Recently I discovered How I Met Your Mother, which means I was the second-to-last person on Earth to get obsessed with it. This show nails what it's like to be a young adult in the city. And so far my favorite episode has been "Murtaugh." In it, Ted says he has a list of things he is now too old to do, like pull an all-nighter or drink from a beer bong. The list is named after the main character in Lethal Weapon, Roger Murtaugh, who famously says, "I'm gettin' too old for this sh*t." But the item on Ted's Murtaugh List that resonated the most with me was: Crash on a friend's futon for the night instead of getting a hotel room.

This week's question comes from Lindsey in Florida, the world’s second-largest orange-growing area (after Brazil):

Think your whirlwind, no-sleep, three-week, nine-country spin through Europe when you were in college was a crazy travel feat? Ha! Pshaw! And, so tame, I say! How about trying to walk your way back home to England—from Chile? Living on airplanes for an entire month? Or dancing your way around the world? Check out these five crazy travel feats.

The gadget guru is back! My iPhone has completely revolutionized how I travel and I'm not just talking about having access to my email and Google maps. Here are my top 10 travel apps I can't live without when I'm on the road. I've noted what devices they are compliant with and their cost. And please chime in with your favorite apps in the comments section. I'm all ears!

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

--Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty's tablet

Lately, everywhere I turn, I hear a new horror story about how people are treated entering our country. Meanwhile today our new president won the Nobel Peace Prize. How can it be that a country that prides itself on being a safe haven for refugees from war and famine can treat the average tourist with such contempt? It feels so completely out of step with our national values.

Even if the economy is doing a little better, times are still very tough. We've all got stories about how this recession has affected us and many of us are still recovering from being laid off. And if you're anything like me, the only thing that helps you re-focus on what's really important when times are tough is helping others in need.

If you've ever wanted to take a volunteer vacation, you should apply for a $5,000 Change Ambassador grant from Travelocity's Travel for Good program. The deadline for applications is September 30th and we choose two deserving do-gooders a quarter.

Deal alert: If you've been thinking about taking a volunteer vacation, there's almost never been a better time to book. Globe Aware is offering 15% off trips booked before October 12, 2009 and completed by November 20, 2010. How are they doing this? The devoted employees at Globe Aware are donating hours so the organization can pass along savings to you!

Choose from volunteer vacations to Peru, Costa Rica, Thailand, Brazil, Romania, Jamaica, China, and more! Plus, don't forget that the program fee and airfare are 100% tax deductible for U.S. and Canadian citizens.

So let's recap the deal. You get:

1) Warm fuzzies from helping people in need around the world

2) 15% off your volunteer vacation program fee

3) An awesome tax write-off

Recently I crossed something big off my must-see-before-I-die list: Machu Picchu. I took a day-trip to the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site during my volunteer vacation to Cuzco, Peru. Machu Picchu is situated 8,000 feet above sea level and Cuzco, where I spent the majority of my time, was at 10,800 feet.

Leading up to the trip, every single pamphlet, website, and guidebook I read discussed how to avoid altitude sickness and I must confess, I skimmed it. It didn't feel like there were any good options. For instance, the side effects of the prescription medicine for altitude sickness are often worse than the actual symptoms of it. One woman on my trip who was taking it kept saying, "My nose is tingling! I can't feel my fingertips!" Uh...no thanks.

Editor's Note: Inspired by Follow Friday on Twitter, I am profiling (in far more than 140 characters) extraordinary travelers who you, too, should follow! Through these profiles, I want to introduce you to globetrotting souls that follow their hearts to places near and far, so join me each Friday in my quest to be inspired by some of the most intriguing adventure seekers on our planet!

Be Inspired by: Keith Jenkins, Amsterdam
Follow him: @velvetescape