Travelin’ by night

Today’s strategy is about getting more from life.
Success is really about living fully.
I used to think there were three stages of travel.

1. First, the fun of planning the trip.
Where you will go. Where you will stay.
What you will see and do while there.

2. Next, the adventure itself.
It’s always grander even than you imagined.
It’s exhilarating to see the sun rise over the Rockies.
It’s romantic to watch it set in the South Pacific.
It’s mysterious to experience the London fog.
Or bright sunshine on the snowy Peaks of Europe.
Lights glistening on the Seine in Paris after dark.

3. Finally, retelling our adventures.
Don't lord it over your friends who did not go.
Dazzle them with your adventures. Never bore them.
Share the experience. Let them see it as you saw it.
Then I discovered a fourth stage.

4. Writing to relive the adventure.
We share our adventures in our newspaper.
We drove around France for two weeks.
I wrote about it for nine months.

My wife says she married a compulsive note taker.
Just writing about it makes the trip come alive again.
This is something that you might want to do yourself.
Now I’ve come to realize there’s a fifth stage.

5. You dream about places you’ve been.
I dream about adventures with my family.
I call that “travelin’ by night”. It’s in our dreams.
If you don’t travel, you can’t enjoy such dreams.
Where do you want to go next?
Time to starting planning.

For free travel advice, drop me an email note.
Send your questions and I’ll answer them.

TGIF: Eating with the Mongol nomads

The Mongols are colorful, tribal and nomadic.
They inhabit Mongolia, China and Russia.
Their restless lifestyle helped create a distinctive cuisine.
One of our favorite dishes is Mongolian beef.
It’s made with flank or top round steak.
But it’s also great with leftover beef, chicken or pork.
Just slice the leftovers and substitute for the steak.
Mongolian Beef (for 4)
1 lb flank or top round steak
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
4 crushed garlic cloves
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp Hoisin sauce
2 green onions chopped
Some butchers label this cut "London broil". It’s actually flank or top round. Thin slice the steak against the grain. Dip slices in cornstarch to coat and set aside.
In a sauce pan, warm 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, water, Hoisin sauce and soy sauce. Boil sauce to thicken it, then remove from heat.
Heat remaining olive oil in wok over medium heat and saute beef lightly, turning once to brown both sides. Drain excess oil and pour thickened sauce over beef in wok. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve with white or fried rice, iced tea and a small cucumber and greens salad dressed in oil and vinegar.
I hope you're planning a great Mother's Day weekend.
Please tell Mom we said "hello".
Next week: Max your association membership.
Send us a comment by clicking on "Comment" below.