Experience Experiment

Compared to the Pound or Euro, the American dollar has seen better times, but rest assured it still goes a long way in Latin America. With an exchange rate of three pesos to one dollar, there is no time like the present to take a mini-retirement vacation south of the border.

When I first arrived in Buenos Aires (BA), I spent most of my time dividing by three to ensure I was getting a good price. I soon realized that almost everything I was purchasing was very cheap and I was getting a lot more for my money.

Here are some of the prices you’ll find:

- cafe con leche (specialized coffee drink) = $1.50
- big bottle of water = $.33
- big bottle of local beer = $1.50
- local wine (good stuff) = $3-6
- block of cheese = $1.75
- bread = $.66
- huge steak (good cut) = $10

Of course, as an American, I immediately recognized the good deals and started hoarding everything in sight! I was like I a fat kid in a candy store. After a few days of running around comparing prices like a lunatic, I learned a very valuable lesson: It’s all relative.

Relative as in I’m very fortunate to be from a country that has a stronger monetary system. In the same sense, I’ve been to London and let’s just say exchanging dollars for pounds is not advantageous.

While in South America, I can’t help but wonder why everyone hasn’t moved here. Of course, not everyone wants to or is able to travel for weeks or months at a time. From experience, I can tell you that it costs less to live a month in South America than it does in the states. So in a sense, my vacation is saving me money!

In Buenos Aires, I pay $10 per night for a hostel and about $10 per day for food. Also, most tourist spots are free one day of the week and sitting at a cafe and watching people is almost free and very interesting. In some plazas, there’s free tango shows - bonus!

The culture in South America is very laid back. The people don’t just pass by and say a quick hello. They actually sit down and enjoy each other’s company for hours on end talking about anything and everything. It’s a kind of conversation art that has been almost lost in America and is mostly reserved for grandma and grandpa out on the front porch when drinking lemonade.

For me, it’s been a very eye-opening and relaxing time. It’s been a pseudo “mini-retirement” for me, a term blogger and author Tim Ferris coined (THANKS TIM!). Basically, his thought discusses how retirement at an old age should be a worse-case scenario. Instead of waiting for retirement to live life, you should take mini-retirements throughout your life. That doesn’t mean you have to move to a foreign country. It only means you should try to enjoy different experiences throughout your life.

Learn the guitar, go hiking, read a new book, take piano lessons, learn to ride a motorcycle, raft the Grand Canyon, eat banana pancakes everyday for a week… heck a month! The point is not the activity. The point is taking time for activities you enjoy.

How many senior citizen greeters have you encountered at Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, etc? While some can’t simply afford to live in complete retirement, I’m willing to bet most of them are completely bored out of their minds sitting at home without a hobby. Because we Americans work so hard… we forget to take time for ourselves. All we know is work, so that’s what we fall back on.

The good news is that no matter how old you are, there is always a hobby you can start to enjoy. Here are some tips to finding a hobby:

1. Make a list of things you enjoy or think you would enjoy.

2. Divide this list into two categories: “Now” and “Later”

- In the “now” category, list the items that you’ve always wanted to do and if you were to die tomorrow, you would regret not doing them. You will focus on this list in the next step.

- In the “later” category, list the items that interest you, but that if you were to die tomorrow, would not bother you as much as the former list. Put this list to the side for now.

3. With the “now” list in front of you, divide it into two categories: “Immediate” and “Needs Planning”

- The “immediate list” will include items that are local, less expensive and may only require minimal effort and time.

Examples include:
- Exercising two days a week by walking, running, biking or swimming. No expensive gym memberships required!

- Finish a book you’ve always wanted to read. Books are usually $10-15 and only require your time and a patio or lemonade if you have them. You can borrow books from your local library for free.

- Learn a musical instrument. You can take lessons from a local musician and chances are they’ll let you borrow an instrument for free or a small fee. If you already have an instrument and you haven’t had time to learn you can find free lessons online (iTunes, YouTube or search for “How to play…”).

The “needs planning” list will include items that require more effort, money, travel, commitment, etc.

Examples:
- Backpacking for a week, two weeks or more than a month. The proper maps, clothing, food, etc. will need to be purchased and planned out.

