Linky Dinks

What's new, friends?

The weather in beautiful Tampa Bay, Florida, has been much warmer than I would expect for this time of year. I'm not asking for "winter" (HELL NO), but I want cardigan weather, dammit!



I'll always rather be hot than cold, though. Always.

I don't do much celebrating for Christmas, but you know what warms my heart? Palm trees decorated in holiday lights. Gets me every time.

"The first vegan wedding in India" - Congrats to the compassionate couple!

Wow! Nomadic Matt shares this profile of a 22-year-old who saved $18k to travel the world! Color me inspired.
"I remember when you said one of the most brilliant things ever: “Everyone says I’m running away.” If only they knew, right? Yeah, you’re running away from fear and absurdity, but unlike the people who tell you this, you’re the one embracing your life."

BIG CONGRATS to Jasmin and Marianne of Our Hen House on expanding into a FULL ONLINE MAGAZINE! It looks amazing!

Whether you're a fancy pants photographer or you just like goofing around with a camera or your iPhone, check out Photojojo. They have really fun camera gear, plus they share really cool photo project ideas.

Speaking of photography, check out the "Metropolis" project by Martin Roemers.
“I am taking photographs of crowded places where you notice not only the city’s dynamic character but also the individual making his way in the big city. Specifically, I’m looking at the small stories of the street vendor, the commuter, the passer-by, the market stallholder and other pedestrians who populate the street or are a part of the traffic. I present this by photographing busy locations from above,” Roemers wrote in his article for the New York Times back in May.

Speaking again of photography, do you have a stellar shot from your travels? Contiki Vacations is looking for fabulous photos for their brochures. If you have a pic worth $500, enter their One Life. One Shot! Contest.

This man be cray-cray:
In what is probably the longest, most arduous piece of reportage ever undertaken, Paul Salopek, an experienced writer for the Chicago Tribune and National Geographic, is embarking on the astonishing task of retracing the journey taken by early man tens of thousands of years ago.

Beginning in the exotic surroundings of the Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia, Salopek will take an estimated 30 million steps, reaching his destination seven years later, three continents away at the most southerly point of South America.

19 Ways to Reduce Homesickness Abroad, via Go Overseas

And finally, check out this easy no-peasy video from my blogger buddy, Jaime, of Save the Kales! She whipped up some almost-raw vegan pizza dip for Veg News TV.

Linky Dinks

Since you're already scouring the interwebs for Cyber Monday deals, why not take a break and check out these fun links?

Planning a trip to Sweden any time soon? A fellow hungry vegan traveler sent me the link to this sweet Google Map she created, highlighting all the veg-friendly spots.

Smaggle went to India with non-profit, World Vision India. Eye-opening!

via Smaggle, Edenland also toured India. What an experience!

Hobo Siren is schlepping around the some countries. (Love the pic of her with the camel.)

Travel the world? The whole world? This article from The Onion tells us to calm down a bit and rethink a minute.

I like WTF Should I Do With My Life? But this guy? Not so much.

Ugh, I want THIS to be my life RIGHT NOW!

For my snowy-weathered-friends, Mackenzie wrote this nice piece on wintertime bicycling at her blog, Whatever Gatsby.

And now this, just because.

"If I had my life to live again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner." — Tallulah Bankhead

Linky Dinks

Well, hello there! Surprised to see a post from yours truly, I'm sure. To be honest, folks, I've lost my writing mojo lately. Well, I lost the mojo awhile ago, actually, and then life decided to serve me up a big ol' mess of new challenges to overcome. (Thanks, universe!) It's okay, it's okay... Doors are shutting, doors are opening, I'm climbing out of windows... I GOT THIS. It's time for some freshness in my life, some sassy sweet changes. Changes are coming to the blog, too, but I can't reveal too much of that just yet. It's still gonna be a little quiet around here* for a little while, but goodness is a-comin'. In many ways. Always. For all of us. Ya know?

In the meantime, here are some cool links I've read 'round the Interwebulars lately. Enjoy!


The Vegan Butcher guest posted on Fat Gay Vegan about her vegan in-flight meal on Air Canada. Tofu scramble in the sky?! Yes, please!

