Welcome to Part Time Vagabond’s new writer!

I am supremely happy today to announce the first official writer to Part Time Vagabond (other than myself). Alexandra Munier runs the blog Broke207, and has posted to PTV before. She’s a fantastic writer with a biting wit and sharp sense of humor, knows a ton about having fun while living on the cheap, and loves exploring places most people wouldn’t normally go. I can’t wait to see what Alexandra brings to PTV, but I know you’ll all love it. Here’s a little introduction Allie wrote about herself.

Alexandra Munier of Broke207When I was a little girl, my dad used to stuff me (and my mom and 4 additional sisters) into our faux wood paneled (and un-air conditioned) station wagon for 2 weeks of camping all over the state.  And when I say camping, I mean CAMPING. There were no air mattresses, porta-potties, or folding camp chairs. It was just the 7 of us (rowdy and uncooperative as we often were), lots of campfire pancakes, and the great outdoors. My dad taught me everything I know about loving life on the road, finding fun anywhere, and generally amazing travel under inopportune conditions (also known as 5 children under 10), so I’m hoping I can do him proud as I join the cast at PTV.

Other than having logged a lot of road hours with my crazy family, I do have a few other fairly weird qualifications that I hope will add some new perspective to my posts here:

I don’t drive (as in don’t have a driver’s license, and never have).  Surprisingly, it hasn’t kept me from roaming, and it has made me into an excellent co-pilot and expert public transit taker. I can also give one hell of a walking tour.

I’ll do just about anything on a dare that isn’t illegal or dangerously unsanitary. Which is not to say that I’m fearless, but I do believe that some of the best vacation spots lie outside of our comfort zones. If there’s an abandoned building to be explored or a mechanical bull to be ridden, I’m your girl.

I don’t pay full price for anything. I’m a very serious shopper (with enthusiasm for everything from cocktail dresses to plumbing parts), but I am cheap as hell. There are a few things that I don’t tend scrimp on like the occasional amazing meal, or a direct flight when I can afford it, but everything else is fair game for my discount hounding, coupon clipping ways. You’d be amazed how much you can get for free or dirt cheap if you just know where to look (or who to ask nicely).

In my non-traveling life, I am the office manager for a small commercial real estate office, and busy the rest of my hours with my very amazing friends, and other stuff like reading juvenile fiction from the 50s & 60s (go Nancy Drew!), attempting to learn how to dance, and writing about my financial mishaps over at my personal blog, Broke207.  I am extremely excited (and honored) to have been asked to start contributing regularly to PTV, and I’m hoping to use it as an excuse to log even more time out on the road.