For McCool Travel’s 36th travel profile, I am happy to present JD Andrews, an Emmy-award winning video producer. Even though we are both from South Florida, I have not met JD—but my sister has. Next trip!
JD Andrews
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Hometown
Miami, Florida
Always in my luggage…
on every trip I must bring my camera, headphones and iPad
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
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Hawaii (Maui) – I love it there
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London – it is very expensive but easy to get around and there’s SO much to see and do
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Venice – some people get lost in the old city but I love all the alley ways and secret shortcuts and of course the food and people are amazing
A favorite travel memory is…
There are so many but the one that I’ll always cherish is —In Rwanda, after hiking up this traitorous trail seeing a family of mountain gorillas. One of the babies wandered through the brush and was only about 2 feet away from me. I looked into his (or her) eyes and felt a real sense of wonder, for both of us.
3 favorite travel brands…
- 66North (a company from Iceland)
- The Northface
- Patagonia
3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…
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If you find something you really want to purchase, ask a local to buy it for you (one you can trust not a stranger off the street) They usually don’t over charge them like they would a tourist.
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As we all know, airports are extremely overpriced so if you have access to an airport lounge, go. Internationally they always have free food, drinks, and wi-fi. I use Priority Pass and it’s been a life saver on long layovers.
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Don’t pay the high hotel prices for food, water or coffee. Look for a store close by or a little coffee shop. Almost anywhere is less expensive than your hotel.
3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…
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I always try to do something adventurous and unforgettable in a destination. You’ll forget a lot about your trip but you will never for get a bungee jump, river rafting or hang gliding.
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I get lost. I like to just walk and see what I see. Of course I make sure I don’t wander into a dangerous situation but I tend to always find something amazing when I’m not looking for it.
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Sharing my trip and adventures on social media. It may sound weird but I really like to share.
8 word (or less) travel mantra…
“Sometimes you have to go to know that you should have gone”
My favorite non-travel website…
mashable.com – I’m a big geek
most memorable souvenir …
A Pope bottle opener from Vatican City
recent discovery …
Croatia, beautiful country!
I am fortunate to have met …
over 500 people IRL (In real Life) from Twitter
I would like to meet …
Richard Branson, Jonathan Ive, and Alyssa Milano
Thank you, JD!
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McCool Travel presents tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series—featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons. Previous 5 Minutes post: Erin Gifford.
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