If you're planning a vegan wedding (soon or, you know, in your dreams), check out Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings. Heaps of great ideas there! (Speaking of weddings, I can't wait to read Amber Shea CRAWLEY's full recap of HER vegan wedding! CONGRATS, AMBER!)

O' Canada! Yummy vegan treats from Canadaland.

This song is required listening on my next road trip. Doesn't it pull your soul toward the road? Or is it just me? I think it's the "ooh, ooh, ooh!" part.


via Our Hen House: How to be vegan at Walt Disney World.

Well, son of a Bea Arthur. Did you know you can turn in the proofs of purchase on Amy's products for swag?! I wish I had found this link sooner. I'd have every PIECE of that swag by now!

Ashlee Piper from GetVegucated.com wrote this sweet post on how to stay easy, breezy, beautifully vegan while traveling for work.

No joke: growing up, Fran Fine (the star character of the STELLAR TV show, "The Nanny," played by Fran Drescher) was my role model. My heart SANG (in my best mock-nasally voice) when I heard that she is now eating gluten-free AND vegan!


* But no matter how quiet it gets on the blog, the Hungry Vegan Traveler Facebook page continues to be active. Check it!

Linky-Dinks

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLE!
(And by "rumble," I mean read this installment of Linky-Dinks!)

Ginger.ous shares 6 items to help "ward off travel funk." My day-to-day purse may be the size of a horse's feed bag, but it does NOT contain many of the items she lists here. Also, the one time I tried dry shampoo, it turned my hair grey and no amount of brushing would change that.

7 Tips for Cheap, Long Term Travel: There’s one thing you absolutely must have if you want to hit the road for an extended period of time: a willingness to make it work. It’s most definitely not going to be an easy ride and you will have moments where your plan is nonexistent and your funds are lingering in negative territory. But those moments—the ones that cultivate resourcefulness and resilience—are precisely why travel changes you as a person. They also make for the best stories down the line.

Three decades of selling crap - Happy birthday, Diet Coke!

whatever, gatsby wrote some fun posts about her journey from Boston to Florida for the summer. Check her out. She's adorable!

Jersey City Vegan writes an open letter to Lady Gaga regarding "Furgate."

Sad news: Vegan Treats in Bethlehem, PA, was burglarized. Link includes contact # for anyone with info.

Triple-Decker Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge? Um, YES PLEASE.

How ALL animal shelters should be:


What has rocked your e-socks this weekend?

Linky-Dinks & What-Nots

Roll out the red carpet because it's time for some LINKS!


Vegetarian Summerfest, according to other people...

Dreena Burton was one of the presenters at VS, but that didn't mean she missed out on ANY of the fun. Check out her experience on her site, Plant-Powered Kitchen.

Heather of Healthy Eating Starts Here focused her recap on the healthier side of VS. She created a cute video, too!

Speaking of videos, here's another GREAT visual recap:


I met the gal behind Beans Not Bambi at the Summerfest tweet-up (Hi Christin!) She summarizes a very touching story that Victoria Moran (the vegan pixie, as I like to call her) shared during one of the plenaries.

I also had the utmost pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Jaime of Save the Kales! What an absolute doll! She's blogged some bits and pieces of her Summerfest experience as well.

And now onto the other goods!



How to Travel Alone via Persephone Magazine

How to Travel the World also via Persephone Magazine

Less than three months until the 3rd Annual Tampa Bay Veg Fest! Keep up with all the hub bub on the TBVF Facebook page.

Avoiding illness while traveling via Go Overseas. Do you have any terrible sick-while-overseas stories (that you're willing to share)?

Writer's block? Oy, do I feel ya. This post from A Beautiful Mess gives some nice, cozy suggestions of places to get inspired.

My darling blogger buddy, Adjoa, recently left Tampa for Minneapolis (SAD FACE!). One night we were chatting about all the greatness that will happen when I head up to visit her next year, and I said, "I wonder if there's a Veg Fest up there." She said she didn't know. Then, I swear to you, the very next day, I stumbled upon a link for the Twin Cities Veg Fest, which I promptly forwarded to Adjoa. She went and wrote this very nice recap post on her own blog. Check it out!

