I was interviewed about my experience as the on-camera host of a new video series and ebook (coming out soon) called, Travel the Local Way. In my segments, I show the viewers around Los Angeles from my local perspective. We shot at El Matador Beach, hiking with The Tree People, shopping in WeHo, dining in downtown, and so much more. It was a blast to shoot!

And in this radio show I’m interviewed by the producer of the series, Amanda Rogers. The videos themselves will be available later this year.

I visited the country last summer in one of the more accessible ways to travel to Tunisia. I stayed in the tourist enclaves of Sousse and Monastir (Watch Video Here) filled with tourist beaches, resorts and restaurants.

Getting restless after a few days of sand and sun, I took a daytrip with my friends to a neighboring town. We drove for an hour along the coast and arrived in MaHdia — a small village on the water.

We took to the narrow streets, weaving our way through the town.

The residential neighborhoods resembled alleyways with very plain, cement facades and little decorative detail.

That is except for the occasional residential door decorated with flair.

Taking us by surprise, we encountered the local convenience store built into a small cavern along one of the street walls.

No more than 100 feet away a local artisan shop where silk scarves and clothes are made was open for business.

We turned a corner and saw the rich royal blue of the Mediterranean peak through the homes.

Some local boys were bathing in the water. Fishing boats were tied up along the rocks.

We wrapped around the end of town and saw the cemetery and a mausoleum.

Then we headed back to the center of town to find the mosque bustling with people after evening prayer.

Related Links:

Fishing in Tunisia Part 1 (VIDEO)

Fishing in Tunisia Part 2 (VIDEO)

Touristic Tunisia (VIDEO)

Here are some observations and tales of my own and of my girlfriends, country by country.

Argentina…

I was once on a date with an Argentine guy. We went to a bar where we ran into some friends. When the tab came, there was a bit of a mix-up. And my date ended up paying for more than just the two of us. Later that week I asked him, how much he paid that night.

And he responsed by saying, “Don’t ever ask a man about money.”

His comment was so absurd and surprising to me, my immediate reaction was to laugh out loud. And I explained that in my country we are not so sexist about money. And to his credit, a few hours later he told me how much he paid.

Japan…

A friend of mine lived in Japan for three years, teaching English. While there, she had a local boyfriend. And she discovered that an integral part of Japanese culture made it hard for her to have a real relationship with the guy.

Generally speaking, in younger crowds in Japan, if another person states anything of opinion you are obliged to respond positively. It is seen as a common courtesy. Specifically, you are to respond with an “ehhhhh”. Which is sort of like our “ohhhh.”

But for my friend having to respond positively to everything he said, whether she agreed with him or not, felt disingenuous.

She said that dating was most like, “Ehhhhh. Ok, when are we going to make-out?”

France…

In Paris, the rules of dating are just plain different than in the US. First of all, the word, “date,” doesn’t exist in French – at least not in the sense that Americans mean it.

Generally speaking, in France if you make it to the one-on-one date you are already an exclusive item! Often times, people meet through friends and get to know each other in group-settings. But if a girl says yes to dinner alone – you are also saying that you want him as your boyfriend.

For a country with a reputation of promiscuity this came as quite the surprise! Oh and, multiple dates with different guys in one week is a no-no.

Mexico…

Most girlfriends of mine who have dated guys from Mexico find them to have a sweet vulnerability unlike men from other places. But they tend to jump in, head-first, getting serious rather quickly. And they often want to be part of every little corner of your life. One girlfriend of mine used to refer to her guy as a stage-5-clinger! Harsh, I know.

Italy…

Oh the Italians! I am not sure there is ANY other nationality that knows how to make a girl feel swooned after. They fall in LOVE LOVE LOVE so quickly! And they are so good at saying all those things a girl wants to hear.

But before you finish that eye-roll, they are not always all-talk. Many really do worship their women. Maybe it’s something to do with how close the mother-son relationship is for many Italians.

What about you? Have you dated someone from another culture? What cultural differences did you encounter?

Please note, I am not trying to stereotype or generalize about all people of these nationalities – although I am sure it may have seemed that way. I mean this in good humor. All the views above are based on my narrow experience and those of my friends. So, please! Tell me about yours.

