Podcasts about Waterton

This week on Domestic Pints ONLY, we return to Ottawa to cover a popular east-end brewery: Orleans Brewing Company. As always, we discuss a bit about the brewery before profiling the beers, starting with the Kolsch Me Outside ale, followed by the smoky sweet Maple Cabin ale, and wrapping up with the Billy Bob Bison APA. Along the way we talk: pre-amalgamation Ottawa, greedy garage sales, Tom "serving cunt", Hacker's visit to Alberta, underrated Waterton, planetariums, and old Family Guy.Next week we cover some new seltzers.Timestamps:054:58 Beer#1 (KOLSCH ME OUTSIDE)23:55 Beer#2 (MAPLE CABIN)34:05 Beer#3 (BILLY BOB BISON)59:55 Wrap up, final scores, and conclusion01:08:45 Sports Talk (DSPN)Credits:https://orleansbrewing.com/Intro and closing song: "Drink Beer (Till the Day That I Die)" by Dazie Mae (www.daziemae.com)Artwork: IG @nartsattack (www.natalierivet.com)

An updated Canadian drought monitor has been issued, and for most of Alberta, conditions have eased. West Central Alberta, from Olds to Nordegg, is no longer in drought thanks to recent rain. Southeastern Alberta received between 85 and 200% of normal precipitation in April. But the news was not as good for Southwestern Alberta, where conditions worsened, and part of the region is now considered to be an extreme drought. That region, the Southern foothills, the snowpack there, below average, soil is dry, surface water levels are low. According to the drought monitor, the St. Mary Reservoir is only at 64% capacity, the Old Man, 57%, and Waterton, just 40%. After a dry April, parts of the Lakeland region are considered abnormally dry, but not yet in drought. Now, conditions could improve between now and the end of the month with up to 90 millimeters of rain, projected by some computer models to fall between now and the end of the month in the southwestern foothills, the area hardest hit by drought.

Hidden in the southwestern corner of Alberta, Waterton Lakes National Park is waiting to be explored. While Banff and Jasper steal the spotlight, Waterton offers mountains and lakes without the crowds.  In this episode, we explore what makes Waterton special, its fascinating history, top things to do, and insider tips for RVers and adventurers. Whether you're planning a trip or just dreaming of your next outdoor escape, don't miss this guide to one of Canada's most underrated national parks.

Customer feedback is critical to managing and improving your customer experience but it isn't easy to get. Worse, it isn't always useful and enlightening on what you are doing well, or perhaps more importantly, not so well.  In this episode, we tackle a common problem many businesses face: how to get more actionable customer feedback. Our guest, Tim Waterton, Chief Revenue Officer of HappyOrNot®, brings over 20 years of experience in helping companies gather and analyze customer insights. Waterton shares valuable tips on making the feedback process seamless, efficient, and impactful. One of the main insights Waterton offers is the importance of capturing feedback at the right moment—immediately after the Customer Experience. According to him, this approach ensures that businesses collect more accurate feedback as people's recollections of their experiences fade quickly. He suggests that feedback should be short and simple to encourage participation, using tools like micro-surveys (e.g., quick emoji selections). Waterton also explains the difference between feedback and reviews. Feedback is company-initiated, where you ask the customer directly, while reviews are customer-initiated and usually more detailed. Both have value but serve different purposes in understanding the customer experience. A key takeaway is the balance between positive and negative feedback. While many companies receive mostly positive feedback, focusing only on the negatives or positives can skew your understanding. You need both to find areas of improvement and highlight what's working well. We also warn about the dangers of over-automating customer experiences. Colin shares an example of a milkman who improved efficiency but lost personal connection with customers, ultimately losing Colin's wife's business. This cautionary tale is a crucial reminder that companies must balance efficiency with the human touch, especially in the age of AI and automation. We wrap up with practical tips on gathering meaningful feedback, including choosing the right channels, keeping surveys relevant and concise, and acting on the feedback you receive. In this episode, you'll also learn: The difference between feedback and reviews and why both matter How to avoid "survey fatigue" and keep customers engaged The role of micro-surveys in capturing real-time feedback The importance of balancing automation with personal interaction Why acting on feedback is crucial to improving Customer Experience

Customer feedback is critical to managing and improving your customer experience but it isn't easy to get. Worse, it isn't always useful and enlightening on what you are doing well, or perhaps more importantly, not so well.  In this episode, we tackle a common problem many businesses face: how to get more actionable customer feedback. Our guest, Tim Waterton, Chief Revenue Officer of HappyOrNot®, brings over 20 years of experience in helping companies gather and analyze customer insights. Waterton shares valuable tips on making the feedback process seamless, efficient, and impactful. One of the main insights Waterton offers is the importance of capturing feedback at the right moment—immediately after the Customer Experience. According to him, this approach ensures that businesses collect more accurate feedback as people's recollections of their experiences fade quickly. He suggests that feedback should be short and simple to encourage participation, using tools like micro-surveys (e.g., quick emoji selections). Waterton also explains the difference between feedback and reviews. Feedback is company-initiated, where you ask the customer directly, while reviews are customer-initiated and usually more detailed. Both have value but serve different purposes in understanding the customer experience. A key takeaway is the balance between positive and negative feedback. While many companies receive mostly positive feedback, focusing only on the negatives or positives can skew your understanding. You need both to find areas of improvement and highlight what's working well. We also warn about the dangers of over-automating customer experiences. Colin shares an example of a milkman who improved efficiency but lost personal connection with customers, ultimately losing Colin's wife's business. This cautionary tale is a crucial reminder that companies must balance efficiency with the human touch, especially in the age of AI and automation. We wrap up with practical tips on gathering meaningful feedback, including choosing the right channels, keeping surveys relevant and concise, and acting on the feedback you receive. In this episode, you'll also learn: The difference between feedback and reviews and why both matter How to avoid "survey fatigue" and keep customers engaged The role of micro-surveys in capturing real-time feedback The importance of balancing automation with personal interaction Why acting on feedback is crucial to improving Customer Experience

This week we welcome Graham Waterton, author of 'The RAF's Youngest Bomber Pilot of World War II'. The conversation delves into the life of Flight Lieutenant Brian Slade DFC, Graham's uncle, who served as a Wellington and Lancaster pilot (and Pathfinder) . Brian Slade lied about his age to enlist (abetted by his father) and joined Bomber Command at 16, completing a full tour of 34 operations before his 18th birthday. He then went on to do a second tour, serving with the elite Pathfinder group. He was killed on operations over Berlin in August 1943, aged just 19.Graham shares his journey of discovering Brian's story, and the discussion  touches on the emotional impact of war on families, and the legacy of those who served.Link to Graham's book (available on Kindle and in print). Send us a textSupport the showPlease subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams. Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Subscriber-only episode**Subscriber only episode - on general release Wednesday 9th October 2024.This week we welcome Graham Waterton, author of 'The RAF's Youngest Bomber Pilot of World War II'. The conversation delves into the life of Flight Lieutenant Brian Slade DFC, Graham's uncle, who served as a Wellington and Lancaster pilot (and Pathfinder) . Brian Slade lied about his age to enlist (abetted by his father) and joined Bomber Command at 16, completing a full tour of 34 operations before his 18th birthday. He then went on to do a second tour, serving with the elite Pathfinder group. He was killed on operations over Berlin in August 1943, aged just 19.Graham shares his journey of discovering Brian's story, and the discussion  touches on the emotional impact of war on families, and the legacy of those who served.Link to Graham's book (available on Kindle and in print). Send us a textPlease subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams. Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Is the multifamily market on the brink of a major shift? Let's dive into the latest insights and what they mean for you. In this episode of Multifamily Collective, we break down the emerging signs that transaction volumes in multifamily real estate are poised to rise. With giants like Waterton closing a $1.7 billion fund and Ares raising a record $3.3 billion, the stage is set for a wave of activity in the distressed real estate market. But here's the kicker—many players have managed to "kick the can down the road" on debt restructuring. Will this reduce the volume of distressed assets? And how does this impact mid-market players competing with institutional giants like Blackstone and BlackRock? Tune in to hear my thoughts on the evolving landscape and share your insights. Is this the start of a new real estate cycle, or will fewer distressed assets make it harder for smaller players to grab a piece of the action? If you're curious about where the multifamily market is headed, make sure to like this video and subscribe to the Multifamily Collective for more updates and expert insights. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mike-brewer/support

Welcome to episode 70 of the One for the Money podcast. I am so very grateful you have taken the time to listen. In this episode, I answer the question “How much should one spend on vacation?”In the tips, tricks, and strategies portion, I will share some cost-saving travel tips. In this episode...How Much Should You Spend [3:15]Why You Should Travel [6:21]Travel Saving Tips [8:56]MAINWhen it comes to travel, St Augustine and Mark Twain said it best in my opinion. St Augustine said that -The world is a book and those who do not travel only read one page. And Mark Twain said - Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.My family and I are enamored with travel because of what we learn about the world, other cultures, and about ourselves. There are few things that create better memories than a vacation. Some have argued that life is really about collecting wonderful memories and research has shown that people tend to be happier when they have purchased experiences rather than things. That certainly is the case with our family. When both my children and my business were young, we traveled by car around the Western United States and Western Canada. We love the outdoors and visited over 25 national parks in both the US and Canada with Banff, Jasper, Waterton, Glacier, Yosemite, and Crater Lake being some of our favorites but there were so many others that were really great as well. As my business and kids grew we have been fortunate to be able to take a few international trips with Moorea and Cinque Terre being some of our favorites. When our family talks about our favorite memories it almost always involves experiences we've had together on our trips and our favorite family photos have come from our trips as well.This is why I am a strong advocate of traveling. It doesn't have to require an airplane, because seeing a local museum or park can also provide a memorable time. In fact, when I was a kid our family never took an airplane on our trips. Instead, we all piled in our wood-paneled station wagon with the rear-facing seats in the back and went to the national park near our home, and a couple of times we visited family that lived in the Western States of Utah, California, and Texas. It was an incredibly long drive from Alberta, Canada but I have some cherished memories from those trips. One question that many ask is how much should one spend on travel. Some financial experts recommend that you spend 5-10% of your net income per year on vacations.For example, if your net income is $100k a year, and as a reminder that is your income after taxes and retirement contributions. then you could reasonably spend $5-10k a year on vacations.My family and I tend to spend more than 10% but we restrict our expenses in other areas of spending to compensate. We only eat out rarely and if we do it's usually inn-n-out. Our kids don't participate in club sports and just play AYSO soccer instead. With savings in those areas, we are able to do more on our vacations. When it comes to money for vacation it should be saved in advance of the year of travel and would be in addition to what you have in your emergency savings.I recommend you tentatively plan your upcoming trips for the coming years so you can anticipate the expenses. We have already planned our travel destinations for the next 2-3 years. I'll do research on the expected expenses and create a Google spreadsheet that forecasts potential transportation, accommodations, food, activity, and other related

Every multifamily company varies in how it integrates technology to make employees' lives a bit easier. In this Top Marketers podcast, Christina Steeg, senior vice president of marketing & communications at Waterton, joins Multi-Housing News Associate Editor Jordana Rothberg to talk about the systems that Waterton uses and why. Steeg brings almost 30 years of professional experience in the real estate industry, previously working at Reach by RentCafe and other multifamily companies. In her current role Steeg is responsible for the oversight of the strategic direction of the company's marketing efforts. She also ensures that the Waterton brand voice is cohesive across all platforms. Now, Steeg is working on integrating a more centralized approach to her marketing and navigating the ways in which automation and AI impact Waterton. From the career pipeline to property websites to the resident experience, these systems and platforms are having an impact on almost every aspect of the company. Tune in to hear Rothberg and Steeg chat about: ·        How Steeg got to her current role at Waterton (1:00) ·        Where luxury retail marketing experience overlaps with multifamily (2:00) ·        The two platforms she utilizes and how they're leading to quicker move ins (4:00) ·        Automation and AI in property websites and a mobile-first experience (7:45) ·        Why Steeg may or may not consolidate systems in the future (10:45) ·        How Waterton is using a CRM to help onsite and leasing teams (12:35) ·        The process of integrating a centralized approach and its impact internally (14:50) ·        An all-user interface upgrade and what that means (19:20) ·        How the resident experience is impacted by these systems (21:40) ·        Technology's effects on the lead to lease funnel (25:30)

