Safety Girl

I'm not really sure how I ran across this website, but I think the Safety Girl Roadside Emergency Kit is a really cute idea. How many times have you been in your car and in a hurry and realized you needed anit-perspirant? I'm totally serious! This has happened to me! This kit contains directions for changing a flat tire as well as tampons and chocolate. Of course, the chocolates going to melt in the summer, so you have to eat it right away! I think this a really great gift idea and know my friends would love it for their birthdays. It also contains:

* Space® Brand Emergency Blanket
* Safety Matches
* 5 Bandages
* 2 Antiseptic Wipes
* Instructions to Change a Flat Tire
* Instructions to Jump Start a Dead Battery
* Emergency Contact List
* Accident Record
* Safety GirlT Pencil
* Purified Water
* Professional Nail File

* Ritter® Sport Chocolate
* Zox Breath Freshener
* Balm of Gilead Lip Moisturizer
* Balm of Gilead Aromatherapy Headache Remedy
* OxiClean® Instant Spot Remover Wipe
* Dove Anti-perspirant
* Speedy Clean Cleansing Wipes
* Sight Savers® Eyeglass Lens Cleaning Tissue
* 3 o.b.® tampons
* Emergency Sewing Repair Kit

Backpackers.com

If Backpackers.com only knew how often I've visited their website for ideas and news. Now, today, turns out they've actually looked at mine. And, amazingly, even liked it! It's like finding out your favorite celebrity already knows who you are. Like Madonna telling me she thinks I am cool! That's how I feel about having an article about my blog on backpackers.com. Anyway, aside from checking out the fabulous things Pia had to say about this blog, go there for all the other interesting articles, hostel bookings and travel forums. Here's what Pia wrote:


"Travel blogs are springing up left right and centre – backpackers telling their story as it happens, from the road.

We think they’re great and we’re always looking for particularly good ones to feature in our ‘cool travel blogs’ category.

When I saw the heading: One Girl, Her Backpack And A Passion For Travel, I was pretty sure it was going to be just up my alley.

Catchy titles are like that.Turns out I was right. The author of this cool travel blog, Jerri Stephenson, from Boston, Massachusetts, has been travelling for some time now, making money as she goes:

‘I’m truly living out of a bag. I have no physical address to call home and never thought my life would come to this.’

She has just started making podcasts about her adventures, and is planning an epic trip to Antarctica early next year. Check it out. You go, girl!"

Where do I go from here?

I've decided to leave the wild world of yachting and go back home for a while. Not too long though in case I accidentally get sucked in and never leave. I'm still going to travel, just not by boat anymore! A door has shut behind me and I'm looking for another one to open up soon. Until then, this is what I have to look forward to!


I'm leaving here (Boston):



I'm returning here (Abilene,Texas):

Another girl traveler

I found this site today and am blown away. Megan is traveling around the world, blogging, sketching and living the life of a full-on adventurer. Check out her photos and her art which are so incredible and inspiring. Once again, I'm finding myself jealous of other travelers getting to go to cool new places.

001-Intro One Girl and Her Backpack

Episode #1 One girl, her backpack and a passion for travel is a brief introduction to the podcast and the host. The podcast will discuss travel for those who want to live the lifestyle of a traveler and not a tourist.


This is my first podcast. Let's see how it goes!

Promo One girl and her backpack

003-Boston, Antarctica and Argentina

Podcast #3 This podcast I'm discussing my last few months in Boston, my future trip to Antarctica, and my friends tour company in Argentina.

Episode #3 One Girl, Her Backpack and a Passion for Travel

National Geographic Literacy Study

I read a USA Today snapshot the other day that said 70% of Americans between the ages of 18-24 have not traveled outside of the US in 3 three years. Then today I ran across that survey on the National Geographic website. Here are some more interesting facts:

• Only one in ten (11%) corresponds with someone in another country
• Only two in ten (22%) have a passport
• Six in ten (62%) say they can’t speak any language other than their own native language fluently

Boston City Plaza and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

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Free Yeah Yeah Yeahs concert in Downtown Boston!

Thinking about Swaziland

As I was backpacking across South Africa about a year and a half ago my friend Martin and I made a detour into Swaziland. While there we went on a tour in the country side by Quad Bike. I was just thinking today about the guy that started the company, Rich, who took us on the tour and was wondering if his venture was still going strong in Swaziland. I looked the company up online and was surprised to find them. Looks like they are doing great! Rich was very excited about the future of tourism in Swaziland and passionate about showing travelers the harsh realities of a country affected so strongly by AIDS. Check out his site and especially his pics! It's gorgeous there!

Antarctica: My Final Destination

Acting on a complete whim, which is my modus operandi, I booked a trip to Antarctica last night. I had been thinking that I would set my goal back to get to Antarctica until I was 30 years old, but last night decided that I couldn't wait that long. Instead, I'm now going in March 2007. My trend has been to buy trips for my birthday present to myself since I was 16. They started small like going to Dallas to go to the Galleria, or going skiing in Colorado for my 18th, Canada, 19th, Trip across the country, 20th, NYC, 21st, Mexico, 22nd, St. Barts, 23, South Africa 24th, Japan, 25th, Antarctica, 26th. These trips I guess are becoming a little more eccentric and most definitely more expensive.

This trip will be a little difficult in planning. I have a rule that I'm not allowed to repeat countries unless absolutely necessary. Having already been to Argentina, I'm thinking I have to go to Chile first and down to Ushuaia in Argentina this making my trip more complicated. The following list is the brief itinerary.