The dirty little secret sites like Orbitz, Travelocity, and Kayak don’t want you to know is that they are not the most inexpensive way to book travel. Nor is it through airlines or straight from hotels. It is through real, live travel agents.

I know, you are thinking, “What? Are we back in the 90’s?”

But I assure you this has been a piece of common knowledge in travel industry circles for quite some time. It is just that the general public, especially younger travelers, have not gotten the message.

Here are some benefits.

Travel agents cannot only get you better deals they can also provide you with a personalized experience. Their services circumvent the hours of your own online research. They have on-the-ground knowledge that can make your trip go more smoothly than if you pieced together an itinerary yourself. And free perks from champagne to spa treatments can be included in your packages.

I always say, the best asset you have in travel is a local friend. But often we don’t have a local contact and a travel agent is the next best bet. Plus they do all the work for us.

Ok, now I’ve sold you on the merits of travel agents. The problem is, we have been so trained to do everything ourselves, who knows where to even find one?

Here are places to start looking for an agent:

• Tripology.com is an online portal that connects you to travel agents based on search criteria.

• Virtuoso.com is similar to Tripology but more high-end.

• Astra.org is the American Society of Travel Agents. It is a no frills website. But you can use their search function to find member agents who must align with their best practices guidelines. That gives us, the travelers, some peace of mind.

So here is my suggestion. Next time you want to book a trip, get quotes from a few travel agents. And see if your online booking options are any higher or lower than what the travel agent procures for you.

You never know! You might find some real savings and irresistible perks.

Here are some examples:

 Are you a music lover?

If your favorite band is playing in Amsterdam, Sardinia, or Buenos Aires, that’s the time to plan a trip. You’ll be rocking out with locals in a positive atmosphere where you’ll likely find it easy to make friends.

Are you a Comedy seeker?

Try the Greenwich Comedy Festival in London this July. Or how about the Sydney Comedy Festival that starts this April?

Sportsman?

Run a marathon through Tokyo. Go skiing at the Chama Ski Festival in Chile. Or scale a mountain at the International Rock Climbing festival in Guamka, Russia.

Foodie?

Food fests are big everywhere! How about the Macau Food Fair, the Sagra Food Festival in Tuscany or The Ice Cream festival of Tulyehualco, Mexico?

Dancer?

There are great dance festivals worldwide. For example, if you are interested in salsa dancing, look up salsa congress’s like the one in Rome in November. You won’t just be passing Romans on the street, you’ll be dancing with them cheek to cheek. And that’s not all, just google the type of dance you’d like to do, the word “festival” and your destinations of choice.

The options are limitless. And there is so much more fun to be had than simply sitting on a beach. So, find an event that piques your interest and plan your next trip around it.

Lately, I have been watching Super Soul Sunday, Oprah’s show on OWN. I find it to be outstanding and inspiring beyond any expectations I have for television these days. Her guests from Eckhart Tolle and Deepak Chopra to Gabrielle Bernstein and Eli Wiesel expand my mind in every episode.

A few weeks ago, there was something said that keeps popping up into my head. Oprah asked Jean Houston, ‘what is your definition of the soul?’ Her answer, “the lure of our becoming.”

As soon as I heard that I said to myself, “that is the definition of travel to me. I travel for the lure of becoming the best, most true version of myself.”

Let me explain. I believe the soul is our true self, hidden within – gauzed by our thoughts and emotions and relationships with the world around us. And sometimes we are able to consciously connect with that true self.

For some, it may simply happen when we feel a nagging sense of intuition that something is not right or needs to be changed. Or what about those private moments when we ponder secret dreams of ours that we haven’t shared with anyone else?

It is very important to pay attention to those moments because, as many spiritual thinkers have expressed, it is aligning one’s life with the soul’s purpose that will bring true contentment. I’m sure you’ve heard people describe something as ‘what they where born to do’.

But man, it can be hard to figure out what our soul’s purpose actually is. Not all of us are lucky enough to know. And some of us find it much later in life. Many never find it at all. Do you know what your soul’s purpose is?

I recently discovered mine. (It is really exciting to actually type that out!)

