Enjoying Las Vegas when Gambling Isn’t Your Thing
In January 2010, Kyle finished his Masters Degree and decided that he wanted to go away to celebrate finally finishing school. This was an awesome night – we got all dressed up and went to the Keg where, silly us, we didn’t have a reservation on a Saturday night. Needless to say there were about 30 people there waiting to be seated so we decided that since we were all dressed up we’d wait and put our names in. The girl who took our name said it would be about an hour wait *ugh!*, but the other hostess pulled out two menus and said “but not for you!” and seated us straight away! We felt like celebrities and to this day have no clue what made us so special (but we feel as if it may be due to the fact that we are “ridiculously good looking” *cue zoolander pose*).
That night we had drinks and steaks. Overall a fantastic night! Near the end of our dinner, Kyle told me that when he decided to start his weight loss journey he had also made a list of other things that he wanted to do and see. Something on that list was Vegas – and he wanted to do it with me to give him the push to finish his Masters. This being our first trip together, I was excited to travel with my love ,so of course I accepted, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be any fun since I don’t gamble.
Upon landing at McCarran International Airport, I was taken. Vegas is busy! It’s exciting! It’s fabulous! It’s also a bit overwhelming but only at first. There’s so much to do that in 2 trips we haven’t even made it all the way down the strip and we definitely plan on returning someday to finish where we left off.
For those of you who are like myself and don’t gamble, here are some things that will make you fall in love with Vegas:
1. The hotels are ALL beautiful. It doesn’t seem to matter where you stay, you will have a beautiful room that is relatively soundproof with a beautiful view. Our first stay at Caesar’s overlooked the Bellagio fountain show it was perfect 
2. The drinks. Your first stop MUST be Fat Tuesdays for the extra super large slushy alcoholic drinks. One is never enough and since they’re frozen they’re perfect in the hot Vegas climate. My favourite is the Bellini where Kyle enjoys 190 Octane. They range from $9 to $30 per drink (this is cheap considering their size) and it cost $2 for an extra shot. We’ve seen Fat Tuesdays in both the MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, and Forum Shops.
3. See a show. Or two… or three… We do a show every night. The calibre of entertainment is amazing in Vegas. Since being there we tend to compare every show we see to Vegas and nothing even comes close. Make sure you do at least one Cirque du Soleil show or you will regret it.
4. The Strip can be an amusement park if played correctly. Visit the lazy river at Mandalay Bay, do the roller coaster at New York New York, take in a pirate sword fight at Treasure Island and take a trip up the Eiffel Tower at Paris, LV.
5. Shop to your hearts content. Along the strip you’ll see Prada, Gucci and every designer you could ever desire. We saw a $10,000 jewel encrusted thong even! If your budget doesn’t do couture, check out the Fashion Show Mall which is one of the largest shopping centers in the U.S.A.
6. The views. Just off the strip you have mountains and the Grand Canyon!
7. EAT! The food here is to die for. We’ve had every cuisine from French to Russian. There’s food in every budget. To eat on the cheap, check out the older end of the strip and the older casinos. The more upscale casinos have some of the best food we’ve ever had. We recommend doing brunch at the Wynn, steaks at Neros in Caesar’s Palace, and check out the atmosphere at Red Square in Mandalay Bay.
8. Be pampered. There are so many amazing spas on the strip and after long nights out, you’re going to need one!
*Everything in this post is our expressed opinion only. We have not been compensated or sponsored*
Heather’s Top 10 Experiences
Sure it’s easy to put together a list of top 10 places to see. We hear that Italy is amazing. The pictures of Panama are beautiful. The Bachelor went to South Africa this year…
When you can only visit a set number of places it’s hard to get it down and ensure that everything that you want to experience can be done in the places that you choose to visit. I had a hard time getting my Top 10 Must See Countries down to just 10. Here are the experiences that helped me decide:
1. Zip-lining through the rainforest in Fiji. Zip-lining is something I’ve ALWAYS wanted to try and the rainforest is something that I’ve ALWAYS wanted to see. Why not combine the two?
2. Whitewater rafting in India. India has some of the best whitewater rafting in the world. Sure you can do this is many different countries, but where else can you get this great experience and see the Taj Mahal?
3. Rappelling in Brazil. I love waterfalls. I once took Kyle on a hiking trip in Dundas where my sister promised me she saw waterfalls. After hiking around for 5+ hours, we didn’t see a single one. To make up for this, I feel the need to rappel waterfall-filled canyons in Brazil.