It's the final episode of Emma's whirlwind tour of North America's National Parks. Well... for now. There are still lots of great parks left to explore, so keep the suggestions coming and maybe Emma I can do another round next year! As promised in the episode, here are some helpful links for accessibility in American and Canadian parks: parks.canada.ca Accessible travel Accessible activities From wildlife watching to swimming with buoyant wheelchairs, Parks Canada has a variety of accessible activities just waiting for you to explore. National Parks Service Accessibility ——————————— Are you a card-carrying Earth Rangers member yet? Make sure to sign up for FREE App today to get your membership card in the mail! Get it here! https://www.earthrangers.com/EN/CA/get-the-app/ And don't forget to use the code "EMMA" in the App to unlock 25 bonus points. ——————————— For more great shows, visit GZMShows.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to commercial real estate, a lot of attention is obviously paid to offices. But it's not the only sector facing strains. Apartment buildings — or multifamily residential — may also be in for trouble. For years, rates were falling and rents were rising, and owning and operating apartments was a moneymaker. Then things went into overdrive with the pandemic, thanks to plunging rates, surging rents, and an explosion in new household formation. But all of that is reversing. Rates have surged. Insurance costs have surged. Operating costs have surged. The household formation boom didn't last. And in some areas of the country — particular in some Sun Belt markets — rents are actually falling. On this episode, we speak with Lee Everett, vice president of research and strategy at Waterton, on how a multi-family deal binge in 2021 will result in a huge hangover.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we're learning from Matt Mering, the Executive Vice President of Hospitality at Waterton. Matt shares the origins and development of Outbound Hotels, a nature and adventure-focused lifestyle portfolio. We explore the investment opportunities in the hospitality industry and how Waterton's experience in multifamily real estate has positioned them well to invest in hospitality. Tune in to learn more about the intersection of investment and outdoor-focused hospitality and travel.What did you think about this episode? Join the Hospitality Daily community on LinkedIn and share your thoughts. If you care about hospitality, check out the Masters of Moments podcast where Jake Wurzak interviews top leaders in hospitality. His conversations with Bashar Wali and Matt Marquis are a great place to start, but also check out his solo episodes such as how he underwrites investment deals and a deep dive into GP fees you know about. Music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Carl Whitaker talks with Waterton’s Lee Everett — one of America's more experienced real estate research veterans — and gleans valuable insights into the current multifamily market and the broader macro real estate environment. It’s a great snapshot of the multifamily market courtesy of Waterton's extensive 20-market nationwide footprint. Learn more about Waterton at https://waterton.com/

Tyler Blaney is a husband, father-of-three, and a real estate agent from Calgary AB.  He also happens to be a thru hiker turned ultrarunner with a great story.  He started running cross country in high school while living in Kelowna, BC and fell in love with his ability to cover great distances in a short period of time and the sense of adventure this provided him.  After high school he stopped running and spent over a decade of cycling.  During COVID Tyler felt the need to reconnect with who he was and in 2021 found himself backpacking the Great Divide Trail from Waterton to Jasper - a distance of 850km in 35 days.  On the last day of the thru hike he decided to run the 44km Skyline Trail and found that it was easy!  Following his hike Tyler wanted to preserve the incredible base he had built and took up trail ultrarunning, completing three ultras in 2022.  As if this wasn't enough of an accomplishment, he did it all with a significant back injury that added a level of complexity to his adventures.  Hiking and running didn't necessarily help his back pain, but they didn't make it worse. Tyler describes himself as a curious human who wants to see what he is capable of in all areas of his life while using a daily practice of gratitude. He utilized this mindset to accomplish feats of endurance that many would never even consider possible.We close this episode with a discussion on what still scares Tyler after all he's experienced and his comments reveal the wisdom of someone who has spent many  miles exploring what it means to be the human he wants to be.Connect with Tyler:YouTube: youtu.be/wgQDH0bIrwwInstagram: @tyblaneyFacebook: @tyblaneyPodcast: Game ChangersConnect with Carolyn & Kim:Email us with guest ideas: inspiredsolescast@gmail.comInspired Soles InstagramKim's InstagramKim's FacebookCarolyn's InstagramCarolyn's FacebookCarolyn's websiteWe love hearing from you! Connect with us on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to inspiredsolescast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend, subscribe or leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

In this short special video episode, we take you on a journey across Alberta to visit the streets, buildings, and trails where season one of The Last of Us was filmed. This video is also available on YouTube right here: https://youtu.be/1bIaIFxB7ts All locations in order: - Joel and Sarah's Neighbourhood & Home - High River, AB - Lone Star Watch and Jewelry & Streets of Austin - Fort MacLeod, AB - Massachusetts State House - Alberta Legislature Building, Edmonton, AB - The Cumberland Farms - Priddis General Store, Priddis, AB - Lincoln, MA - High River, AB - Bridge Near Kansas City - Indian Battle Park, Lethbridge, AB - Barricade Near Kansas City - Calgary Airport Tunnel, Calgary, AB - Bloater Invasion Neighbourhood - Calgary, AB - Sam and Henry's Burial Site - Ranchland Inn/HWY 2, Nanton, AB - Bridge of Death - Canmore Engine Bridge, Canmore, AB - University of Eastern Colorado - Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, AB - Joel and Ellie's Hideout - Okotoks, AB - Silver Lake, CO - Waterton Lakes National Park, AB - Todd's Steakhouse - Lakeside Chophouse, Waterton, AB - Nabo the Masai Giraffe - Wilder Institute & Calgary Zoo, Calgary, AB - Jackson Lookout - Barrier Lake Lookout, Kananaskis, AB --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mgspodcast/message