I have not chosen travel media as a career because I simply want to have a fun time, live the travel dream, or live selfishly. No. Travel has taught me that it is a great teacher. And it has showed me that my soul’s purpose is to help others see that – to help others reach their soul’s purpose by tapping into the well of knowledge that is travel.

Actively seeking your soul’s purpose takes courage and it takes openness. But most of all, it takes action. Because if it doesn’t pop up naturally for you, you can look for it. Some people search through meditation, prayer, yoga, art, dance or playing music.

But often times that state of being or the lessons learned while engaging in those activities don’t stick once we are faced with the world around us. Our interactions with moms and dads, and bosses; having to pay the bills; having to raise the children; having to fit in to society and live up to expectations; those can all be distractions from your inner knowing.

In order to make a breakthrough, a shift is necessary. A shake. A jolt. And that is so easy to find when you travel. It is connecting with other human beings in another part of the world – person to person and soul to soul – that shakes us to the core and allows us to glimpse the infinite nature of our world and the limitless possibilities that are there for us.

Travel is my prayer, my meditation. It is the shedding of what is on the outside to see what is within. What makes travel so exciting is that it provides freedom and space to see with bigger and clearer eyes.

So if you haven’t uncovered your soul’s purpose, travel is a way to accelerate the search. It is the lure and the bridge that can enable you to become your true self.

I have developed alternative ways to learn a language that I find more dynamic. First of all, I believe that to learn any skill the first step is to value the skill by finding relevancy for it in your life. The next step is owning your learning process, taking it into your own motivated and creative hands.

In this article, I’ll share with you the creative methods that served me well in becoming fluent in 3 languages – Spanish, French and Italian

You need to know that just going to classes and doing your homework is not enough to get you conversational in the real world. The key is finding fun ways to engage with the language and making it a necessity for you to use it. And if you implement the following tips, you will find you’ll pick up a new language faster and with less actual work.

1. The Basics

At first, however, you’ll have to take some time to learn the absolute basics. Take it upon yourself to memorize the common words and phrases from “hello”, “my name is”, “nice to meet you”, “thank you”, “you are welcome”, “goodbye”, “excuse me” and “I only speak a little x-language.”  Learning these and other basic phrases will get you excited to learn more.

Start practicing your newfound phrases as much as possible. Be that annoying guy/girl at the office who says, Gutten Morgan (good morning in German) when you get to work. Or do whatever you can to insert these phrases into your daily life. The point is to just start using what you learn.

Also, it is important, when you are starting out, to get an overview of the language because every language has a blue print that it follows. So learn the structure of sentences by getting acquainted with the subject, verb, and adjective order. Learn the sounds of the alphabet. Find out if it is a tonal language. Know the way the language shows tense and deals with conjugation. And have a loose understanding of the way it uses masculine/feminine and singular/plural. You don’t have to memorize this information but it helps to familiarize yourself with it so you know what you are working toward.

2. The Relevant

Once you learn the absolute basics, focus on arbitrarily memorizing how to say things that are relevant to your life. Like if I were learning Italian, I’d memorize: “Sono una giornalista di viaggio.” That means, “I am a travel journalist.” And I’d know how to say, “habito a New York,” meaning I live in New York.

So, be able to say what you do for a living, where you live, if you are married and/or have siblings or kids, and what your hobbies are. These phrases are more likely to stick in your head because they mean something personal to you.

Once you have those preliminary phrases down, continue to build your vocabulary around subjects you find interesting and would naturally want to talk about or naturally need to talk about. Don’t get caught up on lots of grammar until you build a foundation in vocabulary about things you care about. Once you do that, then you’ll want to focus on refining your grammar.

3. The Obvious

My next tip is an obvious one, but it is also the most important. And that is, create frequent opportunities to interact with native speakers of the language you want to learn. Whether you can take an extended trip to another country, find people in your community to exchange with or even find a Skype buddy – make it happen because there is no replacement. This is what will take your language learning to the next level.

Of course, traveling is the best environment to learn a new language, as you’ll be forced to use it for survival.  If you choose travel, be sure to do steps 1 and 2 before you go. And if possible, take a language class while you are traveling.  Also, remember to find ways to interact with native speakers without fellow Americans present, so you are really forced to sink or swim. It’s the only way to go. Also, taking a trip to work on the ground with volunteer organizations can help you get in with a local community and up your chances to have meaningful interactions.