- Rafting the Grand Canyon. My brother and I were fortunate enough to do this in 2007. It took about a year to plan because there were only certain date available that we could schedule around. It was also a bit pricey. It was definitely worth it though!

- Lean a new language. In most countries, you are required to learn a second language as soon as you start school. Learning a language is a comittment. Not only do you have to learn it, you have to use it… this perfect preparation for your “needs planning” list. How about learning French and taking a romantic trip to Paris! It is amazing there and you only have to learn “un table por deux” (a table for two)… well, that and how they say “frog legs.”

4. Star your top four must-do hobbies from the “now” list and start planning. Remember, only you can make the choice to try a new hobby. Your life… you decide.

5. Enjoy… and let me know what you decide to do!

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller

…turning the corner, one of the most jaw-dropping natural wonders revealed itself and I was in awe. Iguazu Falls, nestled in the northeastern portion of Argentina, is a world-class collection of 275 of the most breathtaking waterfalls one could ever see.

From Dos Hermanas and Salto Pequeno to Garganta de Diablo (The Devil’s Throat), your eyes are treated to a tropical playground where pumas, jaguars, toucans and giant vultures roam free, while your ears are flooded with the sounds of millions of gallons of rushing water plunging and slapping the rocks below. And your body is treated to a fresh coat of welcoming mist, helping to cool you down from the sun above.

It is all at once overwhelming, but in the same sense, calming. Knowing that places like these exist on earth is comforting. Other than a few mud roads and tourist buildings, Iguazu Falls is an untouched jewel.

Here are a few of more photos, along with a slideshow below.

I´m a huge fan of Leo Baubauta, blogger extraordinaire for www.zenhabits.net. I subsribe to his blog and can´t wait for each time a new blog is sitting in my inbox. With my recent endeavor to live a more simple life and take mini-retirements every six months or so, I´ve had to form a few habits for saving money and sticking to my plan.

I found Leo´s latest blog on “How to turn your goals into habits” very useful and thought you might too. Enjoy!

[Reposted from zenhabits.net]

“First we make our habits, then our habits make us.” - Charles C. Noble

It’s such a simple concept, yet it’s something we don’t always do. It’s not exceedingly difficult to do, and yet I think it’s something that would make a world of difference in anyone’s life.

Break your goals into habits, and focus on putting those habits into autopilot.

Last week when I wrote my Ultimate Guide to Motivation, there were a number of questions about my belief that having One Goal to focus on is much more powerful than having many goals. There were questions about my personal goals (such as running a marathon, eliminating debt, and so on) and how I was able to achieve them while working on different projects, and so forth. How can you have one goal that takes a long time, and still work on smaller projects at the same time?

These are excellent questions, and my answer takes a little explaining: I try to turn my goals into habits, and in doing so, I put my goals on autopilot. Turning a goal into a habit means really focusing on it, intensely, for at least a month, to the exclusion of all else. The more you can focus on it, the more it’ll be on autopilot. [Link to full article.]

“A handshake and a sip of wine, So say it loud and let it ring, We are all a part of everything, The future, present and the past, Fly on proud bird, You’re free at last.” [Charlie Daniels: written en route to the funeral for his friend, Ronnie Van Zant of the band, Lynyrd Skynyrd.]

The giant sarcophagi of La Recoleta Cemetery are amazing and astonishing. Some of Buenos Aires’ most famous and wealthy citizens are buried within its walls. Walking down the aisles among these privileged few is almost like watching an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous… only you start to say “I see dead people.”

From Evita, war generals and politicians to the upper echelon of high society businessman (and women), this cemetery is not only the place to be buried, but also the place to be seen.

Lined as if they were part of a downtown parade, the monuments use their life-sized angels, gigantic mosques and architectural genius to wave at the gawking touristas as if to say “look at me, I’m pretty…” but when you look, you can’t help but wonder if their life was as extravagant as their resting place or as important as they have let on to be.

Do the clothes make the man or does the man make the clothes? While this answer can go both ways for anyone person, I hope that my clothes will not be remembered. They will only be the equipment needed to experience life’s adventures.

