NOTE: This entry is part of a series in which I fly over 40,000 miles in two years. Read the introduction here. I took the bus on this particular journey so there are no airmiles.
If you’re looking for a taste of Europe in North America head over to Montreal. This delightful and laid-back city oozes with a “cool factor” that can’t be matched. You will find a fantastic blend of cultures from French speaking countries around the world. This was my first trip to a place where English is not the primary language. Here’s a couple of interesting things I noticed:
- Cars in Quebec don’t have license plates in the front so if you buy the car of your dreams and want it to look good register it there.
- Alcohol is freely sold in supermarkets unlike in Ontario. French vs British culture?
- A huge punk and goth culture still exists in Montreal even though its much harder to find in the rest of Canada.
- The French are infamous for giving you attitude if you don’t speak the language. Is it that bad? Not really. Just take it all in good humour.
Trip summary
- Routing: YYZ-YUL-YYZ
- Mileage and Cost: 628 miles for $80 equals 7.85 cents per mile (target: less than 5 cpm). I haven’t found a bus trip that can match a cheap flight in value.
- Remaining: 25413 miles (no change) in 1 year and 124 days
- Goofs: (1) Forgetting my phone charger. This turned out to be a good thing as I was able to catch up on a lot of reading while traveling. (2) My French – or the lack of it. I really enjoyed attempting to communicate with gestures though.
- Soundtrack: None (no phone)
- The great: The many festivals, Old Montreal, The Biodome, pretty neighbourhoods and gorgeous women everywhere!
- The good: Canada’s best nightlife, Parc Mont-Royal and the Olympics stadium.
- The bad: Being surrounded by Quebecois (the locals) when their hockey team got kicked out of the Stanley cup; not a pretty sight.
I’ll definitely have to go back to Montreal. Its a city so close to home but yet so different from any other.
NOTE: This entry is part of a series in which I fly over 40,000 miles in two years. Read the introduction here. For this journey I redeemed points for most of my tickets so only part of the trip counts towards my flight goals.
Party, party, party. There’s no better place to have fun and blow your money than in Las Vegas. This ‘entertainment capital of the world’ is bizarrely located in the middle of the desert and can provide you any kind of experience you’re looking for – legal and otherwise. I also stopped in Houston, Texas but there’s not a lot to see there.
Trip summary
- Routing: YYZ-IAH-SFO-YYZ
- Mileage and Cost: 4445 miles for $275 equals 6.18 cents per mile (target: less than 5 cpm). I didn’t actually pay for all of my tickets. For more details see the trip notes.
- Remaining: 25413 miles (partial miles) in 1 year and 149 days
- Goofs: (1) Underestimating how busy the Las Vegas strip becomes on a Saturday night and getting to an expensive show late. (2) Running out of cash on hand to take the bus back home from the airport and having to fork over huge bank ATM charges.
- Soundtrack: Hip-hop/Rap
- The great: Walking around in the world’s best hotels on the strip, Vegas’ nightlife, camping in the Valley of Fire and the Grand Canyon.
- The good: Cheap buffet meals and Fremont Street (the old Las Vegas).
- The bad: Watching tired people playing slot machines at 4am.
I can honestly say that I’ve had the best time yet in Las Vegas. I would have stayed there longer if I could. Cheers to bigger and better journeys in the future!
To read detailed trip notes for this journey please click here to continue.
I first started trying to plan my future after reading an article on how to do annual reviews. You’re much more likely to achieve your goals if you track yourself. Most of the world’s biggest companies rate themselves and release results every three months. Let’s give it a shot.
The three questions
Take a bit of time to be honest with yourself when you answer these questions. This isn’t about today or this week but how you want to change your entire life.
1. What is bothering me right now?
The question is straight-forward. We’re talking about your life’s direction. If there’s nothing bothering you, ask yourself if there’s anything you would really like to accomplish or change.
Now you know what your real issues are so that you can tackle them.
2. What will I do in the next three months to solve it?
Jot down any possible ideas that you may have. You may not complete all of them but you’ll have a game plan and know how to attack each problem.
Now you have solutions so that you know where to start.
3. Where do you see these problems in three months’ time?
If you completed everything you set out to do in the last answer would these problems disappear or diminish? How would things be different from what they are now? Your answers to this question will provide you with the impetus to get started and keep going. Check back often to re-read what you write here.
Now you have enough motivation so that you won’t give up.
I’ll share some of the things I’ve been able to do and not do over the last three months by answering these three questions.
Goals achieved or on track
- New experiences: I have been able to visit Los Angeles, San Diego, New York City and go skiing outside Toronto. My goals were to face my fears and to broaden my mind. It’s working. I’m heading to Houston and Las Vegas in two weeks.
- Improve my social connections: I was able to stick to my plans for creating new relationships and fixing up others. So far, so good.
