a real job not just some fuck-about who was traveling the world. However, at the same time I felt like this giant loser, since I've started this blog how many changes have you seen me go through? It all includes working as a pre-school teacher, traveling Europe, being depressed and lonely in Chicago, going to culinary school in Charlotte, and traveling through Asia. I feel like my newsfeed was filling up with friends who were actually doing stuff. And by stuff I mean getting jobs, having weddings, and popping out babies. And what did I have to show for the years since graduating from SMU? A really full passport and a resume filled with college credentials?<br />
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Lame sauce. That's it y'all. Lame sauce.<br />
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So. Instead of traveling for another year I bit the bullet and took an amazing job opportunity back in the US of A.<br />
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So here I am. Back in 'merica. I'm going back to shopping at Walmart. I'm being told that the food I make at work is "purdy" (direct quote from a co-worker tonight).<br />
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So here it is. I'm back. I'm living in the middle of of rural America working at an amazing restaurant.<br />
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And you know what? I love it. It may not be international, but it's amazing.<br />
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So I'm back. And game on.Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-82672884741582963762011-12-09T01:08:00.000-06:002011-12-09T01:08:00.466-06:00It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvf4i1or3MwmodKH2oSrnDD3ED5zde5lwoUbwxLeY_tpbsOLUqiMwzUE8DGFr4R6PiJgqyxkyDN_pW8HMoAETaKGcW9PaZ4YZi3CeI1hkVDvLcRZq4P7Ysp8fEkhNEM1Deb6hxA8rl6o/s1600/DSCN3730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvf4i1or3MwmodKH2oSrnDD3ED5zde5lwoUbwxLeY_tpbsOLUqiMwzUE8DGFr4R6PiJgqyxkyDN_pW8HMoAETaKGcW9PaZ4YZi3CeI1hkVDvLcRZq4P7Ysp8fEkhNEM1Deb6hxA8rl6o/s320/DSCN3730.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">We're counting down the days to Christmas here in the Philippines too <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>as long as you can forget about the 85 degree weather with 75 percent humidity...</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hope you're all getting in the <b><span style="color: #38761d;">Christmas, </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Hanuka,</span> <span style="color: #bf9000;">tacky decoration</span></b> Spirit!!</span></span></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i> </i></span>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-65882096617962060102011-11-13T08:06:00.001-06:002012-01-22T01:45:34.467-06:00Your daily dose of cute<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqLlYx5uKJl-UD3KOEL42Mik47UR7ABIT2ARWeaqLtR5obdgPB672tbnIaXfbLMkh-cybCzHjpZL3fxi80fyTxXGyCQ8jf-ybm8_DrgdlpOkoyCGek4ygiYpWT35qkO31tSn7wHlVfPY/s1600/DSCN1087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqLlYx5uKJl-UD3KOEL42Mik47UR7ABIT2ARWeaqLtR5obdgPB672tbnIaXfbLMkh-cybCzHjpZL3fxi80fyTxXGyCQ8jf-ybm8_DrgdlpOkoyCGek4ygiYpWT35qkO31tSn7wHlVfPY/s320/DSCN1087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Y'all. I love me some cute. And I mean for real. I LOVE CUTE.<br />
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If there is a baby animal in my immediate 4-8 foot vicinity I am going to make a bee line for it. <i>(BTW. Bee line? b-line? I've never typed that before.)</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1MEZg8zzW-qc49Oneia0ZUetn8rdNc9Ftinz3_fT7Pad__otbZ95sRN5xRDWSQXGxOXuoVo6AKn8zzNHslb4IiTdHahQS6aGYsIFUAOaR3X3TBC6rD5dnBMm1Y10VEQVh3nh_1Pf9OI/s1600/DSCN1100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1MEZg8zzW-qc49Oneia0ZUetn8rdNc9Ftinz3_fT7Pad__otbZ95sRN5xRDWSQXGxOXuoVo6AKn8zzNHslb4IiTdHahQS6aGYsIFUAOaR3X3TBC6rD5dnBMm1Y10VEQVh3nh_1Pf9OI/s320/DSCN1100.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I have stopped riding a bike to pet a baby cow.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJrPxg8mYtk8BIgU6s1E0xk20e90CG17uAXsJkmmumeGKImEl2RpxfHBheC5Pchh5CDiwH_Fyi3rRtrf6ycyFCRH_CN-e39RahIw1B3OUIep5PvUWccKxU66HXlAofcJGLT5-rPKNFr0/s1600/DSCN2939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJrPxg8mYtk8BIgU6s1E0xk20e90CG17uAXsJkmmumeGKImEl2RpxfHBheC5Pchh5CDiwH_Fyi3rRtrf6ycyFCRH_CN-e39RahIw1B3OUIep5PvUWccKxU66HXlAofcJGLT5-rPKNFr0/s320/DSCN2939.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I failed at catching baby ducklings.