Well it has been a minute since we had a chance to catch up and record a podcast but in this episode Tamara shares her insights and experience from her recent family trip to Japan. Kim and Tamara also share their love for Scottsdale, Arizona and some of the things they did on a girls' trip together. Read more at: Scottsdale girls weekend Reasons to visit Scottsdale in summer Best Scottsdale Arizona resorts for girlfriends trips Scottsdale weekend itinerary Tamara also talked about her time in Paso Robles, California. You can read her Paso Robles itinerary to get inspired to visit this wine region. Kim attended conferences in Walt Disney World (read her tips for using DVC points to save money on a Disney World vacation), Disney Land, and San Antonio. She also took a family cruise to Alaska aboard the Norwegian Bliss, which was different from her Alaska cruise on Holland America last summer. Kim also took a quick press trip to Iceland, where she was able to explore Reykjavik and visit the Sky Lagoon. We really dug into Tamara's 2-week trip to Japan which included: 5 Days in Tokyo 5 Days in Kyoto 3 Days in Osaka If you are planning a trip, be sure to read Tamara's Japan travel tips! When talking about how great Google Maps can be to figure out transportation in Japan, Kim also mentioned her post about using Google Maps to plan a trip. Tamara was also just back from a short press trip to Waterton and Glacier National Parks. We will be traveling a lot over the summer so expect to hear another episode in the late summer. Then you will hear about Tamara's trip to Scotland & Wales, her river and barge cruises in France, and Kim's amazing trip to Kenya. Full Episode Transcript [00:00:00.000] - Kim Today, we're journeying to the land of the rising sun.   [00:00:14.520] - Tamara Welcome to Vacation Mavens a family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suicase and Tamara from We Three Travel.   [00:00:29.740] - Tamara Kim, I can't believe the last time I really talked to you was when we were together in Scottsdale in April.   [00:00:34.670] - Kim I know. It's been a crazy travel season for us. Good. I love that travel's back and everything, but it's also crazy because I thought we would be talking more and we've seen each other so much at the beginning of the year. And then all of a sudden it's like, Oh, summer is almost over.   [00:00:47.920] - Tamara Not quite. That was our intent was to have this monthly. We're struggling, guys. So if anyone is still listening and subscribe to us, which I hope that they are, we're going to do a quick little rundown of some of our recent travels. Now you'll see why we haven't been able to connect and record an episode.   [00:01:07.600] - Kim Yeah, exactly. It's been insane. The last time you guys heard from us, we were headed to Scottsdale, which was middle of April, and we both, I think, had an amazing trip there. We both published our articles, so you can always head to Wee 3 Travel and Stuff Suitcase and see the stuff that we covered. But I loved Scottsdale. It was great.   [00:01:25.720] - Tamara Yeah. I think Scottsdale just continues to be a place I want to go back to because there's so many beautiful resorts and hotels, so there's always some place new to check out. There's amazing spas. Then this time, we did a lot of really cool activities.   [00:01:41.370] - Kim I loved how it was really I think Scottsdale is a great destination a combination for being able to do outdoorsy things. We did hot air balloons, horseback riding, a few different things. But we also did wine tasting and shopping and went to some museums. Then, like you said, went to an amazing spot, the Phoenixion. Scottsdale, if you are a spa person, that's where you want to go.   [00:02:03.230] - Tamara I've been watching our friend, Colleen, that lives out in Scottsdale. She seems to be hopping around another spa every day. I'm like, Wow, I want to come be your friend right now.   [00:02:12.830] - Kim I think everyone's been saying that, I want your job.   [00:02:15.790] - Tamara I'm sure. I would definitely say romantic getaway, girlfriend get away. Scottsdale is amazing for that. There's plenty to do with the family as well because of all those outdoor activities. But definitely check out. I know I have an itinerary. You have some great suggestions on things to do in the summer and how to manage the heat out there. D efinitely check those out on our websites to see more.   [00:02:39.620] - Kim So where did you head after Scottsdale?   [00:02:41.800] - Tamara I went right from Scottsdale to T uson to see Hannah for a little bit. And then the following week, I went to Paso Robles, which I'd learned.   [00:02:51.090] - Kim I always said it was Paso Robles. Oh, it's Robles.   [00:02:52.980] - Tamara Yeah. And it's actually Robles. And I'm like, I feel silly saying Robles.   [00:02:57.270] - Kim Yeah, it sounds like Marbles.   [00:02:58.630] - Tamara But that is a wine region in central California near San Louis Biscoe. I just love it. I was there, I think it was nine or eight years ago with the family, and we were checking out some family friendly wineries there. But it has just exploded in terms of the number of wineries, but also really good food now. The downtown has expanded. I stayed in a new boutique hotel that was just I loved it, which was so cool. It has a rooftop bar. It had a wine, actually a champagne vending machine in the lobby. Oh, I saw that. I saw your story on that. Yeah. So I had a great time out there. And I definitely think anyone that's into wine, put that on your radar as a region to visit. You can easily spill a long weekend. I had a couple of really wonderful spots that I went for wine tasting, just those perfect, incredible views, great food, wonderful wine. I think where many, many years ago it was newer to the scene or it was well known for J. L oor, some of the bigger names. There's just so much going on out there.   [00:04:02.940] - Tamara Where did you go next? Because I know you were really busy right after our.   [00:04:06.130] - Kim Scottsdale trip, too. I had three trips back to back. I did go to Disney World for a conference and I got to ride the new Tron ride. I also checked out a new hotel, which was the Contemporary Hotel, which I had never been to. I loved that. I really do love the splurging on those Disney World hotels that have the monorail access and the ones we've been at Revere too with the Skyliner because, man, it's amazing how much easier it is just to get into and not have to deal with the bus system because then whenever I have to wait for a bus to one of the parks and it's like, inevitably I get there and I'm the last one, I've got to wait for 20.   [00:04:39.400] - Tamara Minutes or something. I will say that's what I liked the most about Disneyland because I've never stayed on park at Disney World. I've only stayed at partner hotels and by hotels.   [00:04:50.150] - Kim Yeah, it is a big splurge for sure. I have a great article about that, though, because we splurged and used... We rented DVC points to be able to stay, and it's still not cheap. It was for the graduation trip and stuff, and this one does a conference hotel rate. I'm definitely not saying it's cheap, affordable, but if you do want to splurge, renting DVC points, and I have a link, so if anyone wants it, or you can look up the how I saved $2,000 plus dollars at Disney World. I have how we did that in there. I actually just tried to do it for Disneyland, but they didn't have any availability because Disneyland only has one property, almost two. Anyways, I did that. But then right after that, I also went on another Alaskan cruise, which you and I have talked about a few times. I'll soon have a couple of articles updated, but this was more of just a family cruise, so I didn't actually treat it like a work trip, which was nice to.   [00:05:39.930] - Tamara Just relax. Which cruise were you on this time, though? Because I feel like was it last summer that you did celebrity?   [00:05:44.310] - Kim Holland last August, which I absolutely loved. I loved Holland. I haven't done celebrity in Alaska yet, but Holland America was awesome. This time we did Norwegian because my family has status with there, and so they like to book Norwegian. We did the bliss, which we have been on the bliss before for a little media sailing when they started it.   [00:06:02.560] - Tamara That's the one that we took.   [00:06:03.920] - Kim To Alaska. Yeah, exactly. Family trip. Yeah. Anyway, so that was that. Then I had one other conference, then back to Disneyland. I hit both the parks within about three weeks of each other, but that was a lot of fun and just...   [00:06:17.460] - Tamara You should have really had a Disney.   [00:06:19.000] - Kim Cruise in the middle. I should have. That would have been perfect. Yeah, exactly. But anyways, that was a wrap up for me. My final trip that I did was I went at the end of May and went to San Antonio for another conference. It feels like most of mine were conferences. I was just conference out. But San Antonio is a cool city. It's been a while since I've been there. I went there for one day when I went to school in Texas for a little while. It was fun checking out San Antonio. But I know you've done a lot of other travels that did not involve conferences.   [00:06:51.170] - Tamara Yeah, I'm like, Have I? I guess. You forget by now. Yeah, that's for sure. Well, I went back to T uson a week and a half later to pick up Hannah and bring her back from school. Then we were home for a week. Then we did our two week trip to Japan. Then I was home for, I don't know, two weeks. Then I just did a real quicky trip to Glacier National Park area.   [00:07:14.290] - Kim Right. I forgot you went to glacier and I went to Iceland. I forgot to mention that. Oh, yeah. I'm blanking on June. I forgot June even existed. Sorry, I was just focusing on up to May, but yeah, definitely. I didn't get to experience the Iceland you got to experience because we stuck around Reykjavik and just explored a couple of attractions that were around there. So it was a quick, quick trip. But Mia is quite the little outdoor lover and cultured lover, so I definitely want to go back to Iceland with her because I know she'll just love to do some of the exploration that you've done.   [00:07:48.850] - Tamara I was going to say, I'll meet you there. Yeah, definitely. I'm always ready to go back there. Yeah, well, I'll definitely put all of these links to articles in our show notes so you guys can read more. But I think.   [00:08:00.800] - Kim That's a good way to do it. But I think we should dive into Japan because it is a very hot destination. I'm still so sad because ours was canceled. We were supposed to be going in April 2020, so we switched off and now you got to finally live the vacation that I was dreaming about back then. I think we should give everyone just a really quick rundown because I know that you have done an amazing job of writing a whole bunch of articles that are really going to be useful for people who are planning a trip to Japan. Let's just start off and give you an idea of how many days were you there and how maybe did you break up your itinerary?   [00:08:36.480] - Tamara Yeah, absolutely. We took two weeks because especially coming from the East Coast, it's just such a long trip. Honestly, it's been on the top of our bucket list for so long, but we just haven't had two weeks where we felt comfortable to go that far knowing we're going to deal with jet lag on the way back. And then the flights are just always so expensive. But at least I was able to use points for one of our flights. So we took two weeks. I flew out on a Saturday morning. Yes, I got there on a Sunday, and then we were supposed to come back on Saturday, but we came back on Sunday because of a weather delay. But anyway, so I did five days in Tokyo, five days in Kyoto, and then three nights in Osaka. When I first started planning the trip, a lot of people told me that I would only need two or three days in Tokyo. But as I was looking at everything that we wanted to do, I was like, I really feel like I could easily spend a week here. It's just a fascinating city. There's just the ultra modern, and then there's the more traditional and each neighborhood is so huge.   [00:09:42.570] - Tamara I think what many people don't realize is just how large the cities are. It's funny, I was talking to my mom before I left, and I don't think she's kept up on modern times as much. There's no way she's listening to this podcast, so I can say it. But she was like, Oh, I showed a picture when we went. She's like, Sky scrapers? I wasn't expecting that. I'm like, What do you think? It's rural villages. But this is the biggest city in the world.   [00:10:09.310] - Kim Yeah, for sure.   [00:10:11.080] - Tamara So it's so huge. And I'm used to going to Europe where even though the cities can be really large, we always stay in that historic, more central area where you're mostly walking. You're taking the metro, but you're primarily walking around a lot. And you may pick a neighborhood, I think about Paris. You pick a neighborhood each day. But in Tokyo, to get to a certain neighborhood, it might be 45 minutes on the couple of connections with the subway and stuff. So I'm glad that we did five days. That's crazy. I could end that was within without doing the Disney stuff, which I know many people like to do when they go there.   [00:10:49.630] - Kim I do know that as a Disney person, it would be hard for me to go to Tokyo and not do Disney, at least Disney Sea, because it's considered a really unique park.   [00:11:00.330] - Tamara Yeah, that's what everyone says. It's unlike any of the others. I get it. But we're not as.   [00:11:06.430] - Kim Into the.   [00:11:06.990] - Tamara Theme parks. Glenn was like, I am not going around the world to go to theme parks.   [00:11:11.590] - Kim Exactly. When you have limited, yes, it's totally valid. I mean, it's very hard to figure out. I agree. I get what he's saying, but I also have that side of me that's like, Oh, but how can you be this close and not do it? So it's very hard to balance that. So, yeah, it sounds good. So you were saying, I know you guys... So I'm picturing Tokyo for my own planning. So you guys were in the Northwestern side of where you look at the downtown to the...   [00:11:38.990] - Tamara Right. The Shizuku neighborhood, which some people were like, oh, do you want to stay there? It's like Times Square. And the area right around the train station is lots of neon, lots of crazy, especially at night. But we were honestly within a 10 minute walk to that, but where we were was more like, business, like government buildings, things like that. So it was really quiet, peaceful. It was great. And we stayed at the Hilton, Tokyo, and it was basically on top of... You could go just down an escalator and connect to two different subway stations. Plus they had a free shuttle if you wanted to the Shinkoku train station. So it was really very accessible. It felt very convenient. And there was plenty of restaurants and things around, but it wasn't super expensive. I don't know how expensive, really, but the Ginza area is much more high end. And then the Shiboya would be nice. But it totally.   [00:12:43.620] - Kim Worked for us. We were happy with it. Nice. That's perfect. Yeah. I had looked at staying in the ginza area because of a few... I was also liked that it was closer to the Disney side, so it was a little easier to get out there. For those of you planning Genza area is basically opposite, diagonal across from where tomorrow states. I've heard the same thing from my research. You really have to allow a lot of time to transfer if you're going to different sides of what you consider the downtown center, 45 minutes to get across sometimes. Kind of crazy. Great. Well, what were some of the highlights then that you guys did when you were in Tokyo?   [00:13:17.970] - Tamara We did a sushi making workshop with True Japan, and we really enjoyed it. The ladies were just really friendly and funny and nice. And so it was fun to see what goes into making sushi. And you probably know that I'm not a sushi eater, really. And we can talk about food later because it worked out better than I expected, except for a couple of times. But it was just fun. It's such a huge part of the culture. So I enjoyed that. We didn't do a whole lot of tours and things. We did a lot of exploring on our own. But the one thing that everybody has to do, which was as amazing as you would think, was the team lab planets, which is that immersive art experience where there's water and flowers and reflections. It's just unlike anything else. And it's really cool. And we've done the traveling, like van go immersive experience. But this was turning that up times 10 or more. And Hannah really loved it. It was really cool. The thing about it is you definitely have to book your tickets well in advance because just one of those things you have a timed entry.   [00:14:30.970] - Tamara It's super popular. And honestly, when it comes to planning Japan, you really need to plan really far in advance. I mean, if you want to get restaurant reservations, some of them book up a month in advance. I think because some of them are so small that if they could take reservations, it might be for eight seats. And so they just go really quickly. And we weren't even there during cherry blossom season or golden week in early May when it's extra busy. difficult to do that. It was amazing. But I would say those are definitely highlights. I just loved exploring different areas. We did go, surprisingly, I liked this, but we went to a sumo wrestling tournament. Yeah, I wonder if I saw that. Which sometimes when people are there, they can see a practice. But there was actually a tournament going on while we were there. So that was something that I had figured out ahead of time. And when the tickets went on sale, I was able to book those the day that they were released. And it was a very cool thing. You don't want to spend hours and hours there because you don't know who the guys are.   [00:15:33.160] - Tamara But just like you could see how excited everyone was to cheer for their favorite, the local person or whatever. And it's just such a dramatic theatrical type of sport. It was interesting. Yeah, for sure. Those are some of my highlights.   [00:15:48.770] - Kim That's awesome. Because I know I saw some of the restaurant experiences you had. It seemed like sometimes you guys went simple and basic, but other times you went really over the top. Anything in Tokyo that you think somebody should splurge on or any savings tips for food or eating in Tokyo other than the restaurants making the reservations?   [00:16:08.160] - Tamara Yeah, we did mostly the casual places in Tokyo. What I was trying to do, because I'm not a sushi eater, is have a variety of foods. And in Japan, all the restaurants really specialize in one thing. They do ramen, they do tempura, they do soba noodles, different things like that. So there's so many different styles of food to try within Japanese cuisine that we just booked a different style of food each night. And honestly, in some of them, we had to line up for the first night that we got there, we went to a place where it opened up five, and we got there at 445, and there was already probably 40 people in line for a 10 seat little place. And you basically you would wait till there was enough space in line. There was people sitting at the counter eating and then people standing behind them waiting for the second that they got up to sit in.   [00:16:56.790] - Kim Their seat. Oh, my goodness.   [00:16:57.810] - Tamara Oh, wow. And you had a vending machine, which is typical. Yeah, a vending machine to order from. So it's typical in a lot of ramen shops. So there's pictures and you just hit the button of what you want. You put in the money, you get a ticket and you hand.   [00:17:11.650] - Kim The person the ticket. That's like McDonald's.   [00:17:13.780] - Tamara Yeah. I'm just kidding. Those.   [00:17:16.820] - Kim Screams in the middle. They have one at Tim Horton's as well. So of.   [00:17:20.940] - Tamara Course, I made a mistake the first time because I saw people with a broth, which I thought was a ramen, and then a bowl of noodles. And I'm like, oh, that's so I saw on the machine that they had dipping noodles and they had ramen. And then you could add extra things, but only if you could tell what the picture was because it was otherwise in Japanese. And so I ordered dipping noodles because it looked really good and ramen because I thought that that's what people had. And then when I handed the girl the ticket, she was like, for one person?   [00:17:51.710] - Kim Oh, no. And she was like, you.   [00:17:53.890] - Tamara Want small or large? Because I was like, oh, is that not what they have? And she was like, no, they have. Because the dipping noodles come with a broth, so I thought it was that they had two.   [00:18:02.980] - Kim Different things in front of them. Oh, and bologna.   [00:18:04.650] - Tamara Yeah. Okay, got you. But I'm really glad that I did it because both were delicious. So I'm happy to sample both. But then Glenn ordered on his ramen, Scallions, and it was covered. It was like a mountain of Scallions because I was like extra. But it was like, if you get extra cheese on a pizza, it's like extra.   [00:18:23.110] - Kim Extra extra. Oh, my goodness. Crazy. I mean, I love Scallions, but I don't know if I could handle the mountain of them.   [00:18:27.560] - Tamara It was crazy. So you make those little mistakes. But we did a lot of the more casual things. And the hard thing is that honestly, I kept saying this, but there's very little in between. So there are the places where you... First of all, Japanese people love to line up, which is really hard when you're visiting and you're tired and you want to be able to eat with a certain time. People wait for two hours to get into this little ramen place or whatever. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, because you're like, I'm tired. I've been running all day. We were running like 5 to 9 miles. We were doing a lot of walking every day. So I'm like, I just want to sit down. So that's why we tried to do some reservations. But there were the really casual, inexpensive, really inexpensive places. And then there's the crazy, crazy high end... Some of the Sushi places, I'm like, there's no way. Because some of them charge up to like $500.   [00:19:19.820] - Kim A person. Oh, my goodness.   [00:19:21.930] - Tamara Insane. That's crazy. So there's just not a lot of middle ground is what I found. Okay, good to know. But the low end, not low end, but the inexpensive stuff is really good.   [00:19:31.970] - Kim Yeah, of course. You just have to go on to wait for it.   [00:19:35.440] - Tamara Yeah, exactly. And honestly, one day... So we had a bit of a rough start because Glenn had a stomach bug the day before we left. So the whole flight over and everything, he basically didn't eat for a couple of days. And then I had a really bad cold the day before we left. And for two days, I was so nervous, I'm testing. I'm like, Please.   [00:19:57.490] - Kim Don't let it be.   [00:19:58.350] - Tamara And it was. And it was just a cold, but I was still super congested, so it was just hard. And in Japanese society, you can't blow.   [00:20:06.290] - Kim Your nose.   [00:20:06.970] - Tamara In public. So I'm trying to be so discreet, going outside and blowing my nose and sanitizing and tucking it into my pocket know, like very... Like trying to be really conscious of that and trying to be super sanitary. But Hannah did end up getting a cold also. One day she was just not feeling up to going out and doing a tour and stuff. So we're like, just stay here and sleep. It was going to be the day that we toured one neighborhood and then we went to the sumo wrestling, and she wasn't super into that anyway. So we're just sleep. And then she went out on her own and she found a 7 11 because just like everybody says, 7 11 has amazing convenience food. So you can buy these really good sandwiches and all that stuff. So there's definitely plenty of ways that you can eat cheap there.   [00:20:56.090] - Kim That's good to know. So then from Tokyo, you went to Kyoto? Yes. Kyoto is such a different vibe. Yeah, the bullet train, right?   [00:21:05.570] - Tamara Yeah. So a couple of things to know about the bullet train is that we had gotten the JR pass, which allows you to use all the JR trains. We got the national ones, so you could use bullet trains as well, except the super fast ones weren't included. And we had gotten one that allows us to make seat reservations. And you also, if you're bringing luggage on the train, you now need to make a reservation for the luggage. And this is for more of a checked bag size luggage, not the carry on size. But we were there for two weeks, so we had checked bags. So you can make a reservation for the last row of seats where the luggage can go behind you, or there's a couple of spots on a luggage rack, but they're really cutting down on luggage on trains. Or you can ship your bags ahead, which we ended up actually a couple of times just shipping our bags ahead. And it only costs $20 a bag. It's waiting for you in the hotel when you get there. It takes 24 hours. So you need to have a small bag with all your stuff for.   [00:22:06.140] - Kim Then one day. Yeah.   [00:22:07.320] - Tamara But we took the bullet train and that worked really well. We saw Mount Fuji because it was a nice day out. So and we ended up like, we got to Kyoto and we just put our bags in a locker and then we took a local train out to Nara, which is about a half hour away or so, maybe 45 minutes. And there's a really beautiful, huge temple out there. But also it's known for their deer park, which Glenn, years ago, because we both work for a Japanese company, so he's been to Japan many times, but 25 years ago. And so he would always tell us about the deer in Nara that bow to you to get fed. Oh, right. And the deer have changed a bit in the last few years.   [00:22:53.320] - Kim Yes. I've heard about this stuff. They have this issue at the monkey place, too.   [00:22:57.310] - Tamara They were so aggressive. That's too bad. They were grabbing my shirt and pulling on my shirt. They nipped my butt. I'm like, Whoa. I feel like all these videos of Glenn and I trying to run away from the deer and we're like, Oh, no. Let's just get away from where the food is so that the deer are calmer. But it's funny because later in the trip, we went to the island of Miyajima, and they have wild deer there also. And one of them followed me into the visitor center, went over to the desk, grabbed a brochure, and then ran out.   [00:23:29.250] - Kim Because they like to get the paper.   [00:23:31.240] - Tamara And so the person comes running out behind the desk, yelling at the deer. And then there's three people in the street trying to wrestle the paper away from the deer.   [00:23:39.390] - Kim Oh, my goodness.   [00:23:40.590] - Tamara And I'm like, You think of deer in the headlights, these gentle creatures.   [00:23:45.240] - Kim Yeah, exactly. It's sad when humanity is like, Yeah, I won't get there.   [00:23:51.560] - Tamara No, it's definitely because there's too many tourists now. They're being fed. Definitely not a great situation. But we did enjoy the day trip out there. Yeah, for sure. I love everything about Japan. It's just so clean and orderly and polite and easy to figure out. My type A personality just really appreciates the order of things. I would like that too. The fact that everybody stands in a line and waits and then you get on when you get on. I love that because in a society where everyone's pushing or whatever, I get.   [00:24:27.400] - Kim Super stressed out. Oh, my gosh, I hated it. We were on a cruise, a European cruise, and that attracts a lot of Europeans. I thought, Oh, you wait in line for your turn to go get your food that you want served. But no, people just come up from other directions and just walk right up. There's no line concept. I'm like, Oh, I like lines. What am I supposed to do? So sorry.   [00:24:49.240] - Tamara I get that. You would love Japan. I think it's such a wonderful place to visit. I think there must be challenges if you live there within the culture. I recognize that I used to work for a Japanese company. I'm aware of many of those issues, but as a visitor, it makes it so pleasant. But anyway, I was going to say that they have lockers where you can store things. Everything is just easy. The trains, everything is in Japanese and English.   [00:25:19.260] - Kim I know they did a big push with that before the Olympics were going to be there. They were trying to...   [00:25:25.180] - Tamara And all of the trains have signs that say what the next stop is. Because sometimes you're on a subway and you're trying to look and you're like, Oh, yeah. They might not answer, but you're like, What was that?   [00:25:36.320] - Kim What did they say?   [00:25:37.460] - Tamara That's Charlie Brown's.   [00:25:38.740] - Kim Teacher talking to you. Exactly. I've had that happen so many times.   [00:25:43.040] - Tamara So that part was great. And Kyoto is just very different. So it is more traditional in the architecture. They preserved a lot of the traditional architecture. There's tons of shrines and temple s o that's the thing is that you could get a little shrine and templed out, but the architecture is so beautiful. There is a downtown center city that's more city like, but it's nothing like Tokyo.   [00:26:09.310] - Kim Or Nagasaki. I remember when we were looking to stay in Kyoto, I seem to recall because we were going to go during... We were hoping for cherry blossom season, but I seem to recall there it's still pretty spread out and there's little neighborhoods in Kyoto even. It's like, okay, this one has more of this vibe and this one I can't remember where we were staying, but I was looking at the different things and getting the bamboo forest, like, oh, well, I'd have to leave here and we want to be near a train station.   [00:26:32.970] - Tamara All those plans. Yeah, you do want to be near a train station because the metro system is not as well developed there. So we took a mix of busses, GR trains, private trains that you paid for the same way you'd pay for a subway. But when we stayed at the Hyatt Regency, which was probably about a 10 minute walk to one of the train stations, but there was a bus that stopped right outside that then went to the main Kyoto station, which is where we would get on to go to the bamboo forest. And then, yeah, so it was conveniently located, but you definitely needed to plan your travel because some of those destinations, especially many of them were taking slower local trains, and they could still take 45 minutes to.   [00:27:26.150] - Kim An hour. That was one of the things in my planning that was the hardest is recognizing that there are so many different train lines, like brands, and you might have a pass with one, but it doesn't necessarily mean you can go on every train that's coming in. So it's an interesting thing that I've never... I'm sure maybe it's in other places around the world, but it's not something we think about in the states at all.   [00:27:49.420] - Tamara The nice thing, though, is that we had our JR pass, which, by the way, I don't even know if they're going to be that useful after this fall because the price is almost doubling. It's going up. It's having some. Unless ticket prices are going up a lot also, you might just want to buy individual tickets.   [00:28:04.190] - Kim Individual.   [00:28:04.600] - Tamara Ticket, yeah. But we bought, as soon as we got, we had ordered the JR passes ahead, so we had our voucher that we had to turn in to get the actual pass. Then we went to an ATM because you needed cash for a lot of things. We have to also use cash to get an IC card. So this is the rechargeable card that you would use to get on the metro or the bus or something like that. But the nice thing is that unlike, Oh, I'm going to New York, I need a metro card. I'm going to this place, I need that card for their.   [00:28:32.660] - Kim Subway system. Yeah, like Long Island Railroad and Metro card.   [00:28:35.370] - Tamara Yeah, exactly. This card worked for all of them. And it also works for a lot of vending machines.   [00:28:41.990] - Kim Some convenient stores.   [00:28:42.850] - Tamara Yeah, the vending machine.   [00:28:43.690] - Kim I forgot. And you reload it always with cash, though? You always have to reload it only cash. You can't reload it with cash.   [00:28:48.300] - Tamara Yeah, which is so bizarre. It's like this is a digital payment system and I'm loading it with cash.   [00:28:53.590] - Kim I wonder if it's because they want to make sure that you're actually paying for it. They don't want you to just be able to dispute it and have gotten the ride for free or gotten the food for free. You know what I mean? I wonder if it's a culture thing.   [00:29:04.840] - Tamara I do know that it used to be, before COVID, a very cash based society. Now more and more places will take a credit card. And if you have, there's a lot of... Not many places take Apple Pay, but a lot of them do take a tap payment system, but more one that they have in Asia. I don't know if it's really worth signing up and trying to figure that out. Got you. I just basically used my.   [00:29:28.420] - Kim Chip credit card. The IC card and.   [00:29:30.030] - Tamara The card anytime for that. And the IC card for the metro, the bus, some vending machines, some required cash still. But yeah, it's just super convenient. So even though there are different trains, so yeah, maybe you can't use your free pass, not for you because you.   [00:29:44.710] - Kim Paid a lot for it.   [00:29:45.480] - Tamara But it's still pretty easy to get around.   [00:29:49.930] - Kim Yeah, it's good. That's great. And I do want to quickly, before we jump over to finishing up Kyoto and going to Asaka, I did want to mention something that you did that I think was brilliant because I even had looked into doing it when we were planning our trip. And that was you had someone meet you at the airport, right?   [00:30:05.450] - Tamara Yeah, I did. And don't do it. At least not for the company that I did. Okay, here we go. You and I had talked about it. I think it was about $75 to $100. It was the company that I bought the JR Pass from. I also arranged to rent a mobile hotspot, so that was taken care of ahead of time to pick up at the airport. And I arranged to have a greeter meet us after customs. And then what I was told was that that greeter would then take me to do the things I need to do at the airport, which would be pick up my mobile hotspot, exchange my JR Pass, get my IC card, find where I need to go to get my transfer.   [00:30:45.390] - Kim Get the train.   [00:30:46.220] - Tamara I figured, hey, it's not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things.   [00:30:51.800] - Kim And especially.   [00:30:52.310] - Tamara After traveling.   [00:30:52.820] - Kim For 20 hours.   [00:30:53.250] - Tamara And I want to be jet lived. Yeah, exactly. This will be useful. It was such a waste of money because first I'm trying to talk to the guy, I'm like, okay, we need to go to an ATM, and he's not even understanding what I'm saying. I'm like, You're a greeter. I'm not coming in there with like, everyone should speak English, but his job is.   [00:31:11.680] - Kim To meet people. When you pay people. Yeah, exactly. I know a lot of times they'll have if you want to in English or if you want to in... You can specify a language, but.   [00:31:20.330] - Tamara It seems like it's... Yeah. So one person had my name up and then she called this guy over. So it's like a service they do for multiple people. They had multiple greeters there. I don't know if I just got an inexperienced person, but I went to the counter of the mobile WiFi hotspot place and that person spoke perfect English, no trouble communicating at all.   [00:31:40.320] - Kim And it was easy to find. And you were able to easily find everything.   [00:31:42.690] - Tamara Yeah. I mean, he led me there, but I could have found it on my own, no problem. And then I was trying to explain that I wanted to go to the JR ticket office to get our pass, but also see if he could help us make reservations. Yeah, exactly. Because I wanted to make the reservations as soon as I had my pass because I wanted to try to get the luggage reservations. And he was just like, Oh, no, they don't do reservations here. And I'm like, Oh, well, that's part of why I wanted to pay for this service because I wanted somebody to help me translate what my need was. And meanwhile, we were back and forth, just not understanding each other. So then I get in line at the JR ticket office. I get up there, perfect English from the person that's behind the desk, completely easy to talk to. They didn't make the reservations there. They told me where to go in the Tokyo station or Shinchu station, whatever, which I did the next day. That person also spoke really good English, was able to communicate no problem. And then I was trying to explain that I want to get an IC card.   [00:32:38.620] - Tamara And he was like, Well, you can get the one that requires a deposit or not a deposit. I'm like, I don't care? Can you just tell me where? And he didn't know where to go. Finally, the guy that was behind me in line at the JR ticket office was like, Oh, you want this line right here. And I'm like, Thank you. Then I'm like, What? Then I had arranged for an airport limo bus to take us from the airport directly to our hotel. I just thought first day, and it's really, it's inexpensive. Taxis there are very expensive, but this is inexpensive. And instead of having to drag some bags on multiple trains and subways, I thought it's easy. And so I was like, I thought all that would take us an hour and a half, maybe, from the time we arrived. So I had booked a later bus, but it was really quick to do all of it. So I was like, Oh, maybe we can get an earlier bus. So I was trying to get him to help us with that. No. So I ended up just doing it on my phone. But then he had to come down and he was like, No, I have to wait.   [00:33:42.890] - Tamara Because I was like, Okay, we're all set. Thank you. Bye. And he's like, No, I have to wait till you get on the bus. I'm like, All right, well, can you just stand over there? Because I'm like, I'm done.   [00:33:52.120] - Kim Yeah, exactly. You did not help me. Wow. Okay, well, that's good tip. Good to know.   [00:33:56.970] - Tamara What not to.   [00:33:58.150] - Kim Do, I guess. What not, yeah. No, I mean, it's good because I had considered that too because I was thinking the same thing like, Oh, my gosh, how am I going to get my pass? I was thinking all that same stuff.   [00:34:07.930] - Tamara Cool. I think a lot of things with travel, it feels so overwhelming. But once you're there, you're like, Oh, this is not as bad as I.   [00:34:13.260] - Kim Thought it was going to be. Well, especially in a country that you can't even get around with. It's like, Oh, I speak a little Spanish. I speak a little French. It's just like, None of that's going to help you. You don't want to go in being a ignorant traveler who's just like, Oh, why don't you speak my language in your country? Exactly. I can't stand people like that. But anyways, okay, good to know. Anything else about Kyoto you wanted to mention? I did think it was awesome, your little tip about the bamboo forest. It wasn't really a tip, but I was so happy that you had that experience because I heard the same thing.   [00:34:44.990] - Tamara When I was there, even, I saw some people on Instagram that seem to be there at the same time, but a couple of days before me. And they showed just this mass of people walking through. Because the word is out that for many of these things, you need to get there early. And so even if you show up at 7 AM, there's still this massive crowd of people funneling through this little area. And I don't want to do that. It was an hour away. No one's getting up at 5 AM to get to a place by 7 or whatever just to take a photo. My family doesn't roll like that. They're like, I don't really care about your photo. We just want to see it. And so we decided to sleep in a little bit. We went, we had lunch, then we went to the monkey forest. And I will say the whole Arashima area is, for a touristy area, so much nicer than I expected. It was really lovely. And there's a really pretty river that runs along that on some days you can run boats. It was really nice. Anyway, so we went to the monkey park first because Glenn loves monkeys, although it's such a steep climb up there, he was like, This better be worth it.   [00:35:53.700] - Tamara Actually, there was a fan of it that was like, This better be worth it for your monkeys. But it was cool. We saw a lot of baby monkeys. The monkeys were not aggressive at all. They just hung out as long as you followed the rules. You weren't staring at them in the eyes to challenge them or something. Then we went to a temple, then we went to the forest. So we got to the Grove, not really a forest. It's much smaller than you think it's going to be. We got there maybe like 2.30, 3 o'clock, and it was fine. There was people there, but no crush of crowd and plenty of space to have a photo. Yeah, there's people in the background, but that's fine. Honestly, we just wanted a couple of family photos. I'm not going to win an Instagram competition over it, but it was nice. And it's really beautiful. It's really pretty. But sometimes I think doing the opposite of what everyone says.   [00:36:47.700] - Kim You should do and work out. Especially when it's been around for so long, people are saying do that because it's very much like, oh, the gates open at seven. And so everyone who's built up, it's just like Disneyland. People say, oh, rope drop, rope drop. And you get there. And if you get there late, there's such a long line to get in. And then people come 30 minutes after opening and they walked right up to the turnstiles. There's something about that.   [00:37:10.900] - Tamara Yeah. And I looked at Google Maps is wonderful. It was so helpful for the travel, figuring out the trains because it would say what platform, but also what car to get on if you were transferring. And then when you were leaving the station, what exit to take because those train stations are huge. So you're like, you don't know where you are when you come out. So it was really, really helpful. And it would tell you like eight minutes, 3 stops, here's the name of your stop. This is how much it's going to cost. It was really very helpful. But you can also look for attractions, and it'll show you the busiest times, like a little graph.   [00:37:47.100] - Kim Yes, for sure.   [00:37:47.990] - Tamara I was like, Okay, it looks like 10 to 2 is super busy. Who knows how accurate it is, but let's go.   [00:37:53.690] - Kim After it. I have a good article about how I use Google Maps and you can make a custom and saver on map to help you with your planning to help see stuff for not just road trips, but also when you're planning a city vacation. But that's a good thing. I always forget about how they have that busy season section. I should add that to my post because.   [00:38:11.540] - Tamara That's a.   [00:38:12.160] - Kim Useful thing.   [00:38:13.300] - Tamara When you're trying to figure out, especially for public transportation, many times the night before, I would look like, Oh, how long is it going to take? Because we need to know what time should we be done breakfast? What time do we need to leave? I like that there's a little drop down where you can say when you're departing or when you want to arrive because it changes. Especially public transportation may not have as many trains when you're looking late at night versus when you're going in the morning.   [00:38:42.000] - Kim Totally. That's awesome. I always worry about the train, the car thing, because even in New York, sometimes I've been like... Because I'm not used to using trains often. When I first started going to New York and doing that, the Long Island Rail Railroad and stuff, they have certain cars they don't open the doors to all the time. During different hours of the day. I'm always like, Oh, how do I know what car I'm in? It's definitely one of those Charlie Brown teacher's voices. Sometimes I'm like, I have no idea where I'm at.   [00:39:10.980] - Tamara That's the other great thing. In Japan, it's like, on the avement on the platform, it has numbers. So it's like, you know exactly what car that's going to be. Oh, man. And then everyone lines up single file behind those on either side of the.   [00:39:26.830] - Kim Door for.   [00:39:27.350] - Tamara Everyone to come out and then they go on.   [00:39:29.780] - Kim It's lovely. Lovely. Nice. Okay, so then your last little stop was OSAKA. So why don't you tell us a little bit about that? Because I had planned that we were going to fly into Tokyo and out of OSAKA, but you ended up going back to Tokyo to go home. But what did you do in Osaka?   [00:39:45.130] - Tamara Yeah, flying out of OSAKA would be ideal, but for us, Delta doesn't do that. So we had to go back to Tokyo. So OSAKA is known as the Japan's Kitchen, so it's known for its street food. So I knew I wanted to take a food tour when we were there because it's just that's really one of the things it's well known for. So I ended up... We actually got there, we explored a little bit. We did the... You made a sky building, which actually Glenn did not do. No surprise that when we went up high, especially there's these glass enclosed elevators that go between two towers on the 39th floor. And he was like, Are you kidding me? No way am I doing that. So Hannah and I did that. And then that night we actually went to a baseball game, which was really fun because Japanese culture is really into baseball. And it was like being at a college game in a way because they were playing Hiroshima, so that's not far away. Half the stadium were Buffalo fans and half the stadium were carp fans and they all sat on the right side.   [00:40:49.140] - Tamara So it's like one half was red, one half was white. And they each had a cheering section in a band. And so you felt like you were a little bit at a college game with the marching band thing. It was a lot of fun. But then the next day we took a food tour with Arrogato Travel, and they have food tours in multiple cities. If you want to do a food tour in any of the cities, I would definitely recommend them. The guide was amazing.   [00:41:13.870] - Kim It seemed like you had a really good time.   [00:41:15.920] - Tamara Yeah, she was really wonderful. She had lived in the US for a little bit. I think she went to the University of Wisconsin. She lived somewhere else in the Midwest, too, but it's just such a funky, fun city. We toured this area called Shenzakai. It was built after World War II to attract Westerners and has more of a Coney Island vibe is what they were going for. It has carnival games and all these street food things. It's just so funky and retro. I think anywhere else I would have been like, Oh, this is cheesy. But it was actually really cool. And all throughout that area and the Dontambury area of Osaka, all of the food places, it's like Vegas for food places because they all have these three-dimensional facades with a giant octopus or a giant crab, and they're moving and lit up, and it's just so funky. There was one place where you could fish for your own fish, and then they cook it for you. It's almost hard to describe, but it is just bright lights, really funky, interesting, but lots of street food, lots of fried food on a stick, or like.   [00:42:30.660] - Kim A fair.   [00:42:31.420] - Tamara No, I'm just kidding. And the takeyaki octopus balls is like, that's where that's from. So that's like really huge. Afterwards, we went to the Don Donburi and we had Okonomiyaki. My family always laughs at me because for some reason I could never get this out. And Hannah and Glenn are like, Why can you not say this word? But Okonomiyaki, so it's like the Pancake type of thing with egg and cabbage and other things thrown in that they make on a griddle in front of you. So they have it in Kyoto and other places, but it's really known there. And in Hiroshima also, they have slightly different versions. That was just fun. So to do all the street food stuff, to have the good food tour, we really loved that. And then on our last, what was supposed to be our last day, we went to Hiroshima and we did a tour. I have a whole itinerary where it has a link to the tour company that I booked. Our guide was really sweet. He was wonderful. I highly recommend that. So we did the whole atomic bomb dome and museum, which was really heavy, obviously.   [00:43:36.130] - Tamara And you have very confused feelings.   [00:43:39.080] - Kim About it. Yeah, being.   [00:43:40.620] - Tamara A member. Our role in that. But then we went to Miyajima Island, which is just a short, like, ferry ride. And it is just beautiful. We were there, it was raining. So there was all these mist and clouds on the mountains. And it just had this magical feel to it. But it was such a... I would love to spend a night there. It wasn't overcrowded, but when the people left, have.   [00:44:07.840] - Kim It more to.   [00:44:08.650] - Tamara Yourself type of thing. But there's a really famous Tori Gate that's in the water that looks high tide like it's floating, or when we were there during low tide, so you can walk out to it. And just a shrine. It's just a really pretty lush... That's one thing that really, I don't know why it surprised me, but Japan, outside the cities, it's so lush. You're like, Oh, right. These are islands.   [00:44:34.300] - Kim Yeah.   [00:44:35.380] - Tamara And that's why I liked about Kyoto too, because it's like a city that's nestled in a valley surrounded by these lush mountains. Not like towering.   [00:44:43.150] - Kim Mountains, but these really lush. And it has a nice little river or stream or something through it too.   [00:44:47.450] - Tamara So that was how we finished. I loved that. And then unfortunately, then we got stuck in a delay on a train coming back because there was a lot of rain. And then we found out our train for the next day to get back to Tokyo in time for our plane was canceled and we were hoping it was going to be all fixed by the morning. But Glenn woke up at five and he said it wasn't. And so then we were up for a couple of hours trying to figure out, what are we going to do? Because we were like, oh, we'll fly up to Tokyo. And by then, all the planes were booked until 3 PM. But we had a 625 flight and we would have had to get our luggage, get to another terminal, recheck it. We're like, that's never going to work. If we get there at 415 or I don't know, it was 435 o'clock or something is when we would have arrived. Never would have worked. So we're like, all right, let's see if we can stay an extra night here and let's book stuff for tomorrow. And let's call Delta and see if they can switch us.   [00:45:40.700] - Tamara So then we had such a long travel day home because we flew from Osaka to Tokyo. And then we had to do Tokyo to LAX instead of Tokyo. We were booked on a Tokyo to Atlanta. So then at least the last little leg is short. Then we're in LAX for four hours.   [00:46:00.110] - Kim Then you had a six hour flight.   [00:46:02.380] - Tamara Well, and then it ended up being delayed. So we came out, we were luckily at the lounge and we actually went on the patio. The Delta Lounge in LAX has a patio, so it's loud but it was really good. It was just nice to get fresh air.   [00:46:16.400] - Kim After all.   [00:46:16.980] - Tamara That time. I actually went and I took a shower. I didn't even have any clothes. We had even checked everything, so I didn't even have any clothes to change into. But I'm like, I'm just taking a shower anyway. Yeah, for sure. And so then we came out of the lounge. We're like, Go to the gate. They're like, Oh, we're waiting on a crew member still. We're going to wait to board you. And then they started boarding us. We're like, Okay, I guess everything's all set. And then we're sitting on the plane and an hour later, they're like, Okay, the pilot's now in the parking lot.   [00:46:42.550] - Kim And we're like.   [00:46:43.320] - Tamara Oh, my gosh. Seriously? It was the pilot. They weren't even on premises when you boarded us. So we were delayed a couple hours. So we ended up... We got home at 315 in the morning. We'd been going for 30 hours, I think, or more, like 33 hours maybe.   [00:47:02.380] - Kim That one did you have? Did you have any of the upgraded seating for any of those legs?   [00:47:06.890] - Tamara Luckily, because we had booked our tickets in premium select, which if you know Delta, there's like Delta 1, which is like the nice pod lay flat thing. Then there's premium select, which has like a footrest that comes out and it reclines, but not like all the way, but it reclines some. Then there's comfort plus, which is basically like a regular seat with a little.   [00:47:26.290] - Kim More leg room. Like me coming.   [00:47:28.590] - Tamara So the reason we went through LAX is that's what we could get for premium economy. Oh, good. Okay. I mean, premium select on that, the longest leg from Tokyo to LAX. Then LAX to Boston doesn't have that. So I think we were in, I think, we were in Comfort Plus. I don't even know at that point. I was uncomfortable, that's for sure. But yeah. And then we flew into Boston, which we had flown out of Providence. So my car is still in Providence. So I had to get a car service to pick us up, bring us back. T he next day I'm like, Hannah, can you drive me down to get my car? Whatever. That's a.   [00:48:03.840] - Kim Whole long story. It worked out. It sounds like you guys had an amazing trip and it was awesome. I know, like I said already and mentioned, Tamara has quite a few blog posts and she'll link them in the show notes, but you can also just go to Wee 3 Travel. I'm sure it's pretty easy to find them, but I know she has all of her itineraries that are if you guys know Tamara, they're very in-depth with a lot of detail. So super helpful if you're thinking of planning a trip. I think it was great. I'm glad you guys had a good time and glad I got to hear about it a little more.   [00:48:31.780] - Tamara Yeah, it was definitely a bucket list trip. I think being there and being together as a family was wonderful. I think we all acknowledged, we don't know when we're going to have that opportunity again. Just know Hannah is going to be very busy the next few years. S he's going to be more than happy to take a trip with us when she can. We might just know when that will be.   [00:48:52.240] - Kim Exactly.   [00:48:52.840] - Tamara I'm glad.   [00:48:53.360] - Kim We got to do it. Yeah, that's awesome. Perfect.   [00:48:56.710] - Tamara What's next?   [00:48:58.290] - Kim I don't even know. You're like, What day is it? What month is it? Exactly. The big thing on my agenda, I'm trying to take the summer off a little bit. We do have a trip up to Canada to visit family coming right up for Canada Day. Happy Canada Day to those of you Canadians that might be listening. Then happy fourth of July to the US Americans that are listening. We are doing that. Then I have a fun trip. You'll be moving Hannah back to school, but I am going to be flying to Kenya and doing a Simara J. W. Marriott stay, which I just got a steal on points for. I'm using points to fly some nice flights as well. That's what's coming up for me. My fall is going to be crazy and booked again, but at least I have. It looks like I'm trying to keep my summer a little more calm. Although that Africa trip, I cannot wait. It's during the Wilder Beast migration. That's a pretty big trip to be. I'm really excited. It's going to be during the Wilder Beast migration, too. So hopefully we'll get some amazing pictures. I got to rent a lens, it reminds me.   [00:50:04.360] - Tamara I was telling somebody about the points deal that you got on that. Everyone just can't even believe it. What a lucky straw.   [00:50:11.400] - Kim That was. Oh, my gosh, it was amazing. I don't know if this would work always, but I'm just a little tip for you guys, if you guys are points people. If you know of any future opening hotels that haven't opened yet, that are opening in the future, just maybe keep an eye on their points rates because that's what happened. This hotel hadn't opened yet. It was opening in April, and in February or something, I saw someone mentioned, Oh, my goodness, they've got nights for 20,000, 20 ish thousand points a night. With Marriott, if you book five nights with points, you only pay for four nights. So it's like book five nights, get one free thing. I don't know how to.   [00:50:49.500] - Tamara Explain it, but you get it. And it's an all inclusive property.   [00:50:51.920] - Kim It's all inclusive property. So all the game drives are included, all the meals are included, everything. I'm paying 93,000 points total for five nights for two people.   [00:51:00.640] - Tamara That's like one night at a nice city hotel.   [00:51:04.320] - Kim Yeah, I know. I was looking at a Fairfield Inn in New York in January, and there were like 65,000 points. So it gives you a little idea there. But anyways, so that's what's up for me. But what about you?   [00:51:14.810] - Tamara As you hear this, I will probably either be in Scotland or Wales, depends on how quickly I get this out. So I leave shortly for a week with a couple of other travel writers, a week in Scotland, a week in Wales, and then I'm going to be home for a couple of weeks. And then I'm actually going to have two weeks in France, which I don't think I've even had a chance to tell you about. But I'm going to do... Glenn and I are going to go to France. We're doing the Taste of Bordeaux River cruise on Amman Waterways. Oh, nice. And then something else that came up. I was invited to do a press trip on European Waterways, which does hotel barge cruises. And I was trying to look at dates in the fall, but they didn't have any availability. But they're like, Well, how about this one on August sixth, which would have been the day I was flying back from France. I was like, Well, I will already be in France. It's to an area that I've been to before. So I was hoping to see something new, but I think it just works out for me to do this back to back, a more traditional river cruise versus a hotel barge cruise just to have these new experiences because I'm not a big ship person, but I'm definitely been wanting to try some of these other types of things.   [00:52:28.570] - Tamara And my friend Michelle is going to come join me for that one because Glenn can't stay for the two weeks.   [00:52:33.830] - Kim Take off that whole time.   [00:52:34.800] - Tamara That's awesome. And then as soon as I get back, Hannah will come back and we have one day at home and then we fly her to Arizona.   [00:52:43.570] - Kim Okie dokey. Well, thank you guys for tuning in again. If you're still with us and still listening, as you can see, we have a few trips on the agenda, so we're not quite sure when we'll make another episode. But as always, we always appreciate you guys tuning in and we'll try to share again soon.   [00:52:58.280] - Tamara Yeah, hopefully, maybe the end of the summer.   [00:53:00.250] - Kim Talk to you later.   [00:53:01.640] - Tamara All right, bye bye.