4. Volcano hiking in Panama. Volcanos are cool. As kids we make volcanos with baking soda and vinegar which is also cool.
5. Safari in South Africa. I go to African Lion Safari theme park as an adult (and only a small part of this is wanting a repeat of an elephant passing gas towards my sister). I waited to see the lions at MGM Grand in Vegas amongst small children. I’ve always wanted to do a safari.
6. Cycling in The Netherlands. My Grandma used to cycle nearly 30kms (18.6 miles) to come and babysit us. I remember her basket on her bike which she put groceries in. This seemed completely normal to her being from The Netherlands. I love riding my bike despite the fact that it makes my backside hurt. This seems to be part of my heritage and it’s something I’m very excited to do.
7. Taking the Gondola in Venice. We experienced a cheesy version in Las Vegas where our gondolier sang to us. Call me greedy but I want the real thing.
8. Museum hopping in France. This is just romantic. I’m not a crazy art connoisseur, but who wouldn’t want to see the Mona Lisa? The architecture of these museums and the streets of Paris are of equal importance to me here.
9. Watching a bullfight in Spain. How many of your friends can tell you that they’ve watched a bullfight? And no, watching Johnny Knoxville take on a bull while blindfolded in Jackass 2 doesn’t count…
10. Segway Tour and Food Festival in Prague. Dorky helmets and amazing European food? I’m so in!
20 Ways to Stay Safe on the Road
Don't leave your things out like this!
One of the biggest excuses not to travel is that, well, it’s scary. You’re in unfamiliar territory and only know each other. You may not know the language and it’s easy to be taken advantage of.
The best way to stay safe and feel safe is prevention. Here are 20 things to help keep you and your belongings safe while traveling:
1. Leave photocopies of your passport, ID, and credit cards with your parents at home. Also scan and email a copy to yourself so that you can have access to them in case they are lost or stolen. It’s much easier to have your passport replaced at the Embassy if you have a photocopy.
2. Carry only a small amount of cash and never carry all of your cash or credit cards on one person. Split it up between both of you and pay with a credit card where you can.
3. Bring more than one credit card and make them joint. This way one of you can carry one card and keep the copy in the hotel safe while the other person carries the other card with that copy also in the hotel safe.
4. Always carry your medications with a copy of your prescriptions. Also keep your medications on you when traveling – do not check your meds. Split them up and put half in your carryon and half in your pocket. Also ensure that you have the proper immunizations before leaving.
5. Check in with friends and family at least twice weekly and share travel plans.
6. Check travel advisories online before traveling to a new country.
7. Ensure that your hotel/hostel has a safe in every room. Then use it!
8. Use a money belt. Keep if under your clothing and keep your cash and passport on you at all times (even while sleeping).
9. Never blindly open the hotel room door even if the person knocking says they are staff. Call the front desk first to verify.
10. Know your route. Unfolding your map, flashing your guidebook, or wearing a fanny-pack (a-la-early 1990′s) in the middle of the street is a clear sign that you are a tourist and makes you an easier target.
11. Lock your bags together on the bus or train and lock the zippers shut. You can also lock them to something solid. Packsafe is also a great tool to keep your bags shut to unwelcome thieves. Do the same when you leave your hotel rooms.
12. Purse or camera straps can be cut by thieves. If you carry a purse, make sure it’s small enough to fully tuck under your arm and wear it across your body. If you choose to wear your camera around your neck, get a strap that cannot be cut by thieves.
13. Take a photo of your hotel/hostel before you leave. When you’ve stayed in so many places it’s easy to forget the name of your new temporary home. Taking pictures of street signs may also be helpful.
14. Always know where the embassy is.
15. Be alert and pay attention to your surroundings. Don’t wear your headphones while on the bus/train or while walking. Keep your head up and don’t zone out.
16. Be polite!
17. Don’t let anyone help you with your bags at trains or buses. Keep your bag in your lap whenever possible.
18. Split your computer and other valuable belongings across different bags to minimize the impact of loss.
19. Insure your belongings and your health. Take out travel insurances before you leave and pay up front to ensure its validity for the entirety of your trip.
20. Put your passport and money in a plastic ziplock bag to protect it from water or sweat.
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Keeping it Pretty
Adventure. Sightseeing. Long flights. Hiking. Shared Accommodation. Sounds….err… dirty! How’s a girl supposed to keep it pretty on the road anyways?