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4mJAwaElpL9SA-u_KpF22ce4eObaXJpsJ2qTNbuL_Z351ajJzhaovqt-Qr73LOrJ2mIjuhZ6KE8T3hz0aji3xBIfSJn55cT-i5DDBacNteeEiFNzuWb5nbQAIvme88_pHge1HYNRfcg/s1600/DSCN2883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4mJAwaElpL9SA-u_KpF22ce4eObaXJpsJ2qTNbuL_Z351ajJzhaovqt-Qr73LOrJ2mIjuhZ6KE8T3hz0aji3xBIfSJn55cT-i5DDBacNteeEiFNzuWb5nbQAIvme88_pHge1HYNRfcg/s320/DSCN2883.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlE-P7s2oDvVywg2VOHFBEGcAUDuRE7-hQXPKQ4my_1bs0ixW8G6ewsBlrSZLXIHj4IXhblzyU995cUoAO0WoEp-8kTUBQSzhhFHhf3nWUQi8KHcQpR-Po8-hvhSgDPEzj-815n8bYhY/s1600/DSCN3081.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlE-P7s2oDvVywg2VOHFBEGcAUDuRE7-hQXPKQ4my_1bs0ixW8G6ewsBlrSZLXIHj4IXhblzyU995cUoAO0WoEp-8kTUBQSzhhFHhf3nWUQi8KHcQpR-Po8-hvhSgDPEzj-815n8bYhY/s320/DSCN3081.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Drooled over baby puppies...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD062n6DeAINlCoHONZ4zYtZgc6D_m0IuuQqNfIVhPMiQpTNDMyHvBLChTY3RhA5TT2yq5EO8odXclcEv_H09Dq2LDX5fQ2xO0zgMc1suo-kij4T9sk02BV8Ksq_0Vxl-fWZdeFgHV3M/s1600/DSCN2929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD062n6DeAINlCoHONZ4zYtZgc6D_m0IuuQqNfIVhPMiQpTNDMyHvBLChTY3RhA5TT2yq5EO8odXclcEv_H09Dq2LDX5fQ2xO0zgMc1suo-kij4T9sk02BV8Ksq_0Vxl-fWZdeFgHV3M/s320/DSCN2929.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>And squealed over adorable little piglets.<br />
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And I have to give Chris some credit here for stopping while driving <b>TWICE</b> last week so I could pet baby goats.<br />
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Also, just so you know <b>I NEED A BABY GOAT ASAP!! </b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlE-P7s2oDvVywg2VOHFBEGcAUDuRE7-hQXPKQ4my_1bs0ixW8G6ewsBlrSZLXIHj4IXhblzyU995cUoAO0WoEp-8kTUBQSzhhFHhf3nWUQi8KHcQpR-Po8-hvhSgDPEzj-815n8bYhY/s1600/DSCN3081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-4772230951356945822011-11-11T03:55:00.000-06:002011-11-11T03:55:09.948-06:00The Bad, The Good, The Very GoodBecause I'm trying to put a happy spin on bad things this week here are my silver linings from today's disappointments and frustratons:<br />
<br />
<b>The Bad: </b>The awesome night time kayak time I had booked stood me up. <br />
<b>The Good: </b>That means I don't have to spend the $35 dollars I had planned for the excursion!<br />
<b>The Very Good: </b>That means I can go to the awesome Friday night SALAD bar. <i> (whooooo salad! I'm so crazy! And wild!)</i><br />
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<b>The Bad: </b>I got a little lost today and ended up walking for almost 4 hours and covering almost 20 kilometers (about 12.5 miles)<br />
<b>The Good: </b>I got lots of exercise!<br />
<b>The Very Good: </b>I will sleep so heavily that I won't wake up again at 4am when the couple next door (who are almost 70) have sex! <i>(or maybe this is a bad... but I'm trying to stay positive here!)</i><br />
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I hope your days are filled with silver linings!<i> </i>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-24615912604336710252011-10-31T07:24:00.001-05:002011-10-31T07:24:00.356-05:00Favorite photos-- the many doors of Hanoi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwpfJxM9FpvPcIMvFvIF3w4HcdNrka3b7mjiP0lwPXYdjL_OR71SIN3jHl-AyqnH0rAW8UsgGKL_QYi3NbBI_1GZt_StWk89pHM4aQiN6OJJFjkP2ao-s7GUiqfnzlAWnTaSuYfyXmPA/s1600/DSCN2747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwpfJxM9FpvPcIMvFvIF3w4HcdNrka3b7mjiP0lwPXYdjL_OR71SIN3jHl-AyqnH0rAW8UsgGKL_QYi3NbBI_1GZt_StWk89pHM4aQiN6OJJFjkP2ao-s7GUiqfnzlAWnTaSuYfyXmPA/s320/DSCN2747.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKY2R-IIZD5F9IyKUmxDDu4W-Rsi3HZgNHit50G_DEKYS0cYPfSmymw57jHuHV8M8Woooe52cjHtyY2xoDZBtZAXVbzjOwbXOKtebA1y5l9ChwdUcyUdUYG0zobLL2Wqh8ynVCNOd9BE/s1600/DSCN2793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKY2R-IIZD5F9IyKUmxDDu4W-Rsi3HZgNHit50G_DEKYS0cYPfSmymw57jHuHV8M8Woooe52cjHtyY2xoDZBtZAXVbzjOwbXOKtebA1y5l9ChwdUcyUdUYG0zobLL2Wqh8ynVCNOd9BE/s320/DSCN2793.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9CsQf4GELxfbGh4vZqnBOAduDdBMVxh4bZ87T9VfxUAorqLYgcVve4GuMZh2yLmvvOsCuVwFyq5zkSPS0va6uGFzYkMQhbyvoVrKowVzicc2sBwgX3ZsL9Y7mok1x5IQJ5ZOl-h1iAg/s1600/DSCN2813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9CsQf4GELxfbGh4vZqnBOAduDdBMVxh4bZ87T9VfxUAorqLYgcVve4GuMZh2yLmvvOsCuVwFyq5zkSPS0va6uGFzYkMQhbyvoVrKowVzicc2sBwgX3ZsL9Y7mok1x5IQJ5ZOl-h1iAg/s320/DSCN2813.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-62162092002078610922011-10-30T07:32:00.002-05:002011-10-30T07:32:00.797-05:00JEALOUS!<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051081/Tom-Boddingham-slipper-Decimal-point-error-sees-size-size-1-450-order-China.html#ixzz1bz85eTKV"><em>From The Daily Mail:</em></a><br />
