The Lin Life Universe

For travel accommodations, I use Airbnb if I’m looking for a space for a few days with a kitchen. I avoid it the first night if I’m arriving after dark. It’s just too uncomfortable to be in a new city after dark with luggage and not have a smooth and guaranteed check-in process. One time I was at a pizza delivery...

I love to experience local culture through it’s food offerings and hate to waste any part of my travels on a bad meal. I have my finger on the pulse of the LA dining scene but I’ve been following the local chefs and their careers for years, some well over a decade. What’s my strategy when I travel? I do a search...

Air travel is not environmentally sustainable in its current form. The most environmentally friendly option is to walk or ride a bike. That’s just not an option for getting from the US to Europe. But once I get there, one of my favorite modes of transport is train. With all the security measures and extra time...

At a minimum, you should have a travel credit card that does not charge you international conversion fees. When making purchases abroad, you will always be better off declining the merchant’s exchange rate for US dollars in favor of opting for the local currency which will use the more favorable bank exchange rate...

I often share what I’m doing that I think is working well. But in this area, I know I can do better when I need access to cash. I need to upgrade my travel debit card. Typically, it’s been a BofA or Wells Fargo debit card. The cards have a $5 fee for withdrawals outside the bank network which basically means any...