Flirting With Travel Podcast

Hang out with Misty and Lexee as they unravel the tales of a carefree lifestyle filled with travel adventures and reckless spending. In this podcast, they candidly share the highs and lows of living life to the fullest, exploring exotic destinations, and embracing the thrill of spontaneity. However, the duo also delves into the inevitable reality check when the financial puzzle pieces don't quite fit. Join them as they navigate the challenges of balancing wanderlust with financial responsibility, offering insights into how they learned to make their favorite year as adults repeatable. Discover practical tips, personal anecdotes, and a dash of humor as Misty and Lexee share their journey towards achieving a harmonious blend of excitement and financial stability. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or someone dreaming of carefree adventures, this podcast is your guide to reliving your favorite moments while keeping your finances in check. Tune in and learn how to make every year as unforgettable as the last.

Join us in this podcast as we reflect on our whirlwind 2023 adventures and share Lexee's valiant quest to conquer the 7 World Wonders in a single year. Dive into the triumphs, challenges, and unexpected tales from Lexee's ambitious globetrotting pursuit. Discover Misty's strategic game plan for the upcoming year as she unveils her goals to visit 15 countries while juggling a full-time office job. Tune in to explore Misty's ingenious strategies for balancing work demands with an insatiable wanderlust, shedding light on the tips and tricks that make travel dreams a reality even within a structured work routine. From globe-trotting challenges to ingenious travel hacks, this episode is filled with stories, insights, and aspirations for the future that will inspire your own travel pursuits. Tune in and get ready for an inspiring and informative journey through the world of travel aspirations and adventures!

In today’s episode, we cover a variety of topics from the Tokyo Olympics, to brand loyalty, to mental health and travel. We discuss the current state of the Tokyo Olympics, why the Delta variant of COVID 19 is making the situation so much more unpredictable, and reflect on how all this upheaval is affecting travelers and athletes. Next, we dive into brand loyalty and unpack the cognitive dissonance inherent in supporting a company like Amazon when it is so convenient and effective but has an ethos that contradicts your principles. We unpack how companies are becoming increasingly skilled at harvesting our data through seemingly innocuous activities like quizzes and games. Later, our hosts share some of their tips for how to manage your currency when abroad and why it’s always good to have American cash on your person. In our final segment, we investigate mental health and challenge some of the assumptions about happiness and travel. We also investigate the merits of minimalism, the KonMari method, and why it might take multiple tries for your newfound habits to stick. For all this and much more, tune in today! Key Points From This Episode: The Tokyo Olympics and how the Delta variant of COVID 19 has been affecting it. The median age of Olympic participants. Naomi Osaka’s extraordinary performance as a tennis player and why she is representing Japan at the Olympics. How Japanese culture differs from American culture. The culture of fandom in sports and how they support the industry. Why our hosts don’t have much loyalty to any brand. The benefits of an Amazon credit card and its ethos as a company. How Amazon uses quizzes and games to collect data. The virtues of minimalism and why we should all be consuming less. Why it’s good to travel with American dollars when going abroad. Hear about our hosts' least favorite airports. How to save money while traveling and which currency you should be using. How changing your surroundings and traveling can give you a renewed perspective on life. Why traveling does not equate to happiness. Mental health and the importance of forgiveness, both of yourself and others. How minimalism and the Marie Kondo method can help you reevaluate your life.