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<img alt="Big slipper-up: Tom's massive size 1,450 slipper is big enough to get into" class="blkBorder" height="403" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/10/19/article-0-0E6FDDCD00000578-201_634x403.jpg" width="634" /><br />
<br />
"Sometimes when you buy a pair of shoes, one of them can feel snug while the other one does not quite fit. <br />
<br />
<br />
Tom Boddingham certainly knows the feeling.<br />
<br />
When the 27-year-old ordered a special monster-design slipper to fit his oversized left foot, he was sent this size 1,450 one – because manufacturers failed to spot a decimal point.<br />
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He had requested a 14.5, as well as a smaller size 13 for his right foot. The pair cost £15.50.<br />
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<br />
However, manufacturers in China misread the measurement and accidentally made the whopping seven foot-long slipper, which was shipped to him along with the correct smaller size.<br />
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Now 6ft 7in Mr Boddingham, who wears custom-made shoes because of the different sizes of his feet, will sell it on eBay."Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-75404540669281426512011-10-28T23:52:00.000-05:002011-10-28T23:52:00.131-05:00my must have travel appsIf you want to backpack the world and keep your backpack small and under 30 pounds there are several things you have to leave at home. For me, an easy choice was my beloved MacBook. While my laptop is fabulous, it's heavy, bulky, not exactly water proof, and I know I would be upset if it was stolen, lost, or broken. <br />
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<br />
Even though I don't have a laptop, I, of course, want to stay in touch with the Internet, send emails, keep up with the news, etc. But, I really don't want to do all of this while paying for an Internet cafe or using a computer in the lobby of a hotel. <br />
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Insert the <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><strong><em>iPod touch</em></strong></span>. My iPod is most definitely one of my favorite travel items and after doing some app adding I have definitely customized this sucker for travel. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUykbi8yQ-G57RGzYmp7DGSJOPYkchijy0RjxKjlT5OY2fOg5bavuO8QtRnjfY4d52JTeh67JXA1PuYIgwwVQBAGTz2fvBmz139tX-7oFGEu4rroCXb_G6PYQWSfPOn2Sfes8WKHzHAc/s1600/photo-1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUykbi8yQ-G57RGzYmp7DGSJOPYkchijy0RjxKjlT5OY2fOg5bavuO8QtRnjfY4d52JTeh67JXA1PuYIgwwVQBAGTz2fvBmz139tX-7oFGEu4rroCXb_G6PYQWSfPOn2Sfes8WKHzHAc/s320/photo-1.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<strong>Extra! Extra!</strong><br />
With regular internet connection it's easy to stay in touch with what's happening in the world. <br />
-CNN (Free!)<br />
-NPR (Free!)<br />
-New York Times (mostly free. There is a pay wall for any articles that are not top stories)<br />
-The Economist (not free at all but subscribing to the online only version is <em>relatively</em> cheap)<br />
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<br />
I see that my news sources <em>maybe </em>are slanted in one specific political direction. But honestly, I just can't bring myself to even search for an app that's for a news source that aligns itself with Sarah Palin (**shudder**). But maybe I should add The Wall Street Journal to balance things out? Not to mention support my friend Mary who is a WSJ reporter in Berlin. (Check out her articles <a href="http://online.wsj.com/search/term.html?KEYWORDS=MARY+M.+LANE&bylinesearch=true">here</a>!)<br />
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<strong>A book or two</strong><br />
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Chris and I also use our iPods as digital libraries. We have copies of guidebooks, novels, and non-fiction always with us in our pockets. While I still have traded, borrowed, and bought books I love having the electronic guidebook with me. Nothing marks you as a vunerable tourist more than staring into a Lonely Planet on the side of the street.<br />
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<strong>The other stuff</strong><br />
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- daily yoga app so I can get my stretch on (free. See the pattern now?)<br />
- global convert-- this app is awesome. It not only can work between pounds to kilos (damn you metric system!), it converts currency and updates the exchange rate every time you connect to the Internet! (Fahhh-ree-heee)<br />
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- social media apps so I can keep a tab on my people and maybe do a little stalking of those Halloween costumes you'll all be sporting this weekend (ok, who's going to be the sexy cop this year?)<br />
