This is part of our ongoing series called “Of course you can do it!”
No matter what your lifestyle goal, it probably doesn’t include being overweight or out of shape. This is a struggle very near and dear to me, and I was amazed and inspired on my last visit to mom’s to see how great she looked after a 60-pound weight loss. Mom has struggled with her weight all her adult life, and she …

It’s not if you get sick, but when. Most people have a sad story about a trip that got derailed by a bug, an injury, or food poisoning. When you travel for months or years at a time, though, the risk goes up. Being constantly exposed to new environments, foods, and customs also means exposure to food-borne illnesses, diseases, and sometimes lower standards of medical care.
We visited the University of Washington Travel Clinic to talk …

Oh my god. Did I just say the word “itinerary?” It sounds so…planned. And that’s not really the way I want this to go, at least not like people generally think of planning a trip.
Watch as Warren and I discuss the first stop on our trip and why we chose to begin in Ecuador.

What do you think we should see and do in Ecuador?

If I were talented enough to make a slick video about creating a life you love, this is what it would look like.  Since I’m not, I’m handing over the blog today to my  new Twitter friend @boxofcrayons (also known as Michael Bungay Stanier).  Enjoy!

Thanks to Chris Brogan for the discovery.

I have a confession to make:  I have a love/hate relationship with resolutions and the new year.  Most people I know (including me) come up with the same resolutions every year – lose weight, save more money, exercise – but we fall off the wagon before turning the page on January.  Why does this happen?  I think it has to do with not having a plan.
This year Warren and I were inspired by Chris Guillebeau …

You are not going to believe this, but I’m signed up to do a half-marathon next year.  (Did I mention that I haven’t run since grade school?)  You see, I’m getting fired up to do all kinds of things now that we are less than 1 year from our departure date.  I’m not sure why, but time seems more precious now and I want to make the most of it.
Check out the video I made …

Today I’m coming to you from my office closet with a confession about a purchase that was unwise, inappropriate, and way too expensive.  You’ve probably done the same thing, too.
The point is to start thinking of those types of purchases, why you made them, and how you can exercise a little self-control in the future.  After all, what you are saving for is more important than any purchase you make now in a moment of …

This is the first in a series called How We Saved Enough Money to Change Our Lives and How You Can, Too. Click here to get all the posts delivered directly to your email inbox or feed reader.  You’ll want the inside scoop on how we saved $75,000 for the adventure of a lifetime!
How much money do you think it takes for two people to travel around the world?  Actually, let’s take it a step …

If you like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite Valley, you can’t miss Black Canyon National Park in Western Colorado.
Black Canyon is so deep that the Gunnison River loses more elevation in 48 miles than the Mississippi River does from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The river drops an average of 96 feet per mile, and up to 480 feet in one 2-mile stretch.  At the the highest elevation (Warner Point), the gorge is 2,772 …

Have you been to a national park lately?  Sometimes we overlook these vacation destinations as we head toward locations with better advertising budgets, like Las Vegas, the beach, or a cruise.
We’ve just spent a few days in Colorado and took some time to tour 2 different national parks (stay tuned for detailed posts with pictures).  Both were breathtaking in different ways, and we could enjoy them as either drives, hikes, or a combination of the …

I have wanted to write a novel since I was 8 years old.  Quick math tells me that was 30 years ago.  In the last 30 years, guess how many novels I have written?
If you guessed zero, you would be right.  If you guessed higher than that, I thank you for your optimism about my work ethic and hate to disappoint you.
Ever since we decided to redesign our lives and take this trip around the …

Q: Where can you see whales, deer, farm animals, and a camel within minutes of each other?
A: San Juan Island, off the coast of Washington and just a stone’s throw from British Columbia
We spent 3 days in this isolated paradise and didn’t want to come back.  I can see why the owner of our cabin leaves out real estate guides for guests – you cannot visit without wanting to move here.
San Juan Island History
San Juan …

Do you start dreading going back to work the minute you leave on vacation?  Does the thought of all those emails and tasks piling up prevent you from enjoying your time off?
Most people do struggle with this, and many seek to resolve it by keeping up with email and work while on vacation.  Hey, whatever works for you (but it doesn’t sound like much of a vacation).
We just got back from 72 hours of disconnected …

Since we’re starting our worldwide adventure in South America, it makes sense to learn a little bit of Spanish. If you look at our Wish List, you’ll see that it is also one of our goals.

Up until now, we’ve been investigating free and low-cost options, like Meetup groups, language podcasts, and practice sessions with native speakers. Our goal was to use Rosetta Stone, and we’ve been trying to figure out when we should buy it (now and have a lot of time to practice, perhaps incorrectly vs. later where we can practice with locals). The price is about $500 for 3 levels of one language.

Enter TechCrunch. They wrote a blog post about Rosetta Stone’s TOTALe interactive language learning solution, which is Rosetta Stone on steroids. In addition to the highly rated learning program, there is an online class where students can practice their pronunciation with the teacher and other students. This solves our problem! But then there’s the cost – $1200 (currently $999 as an introductory special). A bit steep for a program we aren’t sure will work for us, but also not outside the ballpark if we compare it to language school.

Today’s video post is courtesy of my friend Leslie (and because my new Flip camera has not arrived yet). The thing I love about this video is that they broke all the “rules” about what a wedding should be and celebrated in a way that made sense to them and their loved ones.
Isn’t that what life is all about? Remember, the only rules you have in creating your life are the ones you …

 
Our readers have not let me down! You heard my call for help and sent in some great suggestions for sticking with an exercise program, which I put together in a video post. We’ll check back on this topic every 4-6 weeks to track progress and provide further readers updates.
Got a suggestion to help me and our readers get in shape? Let us know in the comments.
PS: I’ll tell you on Monday why this video …

Today is the first in a series of video chats on subjects ranging from clutter to bucket lists to eating more veggies. You know, all the things that make up the good life.
I’m trying to mix it up a little and provide more variety for you to get the information, and I’d also like to inject more personality in the process. It is harder to convey some things with the written word.

Can you do me …