[Here are a few photos that I really liked. Take a look at the one with me in it and see if you notice anything. I did not stage this photo and did not realize what was in the photo until I got back home... very weird!]

Here is a YouTube video tour of the cemetery. Enjoy!

First thought on Buenos Aires (BA)…   amazing! I’ve wandered the streets, watched the local futbol (or soccer) team beat up on Brazil, attended probably one of the best live band performances I’ve ever seen and helped rally the locals at a laid back demonstration against a few new government policies.

[Here's a quick slide show of local wall art... or graffiti.]

After arriving Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. (16 hours and 7,000 miles) you would think that I’d succumb to a hardcore case of jet lag. However, this was not the case. My curiosity, two new roommates from Denmark and one from Ireland would not allow it.

Walking the streets of BA is amazing. BA is a huge metropolis with a lot of Argentinians sipping on Mate or Cafe con Leche (coffee with milk) or eating a couple medialunas (croissants) during their siesta, a mandatory three-hour break between work hours. It’s a tough life!

It is a vibrant city with an even more vibrant culture… and I’ve been here less than 48 hours. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for me over the next month!

Visiting an international destination is an experience like no other. The different food, culture and people you meet is like no other. Each country, each state and each city have an individualism all their own. For instance, a double “L” in Spanish in Argentina is pronounced like “jo” while in Spain it is “yo.”

These little details are what make traveling so adventurous.

My roommates Bjorka, Karston and Shey are all around my age (2 and have traveled to Venezuela, Belize, Chile and Brazil. The stories they’ve told me are amazing and, of course, are making me want see them for myself, but discover different trails, restaurants, people, etc. and be able to tell my own story.

At the end of my life, I want to have a bag filled to the brim with stories of distance lands, crazy futbol games and eating bugs (gross! but someone has to try it!)

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Lyndsay Lane, my good friend from college.

“Take risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping!” - Author Unknown

Alaska was the LAST place I ever wanted to go. Who would want to go somewhere that is cold all the time? In my naive opinion, mountains were mountains and a glacier was just a giant piece of ice, so what could be so special about it?

A little over a year ago, I decided (on a whim, mind you) to move to Seward, Alaska for the summer and try out seasonal work. The reasons behind this “quarter life crisis” are a whole other story, but nonetheless, in the early part of May 2007, I found myself driving through Canada en route to Alaska. A good friend of mine did the 2,700-mile-drive with me, and I was so glad to have her there just so I could take in the view while she drove.

Growing up in Washington state, I knew what mountains were supposed to look like, or so I thought. Washington has mountains that gradually slope up, Alaska has straight up in-your-face mountains. And when those mountains are covered in snow, and it’s a blue-sky day, it is one of the most amazing sights I have seen in this world.

This is my second summer in Seward. Seward is located on the Kenai Peninsula, about 2.5 hours south of Anchorage. The town is literally at the end of the road and is built around a boat harbor. Cruise ships maneuver through the Kenai Fjords to come into our small town (pop. 3,000ish) a few times a week, and most of the passengers take their time on land to visit one of the many glaciers, or take one of the Kenai Fjords Boat Tours. I work at a lodge that is about a mile out of town. Our address is Mile 0.5 Exit Glacier Road. Yes, house numbers don’t exist outside of town - your address is literally your physical address.

I live six miles from a glacier - I normally ride my bike up the road every once in awhile but after being warned about a nine foot tall brown bear being in the vicinity, I’ve decided to keep my bike going the other direction for awhile. I see wildlife everyday. It’s not unusual to look out the window of our restaurant, or even my cabin, and see a moose walking by. Last year, we had a resident baby black bear - fortunately he never was much trouble - but a friend of mine did say one day she was napping in her cabin with the door open and woke up to the little guy on her doorstep.

The famous northern lights are indescribable. I am mesmerized when I see them. And tonight I walked home from work at 11 p.m. and it was still light out - no need for a flashlight during the summer in AK. It stays light seven minutes longer each night until the solstice, so therefor, blackout shades are a necessity.

