Travel

Spent the weekend cross country skiing and hiking in Grand Marais, Michigan. Great short trip for a break from the holidays. Got to see and old friend and do some outdoor activity.

Had a good time in Louisiana this fall. Got to know a lot about myself as well as what it takes to be in a PhD program. I have a few photos from the semester; working with other student's on economics problems, some outdoor sight seeing and floor seats from the New Orleans' Pelican's basketball game vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. Safe travels and happy holidays.

Well as far as building back content goes I'm not being an efficient blogger. I need to distinguish between two paths. There's part of me that is ready to run. Travel, women money excitement. And part that wants to settle down, family kids marriage. In that respect?  I'm looking at a way to trVel at will and see new areas. (Insert photo here from kayak.com) optimize for google search. I want to use this service along with couchsurfer.org and Airbnb.com to travel the world. Basically pick a week or time that you're free, see where you can go and manage the lodging. For now it's basic, Airbnb or couchsurfer. In the future can consider groupon or amazon live or even craigslist. The major hurdles in travel are flight as well as losing. Meals can stay relatively constant if you play it right. I want to build out a tab or section on the site devoted to meal prep. I think apt of efficiency and time can be gained from properly planning and executing healthy as well as cost ...

Had the opportunity yesterday to go flyboarding in New Orleans. These things are a combination of jetski, wakeboard and a boat load of fun!! I first saw them when I was living in St.Petersburg. I was at St.Pete beach visiting a local bar (Caddy's by the shore). I wish I had some photos but it was amazing! Just watching people yet and surf on one of these. Great addition to summer fun. So the relevancy here is networking. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money to do cool things. For example, fly boarding. This experience was totally free and it came from knowing and meeting the right people. I didn't have to shell out $80 to come along and try this. All that was needed was a little know how and accepting an invitation. I should post that live isn't all about money, nor is it about getting ahead. I have the most fun doing what is natural. The former will come. Being spontaneous, seeking opportunity, setting intention and having a positive outlook will allow ...

Okay, So I wanted to build out a post on travel I did last year. This would be back in March of 2013. Not a lot of people know this as I don't flaunt or talk about it often but I was raised without a father. I also lost my key parental support in my high school years as my solo parent turned to bad addiction. I've done a lot in raising myself. I haven't done a lot of travel on anyone's budget (other than my own). I remember being in high school and asking neighbors for returnables so I could fund a trip to Chicago for my french class. It cost $450. I've had to come up with strategic ways to travel on a budget. So, this post can apply to anyone from minimum wage workers, to college students, to single parents, or anyone in general who wants to travel somewhere cool (without breaking the bank). This is where to tune in. I had some friends driving to Chicago. They wanted to spend their spring break in the Windy City. Rather than stay the entire spring bre...

Just wanted to make a quick post on using Photobucket to back up key pictures. I have had over 3,000 photos on my iPhone at a given time. In backing them up on my computer, I wanted to have a second safe place to keep them. Thus, subscribing to a Photobucket.com account and uploading files is an obvious choice. Note they have some subscription options however you can upload your backpacking, kayaking, and other couchsurfing/travel pictures for free initially. I have some key pictures from Florida, specifically Tampa at Hogan's beach bar. Note that this was all done on a budget. I came down to Florida initially with two carry on bags on clothes and nothing else. I stayed on my friends couch (I've posted on this already). At the end of my stay I was ready to drive back (I bought a car while down there, spontaneously). I stayed for a month longer and had some fun. Staying present in the moment and acting on opportunity allows one to create their own luck.

I'm due to update here. I feel bad for leaving anyone hanging that enjoys this blog!I had a great day today in New Orleans. I met up with a friend from my university, University of New Orleans. He had two tickets to the Saint's game two (preseason) against the Tennessee Titans! What a blast!! I am a little bummed I didn't get to see Drew Brees play but the backups did look good! What a strong team. It would be nice to be in Michigan but I am excited for the fall and LSU football. New Orleans is the best. What a great place. Okay, enough of being cheesy. In all reality I'm looking to increase my viewership. Not for monetary purposes but in general I believe I have a lot of experience traveling on a budget and manifesting what seems to be impractical. I.e., being a college student with no parental support - traveling to different major cities on a flexible basis. It is hard to live with risk and uncertainty. Being in Florida for five months on a whim didn'...

Just wanted to put another update out on Upper Michigan as I'll be heading back soon to visit! There are a lot of opportunities to ride trails, go hiking, kayaking, fishing, camping, etc. My main focus though will be couch surfing! Last I was there, I had a nice apartment. Since moving to New Orleans, I've given up my home-away for a while. That being said, finding a place to stay should not be an issue! For those not familiar, Marquette is a good college town with a solid NCAA division 1 college ice hockey team. Some pictures showing the serenity of life up north. Pure Michigan!

I wanted to update a post from my home, upper Michigan. In the heat of July it's great to reflect on cool times from May. Notice the clean air, bright water and clear sky. Great place to call home. Had to make some fresh organic juice! Adds a certain ambiance to the air when you're filled with the right food! Perfect for camping in upper Michigan. This is the right place for pitching a tent, finding freedom and serenity. Not to mention the ability to travel light! Notice these posts can be seen on my Tumblr page luteymatt.tumblr.com or click the Tumblr icon above!

I arrived in New Orleans over one month ago. I came down by way of Jeep Wrangler. I have been getting situated near Tulane and Loyola universities. I am however attending UNO, the university if New Orleans.