- free magazines like Elle and More (yes, I do realize that I'm not in their target "older woman" demographic but it was free, damnit!) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLGSUk3AOQJhyCPwyXYR3ce1qO8j0A50qU5NeWT1SgZZW8obL8gpkm5LvdAio0DgYt-dzZK02xVeyWTstpxQBOHIIcQHIRaSYDYMDw3ElxpR78ckBFzOpsmF4DbYRgSZh1HTLIKJpcqc/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLGSUk3AOQJhyCPwyXYR3ce1qO8j0A50qU5NeWT1SgZZW8obL8gpkm5LvdAio0DgYt-dzZK02xVeyWTstpxQBOHIIcQHIRaSYDYMDw3ElxpR78ckBFzOpsmF4DbYRgSZh1HTLIKJpcqc/s320/photo.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<strong>Anda suka belajar banyak bahasa? (translation from Indonesian: "do you like studying many languages?")</strong><br />
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Whenever I arrive in a new country I like to come prepared with a few key phrases and a basic understanding of numbers. World Nomads, one of the world's largest travel insurance providers, has a series of apps for almost every major language from Arabic to Swahili to Vietnamese. <br />
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These FREE (whoop whoop!) apps provide basic translation of helpful sentences, numbers, and some even provide audio to help with pronunciation. <br />
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<br />
On the not so free side, one of the most helpful learning apps I've ever used is Anki. Anki is a online flash card program that already has thousands of card decks loaded. It's a free download for your computer but a hefty $25.00 app. While that's a huge amount of money the Anki app has help Chris and I more than any other language guide out there. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUykbi8yQ-G57RGzYmp7DGSJOPYkchijy0RjxKjlT5OY2fOg5bavuO8QtRnjfY4d52JTeh67JXA1PuYIgwwVQBAGTz2fvBmz139tX-7oFGEu4rroCXb_G6PYQWSfPOn2Sfes8WKHzHAc/s1600/photo-1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUykbi8yQ-G57RGzYmp7DGSJOPYkchijy0RjxKjlT5OY2fOg5bavuO8QtRnjfY4d52JTeh67JXA1PuYIgwwVQBAGTz2fvBmz139tX-7oFGEu4rroCXb_G6PYQWSfPOn2Sfes8WKHzHAc/s320/photo-1.PNG" width="213" /></a></div>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-27954875588800503552011-10-27T07:24:00.000-05:002011-10-27T07:24:23.054-05:00Favorite Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Roosters... great to photo, terrible to have outside your bedroom window</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKIhb4yhAU-yan3ZVuFvVbcMtC3uoT49w_3vGKRKB29AYBpU3-zPSYwgJAdag4TRpZAw7dDEsn0z5XR74DGhX9zjjI0Gz1lIVRisCq_ktjs8rCHDkT7h5zz_RPBQYDCp0SIb8nBSYXzk/s1600/DSCN0929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKIhb4yhAU-yan3ZVuFvVbcMtC3uoT49w_3vGKRKB29AYBpU3-zPSYwgJAdag4TRpZAw7dDEsn0z5XR74DGhX9zjjI0Gz1lIVRisCq_ktjs8rCHDkT7h5zz_RPBQYDCp0SIb8nBSYXzk/s400/DSCN0929.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="goog_528439640">Harau Valley-- Sumatra-- Indonesia</span></div>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-51886000345621917652011-10-25T21:31:00.000-05:002011-10-25T21:31:02.170-05:00Going viral on YouTubeChris has a fancy iPod that takes video and pictures. So we've been stock piling videos of everything from amazing scenery to a creepy spider eating a moth. FYI there are some boring scenic videos out there.<br />
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Here is the link to Chris's YouTube page:<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ChrisEdTravels">http://www.youtube.com/user/ChrisEdTravels</a><br />
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My grand addition to the YouTube collection is a video of a GOP nomination rap set to the tune of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air...<br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-1zyJFS7ZMQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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What can I say? Sometimes Chris and I just have a little too much time on our hands (and maybe a little bit too much beer in our bellies). Don't worry, we're working on a new song set to "I Like Big Butts".Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-71485046460818512792011-10-24T23:16:00.000-05:002011-10-24T23:16:20.424-05:00Let's hope it was emptySpotted on the highway outside of Hanoi, Vietnam.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3mYoZyv4Rc-3Ir-4x0Snr1hAez-pVqHMwgz4luOEMJaC45HmP6TjNIU8mPF6OKabDnR4GBzbKxBUXpBaG4HcnWIh77Q9N12NliGJLrbXM-xk6kzITFwttrkYL4k2PrvI8zXiTW89FlY/s1600/DSCN2531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3mYoZyv4Rc-3Ir-4x0Snr1hAez-pVqHMwgz4luOEMJaC45HmP6TjNIU8mPF6OKabDnR4GBzbKxBUXpBaG4HcnWIh77Q9N12NliGJLrbXM-xk6kzITFwttrkYL4k2PrvI8zXiTW89FlY/s320/DSCN2531.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
