BY CAILIN BURKE

It’s the last Friday of the month which means we’re back to our Feature Friday Traveler Series! This week, we’re showcasing Ben and Sadey of The Wanderlusty who are always traveling and sharing their experiences with others, whether it’s on Instagram, their website, or even Trip Advisor. These two are lucky enough to be able to travel in their careers and it definitely will inspire you to try to find a job that allows you to pursue your outside interests as well. After Ben and Sadey’s interview, I’ve added Helsinki, Finland and Berlin, Germany to my travel bucket list and I hope you guys will want to go to some new places too! Read more for some travel inspiration, advice, and beautiful photos from all over the world.

: Tell us about yourself.

: We are Ben and Sadey, 20 something, husband and wife, travel junkies otherwise known as The Wanderlusty. We own an advertising agency based out of Texas with clients across the states. Our line of work allows us to travel both for work and pleasure. Passionate about music, the arts, history, food and most of all culture. We’ve set out on a mission to experience the world. Our journey has been filled with unusual experiences, great people, crazy adventure and wild nights to say the least.

: Where have you traveled to so far?

: Costa Rica, Panama, Canada, Hawaii, most of the Caribbean, a good amount of Mexico, England, France, Italy, Germany, and Finland.

: What’s next on your travel bucket list?

: At the end of the year we’re heading back to England, France, Germany and Scandinavia but we’ll be marking off a few new ones from our bucket list by going to Estonia, Morocco and Spain. We are currently planning for our next trips to South Africa in the summer of 2015 and Asia in the winter of 2015.

: Out of all of the places you’ve visited, what is your favorite?

: As Graphic Designers, Helsinki inspires in every direction you look, the streets are filled with amazing design right down to the street signs. The Finnish have pride for their country and it shows. They’ve been able to keep the old and incorporate the new and still have the city be enchanting.

: What is your favorite thing about traveling?

: For us its the ability to live a different life. Being home can become routine, so jumping on a plane, flying half way around the world, and sitting in a cafe or walking around a city that is completely different from where you live is… rejuvenating. It’s that point when your most lost, you find yourself.

: What advice would you give to people who want to travel but are unsure of how to proceed?

: RESEARCH. It’s an obvious one, but If you’re interested in a certain city or country, do your research on it.. customs, exchange rates, hotels, transportation, etc. When planning our first trip to Europe, we can’t even begin to explain how much time we spent onTripadvisor.com. Become a member of an airline & hotel loyalty program that has routes/hotels around the world. Our preferred airline is Virgin, and with their partner airlines, we’re pretty much covered worldwide. For hotels, hands down is Hotels.com, we book every hotel through them. We like not being tied down to just one hotel chain. Hotels.comoffers great discounts and you get a free night after 10 stays… with no cap. Lastly, you should lose any fear or anxiety of leaving your comfort zone. Travel is about new experiences, learning, living, and letting go.

: What are some of the best things you’ve eaten throughout your travels?

: Theres this little restaurant in Rome, in a dimly lit alley off of Via Del Corso called Il Falchetto… oh my god. We stumbled into this place after being denied at a top rated restaurant due to no reservation, THANK THE GODS! Everything here is wonderful, but the Insalata de Carciofi is hands down my favorite. Ben’s favorite is definitely 600 grams of meat flesh and potatoes at Black Dog, this metal dive bar in Paris, France that doubles as a Argentinean kitchen during lunch and dinner hours.

: What is the most exciting thing that has happened when traveling? What is the scariest thing?

: The most exciting… probably when Ben proposed in his total cheese ball style, on a beach in Cozumel at Sunset. For him, it was probably the scariest, because I told him the ring was fake and I wasn’t falling for his tomfoolery (Totally horrible I know, but we laugh about it now, and it makes for a funny story).

: Do you have a favorite moment from any of your trips?

: There’s too many amazing moments to pick just one favorite, but anytime you’re able to blend with the locals is awesome… we’ve met a lot of friends from just being in the right place at the right time.

: Do you have any tips for some of the cities you’ve visited?

: TIPS– 1. In London, not all pubs are created equal. If you walk in, and there’s only tourists, leave. Move on, find a new one, don’t be scared, sit down, order a pint, and enjoy.

2. In Paris, they have great public transportation, the metro may seem overwhelming at first, but it’s really simple. It’s color coded, and labeled my area & landmarks, just make sure you’re paying attention to the announcements for your stop.

3. In Jamaica, it’s all about leaving your resort… don’t be frightened, the locals are welcoming and happy to share their life stories and a laugh with you. The food outside the resorts is amazing! Eat where the locals eat and you won’t be disappointed. Try Scotchie’s if you’re staying in Montego Bay or De Bus in Negril.

4. In, Venice, DON’T take a private boat from the train station to your hotel, take the Vaporetto (water bus) it’s much more affordable than the private boats. Once on foot, you WILL get lost, Venice is one big maze… when lost, grab a glass of wine or if you’re brave a shot of Grappa, and then try again.

5. In Berlin, Go in December.. Berlin is a great city, but it really comes to life during Christmas. German Christmas markets is really something that everyone should experience. You’ll enjoy amazing food and drinks (try the Gluhwein with a shot of rum added, it will warm you right up), you’ll find unique and sometimes unusual gifts, and feel real Christmas spirit… German style.

: Describe your transportation and living arrangements.

: We’re all about the boutique hotels. When it comes down to it, comfort, cleanliness and sleep quality are at the top of our list, so we tend to splurge a little on hotels… but this is where our loyalty to using hotels.com comes into play, during the year since we travel a lot for work, we bank our free nights then use them on our end of the year trip. It cuts our cost for hotels by at least a 1/3 which leaves us with money to splurge on dinner at the best restaurants in town. For transportation.. its really about how we feel and the time factor… Tired or Time Crunch = Taxi, No place to be = Walking or Public transportation. For Air travel within Europe & the UK, check out Easyjet, they’ve got great rates even on last minute flights, just make sure you pay for your luggage ahead of time and don’t go over their weight allowance for luggage.

: How has traveling changed you?

: We’re no longer Tourists, but Travelers. Traveling has inspired us, to try new things, jump in head first, immerse ourselves in culture, and to live life to the fullest. Travel to Live, Live to Travel.

If you’d like to follow us as we trade our briefcases for suitcases and share our love for this earth and the people on it you can find us at:
www.thewanderlusty.com
instagram.com/thewanderlusty
twitter.com/thewanderlusty