WARNING:  Full Disclosure Part:

 

During those formative teen years, in addition to dreaming about far-off lands, I was busy Fangirling over the Rolling Stones and Liza Minnelli.  And when I say Fangirling, I'm talking about hardcore Fangirling. As a matter of fact, along with my two BFFs, I co-founded the renowned Minnelli Girls of Matoaka, West Virginia. (Except I may be using that word "renowned" wrong.) When the three of us weren't Bob Fosse-ing all over our high school stage, we were foisting our Rolling Stone impersonations on our long-suffering high school teachers and peers or staging photoshoots and creating our own versions of celebrity couture. (If you saw our "couture" you'd say I was using that word wrong too.) Suffice it to say, if we saw something we loved in a magazine or on TV, we did our best to recreate it. Especially if it was something that Liza or a Rolling Stone wore. 

 

Now you have a clear picture of who you are about to take advice from!

 

I made my first journey back across the pond at the age of nineteen and promptly moved into a home for the intellectually-disabled in England because it was near Keith Richards' house. (See? I told you I was hardcore.) But don't worry—that is NOT one of my recommended travel tips. It's merely an early example of how my Fandom influenced my my lifestyle and destiny in general. In my twenties I made my way to NYC and wound up as the Assistant Director of the celebrated Lotte Berk Method on Madison Avenue and in The Hamptons. My clients were the Rich & Famous. Meanwhile I had to bike to work because I couldn't afford the 90 cent subway fare. Nevertheless, I did get to see how the Other Half lived because I also taught private classes in their homes. It was a peephole into the world I had always seen pictured in magazines: lavish rooms filled with antiques, fine fashion & design, private gardens, and family photos featuring travels to exotic places. Now I could care less about owning a mansion but I am a big Fan of chic design, soulful antiques and beautiful gardens, and—most of all—travel!

 

I left NYC to get married and then went back to school for my dance degree, had twins, then went back for a Master's in Dance. There wasn't any spare time or money for travel in those days. But I purchased the occasional affordable antique, honed my design sense via magazines, and planted gardens wherever we moved. Finally, when my sons were ten, we began to make trips overseas. It set my soul alight! I would spend weeks researching before each vacation to make sure we found all the hidden gems a region had to offer. Within a certain budget of course. Do you know what it costs just to FEED two 10-year-old boys? Hiking became a primary feature of our trips because it was FREE! And it's something that boys like to do.

 

Eventually we moved to England for a year and that was where I really honed my skills. I found ways of booking cheap trips and modifying them so they felt personalized and expensive. I homeschooled my sons that year and we traveled to thirteen countries for less than what it would have cost to go to Disney World for a week and a half.

 

Since those days (the early 2000s) prices have risen for travel (and for staying at home) so my travel budget has had to go up as well. But I have continued to find ways of having some truly exceptional Rock Star experiences on a mere Fan's budget. You just have to be willing to do a lot of research. And make all the preparations that the rock stars' have "their people" make for them. 

 

So now, after years of providing (mostly) trustworthy traveling tips to friends and family (and random strangers) I have decided to share some right here because everyone deserves a Fan-Z-fied lifestyle experience once in awhile. This eZine will be dedicated to the truly esoteric experiences that you are not likely to find on anyone else's travel blog or social media account. 

 

And the best part? It's totally free!

 

Disclaimer Part:

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If you find I have accidentally steered you wrong . . .

Well, crikey! You get what you pay for!

Remember, this is FREE advice from a former Mick Jagger-impersonating Jesus Freak!

It may be a little esoteric!

 

But my husband and children have survived my crazy ideas, so you probably will too.