Anyone who travels will tell you the importance of packing light. As Kyle will tell you, however, I don’t know the meaning of packing light. I could literally fit inside of my usual luggage and then sometimes add a carry-on. And this is just for a 3 day weekend!
That said, I really do feel that on our journey it will be critical to keep our packs with us at all times since our entire lives will be in those bags. This means packing only things that can come with us on the plane. Which means leaving my mascara and most of my other makeup behind. Not gonna lie… that hurts. I have rosacea which makes me very conscious of my skin. I never leave the house without coverup and mascara. I’m currently working on this – I’ve just recently started to go sans makeup in front of Kyle on our lazy Sundays – however, I just might take advantage of the 3oz liquid carry-on limits
My flat iron is my other essential. My hair can probably go without as it’s thick and has a nice wave, but i use my flat iron to curl, straighten, or just keep the frizz down. Let’s face it, having great hair just makes a girl feel better about everything! This must be a common problem as there are many travel-sized flat irons available with with dual voltage! My hair will remain happy 
5 Ways to Travel as a Couple (And Not Drive Each Other Crazy!)
Kyle and I have a wonderful relationship – I can count the number of fights we’ve had on one hand. But traveling can put a lot of strain on a couple. Here are some ways to keep it together while traveling:
1. Compromise is Key – Our “Top 10″ lists varied so greatly that it is apparent that compromise will be incredibly important. We both want to do the adventure stuff but things like the Louvre don’t interest Kyle in the least and coastal research really isn’t my thing. Before you go, talk about what’s the most important to each of you and what you can go without.
2. Take Time-Outs – A year seems like a long time, but time flies when you’re on the road. This may make you feel the need to go and go and go even when you’re exhausted. When we’re exhausted, we don’t function properly and get frustrated easily. Plan one day a week for down-time to avoid burnout.
3. Have “Me Time”… – Spending time together is great, but 24/7? Kyle’s jokes may just get old. It’s important to take some alone time – even if it’s just shopping or grabbing a cup of coffee sans company.
4. And Have “Us Time” – Sure, sharing dorm style rooms with 6 other people is less expensive and meeting other travelers is an essential part of the experience. But having “date nights” just like at home may help keep the spark when we’re frustrated, tired, and haven’t showered in days.
5. Make Friends – While at home Kyle has guy night and I have girl nights with my girlfriends. Why should that change just because you’re traveling? A huge advantage to staying in hostels is that you meet other travelers who are doing the exact same thing as you. The commonality is a great ground for making new friends.
Figure out a game plan before you take off then make sure you communicate and stick to the plan while on the road will ensure you don’t drive each other crazy!
Communicating Back Home While Traveling
We are very close with our families and want to be able to call home often (plus I need to check on my fur babies!), however let’s face it – calling overseas is expensive!
Fortunately there are brilliant people in this world who must have run into similar issues. These brilliant people have developed smart phone apps for long distance calling and many of them are also FREE!
I’ve been doing a lot of research into which ones are good and which aren’t so good. I have a Blackberry Torch and an Iphone 4 but will only be bringing one with me. This will also help me determine which smartphone is best for the road!
The following apps are highly rated and can help you communicate back home:
1. Skype – this is probably the most popular and is now available as a smartphone app. This works over 3G or wifi and allows you to call, video call, or text other Skype users for free.
2. KipCall – A very cool app that allows you to call your facebook friends without having their number and without a 3G or wifi connection! There are some downsides in that outgoing calls are limited to 20 minutes daily, but incoming calls are unlimited! KipCall only works in North America
3. Viber – allows you to make phone calls to other viber users for free from anywhere in the world. The downside is that this is only available for iphone users. Free SMS and Android versions are coming soon.
4. Zerofone – Allow you to make cheap international calls over wifi or 3G. International calling packages give you 500 minutes for $15. The benefit here is that you can call anyone, but the downside obviously is that it’s not free. Zerofone can be a great option for non-smartphone users who don’t use Skype.
Of course you can also have you phone unlocked at a cost of $35-$150. This allows you to purchase a SIM (or micro-SIM) card in each country or an international SIM card and make calls from whatever country you’re in.
With all these advances in technology it should be relatively easy to keep in touch with loved ones from home!
What About My Furry Friends?
