Author: Edward Pizzarello

My goal in life is to fill my family’s passports with stamps, creating buckets of memories along the way. You’ll find me writing about realistic ways for normal people to travel the world, whether you’re on a budget or enjoy luxury. I also enjoy taking us on the occasional detour to explore the inner workings of the travel industry.
a group of huts in the water

My 2019 Mid-Year Hotel Status Check

We’re halfway through the year and it’s time to look at what’s working and what’s not with hotel status. My patterns have followed largely what I thought they would have in 2019. I’m further ahead than I want to be in some respects, with too much time on the road. What’s your year look like chasing hotel elite status?

a red suitcase with wheels

Briggs & Riley Luggage Deals On Prime Day

Briggs & Riley makes some great suitcases. They may not look as sexy as Tumi, but they’re much better built and very functional. And, they’ve slowly gotten a bit more stylish over the years. But, the rubber hits the road with a true lifetime warranty.

a sign with green text and arrows

China Installing App On Tourist’s Phones That Steals Personal Data

This almost feels a bit like tinfoil hat theories, but a recent report seems to indicate that China is going much further in attempts to invade private citizen’s privacy in the name of security. What is your privacy worth? If this were a requirement for you to visit a country while traveling abroad, would it dissuade you from traveling there? What’s to stop a country from detaining you during the customs process if you refuse the access?