Non-Rev is a form of travel where you fly standby, only paying taxes or flying for free. Today’s episode is jam-packed with all you need to know to successfully travel Non-Rev, both domestically and internationally, with the golden rule in mind: always have plans A through F already figured out. We discuss the best time to travel and the benefit of having a few different routes planned out, before dispelling the rumor that Non-Rev is 100 percent free. Next, we share two useful digital tools for flying Non-Rev, and tell you why we are team carry-on, as well as why a roll-aboard suitcase might actually be a superior choice to a backpack. The better you get at planning, the more spontaneous you can actually be. We discuss why this is true, why the gate agents are your friends, and why you should be kind to them! We hope you join us today. Key Points From This Episode: What Non-Rev travel entails: paying only the taxes, or traveling for free, and flying standby. The number one mental rule of flying Non-Rev: have plans A through F already figured out. Why it’s much harder to Non-Rev domestically than internationally. Why you should travel off-peak on a Sunday or Monday, and come back on a Saturday. The benefit of having a few different routes planned out. Santorini versus Athens as holiday destinations. We dispel the rumor that Non-Rev is 100 percent free; you pay for taxes on a different airline. Two useful tools for flying Non-Rev: Load Share Facebook Group and the StaffTraveler App. Why you shouldn’t check your bags. Traveling with a backpack versus a roll-aboard suitcase. Why the better you get at planning, the more spontaneous you can be. Why you really shouldn’t check a bag. Why you should be kind to the gate agents (and bring them candy)!

Even if you can’t afford to upgrade to business class, there are still many ways that you can improve your traveling experience. If you’re interested in some hacks that will help you fly with ease, you’ve come to the right place! Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about your fellow passengers traveling habits (although Misty does share a story about a family being removed from a flight due to other passengers' requests), or the attitude of the flight attendants (which seem to differ depending on which class you are flying), but if you are well prepared you can arrive at your vacation destination relatively refreshed. From airport yoga to bathroom slippers to the size of your backpack, Lexee and Misty have expert travel tips that they have developed over years of experience which will make travelling fun for you, and prevent you from being the kind of traveler that other people can’t stand! Key Points From This Episode: A story about a family who Misty saw getting kicked off a flight. Misty and Lexee’s opinion on removing people from a plane because of body odor. Frustrations that Misty has with fellow travelers when boarding a plane. Lexee’s process for making her entry into the plane as seamless as possible. Etiquette around crawling over people to get to the bathroom. An analysis of window versus aisle seats. Why Lexee will keep wearing a mask on flights even when restrictions are lifted. Benefits of flying economy plus. Differences between flight attendants in economy class and business class. Why Misty always brings slippers with her on long haul economy flights. Other things that are essential when flying economy class. How Lexee and Misty prepare for the descent. The importance of making sure you have everything ready for the customs lines. Lexee’s strategy for getting extra items onto the plane. Why Lexee doesn’t use AirPods on planes, and what she uses instead. Benefits of doing airport yoga. The hygiene levels in economy class bathrooms compared to business class bathrooms. Tips for creating a clean aesthetic.

You may have a beauty regimen that works for you when you’re at home living your normal life, but have you thought about how to adjust that for when you are traveling? If you haven’t, Lexee and Misty have got you covered. In today’s episode you’ll get a full rundown of the numerous approaches these vibrant sisters use to beautify themselves. From lip blushing, to microbladed brows, to Dermapen treatments, Misty and Lexee have tried it all, and they candidly share their thoughts and opinions, as well as some stories which will make you shudder (including an experience so painful it put Misty to sleep, and a DIY lockdown project which didn’t work out as planned!). Different vacation destinations require different beauty methods, but no matter where you are going Lexee and Misty have tips which will make your experience as smooth as possible. Key Points From This Episode: What lip blushing is. How Lexee and Misty have dealt with the after effects of having their lips blushed. Color that Misty and Lexee are hoping their lips will be when the lip blushing process is complete. Lexee and Misty’s opinion on powdered brows. Benefits of using coconut oil on microbladed brows. A natural mouthwash that Misty and Lexee have tried, and their opinion on it. Different vacations call for different beauty regimens. Contouring; Misty and Lexee’s differing thoughts on the topic. Misty and Lexee’s favorite foundations. Lexee’s experience in Thailand when she forgot she had had her lashes done. How Misty’s skin reacted the first and second times she had a Dermapen treatment. The treatments which Lexee and Misty find the most painful. Misty explains what extractions are, and shares the advice she was given to prevent having to go for these procedures. Benefits of doing a weekly mask. Why you should get your lips and eyebrows done two months before you travel. Mascara that Misty and Lexee avoid. A bad experience Misty had with lashes, and how she fixed the problem. How Lexee and Misty look after their hair. The downsides of bleach. DIY beauty projects that Misty and Lexee tried during lockdown. Tips for minimizing the size of your traveling toiletry bag.