A Decade of Advice from Hobo Siren.

What rocked your Internet socks this week?

Linky Dinks & What-Nots

Happy Friday, everyone! I have a busy weekend ahead of me, so I'm taking a break from my Vegetarian Summerfest recap and sharing some Linky-Dinks and What-Nots with you! In case you're new to Hungry Vegan Traveler, from time to time I'll share links from around the Interwebs related to veganism and/or travel, as well as a few other things I think are cool (see above Youtube video of a drunk guy singing Seal to his cat). I often share links and pictures and cool things on the HVT Facebook page, but since I don't want to spam your feed, I save many links for these posts. Enjoy!

Lonely Planet author, Leif Patterson, shares some US Road Trip tips. My favorite:
Don’t wear a souvenir state t-shirt until you’re at least two states away from where it was purchased.

Vegangela is back! And I can't wait to read all about her 3-month trip around New Zealand and SE Asia.

From Mighty Girl: What Makes Hawaii Different from the Mainland. (Now I have Hawaii on the brain.)

A lake of Pepto-Bismal in Africa? Not quite...

This video made me cry and cry.


Yes and Yes posted a great piece on traveling with friends (and how to survive!).

Feather from Vegan Around the World shared some tips on how to help budget international travel.

Our Hen House interviewed Ashley Maier of Connect the Dots, which is "a project that aims to help people make the connections between all forms of oppression and well-being, including that of non-human animals and the environment. We hope to build bridges between the movements that address human rights, animal rights, and environmental justice." I totally with them on that.

If you're in the heat wave zone, you'd better check out this weather forecast (especially if you live in Virginia).


What exciting things do you have planned for this weekend?

Vegan Swap & Linky-Dinks

In May I participated in The Verdant Life's Vegan Food Swap. I received a package from Cheryl Fairweather, vegan athlete. She sent...

dried mushrooms (which I'm still not entirely sure what to do with yet!)

Hail Merry raw chocolate macaroons (HAIL YEAH!) and some super-yummy roasted pumpkin seeds

and a bag of Late July sweet potato chips. Very flavorful!

Swaps sure are fun! The swappin' happens again in June, so if you're interested in joining in on the fun, register here.

I hope everyone enjoyed yesterday's guest post from my wonderful friend, Brandon Haskey. He also blogged a story that features me, over on his turf. In case you didn't catch the link on Facebook, go check it out here.

I like this post from Hobo Siren, especially what she says about procrastination. I'm going to write up a list of goals for this summer. There's still so much of Tampa Bay I haven't seen or tasted yet, and I've been here for a year and a half already!

Feel like you might be in a vegan/plant-strong rut? Check out this post from Engine 2 on how to bust through that slump.

There's a proposed ban on "large sugary drinks" in NYC. Specifically, the ban would "prohibit the sale of sweetened beverages larger than 16 ounces (fountain drinks, bottles, and cans) in delis, fast food outlets, restaurants, movie theaters, sports venues, and street carts." What do you think about the proposed ban?

Wanna eat a little more raw? Check this post via Crazy Sexy Life for easy tips. This post on One Green Planet gives a few more suggestions.

And now for southwest Florida's weather forecast for the next 5 months.


Have a great weekend!

Linky-Dinks

Happy Friday! There's been some cool stuff floating around the interwebs this past week, which means it's time for another links round-up! I often share interesting articles and links on the Hungry Vegan Traveler Facebook page, but every now and then, there's so much that I'll save a bunch for one easy-to-digest blog page, rather than spam your Facebook wall. Enjoy!

No-Meat Athlete posted a round-up of tips from various people on traveling while vegetarian.

I haven't yet tested out any of Nomadic Matt's many travel tips, but he seems to know his stuff. He recently posted his 16 Step Plan to Realizing Your Dream, which simply breaks down every thing one needs to do in preparation for travel. As a disorganized someone who goes back and forth and back and forth on when and how to make my travel goals a reality, you best believe I bookmarked this article!