As for non-traveling language learners, look online for language exchange opportunities by searching any combination of the following terms “language exchange,” “Skype,” and “meet-up group”.  And put your city name in the search for organizations near you. You should most likely find someone to barter with where you spend some of your time interacting in the language you want to learn and some in English. Both experiences will help you learn your desired language.

And remember, acquiring a new language is a wonderful thing – don’t be ashamed of your beginner status. The more you let yourself freely gab, the sooner it will be natural. So, in your exchanges with other language learners, cultivate a supportive environment where you feel comfortable. And even if you are speaking with native speakers who are not learning, they will appreciate your interest in their culture. So, do not worry about sounding like a novice. You will find, most often, they will want to help you.

4. Music

Use songs in your desired language as learning tools. Start with one song you love. Go online and find the lyrics to that song. Then translate it line by line. Maybe start with an easy one with few words. And you can always use google translation or other online translation services to help you.

Once you know what the song is saying, learn it word for word. Listen to the song every day. Sing along or better, sing it on your own. And every phrase in the song will soon be part of your vocabulary.

Listening and memorizing songs is not the only way you can use music to help you learn a language. Try writing your own simple song in the language you are learning. I remember when I was studying Spanish, I made up a silly song to remember words and grammar for a test.

It started off “Yo quiero ir a la playa con me perro. Pero you no tengo un coche. Pero si tenia un coche….”

That is, “I want to go to the beach with my dog. But I can’t because I don’t have a car. But if I had a car…”  I know that sounds super, super nerdy. But it stuck, and that’s the point, isn’t it?

5. Slang

Learn slang. Try to get a grasp for what scenarios these slang words or phrases are used in, where they came from and what type of people generally use them. To learn slang, you’ll hopefully do that by interacting with a live human being. Plus, you will most likely remember it easier than an average word because its exciting insider information. And lets face it, slang is practical.

6. Friendships

Be open to and allow yourself to invest in relationships with people who speak the language you want to learn. The experience will help you in many ways. For one, you’ll make new friends. And that is always a plus. Two, you will learn about the culture through your friendship with this person/these people – making the language that much more appealing to you. Three, languages are like living breathing things– they need to be nourished and exercised to be kept alive. And if you keep your foreign-language-friendships strong, you will likely continue to improve your language with them. So don’t be shy!

7. Recommended Refresher Resources

If you are looking to just brush up on a language for which you already have a foundation, I like the Michel Thomas Method (no relation). You can download it on iTunes – and it helps you revive a language in a way that other programs don’t. For example, he doesn’t start the first lesson with “hello” but rather he starts with the word “Possible.”

There are a gazillion free podcasts out there that you can download and listen to. I recently started using DailyFrenchPod to brush up on my French – because it is like listening to my French friends speak.

Also for people looking to continue learning or brush up on their Spanish, there is an educational show I’d recommend. It is a telenovela or soup opera produced by WGBH Boston in ’92, called Destinos.  To be honest, it is a little old school but the narrative helps you stay engaged while it teaches you Spanish.  You can get it here.

Another great source is the BBC.  They are getting creative in finding new ways to help people learn languages. They have an interactive series called Mi Vida Loca for learning Spanish that is great. They have a similar one called, Ma France, for French. These require a bit of background in the languages.

Also from the BBC you can find language resources of all kinds for Mandarin, Greek, Portuguese, Italian, German and many others. Go to their language site and pick your desired language.

Overall, remember to be persistent and have patience with yourself. Learning a new language is no small feat, despite what all those advertisements for language programs tell you. But the fruits of exploring the world from a new language perspective will reward you ten fold. So do stick with it and challenge yourself to achieve your goals.

As for the airport, you might be thinking, an airport is an airport – but no, not at Palm Springs International. They have turned the airport experience into a real walk in the park.

No, really, the main terminal is an outdoor park!

Palm Springs is a desert resort city, four hours by car from Los Angeles.
Not surprisingly, the weather is almost always sunny and hot. And the airport developers really capitalized on the climate by allowing most of the airport itself to be outside.