I have 2 cats and a dog. They are like my children – I’m going to miss them so much while we travel!
It is possible to travel with your dog, however it’s expensive, difficult, and because Kyle is allergic to Corbyn, it would be unfair to Ky. If you decide to take your fur baby with you, visit the Adventures with Fido website.
So what, exactly, are your options?
My sister said that she’d take my cats – they’re an easy sell as they don’t need much – just food, water, litter change and some lovin’.
Then there’s my dog. He’s on the small side (only 20lbs) and would never hurt a fly. But he’s is younger and *ahem* full of energy. This has, however, improved drastically over the past few years (he’s only going to be 2 in May so it can only get better from here!).
Options to look at:
1. Friends. I’ve had a few friends who said that they’d take Corbyn while I’m away. This may be ideal, especially if they already have another dog who is friendly and willing to share.
2. Boarding: this can be pricey, but when your pet is like your child, this becomes unimportant. It costs between $25-$50/day per dog. Most boarders are fabulous with the dogs and give them a lot of attention and lets them run around and socialize.
3. Family – Most people that I’ve talked to have left for long-term travel leave their furry friends with their parents. My parents have 2 shit tzus that absolutely hate my lovable shetland sheepdog, so this is not the best option for Corbyn.
Friends seem to be the best option for me as I can bring Corbyn around often to get him used to their family and their pets. This will also allow me to Skype them and see him when I miss him so much! My sister currently lives with me so ShylaRae and Puddin already know and love her and her kitty Baby.
Everyone’s situation here will be different and it’s important that you’re fully comfortable with who your pets will be staying with. It’s also important that the animal feels a bond to the family member or friend and that you’re positive that your furry friend will feel extremely loved even when you’re thousands of miles away.
Hotel vs. Hostel
So one of my biggest concerns in all of this is whether or not staying in hostels would put extra strain on our relationship. When I was away at school my dorm room was a private suite with 2 bathrooms, a living room, kitchen and 4 bedrooms for 4 girls. Kyle lived at home while in school. So neither of us have really lived in shared accommodations.
I’ve never seen a hostel before so I’ve gone on a search for information! What is the difference between a hotel and hostel?
One of the biggest differences is privacy: a hotel is completely private whereas a hostel is more shared accommodation. This means that you share a room and there is communal bathroom facilities. This is what both scares me and excites me the most. I think that having shared rooms where we can meet other travelers is exciting! We may meet someone who has experienced something in that country that we’ve never heard of or someone who may inspire us to stop somewhere that wasn’t on our agenda. Conversing with other travelers may also warn us against not-so-great things and make us more savvy ourselves!
On the other hand, there’s shared bath and bedrooms. The princess side of me thinks “eww!”. Many more modern hostels, however, now offer private accommodation. In many cases, a double private room costs about the same per person as a dorm-style room. These rooms often have a bathroom attached to it that is shared with the room next door only. Relief!
Another big difference between a hotel and hostel is food. Hotels often include at least one meal whereas hostels include a kitchen that you can use to prepare your own food. Because we are planning on eating food that we buy on the street or in grocery stores, this is actually ideal for us. It allows us to cut back on our food budget significantly. With a hotel, you may have a mini-fridge, but if you want a hot meal you would need to hit a restaurant.
Speaking of budget, because of their higher degree of luxury, hotels are more expensive than hostels. Hotels also usually charge per room where hostels charge per person. In some countries budget hotels will be a nice break, however in places like Europe and Australia, hostels will be a must!
One more note: some hotels will turn you away if you show up filthy and in desperate need of a shower from your day’s travels. We want to do a lot of exploring and adventures so we will have to make sure we plan our hotel check-in days accordingly!
How to Save for Our Trip
I’ve begun looking at my budget and determining how I’m going to save for this trip. Because (unfortunately!) we can’t depend on lottery winnings or large bonuses, we need to either make more money, lower monthly expenses, or both.
Because I work straight commission, it is possible for me to make more money in my current role. I’m currently working on a business strategy to pick up my sales and am planning on putting every extra penny into savings.
Kyle is blessed with having no debt. I on the other hand, have a mortgage, car loan, and large student loan that will need to all be paid off. The majority of this will be done through selling the house and the car (after all we won’t be using them while on the road anyways!). The student loan payments can be delayed while we’re traveling as well and because the interest is tax deductible, it may not be something that I prioritize paying. If I can get what I hope for the house and the car, I will have about $10,000 left over for the trip.