Via GloboTreks, reflecting on two years of travel blogging with 24 Things I've Learned about Life, Travel, and the World

Sarah Von over at the fantastic blog, Yes and Yes, wrote up a few tips for solo traveling. High gas prices be damned, I WILL ROAD TRIP THIS SUMMER!

Let food be thy medicine! Vegetarian Times posted an A-Z of healing foods (but you can skip the honey and yogurt because, well, YOU KNOW).

I watched this documentary the other night and loved it. It will truly have you give serious thought to where you put you trash, what happens to your trash, and how the waste we create affects everyone and everything. The people in this film are beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. (This doc is currently streaming on Netflix.)


In other news, I'm thinking about doing a raw week. Ever since I became kitchen-less, people have been suggesting it over and over. "You don't have a kitchen?! You should go raw!" But honestly, committing to eating completely raw for any time longer than a meal has always felt like too much. State of mind is important, too, though, and I think I'm finally at a place where I'm ready to do it. So... Keep up with Facebook and this here bloggy-blog, as I'm sure I'll rant and rave about it! (Whenever I actually start it, that is.)

Linky-Dinks & What-Nots

Happy Friday everyone!

The weekend is here! Before I get into some fun and interesting links, I have to make two local announcements.

1. Any Tampa folks here attending the Save 90 conference tomorrow, Saturday the 14th? If you want to get involved in making Hillsborough County animal shelters no-kill, please attend this free conference tomorrow at Hillsborough Community College on South Dale Mabry Highway. 1pm. It's free to attend and all the info can be found HERE.

2. One week later, on Saturday, April 21st, I'll be at the badass vegan bake sale at Mojo Books & Music in Tampa, peddling cruelty-baked goods for a worthy cause: spay & neuter and medical care for stray and feral cats. This is part of World Wide Vegan Bake Sale, and also part of Mojo's World Record Store Day celebration. If you're in the Tampa area, come on by between record stores and Earth Day celebrations for some sweet treats!

Now onto the links and other random stuff for the rest of yas!

Have you had the chia kombucha from Synergy yet? I didn't expect it to be so AWESOME! I knew that chia seeds gel when they get moist, but with the kombucha, the result is like Jell-O. Drinkable Jell-O that's good for you and doesn't contain random animal parts. I tried the Cherry Chia and LOVED IT.

These "mini peanut butter cups in a jar" by Oh She Glows look AHH-MAZING and I can't wait to make 'em! (No stove required!)

I enjoyed this little post by Just a Titch about making things happen for yourself. From that post: "And the thing about making things happen for yourself is that once you do it a little, you want to do it more."

We all know about the Dirty Dozen when it comes to fruits and veggies, but have you seen the Dirty Dozen for cosmetics? Check it out here.

Gainesville, Florida is so surprisingly vegan-friendly. You've read my posts about G-ville before, and I'm ready for another visit after learning they've opened a new vegan and gluten-free-friendly cupcake shop! Check out Sarkara Sweets Cafe.

via Ecorazzi - 20 Bands That Care About the Environment

via Our Hen House - Got vegan or animal rights books collecting dust on the shelf? Pass 'em on to make a greater impact.

via VegNews - big thanks to my blogger buddy Amber at Almost Vegan for giving Kansas City the vegan shout-out it deserves!

For all my wanderlusters -

Linky-Dinks

I stumble upon so many great articles as I mosey around the interwebs. Sometimes I'll share those links on the Hungry Vegan Traveler Facebook page, and other times I just forget and then I can't find the links later. Today, rather than overloading everyone's FB feed, I'm going to post a little links round-up of cool travel and vegan articles I've found lately. (But if you aren't a fan of HVT on Facebook yet, go change that ASAP!)

via Vegan World Trekker - Vegan Mobile Apps for Your Travels. I don't have a smartphone yet (one more month until contract renewal and phone discount! Woo!), but when I finally upgrade, I'll definitely be getting the HappyCow app.

