Lee Abbamonte
Try to become the youngest person to travel to every country in the world
How to Choose an Airline Alliance
By Lee | 
3 Comments » 
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 30 years you are undoubtedly aware of frequent flyer programs. Frequent flyer programs are airline loyalty programs that reward you with miles that can be redeemed for free flights or other rewards. Every airline on Earth has one in some form or another. Some airlines have taken this a step further and have created airline alliances. There are three major alliances globally. These combine the resources and routes of other participating partners in the alliance for maximum exposure for the customer to fly anywhere in the world. In theory, it is supposed to be seamless and make life easier for the customer. The three major alliances are Star, OneWorld and SkyTeam. How do you choose the right alliance to affiliate with? Which airlines participate? Which gives me the most value? Here are some answers…
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5 Great Greenwich Village Bars
By Lee | 11 Comments » 
If you’ve ever lived in or spent any amount of time in New York City then you’ve undoubtedly become well acquainted with some of your local watering holes. There are more bars in New York City than any other city in the United States and most of them are pretty good. Some are more locals, some more tourists, some college-ish, some suits, some pick up joints, some dives but almost all have some character; especially downtown. If you live in Greenwich Village as I do, then you become territorial about what bars (and restaurants) you go to. It takes a lot to get a new one into your rotation. In New York, if you live downtown you almost judge people by what bars they like and where they like to eat. So tread lightly and while I love many local spots, here are 5 of my favorites in the Village.
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11 Cheap Eats Under $20 in NYC
By Lee | 11 Comments » 
Finding good value for food in New York City is not easy. You can always grab a slice, a sandwich or a salad at pretty much any of the new $1 pizza places, bodegas or delis along the streets but you are not necessarily getting good food or value. So after 11.5 years of living in Manhattan, I have a few recommendations. I think I know what I’m talking about since I eat out every single meal. It is cheaper than cooking if you know what you’re doing and certainly in my case; it’s better! Here are my top 11 cheap eats under $20 in New York City.
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Australia Travel Tips
By Lee | 3 Comments » 
Australia can be a daunting place. It is really far from everywhere. It is really expensive. It is really big and there is so much to do that you might go crazy trying to figure out what to do. There are also so many different ways to travel around the country and so many destinations, that if you only have 2-3 weeks then you might go nuts trying to plan. I have spent a ton of time in Australia and it is always my default “what’s your favorite country” answer. So I am here to quickly tell you what to do, where to go, when to go, how to go and how to save money traveling in Oz.
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What’s Next?
By Lee | 2 Comments » 
Happy new year everyone! I hope everyone had a good holiday season and made it through all the family time without losing their mind! So 2012 is upon us. It will be an interesting year in travel with much going on; and on the horizon ahead. For me, it will be an interesting year as well. I have some big decisions to make about what I will be doing and where I will be traveling with only 20 destinations left on the TCC list. The only generic question that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up more than “what’s your favorite place?” is “where are you going next?” So instead of answering the same question a million times I thought I would map out my potential travel destinations for 2012. While everything is obviously subject to change as anyone who knows me knows, but here is a rough draft of my thoughts on what I may be up to.
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Social Media and I
By Lee | No Comments » 
Ok so I am attempting to embrace social media and what it has to offer. This stuff is all new to me but I see that it has a lot of value and can help me reach many people. I am already on Facebook and learning Twitter, Tumblr and a few others and I hope you guys who read my site can follow and LIKE me on those sites. Perhaps recommend then to your friends as well. I hope to have many new and cool things in the early new year including more Youtube videos and a new look to my site that is easier to use and search all the content that I’ve added over the past few years. Thanks and happy holidays!
Problems with Travel Blogs
By Lee | 13 Comments » 
I went to bed really early last night and was up really early this morning, well before sunrise. So I was surfing the Internet and did something I never really do. I read other travel blogs. I often get people asking me if I follow this blog or that or do I know who this blogger is. No, I have no idea in general. I believe travel and blogging to be a personal thing for me that I am happy to share with those who want to read. It acts as kind of a personal journal for me and if it helps others for reference or inspiration then that makes me feel great and makes posting online well worth it for me. But I don’t read other travel blogs and here’s why.
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Road Trips
By Lee | 3 Comments » 
The Road Trip. Few things garner as much excitement and romance as this age old institution. As Americans, we are always told about great roads trips across the country. We’re led to believe it can change your life and is a highlight of growing up, and almost a right of passage. I agree that driving across the United States is an amazing experience. However, after reading an article about a road trip from Darwin to Broome last night in Australia, I started thinking about some other great road trips that I’ve done and want to do. The freedom of the road, having your own vehicle, the feeling of being able to do what you want, when you want is second to none. Amazing scenery adds to the allure of a trip with some good friends. Just writing this right now makes me want to get on the road and go somewhere! But here are some of my favorites and my wish list.
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The Language Barrier
By Lee | 4 Comments » 
The language barrier is one of the biggest fears for most people when they travel to new and foreign lands. It can be very intimidating and cause some headaches and surely some stress. It can take seemingly forever to accomplish a simple task because you cannot figure out what to do either from written or spoken words. To be honest, not speaking a language or understanding some parts of it can be the most frustrating part of your trip and it can in fact ruin it for some people. But that is a shame. You should never let a little thing like language get in your way of enjoying yourself and getting to know a place and its people. Always remember that people are people; language is language and to quote Casca from the great William Shakespeare’s classic play, Julius Caesar, “It’s all Greek to me”.
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A Historic Time for Libya
By Lee | 5 Comments » 
What a day to be alive! It’s a truly historic day for Libya and the world. A strange day as well filled with emotions for many around the world that have ever been affected by Moammar Gadhafi or witnessed the atrocities that he and his brutal regime committed. I feel a strong sense of connection with the Libyan people after my August visit and I felt compelled to write my thoughts and feelings after this historic and strange day. But the most important thing is that Libya and the world are free of the horrible tyrant forever who has blood on his hands for the past four decades of murder and terror.
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