Day 1 Arrive Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Arrive in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Embarkation on 'Explorer' begins in the afternoon at the port in Ushuaia.
Day 2-3 Drake Passage
Our adventure begins with a 400-mile crossing of the passage that bears the name of the 16th-century English explorer Sir Francis Drake. The 'Little Red Ship' is at home in this part of the Southern Ocean.
Day 4-7 Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands
Experience some of the best wildlife viewing and scenery in the world as you set foot on the Antarctic continent. Take two excursions per day (conditions permitting), and encounter Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie penguin rookeries, Weddell, Crabeater and Leopard seals, and Orca, Humpback and Minke whales in the cold Antarctic waters.
Day 8-9 Drake Passage
Today we begin our journey north to our home port of Ushuaia. Review the highlights of our Antarctic experience with our lecturers and staff, and keep your eyes open on the observation deck for some final whale sightings.
Day 10 Depart Ushuaia
Our adventure comes to a close, as we say our goodbyes as we disembark in Ushuaia.

I'm showing up in other people's travel dreams

My friend Danial, the one who is from Nova Scotia and my surf buddy, told me that last night he had a dream that he was in in Japan and lost. In his dream he was really stressed and didn't know who to call to help him find his way and ended up calling me back in the states for directions. He said, "I don't know why I called you when I have friends that actually live in Japan." I take this as a compliment. Unfortunately, when he called me I wasn't of any help and actually got him more lost. Should I take another person's dream as a sign that I should become a travel agent?

Walking through Boston Common

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Madonna

So I went to see Madonna in concert last night. And if anyone knows me, you know that I am obsessed with Madonna! Front row seats baby!

Dave Matthews and Fenway

Upload videos at Bolt.One of the little perks of my job is that I occasionaly get to go to events happening at Fenway. The girls that I work with and I all went to see Dave Matthews and Sheryl Crow last night. Well, we missed Sheryl but got to see all of Dave and it was incredible! I haven't seen him since 1999 when I think my boyfriend at the time and I saw him at Smirnoff. Thanks Barry! I forgot how much I love Dave and was surprised that I knew all the words to the songs even his new stuff.

My new favorite blog!

These guys are super travelers and are doing what I've wanted to do for so long: backpack across Africa. Their videos are hilarious and entertaining! Check them out!

I want to buy this hotel

El Momo Cottages is a small eco hotel on the magical Caribbean island called Saba. It includes 6 small wooden Cottages, a pool, a breakfast area / restaurant and a nice house to live in for owners/managers including the office, outdoor living room and great terrace. Located on a steep and green mountain with lots of tropical garden and amazing ocean views from everywhere. Only disadvantage are lots of steps. Please check out www.elmomo.com
This is a great place for nature lovers who seek a healthy lifestyle in paradise. Saba has no crime, no mosquitos and has the best climate in the world!

Cape Cod

Martha's Vineyard

For Father's Day weekend we headed over to Marth's Vineyard for a way too short trip. The weather couldn't have been more perfect with warm but breezy sunny days and only a scattering of clouds. I'd never been to the Vineyard before and really had no preconceived ideas of what it was like other than thinking a lot of wealthy and/or famous people vacation there. I didn't see anyone famous that I know of although I wouldn't know anyone famous unless they were pointed out to me but I suspect I saw a lot of wealthy people.

We were anchored outside of Edgartown which seems like a nice little town. We were joined by a few large sailing yachts that I remember seeing down in Antigua and I'm sure are now in Newport, RI. The harbor had some pristine looking beaches with kids out playing in what I imagine is some pretty cold water. There were some really large houses on the beaches but actually not as large as I'm used to seeing. I'm suspecting that this town is the place where most of the vacationers like to go shopping. There were some nice boutique stores out of my price range as usual selling lots of girly things. In fact, if I didn't know better, I might have actually thought I was walking through the streets of St. Barts.

We ended up going to Murdick's Fudge and bought about $50 worth of fudge for us three girls. It was tasty but I'm not a huge fan of fudge so the rest of the crew, who apparently are fans, devoured the sweets in less than a day! Before the night was over we ended up with the rest of the crew at Wharf's Pub for a pint, or two or in some case 7 or 8! Sadly, we had curfew at 10 pm to take the last tender into the boat. If I have the opportunity I would love to go back to the Vineyard and explore a little more around the island. I hear strawberry picking is fun!

Where I've been

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Boston: We have arrived!

We got into Boston on May 29th after a week underway from Ft. Lauderdale. The trip up was incredibly smooth and actually pretty pleasant. My roommate and I are way into Scrabble these days so between our watches that we have every six hours we were down in the crew mess playing Scrabble which I lose everytime. Around Cape Hatteras the weather definitely changed. We went from nice warm, tropical weather to there being a slight chill in the air during the day. Then when we arrived in the Cape Cod canal it was all fog straight up into Boston. It cleared up just a little as we were passing under a bridge for me to take some pictures. We saw a man and a woman walking along the waterway pushing a stroller and some kids playing on a playground. It was really gorgeous.

When we arrived in Boston we immediately all got off the boat and kissed the ground! Trapped in small places in the middle of the ocean drives you crazy slowly. Like typical yachties we then went out and got piss drunk! We've only been here a week and it's been raining the entire time. Then the chef got the flu and now we all have it. So even if we wanted to go out here in Boston we couldn't manage to get out of our beds. I had to miss a day of work but it's not like I do anything anyway. Once we get settled into Boston I'll tell you a little more about venues and sites nearby like the IMAX and the aquariam. We'll also be heading to Nantucket pretty soon which I'm super excited about. My roommate and I are also planning some trips to NYC, Provincetown and Newport, RI. So prepare yourself for a jampacked summer!