My blogger buddy Amber in Kansas City went to San Francisco recently and shared some truly beautiful meals from her visit on her blog, Almost Vegan. PS. Her first cookbook, Practically Raw, is making the rounds and is available on Amazon. Check it out!

via Travelettes - 10 of the World's Most Inspiring Female Travelers Inspiring indeed!

via Volunteer Global - Volunteer Abroad Trips By Ladies, For Ladies

The folks behind the zine, Peace to All Creatures, are hosting an online bake sale on March 18th and 19th. All the profits will be split among four different charities, one of which is Darlynn's Darlin's, which I blogged about back in December. Check out their blog for more info on how to participate in their bake sale and please help spread the word about their event!

The Girls Gone Green is a non-profit organization based out of Jacksonville, Florida, whose mission is to "uncover the reality of many environmental, animal and health issues." They recently posted this cute video on their Facebook page, highlighting the many events they organize in Northeast Florida. What an inspiring group of vegans!


By now, many of you have probably seen the "Boyfriend Went Vegan" ad campaign from PETA. There are many things I do not like about PETA or their tactics, and their blatant sexism is one of them. This particular ad campaign has gone too far. It upsets and offends me on so many levels that I just could not even put my feelings into words. Eventually, the Ms. Magazine blog addressed it.

Links aside, I mentioned on Facebook earlier this week that I was considering going on a smoothie cleanse. Well, I didn't go on a "cleanse" exactly, but I naturally ended up leaning toward one. I had 2-3 different smoothies each day this week, one of which was always green. Here's what I noticed:
1. My blood sugar was stable all day long and never crashed.
2. The smoothies gave me plenty of energy throughout the day.
3. They were super-convenient. I took two smoothies to work each day and they would last me through my entire shift.
4. The smoothies helped curb my cravings and grazing habits, specifically at work. There's SO MUCH JUNKY FOOD at work, most of which I can't eat anyway because it's not vegan, but still, the crap that happens to be vegan is still no good, but I would often catch myself eating it because it was there, or I was feeling rushed, or my blood sugar was dropping. Instead, if I felt hungry, I would sip a smoothie and the cravings/grazing instincts would vanish.

Drinking fruits and greens all day led me to crave healthier foods, too. Dinners all week were either soups or brown rice with steamed veggies, and they were completely satisfying. I have felt cleaner and lighter these last few days. I plan to keep up my daily smoothie habits, and I'm excited to experiment with different combinations to jazz things up and prevent boredom.

And now I leave you with this great video of a vegan meal made only from ingredients purchased at a bodega / convenience store, which shows how simple vegan cooking can be!



What cool vegan and/or travel-related articles have you come across lately? Link me up in the comment or on Facebook!

Linky-Dinks

It's a gorgeous day in southwest Florida, folks, and I'm having a lovely day. Interneting outdoors, sipping iced green tea out of a Tervis Tumbler (the official beverage holder of Florida), jamming along with Pandora, wearing a skirt and bare feet... Life is good.

Because the weather is so perfect, I'm going to do a cheater post and share a couple of videos and links with you so I can get back to drinking in this day. Some of you that follow on Facebook may have already caught this one about receiving compensation for not just lost luggage, but "delayed" luggage as well. This is a great tip for travelers.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I watched this ad this morning and appreciated its honesty. Hopefully it will get people to think more about what they're putting into their mouths and bodies. What do you think about it?


A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my first visit to the Kalamazoo Olive Company in St. Petersburg. I was disappointed to read via their Facebook that they were robbed last weekend! Feel free to send them some kind words.

I was amused when I read today that SunChips are releasing a new "quieter" compostable bag. The original noisy bags didn't bother me at all; in fact, I thought they were kind of funny and perhaps even endearing. (I also don't eat SunChips, so the noisy bag affected my life even less. I just heard and read about other peoples' complaints.) Plus, who cares how noisy a bag is, when it's clearly better for the environment? I was annoyed that SunChips actually stopped making those bags because of "noise complaints" (seriously, people?), but I'm happy that they're bringing them back, a little more quietly. (I hope all those whiners are happy now!)

Before I wrap this up and embrace the day, I want to remind you of my CSN gift code giveaway, happening right now, right HERE. Go forth and enter and cross your fingers.

Have a beautiful weekend, everyone. Do something new and awesome and spread some kindness while you're at it.