- Repair my finances: When it comes to saving and investing I have been able to become more disciplined. I’ve gone from red to being in the black in more than one project.
- Getting in shape: Over the last two months I became much more serious in exercising and tracking what I eat. Those body-fat numbers continue to drop.
Where I slipped
- Releasing my second song: Late by 2 weeks! I expect this to be out by April 9th. Update: Slipped again! Now changed target date to the end of April
- Learning a language: I tried to learn 10 words of Arabic every day. I’ve only made it to 25 out of 90 days (28%). Boo.
- Creating a music video: I thought I’d be able to make something by the end of March but this has gone nowhere. I’m still fiddling with 3D software. I’ve pushed this goal to the end of the year.
Don’t forget to check out the large map where I make plans on a larger scale.
NOTE: This entry is part of a series in which I fly over 40,000 miles in two years. Read the introduction here. I took the bus on this particular journey so there are no airmiles.
If you’re looking for the big city experience look no further than New York City. This 8-million strong sprawling metropolis truly never sleeps. Using the bus to get there (a 10-hour journey) and back was a much better experience than I had expected it to be.
Trip summary
- Routing: YYZ-NYC-YYZ
- Mileage and Cost: 1060 miles for $84 equals 7.92 cents per mile (target: less than 5 cpm). It’s often cheaper to fly somewhere than to use a bus!
- Remaining: 26403 miles (no change) in 1 year and 217 days
- Goofs: (1) Forgetting to take a bottle of hand sanitizer. Rubbing body wash on your legs and shoes to keep them from smelling doesn’t work as well (I think I made it worse). (2) Stepping into a pile of horseshit at Central Park is not pleasant.
- Soundtrack: Indian fusion
- The great: Times square, The Met museum, Brooklyn bridge, Central Park, the Staten Island Ferry and almost everything in downtown Manhattan.
- The good: Ground Zero at the World Trade Center site was moving but there’s not much happening after eight-and-a-half years.
- The bad: The United Nations buildings were literally crumbling and many neighborhoods in Brooklyn were quite creepy.
New York City is one of the most incredible places on the planet. Three days was barely enough to scratch its surface. What’s next? One of my goals this year is to fly to somewhere on another continent.
Published on
February 5, 2010 in
truth.
Tags: #befearless, #findsatisfaction, #pursuingtruth, dream, excited, fearless, habits, how to, mind-mapping, question, truth.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about life and living. After moping for a while I realized something simple and profound. It hit me like a bright light shining in my face: you have to be excited about your life. Perhaps I can help you with getting there.
1. Answer a question
Start with this question you’ve likely heard many times before: “What would you do if you woke up with a million dollars?”. Don’t laugh it off. It could be the most important thing you will do. Take as much time as you need to think about yourself while answering. In my case, I don’t care about living long but I while I’m here I would like to fly and make music (among other things). Don’t forget to dream big. What you say will determine what you will be able to accomplish. If you don’t dream big for yourself do you think that someone else will do it for you?
What do you really want to do? Who do you really want to be?
2. Write down your answers
Grab a piece of paper and jot down your initial 
goals. Then expand on all possible avenues you can use to get there. To put my thoughts down I use a free mind-mapping program called Freemind but a pen and paper will do. Make sure you don’t throw away what you write! You and your dreams might change over time so don’t forget to keep reviewing and modifying your plans as you need to.
Where there is a will there is a way.
3. Learn to become fearless
You must become fearless in order to face two obstacles: yourself and the people around you. If your plans for life don’t intimidate you at all then you’re not dreaming big enough. After fighting my fears for the last six months I have begun to reap its rewards. To learn more about how I started read this entry.
“There is nothing to fear but fear itself” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
4. Get started and keep going
Even though you have big dreams make sure you start small. This is essential to build up your confidence and experience. As you inch towards your goals you may have to work hard and face failure but if you are excited about where you are headed you will be able to endure. If your dream does not excite you then don’t waste your time pursuing it!
Don’t forget to continually track yourself. Write down what went wrong and how you can improve. For goals that involve developing a daily habit keep a journal or use a tool such as Joe’s goals. Benjamin Franklin is famous for using charts to track his virtues. Finally, when you hit a milestone don’t forget to note what you have accomplished. This will help encourage you when you are feeling down.
Reach for the stars. Even if you fail you’ll land on the moon.
What are you waiting for?
Update: You can view a mind-map that I’m using on this page.
NOTE: This entry is part of a series in which I fly over 40,000 miles in two years. Read the introduction here.
I’ve just had the time of my life. After this second trip I’m finding myself becoming addicted to the idea of traveling. I’d like to make this clear: I don’t have the ‘travel bug’. I’m simply doing this to face my fears and it’s becoming a very rewarding experience.
This time I went to Los Angeles and stayed in Hollywood and Santa Monica. I was also unexpectedly able to visit San Diego.
