216: The Volcano Episode
Want to start a podcast? Join us for our PodCastaway weekend, March 4-6!
Come with an idea and leave with a personalized podcast vision and plan!
You bring an idea (even a small one), your passion to learn and a willingness to play! Through personalized mentoring sessions, group brainstorming and hands-on learning exercises, we’ll guide you to craft your:
Clear Vision of your Podcast’s Voice- We believe you have something to say and that there are people who need to hear it! Let’s find that together!
A Concise Elevator Pitch that Pops!- Being able to describe your podcast in a few captivating & concise sentences is KEY!
Basic Marketing Plan- Telling people about your podcast shouldn’t be overwhelming; it should be FUN!
Realistic Budget- starting w/our tried and true “Fake it ‘til you Make It” tips
30 sec. Promo Trailer- your podcaster calling card
Branding Strategy- the way your podcast shows up to the podcast listener world!
Alison is obsessed with eating charcuterie board style!! It takes out all the time consuming cooking, but most of all makes her feel fancy! If you need a super tasty charcuterie board that is also a gorgeous piece of art, look up our dear friend, Jon Barr at Journey Across the Board!
Lulu is obsessed with a video clip of ‘Title of Show’ creators doing a performance piece for Gypsy of the Year. She calls it “9 minutes of perfectly crafted theatre!” She loves the simplicity of this performance and thinks it’s a perfect combo of emotions. “My First Time”
Now, you 10K fans know that Alison loves to turn her wishlist items into obsessions that she’s purchased! But, this week, she’s not so sure this one will make that jump very soon, as its starting price is $700. The Spinn coffee maker has roast recognition! It actually can identify the type of whole beans you put in it and then it will prepare them according to the type. Sounds like bean magic to me, Jack!
Lulu wishes for that bright gleam of white teeth fresh off the Snow electric toothbrush. It has a blue LED light that will whiten your teeth as you brush them! Again…magic!
Here at 10K, we LOVE an imaginary vacation we think we might actually be able to afford! And Costa Rica is now on our list of WE CAN DO IT! With the inspiration word of VOLCANO, Alison chose La Fortuna, Costa Rica and stayed at Nayara Resort Spa and Gardens. It is in the Arenal Volcano National Park, and the resort sits at the base of one of the youngest active volcanoes in the southern hemisphere. “The volcano’s largest eruption occurred in 1968, and the natural mineral hot springs feed each of the private plunge pools in the guest rooms, while spa-goers can choose from a range of treatments that include volcanic mud and Costa Rican volcanic stones.”
She chose the Rainforest Villa that is a cool octagonal shape that allows natural light to filter in from every angle and features an oversized Jacuzzi on the wrap-around balcony overlooking either the imposing Arenal Volcano or the lush rainforest, and a private garden with outdoor rain showers for two. LURV!
Now, this is where the WE CAN DO IT list comes in. They have a PDF that takes you through ALL the amazing offerings at this luscious resort! You don’t need to go anywhere else when you can stay here and see sloths, hanging bridges, eat incredible food and do frog tours! And since this is imaginary, Alison brought her family on this trip to enjoy the splendor!
Breakfast was the coffee and chocolate tour then lunch was at Don Rufino where they offer this amazing menu! The rest of the day consisted of a sloth tour (I wanna do this!), a private Three Volcanoes Helicopter Tour, which she would never do in real life since the aircraft is so small. But, on this tour you can see the San Carlos plains from the air and then fly around Arenal and Cerro Chato, an extinct crater.
Another thrilling thing to do at this resort is the mystic hanging bridges. It’s a 2 mile hike featuring 9 regular and 6 hanging suspension bridges so you can see all the beautiful plants and animals, and even a waterfall! Next was a couples spa treatment and then dinner at Luna, the resort’s Latin American Asian Fusion restaurant. Their menu “…incorporates Asian and Latin flavors, with sushi rolls, wok dishes, and fresh seafood specials. The décor resembles a “Pulperia,” a traditional Costa Rican bar. The chairs and tables are hand-painted by members of the indigenous Maleku tribe and depict local flora and fauna. Make sure to try the Nayara Roll, made of sweet plantains and cooked chicken, and the Chef’s signature dish of steamed fish cooked in plantain leaves.” Sign me up!
Lulu chose Stykkishólmer, Iceland to match with this week’s inspiration word, VOLCANO. It is on the north side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula and was picked as the best winter destination of Europe by Travel + Leisure & most scenic destination in Europe by the Luxury Travel Guide!
One of the many things to love about this city is that it won the Blue Flag Award for its harbor and became a plastic bag free town! They are very environmentally aware/active and it was the first community in Europe to obtain EarthCheck Certification. Now, this Airbnb Kikjufell Oceanfront Villa that she stayed at looks incredible, for the view alone! It is on the oceanfront in Grundarfjörður with a jaw-dropping view on Kirkjufell mountain, which is perhaps the most photographed landscape in Iceland. It's also known as Arrowhead Mountain in Game of Thrones.
Now, people live all around this volcano, but don’t be fooled. This is an active volcano! In the words of one of Iceland’s leading geologist, Páll Einarsson, the odds of Snæfellsjökull erupting are 100%. It will erupt. What he can’t tell us is when. The volcano has been quiet since Iceland was settled and shows no signs of erupting anytime soon. There’s no cause for concern, because scientists keep a close eye on all earthquake activity in Iceland. The mountain is one of the most famous sites of Iceland, primarily due to the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) by Jules Verne, in which the protagonists find the entrance to a passage leading to the center of the earth on Snæfellsjökull.
Since she’s on a glacier, she figured she’d better have some hot coffee, so she had a High Brew Coffee, in a self-heating coffee can! Lunch was a good ol’ Hafnarvagninn-Fish & Chips. I mean, c’mon! I can taste the fresh fish from my keyboard!! Then she took a jaunt to the stunning Church of Stykkishólmer, designed by Icelandic architect Jón Haraldsson. She thinks it looks like Asgard, part of Norse mythology and that inspired her to go to Roni Horn’s Vatnasafn Library of Water which is 24 columns of pure water taken from deep inside 24 different Icelandic glaciers.
I just love that Lulu always finds a way to include art into her days! So, this trip she decides to fly the infamous Paul Simon to perform his hit song from Simon & Garfunkel days, I Am a Rock on a 360 Photo Booth in the middle of all those columns of water. DEEP, Lulu!! I love it!
Then, since Lulu and Paul will be new collaborative artist besties, they had dinner together at Narfeyrarstofa where they say, “Happy Hour in the tent is all day long! In winter the tent turns into the Nordic lights winter bar. The tent is warmed up, we have lots of cozy woolen blankets and warm drinks from the bar. You can even experience the nordic lights from there in the winter.” And we all know how much Lulu loves night sky watching!
Alison is still very happy about Instacart! She even got a delivery while she was recording the episode! Gotta love that convenience!
Lulu and her parents are currently having to isolate as they have possible Covid exposure, so the dinners the can share outside at night in the beautiful Florida winter air is her current happy!
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
HEY, FRIEND! IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, FOLLOW US!:
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. For a full understanding of how we use affiliate links on our site, please visit our Policy Disclosures page. Thank you!