29Mar 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva
Episode 35: House Sitting to Travel

Episode 35: House Sitting to Travel

Podcast
  Today, I talk to Malina Padgett. After working several years with a yearning to travel, Malina got into house sitting, and now travels full-time. Imagine traveling to all your bucket list places without having to pay for accommodation. This is truly a fascinating conversation, and I’m sure you’ll get some very valuable information. Highlights from this episode: [02:22] Malina’s travel history.Travel was a big part of her life growing up. Her parents’ goal was to have her and her sister travel to all 50 states before graduating high school. They almost made it. With just Alaska on hold, they finally managed to cross it off their list recently. [03:36] Travelling full-time.After starting her own business working with clothing boutiques and brands, and then becoming a freelancer to free up…
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17Mar 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva
What You Should Know Before Booking a Vacation with your Friend

What You Should Know Before Booking a Vacation with your Friend

Blog, EJtheTravelDiva Blog, Travel Tips
In the words of George Costanza from Senfield, “…trips are relationship killers!” This can be extremely true!  Taking a vacation with someone can make or break a friendship and you should not take the decision to travel with someone lightly. When it comes to traveling with friends, I’m sure the first thing you think about is sharing a room or spending long periods of time together, but what about before you even get on the plane? There are multiple things that can cause a friendship to sink or swim prior to arriving to your destination….if you even make it there with that friend. My best advice when you decide to book a trip with a friend is to use the following guidelines:  Purchase travel insurance:  When you are traveling, you…
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15Mar 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva
Episode 34: The Cons of All-Inclusive Resorts and How to Solve Them

Episode 34: The Cons of All-Inclusive Resorts and How to Solve Them

Podcast
  Today, I’ll be talking about a post I saw on the Black People Love All-Inclusive Resorts Facebook Page. The post was a question asking what people DON’T like about all-inclusive resorts. I jotted down some of the responses to the post, and this episode is going to be about how to solve the issues that were brought up. Here are the top 17 issues and how to solve them: [02:50] The frozen drinks have chunks of ice - they need better blenders. This sounds like a once-off thing. You couldn’t possibly travel all over and have this exact same experience at every single all-inclusive resort. [03:29] The food is not great. It’s unlikely that this is the case at all resorts, but it is more likely if you chose…
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10Mar 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva
What It’s Like Returning to the US When a Negative COVID-19 Test is Required

What It’s Like Returning to the US When a Negative COVID-19 Test is Required

EJtheTravelDiva Blog, Travel Learning Lessons
As many of you know, on January 26, 2021, President Biden passed an executive order requiring all travelers coming into the United States, including citizens of the U.S., to present a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight headed for the United States. The only way to avoid having to take a COVID-19 test is to show proof that you have recovered from already having COVID-19 plus a letter from a medical professional stating that you are clear to fly. With the new rules in place, a lot of travelers have postponed their vacations because the thought of having to find a laboratory in a destination that is not familiar seems too complicated.  As well as find your own transportation to and from the medical laboratory.  That just seems like…
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08Mar 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva
Episode 33: Vaccine or Retire Passport

Episode 33: Vaccine or Retire Passport

Podcast
  In this episode I am talking about a hypothetical question --- If you were told that you had to get the COVID-19 vaccine in order to travel, would you get the vaccine or retire your passport? Future travel may require digital documentation showing that passengers have been vaccinated or tested for the Coronavirus. It could be something like when you travel to West Africa and you have to get the yellow fever card, for example, Ghana requires you to show proof that you have had this vaccine in order to enter the country. So that's what I'm thinking that this digital or documentation will be similar. I asked the question on Instagram to my followers.  I asked if they would take the vaccine or retire their passport and 89%…
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01Mar 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva
Episode 32: A Fairytale Vacation

Episode 32: A Fairytale Vacation

Podcast
  Today, I talk to Mindy Marzec from This Fairytale Life. She is an avid Disney fan and full-time blogger – she even got to fulfill her lifelong dream of having a Disneyland Fairy Tale wedding! Her Disney knowledge is truly amazing, so this episode will answer all the questions you may have, and so much more!   Highlights from this episode [02:17] Disney adults. More adults than children are repeat guests at Disney theme parks. Mindy’s love for Disney stems from her early travels when her parents would take her to Disneyland every year, and from a constant connection to Disney whether through watching the movies growing up or having Disney merchandise in her room. [04:51] Mandy’s Disney love story. Did you know that you can get married at…
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22Feb 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva
Episode 31: Fletcher Cleaves…From Tragedy to Triumph

Episode 31: Fletcher Cleaves…From Tragedy to Triumph

Podcast
  In Episode 31, I talk to Fletcher Cleaves. He has an incredible story – his life was going perfectly, until a horrible accident changed his life forever. His story is one of tragedy, but also one of hope and empowerment, and he’s on a mission to share it with the world one trip at a time. Highlights from this episode: [03:11] Fletcher’s travel history. Fletcher’s early travel was mainly family reunion road trips to St. Louis, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Chicago. He currently travels much more extensively for his YouTube channel and motivational talks. [04:50] Fletcher’s story. In early 2009, Fletcher graduated high school and received a football scholarship for Lambuth University. After training for several months, on September 10th of 2009, he was involved in a car accident…
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16Feb 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva
Episode 30: The Value of Travel from a Life Coach

Episode 30: The Value of Travel from a Life Coach

Podcast
Featuring Julie Delucca-Collins   In episode 30, I talk to Julie DeLucca-Collins about her travels around the world for business and leisure, as well as her work as a life coach helping people reach the goals they thought were impossible. [03:12] Julie’s travel journey. Julie took her first airplane trip when she was just 3 months old. Since then, she has travelled to over 25 countries. Originally from El Salvador, she would travel to various cities in the US to visit family throughout her childhood. As a senior executive of her company, she was able to travel regularly around the US on business trips. [08:52] Turning a business trip into a vacation. Some days are better to travel than others. Most business travellers tend to leave on a Monday morning.…
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01Feb 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva
Episode 28: HER PACKING LIST

Episode 28: HER PACKING LIST

Podcast
  I know. Another episode about packing. However, it is one of the most requested travel tips, and I thought I’d get someone on the show to talk about it. In this episode, I talk to Brooke Schoenman. She is the creator of Her Packing List, a resource for female travel gear and packing advice. Brooke has spent a lot of time coming up with ways to make a travelling “less is more” guide – she has even perfected packing with just a handbag! [02:19] Introducing Brooke Schoenman Brooke is from Illinois but has been living in Australia for he past 11 years. She lives with her partner and their rabbit, Sherlock Bunz. She was travelling the world in her 20s when she met an Australian guy in Europe. Once…
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18Jan 2021 by EJtheTravelDiva
Episode 26: Spreading Positivity Around the World with Phil Calvert

Episode 26: Spreading Positivity Around the World with Phil Calvert

Podcast
  In this episode, I talk to Phil “Philwaukee” Calvert. He has been traveling the world, spreading positivity one destination at a time. We will discuss his incredible journey from playing professional basketball to traveling the world and having his own travel show on Matador Network, and his feature on the cover of Martinique Lewis’s ABC Travel Green Book. [02:04] Introducing Phil Calvert Phil started his travels while playing professional basketball in Europe. Traveling between countries there proved to be much easier and cheaper than back home in the US. This realization had him bitten by the travel bug, and his journey has taken him to many countries to experience their cultures and spread positivity. [02:18] On the cover of Martinique Lewis’s ABC Travel Green Book In episode 19, of…
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