Trip summary
- Routing: BUF-CLT-MCO-LAX-DEN-AUS-IAD-BUF (plus driving YYZ-BUF and back)
- Mileage and Cost: 6698 miles for $230 equals 3.43 cents per mile (target: less than 5 cpm)
- Remaining: 26403 miles in 1 year and 249 days
- Goofs: (1) Running out of batteries on my camera and missing out on taking some very good pictures. Always carry more than you need in this case. (2) Buying movie tickets days in advance and then missing out on hanging out with new friends (even though ‘Avatar’ was a great flick). Don’t make your plans on the ground so rigid that they can’t be changed.
- Travel tips: (1) When you’re at an airport find and grab a seat next to a power outlet. Plug in your iPod even if it seems full. You’ll be glad you did when you’re running low a few hours later. (2) Whether you travel or not go and shell out ten bucks for Skullcandy “Ink’d” earphones. They sound decent but their real draw is that they cut noise as much as earplugs do. (3) Buy a travel-sized bottle of hand sanitizer and apply them to your feet, socks and the soles in your shoes every few hours to make them stop smelling.
- Soundtrack: Pop
- The great: Hiking, pubbing and clubbing in Hollywood and the cities and beaches of San Diego and Santa Monica.
- The good: Hollywood Walk of Fame, Runyon Canyon, Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Santa Monica Pier.
- The bad: Universal City is extremely tacky. I also regret not having enough time to visit everything, particularly Venice Beach, the Griffith Observatory and the Getty Center.
Its been an awesome experience to leave everything behind for a few days and meet great human beings somewhere else across the globe. I’m glad I’m trying to face my fears. Lets see what the future holds. Next trip of 40,000 miles: New York City in a month from now! Yeah, I’ll be playing Empire State of Mind all the way there.
To read detailed trip notes for this journey please click here to continue.
NOTE: This entry is part of a series in which I fly over 40,000 miles in two years. Read the introduction here.
I would never have done this a few weeks before. After flying through six American states and touring Seattle in three days all I can say is that the experience was incredible.
Its amazing how travel can bring out so many emotions in a short span of time: fear, happiness, loneliness, excitement and everything in between. Living out of a backpack for a few days helps you look at life differently. I recommend that you try it.
Trip summary
- Routing: BUF-CLT-PHX-SEA-SFO-PHL-BUF (plus driving YYZ-BUF and back)
- Mileage and Cost: 6899 miles for $244 equals 3.54 cents per mile (target: less than 5 cpm)
- Remaining: 33101 miles in 1 year and 279 days
- Goofs: (1) Climbing onto an empty, unfinished train platform and getting stared at by a hundred people on the other side. (2) Dropping my transit ticket and having to give the guy who found it a dollar to get it back.
- Travel tips: (1) Don’t forget to take the charging cable for your phone. (2) Pack much lighter than you think you need to. Your backpack will start hurting after a day or two. (3) If you get caught by a long flight delay ask the airline for an alternate route (I flew CLT-PHX-SEA instead of CLT-SFO-SEA and saved six hours).
- Soundtrack: Bhangra
- The great: Washington State Ferries, Museum of Flight, Pike place market (and the very first Starbucks)
- The good: Seattle pub crawl tours, Laser dome (and the Space Needle), Central Library, US Airways and United Airlines.
- The bad: The large number of homeless people on every block in downtown Seattle. They were harmless though.
Would I do it again? Well, I’m off to California in a few weeks! This time my stay will be longer and less comfortable.
To read detailed trip notes for this journey please click here to continue.
I’m going to fly 40,000 miles in two years.
Since I was little I’ve always loved anything that has to do with flying. Having had family that worked in travel and access to cheap tickets didn’t hurt either.
I’d like to get myself into the air. Now, I could simply go over to Expedia and start booking tickets.
But that would be unrewarding and way too expensive. There must be a better way.
Ready, Set, Read
Internet forums are the best place to connect with people and information on any topic. I spent days browsing the ones at FlyerTalk and Airliners.net. I brushed up on my knowledge of mileage runs, airline alliances and more.
Aim for something
All the information I gathered helped me to set two goals:
- Spend less than 5 cents per mile of flying. In other words, flying a hundred miles must cost me less than 5 dollars including all taxes and fees. The cheaper the better.
- Achieve Star Alliance Gold status. There are many ways to do this but the easiest and cheapest is to join the frequent flyer program at Asiana Airlines. I get gold status by flying 40,000 miles over the next two years on any Star Alliance airline (there’s 25 of them now).
Why I’m really doing this
To be honest, what’s pushing me more than flying, adventuring or acquiring status is the chance to face my fears including:
- Traveling somewhere unknown all by myself
- Being stranded in the middle of nowhere
- People thinking that I’ve lost my mind for doing this
- The same people telling me that I’m wasting my time, money and effort
Its time for me to go. I’ll see you in the sky.