On today's show: Waterton townsite is open to visitors, despite road and trail closures in the national park due to flooding. We hear from a local business; Premier Danielle Smith says the government is bringing in arson investigators from outside the province to trace the cause of some wildfires. We talk to an expert in environmental forensics; Angela takes a nature walk with the kids at University Elementary School in the northwest.

Want investment opportunities that align with your goals? At Birch Prosper, our team considers your unique criteria to identify the best opportunities. Let's start the conversation! Just go to: https://calendly.com/birch-prosper/intro-meeting-15-min-clone--Don't miss this episode where guest Tony Konstant and I talk about everything from transferable skill sets from big tech to big real estate, and why it's important to underwrite even more deals during macroeconomically challenging times! --About the guest:Tony Konstant is Vice President at Ashland Capital – an established real estate investment firm that specializes in the multifamily and student housing asset classes. Throughout his career, he has worked on 37 transactions with a total asset value of $2.5 billion. Tony has worked in a variety of key roles, including Director and portfolio manager for notable firms, such as LivCor, a Blackstone Company, Magnolia Capital, as well as senior positions at Waterton & Associations and Tishman Speyer. He holds a master's degree in real estate from the University of San Diego and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Virginia. Connect with Tony: Email: tony@ashlandcapitalfund.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonykonstant/ Episode Highlights:✔️ Leveraging highly technical skill sets to build robust financial real estate models✔️ Differences between large, institutional private equity firms and mid-size firms✔️ The long-term impact of early exposure to real estate projects✔️ How math and programming skills can benefit you in the world of real estate finance✔️ Finding deals in a high interest rate, high inflation environment✔️ How to create meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships✔️ What is negative leverage vs positive leverage 