And yes. That IS a casket!Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-9458855163329620752011-10-24T00:22:00.000-05:002011-10-24T00:22:23.850-05:00And I'm back....Oh heyyyyyy. It's been almost a month since I've written a blog post. I'm so sorry if you thought I was in a <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2011-10-22/world/world_australia-shark-attack_1_shark-attack-great-white-shark-texas-man?_s=PM:WORLD">shark attack while scuba diving</a>, <a href="http://nyti.ms/oItzK1">mauled by the Amish</a>, or <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/10/22/141589394/drinking-whiskey-in-the-spirit-of-george-washington?sc=17&f=1001">getting druuuunk on rye whiskey like George Washington</a>. In actuality I was just being lazy (surprise surprise). <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But! I'm back! With lots of posts, tons of pictures, and finally with a vlog to answer those questions you asked. You can expect:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">- some YouTube linkage with some sahhhweet rapping by yours truly<br />
- stories of failed hikes<br />
- recaps of cooking lessons (with recipes!)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">- pictures, pictures, pictures!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">- travel sucesses and travel lessons</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Okay? Forgive my terrible lack of recent posting? No... Oh. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But for the update about our curent location... Chris and I left Indonesia a month ago and have been traveling through Vietnam. We're now in the North of Vietnam in a gorgeous mountain town called Sapa where we have been enjoying some awesome hiking (another blog post for later that I've already written. Huzzah!). And later this week we're headed to the Phillipeans for some beach time and scuba diving!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkiJbTrJ3H_9ceDVEGA5_3F7rvVC_nMaFDqB0HPnZ-7uIgFGePe2R9T9HWqStQj9WVtfil7As_R3MCvLyj1VIWg1BRB8onmlfZuECKHTD5ABsBxbTne7fdt6cUQMnG0f42FokNLAw_DA/s1600/DSCN3107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkiJbTrJ3H_9ceDVEGA5_3F7rvVC_nMaFDqB0HPnZ-7uIgFGePe2R9T9HWqStQj9WVtfil7As_R3MCvLyj1VIWg1BRB8onmlfZuECKHTD5ABsBxbTne7fdt6cUQMnG0f42FokNLAw_DA/s320/DSCN3107.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">(Mt. Fansipan-- Sapa-- North Vietnam)</div><br />
So, to recap: I'm alive! I'm back with the blogging! Chris has made me listen to David Bowie's "Major Tom" approximately 121 times in the last few months! And I'm looking forward to blogging again! <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Holla</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">M</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Today's travel lesson: Don't be lazy... just write the damn blog posts!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkiJbTrJ3H_9ceDVEGA5_3F7rvVC_nMaFDqB0HPnZ-7uIgFGePe2R9T9HWqStQj9WVtfil7As_R3MCvLyj1VIWg1BRB8onmlfZuECKHTD5ABsBxbTne7fdt6cUQMnG0f42FokNLAw_DA/s1600/DSCN3107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; height: 19px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 386px;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-58421623174373669912011-09-20T23:20:00.001-05:002011-09-20T23:20:00.965-05:00Google me thisWhen you are away from smart phones, regular internet access, and cell phone signal you start coming up with <i><b>random things</b></i> that you want to google. Because we always seem to forget when we get before a computer Chris and I have started a running list of "to google":<br />
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<b><u>the mundane:</u></b><br />
<b>-Malaria prevention research </b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">A rather boring google about which medicine to buy to renew our stash of malaria meds.</span><br />
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<div style="color: black;"><b><u>the random:</u></b></div><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">- Hamsters and gerbils in the wild</span> </b><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Chris and I have been debating for months if hamsters and gerbils exist in the wild. I said they do and I would like to see a pack of wild feral hamsters taking off down the street; Chris thinks they are some strange hybid of rat and something he failed to name.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="color: #cc0000;"><u><b>Winner winner chicken dinner!</b></u></div><div style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #b45f06;">I'm right! Hamsters come from Syria while gerbils are from China and Turkmenistan and can grow up to<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Gerbil"> 16 inches long</a>. </div><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="color: black;"><b><u>the rumors:</u></b></div><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Jesus making a cameo in Texas</span></b><br />