The people I work with are almost all seasonal workers going from job to job each summer and winter. They are a different breed, and I am glad to be part of that breed. They have a different outlook on life - money and material things are not what is important, but rather enjoying every moment of life to the fullest. Most of them (including myself) don’t own anything more than what they can fit on their back, or in a car, if they are fortunate enough to have one. Things like car payments, a mortgage or even a credit card payment are a foreign language to them. They work their asses off for four to five months and then take three months off to travel the world and catch up with family.

Then, they are right back into the swing of things at the next job. Getting to know these people, and hearing of all the places they have been and the things they have experienced, makes me so excited to live this life. I can’t wait to plan my next trip. I have people tell me all the time “I am so jealous of your lifestyle - I wish I could just drop everything and go travel.” It drives me crazy hearing this because it’s a simple choice, you just have to be willing to take a chance and live life for yourself and not everyone else.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

Travel, in essence, is one of the most “adventurous” things you can do. Heck, even when I say “travel,” thoughts of foreign lands, foods, people and crazy-cool experiences come to mind.

I’ve been very fortunate to travel and the one thing I’ve learned from my travels is that traveling can become an obsession. Whether you summit Mt. Everest, explore the Amazon Basin or eat homemade Paella in Spain - traveling is an experience in and of itself.

Travel or “The Greatness Beyond” knows my name and it is calling me.

As of next week, I will be living in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a month. What will I discover? Who will I meet? What kind of foods will I taste? I can safely say… I have no idea and I’m loving it.

There are only two items that I must do while I’m there:

1) Learn the Tango
2) Try Mate

Everything else will be unscripted, but rest assured, documented for all to experience with me.

More to come from South America next week.

Ladies and gentleman… I bring you the first guest post from my brother, Dan the Man.

“Type here” - Yes he had to tell me where to type, ok maybe not but damn near. Hello everyone it’s DTM in person I say that sarcastically, but sometimes I swear to hear Gregory talk about me or write about me puts me up on a pedistal. I asked him if I could write alittle for this page of his and he took me up on it so here goes, don’t bother correcting my mistakes not only do I know Im makin them I don’t care so save it. Like I told Gregory you show me how to work a computer and ill show you how to work on your bike.(ok that’s not what I said, but gona do my best to keep this PG)
Few weeks back G (Gregory duh) texts me “need a vacation from life I’m bored and just need to go somewhere , you down?” I couldn’t respond to him quick enough. My response “dude you have no idea get your shit and get out here will figure out the details when you’re here” one day later pickin him up at the airport. Next day traden in all my quads on a bike for him an spent the next few days getn it ready for some mileage. After a few hickups we were on the road Thursday afternoon. Both lookin for some sort of answer to lifes never ending questions.
I don’t know bout him but the only question I answered was weather or not you can ride 650 miles in a day without your ass hurtn.
My questions aren’t unique there the same ones men an women have asked for years. And for some unknown reason besides dr. phil no one seems to have figured it out yet. Or maybe some of you have and are just some stingy bastards! No big deal though cuz I’m pretty sure what works for you won’t work for me or the next person. We are all unique an in turn our problems are. Which leads me to believe our solutions will be as well.
I made an attempt to see my dad on this journey of ours, I haven’t seen him in something like 10 years. Don’t remember last time I wrote him a letter. And he’s been in prison since I was 6. Through the majority of my life he’s been nothing more than a plug for a hole in my life. Every child or person who grows up without either there mother or there father knows what I’m talking bout, unfortunately there are more people out there that know what im talking bout than those who don’t. ah todays society got to love it. My point is I was attempting to possibly find or get answers from someone who besides biologically knows nothing about me and who I besides, my mom telling me I eat French toast like him , basically know little about him. I see this same reaction all around me everyday. If we don’t have the answers we in my opinion look else where for solutions. Rather than diggin deep and either coming up with one or sticken it out and letting the solution come find us we take the easy ways. Which in todays world is a number of things because of all our options. And as luck would have it all the negative options are much easier than the one positive and that is to atleast attempt to find your answers with in yourselves. So long story short it took me 1500 miles to realize if there is an answer to my lifes troubles right now it’s 1500 miles behind me not on the road and not in my dad.
so here I am still no answers, but much closer than I was yesterday, ah progress.
I may have not got answers, but I did gain a life time of experiences that unfortunately most will never attempt. For as long as I’ve had a motorcycle I’ve wanted some one I could connect with to go riding with. And through the most unusual of circumstances I got that now when I need it the most.
I leave you with a thought and a saying I read the other day. “thought” try to find something good in everything you do and everything that happens to you it’s not always easy, but it is possible. “saying”we do not cease to play because we grow old, we grow old because we cease to play. George Bernard Shaw
To “the G man” I can’t tell you what it means to have you by myside thru this chapter of life I can only hope I have as much to offer you and your battles as you do mine. I look forward to the next adventure what ever it may be “sign me up”
One more thought that rings close to me and my life. If you take yourself out of the game before you have the chance to strikeout, fumble the ball, or miss that game winning shot, you’ll never know what would’ve happened. That’s true in every aspect of life, you know what you may fumble, but then again you may not. I got this partially from a movie I just watched , but it’s how I’ve always been in my opinion. I don’t have a problem with losing despite what my fam may tell you. I do however have a problem with not givin life your all. Basically if your not doing something because you’re afraid to fail you’re an F#$%*n idiot in my eyes. The way I see it you failed by never even giving yourself a chance to fail, keep that up and you will end your life a failure in your own eyes. You may fail a million times, but take it from some one who has f#$%^ed up a lot each one has been an experience and I wouldn’t take em back for the world. so if your neked sittin in your bean bag chair eatin cheetos just waitin for some sign here it is. And thru the most unusual of circumstances, a strangers telling you to parden the cliché “just do it” don’t worry about failing. Simply trying makes you a success. “show me a good looser and I’ll show you a looser!”