Let's road trip to the national parks in the Canadian Rockies!  In this episode of Exploring the National Parks, we are heading up north to talk about the best Canadian national parks in the Rockies. You'll want to set aside a couple of weeks for this trip because you definitely won't run out of fun things to do!  This road trip covers five different Canadian National Parks, and we are so excited to dive into them with you today.  Join us as we cover:  Why this trip is the perfect addition to your trip to Glacier Where to begin this road trip in Canada The boat tour with the best views in Waterton National Park Where to go for a full Canadian experience Our favorite hike at Waterton Lakes The killer ants you need to watch out for The best stops in Waterton What we love about Banff National Park Our favorite things to do in Banff One of the most incredible drives we've ever done What we love about the Icefields Parkway Why Jasper National Park is a must-visit park The wildlife you'll find in Jasper Our favorite areas in Yoho National Park Tips for getting reservations for Lake O'Hara  Other sites to see on your trip We hope you enjoyed our tips for this epic road trip through the Canadian National Parks! These national parks are incredible; we know you will have so much fun if you decide to take this trip.  If you want to learn more about Banff and Jasper, you'll find can't-miss articles for these parks on Dirt In My Shoes! Check out the full show notes here.

In this episode, the FAQ is: If I am a Step 2 traveler, how do I reach Step 3? Today's Destination is: Banff, Canada Today's Mistake- I rented a hotel room in Alaska without A/C Travel Advice:  Stoke your wanderlust   FAQ: If I am a Step 2 traveler, how do I reach Step 3?   Step 2 is for traveling in your same country and in a comfort zone that is familiar. Getting over that level takes some adventure. Ask yourself if you're ready to see more diverse experiences now. Are you ready to make a move to a distant land, such as Hawaii, Alaska, or the Bahamas?  Get a travel guidebook and start researching the area for clues on how to get there, what to do and how to prepare. Then talk to people you know who have been there. Ask them questions about what they liked. Be curious. Eventually,  you will have the courage and the savings to make the trip and enjoy the higher step to a more difficult and rewarding adventure. Today's destination: Banff, Canada   Banff was on my bucket list for a long time. It may be on yours, too. You can get here by train, plane or automobile.  You'll see the pure beauty of Canada's outdoors, even if it's rainy for part of the day. It's scenic and green because it rains a lot here. The drive from Calgary to Banff is beautiful and it's about 90 miles.   https://www.banfflakelouise.com/ https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/attractions/banff-gondola/   https://destinationlesstravel.com/calgary-to-banff/ Dr. Travelbest: I drove to Banff, Canada from Waterton, Canada after eating at the Prince of Wales Restaurant near the US/Canada border. I had been in Glacier National Park and on the Canadian side to explore further into Canada. I liked the feel of the town of Banff immediately. It's a European-like city. I took a strenuous hike to the top of the Sulfur Mountain Trail. 5.5 km, 655 m elevation gain (2.5-3 hours), and saw stunning views of the Bow (rhymes with throw) Valley. Follow a short trail up to the historic Cosmic Ray Station. There is also a 4-person gondola which in 8 minutes soars to the top of Sulphur Mountain for a bird's-eye view of six incredible mountain ranges.    Whether you walk or take the gondola, stroll along the ridgetop boardwalk where the views get better with every step. Outside is a 360-degree rooftop observation deck and inside a multi-sensory theatre with interactive exhibits,  plus restaurants.   That Jacuzzi at the bottom of the mountain felt great after my hike. Banff is known for its hot springs. Take one or more.   Banff Springs Hotel (Fairmont) had a convention center and the best tea/coffee ever. Then I drove to Lake Louise Chateau (Fairmount) and had one of the best buffet breakfasts ever. Five-star quality and a high price to match, but I ate for the day here.    The weather was pouring rain, then sunny skies all within an hour, and the beauty was seen in the reflective turquoise water. Nearby is the grand Ice Fields Highway. 3-5 hours to a full-day drive, depending on how often you stop. There are tours you can hire, in the event you don't have a car. You'll see Bow (throw) Falls and Morraine Lake. I kept driving up to Jasper, so that may be on your list as well.    Do see the Ice Fields Highway. Don't get close to a moose. Lesson learned- I rented a hotel room in Alaska without A/C   Most days in Alaska are cold. I've visited twice, and both times were in July. If you are going to Alaska in the summer, check to see if they have air conditioning. I timed it to the hot days and there was no A/C to cool off. You may find a fan as I eventually did. You should expect extreme temperatures when in Alaska. Learn that lesson here.    Today's Travel Advice-Stoke your wanderlust   If you are thinking of a trip you want to take, start a list of things you know about that country. Do you know anyone who's been there? Do you know anyone else who may know about the region? Visit your local library, bookstore, and online search engine to find out more and satisfy your curiosity. Keep that list growing. It will soon become your bucket list for travel. I want to bring meaning to your travels. Send a question or travel tip to info@drmarytravelbest.com. We can connect on my website, Facebook page, group, or Instagram. Subscribe to YouTube, Twitter, or other social channels. Find 5 Steps to Solo Travel series on Amazon. The show notes have more details for you to connect.   Connect with Dr. Travelbest Drmarytravelbest.com Dr. Mary Travelbest Twitter Dr. Mary Travelbest Facebook Page Dr. Mary Travelbest Facebook Group Dr. Mary Travelbest Instagram email: info@drmarytravelbest.com Dr. Mary Travelbest Podcast Dr. Travelbest on TikTok Dr.Travelbest onYouTube

Join us today as we discuss one of the first conservationists who had a weird obsession with rabies and probably had mercury poisoning. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

As Day 1 of the Accessible Gaming Symposium drew to a close, our Paulina Kuchorew caught up with Carri Waterton, Senior Accessibility Designer at Rebellion Games.  Together, they look back at today's session and chat what the symposium means for future of accessible gaming.  Image shows RNIB Connect Radio logo. 

In this episode, Amir sits down with Movement, Health and Performance Coach, Matt Waterton who founded the Strength in Motion system of training. In this down-to-earth conversation, Matt simplifies what the health and wellness industry has complicated through all their fast-fix marketing schemes you see on social media. Tune in to hear how you can sustain healthy habits and make them a part of your lifestyle rather than continually chasing a means to an end.

Zane sits down with himself to break down the mental necessities of long road trips, comparisons between Waterton, Banff, and Jasper, the Prince of Wales Hotel and the history of Alberta. All of this is spoken while he is actually IN Waterton, overlooking the beautiful Rocky Mountains on a much needed summer vacation. 

Are there magical spaces and places in your life?   All over the world there are places that are identified as sacred, healing, or invite you to a place of peace, tranquility, insight and deeper meaning.  For some they are far away ruins or even temples.  I believe we find our own sacred spaces and places, and one of mine is Waterton.   In this episode I talk about how my relationship with a place that I refer to as magical – Waterton Lakes National Park -  and invite you into how these places can offer deep healing to our souls when we allow ourselves the gift of HELP – honour, empathy, love and presence.   What places or spaces are special, sacred, or healing for you?  Are there places that offer you more clarity, creativity and open you up to your higher self?   Please email me and share! About the Host: Tanya is your no-bs friend, teacher, social worker, and life coach! Her life has been many wtf moment including becoming a widow, struggling with weight and body image issues, dating after loss, single parenting, remarriage, and blending families. She is joyfully married to her second soul mate, the parent of 4 incredible kids (one of whom is LGBTQ2S+), and the momma to a sheepadoodle named Walter. As a speaker, writer, and coach, Tanya steps into her life's purpose daily – to INSPIRE HOPE. Get in touch with her at http://www.perfectlyimperfect.wtf (www.perfectlyimperfect.wtf) to share your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, or just to say hi!  And follow the fun and inspiration on Instagram and Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/PerfectlyImperfect.wtf (https://www.facebook.com/PerfectlyImperfect.wtf) https://www.instagram.com/perfectlyimperfect.wtf (https://www.instagram.com/perfectlyimperfect.wtf) Hugs, Hip Bumps, and Go ahead and SHINE! Xo Tanya Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

prompted AVP of Marketing Tina Miserendino to lead a brand refresh for Waterton.   Tina joined us on Renter Obsessed to talk about Wateron's brand refresh journey: How they set their priorities, came up with a timeline, and how they figured out who they were as a company. Plus, Tina defines “resitality” and explains how it guides everything they do in marketing.

Jeff Bectell is the Coordinator of the Carnivores and Communities Program at the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association. In this episode, we discuss some of the methods they've tested for preventing conflicts with Grizzly bears and other carnivores.   For more information about the Waterton Biosphere, check out their website here: https://www.watertonbiosphere.com/ The Blackfoot Challenge can be found here: https://blackfootchallenge.org/ The Carnivores & Communities Program is here: https://www.watertonbiosphere.com/projects/carnivores-communities/  People & Carnivores: https://peopleandcarnivores.org/ Alberta Landholder's Guide to Wildlife Friendly Fencing https://www.ab-conservation.com/downloads Western Landowner's Alliance Reducing Conflict with Grizzly Bears Wolves & Elk: https://westernlandowners.org/lp/reducing-conflict-with-grizzly-bears-wolves-elk/   For more info on Peace Country Beef & Forage Association check out our website here: https://www.peacecountrybeef.ca   Music for our Intro & Outro is Redwood Highway by Jason Shaw. Learn more at https://audionautix.com  

A special WalkerWebcast comes your way as big powerhouses come to share a wealth of experience and industry insights combined in the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) Conference! Join this conversation with friends, former chairpersons and incredibly successful entrepreneurs and leaders in the multifamily industry: > Doug Bibby, President of NMHC > Daryl J Carter Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Avanath Capital Management, LLC, a California-based investment firm that specializes in affordable and workforce communities > David Schwartz, CEO, Chairman, and Co-Founder of Waterton, a real estate investment and property management company specializing in multifamily, senior living, and hospitality > Susan Ansel, President and CEO of Gables Residential, a private REIT focused on development, acquisition, and management of multifamily communities Willy Walker engages these industry greats as they share their reflections on NMHC. As a national organization with more than 1,700 members that has been promoting and advocating for the multifamily industry since 2001. Doug Bibby shares that his sole cause in his successful run of the NMHC was putting people in homes. "That was always a motivator for me. We're putting a roof over people's heads, we're not polluting the environment, and we're not doing bad things. We're actually helping people achieve their dreams." Willie asks Doug to share how he took the rest of his executive team and turned Fannie Mae from being a huge liability to the taxpayers, becoming one of the truly great corporations in America. "We have reinvented what was essentially a government bureaucracy, with 20% of the employees who were civil servants, and there was one product line. It was a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. There were no arms, no multifamily, no embassy. And we were able to reinvent everything." He brought his 16-year experience and excitement to his role at NMHC. Daryl Carter acknowledges the values that Doug had that were instrumental in positively shaping the industry, one in which to accommodate more institutional capital. Starting Waterton in 1995 shows a big difference in scale level and the types of funds they're raising with the whole process transforming materially. Sue Ansel attributes her involvement with NMHC as very helpful to her growth. As CEO of a major real estate corporation and chairwoman of NHMC, the experience of picking the brains of impactful executives in other large organizations affects her own leadership. "Those are some of the really unique opportunities that we get in these roles and a huge chance of a lifetime." David Schwartz enumerates the highlights of being NMHC chairman growing in servant leadership, emotional intelligence, authenticity, and trust. He covers how being underbuilt as an industry puts us behind for over a decade that we're just not building enough housing, resulting in this rent inflation. Daryl Carter is all praises for the culture that has been built at NMHC. There may have been "a lot of work, but also a lot of joy". One of the interesting things is the relationships between the people who work like brothers and sisters, serve in the industry and fight for the common goal of house affordability. As chairman, he cites the advancement in prioritizing inclusion in the industry and seeing talent and opportunity in all shapes and forms. "I think we've made a lot of progress, but we have a long way to go, but we're moving there. You have to be an optimist in this business." Tune in to this new episode of the Walker Webcast — Expert Insights on NMHC and the Multifamily Industry. GET NOTIFIED about upcoming shows: » Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5jhzGBWOTvQku2kLbucGcw » See upcoming guests on the #WalkerWebcast here: https://www.walkerdunlop.com/webcasts/

The Nature Photo Guys, Joe and Chris have their first ever guest and touch on mental health and why nature and photography is important. Check out the links below mentioned in this video.• SHANE TURGEON PHOTOGRAPHY | http://www.shaneturgeonphotography.com• SHANE TURGEON INSTAGRAM | http://www.instagram.com/shane_turgeon• SHANE TURGEON FACEBOOK | http://www.facebook.com/shane.turgeon• LIGHTCHASERS NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY CONFERENCE | http://www.lightchasersconference.com• EDMONTON COLLECTOR CON | http://www.edtoyshow.com • SHADES OF GREY | http://www.shadesofgreytattoo.com/ • THE FORCE IN THE FLESH | http://www.theforceintheflesh.com • TOYS DOWNSTAIRS | http://www.toysdownstairs.com• AUTUMN DESJARDINS | http://www.instagram.com/autumnscosplayThe Nature Photo GuysEmail: info@thenaturephotoguys.caWebsite: http://www.TheNaturePhotoGuys.caFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/thenaturephotoguyspodcastInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/thenaturephotoguyspodcastJoe DesjardinsEmail: joe@joedesjardins.caWebsite: http://www.JoeDesjardins.caFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/joedesjardins.caInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/joedesjardins.caChris GibbsEmail: info@chrisgibbsphotography.comWebsite: http://www.ChrisGibbsPhotography.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/chrisgibbsphotographyInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/chrisgibbsphotographyKJFHCBENNNOMRIGS

In the first episode of Code 53, Co-Hosts Alison Johnson and Kevin Cameron interview outgoing NMHC Chair David Schwartz of Waterton, and incoming NMHC Chair, Ken Valach of Trammell Crow Residential at the 2022 NMHC Annual Meeting. Hear how these CEOs came into their prominent roles, their philosophies on leadership, and their shared passion for building thriving communities.

The official Blue Spark Gaming D&D show follows Drought Flaembard (Keenan), Otto Kovax (Emmett), Thia Goldpetal (Blake), and Toph Frizlewix (Aaron) on a brand new adventure all created and ran by their DM (Eric). In this session the crew of the Razzle race back to Waterton to make plans for their departure to face down Ivor. What could possibly go wrong?

We took our show on the road and spent a couple of days at Waterton Lakes National Park in Southern Alberta experiencing Winter in Waterton. While we were there we did a Dark Sky Tour with Dark Sky Guides in Waterton and after our tour I sat down with the President and co-founder of Dark Sky Guides to talk about their tours. I also met up with the folks from Parks Canada to chat a bit and learn more about the park and some of the other activities to do during winter in Waterton. Support the show: https://www.theinformedtraveler.org/

We took our show on the road and spent a couple of days at Waterton Lakes National Park in Southern Alberta experiencing Winter in Waterton. While we were there we did a Dark Sky Tour with Dark Sky Guides in Waterton and after our tour I sat down with the President and co-founder of Dark Sky Guides to talk about their tours. I also met up with the folks from Parks Canada to chat a bit and learn more about the park and some of the other activities to do during winter in Waterton. Support the show: https://www.theinformedtraveler.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The official Blue Spark Gaming D&D show follows Drought Flaembard (Keenan), Otto Kovax (Emmett), Thia Goldpetal (Blake), and Toph Frizlewix (Aaron) on a brand new adventure all created and ran by their DM (Eric). In this session the crew of the Razzle return to Waterton to check on the progress of the ship and split the party to battle elementals solo!

