Dr. Wanderlust Archives - Page 5 of 7

Travel Souvenirs You Can’t Find in a Gift Shop

While most of people tend to be all about the “Benjamins,” my addiction to money just can’t be found in your everyday bank. As I have travelled the world I have found myself more and more addicted to collecting money from the places I have been. I know have a decent size collection ranging from Bank Notes from the days of Nazi Germany, to 50,000,000,000 dinara printed during the inflation of 1996 in Yugoslavia! Yes you read that right, it is not a typo… 50 BILLION DINARA!! It has become my greatest adventure trying to obtain current local money but also any interesting past notes worthy of keep sake. I am not one to come back with key chains and t-shirts as souvenirs, but wild stories about how I got different currencies… well I have plenty of those. I am still hoping to obtain all the coins of Euro, but …

From Bench to Bedside: What Does Your Research Mean in the REAL WORLD?

One of the greatest task of anyone bench researcher (meaning work done in the laboratory on cells/mice etc) is the clinical relevance to what is actually happening in the real world (aka translational research). You may find yourself overly consumed with getting results day in and day out. You keep reading endless papers about what is going on in your specific field, BUT never lose sight of why you do research in the first place. While it is great to push out tons of articles, go to mind stimulating conferences and reach your research goals… I have found there can be missing aspects of the PhD process. In the summer of 2013, I set out to Kisumu, Kenya (East Africa) to better my understanding of HIV pandemic, as well as to truly venture into the neurological impact of HIV and the drugs. For those who do not know, 69% of …

Travel like a VIP: Global Entry Rocks

I am here to tell everyone that travels internationally to get Global Entry. After reading this article you should jump on the website, fill out your form and get the next appointment at the nearest airport (hopefully there is one available soon!) Unfortunately as you know there are no photos allowed so I have taken a few from the global entry site. For those who are oblivious to what I am ranting and raving about, Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers in the United States. This takes away LONG customs and immigrations lines and check in lines at US airports (Pre-TSA approved). But there are even more perks that I will let you know about. It is just $100 for 5 years!! So you are paying $20 a year for hassle free travel! You can learn about how to …

Win a Groupon eGift Card: Help Me Decide #15 on My Bucket List

So it is 2015, and I have my Bucket List for the year!!! But… I left 1 spot open!! This is where YOU COME IN!! I am currently at #15 and open to suggestions…. IT CAN BE ANYTHING!! Be creative.. and do realize I have done quite a few things already… See my completed Bucket List in 2014 for guidance. How to Win: All you have to do is comment below on what you think I should do for #15 on my bucket list! The best suggestion wins!! (Yep… it is that simple!) At the end of the month, I will choose the winner and announce them on my page! You will then win…. drum roll please A brand new car!!!! Just Kidding.. but you will win…. $15 Groupon eGift Card (Since it is the 15th spot on the list… plus who doesn’t love Groupon for cool activities to do) …

One Step Closer: Committee Members Found

I wrote last year (2014), because that was SOOOO long ago, about my quest for committee members. I also shared my issues in not only asking them, but introducing myself to these individuals (because they have no idea who I am). I am pleased to share I did in fact form my committee! #YAY #High5After talking to a few students who already have their committee in place, my mentor, seeing the head of the PhD department (along with the liaison for all paperwork related)…. I buckled down and explored my best options. I chose people I contacted based on 3 main things: Direct research in HIV and drug related issues (not many focus on this at my school), and the ability for them to keep my research clinically relevant. Second member I chose for pharmacology background as this will be crucial for the entire projects. Third member I chose for general neuroscience …

Naked Truth: The Longest and Best Bath Someone Else Gave Me

In December 2013, I had my first experience with a Turkish Bath (Hamam). It was by far the best spa experience I have ever encountered. After a long day of tours with my friend (a volleyball player playing in Turkey at the time) I told him I wanted to go to the Turkish Bath. Shocked and a little uneasy he decided he would go but he would not have anyone bathing him… This was understandable. I am however, not a shy girl when it comes to being naked in front of others: I bathed in a river in Jamaica most of my young life and showered naked as an athlete among my teammates.So I was going for the full-blown experience and was so excited to do so. I decided to choose Çemberlitaş Hamami, a common hamam for tourist dues to its close proximity to major tram stops (Grand Bazaar & Sultanahmet) and the quality of the experience …

Travel Deal: Round trip to Moscow $314 or Istanbul $408

In case you missed that amazing deal by Etihad on Christmas morning… no sweat.. That won’t stop you from grabbing another deal.As reported by The Points Guy and The Flight Deal… you can head to Moscow for a low as $314 booking through Delta Airlines. (Find out more by clicking on the links above)Try playing with dates and cities to get the best deals on google flights. I searched from Chicago and saw fare as low as $315!!! WHATTT!!!!! #winningDid you get this deal? Share your dates below!

It’s Never Too Late to be What You Might Have Been: Grad School New Year’s Resolutions

While many have their New Years Resolution to get fit, eat healthy, save money… our list is rather important to staying on task and getting to the end goal. Some of these can be a hit and go kind of thing.So let us begin. 1) Apply for FAFSA! While you may only be approved for student loans, it is important to apply for FAFSA every year. 1) it’s free, 2) Some scholarships/grants like to see the FAFSA report especially if they are need based 3) you never know what may happen and at least you have a back up. FAFSA 2015/2016 applications opened January 1. Get yours done… I know I did. For quick information check out this awesome 1 Page Guide at StudentAid of myths and facts about FAFSA for graduate students. Apply forFAFSA here. 2) Apply for Scholarships/Grants! While some of us may be on awesome Phd Graduate assistantships/scholarships/grants… …

Holiday Fun in a Nutshell: Mechanical Bull, Amish Food, Spike Ball, Willy Chin Party, Shabu Shabu, Family Time and more…

While the holiday was simple and relaxing, it was a much-needed one before beginning a new year and continuing my research. Rather than write a million different posts… I just wanted to share how my holiday was and see just what you did on your wonderful break!! City Walk Orlando (Bob Marley-A Tribute to Freedom Live Band) Before all the Christmas celebration began, I ended up in Orlando to celebrate a close friend’s birthday. She then explained we were going to City Walk and though I should know more about it, I surely had not a clue what we were going to do. Turns out it is neare Univeral Studios, and at night there are a bunch of clubs around that you can go to. In fact they had a band you could pay like $12 to get, and go in and out of any club. All the places were …

How to Make an Airline’s Mistake Your Next BIG TRIP! (ERROR FARES)

I woke up Christmas morning rather early, to start helping my mom with breakfast and begin preparations for our dinner… So, that was about 5 am. I picked up my phone and there it was…. FLIGHTS FROM CHICAGO/NEW YORK TO ABU DHABI for under $300 round trip. WHATTTTT???? I immediately read the post by The Points Guy, and EUREKA… these flight prices were no joke from Etihad Airlines!!!!What perfect timing. I was already planning a trip into that region with my friend… so, I immediately called my Traveling/Adrenaline Junkie Bestie… and started searching for our trip to India. After exploring a few options of where to fly into and where to fly out of. I snagged a $256.40 ticket (I also bought insurance so about $300) to fly from Chicago to Mumbai, India (1 stop in Abu Dhabi for an hour or so) then back home from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to Chicago …

Category: Dr. Wanderlust