I spent some time the last few days looking at my monthly expenses and seeing where I could cut down. This takes some work:
1. Call your cable and cell phone companies and see if they can reduce your monthly bills. My cable company reduced my bill by 15%. It helped here to pre-shop the competition! Monthly savings: $20
2. Housing expenses can add up. Look at ways to save here – can you stretch out your mortgage amortization? Can you refinance at a lower rate? Can you take in a renter while you save? In my case, my sister has moved into my upper floor which yields me an extra $300/month. In my case it is cheaper to stay in my house than to move to a rental.
3. Groceries are also a huge household expense. In my personal reflection, I was wasting a lot of money on groceries that went bad before they were used and on eating out. Plan your groceries for the week and cook things like meat for the week as soon as you get home to avoid freezer burn etc.
4. Sell your things – the last thing I want to do is pay a lot to store my things while we’re away. All of my furniture and the majority of my clothing will be sold off. Be creative here! You won’t get a lot at garage sales or consignment stores so look at other avenues – friends and family, facebook, kijiji or craigs list, or even auctions! It will take a bit more effort on your part, but if it gets you a step closer to your adventure it’ll be well worth it.
5. Look at your current interest rates and loan expenses. In my case, I work for a bank so can ensure that my cost of borrowing is at it’s lowest. However so many people have large credit card balances or high interest loans. Look at your car loan – I’ve seen so many people paying 18% on a depreciating asset! Also beware of your credit card balances – pay them off or move the balance to a credit line.
6. Rewards – Take a second look at your credit card. Does it offer rewards? If not, switch right now! Yes, you’ll pay an annual fee, but the rewards that you’ll receive will offset that in the first couple of months. Put whatever you can on that card – if you can charge your utilities, cable, and grocery bills to your card your points will add up fast (just make sure to pay it off during your grace period to avoid high interest costs). Make sure that you pick a flexible card – can you redeem your points on any airline? Can you redeem for Visa giftcards or to pay off your debt? Beware of cashback cards as often the value from a points card is much greater than the amount of cash back. Check out http://banknerd.ca for some great information!
There are some really great tools out there that can help you see where you’re spending your money. My bank has what they call “My Finance Tracker” through online banking – this takes information from my accounts and Visa and does great charts to show me where my money is going. You can also do a budget and it will show you where you go over from month to month! If your bank does not have something similar, you can get similar programs online.
Now that you’ve cut back, look at ways that you can earn extra money. This is all going to depend on your skills. Can you do some consulting? Can you pick up more hours or a second job? Are there things that you enjoy that you can share with others (ex: my sister loves to knit so she started dying and selling her own yarn).
Every time you pull out your wallet thing – is this something that I absolutely need or will it hurt my savings for my trip? If it’s detrimental, put that wallet away!
Budgeting #2 – Kyle’s Top 10
I’ve come to the conclusion that Kyle has champagne taste on a beer budget (funny… he’d actually LOVE a beer budget in all of this I’m sure!). His top 10 countries surprisingly worked out to $23 per day more expensive per person – and that’s after I excluded Fiji and South Africa from his totals! And they always blame us women for being the expensive ones
Here’s how Kyle’s countries break down for a mid-range traveler per day:
1. New Zealand – $130
2. Australia – $150
3. Hawaii – $200
4. Iceland – $175
5. Chile – $50
6. Argentina – $180
7. Tanzania – $75
8. Papau New Guinea – $110
9. South Korea – $120
I think in my research on this I was most surprised by the costs in Argentina. WOW! And it’s even more expensive if we stay in Patagonia or Buenos Aires. However it’s a country that I never really thought of or considered and after looking into it, Argentina looks absolutely amazing and well worth saving for
The costs per day that are listed here are definitely variable. It is possible to do all of this for around $15,000 each for a year including flights and insurance if we camped, ate like rabbits, and did all of our sightseeing with no guidance. Of course it’s also possible to do it for $100,000 each if we did luxury hotels and ate out 3 times daily.
These costs per day can be minimized by doing “off the beaten track” activities rather than going through tourist groups and by eating mainly from the grocery stores. Because we’ll be traveling as a pair, our cost could also be reduced especially when staying in budget hotels. Some countries charge per room (as we’re used to here in Canada) where others charge per person. In most countries, a double room costs less per person than a single room.