A conversation with multifamily industry legend, Doug Bibby, President of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and also joining us is a great multifamily industry leader, David Schwartz, CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder of Waterton, who also serves as the current Chair of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC)…discussing the NMHC’s outlook for the multifamily industry for 2021 and beyond. Show Guests: Doug Bibby – President of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) David Schwartz – CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder of Waterton, and the Chair of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) Host and Producer: Paul Marks, CAS Tape Date: January 12, 2021 Air Date : January 16, 2021 Rebroadcast Date : June 26, 2021See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation with multifamily industry legend, Doug Bibby, President of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and also joining us is a great multifamily industry leader, David Schwartz, CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder of Waterton, who also serves as the current Chair of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC)…discussing the NMHC’s outlook for the multifamily industry for 2021 and beyond. Show Guests: Doug Bibby – President of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) David Schwartz – CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder of Waterton, and the Chair of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) Host and Producer: Paul Marks, CAS Tape Date: January 12, 2021 Air Date : January 16, 2021See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we'll discuss 12 Tips for Booking a Vacation Rental from travel writer Alyssa Watson. Plus we'll learn about one of the few hotels open in winter in Waterton, AB the Waterton Glacier Suites. And we'll find out what's new to see and do in Kissimmee, Florida. Support the show: https://www.theinformedtraveler.org/

In this episode, we'll discuss 12 Tips for Booking a Vacation Rental from travel writer Alyssa Watson. Plus we'll learn about one of the few hotels open in winter in Waterton, AB the Waterton Glacier Suites. And we'll find out what's new to see and do in Kissimmee, Florida. Support the show: https://www.theinformedtraveler.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NOT SO STR8 TALK - Waterton JAN 15 2022 by Hunters Bay Radio

Nigel Waterton leads the sales and marketing efforts for Arcules as Chief Revenue Officer. First, he discusses the shift to cloud-based security systems and the technology trends driving this transition. Then, we look ahead to the impact of the cloud on the future of security. Tune in as Nigel explores how the cloud-based systems can improve visibility into your business and enhance the customer experience.   IN THIS EPISODE: [02:10] Nigel explains how the security industry has transformed over the years based on the shift to the cloud.  [03:45] Fear, uncertainty, and doubt are some challenges retailers face when it comes to migrating to the cloud. [06:00] Consider ways the transition to cloud-based systems can improve your business and enhance the customer experience.   [10:00] What are some key considerations when making the shift from traditional models to a cloud approach? [16:40] Look ahead to the impact of cloud on future security use cases and innovation.     KEY TAKEAWAYS: Customers are now beginning to see the power of shifting to cloud-based platforms.  The use of cloud-based solutions allows organizations to maximize data for insights across the organization. The ubiquitous nature of the cloud is now becoming so prevalent that the security industry is adapting to that trend.  Technology is more powerful and intuitive than ever.   LINKS MENTIONED: Arcules https://arcules.com/   BIO: Chief Revenue Officer, Arcules Nigel Waterton leads the sales and marketing efforts for Arcules as Chief Revenue Officer, calling on his 22 years of experience building and managing large, high-growth technology organizations. Waterton joined Arcules from Aronson Security Group, an ADT Commercial Company, where he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development and led a cross-disciplinary team within the company as well as with ASG's strategic partners to identify the key areas of optimization and innovation needed to deliver value to clients. Over the course of his career, he has held a variety of senior-level sales and leadership roles with well-known brands, including Protection One and RFI Security. Waterton is recognized as an industry leader, has been quoted in numerous print and online publications and has sat on multiple industry councils and advisory boards.

Charles Waterton var en ægte excentriker. En mand med så mange udstoppede dyr at han ikke vidste hvad han skulle gøre af dem. En mand der vandrede barfodet i den Sydamerikanske jungle og fangede kvælerslanger med sine seler. En mand, der byggede en otte kilometer lang mur rundt om hele sin ejendom i et forsøg på at beskytte fuglelivet og som bed sine venner i anklerne når de kom på besøg.Hør med, når Mark fortæller om Charles Waterton et af de første mennesker i verdenen, til at indse at naturen behøver og fortjener beskyttelse fra mennesket. Og som godt kunne lide at lege at han var en hund.Hvis du vil være med til at optage live med os på Discord kan du støtte os på 10er og blive en af vores kernelyttere https://bit.ly/VU10er - hvis pengene er knappe kan du også bare tjekke vores Facebookgruppe ud, vi hygger max!Du kan også tjekke vores webshop: bit.ly/vushop. Vi har T-shirts, kaffekopper og tasker! Og meget mere! Der er også en hønsetrøje!Send os vanvittig videnskab eller stil et spørgsmål på facebook, Instagram eller vudfordret@gmail.comTak til Christian Eiming for disclaimer.Tak til Barometer-Bjarke for Gak-O-meteretHusk at være dumme

Stay in touch with the natural world. Freelance author and photographer, Amy Grisak, helps to understand the outback in Waterton Lakes, Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks and BEYOND. Everything nature!

Successfully executing projects in the mining industry is extremely challenging. Head of Development at Waterton, Paul Nielson joins Mining Now to discuss some of these challenges including: Unique nature of each deposit Complex multidisciplinary work required to achieve sufficient confidence Complexity of scale -- lower grades mean higher volumes and large projects Not being able to choose where the mine is! Significant volatility in commodity prices He outlines how from the start, the deck is stacked against the industry, and the track record of success in project execution hasn't been good over long periods of time. Watch Episode Here: https://youtu.be/RhfHi3R1m88

Welcome to the MWSA Podcast for Monday, August 16th. We begin with a look at the dire situation Alberta's agriculture producers are facing this year due to the devastating dry weather we've been experiencing. We catch up with Jason Hale – Vice Chair of “Alberta Beef Producers” for an update – and get his thoughts on if government financial support will be enough to get producers through this rough ride. Next – we get the latest on the continuing saga surrounding coal mining operations in Southern Alberta's Eastern Slopes. We speak with High River Mayor – Craig Snodgrass about a major report he and his council filed last week to the public consultation committee – on coal policy. It's great news for ‘star gazers' in Waterton and Glacier National Parks as the region has received official certification as an “International Dark Sky Park”. We find out what the designation means and how it will benefit tourism in the area. And finally – This week on “Motivational Monday", we hear the story of a Calgary entrepreneur who's life was changed by fitness – who now uses her motivation to help others make healthy changes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mr. Schwartz co-founded Waterton Associates, and as CEO, he works with the senior leadership team to set the strategic direction of the company and its investment programs, lead the Leadership Committee, Investment Committee, and assist the team in investments and fundraising. David is a member of the executive committee, a senior officer, and serves as Chairman of the National Multi-Housing Council (NMHC); he is also a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA). Before founding Waterton in 1995, David was vice president of acquisitions for Equity Residential Properties Trust (EQR-NYSE) and from 1985 to 1989 worked with AMLI Realty Co.   Listen in as Realty Mogul's CEO, Jilliene Helman, and David Schwartz discuss what Waterton Associates are doing to stay connected to other team members during the COVID-19 quarantine and how they are managing to achieve the best possible outcomes regarding multi-family. He shares the latest news on how he's helping to shape politics through the NMHC, outlines the current initiatives they are working on, and how much of his role at the NMHC is around educating Congress on real estate concerns. David also discusses how this recession compares to previous ones and what can we learn from the past despite the lack of a playbook for the current times   “2022 is going to be a robust recovery - get through to 2022 because there is going to be a pretty strong U shape recovery when this pandemic is over.” - David Schwartz   This week on The Reality Mogul Podcast: David's professional mentors and how he got started in the real estate business The Waterton way and how it shapes company culture Why David prioritizes giving back to the community via his company How the COVID-19 pandemic impacts on the real estate industry How the Cares Act functions as a critical facet to keeping people in their homes The availability of emergency rent relief vouchers and whether David thinks we will see them extended in the next stimulus package The eviction moratorium and David's predictions on the possibility of an extension at a federal level David's opinion on the best way to prevent mass evictions and how the proposed alternatives would work Predictions on how the economic recovery will play out What's next for David personally and professionally   Connect with David Schwartz: Waterton Associates website David Schwartz on LinkedIn Waterton Associates on Facebook Waterton Associates on Instagram Waterton Associates on Twitter   Connect with Realty Mogul: Realty Mogul Website Realty Mogul on LinkedIn Realty Mogul on Instagram Realty Mogul on Facebook Realty Mogul on Twitter          

From the panoramic views of Waterton Lakes National Park to the architecture and craftsmanship of the building itself, every aspect of your experience at the Prince of Wales Hotel is filled with unforgettable wonder.  Support the show: https://www.theinformedtraveler.org/

CanadianImmigrationPodcast.com CIP S1 E23: Podcast Show Notes – Russ Weninger- Temporary Foreign Worker Program Review – What does the future hold? Russ Weninger is a Canadian Immigration Lawyer with an extensive knowledge for the low skill, low-wage TFWs and how to navigate the Immigration System. Russ' enjoys volunteering for several organizations such as, The Calgary Legal Guidance, The Center for New Commerce, The Genesis Center, Law Day and the Kirby Center. In this episode of the Canadian immigration podcast we discussed the changes and issues within the low skill, low-wage workers and the temporary foreign worker program. Some of the specific areas covered include: LMIA seems to be an impossible quest. Cap on percentage of low-wage workers Challenges and abuse incidences of those in the TFWP Pathways to permanent residence The purpose of Immigration In order to help you jump to the areas of most interest to you, I have included below some time stamps for some of the significant topics covered in this episode. 7:47 - Who is Russ Weninger 10:00 - Life in Waterton 19:49 - How he got into immigration 21:15 - Overview of TFWP for low wage/skill workers 26:20 - Caps on low wage/skill workers 34:03 - Regardless of unemployment, some jobs stay open 38:09 - Path ways to permanent residence 31:00- Why you need to maintain proper records 41:30 - The practical side of immigration? 47:10 - Greatest influence on Canadian Immigration Policy 50:41 - How to locate Russ Weninger - http://www.calgaryimmigrationlawyer.com/

Genpo is a long-time Zen practitioner, now Master, who has developed the “Big Mind Process”, through which "Novice participants without any formal meditation training can have profound spiritual experiences with persistent enhancement of well-being..." Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded 1/10/2011. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Zen Master Genpo Mersal 00:02:56 - The Role of Zen and Buddhism in My Life 00:05:18 - The Journey of Consciousness 00:07:01 - Throwing Our Backs Into Awakening the Planet 00:08:47 - Becoming a Zen Master 00:10:47 - The Growth and Maturity of Zen Masters and Roshis 00:12:53 - Total Freedom and Empowering Others 00:15:13 - Enlightenment and Liberation 00:17:34 - The Journey up the Mountain 00:20:03 - Falling from Enlightenment: Returning to the Marketplace 00:22:26 - Indulging in Shadows 00:24:39 - Reintegrating the Shadows around the Marketplace 00:27:07 - The Importance of Working with the Shadow 00:29:20 - Enlightenment and the Ignorance of Cause and Effect 00:31:21 - Stuck at Level 3 00:33:18 - A Profound Experience and Its Impact 00:35:05 - Meaninglessness and Awakening 00:36:51 - The Impact of a High School Teacher 00:38:31 - A Journey to the Mountaintop 00:40:04 - Grizzly Bears in Waterton 00:41:38 - A Spiritual Corollary to the Adventure 00:43:56 - Profound Experiences in Zen Practice 00:47:00 - The Practice of Using Jealousy to Annihilate the Ego 00:49:21 - Dzogchen Practice and Visualizing the Worst Possible Scenario 00:52:14 - The Form in Teaching 00:54:43 - A Kundalini Experience and the Answer to the First Question 00:56:31 - Transformation into a 17-year-old girl 00:58:28 - Struggling with Feminine Energy 01:00:17 - The Integration of the Feminine Side 01:02:06 - The Desire to Lose Ego 01:03:47 - Vulnerability and an Unexpected Experience