When you think about it, every trip begins the moment you start packing your suitcase at home. It makes sense then that having a well-organized home and wardrobe will help you minimize bulk and maximize comfort and style when you travel, which is why today’s conversation is all about Marie Kondo-ing your life, plus some of our no-fuss packing philosophies! Misty and Lexee discuss the challenges (and expenses) of living abroad and deciding whether or not to ship your belongings home when you leave, and the benefits of distilling your experience in that country down to ‘knick knacks’. Tuning in, you’ll learn about the benefits of building a capsule wardrobe and investing in compression packing cubes, and Lexee shares today’s travel tip, which is about curating a simple color palette when you travel. Find out how open storage helps Misty keep her shopping habits in check, why you should choose quality over quantity, and how COVID has changed our perspectives on our possessions, as well as why we are going to avoid shopping specifically for our vacations in future and only surround ourselves with things that level up our lives, not weigh us down. Join us for all this and more in today’s episode of Flirting With Travel! Key Points From This Episode: Lexee shares her experience of shipping her belongings to the US from Japan in 2013. Find out what Misty plans to bring back with her from Kuwait. The value of keeping only knick knacks; things that remind you of your time in the country. Selling old clothes on a platform like Poshmark versus donating them to a worthy cause. Learning to love what you wear by creating a capsule wardrobe. Misty and Lexee discuss Project 333, the minimalist fashion challenge from Courtney Carver. Using Marie Kondo’s “spark joy” method to decide which items suit your ideal lifestyle. How decluttering her wardrobe impacted the way Misty shops. The benefits of paring down the color palette in your wardrobe and having fun with hair, makeup, and accessories instead. Misty highlights the importance of easy roll-up, easy-iron clothing pieces for backpacking. Why we suggest that you invest in sleek carry-on luggage and compression packing cubes. Creating a color palette when you travel with one base color, one accent color, and a pattern. Accessories are key; jewelry in warm weather and scarves and jackets in cooler weather. How open-faced storage can help you keep consumerism in check. Hear a bit of background on Marie Kondo’s decluttering method. Choosing quality over quantity; only buy what suits your needs, even if it costs more. How COVID has changed our perspectives on our home environments and wardrobes. How what we have learned while stuck at home will translate to how we pack for vacations. Why we are going to avoid buying all-new wardrobes for our vacations in future. Tips to prevent swelling when traveling by air: stay hydrated, get out of your seat and walk. Find out why SUAVS are the perfect air travel shoe. The value of surrounding yourself with things that level up your life, not weigh you down.

Food can often be a challenge when you are traveling. If you have a restrictive diet, or even allergies, immersing yourself in local cuisine can prove to be difficult. However, if you are lucky enough to be allergy-free and you have an open palate and mind, food is one of the best ways to connect with people and culture in a foreign place. In today's episode, Lexee and Misty reflect on some of their food-related travel memories. We hear about what it would be like traveling while on a keto diet, and Lexee makes the case for letting restrictions go while on a trip. Imagine going to Italy and not eating any pizza or pasta? Lexee and Misty also talk about some of the best countries for vegetarians to visit, and unpack whether you can call yourself a foodie if you are vegetarian. Because so many cultures use meat or seafood in their meals, you would be missing out on a very particular set of experiences if you did not eat these dishes. We also hear about what food is like in Kuwait and how big chains compare to their American counterparts, Misty's battles with the bland food in Japan, and what local alcohol in different countries is like. Be sure to tune in to hear more! Key Points From This Episode: • Lexee and Misty's coffee habits and what happens when they overdo it. • What nutritional yeast is, and why so many vegans use it in their cooking. • Whether it is possible to keep up with a keto diet while you are traveling. • The difficulties that come with having a restrictive diet when you are traveling. • Misty's experience in Ghana, where there was crayfish powder in the common sauce. • The reason Lexee thinks she felt so bad when she was traveling in Cuba. • Why Lexee does not think that you can be a vegetarian travel foodie. • Some of the most vegetarian-friendly countries, including India, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka. • Where in the world is good for keto: Northern Europe and North Africa. • Hear about Lexee and Misty's milk preferences. • Lexee's decision to boycott some businesses and support smaller ones instead. • Aside from a handful of chains, there are mostly mom-and-pop restaurants in Kuwait. • How McDonald's and Burger King in Kuwait compare to their American counterparts. • Your palate can change over time and you can get used to new flavors. • Misty's food struggles in Japan, where Lexee lived and grew to love the flavors. • Reflecting on Misty's jam-packed visit to Japan. • Why Lexee was underwhelmed by the food in the Bahamas. • Lexee's allergies, which have gotten worse with age. • Take medicine along on your travels if you have food allergies. • You should try the local alcohol at least once but you don't have to have it every time. • The difficulties of traveling with someone who has a limited palate.