<div style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #b45f06;">Some random Indonesian chatting us up while we were waiting for a bus told us that he knew all about Texas because he once read an article about how the face of Jesus is visible in the Texas sky. <i><b> </b></i></div><div style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #b45f06;"><i><b>HUH?</b></i></div><div style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #b45f06;">He was insistent that you could see Jesus's face in the sky and couldn't believe that we didn't know what he was talking about. </div><div style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #b45f06;">Granted, he did follow that by asking us if Texas was it's own country...</div><div style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #b45f06;">Out of curiosity, I did some googling and found out that there have been several <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/story?id=5807004&page=1">UFO sitings</a>, <a href="http://www.call2holiness.org/skysigns/skysigns.html">a plague of grasshoppers</a> invading Texas in 2000, the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groom,_Texas"> largest cross</a> in the western hemisphere with a reproduction of Jesus's tomb, and a lot of websites about the end of the world.</div><div style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">But sadly, no Jesus in the sky...</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: black;">Hey, we've been together constantly for three months... there are only so many things to talk about before you starting discussing wild hamsters.</span></span>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-65090195257792866512011-09-18T23:14:00.000-05:002011-09-18T23:14:32.347-05:00Indonesian snack...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUdinwkczaj75pWmHQZvP4r232Xw2s_jL4lAbx-TMZc_oKMBhtiY-9KSADlrGmKg-1fe_cMb1QGHr2xvqsptNveR6-rb08u3bWHgI2-z4RWBVjknKpm6ANfcY0iW8mdjRIcNjG0Isxls/s1600/DSCN1717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyQRww8ewSvN3SOs05GFwIeAXc4XWTIPHXW8vVry3MU2H1RLMYgzqmLDnSQ7Z3odkLTt2unjuveI823AGaHcoCJIcXUkPcoDKZVzq3cnEn2M24Z-fOLzL_vWp0-tX4wfM7Qof32WYkN0/s1600/DSCN1650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyQRww8ewSvN3SOs05GFwIeAXc4XWTIPHXW8vVry3MU2H1RLMYgzqmLDnSQ7Z3odkLTt2unjuveI823AGaHcoCJIcXUkPcoDKZVzq3cnEn2M24Z-fOLzL_vWp0-tX4wfM7Qof32WYkN0/s320/DSCN1650.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Add several slices of fruit (inc sour mango, papaya, pineapple, cucumber, and those red things that look like apples but aren't) add freshly made peanut sauce.<br />
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Dig in!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLCFn84oH3HuDd1zxXaJiVVjkJEcyjfMINxDAyP23iaxLZLjfec8WU-AHY4fBp31dK0rO11NexDIFIckQo5PdVRG4Ivm-mjIeqbi_7ZCkogGKkUibrdjoOS3mPD36zlFnu9rmK92bYhI/s1600/DSCN1521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><span id="goog_909060180"></span><span id="goog_909060181"></span>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-16173824228674997902011-09-14T05:39:00.000-05:002011-09-14T05:39:43.860-05:00An UpdateHello!<br />
<br />
Sorry to be out of touch for so long. Chris and I are in a remote island in the East of Indonesia and internet is sketchy at best.<br />
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We're headed to Vietnam in a week and a half and I plan on writing tons to update everyone!<br />
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Hope all is well at your homes!<br />
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xoxo,<br />
MMeredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-13966842972227269902011-09-03T02:39:00.000-05:002011-09-03T02:39:00.978-05:00Favorite pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqOeP3Tw-s-S_86Zu8MKLYKKWjdvaOoN32n4_z7qvVs8MVpNXze_h7SmESF11q11XFFqXt5mcTogf881ErbijugpNVK4kZoBfiqCq5as4hOADZDUxRPciYjmZad62RH9nlu32P0zbJpAM/s1600/DSCN1055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqOeP3Tw-s-S_86Zu8MKLYKKWjdvaOoN32n4_z7qvVs8MVpNXze_h7SmESF11q11XFFqXt5mcTogf881ErbijugpNVK4kZoBfiqCq5as4hOADZDUxRPciYjmZad62RH9nlu32P0zbJpAM/s320/DSCN1055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lake Maninjau</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sumatra</div><div style="text-align: center;">Indonesia</div>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-30436566659764325092011-08-31T02:34:00.002-05:002011-09-05T03:16:45.410-05:00Questions... Questions... Questions...You've got have some.... And I might have answers.