- DTM

We all have bad days and sometimes those days turn into weeks, months and years too.

Luckily, we all have a little thing called “choice” to help us turn our bad times into good times. Here are a few choices you can make to help get you back on track.

1) Take a step back from life for a few moments every night and think about what brings you happiness and what brings you sadness.

2) Write it all down. Take out a piece of paper and pen, fold the paper in half and write down what brings you happiness on one side and what brings you sadness on the other.

3) Take a deep breath and go through each sad item and ask yourself how you can get rid of or minimize it.

4) Focus on the happy list. These are the items that you should incorporate into your life on a daily basis or as much as possible.

Luckily, happiness comes in all shapes and sizes and even if there aren’t many things in your life worth focusing on, I’m sure you have a few things in mind that you’ve always wanted to do.

5) Leap! It’s time to put your thoughts into action. Pick two or three items that you currently do to make you happy and plan your week around them. Now the fun part. Take two items from your list of potential happy items and plan how you can incorporate them into your next two weeks.

Of course, as my sister Officer Terri Beernink says… While the choice maybe yours the decision to make it happen is yours too.

Meaning, if you make a choice to be happy, but don’t take the actions to be happier, then you might as well not make a list.

Remember… happy thoughts are another key to happiness.

Happiness is not acquired through one action. While one event might bring a moment of happiness, I think we can all agree that complete happiness is a symphony of precious moments spread out through time.

Looking back on the last few years, the one consistent event that has brought a lot of happiness to my life is exercise.

As some of you may know, I trained for and finished the 2007 Chicago Marathon in 5:20:06. I had trained for a four hour marathon, but the temperature hit record highs that day and in turn had taken a toll on my body. None-the-less, finishing my first marathon was one of my most proudest moments.

[Check out my running Web site at www.finish-first-marathon.com for tips and tricks on finishing your first marathon.]

The reasoning was simple. It was a race against myself and I won. Meaning, I was the only person accountable for waking myself up at the crack of dawn to pound out my miles. It was mentally and physically challenging, but finishing made me realize the amount of mental and physical fortitude I can muster up when I commit to a goal.

Accomplishing this goal brought me more happiness than any mid-summer’s day strawberry margarita could ever bring.

With that said, my next experience experiment will be creating an exercise program (cardio and weight training). And of course, what’s a plan without a few goals? By accomplishing these goals, I will contribute to my happiness.

I will roll out my exercise program later this week.

In the mean time, check out my cousin and his quest for bodybuilding success at www.toddjewell.com.

Also, if a certain exercise or meal / nutritional plan as worked for you, feel free to write a comment about it below. I need all the help I can get for planning purposes!