Look, this is the main terminal.

Grab something to eat at the Starbucks or the La Brea Bakery and sit in the grass to enjoy it.

I’m sorry, you’ll have to excuse, I must skip on down to my gate because my plane is boarding!

This airport provides a very laid back experience as most of the time you don’t feel like you are in one. Bravo PSP! (that’s the airport code)

Going to a resort hotel in the desert is a confusing experience.

You go out into the hot desert and then you check in to a hotel that does everything possible to make you feel like you are at a beach resort – but there is no beach. And secluded with little distractions you are forced to relax and surrender to the tranquility of your surroundings.

Over last weekend, I went to a family wedding in the California desert held at The Parker Palm Springs. Part historical momento and part LA hipster getaway spot, this hotel is a stunner. Prepare yourself for these photos!

The interior parts of the hotel are pretty magnificent, designed with a 1950′s flair.

This is the Lobby. Stay with me…

The property was originally a Holiday Inn, opened in 1959. Then actor Gene Autry bought the place in 1963 turning it into his ranch and home of the California Angels during their Spring training sessions. Later the property was owned by Givenchy, then Merv Griffin and now, since 2004, it’s The Parker Palm Springs.

The rooms of the hotel are scattered in many buildings around the grounds. You can even rent out Gene Autry’s home that also sits on the property.

And I really loved how the interiors and exteriors of the hotel seem to intermingle in a seamless way – surely a phenomenon only possible to this degree in a place where it rarely rains and has sunshine year round.

Go from hanging in the lounge.

To lounging in the many outdoor seating areas.

Get lost in the maze of manicured gardens.

Take a dip in one of the two pools, go to the gym or get a treatment in the spa.

And when you are hungry, have a bite at their restaurant.

That’s my artichoke Benedict – with two whole artichoke hearts in place of the bread!

I have to say the experience as a whole was positive, calming and easy.

However, I heard remarks of some dissatisfaction going around. Some of the outdoor lounges could stand to be re-upholstered, some of the walls are rather thin and while breakfast at their outdoor restaurant is superb, other meals are lacking in quality.  Also, the rooms are not cheap and the food is very much over priced.

At any given moment, there are variable hunger levels, energy levels, and agendas. Tensions sure can run high. And after trial and error, I learned that successful group dynamics are all about managing expectations.

With this in mind, here are 7 tips for a successful group trip.

1. Don’t expect everyone to be together all the time.

The idea of traveling in a pack is quite romantic yet somewhat unrealistic. So expect there to be times when you don’t all do the same thing. Expect this to be true more often than not. And don’t take it personally.

2. Do your homework in advance.

Learn about your destination before arriving. Find out what interesting things you could all get up to. And communicate. Get an idea from everyone what type of activities they definitely would like to engage in.

3. Make a schedule.

Plan ahead with specific activities people know to budget time, energy and patience for. Make dinner reservations. Book tours and/or lessons. Designate times for hikes, walks or dinners at home. And definitely, make a calendar that you send out to everyone so nobody is unaware of the schedule. You might not like the idea of a schedule on your vacation but I promise it is better for group dynamics. Also, expect that the schedule will sometimes be rearranged or completely ignored.

4. Anticipate Days where the group splits up into smaller groups.

What can be most difficult with group travel are the logistics of getting everyone to want to do the same thing at the same time. For example, expect and plan days where the sporty people go for a hike, the antsy people go into town to shop and let the ones who want to lounge around spend the day by the pool or on the beach.

Key to this tactic is making sure groups rotate so that everyone spends time together even if separately.

5. Designate “free time”

‘Nuff said.

6. Transportation

Transportation is freedom. Making sure everyone has a way to get around and to do so in smaller groups is very important. So if you are ever wondering how many cars to rent, err on the side of too many.

7. Snacks

They always say, the biggest fights happen when you are hungry. So be prepared and have snacks on hand. That way if anyone’s blood sugar is getting low, they can pop a few peanuts and be much more agreeable.

Have you gone on a big group trip where things got difficult? How did you cope? Do you have any suggests on how to have a better experience?