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<br />What do you want to know about traveling the world?
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<br />Want to know What I really think of Chris after being alone with him for 2 months? How often I actually shower? Have I met any stinky hippies? Am I a stinking hippie? Is hippie\hippy spelled with an ie or a y? What do my parents think of us leaving?
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<br />Ask away! Just right 'ere in the comments!Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-25859009180244849422011-08-27T02:19:00.004-05:002011-08-28T01:37:08.638-05:00Balinese Dance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6xgfRb-lDPj4x2cI-aV9m0Lp3O97oAo2kc0j_9T5pVxXKWw7IIm4FTOo-ut18X3BUVhm1syz5km5ezXtUYSI5foNIAnrwhUjOQyVldZAm44s64302t2-1YqSGCw5aSYnkfNtM_yk5js/s1600/DSCF5498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6xgfRb-lDPj4x2cI-aV9m0Lp3O97oAo2kc0j_9T5pVxXKWw7IIm4FTOo-ut18X3BUVhm1syz5km5ezXtUYSI5foNIAnrwhUjOQyVldZAm44s64302t2-1YqSGCw5aSYnkfNtM_yk5js/s320/DSCF5498.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn1nbKI3nz-HVEisIT_M5eshDTLhw-0VX2QksfNst5SRamSqT9olTYYcdP9vydV7W_W8RrRxCbBQQFvRfkzLcUTZZIl0k-zU1aZ9YTRdyxkZTIVU1eXlLEadayzhaP-N9pQYYUWul6Aw/s1600/DSCF5508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn1nbKI3nz-HVEisIT_M5eshDTLhw-0VX2QksfNst5SRamSqT9olTYYcdP9vydV7W_W8RrRxCbBQQFvRfkzLcUTZZIl0k-zU1aZ9YTRdyxkZTIVU1eXlLEadayzhaP-N9pQYYUWul6Aw/s320/DSCF5508.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrKGWs6SrBdirMqHGjeu0a6F_D3OEDh0ZRtYAoTGgmY92Ax-UYv8lYmLPTtXCngiVgPkef29IAdWl-aKl0Wv8u1MbAYx458VJrCvlAHh94LWx7oK6itt2YX0S7Z9xYtgaQdXuBEgyTm8/s1600/DSCF5511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrKGWs6SrBdirMqHGjeu0a6F_D3OEDh0ZRtYAoTGgmY92Ax-UYv8lYmLPTtXCngiVgPkef29IAdWl-aKl0Wv8u1MbAYx458VJrCvlAHh94LWx7oK6itt2YX0S7Z9xYtgaQdXuBEgyTm8/s320/DSCF5511.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Makes for gorgeous photos.... but is actually very boring. Just trust me. Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-75753805911825624422011-08-25T02:11:00.001-05:002011-08-25T02:12:25.775-05:00Indonesian Transportation-- move it move itGround transportation in Indonesia can be really inexpensive. Large charter buses can take you for a 24 hour ride across the country for less than $15. However, while large buses are great for long distance trips, the cheap in-town options are much sweeter...<br />
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<b>The Bemo</b><br />
<br />
A Bemo is a small public bus that runs between cities. Usually a little bit bigger than a 15-seat van but smaller than a "short bus" a bemo is designed to seat 16 or so. However, it usually seats 24 or more. We once took a 2 hour bemo that sqeezed in almost 30 people and I had a 6 year old boy with his head in my arm pit for about 90 percent of the time. It was a very rewarding experience for both of us.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnXKLXrAPILDy4MZxALq_5aTsIqaRsKLUJ-e16b31DB-dv7LBKi3wC5V5t68piA6ahcFCcRfRtrYh0b-Gi17-49wjEvcoAm_TPH-xw_CsbwxdWz2rbdvoCtIEiEVErbfheeWVpix0Q-U/s1600/DSCN0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnXKLXrAPILDy4MZxALq_5aTsIqaRsKLUJ-e16b31DB-dv7LBKi3wC5V5t68piA6ahcFCcRfRtrYh0b-Gi17-49wjEvcoAm_TPH-xw_CsbwxdWz2rbdvoCtIEiEVErbfheeWVpix0Q-U/s320/DSCN0206.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(The bemo also evidently makes Indonesians very sleepy)</span></div><br />
<b>The Dokar</b><br />
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Want to go old school? Hang like the Amish? Then the dokar is for you! Just an old fashioned wagon pulled by a horse. That's pretty much it, you can only say so much.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVl1c3_9yK4PfoOy3UUc-nWucpct-wBtEy3LFgjWMoecDcaqwZDv6YReN7DiQowyZaWZd-c0xjauJZJL-STEwi6EsjA8fcWsFkRU7eiCcM5Ql3mo49iPKcpNam6i4EZhIwfM7DRa2b4M/s1600/DSCN0712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVl1c3_9yK4PfoOy3UUc-nWucpct-wBtEy3LFgjWMoecDcaqwZDv6YReN7DiQowyZaWZd-c0xjauJZJL-STEwi6EsjA8fcWsFkRU7eiCcM5Ql3mo49iPKcpNam6i4EZhIwfM7DRa2b4M/s320/DSCN0712.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>The Becak</b><br />
