Live An Adventure Podcast

Ana and Mario are passionate teachers and travelers. They met in  Brasov, Romania, and got married in Antigua Guatemala. They’ve traveled extensively in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. They’ve taught in Romania, the Philippines, and China. They want to inspire others to celebrate learning, adventures, and generosity. Out of gratitude, they strive to make the world a better place.  #TeachersTravelers

Everyone is always ready to go on a new adventure. Whether you want to eat your way through a foodie mecca, immerse yourself in a new culture or explore remote trails in untamed frontiers, the new year is the best time to set new goals and take action. So, it probably comes as no surprise that at the start of each year, Americans resolve to travel more. Yet according to The Travel Effect, a study released by the U.S. Travel Association, more than 4 out of 10 U.S. employees ended 2013 with unused time off -- an average of more than three paid days forfeited per worker. So, why are U.S. workers depriving themselves the chance to experience somewhere new? "A lot of Americans would love the concept of traveling, but they never made the time for it," explained Joe Diaz, co-founder of AFAR, a multiplatform media company that includes the travel magazine AFAR and AFAR.com. With a mission to inspire people to have meaningful travel experiences across the globe, AFAR also encou...

Bucharest's unmistakable  Palace of Parliament , due to its immense physical, psychic and historic stature, is perhaps the most controversial building in Romania. Meant to be the crowning achievement of 'Centrul Civic' or 'Civic Centre' - Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu's ambitious urban development plan - the Palace of Parliament represents one of the most extravagant and expensive building projects in the history of mankind; certainly of the last century. Claiming superlative as the world's second-largest building by surface area (after the sneakily spacious US Pentagon), the Palace of Parliament is one of Romania's biggest tourist attractions. Note: I took the pic on my first trip to Bucharest in 2008. Little did I know that I'd be living here 2 years later. :o)