When one of my friends gets a new boyfriend, I either hear an “Oh, we’re going to be together forever” speech or an “I don’t think I like him that much, we’ll probably break up soon” comment. I’ve always thought of myself as falling in the middle of these two categories, but an argument with my boyfriend made me think of how long I thought we could really go.

Even though it’s still the summer, my best friends and I have started talk of what to do for spring break. We were thinking of more people to invite and I brought the request up to my current boyfriend.

“If we’re still together by March, would you want to come to Mexico with us?” I asked.

“What do you mean ‘if’?” he replied. “Are you saying you think we’ll break up in the next few months?”

This exchange of words was followed by a rather long argument in which he thought I was being mean and I thought he was being unreasonable. I mean, if you’ve only been going out for 5 months, how far in advance should you really plan? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve planned parts of relationships before but they’ve never quite turned out the way I wanted. Read More »

Dudes prefer a size 10

Really? He’s still alive? I could have sworn he was long gone. …Or maybe I was just wishing.

Cheap drugs in Mexico? Not anymore

Screetch to write a Tell All. Seriously.

Straight up weird: identical everything.

The Billionaires want you to STOP SMOKING

Jason’s baaacck!

…And so is Freddy (Which means both my toolshed and my dreams are no longer safe)

Dana Scully kicks ass

50 Cent don’t play, Taco Bell!

Oh man, Zac Efron…how is this helping the gay rumors?

Kayne is so mad, he’s going to break his Macbook Air

Maybe McCain will dance to Rihanna...that would be true MTV style

Agyness and Albert: so Hipster it hurts

Chandlor Kumnog is all attitude, baby

A moving skyscraper is a superb way to spend millions of dollars, Dubai

You’re bored. So play with Schick avatars (don’t be ashamed. We all do it)

Did you write this love letter?

Mexico has more to offer Americans than pinatas

I HEART this show…and their advertising techniques

What’s playing on Obama’s iPod? (hint - rhymes with Nob Nillon)

At the first mention of nude vacations, my boyfriend excitedly asked when we were taking one. My immediate reaction was not so enthusiastic. I was plagued by thoughts of flabby Midwesterners eager to experience adventures now that their kids have moved out.

I researched Mexico’s Hidden beach Resort, an “Au Natural Club” to get a better idea of the growing trend that is nude vacationing. Upon investigation, I found that, yes, the prime age of nude vacationers is 40 +, but the seedy desert motel I saw on that one episode of The Simple Life is a far cry from nude vacation experiences available today.

Upscale resorts, cruise lines and time shares are jumping in on the trend. Services like champagne greetings and rose petal turn down service allow guests to feel immediately pampered. However, I’m still a little weary on the whole naked part. Read More »

Pumped for Spring Break? Tell me about it! But please — PLEASE — don’t become the next “Girls Gone Wild” victim. Here are a few quick tips to keep your shirt on. It is possible to have fun and be safe and responsible at the same time.

BEFORE YOU GO:
Don’t forget your passport — You will need it even if you go to Mexico for a day. If you don’t have one already, it’s not too late to get one.
Get your work done — Dig your heels in before you leave, so your trip can be a real vacation without work looming.
Make yourself pretty — If you want to be pampered with a manicure or wax job, do it before you go. It may be cheaper while you’re on your trip, but satisfaction is not guaranteed.
Consider different weather and occasions — You might not be on the beach all the time, so prepare some clothes for lounging, going out, and cold/wet weather.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE:
Bring two bathing suits — Have two different types, and don’t go generic. Nothing is worse than seeing another girl wearing the same bathing suit. Also, putting on a damp bathing suit is never a nice feeling. Having two lets you dry one while you wear the other.
Establish a budget — Prevent overspending by coming up with a daily budget. Research costs for food, accommodations, and other expenses in the currency of where you are going, then convert it back into dollars so you know the different rates.
Beware of scams — Even when you book your room, clarify if the price is for the room or per person. Don’t buy items packaged in a box. I once spent 150 Euro on a “Sony camera” in a box holding what turned out to be a bag of sand.
Protect yourself — Don’t accept drinks from strangers and keep a condom in your purse.

If something goes awry, there’s always Advil — so don’t leave that at home either.

The countdown ‘til Spring Break starts today. Prepping now will keep you worry-free later.

Have fun!

As the rest of you are sunning yourselves on some beach in Mexico, I will be heading down to Colombia to write for a travel guidebook for six weeks. “You’re not serious,” you might be saying to me. “What with all the political crises going on?” And I reply simply, “For those reasons exactly — and because I love that country.”

If you don’t understand what’s going on down there, I’ll give you a very brief synopsis followed by an even briefer conclusion.

SYNOPSIS:
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is the strongest Colombian rebel group and for decades has been considered a terrorist group. Despite releasing six hostages through successful negotiations with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez earlier this year, the FARC is responsible for kidnapping and continuing to hold hostage roughly 50 people near or outside Colombia’s border.

Last week, Colombia’s President Alvaro Uribe identified and raided a FARC camp across the Ecuadorean border in a small village called Santa Rosa. Raul Reyes, FARC’s second in command and a crucial member of the FARC group, was killed in the cross-border attack.

The repercussions and implications of this raid have been felt across South America, but namely between Colombia and its neighbors Ecuador and Venezuela. Colombia is breathing a sigh of relief and hopes this marks the end of the FARC’s strength and terrorist antics. Ecuador rightly reacted by ordering thousands of troops to protect its border. Read More »

It’s never too early to start thinking abut Spring Break.

In fact, you might want to start now, considering you’ll probably need to save up some cash, get a group of pals together, and figure out which sunny, tropical, alcohol drenched resort you want to take over for a week or so.

But, if I’m not mistaken (and I don’t think I am), there’s quite a few of us out there that don’t necessarily consider Cancun to be the epitome of all things “vacation”. So, imagine how interested I was when I read about what so many college students are taking part in come March.

Volunteer vacations!

Perhaps you’re thinking “working” while you’re (finally) away from campus defeats the purpose a bit. Well, it’s simply not true. However, it’s really important to fully research your ultimate destination before you head out.

According to Xola Consulting’s Christina Heyniger, who’s studied voluntourism for the past two years, “well-meaning tour operators or NGOs have initiated poorly designed and researched programs that ultimately do a disservice to the communities they seek to support.”

So, you’re interested and you want to go somewhere organized…and somewhere you’ll actually help? Read More »

I wasn’t fat when I was 12, but I sure as hell felt like it. I probably weighed around 105 pounds—maybe 110—but it still didn’t keep me from feeling like the fattest cheerleader on the squad. I look at that picture of me now, and it makes me sad that at that particular moment in my life, and I remember it so distinctly, that I felt so fat.

Which is why this girl makes me so sad. Aside from the fact that it is absolutely ridiculous, I just feel sad for her.

Brooke Bates was 12 years old when she opted for liposuction and a tummy tuck to take the pounds off. At the time she was 220 pounds, which isn’t a healthy weight. But lipo and a tummy tuck during a time when your body is naturally changing due to puberty? It just seems ludicrous.

Brooke lost 40 pounds from the surgery, which she says took her from being the “big, fat girl to the popular girl.” But then less than a year later, she had gained all but five pounds back. Which makes me think that she—or her parents—weren’t combining healthy eating and exercise (and probably much needed therapy) in with her surgery. It isn’t a quick fix, especially when you’re 12. In fact, surgery shouldn’t be a way to fix it at all at that age.

Twelve is just too young. Read More »