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Hate horses? Like to make actual people work so that you can get from point A to B? Hire a becak (pronounciation: Bay-Chak) to pedal you from place to place. Ah, human labor, making transportation so much sweeter for so many centuries.<br />
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<b>The Oplet</b><br />
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Do you ever feel like you're too fancy for the city bus? Is there too much room between you and the sweaty man carrying a bag full of raw fish? Move to Indonesia and jump right into an oplet! These privately run buses can take you, and 10 of your closest friends and 4 strangers, anywhere you need to go in the city for only 50 cents! However, be aware, in Padang, Sumatra, the oplets have somehow agreed to pimp their rides into techno oplets complete with blaring techno music, LED lights, and sweet exterior body work bringing them only inches from the ground.<br />
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<b>Sepeda<br />
</b>Take a ride, it's as easy as riding a bike. Because it is a bike. Just be careful, because sometimes the road turns into, well, no road. Oh, and a lot of times the "12 gear" bike is really a 1 gear, and that gear is slow y'all.<br />
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<b>Sepeda Motor<br />
</b>Allllllll right. Scoot scoot scoot. What makes you look tougher than riding a scooter? NOTHING! Motorcyles are for wusses... wusses with leather jackets. Scooters are for the truly bad ass. <br />
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<b>Jalan Kaki<br />
</b>Indonesian for going by foot. That's right. The cheapest transport in town. Legs. In fact, I have two. Holla. They might be slow and don't look as good as I want in a swimsuit. But they are always there. Gotta love those guys!<br />
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</b>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-68202370614687895302011-08-18T09:01:00.000-05:002011-08-18T09:01:39.927-05:00Turtle and the hareYou all know the story.... A turtle and a hare race... the hare is fast but cocky... the turtle is slow and steady and wins the race.<br />
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I don't think the same can be said for slow but steady internet. No matter what it's still slow. I'm trying to upload posts and pictures for you all but it's taking forever! They'll get there eventually!<br />
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Sorry it's been so long!<br />
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Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7468601470639784226.post-34231512039705899312011-08-10T00:38:00.002-05:002011-08-10T00:38:00.217-05:00Just a picture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffexlVjugJ3k9alEDsBtgvTjYcp_Xos7_3oCUD1vPs4x9hoTsmVWoLXhE80HYwDZosomyjVDYgRycrZyAy6-C3QZ6FpJrj5oYfyay0NitUdY6WW1RsywRLnM2sFPXYcdUMPSug-8OzbY/s1600/DSCN0427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffexlVjugJ3k9alEDsBtgvTjYcp_Xos7_3oCUD1vPs4x9hoTsmVWoLXhE80HYwDZosomyjVDYgRycrZyAy6-C3QZ6FpJrj5oYfyay0NitUdY6WW1RsywRLnM2sFPXYcdUMPSug-8OzbY/s320/DSCN0427.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Prambanan Temple</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Outside of Jogyakarta </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Island of Bali</div><span id="goog_93887021"></span><span id="goog_93887022"></span>Meredith Travelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11465769962184978841noreply@blogger.com0