We are finally tackling a topic that's been a long time coming: vaccines and travel. In today’s episode, Misty and Lexee share how they feel about vaccines. While Lexee has already gotten hers, Misty is still cautious about getting her jab because she believes they were developed a bit too quickly. Nonetheless, the sisters realize that having a vaccine will likely mean that they can travel again soon, given that some countries are opening up only to vaccinated travelers. We hear about vaccine passports, some of the ones that are currently being used, and potential challenges that come with having to be responsible for a whole other document. The pandemic has also really brought to light how difficult it is for some people to travel, even when borders are not closed and travel is unrestricted. Misty and Lexee reflect on their privilege and the shock they felt at having their movements restricted. Wrapping up the conversation, Lexee shares details on the birthday trip she has planned for Iceland this year. Tune in to hear it all! Key Points From This Episode: Misty’s take on vaccines; she’s not an anti-vaxxer, but she is a cautious-vaxxer. Why Lexee decided to get the vaccine; she didn’t have much of a choice. The two main reasons that Misty is going to get her vaccine. Some of the vaccine passports that are currently available. The frustration Misty and Lexee feel at potentially having to get the COVID vaccine every six months. Benefits of having a digital vaccine passport with all of your vaccines in one place. Iceland’s policy for allowing travelers who have been vaccinated. How travel insurance has responded to COVID and whether they would pay for a quarantine hotel. The benefits of having dual citizenship, especially when things can change so quickly. What the pandemic highlighted about citizenship privilege. Why crypto is so popular and why governments are so afraid of it. What Lexee wants to do in Iceland for her birthday this year. Lexee and Misty’s experiences in Cuba and Puerto Rico that left them a bit scarred. Thai massages are more painful than they seem.

Today on the show Lexee sits down with Misty to share her experiences of two weekend getaways to California, one to Carmel and another to Temecula. Lexee was in Temecula last weekend, whereas her Carmel trip was in mid-March. Our two hosts start their discussion off on weather preferences, and Lexee wishes she had done her trips in the other order because it was freezing in Carmel. Of course, due to COVID restrictions, indoor dining was prohibited in Carmel, and we hear Lexee’s laments about her icy outdoor dining experience there. She gets into her communications (or lack thereof) with her mother, and then dives right into the different wine tasting experiences on offer at the two destinations. Carmel takes the prize for more exciting food and more convenient wine tasting, whereas in Temecula you have to go all the way to the wineries. After sharing her time driving down Big Sur alone and imaginings of van life there, we get a blow-by-blow account of the Temecula weekend. Expect to hear about old town tours, hikes and rattlesnakes, and a hot air balloon pilot who didn’t exactly make his passengers feel safe! We wrap up with Lexee’s wine tasting tour in Temecula and an unusual meal consisting purely of a bar of crushed chocolate. So tune in and take a ride with us on Flirting With Travel today! Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Misty Lexee La Bicyclette Temecula Creek Inn The Tradewinds Carmel